The last ten days have practically made the whole trip worthwhile. From almost the moment we stepped off the train we were swept up by some of the nicest people I've ever met. Within a couple of hours of arriving in Udaipur, Burt was getting his first lesson on a pair of Indian tabla drums. Krishna, his new instructor, seemed excited to have someone who truly wanted to learn -- a real musician, as opposed to the regular tourists just wanting a one-hour lesson. Afterwards he invited us to his house for lunch with his wife and son. Lunch was extended [View Full Entry]

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Goa is like Neverland for hippies and ravers. It's been trying to clean up its partying image but I'm not sure how well that's going... However, the beaches are very pretty and fresh seafood is always nice, so it wasn't a bad place to spend a few days. We mostly just bummed around Anjuna. There's a famous flea market there every Wednesday and we just happened to arrive Tuesday afternoon, so we got to explore that a bit. I picked up a nice pearl necklace for about USD$12! We rented a scooter for a couple of days and rode it over [View Full Entry]

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We met a lovely man named Joy Francis on our way out of Kumily. He actually became our driver and tour guide. An ex-tea factory worker, he was full of stories and insights into the tea business in India. He really took to us and started referring to us as his son and daughter. ;) Instead of catching a bus all the way to Coimbatore, we decided to break up the journey a bit and stop in Munnar (a town recommended by Deepak) for a night. The drive up was gorgeous and Joy Francis kept us entertained and fed - we [View Full Entry]

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What began as a brief stop on our way to meet up with Burt's friend at a yoga center turned into a six-day love affair with Kumily. The weather was cool, the people were friendly, and there was hardly a mosquito in sight! Kumily is situated just outside the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and is surrounded by tea, coffee, and cardamom plantations. So there are plenty of exotic sounds and smells to accompany the views. ;) Our eco-tourism buddy Oosaka signed us up for a full day's visit to the sanctuary, complete with jeep safari, jungle trek, and paddle boating. A rickety [View Full Entry]

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Hey again! So to catch everyone up, I'm going to lump Pondicherry and Madurai blogs together. After arriving in Pondicherry, we dropped our bags and then decided to explore the town a little. Pondicherry is a former French colony and still retains some of the culture. Even the streets are named "Rue ___"! Pondy is a really nice, relaxed seaside town. The whole place is easily walk-able and generally has a nice atmosphere. It's also a center for yoga and spiritual study and a major producer of homemade paper products. In our wanderings we found a little antique shop that was [View Full Entry]

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Alrighty, so we're definitely off to an interesting start here. Our flight from Singapore was delayed about 45 minutes due to some technical difficulties. Luckily we had booked a hotel with airport pick-up service, so it wasn't a problem when we arrived around 11:30PM. Unluckily, our hotel was pretty crummy and way overpriced. We woke up the next morning wondering if we were crazy for doing this. But we sucked it up and got moving. We caught a rickshaw to our new hotel, a place called the Paradise Guest House. The ride was certainly eye-opening! Our driver whipped us around corners, [View Full Entry]

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We got our first taste of the Indian bus system on our last day in Chennai. It turned out to be a slightly infuriating but nevertheless important learning experience. When a bus pulls up, everyone rushes forward and pushes their way on board. Once inside, they lay claim to seats for them and their friends who have yet to get on. Our first attempt was unsuccessful. I tried to scramble in front of people, but my big backpack made it a little difficult. There were several men holding two and three seats for people that weren't even near the bus -- [View Full Entry]

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Just a quick note to everyone to let you know that we made it here safely. Today's our first full day in India, so we're going to go explore. Will write and post pics soon! Lots of love, lyss [View Full Entry]

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I’ve spent quite a bit of time researching stuff for India, Nepal, and Cambodia, but I kind of forgot about Singapore. Luckily two of my parents’ oldest friends, Sue and Howard, have been living out here for about three years now. They’ve been taking extremely good care of Burt and me and have helped us get a feel for the city. We couldn’t have timed our visit better, as it’s the Chinese New Year. I arrived the evening before Burt; it was late, but Sue stayed up to greet me. The next morning I awoke to a home-cooked breakfast and fresh [View Full Entry]

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I have been hearing about the amazing powder snow in Hokkaido for over a year now and was a bit sad when I left Japan without experiencing it. When I found out that I was to return, the first thing I did was book a snowboarding trip to Niseko (an area that I’d heard lots about). Ready to put my Tokyo grumpiness behind me, I rocked up to Haneda airport almost three hours before my flight. I passed the time with a good book, crossword puzzles, and lots of people-watching. I began to notice a high percentage of foreigners checking in [View Full Entry]

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