KrisA
Kris Ansin Joined: August 20th 2008
Logged in: June 29th 2009
Logged in: June 29th 2009
Mark Twain
Travel Blog Posts
His message
I am writing this entry in the exact location I wrote my first post 72 days ago- home. The jet lag has subsided, and I have very quickly found myself deep in life here, mostly due to circumstance. So seamlessly did I slide back into life on this side of the pond that India became a memory before I changed my watch back to Eastern Standard Time. And although I have great, fond, fulfilling memories of this trip- many I've shared in these pages, others I'm looking forward to when I can share this trip in person- the recall feels tamed relative to the experience. From where I presently sit, I feel more like a reader than the writer. India is not a place you can read about to understand. I hope my words have entertained ... read more
Taj Hotel
It was the best of times... It's no secret that India is a land of contrasts. Be it from accounts on these pages, or other, more reputable sources, evident it is that North is starkly different than South, East markedly changed from West. Language, food, culture, history, religion, geography all vary considerably as one shifts in and out of different states and cities- in a land of 1.15 billion people- a sixth of the world population- no less than seventeen official languages are spoken, and no less than 600 dialects. And you'd be hard pressed to find two places as different from each other as Mumbai and Diu, my latest two stops on the subcontinent. Mumbai, dubbed the Maximum City, lives up to its nickname. I arrived only a few weeks before the monsoon, and the ... read more
Bhutan
Quickie: I was cool, now I am hot Next I figure to give Mumbai a shot Had a great time in the Thunder Dragon As I am now surrounded by many a rickshaw wagon Longer version As I write today, I am in the city of Jaipur, India, which, with Delhi and Agra, composes the popular Golden Triangle tourist route. Set on the edge of India's desert state, Rajastan, Jaipur in May feels a bit like standing next to a grill during a cookout, in a down jacket, after running sprints, on a highway, at high noon. In other words, I'm a bit warm. Despite my location for the past few days, today's entry will focus, instead, on Bhutan, where we spent the last week plus prior to our arrival here in the Pink City. And ... read more
2nd Graders during recess
Today is my last day at the Taktse International School, a community that in some ways feels so familiar to schools at home, it's hard to believe the distance that separates this place from home, until I look out the library window at a 15,000 foot mountain range. A school in its infancy, Taktse began four years ago as this quiet state of Sikkim became inundated with factories and controversial hydroelectric projects. As peaceful as this land is, it has not supplied an education to locals adequate enough to stand up to these external forces. More, little job training is available to supply inhabitants with the skills to compete for employment, locally and beyond; the majority of positions these large scale projects create are given to people outside the community. A school of 150 students ranging ... read more
Mintu!
The main idea haiku Up in the mountains The air's cool as am I but Hurting after hike For those with a little more time: I hope this finds you well. Today marks two full weeks on the other side of the world. My guidebook has been temporarily shelved and my belongings have slowly strewn themselves across the floor of my temporary residence, the Chan Bari Guest House, in the small city of Gangtok, in the state of Sikkim, a forgotten part of the world wedged between India and China. Sikkim, an independent nation until 1975, still requires its own visa to enter, and has retained some of its autonomy, both politically and spiritually, from the time before pressure from the west and north required the land to seek protection from India. So isolated is it ... read more
Good morning from Varinasi! Cliffnotes: I am well, I have enjoyed my first 5 days traveling across India, I am also extremely hot between the hours of 11 and 4. Extended version: Today is my 4th full day in India, and already I've experienced enough sights, sounds, and smells for it to feel like a month. I have spent time in Delhi (the capital) Agra (home of the Taj Mahal), and now Varanasi (old an holy, where many come to bathe in the beautiful and polluted Ganges River). India is: Big. In number and sheer size. Delhi's population is 13 million, and is roughly 40 miles end to end. After touring for one day, I began my trek across the country by train, notably a 14 hour overnight from from Agra to Varanasi. Today, in 3 ... read more
This is my first blog post. I am not in India yet, but, I am about to pick up some iodine pills, so that's exciting. T-3 days, the plan is to finish packing, tie up the loose ends, greet the easter bunny, catch one more Sox game, and hit the road!... read more
