India: Mussoorie, elevation 6,580 feet
Mussoorie Impressions Mussoorie has carried with it more anticipation than any other stop on this trip for me. Although I enjoyed our racing around Rajasthan for two weeks, my mind and body were exhausted and looking forward to resting in one place for some time. As we boarded our third and final overnight train ride,....
India: Rajasthan to Mussoorie
Dawn in Mandawa Location: Roof of a Haveli in Mandawa, Rajasthan, India.聽6:15 am. The sound of music drifts through the brisk March air towards me from some unknown source. The city seems still and sleepy. Occasionally, I catch the moo of a cow and the chirp of a bird. Audible all around me is the....
India: Rajasthan, Part II
El Classico, or A Day in Jaipur An account of perhaps the most comically representative full-day experience of our entire trip. It all began with a man wearing a straw hat and a winning smile who stepped onto our bus that morning and invaded our lives forever. “Goodmorningmynameis[incomprehensible]butyoucancallmeJiJi鈥撯��” he said breathlessly. “It’s a good thing....
Independent travel in Guatemala and Belize
Free travel was supposed to be a well-earned vacation from learning; I was expecting to saunter off into the Guatemalan jungle and render my mind blissfully empty of deep thoughts. Yet, in the aftermath of our week-long adventure through the mountains of Cob谩n and the steamy lowlands of Lake Izabal, I鈥檝e realized that I accidentally....
Rajasthan Overview
After our stay at the Sarang Center in southern India, followed by our spring break week, we traveled back to Delhi before heading into northwest India 鈥� into the state of Rajasthan. Rajasthan, in Hindi, means “land of kings” and is the ancient home of a collection of forts, palaces, fancy tombs, and Silk Road....
Kerala & Sarang Center
A day in the life at the Sarang Center, second person POV: 6:15 am:聽 First alarm 6:20:聽 Second alarm 6:22: Get out of bed, throw Kalari clothes on 6:31: Take Rickshaw to Kalari 6:47: Arrive, lather oil on body, go through bowing routine 7:01: Smile and grimace after Guru-ji starts class with 鈥淭hree laps!, one....
Guatemala: Poetry
Hola m鈥檋ija Ahorita llego De platicar con un ciego Pero voz fijo Su coraz贸n de fuego Perdi贸 su visi贸n En el a帽o ochenta y siete Por un accidente de cohete Creando una fisi贸n En ambos ojos y la mente Escuchame, me indicaba Es el trig茅simo primer a帽o De vivir as铆 cotidiano Pero lo que me....
India: Beauty, Colonization and Wrestling with Enough
Goa Reflection The state of Goa is located in western India with its coastline stretching along the Arabian Sea. Its history, like much of India鈥檚 history, involves European colonization. The Portuguese set their eyes on Goa when realizing its valuable placement geographically as a port for spice trading along the Arabian Sea. In the late....
Guatemala: Alta Verapaz
We鈥檙e back from five breathtaking days in Guatemala鈥檚 Alta Verapaz, where we stayed with the organization Community Cloud Forest Conservation, led Rob and Tara Cahill, along with teachers and staff from the surrounding Q鈥檈qchi鈥� communities. CCFC is working with the conservation of the rapidly diminishing cloud forest, as it intersects with the lives and well-being....
India: Kolkata, Varanasi and Bodhgaya
We were told that Kolkata was an 18 hour train ride from New Delhi. The train ended up being 5 hours late and taking 30 hours to reach our destination. One of the “four rules of India” is “anytime after sometime,” and we were truly experiencing this rule! I cannot, however, say this experience was....