In January I Went to India

Once again, I have been incredibly delinquent with my writing! Now that I’m living in the village I should have ample time to write. Before I recount the enthralling details of village life (I know everyone is anxious to hear), let me first give a quick recap of my January trip to India. Basically, I went to India with my friend Lauren (also an ETA in Shaturia). Let me preface this by saying that North India in winter was not the brightest idea, but it was definitely worth it. We flew into Delhi and left the next morning bright and early at 6am for the Taj Mahal. The Taj was huge and magnificent and even though we were distracted by the cold, it was certainly a sight I will always remember.

The next day we were happy to be on our way to Jaipur (Agra is nothing special). We took another long bus ride and arrived in the Pink City. Jaipur is a vibrant city and is characterized by its unique architectural style. We explored many beautiful places including Old Jaipur, the City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Galta (aka Monkey Temple), and Amber Fort.

After Jaipur and a bout with strep throat, we made the absurdly long and hellish journey from Jaipur to Amritsar (via Delhi) by 2 separate trains. By this time we began to realize how ambitious our itinerary was, given the state of Indian public transport (kind of a nightmare). Amritsar was very cold, but I fell in love with Punjabi music, people, and food. The Golden Temple was absolutely spectacular (a rival to the Taj in my book) and we walked barefoot for over an hour in the cold and fog as we circumambulated the complex (once again, so worth it!).

From Amritsar we took another long journey to Dharamsala (the home of H.H. the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile), where I studied abroad during college. Dharamsala has begun to feel a bit like home to me. It was amazing to be up in the mountains again, away from the sounds of the city (especially after living amongst Dhaka crowds and traffic). In Dharamsala we ate and shopped. I was also able to see my homestay family and one of my dear friends from study abroad. I left Dharamsala feeling refreshed and reenergized. Next came the epic 12 hour winding bus ride back to Delhi (they actually handed out barf bags). Back in Delhi we shopped some more (I was a dutiful little consumerist) and ate A LOT. We also went to Old Delhi where we saw the Red Fort and Jama Masjid (the largest mosque in India).

Old Delhi was also my one time venture into street food, for the infamous Jalebiwalla (jalebis are my favorite Indian sweet –fabulous fried and syrupy goodness). After Delhi we flew back to Dhaka, and one week later Lauren and I moved to Shaturia –our village.