The Taj

Mimi and I both had pretty low expectation when we started out on our adventure to see the Taj.  We have been in India for almost 2 years now and have avoided Delhi at all costs because of the horror stories we have heard and read about western women visiting.  Well I can't say those stories were all false, we had a few uncomfortable encounters but overall we had a surprisingly excellent weekend in Delhi. 

5:30 and we were up and out the door to catch a two hour train to Agra.  The train ride was suprisingly pleasent and involved beautiful views of wheat fields.  By 8:30am we arrived in Agra and were able to beat most of the crowds and within an hour or so the skys blued up to make a beautiful backdrop for the pearly white Taj Mahal.

After our Taj visit and a wonderful lunch at The Silk Route restaurant we thought we would try to change our tickets and ride home with Kate and Billie on an earlier train... well things didn't go according to plan.  Kate had accidentily booked a train ticket home for five AM instead of five PM...  Well long story short we got Kate and Billie a ticket back on our 8:30pm train and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in a cool coffee house killing time.  10:30pm we arrived back in Delhi to a packed train station, Inida was playing Sri Lanka in the World Cup finals and before we were able to get an auto home the game had come to an end and India had won.  The streets went crazy, people cheering and chanting as they drove by on motorcycles and out windows of cars, dancing in the streets, and fireworks going off in each other's faces.  AND Billie slept the whole auto ride home!



The train station during the cricket game!

 The next day to be spent in Delhi was the surprise... we actually enjoyed our day and not just a little bit a lot.  Check out some of the sights we saw below.



The President's Estate



The India Gate.... facing the President's Estate.



Janta Manta... an old astrological measurement building using the sun and shadows.



The Lotus Temple

Olive Ridley

Every year since 1987 a group of volunteers have walked the beaches here in Chennai between December and April searching the beaches at night for turtle nests.  When the nests are found they measure the nest and collect the eggs.  The eggs are then taken to a fenced in, monitored, area where the nest is rebuilt (as close to the size of the original nest as possible) the eggs are placed in the nest and within about 45 days the eggs hatch.  When the turtles hatch they are released at night into the ocean.  This is all done in an effort to conserve and raise awareness of the endangered Olive Ridley turtle.  The adult turtles return to the beaches where they were born to lay their eggs but once the eggs are laid the turtles return to the ocean never again to return to the nest.  Along the beach these little unborn turtles have many predators but thanks to the volunteers they are given a chance to survive.

This past Friday night I spent a few hours at sundown on the beach holding some baby turtles and watching them be released into the ocean.  It was so special, they were sooo teeny, I couldn't believe it!  Mimi had arranged for her 1st grade class to meet there in the evening since they have been studying animals and the differences between mammals and non mammals.  The kids were so amazed by the turtles and so excited to be able to hold them.  At the time of the release the children lined up on the beach to watch the baby turtles find their way to the ocean.  As the first turtle made it to the water line the children all cheered and clapped, it was precious!

*For more information check out this website... http://sstcn.org/

There were 45 baby turtles in there!

My Birthday

The beautiful flowers I received from my mom/Mimi : )

My 28th birthday was on Wednesday and for me spending my birthday away from family is probably one of the toughest days to be living abroad away from my family.  It was such a wonderful day thanks to my friends, family and students though!  I started the day with flowers and brownies from my 3rd graders and their parents!  They were so sweet and so excited to help me celebrate my birthday, I couldn't stop smiling!  Then I had more flowers delivered from my mom, with the help of Mimi of course!  All day long I survived on brownies and sweets delivered from friends, including a homemade spice cake from Mimi, how wonderful!!  I ended the day at the House of Hope doing an art project with the kids and as I was leaving they each gave me a sweet card they had made for me... they are such wonderful children!

THANKS for all who made my special day so special!!! 

What a disaster!!!

So let's go back to this... The only thing getting me on the airplane back to India was knowing that I would be meeting Laura at the airport... or so I thought!  Mother nature had a different plan.  I'll try to keep this as brief as possible BUT everything that could possibly go wrong did!

1.  Had a breakdown before leaving home... tears and all "I'm not ready to leave"  like I was a little 5 year old wanting to stay and play at my friends house a little longer.  Was able to pull myself together once I was lined up to get on the plan.
2.  Arrive in Chicago airport to find out the Air India ticketing counters do not open for another 2 1/2 hours.  Shortly after I find out our flight has been delayed (the plan was delayed in Delhi for 12 hours due to fog!) so they decide not to open the ticketing counters for another 2 hours!!  Grrr... I walk away to find a comfortable seat until the ticketing counters open.  I make my way back to the ticketing counters 15 minutes before they open to find a line ACROSS the airport for the Air India counters... not happy (I was the first person there at 8am) BUT if there is one thing I've learned while in India it's how to cut in line properly!  I figured there was one of me and since I had truly been the first person there that I should still be the first person so I just walked right up to the front of the line (without making eye contact with anyone; that's important) and handed over my passport and ticket information.  Although I waited another hour to get through the next part of the line I probably shaved off 4 hours of standing in line... really the line was that long!!!
3.  I had to sit in Chicago International airport for 12 hours until the plan arrived from Delhi... has to be the shittiest international airport I have ever seen.  I actually had to exit security to get something to eat... grrr once again!!!
4.  Thank goodness for my little pink netbook :)  I was able to get in touch with Laura and Neyda through skype!  The one plus of the whole experience.
5.  Another disaster awaited though... the NYC blizzard of 2010!!!  The girls were stuck at JFK international airport for an unknown amount of time!!!
6.  I finally get on the plan, arrive in Delhi with luggage intact and make my way to my hotel, where they have upgraded my room!!!  Ok, one more plus for the time being!
7.  At this point the girls are still at JFK just waiting... 2 full nights they ended up spending on the floor of JFK airport before they were able to board the plan and arrive in Delhi.
8.  Meanwhile I'm in Delhi trying to switch plans around when Sav arrives to meet up with us (which is only me at this point) for the NYE camel safari we booked.  So we find out the girls will not arrive in time to catch the next flight for the camel safari... what to do?!?!  AND I couldn't ask them their opinion because they were in the air somewhere over Europe by that point.  I figure I'll jump on the train with Sav and the girls can stick around Delhi and see the Taj Mahal (since we missed that part of our trip already).  BUT Sav's train is canceled due to protests which were blocking the train tracks!!!  Ahhh at this point I'm losing it... really could one more thing go wrong?!?!
9.  We decided we would book bus tickets for the next day to take us to the Jaisalmer the location of our NYE camel safari.  We booked tickets for the girls figuring they could either come with us or stay and see the Taj Mahal since the bus tickets were so inexpensive.  Ok, ok... plus number 3 I guess.
10.  The next day the girls are set to arrive.  I fight with the hotel to give us the airport pickup we paid for when booking the hotel because they never showed up to pick me up when I arrived.  An hour later of going around in circles and arguing the hotel finally gets me a taxi and I'm off to the airport to pick up the girls.  I was panicked I would miss them, they didn't know I was going to be there waiting for them.  After about 2 hours of standing at the arrival gate I finally spot them inside talking to someone... didn't look good : (
11.  Their luggage didn't arrive (nobody's luggage arrived) they just choose not to load it onto the plane I guess!!!  Seriously all that time (2 days) the plane was sitting on the runway nobody could get their shit together and put the luggage on the plan!!!
12.  We finally arrive back at the hotel where the girls work out a Golden Triangle tour (Delhi, Agra-Taj Mahal, and Jaipur) and Sav and I jump on a bus to make our nearly 24 hour trip to Jaisalmer for the NYE camel safari!

Things could only get better from there...

Bandos Island

Maldives

Super excited for my upcoming trip!!! I just booked tickets to Japan and the Maldives!!!  Check out how beautiful the Maldives are... http://www.bandosmaldives.com/

Japanese Cherry Blossoms!

Back to the India trip adventures next posting :)

AM I CRAZY?!

The winter holiday could not have been more exciting this year!  First things first... I managed to make my way home for a week!! 

I had some grand plans to spend the Christmas week in Thailand on the beaches taking a scuba diving course, which sounded fantastic and wonderful and like a dream vacation but really all I wanted to do was go home to the cold, snowy Maryland and spend the week with my Mom, sister, grandmother, aunt, uncle and little cousin.  I tried to talk myself into being tough... "You can do it Coleen.  A year away from home is not so bad" OH but at that moment when I just wanted to be home for Christmas it was THAT bad.  So the beginning of December one morning at school I march down to Mimi's room "Am I crazy to go home for ONE week?!"  No more than 30 minutes later I had canceled my tickets to Thailand and booked tickets home.  The best part was arriving home on my Mom's birthday and being able to stay through Christmas day.

There was snow on the ground and I was terrified of being unbearably cold... but to tell you the truth I was so excited to be home I barely felt the cold and the snow, what a nice change of scenery from the sizzling hot days in South Asia.

The highlight of my trip home had to be just lazing around in my comfy sweats (don't get to wear those in the Chennai heat) spending time with my Mom and sister.  I also got to spend Christmas morning with my family watching my little cousin, Grace, open her gifts from Santa, very special!

Although it was almost impossible to leave and fly back to India I knew (well thought) I would be meeting Laura at the Delhi airport, to spend two week traveling through India, which was the only thing keeping me from staying home forever ; ) 

Snowy Christmas morning picture!  Anyone looking for a child model?!

It's been a while...

2 Months since my last posting and I've got lots to share!  Don't worry I won't bore you with it all today but throughout the next few weeks you can expect some "filling ins" of my "going ons"

Briefly the last two months have included...

*1 week trip home for Mom's birthday and Christmas... Much need!!

*Meeting up with Laura and Neyda back in India for 2 weeks... Not without drama!!

*Weekend trip to Varanasi... Must see while in India!!

*India stomach... It got me again!!

Now that I have a few week break from jetsetting ; )  and have finished my online course required to keep my teaching license... ughhh I should have some free time on my hands between planning upcoming trips (Japan and S.Korea) and working...YES, I do have a job ; )

Christmas at home preview...

My beautiful little cousin on Christmas morning, enjoying her gifts that Santa brought her.

My Mom's fashion forward Christmas tree :)