Rishikesh

Hello again! We have arrived back in Delhi after an adventurous few days in and around Rishikesh - a holy city made famous by the Beatles month-long stay there in 1968 during which they wrote many of the songs in the White Album. We arrived at the Eco Lodge, perched high about the Ganges River at the foothills of the Himalayas, early Friday morning. Because this was Holi, we stayed at our resort until late afternoon in order to avoid too much potential chaos in the streets. After multiple days of busy schedules, we were happy to have some time to relax. The day was spent napping, reading, swimming, tanning, and, of course, celebrating Holi one more time! 

Later in the afternoon, we headed into Rishikesh for a walk across the famous suspension bridge and through a few temples along the river. 

The International Yoga Festival is currently taking place in Rishikesh, so we were surrounded by many attendees! 

The tour ended with watching the Ganga Aarti, a ceremony of lights. 

We returned to our resort for a delicious two course meal and a fire to top off the day! 

This morning started with a 7:30 yoga class. It is hard to imagine a better setting for yoga than overlooking the Ganges just after dawn. 

After breakfast, we got on our water gear and set out for our rafting trip down the Ganges. It was a blast! 

We ended the day with a drive to Haridwar, another holy city, where we boarded a train back to Delhi. Now back where we started our adventure 7 days ago at the Blue Stone Hotel, everyone is ready for one last day of sightseeing and shopping tomorrow. We'll pack up and head to the airport tomorrow night for the long trip home. See you soon! 

Dehradun Day Two

What an exciting morning we had here in Dehradun! We arrived back at the Doon School at 7:45 and joined the students once again for breakfast. And look who we ran into: Coach Jones! He is here for the week running a basketball clinic.

Shortly after, we headed off campus, back to the village where we spent time yesterday. First, we visited a school just down the street from where we were the day before. Once again, the kids were welcoming and enthusiastic about learning. Our boys and girls spent time playing, tutoring, and observing the students. 

Duck-duck-goose and musical chairs were fan favorites! 

After an hour, some of the students hopped back on the bus and returned to the school we visited yesterday so that we could finish their artwork in the classroom. The result was beautiful!

Before:

After:

We then headed back to the other school for an activity that all students, both American and Indian have been looking forward to for days - Holi. Holi is a Hindu celebration of seasons, where people throw brightly colored chalk dust on each other to signify the end of winter. Holi technically does not start until tomorrow so we were glad we got to enjoy it before leaving. 

We then returned to Doon for lunch and some free time on campus. Later in the afternoon, we spent another two hours here on campus tutoring street children - and having another Holi celebration! 

Tomorrow we will be back to another early morning wake up call! We will travel to Rishikesh, where we will spend Friday and Saturday in a Himalayan Eco Resort. Activities here will include an evening yoga class, rafting, and visiting local temples. While at this spiritual center, I am not certain that we will have internet access. If not, you will hear from me on Saturday when we get back to Delhi for one final day before heading back to America! 

The Doon School

After a much needed night of rest, we "slept in" today until having a hotel breakfast at 6 AM! We then got into our cars and headed to the Doon School. 

The Doon School, an 80 year old all boys elite private boarding school, is located at the foothills of the Himalayas. The campus is decorated with ivy-covered brick buildings, lots of artwork, and picturesque views.

We enjoyed a quick walk around the beautiful campus before joining the students and faculty for breakfast and assembly. 

We then headed out into the countryside to a village in which the Doon School conducts one of its ongoing service projects. Our students spent the rest of the morning working and playing with the children of the local primary school. 

 

Some of our students worked on decorating one of the classrooms, which is designated for nursery school aged children. We will return tomorrow to compete this work. 

After a yummy lunch and some free time exploring the Doon School campus, we headed out again, this time spending the afternoon in a slum Doon students frequently visit to help tutor the children. The boys and girls helped the slum children with their "notebooks" - the homework they complete for when their teacher visits a few times a week. This was, by far, the hardest part of our trip. In this slum, families live in makeshift houses by the river. The children were apprehensive, at first, to strangers visiting their area but soon opened up. They were incredibly enthusiastic about learning in general. Many of our boys also played cricket and basketball with the young boys. 

We are all looking forward to returning to both the Doon School and the local villages tomorrow!

From Delhi to Dehradun

Today started with another very early train ride. We left Delhi at 6:45 and got to Dehradun around 12:30. The ride provided us with scenery of the countryside, in which there was a visible change as we went farther north. Below are some pictures from the ride.

After a restful afternoon at the hotel, we are ready for a new day tomorrow. We will travel to The Doon School in the morning to hear about the work we will be doing over the next few days. 

Goodnight! 

A long day!

We got an early start today, leaving our hotel at 4:50 and catching a 6:00 train from Delhi to Agra. The ride between cities provided us with sights of beautiful countryside as well as a view of the poverty in which some people live in this country. 

Once in Agra, we found our tour bus for the day and got on our way. India is a country of 1.3 billion people, making cities crowded and sometimes difficult to travel through. The driving "rules" are fairly relaxed compared to in America. Here, you drive on the left side of the road but the lane lines are really just "guidelines". If you need to use the right side of the road, you do it! Roads can easily become jammed with buses, cars, bicycles, people, and animals! 

Our first stop of the day was the Taj Mahal! Though it was pouring rain during our visit, we were able to see why this majestic building is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. 

Much of the unique craftsmanship of the Taj Mahal is a result of marble inlay. We made a trip to the marble craft shop, where we saw men work to carefully handcraft these detailed designs. The tradition has been passed down proudly from father to son for centuries, and they often work for months at a time on a single piece. 

After a delicious local meal, we took a ride through the countryside to Fatehpur Sikri, the ruins of a deserted city that was once the capital city of the region. Much like at the Taj Mahal, we were impressed by the detailed stone work of this palace. 

Arriving back at our hotel at 11:30 pm, we are ready for a good night's sleep! Tomorrow we will again wake up early to catch a train to the north, where we will stay for the next three days.

New Delhi

Our first full day in India was rainy but lots of fun! We enjoyed a relaxing breakfast this morning and then had an information session with a local professor. He talked to us about the history, culture, religion, and politics of India.

Later this morning, we met up with our tour guide, Anand. A wonderfully vibrant and entertaining local, he took us around the city for the majority of the day. 

Our first stop was the Lotus temple, where we got to go inside and enjoy a few peaceful moments. 

We then headed to a Hindu temple, where a few of our group members were able to give flowers as offerings and receive a blessing for a good journey through the country. 

Before heading to lunch, we drove by multiple government buildings, including the President's house and Parliament. 

Following a delicious Indian meal, we headed to Ghandhi Smriti. Here we saw the buildings in and around which Ghandhi lived and taught in the later years of his life. 

It was also in these gardens that he was assisinated in 1948. The buildings now pay tribute to his life and works. 

Humayun's Tumb was our last stop of the day. This magnificant structure is one of Delhi's most famous sights and is surrounded by gardens and various smaller tombs. 

Now back at our hotel, we are all looking forward to dinner and an early bedtime. Tomorrow we will be leaving on a very early morning train to Agra, the location of the Taj Mahal. It should be another spectacular day!