We woke up at 5:30 and left for town. I will never get used to riding a camel; they are huge and unpredictable, occasionally bending down to eat greenery or trotting off the trail. The sun was rising and it was again, really pretty.
We got back to the hotel at 7:30 and "took breakfast" at 8. We all say that now and don't even notice haha. We left and went shopping! We stopped for lunch, but that's it! Everyone was super friendly and chats us up. By noon, everyone in town knows we are from Canada. I always tell people because I'm super proud.
In the markets, men offer you these flowers, hoping you'll take them and proceed to a festival at the lake. The festival is just prayers that are the biggest tourist traps sometimes costing 2,000 rupees ($40 CA). Madan warned us not to accept the flowers an we had no problems. The streets are not as busy cause only two wheel vehicles are allowed on them. We bought a child beggar flour; we're still not sure if we got bamboozled or if he was legit. Pushkar is home to the famous Brahma Temple. We didn't get to go in, but I would really like to someday.
We took dinner at the Sunset Cafe on the edge of the lake. I had mixed pakora and stuffed parantha and like ten Maazas. We're just getting ready for bed now. We leave for Ranthambore at 4:45! Later days.
Torry Harris
DWC Team Leader
India, May 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
June 3rd: Camel Safari in the desert
We left camp at about 7:45. Tiji Devi blessed us with tikas. It was beautiful. So sad to leave, but happy to be have been there at all. I won't dwell on us leaving because I know I'll be back.
We drove to Pushkar. It took about four hours. We drove the windiest roads and I felt so carsick. Pushkar is lakeside and there is about one and a half kilometers of markets. We went for lunch and went window shopping.
We came back at 5 PM and embarked on our journey to the desert! The camels were so scary. I heard that they're mean and huck loogies at you, but no such thing happened. I wasn't too keen because of the whole animals being treated like crap and used just for people's pleasure, but sometimes you gotta go with the flow. It's still nice to be cognisant of what you're doing and the impact of others. Madan ji said they were malnourished, but healthier than the ones who pull carts (they need to be stronger to carry things on their backs). Anyway, we rode through the desert for about two hours. My camel's name was Rama. We saw pigs, blue cows, peacocks, antelopes, and monkeys! So cool. The sun was setting and it was beautiful. The hills kinda of looked like Kamloops haha. We got to the camp site and the men that lead the camels pitched tents for us. We ate dinner (dal, rice, curried potatoes, eggplant, ladyfingers, and gulab jamun) and drank masala chai. We goofed off and made about a billion light paintings. All the men thought we were cray-cray. Then we went to bed! I loved the whole thing. One of the highlights of my trip, for sure.
Torry Harris
DWC Team Leader
India, May 2012
We drove to Pushkar. It took about four hours. We drove the windiest roads and I felt so carsick. Pushkar is lakeside and there is about one and a half kilometers of markets. We went for lunch and went window shopping.
We came back at 5 PM and embarked on our journey to the desert! The camels were so scary. I heard that they're mean and huck loogies at you, but no such thing happened. I wasn't too keen because of the whole animals being treated like crap and used just for people's pleasure, but sometimes you gotta go with the flow. It's still nice to be cognisant of what you're doing and the impact of others. Madan ji said they were malnourished, but healthier than the ones who pull carts (they need to be stronger to carry things on their backs). Anyway, we rode through the desert for about two hours. My camel's name was Rama. We saw pigs, blue cows, peacocks, antelopes, and monkeys! So cool. The sun was setting and it was beautiful. The hills kinda of looked like Kamloops haha. We got to the camp site and the men that lead the camels pitched tents for us. We ate dinner (dal, rice, curried potatoes, eggplant, ladyfingers, and gulab jamun) and drank masala chai. We goofed off and made about a billion light paintings. All the men thought we were cray-cray. Then we went to bed! I loved the whole thing. One of the highlights of my trip, for sure.
Torry Harris
DWC Team Leader
India, May 2012
June 2nd: Last day at Youth Touch
Hi! Today was our last day at camp. We couldn't work because the mason was still with his wife at the hospital! She had surgery to remove her appendix. We hope she has a quick recovery!
We're so happy to have completed as much as we have on the boarding house this month. The foundation is almost complete. Madan said that everyone thought the Westerners couldn't do the construction work (we're the first group to do so) in the heat, but we proved them wrong! Yay! We know this boarding house is going to change many lives of the children of Banjara Basti. The first floor will be finished in two years if we come back next May and three years if we do not. Past Swedish volunteers have been collecting funds to support the house as well! Donations are accepted if you want to help speed up the process of building the boarding house. Your support is much appreciated. You can email Madan (madan_jpr@rediffmail.com) or myself (torry@developingworldconnections.org) if you have questions.
Today we all did laundry, packed, did chores, and hung out. We had mangoes for lunch and dinner (you jelly Vic, Elma, Rebecca, and Jess?!). All the laundry we did today was clothes we are donating to the Banjara kids. We also gave our toiletries (hand sanitizers, shampoo, medicines etc) to help with Youth Touch's Health Project. The last time we went to visit the children we took pictures and took names for kids we would like to sponsor (to pay to go to school for one year). It's about $340 US a year. We plan on holding fundraisers throughout the year so we can support kids we connected with and would love your help.
The lessons I've learned this month are invaluable and I am so grateful for this experience. I hope I can come back next May and work here again :). As you can tell by how much I gush in this blog, I love it here.
Stay tuned for our travels to Pushkar, Ranthambore, and Delhi! As always, thanks for reading.
Torry Harris
We're so happy to have completed as much as we have on the boarding house this month. The foundation is almost complete. Madan said that everyone thought the Westerners couldn't do the construction work (we're the first group to do so) in the heat, but we proved them wrong! Yay! We know this boarding house is going to change many lives of the children of Banjara Basti. The first floor will be finished in two years if we come back next May and three years if we do not. Past Swedish volunteers have been collecting funds to support the house as well! Donations are accepted if you want to help speed up the process of building the boarding house. Your support is much appreciated. You can email Madan (madan_jpr@rediffmail.com) or myself (torry@developingworldconnections.org) if you have questions.
Today we all did laundry, packed, did chores, and hung out. We had mangoes for lunch and dinner (you jelly Vic, Elma, Rebecca, and Jess?!). All the laundry we did today was clothes we are donating to the Banjara kids. We also gave our toiletries (hand sanitizers, shampoo, medicines etc) to help with Youth Touch's Health Project. The last time we went to visit the children we took pictures and took names for kids we would like to sponsor (to pay to go to school for one year). It's about $340 US a year. We plan on holding fundraisers throughout the year so we can support kids we connected with and would love your help.
The lessons I've learned this month are invaluable and I am so grateful for this experience. I hope I can come back next May and work here again :). As you can tell by how much I gush in this blog, I love it here.
Stay tuned for our travels to Pushkar, Ranthambore, and Delhi! As always, thanks for reading.
Torry Harris
DWC Team Leader
India, May 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
June 1st: Work continues despite some departures
Work was bomb; the new trench is dug so it's like we are starting from the beginning (laying rock on the floor and building it up to ground level).
Today was sad times cause four of our volunteers left (Jess, Vic, Rebecca, and Elma). I cried like a baby in front of everyone. So lame. The women blessed the girls with tikas (red paste on the forehead). It symbolizes "the third eye." Madan took them by van to Delhi at 1 PM. It's a seven hour drive or so. We've had such good times and I was really sad to see them go. It's like a family here and it's just not the same with them gone :(.
We oiled our hair with coconut oil like the women do here! We went on a walk and went to the stall. I slept through tea. First time it's ever happened; it was devastating. Dinner seemed weird cause there was only the eight of us! Tomorrow's our last full day here :(. We'll work, pack, and do laundry. Then we are off to the camel safari! I'll keep you updated.
Torry Harris
DWC Student Team Leader
Sikar, India: May 2012
Today was sad times cause four of our volunteers left (Jess, Vic, Rebecca, and Elma). I cried like a baby in front of everyone. So lame. The women blessed the girls with tikas (red paste on the forehead). It symbolizes "the third eye." Madan took them by van to Delhi at 1 PM. It's a seven hour drive or so. We've had such good times and I was really sad to see them go. It's like a family here and it's just not the same with them gone :(.
We oiled our hair with coconut oil like the women do here! We went on a walk and went to the stall. I slept through tea. First time it's ever happened; it was devastating. Dinner seemed weird cause there was only the eight of us! Tomorrow's our last full day here :(. We'll work, pack, and do laundry. Then we are off to the camel safari! I'll keep you updated.
Torry Harris
DWC Student Team Leader
Sikar, India: May 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)