Chris and Teri's 3 Month Adventure

"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles." (Tim Cahill)

2010-01-21T13:32:00.018-06:00

Well, we arrived home almost a week ago and have had time to settle in and reflect a bit on our travel experiences. I have decided to format our last blog entry interview style in response to the 'frequently asked questions' we have already had about our trip. I'm sure some of our answers may change over time, but for today, this is how we are thinking/feeling about our three months away:
Q: How was your trip?!
A: Teri - Our trip was fun, exciting, exhilarating, sometimes frustrating, stressful, and even boring at times; always challenging in that it stretched our boundaries, made us more independent, sensitive, grateful, and hopefully better-rounded and mature people for it.
A: Chris - The trip for me was a new experience for us as a couple - doing things we've never done before in places we've never been together. I'm proud of us for just doing it, and I'm grateful Teri and I could share this experience together.
Q: What was the best part?
A : Teri - Honestly, the best part for me was feeling really well-connected to people - both family and friends back home, friends we both made and reconnected with along the way, and some people who we just crossed paths with for a moment in time.
It's kind of ironic that I felt increased connection with some family and friends after I was thousands of miles away, but I guess that distance and the opportunity to miss each other strengthens relationships and cultivates gratitude.
A: Chris - The best part for me was the adventure of being on the other side of the world and often being able to pick and choose an itinerary to take us wherever we wanted. Along the same thread, the trip was so fantastically liberating in the sense that we were not tied down with any burdens other than finding a bus, a room and a place to eat. Often when people are on "vacation", they still have a nagging feeling that they will have return to their job far too soon and then it's back to the grind. Being away for 3 months allowed me to let my job back home completely escape my mind and allow me focus on where I was, who I was with and the experience I was having.
Q: Okay, but what were some of your favourite places you visited?
A: Teri - India, overall, because it is so drastically different from the western world. You don't have to do a thing in India because just being there, taking in the sights, smells, and sounds is utterly intriguing. For example, in Australia, we paid upwards of $65 for each 'activity' we did (kayaking, snorkelling, hiking, etc.) and I don't mean to undermine the fun I had in Oz, but in India a 50 Rs. ($1) rickshaw ride back to the hotel was sometimes just as exhilarating!
India was also overall not 'touristy'; it was very raw and intense and even though it nearly drove me crazy at times, looking back, I have so many vivid memories of my time there, it is imprinted on my soul!
Chris - They were all my favorite places...there was no place I "liked" more than another really. India was really new & entertaining...the people, the animals everywhere, the horrible grammar, the crazy crazy traffic, the religions, the strange customs, the garbage everywhere, the stunning & ancient architecture, the passion for cricket, the goofy kids, the strange plumbing...I could go on and on. It's so incredibly interesting to see how other people live.
Q: What were the highlights of India?
A: Teri - In India, one of my best times was in Mount Abu. Mount Abu is a holiday destination for Indians, so everyone there seemed relaxed and happy. In the evening, a popular thing to do is to walk up a big hill to watch the sun set. Our tour group strolled up the hill along with Indian families on vacation while the young entrepreneurs sold us corn on the cob and offered to give us rides up the hill in wagons or on horseback. There were probably a couple hundred people all watching the big red sun set over the water. As the sun dipped under the horizon there was clapping and cheering and we all joined in and I loved being part of this ordinary but special Indian experience. On the way down we posed for photos with groups of girls and boys who thought we were quite the novelty, but that was fun, too, even if we were reminded of being 'different'.
A: Chris - Hmmm...the highlight of India for me was probably...the traffic. Yeah right!! What a circus! If I had to pick a highlight from India it would be the time we spent in Varkala Beach in the southern state of Kerala for almost 2 weeks. We had a great hotel room only a 30 second walk from the Arabian Sea, restaurants serving fabulous food for less than $3 a meal, a beautiful beach, friendly people, and yoga almost every day. It almost sounds like an all-inclusive resort! But it wasn't...this was Varkala!
Q: What were the highlights of Australia?
A: Teri - We were there for over a month so there were lots of highlights! Off the top of my head, some big highlights were scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, our trip inland to West Wyalong where we first experienced Australia off the tourist trail, and the awesome time we had visiting the Steads and Harkers in Adelaide over Christmas and New Years.
A: Chris - Easily my highlight in Australia was seeing my friends and their families in Adelaide, South Australia. We were able to spend a lot of quality time together and were absolutely spoiled rotten by their hospitality and generosity. I sincerely hope that they are able to visit us here in Morden someday so that we can return the favor! Thanks to them, we were able to do a fantastic tour of the Barossa Valley wineries, go fishing for snapper in in the Spencer Gulf at Port Victoria, view the city from Mount Lofty summit, among others. Besides Adelaide, I really enjoyed our stays with the Floyd's in West Wyalong, seeing Doofus and his family in Newcastle, and meeting Jill In Brisbane. Fraser Island was once again a really cool experience (seeing the dingoes!), as was our 3 day stay aboard the Kiana exploring the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef.
Q: What were the highlights of New Zealand?
A: Teri - Actually the drives, or I should say the rides as we were travelling by bus, were the highlights. The South Island has gorgeous and diverse scenery, and it was very relaxing in the last 11 days of our trip, to just sit back and take it all in. I also particularly liked the Monteiths Summer Ale, the hostel in Greymouth, and all the sheep.
A: Chris - The space and the natural beauty of New Zealand was very comfortable for me (as opposed to the frenzy in India and in cities). Riding the bus around the south island was relaxing and most often breathtaking. We were able to see so much of the country in such a short time. I really enjoyed the opportunity to see and climb the Franz Josef glacier since it is so unique. Nelson was a really cool town at the north end of the island, and walking part of the famous Abel Tasman Coastal Track on my birthday was a great experience.
Q: Any lowlights along the way?
A: Teri - Sure. I got tired of feeling sweaty and dirty, repacking the backpack almost every day, feeling homeless, getting sunburned, etc. We were very lucky though; we didn't run into any bad experiences. People everywhere treated us well.
A: Chris - Yeah, it was often exhausting being constantly on the move and wearing the same clothes every day! The unsettled feeling eventually becomes too much to bear and thoughts of being at home in my own bed in my own house become overwhelming at times. Another lowlight was having to deal with shady taxi drivers and endure the incessant hassle from vendors and traffic in India, but this is also what makes India the experience it is.
Q: Would you do it again?
A: Teri - I'm really glad we had the opportunity to do this trip. I learned that I like backpacking in theory more than in reality. There are still so many places I want to visit, but I think we'll limit future trips to one month.
A: Chris - 3 months is a long time to be away from home and friends and family when you're living out of a backpack. I like to think I would do something similar again if the opportunity arose, but I doubt the opportunity will arise again in my current situation so I don't have to worry about that for awhile, anyway! There are definitely many more places I would like to see, though.
Q: This blog entry is getting too long. What else do you want to say?
A: (Chris) & Teri - we want to thank people. First of all, to Mom, Jim, Norleen, and Levi for their parts in checking on the house almost daily, clearing the driveway, watering the plants, getting the furnace fixed, and stocking the fridge for our return!
A big thank-you to our friends in Australia - Jill in Brisbane, Doudles in Newcastle, the Floyds in West Wyalong, and the Harkers and Steads in Port Adelaide. It was so great spending time with you, your hospitality was amazing, and we'd love to host you whenever you come to Canada! Chris would also like to thank those responsible for letting him take 3 months off from his job and also his co-workers who might have had a little bit of slack to pick up!
Finally, everyone who supported us through emails, reading the blog, and just keeping us in your thoughts and prayers and wishing us well. This is what I mean by the trip making me feel really good about people - your support feels like being wrapped up in a big bear hug! Consider yourself hugged right back!

We're Home!!!

2010-01-18T21:41:00.004-06:00

Well we made it home to Morden after travelling on 4 different airplanes for over 24 hours from Christchurch, New Zealand!
Please stay tuned for some thoughts as we look back at our 3 months away from home.

Milford Sound

2010-01-12T00:47:00.018-06:00

Teri - The countdown is on - only two more sleeps in New Zealand!

This morning we woke up to blue skies in Queenstown. We left the hostel just after 6:30 and boarded the bus to Milford Sound.

What is a 'sound'? you ask. Well, it is a steep v-shaped valley carved by a fast-moving river. But Milford Sound is a misnomer as it was actually carved by a glacier, making it a fjord.

The drive through Fiordland National Park was amazing and the cruise on Milford Sound took my breath away. Check out the pictures and see for yourself...

Here's some more NZ trivia: New Zealand doesn't have ANY native mammals except for two types of bats. The islands were home to many breeds of birds before the Maori and European settlers arrived, but many became extinct or endangered when they were hunted by settlers and preyed upon by rats and possums and other animals the settlers introduced to the islands. NZ is also home to 40 million sheep, some of which forced us to wait while they crossed the highway!

Right now we're in Te Anau, which like almost everywhere in NZ, is very picturesque. Tomorrow we have an 11-hour bus journey back to Christchurch for a final night and then four flights and we'll be HOME! (I'm pretty excited in case you can't tell.)

(Rainy!) Queenstown

2010-01-11T01:47:00.009-06:00

Well, we got on the bus in Franz Josef the morning of the 10th - in the rain - and got off the bus in Queenstown late afternoon - in the rain! It's now the evening of the 11th, and it hasn't stopped raining!! What a dreary introduction to Queenstown! Considering that Queenstown is the adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere, we were not feeling very adventurous. We managed to go out for supper downtown at a Thai restaurant and grab a beer at a local pub, but walking around checking out the scenery was not on the itinerary!

Queenstown only has a population of about 13,000, but has the most restaurants and bars per capita than anywhere else in New Zealand (and probably Australia). The typical things to do in Queenstown would include bungy jumping, jetboating, river rafting, mountain biking, hiking, skydiving, and hang gliding...but who wants to do that in the rain?? Not Teri. And not Chris. So we ended up going on a boat (covered!) tour of the area on Lake Wakatipu with commentary by Captain Wayne, which turned out to be pretty interesting and scenic. Since there were only 6 of us on the tour, it was almost like a private charter. Captain Wayne even showed us his house as we cruised by the shore!

After the boat ride we decided to do a typical rainy day activity and went to see a movie, then had coffee at one of my favorite places in the whole world - Starbucks (a bit of sarcasm there!) But they did have brewed coffee which I have been craving, considering everything is basically an espresso or double espresso with weird names ("short black", "long black", "flat white"). It's certainly kept my system in a constant state of movement!

We then decided to take the Skyline gondola ride up to a scenic lookout of Queenstown and and do the luge ride while up there. Basically a big skateboard with a steering column that you sit in and let gravity take you downhill on the track (see pics). It was actually a lot less lame than I thought it would be!

For supper we went nostalgic and went to the "Tandoori Palace" and had some excellent Indian fare...some butter naan, basmati rice, Chicken Korma and Bengali Fish. What a great feed! And brought back some good memories of October-November in India.

Next we're off to Te Anau and Milford Sound on the 12th before heading back up to Christchurch and finally make our way back to good old Manitoba and it's winter! Can't wait!!

Hiking on the Franz Josef Glacier

2010-01-09T00:51:00.007-06:00

Teri - This afternoon Chris and I were rugged adventurers! We went with Franz Josef Glacier Guides for a walk on the glacier. Initially I didn't want to go because I had already visited the Columbia Icefields several years ago with with my mom, so I thought I'd 'done that, been there'. I'm glad I decided to go because a) there is nothing else to do in Franz Josef and b) rather than driving onto the ice and just getting out of the vehicle for a few minutes to take pictures, we actually strapped on crampons and hiked our way onto the glacier and through crevasses of ice.

Franz Josef is a unique glacier because it comes down close to sea level (+250 m). It was very odd to walk to the glacier's trunk along a path through rain forest!

It rained most of the four hours we were out there, but I think that added to the atmosphere!
We got back to the hostel and warmed up with free homeade vegetable soup.

New Zealand at last!

2010-01-07T01:43:00.019-06:00

Hey everybody! Sorry again for the long delay in updates...we have spent a lot of time recently in transit or seeing the sights!

So we flew into Christchurch, New Zealand on the South Island on Sunday January 3rd, caught a local bus from the airport, and finally checked into our hostel well after midnight. The next day we checked out some of the nearby sights including Cathedral Square and other parts of downtown. Christchurch is a relatively small city of 350,000 and has a nice small city feel to it.

We decided we would have enough time to see a good portion of the South Island before we fly home on the 14th, and caught a bus out of Christchurch early morning on January 5th bound for Nelson at the north end of the island.

Nelson is a very cool small city of around 40,000 and is the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. Nelson also has the distinction of claiming to be "the centre of New Zealand", marked by a summit not far from the centre of town. We hiked 45 minutes up to the summit and were treated with some excellent views of the surrounding area, and the novelty of seeing them from the "centre of New Zealand"! I celebrated my birthday in Nelson on the 6th by doing an awesome 4 hour hike on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, and going out for pizza and a movie in the evening.

The next morning Jan 7th we got on a bus and made it to Greymouth further down the West Coast.

Although Greymouth doesn't have quite the charm Nelson has, it has the Monteith's Brewery. We went on a tour of the brewery and had the opportunity to taste the 7 beers Monteith's currently has in production. We were in fact a bit tipsy by the end of the tasting! We got to pour a beer of our choice off the tap as well. I really like beer.

The afternoon of the 8th we hopped on a bus for a 4 hour journey to Franz Josef, home of the Franz Josef glacier. So far all we have done is eat pizza and drink beer (Monteith's, of course! I have found my favorite - "Black", and Teri has hers "Summer Ale") We are staying in a 4-share room with a couple German girls (ze Germans are everywhere!) at "Glow Worm Cottages" in the heart of F.J. -- there are actually only 2 streets in town! You can tell that the town really only exists because of the proximity to the glacier, but such is the case with so many towns on the tourist circuit anywhere (i.e. Banff).

So that catches you up to this moment on Saturday January 9th 2010 where we are in Franz Josef, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand soon to do a half-day glacier walk and do some ice climbing!

We will continue to update as we go and try to add some pictures when we can...bye for now!

Last Days In Adelaide

2010-01-06T19:56:00.010-06:00

Teri and I spent some our final time in Adelaide checking out downtown Adelaide's Central Market - a large farmer's market/fresh produce market; and Rundle Mall - a long pedestrian stretch of outdoor shops. Teri posed with the well-known shiny silver "Mall Balls". I really wanted to get some pictures of some old churches in Adelaide city but the rest of the group was not agreeable, unfortunately. Right Steady?

I was also able to visit the old ball diamond and get inside the Port Adelaide Magpies Baseball clubhouse and was happy to see that very little had changed in 14 years! There is a new mural of the team logo on one of the walls, though, shown in the picture along with Darren and myself.

Teri had her first crack at playing beach cricket down at Semaphore Beach, and we had a great feed at the Exeter Hotel while Steady soundly kicked my butt at billiards (seems to be a theme there!)

Everyone came down to the airport to see us off before our flight to Christchurch, New Zealand on Jan 3rd - Rod, Anna, Darren, Leanne, Jack, Brooke, and Cherril. It was an emotional goodbye as none of us know when we'll see each other next, but we had a fantastic visit between December 22nd and January 3rd, and made up for a lot of lost time. We have to send out a tremendous thank you to Rod & Anna who hosted us the entire time, and to Stead family including Cherril for going out of the way to make our visit so fun and special...we love all of you guys!

(And hope to see you all again soon...!!)

Mount Lofty Summit

2010-01-01T18:56:00.002-06:00

On Tues Dec 29th Darren took us to Mount Lofty summit, located east of Adelaide city. At 710 metres above sea level the summit landing provides great panoramic views of Adelaide, the surrounding regions and the coastline, with visibility extending as far as Kangaroo Island on clear days.

Barossa Valley Winery Tour

2010-01-01T18:05:00.004-06:00

On Wed Dec 30th - Teri, Darren, Leanne & I took a drive out to the Barossa Valley to check out some wineries and do some wine tasting. A few of the more well-known wineries you might know of located there are Penfolds, Jacob's Creek and Wolf Blass. We made it to about 5 or 6 wineries and probably tasted about 50 wines (yes, we were a little under the influence...!) Darren was kind enough to be our d.d. for the day and got us back to Adelaide without incident. The countryside is beautiful and tt was definitely a great day!

Visit With The Kangaroos

2010-01-01T17:56:00.002-06:00

The other day we were able to hang out for awhile with a couple tame kangaroos...Chrissy & Maddy. Darren's neighbour keeps 2 roos as pets in his backyard and we popped over for a visit! They were a bit shy with us, but we were able to pet them a bit and feed them some biscuits.

Happy New Year 2010!

2010-01-01T17:02:00.010-06:00

Happy New Year everyone! We celebrated New Year's Eve at a party hosted by Rod & Anna Harker, conveniently located a short stumble down the hallway from our bedroom. We hung out in the backyard and Rod BBQ'd a great dinner. Considering that the daytime high was 41 degrees, it actually cooled off nicely in the evening!There was a great fireworks display at midnight that we could see from just outside the house. It was nice for Teri and I to be with friends to bring in the new year.

During the hot day on New Year's Eve, we went kayaking with Darren, Leanne, Jack & Brooke at nearby Port River. The Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary is one of Adelaide's "secret spots" and is supposed to be an area of ecological importance. The mangrove forests and sheltered creeks are home to an array of marine life, birds and dolphins. The Ship's Graveyard is also unique feature of the area, where several decommissioned ships have been parked and left to die in the waters here. We were lucky to see many dolphins (I think Brooke's count was 19 sightings!)

Wild Wild West Wyalong

2009-12-30T20:40:00.010-06:00

Teri - On Friday, December 19th, Chris and I showed up in West Wyalong, New South Wales. West Wyalong is a small mining town about six hours west of Sydney (or closer to twelve hours by a delayed train and bus combination!) We went to visit my girlfriend Kelly, her husband Jay, and sons Jack and Sam. Kelly and I lived across the hall from each other in Rez at Tache Hall back in the day, we were bridesmaids in each other's weddings, and even though we don't get to see each other very often, I still consider her a great friend. Kelly and her family moved to Australia just under a year ago, and a trip Down Under would not have been complete without paying them a visit!

After pounding the tourist trail up the east coast of Australia, it was really fun and refreshing for Chris and I to head inland and experience Australia 'un-cut'. Up the coast, most of the people we met were other tourists, but in West Wyalong, we got to meet some locals and experience small-town life while drinking beer at the pub, tagging along with Kelly and her family on their errands, and even attending the annual Wilga Street Block Party!
West Wyalong is seriously HOT in the summer, and the warm weather seems to cultivate residents who are unfailingly warm and friendly. I was also impressed by how a population of about 3000 supports such a vibrant downtown with many busy shops, cafes and pubs. We had a great time getting out and about as well as just chillin' with Kelly, Jay, Jack, Sam, and Kelly's parents Dan and Moe, who also happened to be visiting from Canada, and who I've also known for years. Chris had fun playing cricket with the boys while I enjoyed catching up with my good friend over good coffee.

*In the one picture I am trying to wrap my lips around a steak sandwich with 'the Lot', which is Australian for a fried egg, pickled beet and pineapple. It may sound strange, but it was delicious!

*The duck is Buster, a Wilga Street resident. There were some anxious moments when Buster's owners served up roast duck at the block party. Fortunately little Buster showed up unharmed a little while later, and everyone could have a laugh over the prank!

On Monday evening we said farewell to our friends and West Wyalong and boarded yet another bus, this time bound for Adelaide in South Australia...Stay tuned for yet more adventures... ;)

Merry Xmas from Adelaide!

2009-12-25T07:36:00.016-06:00

Merry Christmas from Adelaide!!!

Well, as unexpected as it seemed, Christmas did indeed arrive in Adelaide, Australia without snow, freezing temperatures or egg nog!

We are lucky enough to have the hospitality of my good friend Rod Harker and his wife Anna who have generously let us settle into their home for a week. Teri and I are also being spoiled by the Steads - Darren, Leanne, Jack and Brooke - who have chauffeured us around to various family gatherings and allowed us to infiltrate their home! When I lived in Australia in 1995-96, I played baseball with both Rod and Darren and we have managed to keep in touch over the years. Rod has visited Canada a couple times in 1997 and 2001, and Darren and Leanne had also visited back in 1997 during their honeymoon (they even helped sandbag during the flood of the century!) We also caught up with Cherril Stead, Darren's mum, who put up (and put up with!) Mike and I for 8 months when we were here playing baseball in 95-96. It's great seeing her again.

We started Xmas day with a cup of coffee at Rod & Anna's in the backyard sunshine before heading over to the Steads to spend the day with Darren, Leanne, Jack & Brooke. Teri and I woke up early, only because the kids had to wait for our presence before they were allowed to open their presents! Christmas Day was a mixture of the familiar and not so familiar...familiar in watching kids rip open their gifts by the Xmas tree, tons of food and eating until you can't move, playing with the kids...; unfamiliar in working up a sweat playing cricket in thebackyard, no cheesy Xmas music in the background, shorts and T-shirts rather than ski pants and scarves.......and of course the absence of our immediate families. But we are really lucky to be with old friends who have made us feel like family over the past few days...thanks to them for that! The Stead kids got a Wii for Xmas so I was in my glory playing video games with Jack for the better part of Xmas day, even though Jack kicked my butt at most of the games.

Here it's now boxing day and we are heading to a cottage with the Steads for a couple days to do some fishing, eating, and relaxing.

We hope you all have a great Christmas Day and rest of the holiday season!!

The Whitsunday Islands

2009-12-24T07:02:00.007-06:00

Teri - After Fraser Island, we took a long bus ride up the east coast to Airlie Beach. We spent one day and night in Airlie and then boarded the Kiana, http://whitsundayssailingadventures.com.au/vessel.php?name=kiana , a 16.4 metre yacht for fourteen passengers plus three crew, for three days and two nights. What a fantastic experience! Chris had cruised the Whitsundays on his first trip up the coast fourteen years ago and really wanted to share the experience with me. I was hesitant at first because of the cost, but it was well worth it! The Whitsunday Islands are gorgeous! We visited the most beautiful place I've ever been - Whitehaven Beach - snorkelled, and I scuba-dived the Great Barrier Reef! (Unfortunately Chris couldn't scuba dive due to a chest cold.) The crew took excellent care of us including feeding us delicious meals. Sailing was exhilarating thanks to a couple Gravol taken ahead of time. I highly recommend the Kiana to anyone who wants to experience the Whitsunday Islands and the outer Great Barrier Reef.
About scuba diving... I went three times, the second time I was really scared and had to practice the deep yogic breathing to keep myself from panicking, but the third time was much better. I could appreciate how tranquil and almost meditative diving could be once one gets used to the bizarre feeling of breathing underwater. There's so much to see when you relax and are able to look around. I can't wait to go again!

Christmas Eve Reflections

2009-12-23T16:10:00.017-06:00

Teri - Well it is Christmas Eve morning in Port Adelaide. Chris is still asleep and I have the house to myself as Rod & Anna, whose home we're staying at, have gone to work. A good time for a few reflections on our overall travel experience...

Before embarking on this trip, I yearned for adventures on the far corners of the globe. I was restless, and even though I always knew my life was extraordinarily blessed, I wasn't completely content because I felt like travelling was something I needed to experience. I felt my life was too comfy, and I wanted to take risks and challenge myself. The destinations themselves were less important than the act of venturing forth in the world and experiencing life and myself out of my usual context.

I romanticized travel in my mind and was disappointed when we couldn't go for nine months as we'd originally hoped. I'd read and reread Rolph Pott's Vagabonding - The Art of Long-Term World Travel and my mind was filled with quotes like, "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." (Andre Gide)

So we did it, and what have I learned?

I'm proud of us for taking a leap of faith and venturing out when it wasn't a popular or conventional choice for two people in their thirties. I may have sacrificed the security of a good job and created some odd gaps on my resume, but I'm sure it will all work out. I'm glad we didn't play it safe and do what was expected of us.

I'm glad we did it now rather than later. When my dad passed away suddenly in 08, the urgency to travel intensified in me. I had never really considered time as finite before - there was always tomorrow or next year. I wish my dad had more time to do the things he wanted to in life, and I hope he would be proud of me for following my dreams instead of putting them off to some distant future when they were more 'practical'.

My perception of travel is less idealistic since hitting the road ten weeks ago. The daily grind of regular life is replaced by the grind of wearing the same dirty clothes, packing and unpacking, sleeping in unfamiliar beds and missing the comforts of home. I'm a little disappointed in myself, actually, to learn how attached I am to superficial luxuries like having several pairs of shoes and makeup and hot baths. (I don't have these things but I miss them intensely!) I thought travel would weaken my vanity and superficial attachments but I think it has just brought them to the surface!
While in India especially, I came to appreciate how spoiled we are in the West, how much we consider to be minimum standards of life are totally outside the range of experience for millions of people who still manage to get by, and do so with apparent grace and contentment. When I'm feeling sucky about being on a bus for 14 hours in Australia, I think about how a bus in India would have at least three times more passengers, little suspension but rougher roads, and no air conditioning. Even though my pampered Western-world conditioning has been put under the microscope on this trip, I think I've also become a bit tougher, and have learned that I can get by with much less than I thought.

I've learned that the people you meet while travelling are the most meaningful part of the journey. The Taj Mahal was wonderful to visit, but in the end it will be the friends we visited, the friends we made enroute, and the local people we talked to who give the experience its poignancy and flavour. As an introverted person, I'm still practicing striking up conversations with strangers, but I find that when I do I often have the most interesting exchanges and learn things about places that you don't find in Lonely Planet. Just as an example, I met a woman on the flight to Goa who lived there who told me about a night-market worth checking out and gave me her card 'in case we ran into any trouble, just give her a call'. The generosity of friends and strangers warms my heart.

Just two more insights...

"The map is not the territory." (Alfred Korzybski) A familiar and routinized life insulates us somewhat from our individual quirks and weaknesses. Travelling and meeting new people in new contexts creates in me a self-consciousness that is unsettling. While I guess it has also been an opportunity to discover hidden strengths like courage and independence, it also brings to light unattractive aspects of my personality and unhealthy patterns in Chris's and my relationship. I think it's all good though, and I trust that we're both growing personally and relationally. This trip is bringing us closer, I believe, as we overcome obstacles together and create many shared memories.

Finally, "We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." (T. S. Elliot) The last while I've felt homesick and have even toyed with the idea of cutting the trip short by coming home from Australia instead of going to New Zealand. I think we all take for granted, to some degree, our relationships, communities, and homes. I know I will come home with a greater appreciation for my family, my friends, my home, and my whole life. I still want to see Europe, more of North America, and pretty much anywhere else I have the opportunity, but I don't think I'll go away for longer than a month again. This trip is giving me an appreciation of balance between the exhilaration of setting out and having adventures in new places with the grounding and comforting experience of home, that is itself interesting and enlightening if only we continue to see with fresh eyes.

If you're still reading, congratulations, you've come to the end. If you think about the meaning of life and purpose, let's get together for a coffee and chat sometime. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a safe, healthy and inspiring 2010.

Fraser Island

2009-12-16T17:26:00.005-06:00

Teri - Fraser Island is a beautiful sand island off the coast of Hervey Bay, Queensland. It is protected as a Unesco Heritage site. We went on a two day, one night Fraser Island Explorer tour last week. 4x4-ing along the 75-mile Ocean Highway which is a sand beach, not a road as we think of it, was a highlight of the trip. (We were on a 4x4 bus, not driving ourselves, fortunately.)
We hiked through forests, hung out on a couple beautiful beaches, saw some dingoes...Not much else to say, we'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Brisbane

2009-12-13T04:30:00.008-06:00

Sorry for the long delay between blogs. We have found ourselves in transit and/or away from computers quite a bit lately.
From Byron we bussed up to Brisbane, where we spent just over a day with Jill Dakin, who we were connected with through our friends Jack and Linda McKinnon from Carman.
We are very glad we took the time to make the Brisbane stop, as Jill was a fantastic host and excellent tour guide! We took in the view of Brisbane from Mt. Coot'tha summit, visited the SouthBank area along the Brisbane River which boasts a huge FREE swimming area and pedestrian paths along the river...a very nice spot on a hot day (and it was hot while we were in Brisbane...mid 30's both days!) We also took a drive out to Manly and Nelson Bay, both are nice areas on the east side of the city.

The highlight of the stop in Brisbane was certainly Jill's home cooking and cozy accomodation in her "wildlife sanctuary" home with its amazing gardens. Bijou the friendly dog also helped us feel right at home. Thanks again for everything Jill!

Next Stop...Byron Bay

2009-12-13T04:19:00.006-06:00

Byron Bay was our next stop after Newcastle, known for having the most easterly point on Australia's mainland. The big thing is to get up early and see the sun rise from this point - but that would involve getting up at 4:00 in the morning to hike to the point to catch the sun coming up at 4:45 - and most of you know that is not bloody likely to happen in Chris and Teri's world!! Not that day, anyway. However, we did take the beautiful walk out to the lighthouse and the most easterly point and spent some relaxing time on Wategos Beach.
Byron Bay is also known for its sea kayaking with the dolphins and surf lessons. We twice attempted to do the sea kayaking but unfortunately the winds were too high 2 days in a row and the tours were cancelled. And Teri decided that surf lessons were not her thing! So our highlights in Byron Bay were the afternoon hike to the lighthouse and the ham and swiss croissants we ate for both lunch and supper the one day! Bye Bye Byron Bay....

Visit in Newcastle

2009-12-06T16:18:00.011-06:00

(Chris) Our second stop in Australia was Newcastle to visit a good mate of mine that I played baseball with when I was here in 95/96 - Sean "Doofus" Doudle. We caught the Greyhound for the 2.5 hour bus from Sydney to Newcastle on Saturday night, and Sean and his wife Megan kindly picked us up from the bus station. We were able to see a huge amount of the city and suburbs thanks to "Sean & Megan's Guided Tours"...Thanks so much to them for taking the time to show us their great hometown! They also treated us to a couple home-cooked meals on the barbie which included kangaroo steak and some burgers marinated in Guinness stout. Ahhhhhhh...!
It was also incredibly interesting to hear about Sean's experience on the TV show "The Biggest Loser" (Australia edition). He and his baseball mate Ben were lucky enough to be chosen to compete in the past season of the show which aired in Australia this past February. If you are interested you can check out the show and his profile at www.thebiggestloser.com.au/contestant15-profile.html. His story and success are truly inspiring! He ended being the "biggest loser" (lost the most weight) of all the elimated contestants on the show, and he looks great. There's a picture of me with Sean and Ben when we went by Ben's house to meet him on Sunday. There's also a picture of us with most of Sean & Megan's family - Brooke (14), Damon (12) & Tiarnie (16) (missing is David (18). Another picture shows a cool army bunker along the Pacific Ocean from WWII, and another picture shows the beautiful St. Michael's cathedral in Newcastle. And finally, Teri had the honour of riding Damon's bike up the steep street a couple times and survived despite the bike lacking any functional brakes...thanks Damon!

We jumped back on the bus for an overnight trip and we are now in laid-back Byron Bay for a couple nights to do some sea kayaking and try out some surfing. Next we're off to Brisbane to check out the sites there and hopefully catch up with a couple acquaintances.

Sydney

2009-12-06T15:55:00.004-06:00

Teri - Chris and I arrived in Sydney Wednesday evening and checked into Sydney Central YHA Hostel. That evening we just wandered down George St. and stopped in a pub for burgers and beer.
Thursday morning was spent doing laundry (Yah! First time in 6 weeks!) and trying to connect with people we want to visit in Australia. In the afternoon we ventured out on foot to Darling Harbour and Sydney Harbour. The Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge were awesome to behold! It was a fun day just taking in the sights and atmosphere of a very vibrant and beautiful city.
Friday we planned to take the train to the Blue Mountains but we changed our mind at 6:00 a.m. when we should have been getting up and decided to sleep longer instead. Probably for the best because we needed the time to plan out an itinerary for our next few weeks and book tickets. We did manage to head out to Market City and Paddy's Market in Chinatown, and the Rocks at Sydney Harbour for shopping. I picked up a bathing suit and Chris got new shorts and sunglasses. The grungy bohemian clothes we wore in India feel very out of place in this exceptionally well-dressed city!
We also had a short but good visit with Aly Jamieson from home - she worked at the Assessment Office with Chris for several months and is traveling in Australia for awhile herself.
India definitely has a special place in my heart, and I'm so glad we went, but I must say it is wonderful to be in such clean, and even though it's my first time here, familiar surroundings!

Goodbye India - Hello Australia!

2009-11-30T08:23:00.002-06:00

Well the time has finally come to change locations - country and continent - and continue our adventure Down Under. Tomorrow we will take a taxi from Varkala to the Trivandrum airport (1.5 hours, 800 rupees or about $18 Cdn), then fly to Chennai on the east coast of India, then catch our flight to Sydney with a brief stop in Singapore on the way. We are booked into the "Sydney Central" backpackers hostel (check it out on the web if you want). We plan to stay in/around Sydney for a few days to check out the sights there - Sydney Harbour Bridge, Manly Beach, Opera House (from the outside!), Blue Mountains, and others. Our itinerary after that is open at the moment as we will try to decide the best way to budget our time until we get to Adelaide to visit friends over Xmas.

We'll catch up with you soon - from Sydney, Australia!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

2009-11-29T03:43:00.002-06:00

Just want to wish Norleen a happy birthday and let her know that we are thinking about her. Hope you have a great day Ma!!

HOT

2009-11-27T06:33:00.005-06:00

Teri - No I'm not looking for sympathy, but yesterday I got heat exhaustion / dehydration. I've come to accept that it is impossible to spend any amount of daytime on the beach here without getting sunburned. I think the beach umbrella actually makes it worse, since your body is in the shade and the sun doesn't feel as intense, you spend way more time out there than you should. And those ancient threadbare umbrellas do not block the UV rays very well at all. Yesterday we only spent a couple hours on the beach, but after a very sweaty 90-minute yoga class my skin felt it was on fire and I felt worse than I have since my experiences of 'Delhi Belly'. I'm sure the couple mojitos I had with dinner didn't help matters either.
Chris's lip actually blistered from the sun, and he is darker than I've ever seen him. Feeling weak and tired, today we laid low in the room mostly and drank lots of water.
We're going for shiatsu massages tomorrow and are considering taking a Reiki workshop. The yoga classes have been great, but they're very strenuous in +30 temperatures with high humidity, so now we're in need of some cooling and relaxing. How's this for a reversal - we've gone from longing for a warm shower in most of India, to wishing the water from the tap were colder!
Hope you're staying warm or cool or whatever you're needing back home!

Here's a few more pictures - included is a glimpse into our lovely hotel room where we've been for almost 2 weeks!

Escape from Neyyar Dam / Reflection

2009-11-20T07:56:00.011-06:00

Hmmm, how shall I explain this tactfully...
Chris and I planned to spend our final two weeks in India at the Sivananda ashram at Neyyar Dam, but we checked in on Monday, November 16, and checked out on Wednesday morning.
I think it boils down to...We just couldn't handle the chanting!
At my yoga teacher training in 2006, we sang kirtan (chanting the different names of God) on a daily basis, but for some reason, maybe because I had paid my tuition and was fully committed to being there for a month, I just accepted it and even enjoyed it by the end.
This time around I was not receptive to it and did not want to be receptive to it.
India's plethora of religions and rituals has not really incited spiritual feelings in me. I find myself becoming more and more cynical as I observe crippling poverty and so much unanswered need. Where is God? (Where are Hinduism's 36 million gods for that matter?) People put faith in gods to help them and/or they accept their lot in life and hope karma rewards them with a better next life, but in the meantime there is so much suffering...I can't wrap my head around it.
I feel spiritually vulnerable at the moment, and the ashram felt too risky. I've learned there are many fake priests and gurus out there who take advantage of people's longing for a meaningful connection. I don't mean to say anything negative about the Sivananda organization as I really didn't experience enough of it to pass judgment. The ashram just didn't feel right for me (or Chris) right now. I will continue to question and ponder in a more neutral environment. And I will spend the next week or so studying yoga asana in the many classes here in Varkala.

Here are a few pictures of the ashram...they had beautiful grounds as you can see...there is a picture of Chris' dorm bed and also a picture of the dining hall with all the plates set up (yes, on the floor which is where we ate - with our hands!)

Varkala (part 2!) - The "Mini-Vacation"!

2009-11-20T07:18:00.019-06:00

We are back in Varkala Beach after an abbreviated stay at the yoga ashram at Neyyar Dam. Here are a few pictures of where we're living for the next several days!
The first picture shows a view from the beach looking towards the North Cliff promenade where all the shops, restaurants, hotels/resorts are located - you can see the lights of the businesses. There are also a couple local dogs lying in the background. The second picture is the "Santa Claus" resort where we stayed for a night. I have no idea why they came up with that name! Our room had a gorgeous view looking out over the Arabian Sea...800 rupees a night ($18)!! The third picture is a sunset from the beach looking northwest out over the Arabian Sea. The fourth picture is outside one of the many local restaurants along the cliff, showing some of the day's catches from the ocean. When an order is placed in the restaurant, they simply cut out a serving size from the fish (a fresh marlin in this case). I am in the background with a girl we met from Winnipeg - Megan Firth - who we met a couple days earlier at the ashram and had a chance run-in on the beach at Varkala. Small world! The fifth picture is during a breakfast at the "Sunrise" restaurant, looking south towards the beach. Teri is enjoying a fresh pineapple juice and we are sitting underneath an almond tree. The sixth picture is a sunburned Chris & Teri enjoying a cocktail and a beer at the "Abba" restaurant (served in a travel mug because the restaurants do not have beer licenses and need to hide the beer from the police!) The seventh picture is Teri enjoying a whole pineapple on the beach (70 rupees). The eighth picture is another dusk shot of Teri on the beach. The ninth picture is of a few of the stray dogs taking a rest on the promenade along the cliff. All the dogs are friendly - fortunately - and they can be found pretty much everywhere in India! The tenth pic is a view of the beach and Arabian Sea looking north from the cliff promenade.
mini-vacation during our travels

Varkala Beach

2009-11-15T06:10:00.003-06:00

Teri - Hi everyone. The last couple days have been spent along the Arabian Sea. Varkala is a strip of small hotels, cafes, internet places and shops perched along a cliff at the edge of the Arabian Sea. Breathtaking views and fresh ocean breezes!

Steps go down to the beach where we play in the ocean waves and try to body surf in the warm water.

Our GAP adventures tour ended this morning with the rest of the group departing to Kochi, but Chris and I stay here another night. We moved to cheaper accomodations at Santa Claus's Village. Cheesey name, but our room is almost on the edge of the cliff looking out to the ocean.

South India is receiving the retreating monsoon a little late this year. It rained on Friday evening after we arrived and absolutely POURED for hours and hours yesterday! I went to a yoga class under a tin roof and the teacher's voice was completely drowned out by the deafening sound of the rain.

By the time we headed out for dinner there was water up to our ankles running down the walkway and our umbrella was broken by the wind.

Fortunately today the monsoon has held off and we managed to get sunburned on the beach.

Tomorrow we're headed to the ashram for two weeks (if we can stick it out that long!) Don't know what the Internet access will be like out there, but we'll do our best to keep you posted...Take care everyone!

Adventures in Keralan Dining

2009-11-14T06:38:00.009-06:00

Teri - India is the easiest place in the world to be a vegetarian. Especially in northern India, vegetarian is the default , with 'non-veg' receiving its own category in some restaurants only. I haven't missed meat one bit!

We have eaten very well, and very cheaply in India thus far. Our favourites include stuffed tomato, parantha, butter naan, basmati rice, and masala chai tea. We tend to lean toward an 'American' breakfast of two eggs, toast, juice, tea/coffee, and sometimes porridge or cereal. All this can be had for 75-150 rupees (roughly $1.50 - $3.00CAD). The bread is sliced almost paper-thin, and in Delhi our corn flakes routinely had strange black flecks in them.

Anyway, it is more interesting I'm sure, to learn of some of the quirks of Indian dining. In Kerala, we've experienced a few:
- At our hotel in Periyar, the staff brought out 7 platters of toast for the nine people in our GAP tour group! We almost finished them!
- At dinner the other night, I ordered Vegetable O'Gratin, expecting a pasta dish. Instead I received a big bowl of cheese sauce with a few veggies!
- In Varkala, Chris and I went for breakfast at a lovely cafe facing the Arabian Sea. About ten minutes after we sat down, a DOG walked out from under our table, where it had been snoozing unseen under the tablecloth! It returned later on, and we snapped this photo after it got comfortable.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

2009-11-12T06:05:00.003-06:00

Teri - Yesterday we toured a spice plantation. It was way more interesting than I expected! We saw cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, turmeric, coffee, black tea, ginger, cloves..the list goes on. We also got to smell and taste many of them. It's good to see where foods we eat regularly come from. I had no idea pineapples grew close to the ground - I always imagined them hanging from tree branches!

This morning we did a two-hour trek in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. It's the home of 46 tigers and over 700 elephants and many more exotic creatures. We saw butterflies, spiderwebs, and one elephant from a far distance. :( Still the nature walk was pleasant. We walked right by a bunch of monkeys just outside the gate of the sanctuary!

Last night we also went to a performance of traditional martial arts.

Today Chris and I went for ayurvedic massages. Ayurveda is a sister science to yoga; it means "the science of life" and focuses on nutrition and lifestyle practices. The massage was interesting...
I stripped down completely naked to receive a head massage from the lady massage therapist. She had me sit on a small plastic stool (I wondered how many others sat naked on this stool before me and if they clean it in between) and standing in front of me, she took my head in her hands, nestled it into her ample bosom, and rubbed the back of my head!
For the next hour I was slathered with tons of oil, rubbed, slapped, and 'chopped' from head to toe. A face massage and steam sauna finished off my ayurvedic experience. My skin feels nice and soft.
At one point the therapist asked me how old I was and if Chris was my boyfriend. When I told her I was 33 and had been married for 5 years, she expressed shock and dismay, "Married for 5 years and no children! Why not?! " I'm pretty sure she went on to massage my ovaries and told me she was massaging me with 'good luck'!
(Ask Chris how his experience was with the male massage therapist! ;)

I love Kerala!

2009-11-11T05:23:00.003-06:00

Teri - After two nights in Goa, we said goodbye to most of our GAP Adventures tour group and continued south to the state of Kerala. Well actually, we took a flight north back up to Mumbai, caught another flight south, and landed in Mangalore before reaching our final destination. (Our original direct flight was cancelled.) So we spent pretty much the entire day of November 9 in transit. But we enjoyed three decent meals on the three flights, and I'll take plane travel over overcrowded local bus any day!
Kerala is so beautiful...if you ever visit India you must come to Kerala! As much as the urban centres in the north are noisy, polluted, chaotic, and frenetic, the south is quiet, green and lush, tranquil and serene. The streets are more organized, less crowded and seem to mostly maintain typical traffic rules as well.
Yesterday we met up with our new tour group and new guide. We rode by air conditioned mini tour bus (this part of the tour seems much more luxurious!) to Alappoozha/Allepey, which is sometimes referred to as the 'Venice of the East'. It's a region below sea level, where backwaters are the main roads and canoes and houseboats are the main vehicles. We took a boat down the backwaters to our homestay at the Green Palms where our hosts treated us to the best meals we've had in India! (And we've eaten very well all along!) The host family explained how they grow their own rice and other vegetables, pick their own coconuts and filter collected rain water. Everything tastes so good when it hasn't travelled further than from the backyard. We had local catfish, rice, coconut curry, paratha, long beans, salad, the list goes on, it was quite the feed!
Our host Matthew took us on a walk and boat ride and talked about Keralan history, culture, economy, etc. We stopped at a 'toddy' shop where we sampled the local brew - a mildly alcoholic beverage made from the coconut tree.
The sky opened up and we got to experience the retreating monsoon! It poured and then rained steadily for hours, and we continued walking, and then rode in the slowest boat ever back to our homestay. Fortunately Matthew and the boat men entertained us with traditional Keralan songs as we shivered in the wet, cold and dark.
I was sad to leave this morning - the family that operates The Green Palms is gracious and charming and the perfect host family for experiencing the backwaters way of life. Fortunately, more great adventures awaited us...but I'll save it for the next post. I promise to liven up this blog with more pictures soon.
Thanks for reading everyone, hope you're all doing well, send me an email sometime will ya?

Melting in Goa!

2009-11-08T06:00:00.003-06:00

(Chris) Hello from Goa, India! We're on the west coast about an hour's flight south of Mumbai. We arrived here yesterday Nov 7th and leave tomorrow Nov 9th for Cochin in the south of India, also on the west coast. I know absolutely nobody at home is going to feel sorry for us but we are absolutely melting here...temperatures are in the mid 30's during the day and the humidity is keeping me in a constant sweaty state. Goa is apparently one of the more "touristy" places in India, with many beaches and its warm climate. It's also obvious by the presence of all the "touts" or people trying to sell us stuff wherever we go. It is incredibly annoying, but I guess it's a part of being a visitor to another country! Some examples of items for sale this morning on the beach (and by 'for sale' I mean people come right up to you and ask your name, where are you from, are you married, do you have kids, first time in India?, first time in Goa?, and it goes on while you're trying to catch a few rays...) Anyway some of these items include cucumbers, an ear wax removal service, henna tattoos, massage, peanuts, fruit, and a bunch of other crap like necklaces and bracelets etc. My head is now conditioned to move back and forth in a "no, thanks" motion whenever I hear the dreaded words "Hello, my friend!"

As it was Teri's birthday while we were in Goa, our tour leader arranged a birthday cake for her when we were out for supper at a karaoke restaurant on the 8th. I have included a picture of the cake as well as our tour leader, Mahipal. There is also a picture of the hotel we stayed at.
Well internet time is up, 30 rupees spent and you're now a bit more caught up...

Costs of Traveling in India

2009-11-04T23:47:00.003-06:00

(Chris) I though I would post some typical costs we've seen or encountered here in India so far on our trip...

gasoline (petrol): 50 rupees per/litre = $1.13 Cdn
1 litre bottled water (ex. Aquafina): 15-30 rs = $.34 cents - $.68 cents Cdn
bottle of Coke or other soft drinks: same as water
taxi/auto rickshaw: avg 50-100 rs per trip = $1.13 to $2.26 Cdn (so cheap compared to getting around a city in Canada!)
avg meal: 200-300 rs = $4.50 - $7.00 Cdn
chocolate bar: 15- 30 rs = $.34 to $.68 cents Cdn
internet use: 15-20 rs per half hour = $.34 - $.45 cents Cdn
tailored pants & shirt: 1600 rs = $36 Cdn
paperback novel: 250 rs = $5.65 Cdn
3 star hotel (decent): 1500-2500 rs per night = $34 - $56 Cdn for 2 people

if anyone is wondering about any other costs let me know and I'll get back to you!

Mount Abu Hill Station, Rajasthan

2009-11-04T10:13:00.004-06:00

Teri - Well it is probably for the best that I couldn't access Internet the last few days - I was quite sick, and feeling horrible was affecting my outlook on the whole India experience in a pretty negative way. But fortunately my health is rebounding, and my spirits are buoyed!

I never saw a thing in Udaipur except my hotel room and the toilet, but today we travelled about 5 hours to Mount Abu, the only hill station in Rajastan, and a popular holiday spot for Indians looking to escape the unbearable summer heat of lower altitudes.

Everyone's on holidays here, so the atmosphere is fun and cheerful. Tonight we hiked along with hundreds of Indian tourists to 'sunset point'. It was a fun experience because everyone made such a big deal over the sunset - vendors selling popcorn, people oohing, ahhing, cheering and clapping. I guess Mount Abu doesn't get many foreign tourists, because we still posed for lots of pictures - me with groups of giggling girls, and Chris with groups of guys who just think Chris is a Hollywood movie star.

Sorry so few pictures on this blog so far - we have a ton but the computers are old and slow and it's not usually possible. Imagine us looking fabulous and glamorous, k?

www.mountabu.com

World Famous Pushkar Camel Fair

2009-10-31T09:56:00.004-05:00

Teri - Okay, so I hadn't heard of the Pushkar Camel Fair before, but I guess it's a pretty big deal in Rajasthan. And lucky for us, our GAP Adventures tour just happened to stop in Pushkar during the annual festival! It's pretty awesome - over 5000 camels are bought and sold during the week-long fair, plus cattle, horses, other livestock. We went on a camel ride through the 'semi-desert' of the fair ground and watched the sun set from the back of a camel last night.
We slept in an 'exotic tent' that is the highest-class camping I have ever done - flush toilet and shower inside. I woke up before 7 to sounds of Indian music, musical horns, chanting, birdsong, and people going about their business - there is such an exuberant energy here!
This morning we watched women racing with pots of water balanced on their heads and little gypsy girls balancing on tight ropes and contorting themselves into crazy yoga poses in the exhibition ground.
In the afternoon I wandered around the markets and tried to haggle. I feel very safe and comfortable in Pushkar. But tomorrow, on to Udaipur!

Daunting Delhi

2009-10-28T05:05:00.004-05:00

Our first room at the Raunak International didn't have a window but it did have what appeared to be a small elevator shaft, or dumbwaiter, behind shutters - creepy! No towels or toilet paper, and very dingy. We requested and eventually received a smaller but cleaner and brighter room with a window.
At first we wanted to just stay in the room as we were anxious about venturing out, but we did it! We enjoyed some nice meals in the hotel restaurant and ventured down the street to an Internet place where we wrote our first blog posts and to a shop where I'm sure I grossly overpaid for an Indian shirt and pants, but still it was only about $12 Canadian.
On Sunday, the 25th, we went with a hired driver on a tour and saw some sights. My FAVOURITE part was going with a cycle rickshaw driver named Agbar around Chandry(?) Chouk in Old Delhi. The driver was very entertaining, spoke English and some French, and claimed to be friend to many international dignitaries and overall a very important person himself, so we felt lucky to have Agbar as our guide in Old Delhi!

Crazy traffic!

2009-10-28T05:02:00.005-05:00

Check this out...An example of Indian traffic - a chaotic combination of rickshaws, motorcycles, cows, goats, pedestrians, and dented cars. We walk through it all and always manage to survive. Make sure you turn up the volume!

Arrival in Delhi

2009-10-28T04:57:00.002-05:00

Teri - On Friday, October 23, we took the overnight train from Bhopal to Delhi. We travelled in 3rd class AC with three rows of berths. We weren't sure about security on the train, so we slept with our backpacks and were a little squished, but the ride went smoothly and I slept almost the whole way.
In Delhi train station we were mobbed by taxi and auto-rickshaw 'touts' who wanted to take us to our hotel. They even lied to Chris, saying there was no pre-paid stand, etc. etc. We had been well-coached on how to handle them (ignore them) and eventually made our way to the pre-paid stand, got our ticket, and eventually to an auto-rickshaw that took us 13 km to our hotel. The ride was great! The nice old driver stopped at a chai vendor and gave us each a cup of tea. He stopped by a couple shops, too, where his friends tried to convince us to come inside, but we declined.
Our first impression of Delhi was the streets were wider than in Bhopal, and there were many historic sites, government buildings, and beautifully groomed lawns along the way to the hotel.
Our hotel however, seemed to be in a back alley. I have since learned that what I consider to be back alleys back home are regular streets in Delhi!

Meeting our World Vision sponsor child

2009-10-24T05:15:00.006-05:00

Teri - The purpose of our visit to Bhopal was to visit our World Vision sponsor child, Aman, and get a tour of the WV projects in the area. On Thursday, October 22, we were picked up by WV staff and brought to the WV office where we were welcomed as honoured guests and given necklaces of fresh flowers to wear. There we met Aman and his parents and older brother Ganesh. Aman's father had booked the day off work for the event and they were all dressed in their best clothes. We gave the boys a soccer ball and they seemed very excited. Aman was all smiles until his dad tried placing him on my lap for a picture and he started wailing! His parents said (through a WV translator) Aman had been up since 4:30 in the morning, he was so excited, so I guess he was getting tired by this point.
There are over 80 slums in the Bhopal area, and WV is currently working in 26 of them. We visited several of these slum communities. Chris and I got a tour of a couple schools where WV has donated new classrooms, desks and other resources. A group of local youth and women shared with us how World Vision has helped them start up children's groups focusing on children's rights and ending child labour, a women's self-help group that started its own bank and loans money to members to start their own businesses, and empowering local volunteers to tackle the problem of tuberculosis by raising awareness and linking TB sufferers to proper treatment., and much more.
We visited Aman's home: His parents greeted us with more flower necklaces, a red dot on our foreheads (like a bindi but not a bindi) to wish us luck, chai tea and snacks. They were extremely gracious and generous; keep in mind they live in a two room 'house' with none of the luxuries we in the West consider necessities. They gave us a family photo to keep, and they only had a total of about eight photos in their possession. I was extremely touched by it all!
Meanwhile, while we were drinking tea inside, a crowd of local children and women had gathered outside. As we were leaving we stopped to pose in pictures with the group that had congregated. Again we felt special! (Also overwhelmed and more than a little guilty.) Aman's father told us to "Come again!" ;)
I think I'm still processing the meaning of that day. It was truly humbling to witness the poverty of the slums and to experience the generosity and graciousness of the residents. I came to really appreciate the good work that World Vision is doing to provide hope not hand-outs to these communities. Meeting Aman and his family has definitely strengthened our commitment to child sponsorship and I'd encourage anyone considering sponsoring a child to go for it!

A Few of Chris' Reflections...

2009-10-24T05:09:00.003-05:00

Here area few of my personal reflections so far in list form...my specialty! mostly from Bhopal and a few from the trip to Delhi...

stray dogs wanderng around, dodging traffic & sleeping in the streets
cows seeming to be homeless and covered in paint and garish neck adornments!
goats roaming around the streets
HORNS HONKING!!!
no rhyme or reason to traffic "laws" in this country...lanes are a figment of the imagination
horns used as turn signals/instead of turn signals
men taking movies of us with cell phones during our lunch in a coffee shop
kids asking us for autographs!
one kid wanted me to take his motorcycle for a ride...he was practically shoving the key in my face - I told him I didn't want to die today
cell phones in slums
HORNS HONKING!!
sleeping on a train in the middle bunk stacked 3 people high
being stared at and cat-called by Indian women (maybe not so much!)
paying about $1.70 (85 rupees) for a 35 minute cab ride from the train station to our hotel
cab driver stopping on the side of the street for a cup of tea and a biscuit while en route to our hotel in Delhi...um, what are you doing?
HORNS HONKING!!

this is one crazy place my friends!

Bhopal - culture shock

2009-10-24T05:06:00.003-05:00

Teri - I don't know who was more 'shocked' - us or the Indians. Bhopal is not on the usual Indian tourist circuit and doesn't see a lot of foreigners. Here are examples of how our visit played out...
- We got lots of stares everywhere we went - some people just looked curious and others seemed to think we were quite the spectacle, like sighting a celebrity!
- In the Indian Coffee House, two grown men took our pictures and one man actually stood up, came over to our table, and was taking video of us!! All we were doing is eating lunch, but I guess we were quite the unusual sight! Our World Vision hosts explained that many people in Bhopal may not have seen white people except for in the media.
- We signed autographs for two teenage boys who requested them.
- We posed for many pictures with various locals.
- We engaged in conversation with people eager to practice their English and share their pride for India.
- Our World Vision sponsor child was sure he had seen us on TV!
Overall, the people in Bhopal treated us very well and we felt, well... 'special'!

Bhopal - lake, traffic

2009-10-24T04:59:00.004-05:00

Hopefully I can post the pictures...in case I can't, use your imagination...beautiful lake with fishermen minding their nets, a rowing team and kayakers training on the water. We walked along the 'boardwalk' along the lake taking in the atmosphere.
Sounds idyllic, but now add this into the picture...
- the traffic in Bhopal is CRAZY! No lanes, just a free for all amongst cars, auto-rickshaws, scooters, motorcycles, pedestrians and dogs. Everyone HONKS constantly, and the sound of honking was the constant soundtrack playing in our hotel room. You'd think that with all this going on people would choose to use the sidewalk if one were available, but we felt like oddballs for using it (and for other reasons I'll get into later.) Most people prefer to walk on the street, and not on the side of the street either, right in the middle with vehicles honking and narrowly grazing them as they continue on their way unperturbed.

Arrived in Bhopal / Jet Lag

2009-10-24T04:55:00.003-05:00

Teri - Bhopal is called the "City of Lakes". Our hotel, Rajit's Lake View, is situated on Upper Lake, with all 20 rooms facing the lake. The view was beautiful! The room was not to our usual standards but did the job, which on the first day, was to give us an opportunity to rest from the flight.

I tried to heed my mom's advice and get on local time as soon as possible, but I gave in to the unrelenting desire for sleep. We slept most of the first day in Bhopal, just having breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and otherwise not venturing out of our room. I told myself I had six weeks to explore India, and it was okay to spend the first day in the room getting adjusted.

The Journey to India

2009-10-24T04:47:00.002-05:00

Teri - The trip over to India went better than we hoped - seamless actually! We travelled Winnpeg to Toronto to Frankfurt to Mumbai, where we spent the night in the airport, before taking a domestic flight to Bhopal, which is in the state of Madya Pradesh, in central India.

We sat with an elderly Gujarati lady on the flight to Mumbai. She was sitting in my seat by the window and insisted she was in the right seat. Indian passengers behind us convinced her she was in the wrong seat, but she stated she wanted to sit by the window - whatever, I preferred being on the aisle anyway. She was very friendly and educated us about the Indian meal we were served on the plane, including a mixture of seeds that are traditionally chewed after a meal to freshen one's breath.

That's all I could come up with for an interesting tidbit about the flights!

Almost time to leave...

2009-10-19T00:22:00.007-05:00

Hello to our "followers" and anyone else reading this pre-departure tidbit.
Maybe I shouldn't have left all my packing until the night before? I realize this now at 12:36 a.m. of the day we are catching our flight to India! Everything fit in the backpack on the first go (barely!) so I'm not doing a re-pack...although I am looking forward to purging a few items once I realize that I really don't need that extra pair of socks. Needless to say, Teri and I are exhausted and it's a good thing we were well fueled up with ham & potatoes at Ma & Pa Wilson's at suppertime. We're sure looking forward to finally getting on that plane and starting the long journey to our first destination in India!
Our first stay is Bhopal to visit our world vision sponsor child Aman in the project there - we'll get to Bhopal early Wednesday morning and world vision staff are supposed to be at the airport to meet us and take us to our hotel. Our visit with Aman is on Thursday and we'll spend Friday checking out points of interest around Bhopal before taking the train to Delhi on Saturday. Other than looking for evidence of the 1984 gas tragedy, I'm not exactly sure at this point what we'll find in Bhopal! I'm sure there are plenty of sights...
Thanks to everyone taking an interest in this blog, we hope to have lots of stories and pictures for you over the next few months!

2009-10-06T23:06:00.003-05:00

This will be the route we will take during the 3 week tour from Delhi to Kochi, October 26th to November 15th. Details of the trip can be found at http://www.gapadventures.com/trips/discover-india-delhi-to-cochin/AHDC/2010/

Less than 2 weeks til departure ...Can't wait!!