Aug. 27 - NOTE: So, the reason I haven't posted this all month is that travelblog.org has been rejecting my photo uploads... it now has a few of the images I selected, but not all of them have uploaded. Hopefully they will materialize shortly, but until then happy reading and I will update again shortly :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After many months of anticipation Yotam and I finally departed for our cross-country trail to Nelson, BC on August 2. The passing of my grandmother required my presence in Rochester for a few days, and I was fort [View Full Entry]

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After a fun train ride back from Bangalore to Chennai, an expensive night at the Raj Palace and an early flight, we arrived in Delhi, the capital city of India. At first I was very pleasantly surprised to find almost NO honking! Turns out it was only because it was a lazy Sunday afternoon with little traffic but it was a nice respite from the eternal beepdom still. Our driver for the day had a nice car and was easy on the eyes. Unfotunately, he was not so easy on the wallet and took us to a very pricey restaurant for [View Full Entry]

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Excited to be moving on to our next destination, my travel companions, now consisting of Abi, Sangeev, Chitra and Mahaish (sorry for butcherous spelling!), and I boarded our sleeper car train at Chennai Station. The novelty of a train with beds on it had me in high spirits, and I was also looking forward to visiting yet another of the south Indian states. Getting on the train is always a dramatic little adventure unto itself, especially in the larger stations (like in Chennai). One must first determine what platform the train is to arrive on and then find the most effective [View Full Entry]

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Ahhhh! So much happening, so little time to write! August 28 was a day of jam-packed traveling. We made our way by train from Trichy to Chennai, leaving at 9:15am(ish). We took the non-A/C car this time, which I vastly prefered to the frigidity of the A/C chair car. Sitting by the window with the sun and wind on my face, we made the 6 hour voyage, speeding through fertile rice and sugar cane fields back to the density of Chennai. I really loved Trichy, with its friendly people and village sensibility and was sad ro be leaving it. The train [View Full Entry]

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After an extremely fitfull afternoon and evening of sleep, I awoke early at 6am and started a routine with the hopes of improving my stay here in India. While there have been enjoyable outings and warm company, I have been decidedly ill-at-ease since falling sick and must make a conscious decision from here on in to do everything in my power to be happy and have a good time. I think that if I am able to give my body what it needs, hopefully my mind, and heart, will follow suit. This decided, I began a yoga and stretching regiment and [View Full Entry]

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We took a train form Chennai to Tiruchirappalli (Trichy), a journey I had been greatly looking forward to, tired of the hustle, bustle and dust of Chennai. I see the train as the quintessential mode of Indian transportation, even though we booked our tickets in the A/C chair car. I was still feeling rather unwell, having not eaten in 2 days (aside for a packet of cream crackers, courtesy of Mona Chity) and slept for most of the 5 1/2 hour ride. I was able to watch our depature from Chennai however, and looked on as we rolled past palm leaf [View Full Entry]

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So much happens on any given day here that I feel like if I miss a day of writing, many savory details will be lost and remain in the moment they happend. On the other hand, I can't very well spend my whole trip journaling so I'll just have to find a happy medium. On August 21 we had a very nice day indeed. It started with me having breakfast with the boys at a cafateria-type place. I got curious stares from the waitstaff (who are strangely - to me - all men at all restaurants) as I suppose it is [View Full Entry]

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Woke up at 6 am after a fitfull but short sleep and went to breakfast in the hotel restaurant with Abi, Laltha, Mona, Sanji and Sangeev. Thius consisted of yummy roti's, uthappan (pancake-like bread), curries, cake, fruit and coffee. Indian coffee, different than what we have in Canada is meant to be mixed at a ratio of 1:4 with milk. I did not know this and I prepared mine like I would at home. WHen the waiter cam to take it away, I refused, wanting to keep it and some confusion ensued. Sangeev then explained to me how it is supposed [View Full Entry]

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After an exhausting trip of roughly two days (I think, this whole time difference thing makes absolutely NO sense to me) we finally arrived in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA! The end of the flight was a rocky one and on descent we hit some pretty major turbulence and at one point I was actually lifted from my seat for a few moments of free fall. Not going to lie; I definitely screamed. My ears, fine on the flirst flight, gave me some problems in the second descent, but were manageable. Upon arriving at Ana International Airport in Chennai (Madras), the humidity [View Full Entry]

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Having arrived at Pearson International Airport a full 2 1/2 hours before check-in, I was presented with the opportunity to sit and contemplate the journey I am about to undertake. Not that this contemplation has not occured in the months weeks and days leading up to this momentous departure. The difference now is that the experience resides in the realm of reality as opposed to fantasitc anticipation. I am still relatively unawares as to what this trip holds in store for me. While the mere concept of traveling SUCH a great distance to SUCH a vastly different place still holds a [View Full Entry]

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