Namaste (Hello) everyone! I am finally now in Kolkata. However, before I describe my unbelievable experiences here in my new home, I should first provide some sort of quick update on the end of the more "vacationy" part of my stay in India. For some unknown reason, last week seems to fit quite well with the popular phrase, "the good, the bad, and the ugly."
The Good: Our Adventures
We (the group from CSB/SJU and I) have had some amazing adventures. I detailed some in my last post, ending with a rocking New Year's celebration. On January 1, we continued to welcome the new year in unbelievable fashion by riding a bit further into the desert. Why? We went to a camp where we rode camels. Let's just say, I prefer to ride horses any day. Camels are taller and much bumpier, no pun intended! However, the view of the sunset over the sand dunes was completely and utterly unlike any sunset I have ever seen. None of my pictures do it justice! Then, we returned to camp for dinner and a cold night's sleep in huge tents. No, really huge tents. They really weren't tents in any way except for the fabric walls. Each had a double bed, a variety of other furniture, and a complete bathroom with toilet and shower. Talk about waste! It's a tad confusing whether to consider it good that tourism provides income to a desert community in the midst of a long drought or whether it wastes valuable resources!
After more adventures in Jaisalmer and a long trip back to Delhi, our next big adventure was a trip to Agra. Yes, just like any other self-respecting traveller in India, I saw the Taj Mahal. To be honest, I really don't know what to say about it. It was very beautiful, but everyone already knows that. The detailing is impeccable. It is unquestionably the most extravagant mausoleum I have ever seen in my life, probably because it is one of the most expensive of modern history. After the Taj, we visited the Agra Fort. It was also very beautiful. If we weren't "forted out" already, to quote another member of the group (this was our fourth fort in just over a week), we would have loved the detailed architecture. We also would have appreciated the intelligence behind a two-moat system with an water moat and a jungle moat filled with lions and tigers. As it was, our strongest memories will probably be the adorable monkeys at the entrance. They were so funny!
The Bad: Illness
I have heard that everyone gets some sort of illness from travelling to India. This became true for our group when people began experiencing stomach cramps and other complaints. Some people had primarily food-induced issues, while a contagious cold also entered the group. When the problems got to me in Agra, everything hit at once. It was horrible! I could not keep food in me and ended up going probably almost 72 hours without solid foods! Worse, I had to stay at the hotel all day on Thursday, missing our last day in Delhi!
Fortunately, I am better now. I visited a doctor on Friday, making for an experience in itself. There was almost no wait, and the visit was only around $14 including consultation, a quick IV, and prescription medicines. I don't know anything about how qualified the doctor was or the quality and cleanliness of the hospital, or anything like that because, well, I was a tad distracted by being sick. On the other hand, maybe that's a good thing. Further discussion would beg debate over public/private health care, an issue that I have not researched enough to argue. Just know that I am better now after a miserable illness. And now that I have Internet for the first time since Friday, my parents can stop worrying. My poor parents had to wait four days knowing nothing but the fact that I was sick and had been to the doctor!
The Ugly: Us
No, this is not self-deprecating. Thank goodness we have moved into semi-permanent homes in Kolkata, because the entire group had become a bit...well, if not quite ugly, let's just say worn and smelly. In addition to the illness that hit almost everyone, we faced a rather grueling travel schedule. One day involved a five hour bus ride from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur followed by an overnight, thirteen hour train ride from Jodhpur to Delhi. The day after our return to Delhi brought thirteen hours round-trip of travel from Delhi (6am) to Agra and back (midnight). It was fun to see the countryside, and the sleeping car of the train was an experience. On the other hand, it left even the healthy exhausted. With the packing and repacking, I twice ended up styling my hair without a hairbrush. Fortunately, there were showers, even if occasionally cold or broken (we will be bucket shower experts by May). In a final experience under my "ugly" category, nobody did laundry during our travels. By Saturday, the only clean clothes worn were those purchased during Thursday's trip to Fab India!
So, hello Kolkata! I came to you smelly and unhealthy but quite pleased by our adventures. The past two weeks of travel were unforgettable! Now I need to relax. Time to unpack (check), begin classes (tomorrow), and develop a routine (soon, I hope). The world traveller is settling down for the most subtly wonderful part of study abroad: integration into a non-American culture. Blog posts from here may not be as flashy, but they'll reflect the true depth of my experience. To all back in America or elsewhere: namaste (goodbye)!
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