So, this morning I got up at the crack of dawn to storm a castle...on an elephant. That's right folks...after weeks of trailing after elephants, watching them take baths, hunting them down in reserves, and flagging them down in parades...I got to ride on my very own elephant. The price of this elephant ride was the same price of the room I slept for the night (550 rupees). Now, I basically decided to chock this one up to the experience...and it was slightly overrated, but fun. So, once we arrived, we thought it would be nice to look around. Thus, the next 2 hours were spent meandering the castle...roaming through hallways, climbing the towers overlooking spectacular scenery...and dodging the MANY tourists who are now readily apparent all over this particular territory. And this is what I ... read more

OK, so imagine you have something to celebrate every 3rd day of the week. Then...not only do you celebrate...but you offer up flowers and firecrakers to the gods...and you put on spontaneous parades in the streets...and give out fruits and candies...and dress in extraordinary colors. Then an ELEPHANT comes out of nowhere to lead a parade with camels and horses and an entire trumpet and brass section just for fun. Lest we not forget that literally thousands of your nearest and dearest friends decide to join you for this holiday. And this, my dear friends, is me in India. And while I am not considering converting...no offense...but Judaism has a heck of a lot to learn about the term "celebrate". I know its only been about 6 hours since my last blog...but I didn't want to ... read more

So...I am back on the road...after rejuvinating in luxury at the Oberoi with Gail. Delhi was a different experience. We stayed in an incredible hotel...got pampered...saw the Taj Mahal in Agra...and shopped. Now, to be truthful, I am not one for sightseeing. Basically, my best form of traveling (sadly enough) is if I were to have a job that I needed to get done in each place that I visited and I worked to accomplish that job. While to some this makes me a workaholic, to me, this just means that what I really enjoy is the opportunity to get to know a place in a different cultural way. See what it takes to get things done...how to communicate...how to act...when to be patient...and when to get upset. So, Dehli was an experiment in getting something ... read more

Have you ever had one of those times when things are just working out exactly as they are supposed to? Well, it seems to be the story of my life right now. For instance...I fell asleep on a bus on the way to Goa, woke up next to 2 Swedish girls who suggested I come with them to their hotel (entirely booked for a Swedish vacation set). They happened to have a vacant room for the night...where I proceeded to crash for almost 24 hours. (Read a great book...Eat, Pray, Love) Walked along the beach for 3 hours...got the requisite Marni-burn. Got into a taxi...sped to the airport. Caught a flight to Dehli. It was even basically on time (for India). As I got on the plane (where my New York instincts took hold...and I barged ... read more

To be honest, I have no idea where I am right now...so you can disregard the "location" mentioned above. What I know is that I got on a bus at 6:30 PM last night...and got off of a bus with a couple of Swedish women who told me that their two star resort in Goa was nice...and that they would probably have a room I could take. They also mentioned that their resort catered to Swedes who were on a "holiday package". Well, after a second all-nighter on a bus...they could have said they were in a resort for martians...and I would most likely have followed them anywhere. Especially after one of them mentioned that she had lived in Haifa for a month during high school...and had just completed her medical residency...and the other claimed to ... read more

Since I last left you I have traveled over 500 kilometers, hiked maybe 6 miles, biked 8 kilometers...and drowned in exhaustive heat. Welcome to India. For a girl who once was able to read Gone with the Wind in a single sitting through the Carolina mountains when I was 10, 15 minutes into an overnight 12 hour busride...I felt so queezy I didn't think I would make it. Coming up with the mantra "stomach of steel" and repeating it perhaps 15,000 times over the next 12 hours...I moved to the front of the bus where I watch as our bus driver seemed to derive unusual pleasure at hitting every possible pothole (not hard to find)...and revving the engine as we would idle waiting for passengers to embark and disemark. Around 5:30 AM we finally arrived...and were ... read more

Yesterday was my cheapest day in India yet. Even if you include the bus ticket purchased the night before, I spent a grand total of 400 rupees total. This would include the 125 rupees for a 5 hour bus trip (where we got the pleasure of driving through a wildlife preserve and saw ELEPHANTS), 125 for the hotel (we chose the second place we checked out because the first place was too dirty-even for my new standards), 50 rupees for lunch, 20 for dinner...and a miscellaneous 30 rupees for a 7Up (the first I've had since I was 7), camera and entrance fee into a palace...and I'm sure I probably blew a few somewhere else. This means that for a grand total of under 9 dollars I travelled over 160 kilomaters, ate well, and saw basically ... read more

I admit my ambivalence is deciding what to name this particular blog entry. Perhaps because India is such an overwhelming experience. You not only see, touch, hear and taste...but literally because it pours into you, onto you and throughout every living and breathing moment you exist in this fascinating country. I have long since learned that while I may see sights that are incredible, it is the experiences I have getting to them that will leave me confronted and changed... So, we will start with CLEAN. This is a word that has completely changed its meaning to me. It seems that the webster dictionary may describe this word as "lacking in dirt" or "free from pollution". I now call clean an indescribable feeling. I am not sure what clean feels like...or looks like. I am pretty ... read more

I have been waiting for days to write about the "Family Vehicle" of the South. In fact, I am not sure if it is only of the South, or the entire country...but apparently at some point India bgan marketing the motorcycle as the new "family vehicle" of the future...and it caught storm! Down here in Kochin, they take this very much to heart...sometimes operating a bike at maximum capacity with Mom, Dad and up to three children tottering recklessly on a bike moving at somewhat top speed (for a coastal town with no stoplights or time deadlines). Now, rumor has it that this marketing scheme may have taken root in the fact that there are apparently many Indian motorcycle companies...or some other fabulously inappropriate reason to perch several people atop a bike with a motor...but either ... read more

OK, this will be the last I mention Mumbai for quite while...But, it was great. Now, most people would not agree with me. It is smelly, dirty and pretty much not a place to spend a lot of time if you are just a tourist...but I loved it. Maybe its because it is so overwhelming that it doesn't leave room in my mind for anything else. I start the day early...and end the day in the early morning hours...thanks to our friendly local Chabad's Purim celebration...and some Israelis... It seems that there are a whole lot of enterprising Israelis around India looking to open up restaurants...or perhaps its just that I've now met 5 in 2 days...either way, they make up an interesting group. Yesterday started with Melind, my friendly quasi-tour guide, picking me up and ... read more