FINALLY!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words... well, here you have some more images to go along with the blog. I am also working on updating the captions so you have some context!

You can also search for me on Picasa Web Albums.

Motorcycle Diaries

Well, the day has finally arrived. I guess you could say in honor of Tom Finn's birthday (I hope you wished him well), I decided it was time to bite the bullet and do something I had been too afraid to do before: rent a moped.

I was especially nervous this morning as I headed to the front desk of my hotel to inquire about officially renting a moped. The woman who runs the desk and I have had previous encounters which mainly leave us more confused than anything else. So after surrendering my passport and her informing me that there is no insurance but "if you crash, you pay," we headed out to check out my new ride. Luckily, a British man was having breakfast and overheard me asking her for a lesson and getting no response. He offered to show me the ropes so he joined us over to the mopeds.

The British man showed me the brake and the gas and told me "that's all!" So I hopped on, clipped on my helmet, closed my eyes, and thanked the powers that be that I was wearing my St. Christopher medal. I slowly turned the gas and felt myself surprised out how easy it was to drive in a straight line up the driveway! It took me a moment (or maybe two) to turn around and come back, but as I made my way back towards the spectators, I shouted out, "Look! I'm riding a moped!" This was apparently loud enough that Jordan could hear my rejoicing from our bungalow.

So I retrieved a bright pink helmet for Jordan and we planned a little outing to explore Koh Lanta, a small island off the southwestern coast of Thailand. Needless to say, as we rambled slowly down the road on the moped, there were numerous times I couldn't stop laughing. I wish I could have seen the sight of the two of us. Other mopeds whizzed by with babies, moms and dads, teenage boys and women in burkas, but we meandered at a reasonable 20 km per hour speed to make our way around the island.

It ended up being one of my most favorite days as I conquered my fears of riding (and driving!) a moped... not that I will be planning on trying out a motorcycle anytime soon... but if you ever want to purchase me a gift, I would not turn down the gift of a moped. The adventure was quite the success and culminated in sunset beers then dinner overlooking the ocean. It was a lovely ending to our days at Koh Lanta as we head to Krabi (on the mainland) and then back out to a smaller beach.

News update: We have also purchased some plane tickets. March 3rd we fly to Sumatra to begin the Indonesia chapter of this fabulous lifestyle.

Hope everyone is managing to stay warm and toasty in the midst of all the snow I have been hearing about! If it gets too much, you can come meet us in Bali towards the end of March.

In the Words of Rachel Zoe... I Die.

Forgive me for being politically incorrect but Asians on beaches are positively my most favorite thing. It takes people watching to a whole new level. At first, I thought maybe it was just the Eastern Europeans who loved to pose like models in front of Thai waterfalls, but I realized it is a whole phenomenon that has eclipsed the United States of America.

I find myself on the island of Koh Phi Phi. You might recognize it from The Beach (which I have never seen) or when it made headlines after the tsunami. It is absolute paradise (especially within the context of having been in India for a month). Either way, today Jordan and I took a boat tour to explore the smaller, neighboring island of Phi Phi Leh. We applied copious amounts of sunscreen as we were a little red from the previous day but braved the open water to explore the underwater world. We snorkeled as Jordan pointed out glorious fishies and sea pickles. Our new friend Ali (our boat driver) took us to see many incredible sights, which ended at a large beach on Phi Phi Leh.

Disclaimer 1: Never have I seen such clear water. Disclaimer 2 (bringing it back to Asians and model poses): Never would I expect to take more pictures of strangers than the clearest water of my life. Here is where you can have a glimpse...

These people have now found themselves a prominent place in my future photo album of this trip. I can't wait to take even more pictures as we continue our adventure. Tomorrow, we will head to a new island (Koh Lanta) before making our way to the eastern side of Thailand for you guess it... The Full Moon Party.

In the meantime, maybe we can all hop on the bandwagon and strike a pose next time you are getting your picture taken. Who knows how many people around the world might appreciate it.

Be Careful What You Wish For

In the past 24 hours, Jordan and I have discussed the lack of crazy Thai-translated-into-English, lack of monkeys, and lack of rain. As luck would have it, we found ourselves experiencing all of the above.

Yesterday we arrived in Kanchanaburi. Well off the beaten track and in search of waterfalls, we headed there from Bangkok. Our first order of business was to rent some bicycles (we have yet to graduate to mopeds). After sketchily pushing them across train tracks, we managed to cycle past farms, large houses, mini villages, cows and some goats. We ended up at an old World War II cemetary and then a monkey school. Pictures to follow, but the monkey school was a highlight as we fed them papaya and bananas. One baby monkey in particular enjoyed climbing on Jordan and leaving traces of fruit on Jordans shirt. Please note: this does not count as a lack of monkey.

As we biked back to Kanchanaburi, we thought it would be a good idea to check out a restaurant from Lonely Planet. Unfortunately, we were unable to find it and settled upon a random Thai place. Below you can see pictures of the menu. Jordan had just mentioned the fact that all English was apparently properly translated when we fell upon this goldmine:

I'm not quite sure how we ordered while simultaneously laughing hysterically. We left wondering what on earth was going on and how we would manage to decipher menus in the future. The Thai phrasebook Santa gave me did not quite help in this situation... although under the social category you can learn how to ask for clean needles.

Back to wishful thinking, this morning we woke up ready of a full day of touring. I commented on the humidity of the lovely Thailand morning and said something along the lines of, "good thing we don't have to worry about rain."

As our minibus sped off in the direction of the Erawan Falls, a national park here in the central plains, we thought of the monkeys we might see. As we hiked through and swam in the different pools surrounding the falls, we stopped thinking about wildlife and focused on hiking the treacherous trails. At the final and seventh level, we began the descent only to stumble upon some Eastern Europeans focused on the trees. Looking up, we realized that the man we had previously spotted wearing a man thong was taunting some monkeys in the trees. We waited for it to attack him but it did not. We continued on with our trek and the rest of our day's tour. We had seen some monkeys, swam in the waterfall, seen some crazy train lines built into the mountain, walked across flimsy wooden bridges and had a sunset beer at a classy floating restaurant.

As we got back to the hotel, I noticed some flashes of light in the distance and asked Jordan if it could be lightning. We decided, yes it was lightning and figured it was heat related. At dinner, however, it started to pour and we realized everything we talked about was coming true: crazy english translations, monkeys, and rain. This might not seem like a big deal but rain in the dry season might in fact be big. In fact, saying three things out loud we wanted and having them come true within 24 hours... coincidence? I think not.

This trip might just be absolutely blessed by the angels and you don't even know the other things we have wished for... Things we have to look forward to are Thai islands and full moon parties. May all our dreams come true (even the unspoken ones).

Bangkok!?

Arrived in Bangkok and excited for new unexpected turn of events: Sarah Strull. I met her this past summer and a wonderful friend connected the dots that we would be in Thailand at the same time. She works at the camp I will return to this summer but unlike us "seasonal employees" she managed to enter a foreign country under "paid vacation." This phrase is relatively unknown to me but I was envious. That didn't really stand in the way of a seriously good time, however.

I met Sarah at the Starbucks in the Bangkok airport. After flying out of Kolkata (the airport looks like it has been bombed 7 times in the past 2 years), the smells and sights of Bangkok were overwhlemingly welcoming. So we met up and hopped a cheapo bargain bus to meet up with (you guess it!) my travel buddy. Upon reaching the hotel, which was not as fabulous as the pictures lead you to believe but still fell under fabulous category given the roof top pool, we met up with Jordan and headed out for Thai beers and curry. To make the night even more memorable, we ended up meeting a friend I had made at the Taj Mahal, having more refreshments, spying on "cautionary tales" aka men who looked like they had been in Thailand for way too long, and then going dancing at a club called "The Club."

Things were really looking up in Thailand. We woke up for our first full day and decided to spend the first half of it at the pool. For the second half, we decided to take in some touristy sights so took a tuk-tuk (think Indian auto rickshaw but a touch fancier) to the Grand Palace. From far away, I had never seen anything so grand but as we got closer it became apparent we were inappropriately dressed. Far from the Indian men, I had shed my long pants and long sleeves in favor of shorts and tank tops. In anticipation of the temple, I had carried along a shawl but alas, that was not enough.

Before we even realized it, a woman was shrouding us in random hawaiian print tropical shirts and wrap around skirts. We left her a deposit and frolicked towards jewel-encrusted palaces and emerald-clad buddhas. We were not disappointed, even though we felt we would pass out from the heat given our new wardrobe. After seeing plenty of history and cats hiding in temples, Sarah, Jordan and I hopped onto a water taxi which led us to discover the cheap-o Thai back massage. This ended up leading to more than one miracle as it taught us a shortcut back to our hotel.

Later that evening, we decided to go back to the area we had gotten massages. As we sketchily attempted to pass through a restaurant/travel agency/Jewish hangout, we ran into my Israeli friends from Varanasi. We made plans to meet up later that night but sadly that did not work out. We were tired and leaving Bangkok in the morning. However, the randomness was absolutely crazy and hope that is only the beginning on this trip.

Thailand kicked itself off to a great start and I plan on fully enjoying it until our final day as we celebrate the full moon before heading onto Indonesia. Spring Break Thailand 2010. Hollla back.

Jord Talk Thai

Headed to Bangkok tomorrow. There my worries will slip away as I meet up with my travel buddy. Not only do I have someone to go clubbing with, ahem I mean see some more temples... but let's pray she is blogging more often than I do. I have fallen behind on keeping my loved ones up to date.

Maybe it is the eternal love-hate relationship with India or the fact that I have been having some real lovely times, but recently sitting in an internet cafe and typing away has been at the bottom of the list. It probably can be considered part of the "what on earth is going on in this country" syndrome I have been experiencing as I prepare myself for Southeast Asia and say goodbye to India. I am just spending too much time in Kolkata praying that taxis drop me off where I want to go and sending signals to the angels to watch over the package I just shipped home from India.

Not that I can complain too too much. In the past 30 days, I have seen the Arabian Sea, hung out with loads of monkeys, walked around the Taj Mahal, eaten some goat, seen the Himalayas, fallen off a horse, spent about 117 hours on a train, convinced myself I had malaria to discover it was indigestion, learned tidbits of different languages, and worked on my tan while my brother shovels the driveway. I have survived a month solo in India regardless of the crazy drivers and sketchy winking men. Life is pretty grand and its about to get just that much greater.

So see you in Thailand. If you don't hear from me, try checking out my friend at www.fpdiaries.wordpress.com. It will be a good way to make sure at least one of us is alive (just kidding, Dad).

Lots of love to those in the Western Hemisphere and good bye India!

Not Even Sure Where to Begin

Oo La la.. Taj Mahal in the background. Please note: I am desperately trying to upload pictures to share but connections have been too slow. Fingers crossed for Kolkata!

I can barely keep track of the days, but I will attempt to do a recap of the past week or so that I have been MIA. I'm not sure if it is India, the lack of a job, general disarray, or differentiating climates, but I can never tell a person when I have arrived in the place I am in or plan on leaving it. Either way that is relatively irrelevant as the world is my oyster and India is my playground (or at least until next Tuesday when I fly to Bangkok).

So after Agra, my plan was to head to Varanasi. It seemed everyone visiting the Taj Mahal was leaving for Varanasi on the same train I was so I made plans to share a rickshaw with my new friend Marcus and off we went. This turned out to be the best rickshaw ride of my life as my young driver and his oddly-dressed (like a priest?) friend who hung on for his dear life were blasting Bollywood music as loud as their sound system allowed as we sped through the streets at 11PM. We arrived at the train station, the train was there, and I settled down to sleep in my sleeper class (finally decided to downgrade from the upper class).

Waking up near Varanasi, I grew tremendously excited. Varanasi is one of the spiritual capitals of India. Many Hindus bring their dead to be burned at the ghats (steps leading down to the river) on the Ganges, one of the holiest rivers in India... also the most polluted. I had been experiencing minor nightmares leading up. This might have been due to my antimalarials or just the wide array of reviews I had heard about the city. However, when Marcus and I arrived in Varanasi, we immediately befriended 2 Israelis (!!) and shot off to a hotel.

Little did I know this would end up being the best thing to happen to me as the four of us spent the entire time together in Varanasi. I not only learned some Hebrew, but I learned how to sharpen my bargaining skills. I now no longer accept the prices given to me.

300 Rupees for a room?! No way! I pay 150 Rupees.

500 Rupees for a patchwork silk tablecloth thing I don't really want but feel like bargaining for? I say 100, they say 3... I walk away when they don't take 200 Rupees. The man runs after me and says okay okay.

And my best bargain yet -- handwoven Indian silk. Yes, I now own 9 meters of it and plan on creating some exquisite clothing. Originally they wanted $115 USD, I got it for $80 USD.

Yes, I am just that good these days. My new Israeli friends taught me an exquisite art that I will be sad to no longer practice. I officially love saying a low price, slowly coming up, never going over a certain amount, trying to hand the money over, and then walking away as a last resort. And then you get chased. And then you win.

I was having so much fun in Varanasi -- boat rides down the Ganges, nightly prayer ceremonies, crazy restaurant owners giving away bootleg rum, etc. I was getting sad to leave but then became even sadder as the Indian food and water finally caught up to me and I became sick. I figured it was nothing too bad as we set off for Darjeeling (up in the Himalayas, just like the tea!) but it was definitely made worse by the altitude and maybe the 12 hour train ride that turned into a 20 hour ordeal. By the time I got to Darjeeling, I was definitely imagining worse case scenarios.

Ever the hypochondriac, I decided I had malaria. Luckily that belief was crushed when I went to the doctor after 4 days of not feeling so hot (if you get what I mean). However, the doctor and nurse were quite kind, told me it was mere indigestion, prescribed me a million drugs, laughed at the notion of malaria, and sent me off.

And that brings me to today. I finally feel better. This morning I woke up at 3 AM to see the sunrise over the Himalayas. It was lovely albeit a touch cloudy due to the time of year. I have also made some American friends. It took me a while, but I noticed that few Americans travel India and so this is the first time I have hung out with some. I also haven't hung out with many girls as most do not come to India apparently. So as of now, I finish up my time in Darjeeling with four American guys who have been working at a hospital in Central India and we are about to go on a pony ride. Literally, the saddles are on. So off I must go but glad to have caught up!

Next stop (and last Indian destination): Kolkata