Blogs from Rajasthan, India, Asia

Namaste! I am writing this while on the train to Udaipur from Delhi. The ride will last twelve hours so I figured I should make the most of this opportunity to write a blog post before I spend the next two days getting to know my new hometown. From the hotel, our driver helped us find the right platform and train car. We came prepared with a dinner packed by the hotel and I loaded my bag with ‘western’ snacks from a gas station (Lays sour cream and onion chips, sour skittles, skittles, Gatorade, and two kinds of Gobstoppers). We are riding in second class, which means there are two beds on each wall, three sets of beds per compartment and my favorite part; air conditioning! There are no rats thank god. The interns who went ... read more

Rajasthan; India’s desert state. It’s everything one might expect from a desert, especially at this time of year in the searing pre-monsoon heat which makes the land arid and void of colour. Nonetheless, Rajasthan is the most colourful state of all India, for the people paint the landscape here. Our train passed though many small settlements where the women and men alike appeared from a distance as many-coloured, iridescent marbles, reflecting light and drawing the interest of our foreign eyes. The saris and turbans are subject to careful colour coding relating to age, marital status, caste, mood and even season. Upon closer appraisal the married women wear florescent pink scarves, tucked at the waistband and hanging over their faces as a veil to protect from harshness of the Indian sun. Beneath the cloak is a crimson ... read more

Our train clatters forwards along the sand strewn iron, further and deeper into the heart and heat of the Great Thar Desert, a scorched, barren wasteland of scrub, slate and sand along India’s North West boarders. The increasing morning heat is already ominous; sand drifts in through the open windows of the train, creating a coarse covering on the leather seats of our carriage, a frustration intensified by the unpleasant mixture of sand and sweat forming in the creases behind my knees. Even the breeze generated by an open window is mitigated by the fact that the only supply of air has been heated beyond comprehension since day break, such that now, a heated rush of air continuously circulated through our cabin, as if some merciless tormentor sought to reinforce the fact that there is simply ... read more

Hello readers! Well it has been an eventful few days- less in India actually than back home! I have been accepted to medical school! After all those years! Will start at Leicester medical school in Sept, very exciting. And expensive...makes me want to spend less here! Also... James and me are getting our own flat! He and his parents are buying a place as an investment, and we get to live in it! And decorate it how we want! Exciting. So lots of things to look forward to planning when i get back!! Meanwhile in India... my time in Pushkar was ok. I know loads of tourists love the place but for me the magic was kind of lost in the hundreds and hundreds of tourist stalls. I mean you get shops everywhere for tourists but ... read more

Heather, Natalie and I decided it was time to explore some more of India and we figured why not head to Jaipur for the Elephant Festival and Holi Festival. In order to accommodate the festivals, I left the volunteer project nearly a week early and have arranged to return at the end of the month before leaving the country. Jaipur (March 6-11) The girls and I spent a total of five days in Jaipur. On day two, we went to the Elephant Festival. The festival consisted of a parade of exquisitely painted elephants adorned with brightly colored scarves/fabrics hanging from their husks and pierced ears, large bangles around their ankles, beautiful headdresses and intricate quilts draped over their backs. There were six elaborately decorated elephants competing for best dressed while others were available for elephant rides. ... read more

Ok, you might have wondered where I've been for the last um... week? I can't tell how long its been! I have been off having adventures thats for sure! Might not be able to get you up to speed in one go but i'll see how far we get, starting new page for each place perhaps. After Bikaner was Jaisalmer, a desert surrounded town with a living fort- perhaps the only in the world. 80% of the town's revenue comes from tourists so it was quite a change from Bikaner- tourists were everywhere!! I met some great people. On my first day I went to this desert culture museum and had a really good chat (and chai) with the director. We talked all about the way of life for people in Rajastan, how it has changed ... read more