The Beauty in a Misadventure in Kerala

We read that the best place to see elephants in the wild was at a nature reserve in Kerala. It's the best place because the guidebook said it was "almost guaranteed" to see them. As soon as we had that information, we were making plans to go there.

So the day after our day at Fort Kochi and just one night after our 42 hour train experience, we got on a bus and rode for six hours. We then figured out we were still another couple of bus rides away from the nature reserve so we spent the night in some random city and left on a bus again the next day for another five hours on two different buses. It was a long couple of days and we were exhausted.

We finally got to the town next to the nature reserve. As we were checking into the hotel we saw posters with elephants on them and a map of the nature reserve. We told the lady behind the counter that we wanted to see the elephants, to which she promptly replies, "Oh, the reserve is closed for fire season. You can't go now."

What??! I felt so defeated. I had pushed us into taking bus after bus, day after day. I was doing the research at the time and it was my fault that we had to stay in that random city the day before because I had made a mistake. It was Jeremy's birthday the next day and now we couldn't see any elephants. Ugh.

We were all disappointed, but we did what every traveler learns eventually and we just let it go and tried to make the best of it. We spent the next day in a private car (with air-con!) seeing the sights we were still able to see in fire season.

The first thing we saw was a cave-like place with some very old carvings in the rock. It was there that we met a group of about 30 public school teachers who were on a trip during their summer holidays. At first, the men talked to Jeremy and Spencer and the women talked to me and Katie. Then later we all joined in on one big conversation. We asked what subjects they taught and when one guy said he was the music teacher, Jeremy jokingly asked him to sing for us. At first he refused, but then he complied and started singing. His voice was clear and strong and everyone was quiet letting his voice bounce off the rocks and fill the area his music. Another teacher joined him and they sang together. Some more joined in and it was beautiful. The four of us couldn't understand the words but we were all smiling, our hearts full.

As we walked down the hill away from the cave and towards the car, we saw a bunch of monkeys around the trail. It was obvious that people feed them there because there were a lot of monkeys and a lot of babies. It was fun to watch them and see all the tiny babies scurry about and ride on their mama's backs and tummies.

Next we went to a waterfall where we almost got heat stroke from walking in the afternoon sun. It was still nice though.

Lastly, we went to a small lake that we walked around. There was a nice shaded path all around it with seating areas, a playground, places to get snacks, and monkeys everywhere.

While driving around, we went through a lot of tea fields. It was cool to see them and think about how different and the same they were from the tea fields in Korea.

It was still a good day even though we didn't get to see wild elephants. We made the best of it and were happy regardless. That's one of the best things I learned while traveling: how to be happy when everything is hard and not going your way.

The Journey to Kerala and Fort Kochi

It was nearing the end of our trip and I was eager to see as much as we possibly could. I'd heard about the beauty of Kerala and its backwaters from so many people both on the internet and in person. I knew I didn't want to miss it. The only problem was that we were 2,725 kilometers away. That equates to a 42 hour train ride. Forty. Two.

Oh, and the first 23 hours were spent next to an insane person. Really. I'm not kidding. There was a good sized man sitting in our area who would randomly start yelling, grabbing people walking by, hitting his companions, and other unintelligible antics. He hit me while I was sleeping in the middle of the night. It was a scary situation. Every time he would have an episode, a bunch of guys would hold him down, talk softly to him, and give him some kind of medicine out of a tiny brown bottle. Eventually, we were able to switch with some people and got away from them and we were very grateful for the move.

We arrived in Cochin in the wee hours of the morning, found a place to stay, showered, and passed out for a couple of hours. The next day we were itching to stretch our legs and explore the city after being so cooped up for two days on the train. I can't remember why but for some reason that day no one brought their cameras along with them. It was one of those days where you are incredibly in the moment and free.

We decided to take a ferry over to the Fort and after waiting in a hectic line, we finally secured tickets and made it across the bay. It was very sunny and humid but with a breeze that could make you sing. We spent a lot of time walking around under the big trees by the water looking at all the goodies for sale. There were women sitting on blankets selling handmade jewelry while their little ones ran around barefoot and dirty. There were people selling all the same things we had seen over and over again for tourists to buy: marble coasters and elephants, little statues of Ganesha, wooden boxes, brightly colored scarfs, and baggy hippie pants. Of course, there were also carts selling fruit, candy, peanuts, and other portable snacks.

We saw some six feet tall portraits drawn in charcoal on the side of a dusty cream colored building. They were spectacular. We were all blown away not only by how beautiful they were, but how temporary they were. The monsoon season was just a few months away and then they would be gone. I felt lucky to have seen them. 

We stopped at a plain but somehow elegant cafe in the courtyard of some old building. We sat outside under the veranda where we could see a sliver of the sea through a double doorway. The fans above us stopped every once in a while when the power went out. We ordered fancy sandwiches and coffees while playing card games. It all felt very classy and relaxing, even when a little troupe of goats passed through to nibble on the grass.

We walked down to the beach and saw some people swimming in the water with their clothes on. We talked about how surprising it would be to everyone around us if we put out a towel and began sunbathing in a bikini on the sand. Things are so different.

A Week in Jaipur

We took our time in Jaipur. We stayed at some really nice, cheap hotels, relaxed on more rooftop restaurants than I can count, and celebrated Holi (the festival where the color run got all its ideas!). It was epically beautiful.

Jaipur is known as "the pink city" but it's really more dusty coral than pink. Still, it was cool and pretty easy to navigate for a city of its size. Jaipur is the gateway to Rajastan, India's desert state. It's arid, sandy, and can get downright scathingly hot. Thankfully we were there in Spring and the weather was perfect. The first thing we did is explore the old city, aka "the pink city." You can decide if it's pink or not!

Another day Spencer and I went to see the Amer Fort, perched high on the hills surrounding the city. There are elephants to ride up and lots of tourists around. The fort itself is elaborate, beautiful, and old. It was still a cool thing to see even though it gets so many visitors. 

One of the best things we did in Jaipur was go to feed some monkeys at the "Monkey Temple." Now, I'm not sure if the temple is really called the monkey temple or it just got named that since so many people feed monkeys on the walk up to the temple. Either way it was very cool to feed them peanuts and watch them crack them open and eat them or save them in the cheeks for later.

That night after the monkey temple, we went up to another hilltop to watch the sunset and see the city lights. It was impressive.

And then, there was Holi.

It was wild. It was crazy. It was epic.

The Taj Mahal

I have to be honest, I didn't really want to go to the Taj Mahal. I thought the crowds around the most well known tourist destination in all of India would be enough to make me dislike the entire place. I'd heard from friends and on the internet about the craziness surrounding it and was even kind of dreading going see it! Of course we still went. You can't go to India and skip the Taj. You just can't.

And you know what? It wasn't bad at all!! Yes, it was crowded, but not any more than any other place in India. It was definitely worth the trip out to Agra. The entire place is absolutely beautiful, especially at sunset. I loved how it shimmered in the golden hour before sunset. The gardens were beautiful, the walkways were clean, and everyone was kind to us. We sat around chatting, people watching, and taking a zillion photos! Here are a few of my faves. 

The Taj Mahal at sunset

taking pictures with strangers' babies--one of my favorite activities while traveling!

monkeys monkeying

New Dehli with Katie and Jeremy

After months of traveling with just us two, we finally met up with Spencer's sister Katie and our friend Jeremy. It was so good to see them and be able to travel through India together. There's nothing quite like sharing three twin beds pushed together to bring four people closer together. That, and suffering through a 42 hour train ride. Yes, forty two hours!

But first, we were in New Dehli, the huge sprawling city with the Red Fort. We didn't do much besides wander the streets window shopping, eat on rooftop restaurants, and see the epically grand Red Fort. Here's the proof.

Camel Safari in Rajastan

Bopping along on a camel out in India's desert state of Rajastan, the first thing I noticed was the silence. India is normally a mash up of noises and chaos: tuk-tuks, cows, salesmen, horns honking, and people shouting. But in the desert, all you hear is the sound of the breeze against your head scarf and the sounds of the camels. It was so refreshing.

We chose a three day/two night safari and I'm so glad we did. The first day and night, we only saw our guide and one other person, an old lady who was cutting brush to make a broom and stopped to have some chai tea with us. That night we saw one the most spectacular sunsets I've ever seen while standing all alone on sand dunes. It was like we were the only people in the world....us, Bengali (our guide), and the three camels.

We spent each morning riding the camels for a few hours and then took a break for lunch and relaxing time during the hottest part of the day. We didn't have a lot to do since our guide did all the cooking and cleaning  up and wouldn't let us help. We asked Bengali all about life in the desert and how he learned to speak English and take care of camels. We laid under the shade of a tree on the saddle blankets or wandered around the surrounding area looking for interesting stuff or good pee spots. At around 3:00pm, we would ride for a bit longer to some sand dunes to set up camp, watch the sunset, jump on the dunes, and eat dinner.  Then we would crawl in our blankets and watch the stars come out until we fell asleep.

I don't know what it is exactly about India that makes we want to say the word "magical" all the time. I've never loved or hated a place so much as India and yet I still feel like it was fairy tale.

A Magic Moment in a Desert Fortress Town

The desert in India's state of Rajastan is a wide expanse of shrubs, sand, bushes, more sand and a few trees scattered about. It's not as barren as I thought it would be, but there's really not a lot out there either. Coming in on a bus we saw scattered villages, road side tea shops, shepherds with their animals, and lots and lots of land. Then the was the fortress, perched up on a hill in Jaisalmer.

It was a great time of year to visit the town as the weather was great with a breeze that cooled us all down in the late afternoons. We spent the night in a 800 year old building in one of the least maintained, and therefore cheapest rooms. Even with the crumbling walls and lack of hot water, I felt like Princess Jasmine in my castle-like fortress room.

The streets of the fortress in Jaisalmer are made for tourists. The slanting light is beautiful, the architecture is ornate, the people are kind, and you can buy some of the best souvenirs in India on the narrow streets. Plus, there are public trash cans so the streets are clean and well cared for. Public trash cans are a rarity in India and I was more than glad to see them!

One of my favorite moments while wandering around was around sunset when the light was golden and the air was cool. Everyone seemed to be out and visiting friends and family. We were working on getting good and lost when we saw an old man walking slowly and carefully with his hands behind his back. As we scooted around him, two little girls paused their tea party to come running up to him and slammed him with big bear hugs. The girls were smiling from ear to ear and so was he. It was so darling to see the love they shared in that magical light. It's moments like this that remind me how sweet life is and how much we should cherish it.