Hi again
I don't know if anyone still reads this? I think so because a couple of comments were posted. I just felt like it was left kind of open-ended since we never wrote in Delhi. Let's see how much detail I remember...
So we flew to Delhi on that Saturday. Flight was delayed... 3 hours I think? A taste of what was to come, looking back. Weird I just remembered my dream from lsat night. It was about Delhi I think? Coming home? Anyway... Sunday it was Christmas Eve. We went to Casino Royale and had McDonald's for dinner. Vimala always got us American food for dinner that week. Very nice. The next day was Christmas :( Very sad. Phil got me a beautiful black pearl necklace. We went back to the mall which we'd spent practically teh entire day yesterday. Oh most important part: TGI Friday's. In the mall. Nice. Ok so Christmas we went to Happy Feet. Indian movie theaters have major security but that is essentially the only difference between theirs and America's. Oh and they have intermission which is deceptively short. For lunch we went to a really nice Italian restaurant where I got free champagne and which Phil hated. I don't really remember why.
Tuesday-Thursday was the bus tour. It was... interesting. There was only one other Westerner on the bus, an Italian. Her husband was Indian. Then there were 3 Indian families who were for the most part really nice. We spent some extra time with the Italian woman because there came a point where we couldn't afford going into some monuments that the Indians could afford because it was like 1% the price we had to pay. Anywayyy.... Jaipur the first day. Saw the Pink Palace, the Observatory, the fort where you (used to) be able to ride the elephants. You still can but it's only in the morning from like 7 - 10. Pretty good tour guide. Lunch that day was in the most awful place. Really dirty. That night our hotel was surprisingly nice for what we'd paid and they had ok food. The next day we went to that mosque in the morning (with an awful tour guide) and then shuttled over to Agra which took most of the rest of the day. Our hotel there was awful. Phil and I had to wait for 2 hours for a hotel room while everyone else had theirs already. When we finally got in, it was gross. At least it had a TV. The restaraunt there had amazing food, though, so that made up for it. Wherever I went, however, I could not find the same quality of hot chocolate that I received at Silver Oaks :( Oh I miss Silver Oaks. Ok. Next day was the Taj Mahal. Great tour guide. He said to Phil "When are you going to marry this beautiful woman?" so I liked him. Also, he said that back in the day he'd given Richard Nixon a tour when he was vice-prez. He also kept it pretty short and sweet. Went home. Had "burgers" again for dinner. Like how I remember the food so well? Details. The next day we shopped shopped shopped at Cannaught Place. I found everything. Phil found a little bit. Had to shop more the next day. Saw The Prestige. Lots of great times with the Arni's, mostly just sitting and having conversations about Iraq (oy) and watching the TV on mute. I loved Rajita. She was 13 and such a typical 13 year old, like really giggly and fun. Didn't see much of Rajan. And Sunday night we went to the airport and bye bye India!
Oh wait. No. We did go to the airport on Sunday. New Years. So in the first few minutes of 07 we learn our flight has been cancelled. Stinks, but predictable because many other flights had been cancelled. Whatever, we'll just go back the next night. We get shipped off to an amazing 5 star hotel. The next night, we go back! We spend about 5 hours there until they finally tell us we're not going anywhere (except in way more complicated terms) and we get shipped back to another 5 star hotel. This happened.... 3 times I think? 4? I don't reemember. We made some friends though. There was a couple from New Jersey, and a couple from Georgia. At the end, somehow, magically only 20 of us remained. How those other people left, I will never know. We finally got some things done. Phil went to the AliItalia office (I had originally tried but the police man at the door wouldn't let me leave the airport adksl;fkasdf... Phil had to sneak out) and tlked to some woman and she promised us a flight from Delhi-Milan, Milan-Boston. No such luck. We managed to get, finally, Delhi-Milan, Milan-Newark. This was okay because Milan-Newark was first class! Oh somewhere int here was my birthday. It was ok in the morning/afternoon as I was at a five star hotel eating amazing food, taking baths, watching TV, and generally lounging about. That night we got a flight but I just detest that airport. Oh I never mentioned the reason for all the cancellations: fog, ie pollution. It's the most polluted city in the world now. Makes you miss the clear air of Kalimpong.
So now we are home. I miss everyone in Kashyem so so sooooooo much. Strange to think their vacation has still not ended. I keep forgetting to send them letters. I wrote one to Pragya and Babul, and another to SM, on the train yesterday. Eventually I want to send them a photo album. I should probably write to Jiwan too, since he delivers the mail to the various villages. Strange also to think that Ruth is still there. I don't know how she's survived with no interaction with other volunteers. She must be leaving in a couple of days. She's been in Nepal/India since July. It must b so odd for her to be going home after all this time. Last I heard from her she was in Kathmandu extending her visa. I miss her too, and Jess and Matt. I've talked to Jess since I've been home, but not Matt.
Well, that's that. I definitely would like to do something like this again in the future. Mondochallenge is good because you can go for a short amount of time (compared to places like the Peace Corps) and it's really flexible. I'd love to go to Africa next time.
I think of all the places I've written in this blog and it makes me so sad. I would love to be back there right now, at Richen's or Olympus, Phil downstairs playing some videogame. Looking forward to Silver Oaks' dinner. Going back to SM's the next day and just eating oranges and reading. Playing UNO with Pragya and Babul. I used to have dreams all the time when I was there that I was actually at home. Sometimes I wonder if this has all been a dream and I will wake up and I'll still be there. I miss Scar! I do not miss the food. I'll still eat rice, but I have problems eating peas and can absolutely not eat squash ever again. I'm sure Phil misses the momos.
Well... that's all. The end.
poop
So we flew to Delhi on that Saturday. Flight was delayed... 3 hours I think? A taste of what was to come, looking back. Weird I just remembered my dream from lsat night. It was about Delhi I think? Coming home? Anyway... Sunday it was Christmas Eve. We went to Casino Royale and had McDonald's for dinner. Vimala always got us American food for dinner that week. Very nice. The next day was Christmas :( Very sad. Phil got me a beautiful black pearl necklace. We went back to the mall which we'd spent practically teh entire day yesterday. Oh most important part: TGI Friday's. In the mall. Nice. Ok so Christmas we went to Happy Feet. Indian movie theaters have major security but that is essentially the only difference between theirs and America's. Oh and they have intermission which is deceptively short. For lunch we went to a really nice Italian restaurant where I got free champagne and which Phil hated. I don't really remember why.
Tuesday-Thursday was the bus tour. It was... interesting. There was only one other Westerner on the bus, an Italian. Her husband was Indian. Then there were 3 Indian families who were for the most part really nice. We spent some extra time with the Italian woman because there came a point where we couldn't afford going into some monuments that the Indians could afford because it was like 1% the price we had to pay. Anywayyy.... Jaipur the first day. Saw the Pink Palace, the Observatory, the fort where you (used to) be able to ride the elephants. You still can but it's only in the morning from like 7 - 10. Pretty good tour guide. Lunch that day was in the most awful place. Really dirty. That night our hotel was surprisingly nice for what we'd paid and they had ok food. The next day we went to that mosque in the morning (with an awful tour guide) and then shuttled over to Agra which took most of the rest of the day. Our hotel there was awful. Phil and I had to wait for 2 hours for a hotel room while everyone else had theirs already. When we finally got in, it was gross. At least it had a TV. The restaraunt there had amazing food, though, so that made up for it. Wherever I went, however, I could not find the same quality of hot chocolate that I received at Silver Oaks :( Oh I miss Silver Oaks. Ok. Next day was the Taj Mahal. Great tour guide. He said to Phil "When are you going to marry this beautiful woman?" so I liked him. Also, he said that back in the day he'd given Richard Nixon a tour when he was vice-prez. He also kept it pretty short and sweet. Went home. Had "burgers" again for dinner. Like how I remember the food so well? Details. The next day we shopped shopped shopped at Cannaught Place. I found everything. Phil found a little bit. Had to shop more the next day. Saw The Prestige. Lots of great times with the Arni's, mostly just sitting and having conversations about Iraq (oy) and watching the TV on mute. I loved Rajita. She was 13 and such a typical 13 year old, like really giggly and fun. Didn't see much of Rajan. And Sunday night we went to the airport and bye bye India!
Oh wait. No. We did go to the airport on Sunday. New Years. So in the first few minutes of 07 we learn our flight has been cancelled. Stinks, but predictable because many other flights had been cancelled. Whatever, we'll just go back the next night. We get shipped off to an amazing 5 star hotel. The next night, we go back! We spend about 5 hours there until they finally tell us we're not going anywhere (except in way more complicated terms) and we get shipped back to another 5 star hotel. This happened.... 3 times I think? 4? I don't reemember. We made some friends though. There was a couple from New Jersey, and a couple from Georgia. At the end, somehow, magically only 20 of us remained. How those other people left, I will never know. We finally got some things done. Phil went to the AliItalia office (I had originally tried but the police man at the door wouldn't let me leave the airport adksl;fkasdf... Phil had to sneak out) and tlked to some woman and she promised us a flight from Delhi-Milan, Milan-Boston. No such luck. We managed to get, finally, Delhi-Milan, Milan-Newark. This was okay because Milan-Newark was first class! Oh somewhere int here was my birthday. It was ok in the morning/afternoon as I was at a five star hotel eating amazing food, taking baths, watching TV, and generally lounging about. That night we got a flight but I just detest that airport. Oh I never mentioned the reason for all the cancellations: fog, ie pollution. It's the most polluted city in the world now. Makes you miss the clear air of Kalimpong.
So now we are home. I miss everyone in Kashyem so so sooooooo much. Strange to think their vacation has still not ended. I keep forgetting to send them letters. I wrote one to Pragya and Babul, and another to SM, on the train yesterday. Eventually I want to send them a photo album. I should probably write to Jiwan too, since he delivers the mail to the various villages. Strange also to think that Ruth is still there. I don't know how she's survived with no interaction with other volunteers. She must be leaving in a couple of days. She's been in Nepal/India since July. It must b so odd for her to be going home after all this time. Last I heard from her she was in Kathmandu extending her visa. I miss her too, and Jess and Matt. I've talked to Jess since I've been home, but not Matt.
Well, that's that. I definitely would like to do something like this again in the future. Mondochallenge is good because you can go for a short amount of time (compared to places like the Peace Corps) and it's really flexible. I'd love to go to Africa next time.
I think of all the places I've written in this blog and it makes me so sad. I would love to be back there right now, at Richen's or Olympus, Phil downstairs playing some videogame. Looking forward to Silver Oaks' dinner. Going back to SM's the next day and just eating oranges and reading. Playing UNO with Pragya and Babul. I used to have dreams all the time when I was there that I was actually at home. Sometimes I wonder if this has all been a dream and I will wake up and I'll still be there. I miss Scar! I do not miss the food. I'll still eat rice, but I have problems eating peas and can absolutely not eat squash ever again. I'm sure Phil misses the momos.
Well... that's all. The end.
poop
posted by Eliza and Phil at 10:46 PM
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