Every day that I had spent inside of Berlin was lovely, sunny, summery. The day I finally decide to get outside the city and daytrip to Potsdam, the weather decides to pour and blow and storm like I haven't seen in ages. Perfect! Of course I didn't dress properly either- flip flops are a terrible idea in rain. The park was huge and didn't really have signs, so I got really annoyed walking around in the rain and not being able to find anything, especially as I had gotten there kind of late and was really pressed for time. Plus, one [View Full Entry]

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Here it is, finally! Berlin is one of my favorite places that I've been to on this trip. It's such a dynamic and lively city. It's amazing that a place with such a troubled history can evolve into something so progressive and vibrant. I knew I would like it before I even got there but it even exceeded my expectations. I am not quite sure if I can really explain why. [View Full Entry]

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Heidelberg 18/05/09-21/05/09 Every place has a history, but in Heidelberg you can really see and feel it. Walking the cobblestones of the longest pedestrian walkway in Europe, you look up and see grotesque gargoyles and graceful maidens adorning doorways and windows. On the hour, a cacophony of bells sounds across the city from centuries-old churches. Cycling past you on all sides are students attending the oldest university in Germany. On one hill stands a castle bearing evidence of successive ages, on another lies the site of Celtic, then Roman, then early Christian and finally N [View Full Entry]

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Im in EUROPE! AHHHH! As of yesterday morning. I do feel a bit blown away and it was making me alittle sick yesterday when I was walking around....its a very unsettling feeling. I feel like I am walking around with my mouth and eyes wide open. I feel out of context and alittle bewildered and like I am on the outside of some kind of exhibit, walking around the outside and looking in. On the last day my friend Abhijit's dad called me and picked me up in their car and I hung out at their house and had lunch and [View Full Entry]

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Gangotri and Gaumukh Trek Gangotri is right up near the northern border of India. It is one of the holiest places in India and consequently a major pilgrimage site because it is located at the source of the Ganges River. It is one of the Char Dham, four pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand. Gangorti temple is built near the place where the god Shiva supposedly received the Ganges in his matted locks. Above Gangotri sits Gaumukh, the glacier that gives birth to the Ganges. The most determined pilgrims can make a trek up to the glacier. Because its such a popular destination, [View Full Entry]

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Jaipur was a modern city with an old pink core. I had quite the adventure there with my new travel buddy Andi. I did really enjoy the Amber Fort, its long silhouette against the ridge and the detail inside made it memorable. [View Full Entry]

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Life in McLeod Ganj March 26th-April___ I’ve been in McLeod Ganj since March 26th. Originally I planned to chill out here and do some volunteering until some of the treks I wanted to do in Uttarakhand opened up. McLeod Ganj is near Dharamsala, in Himachal Pradesh. It is the location of the Tibetan government in exile and the site of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s residence. A large percentage of the town is Tibetan. There are also lots of foreigners hanging out here volunteering, or teaching or taking yoga, massage, or reiki courses. It’s a beautiful mountain setting and th [View Full Entry]

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AGRA March 1st-March 3rd I didn’t give Agra any more than 1 day, which I think is really unfair to do to a place, but I also felt like I should hurry on to Rajasthan so that I could spend more time in the north. I arrived late on the 1st, and had these strange unexplained butterflies in my stomach, knowing I was so close to the Taj Mahal but couldn’t see it. I stayed in Sai Palace in Taj Ganj, named after the South Indian guru Sai Baba. There were large portraits of him, Jesus, and Buddha adorning the colorful [View Full Entry]

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February 27th-March 1st Khajuraho is known I think exclusively for the erotic carvings adorning its many temples. I thought it would be a fascinating thing to see, and I was right. However, I have never felt so hassled as I did in Khajuraho. That, along with some crazy local characters made me impatient to leave! Khajuraho is a pretty small place In Madhya Pradesh, but quite touristy due to the awesome attractive powers of the 25-odd temples. The temples were built by the Chandela dynasty, mostly between AD 950 and 1050. It is unclear why the temples were built in such [View Full Entry]

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This is very much out of order, but I think it needs to be published because it was SO AWESOME. It was one of the most interesting experiences I've had in India...its so lucky I was here during this time! Being in Jodhpur was also a great decision I think because it was quite exuberant but we were also able to celebrate it in a pretty small area and it didnt get too crazy. Holi, as I understand, was on March 10th and the color festival was the next day on the 11th. I think it is better if you google [View Full Entry]

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