Dave's Indian Adventure

Thanks - India in Numbers - Reflection & Goodbye

2007-08-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks
First, I would like to thank all of you for reading and leaving comments. It has been very enjoyable to share my experiences with all of you.

India In Numbers
Bollywood Movies In - 2
World Wonders Seen- 1 (2 down, 5 to go)
Indian States Traveled Through- 9
Hours on Trains - 110
Hours on Planes - 2
Hours on Buses/Shared Jeeps - 70
Highest Altitude (feet) - 18,380
Cheapest Meal ($) - 1, veg curry, rice, and sprite
Most Expensive Meal ($) - 10, french fries, pizza, 2 king fisher beers, and icecream
Weight Lost (lb) - 15
Cheapest Hotel ($) - 2 (Leh)
Most Expensive Hotel ($) - 10 (Mumbai)
Consecutive Days Without Seeing a White Person - 39
Blog Posts - 31
Days in India- 84

Reflection & Goodbye
I am pretty proud of my first travel blog. It was far from perfect though. I often was too caught up in the moment to take photographs. I also made a conscious decision not to pervasively photograph people I don't know. My only major regret is not being more adventurous. I also regret not getting a motorcycle. Next time it will be different.

Next time? Yes, I will return to India. There is still much to be explored in the north, and I have not even seen the south. The charm of Andhra Pradesh, the amazing temples (and friends) of Tamil Nadu, the backwaters of matriarchal Kerala, and the tourist-friendly beaches of Goa.

I am planning to blog my future travels. Hopefully my 2nd travel blog will be more comprehensive, and more interesting, then my first. Along with India, there is talk of an Alaskan road trip. And then there is the rest of the world. We will just have to see. Anyway, thank you soooo much for reading my blog and commenting. I hope you enjoyed reading the posts as much as I enjoyed writing them.

singing off,
Dave

Life Is Grand

2007-08-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

I have been really enjoying my time here at IIT. The people are great and my research is going well. The campus is also very peaceful and relaxing.

Animal Update: Sam Shoulders and his friends still chirp at night. They also poop on my desk. The goat does not seem to remember me, despite our magical night. I occasionally see him and his goat friends skidding full-speed down the hallway with the security guard in hot persuit. I have become friendly with a stray dog who likes to have his ears scratched. He is very handsome and friendly. Everytime he sees me, he come running towards me with his tail wagging furiously.

The friendly stray dog.

Walking home from the lab.

Bike parking lot.

A Night Out On The Town

2007-08-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Last night my friend Romio, from Manipur, and I went to have a beer. He had offered a week ago, and I decided to take him up on his offer. When Romio picked me up from my room he informed me that their are no wine shops (as they are called in India) in walking distance of IIT. Instead, Romio would take me to a 'secret place' to get a beer.

We walked for about a kilometer, mostly in the pitch black, and we finally arrived at a shop where people can make phone calls. These are actually called STDs in India. You can find STDs everywhere in India. Anyway, we enter this small shop , and the guy takes us out back to his home. His home was essentially a hut with a bed, small stove, and table. The guy was really nice, and it was interesting for me to see how the less affluent Indians live. We ended up having a few beers and some snack before heading back to the hostel.

Romeo in the hut. I know he does not look like a 'typical' Indian. It is because he is from Manipur, in the far northeast of the country.

Party time!!

A Month Sans White People (And White People Food)

2007-07-30T02:33:00.000-07:00

As of tomorrow I have gone an entire month without seeing a single white person. Not one.

I know it's not important, but it is an interesting milestone. People usually travel in pairs or groups, or travel to places where there are at least a few other tourists. This means most people never go more then a day or two, in their entire lives, without seeing someone from their own culture/race. I have gone 30, so far. Lucky for me, I like Indians (other then Selvan).

This also marks a month of eating nothing but Indian food. I have eaten enough Dal to last me a lifetime. But overall the food is not bad, and my stomach is holding up surprisingly well. And you can't really complain when breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner cost a combined $1.25.

Happy Anniversary Nanny & Popop!!

2007-07-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Nanny & Popop!!! Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary!!!

Being married for 60 years is a spectacular achievement. I am very happy for you both.

Congrats, and I will see you guys soon!!

love,
Dave

ps. Sorry for the lack of India-related posts lately. I will try to post some pictures soon.

Happy Birthday Grandmom!!

2007-07-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Grandmom!

or in north India (Hindi) we might say:
Janamdin Mubarak!

or in south India (Tamil) we might say:
Puraandanaal Vaarthukkal!

or I could also say happy birthday in one of the other 20+ languages spoken in India. No matter how you say it, I hope you have a great birthday and enjoy the Phillies game.

love,
Dave

ps. The date on the post may say the 23rd, but here in India, it is actually the 24th :)

The Things They Carried

2007-07-19T02:02:00.000-07:00

Since arriving in India, I have been on over 2 dozen different bus and train trips. It is fascinating to see what locals bring with them on to public transportation. In the U.S. you can hide all of your strange items in a moving truck or the trunk of a car, but in India, it is all out in the open.

Some of my favorites thus far are:

Open Containers of Gasoline:
A guy brought two huge metal containers on the 6 hour bus trip from Leh to the Nubra Valley. He sat on them in the isle, as he did not have a seat and just paid the bus driver under the table to get on the bus. After awhile the bus started reeking of gasoline. We were afraid the bus was having mechanical problems, but it turns out the guys metal containers were full of gasoline.

Eveline wearing her scarf on her face to muffle the smell.

Bloody Goat Head:
On the local bus around the Nubra Valley a guy got on the bus with what appeared to be a bloody goat head. I was not close enough to confirm it was a goat, but it was definitely a bloody animal head.

Stove:
On a local bus around Leh a guy brought on a full stove. I guess the guys who sell food on the street have to get home somehow.

Giant Ball of Clothing:
This one is my favorite. In the Mumbai train terminal a family had a gigantic ball of clothing, approximately 5 feet in diameter. It looked as if they had started with a small ball, and wrapped all the clothing they owned around it until it become gigantic. I have no idea why they would do this. I am sure they could not pick it up, which means they had to roll this giant ball of clothing on the filthy streets and train station floors of Mumbai.

Pet Update - 2 New Additions!!!

2007-07-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Little Sam Shoulders Has A New Friend
It appears that I now have 2 lizards living in my room, not 1. This confirms, as many of you hypothesized, that the noise he was making was a mating call. Very romantic.

Little Sam Shoulders and his new friend.

An Uninvited Guest
A small goat was outside my room hiding among the bikes from the security guards, who chase animals away from the hostels with sticks. He was very cute, so I took some pictures and edged closer so I could pet him. He was very afraid at first, but he warmed up quickly.

I turn around and go back to my room to read. Next thing I know, the little guy is trotting in to my bedroom like he owns the place.

He puts his head in my bag, climbs under my bed, goes in to my closet, and I am pretty sure he would have jumped on to my bed if it were not for the mosquito net.

We hung out for awhile, and then we decided to take some 'family photos.' I wanted to take normal smiling photos, but he had other plans.

First, he wanted a serious photo, because c'mon this is IIT, one of India's most prestigious universities. I agreed.

Then things got a little crazier. We decided to do a 'surprised' photo. I don't think we did too good of a job with this one.

Then we did an angry yelling face. I was not that intense, but he was going wild.

Then he asked me to kiss him.

He hung out in my room for awhile as I read, but when I went to bed I had to kick him out. I wanted him to stay, but I didn't want to close the door while he was in my room and have the IIT people think I am kidnapping their goat. I could imagine the repercussions:

Job Interview 1 Year From Now
Potential Employer: So, I see you did a research project at IIT last summer, how did that turn out?
Me: Well, I never actually finished the research. I had to leave before I finished.
Potential Employer: Leave? Why would you do that?
Me: I was accused of trying to kidnap a goat.

In the end, the goat would not leave and I physically had to carry him out of the room. He spent the night sleeping against my door until the security guard chased him away in the morning. I am pretty sure he will be back tonight and I have to figure out a name for him. Suggestions are welcome. Anyone have good name ideas?

Little Sam Shoulders

2007-07-08T02:08:00.000-07:00

There is a 6 inch long lizard that seems to be living in my room. I have named him Little Sam Shoulders. I see him a few times a day, usually scurrying across the wall towards the light. He eats bugs, and I hate bugs, so I am happy to share the room with him.

The only problem is he makes a loud chirping sound, almost like a bird, when he cannot get outside. After I saw the monster spider and a snake, I put a sheet under the crack in my back door to keep large bugs and snakes out. Little Sam Shoulders will go up to the sheet in the door crack or next to the closed window and he will make a chirping sound. It is a little startling when he does this late at night in the pitch black room.

His usual spot by the light.

On the move.

Chirping by the window.

Sam Shoulders - The awesome guy I named little Sam Shoulders after.

IIT Guwahati Campus

2007-07-08T01:36:00.000-07:00

IIT Guwahati is located outside the city of Guwahati, which is in the north-East Indian state of Assam. The city itself is nondescript and dirty. Guwahati also has frequent bombings and kidnappings by the separatist group ULFA. Needless to say, I don't plan on spending a whole lot of time in the city.

The IIT campus is across the Brahmaputra River from Guwahati and is much more peaceful. I am staying in the graduate student hostel. It is similar to a U.S. dorm except that all of the hallways and stairways are outside. Overall, it is a nice environment and I have befriended a bunch of guys in my hostel. My office is air conditioned and pleasant, aside from the giant spider that lurks outside the door.

Below are some photos from IIT Guwahati:

My hostel.

My room.

View out front door of my room.

View from my room's back porch.

A few stray dogs by another hostel.

Lake.

Academic building where my office is located.

Gigantic Spider

2007-07-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

I have finally made it to IIT Guwahati and am now beginning my research. The place is nice, and I will post more information and photos later. More urgently, I have just had a run in with the biggest spider I think I have seen in my entire life (zoos included). It was literally the size of a dinner plate. And thick. I bet he weighed 5 pounds.

I was leaving the lab to go to the bathroom and in the outdoor corridor I saw something big and black out of the corner of my eye. I turn and see this monster spider running down the wall next to me, lodging himself between me and the bathroom. He didn't seem afraid. I was afraid. At this point I decided to use a different bathroom. My heart is still pounding. I didn't have my camera, but if I see him again I will try to take a picture.

On the plus side, this huge spider makes the cockroaches and lizards in my hostel's bathroom insignificant.

Home @ 15000 Feet

2007-07-04T01:34:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in the Leh-Manali highway post that our keys were driven away with at a high altitude camp site. This place was a a small camp site where truckers and tourists can stop to get something to eat.

When we got stuck at this place, I was told the news while eating soup sold to me by a woman who lived and sold food out of a giant white tent. She overheard the news and I think she felt sorry for me. I think she felt sorry for me because I was clueless white guy in a sea of Indians. Or it could be because of my ridiculous attire (mis matched, thick wool socks with flip flops, fly in pants broken) lead her to believe believe I was mentally handicapped, or at least really confused. Either way, she told me I could stay with her and her family in their giant white tent house as long as I like. I ended up staying just a few hours, but I appreciated the sentiment very much. Here are some photos of my would-be home:

The Camp Site.

The home.

My bed.

My foster mother.

Vashist & Whiskey With Indian Tourists

2007-06-29T06:32:00.000-07:00

While in Manali I took a day trip to Vashist. Vashist is a small, pretty village, known for its hot springs, across the valley from Manali. Once in Vashist, I hiked to the nearby waterfall.

Photos of the walk to Vashist

The waterfall, which had an upper and lower part, was beautiful. At the upper part I was approached by a holy man who talked to me for awhile before aggressively trying to sell me marijuana. At this point I headed to the lower part where I came upon half a dozen Indian men swimming in their underwear. After taking some pictures (of the waterfall, not the men) I headed back to the village.

Photos of the waterfall

On the way back to the village I chatted with the Indian guys, who were college-aged tourists from a suburb of Delhi. When they offered me a ride to Manali I obliged.

Upon arriving in Manali I mentioned I was heading back to old Manali for dinner and a beer, and they said I was welcome to join them for food and drink. The rest of the night went a little different then expected. Instead of eating and getting a beer at a restaurant we ended up sitting in a circle on their bed, talking about women, eating spicy chicken and drinking cheap Indian whiskey mixed with water.

The night ended with the guys walking me back to Old Manali where I hospitably invited them in to my guest house room where we shared a few beers and looked at pictures of my friends and family. Friends and family should be pleased (or scared) to know that a few of the guys took photos of my photos on their camera phones and thus many of you will forever be saved on some random Indian guys' phones.

Photos of the debauchery

Leh - Manali Highway

2007-06-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I took a 20-hour jeep ride from Leh to Manali. Their were 10 people (I was the only non-Indian) in a jeep that was made for 7, so it was uncomfortable. Despite, the discomcomfort, or perhaps because of it, it was a ride I will never forgot. The scenery was stunning, and the road was terrifying. The road was rarely more then 1 lane wide and was on the edge of a mountain atleast 75% of the time. This does not stop drivers from passing each other, driving fast, and speeding around blind turns.

Highlights (and lowlights) of the trip include:

1 - Singing Hotel California with the non-English speaking driver (who somehow knew, and loved Hotel California) at 4am, while the sun rose, as passed over the 2nd highest motorable pass on earth.

2 - The drivers friend driving off with our keys and stranding us at a desolate high-altitude camp site. We were told we would likely be stranded their for 2 days. This is the amount of time it takes for the guy to get to Manali, hand off the keys, and have someone else bring them back.

3 - Learning how to hot wire and Indian jeep so that we could continue on from the desolate high-altitude camp site.

4 - Taking care of business (pooping) above a rocky ledge so that people could not see me. As soon as I assumed the position I hear a deafening noise and am suddenly feet away from a thundering herd of tibetan antelope, or chiru (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_antelope) . No pictures because of my compromising position, but the sight was really amazing.

5 - The jeep breaking down just 40 km outside of Manali. Tinkering with it for a few hours before finnally getting it working.

Below is a link to photos from the highway. Most were taken from the moving jeep.

http://picasaweb.google.com/dproyer/LehManaliHighway

Tikse Gompa

2007-06-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

The day before I left Ladakh I went to the Tikse Gompa, which is about 20km outside Leh. The Gompa was beautiful and I spent a lot of time looking around. I missed the bus back to Leh and started to walk towards Leh while looking for a truck to catch a ride with. I ran in to a monk in the same predicament. We got to talking, and it turned out we were the same age. His English was good, and we talked for an hour about his life as a monk, and mine as an American student. It was the first long conversation I had with a monk and I found it very interesting and insightful. Pictures below:

The Gompa

Prayer Wheel

Buddha

View From The Gompa

Leh

2007-06-21T03:35:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Leh 2 weeks ago, and I feel it is finally time to move on. I had a great time in Leh, thanks partly to my great guesthouse. If anyone is ever in Leh, I suggest they stay in Magsoom Guesthouse. The family is friendly, the food is delicious, the facilities are clean, and the views are inspiring.

I loved Leh and hope to return again in my life time. Below are some pictures of Leh:

The view from the front yard of my guesthouse.

Shanti Stupa

Namgyal Tsemo Gompa

Other Photos From Leh

Nubra Valley

2007-06-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

Last week I visited the Nubra Valley, which is in northern Jammu and Kashmir, near the Chinese border. I visited with the 4 Dutch girls and we stayed for 3 days. The valley consists of 5 very small towns. We walked, hitchhiked, and took local buses to get from town to town.

The Nubra Valley was one of the most wonderful places I have been. The valley was beautiful. It had diverse landscapes, ranging from desserts to forests, surrounded by bare, towering Himalayan mountains. The quaint towns seemed to have more donkeys, cows, goats, and yaks, then they did people.

The people that lived in the Nubra Valley were very charming. Everyone you would see on the street would cheerfully say 'Joolay!' (which means hello, goodbye, thank you, and please in Ladkhi) as you walked by them. The local kids, who were adorable, shyly requested high fives. The fact the valley has electric power only 3 hours a day, little outside communication, and limited food choices, was easily overshadowed by the amazing landscape and people.

Below are some pictures (w/ captions) of my trip to the Nubra Valley:

The bus we took to the Nubra Valley.

On the bus.

Eating dinner at our guest house.

Hot spring up in the mountains. The water must have been at least 110 degrees.

Teacup lake. A lake in a rocky hill, next to the river bed.

Views from the Diskit Gompa.

Other photos from the valley.

Waiting for the bus in Diskit.

The jeep ride back to Leh.

Khardung La - The highest motorable road in the world @ 18380 feet.

All Is Lost, Kinda

2007-06-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

I took 200 of the best pictures of my life in Ladakh. I was waiting until Manali to transfer my photos on to a computer. On the bumpy jeep ride to Leh, from the Nubra Valley, I found that my camera’s memory card had nothing on it. I am not sure how this happened, but it means I have 0 photos from Ladakh.

Luckily, Eveline was kind enough to let me have access to her photos. Because we have been traveling together for the past 2 weeks, her photos are very similar to mine. So, the next few posts will feature beautiful photos from Ladakh, but they were taken taken by Eveline, not me.

Loving Leh

2007-06-13T04:17:00.000-07:00

I have been in Leh for almost a week, and I love it. The people are kind, the scenery is beautiful, and the atmosphere is relaxed. I stay at a great guesthouse with a very nice Ladahki family. I am spending my time watching cultural performances, going to polo matches, reading and doing short treks up to local stumpas and gompas.

I have been spending my time in Leh with some interesting people. These people include: 4 Dutch girls that are in India to volunteer at a school for mentally handicapped children, a Swiss couple in India to do ski mountaineering, and a 40 year old British man who has been living in India for 15 years following different religious gurus around the country. And of the 50, or so, travelers I have met in India, I have yet to meet another American. Hmmm.

Anyway, I am leaving Leh tomorrow morning, and heading to the Nubra Valley. I am going with the Dutch crew and plan on staying 2-4 days. Sorry for not uploading photos, but they will be uploaded as soon as I get to Manali.

In Leh

2007-06-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

I have made it to Leh. It is beautiful, but the altitude is taking its toll. Sleeping and living above 3600 meters has made me pretty sick. I am doing better now, but the first 2 days were pretty miserable. I will upload pictures in a week or so.

Delhi - Better Then Expected

2007-06-06T05:22:00.000-07:00

Arriving in Delhi, I had very low expectations. More then one traveler I met in Mumbai compared it to hell (sorry Shruti B). People told me Delhi was a city full of crime, grief, scams, and touts. Well, it seems as if those things are at least partially true, but despite that, I still like Delhi.

I have only spent a few days here, but I really liked the narrow alleys and vivid livelihood of Old Delhi. There are tons of scams and grief in the tourist areas, but if you can escape from them as quickly as possible, Delhi seems like a pretty cool place. Delhi also has a lot of cows and monkeys, which helps raise the cool factor. I will be back here in a few weeks, and I look forward to exploring more of the city.

Below are some pictures of Delhi:

Now I am off to the Himalayas. Blog posts may become less frequent, but expect them in big bursts like this one. And yes, Sam, I will be sure to take alot of photos.

Agra Fort & Taj Mahal!

2007-06-06T05:04:00.001-07:00

So I went to Agra yesterday to see the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal was amazingly beautiful and I am very glad I saw it. With that said, I recommend that people avoid bus tours in India. It was a pretty miserable experience and full of scams, tricks, and rip-offs. A girl I met from Quebec and I were contemplating leaving the tour and catching a train back to Delhi.

Taj Mahal was amazing, and worth all the grief. Next time I will just take the train from Delhi to Agra and see it on my own.

Below are some pictures from the Agra Fort and Taj Mahal:

Agra Fort

Taj Mahal from Agra Fort

Taj Mahal

... and the mandatory kitsch photo in front of the Taj Mahal.

Roadside Shave

2007-06-06T04:40:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting little experience in Old Delhi the other day. Tamir (the Israeli backpacker I am currently rooming with) and I were exploring the streets, or more accurately alleys, of Old Delhi, getting as far from the tourist spots as possible. He had mentioned he wanted to shave his beard, so when I saw the roadside shaver, I suggested he get it done their. He negotiated a price for the shave, and got in the chair. He wanted me to take pictures, so I was taking some photos with his huge SLR camera, when we started to draw a lot of attention. Seeing a white guy getting a shave in this part of town seemed to interest a lot of people, as did the other white guy with the huge camera taking pictures. 10 men and 5 boys surrounded us, talking in Hindi and laughing.

The kids were all trying to jump in to the photos and started doing pretty funny poses so I would take photos of them. Then, right when I thought things could not get any stranger, one of the young men felt my bicep and gave me the ‘not bad’ face. I then felt his, and gave the ‘that is very small. just kidding!’ face. Then a few other guys felt my bicep and each others. On the one guys arm there was an ill-drawn, unprofessional tattoo. I pointed at it and gave the “very cool” face. They all then got excited and motioned that I should get a tattoo, and showed me a place, just 2 stalls away, where I could a tattoo.

I was actually considering getting a small tattoo. I could not think of a more interesting place to get a tattoo then a dilapidated alley in old Delhi, where not a person spoke English. In the end, I chose not to. Officially, I did not get a tattoo because of the high AIDS rate in India, and because this place was very, very far from sterile and had quite a bit of blood on the drill thing. Unofficially, I didn’t want to look bad in front of my new friends by passing out at the sight of my own blood.

We ended up getting some street food and having lunch with these guys. They refused to let Tamir pay for the shave and even offered to give me one for free.

Indian Train Experience

2007-06-06T04:14:00.000-07:00

So a few days ago I had my first Indian train experience. The train was from Mumbai to Delhi and took approximately 24 hours. To save money I rode in the sleeper class, which has no air conditioning. This turned out to be a bad choice, considering the majority of the trip was through the desserts of Rajasthan and the temperature in the train had to be at least 100 degrees.

The extreme heat aside, it was a good experience. Tamir (who was also headed to Delhi) and I got the top bunks, so we did not have to deal with the confusion of the bottom bunk shuffle. The bottom 2 bunks fold down in to a bench, so when you are not sleeping people can sit. People who are riding stand-by sit on any open bench seat. This causes a bit of confusion and hassle when it is time to sleep or if you want your seat back after going to the bathroom.

A picture of the top bunk.

On the Indian train, everything is brought to you. Constantly. People walk down the isles selling different food and drink items the entire time, yelling the name of the item they are selling. You never really need to leave your bunk the entire train ride.

Unfortunately, none of our 4 bunk mates spoke English. They seemed confused that we were riding sleeper class in this extreme heat. They were all pretty nice, and I think the old guy felt protective of (or sorry for) me. I know this because when a street kid came in to ask me for money (thank you white skin), the old man not only yelled at the kid, but he also took off his shoe and threatened to hit the kid with it. If that is not bunk-mate love, I don’t know what is.

Good-Bye Mumbai

2007-06-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

After a week of good living in Mumbai, I am finally moving on. After a rough start, I ended up enjoying my time in Mumbai and I will look forward to returning here in mid August. Tonight I am catching a train from Mumbai to Delhi. I have heard many good things about the Indian rail system and I look forward to my first Indian train experience.

Below are some pictures of Mumbai:

Bollywood, Take 2

2007-05-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

I had my second Bollywood acting gig last night. This time I played the role of ‘Well-Dressed Fan #5.’ Well-Dressed Fan #5 is metropolitan elite who attends all the big events, like book singings. He stands on the edge of the red carpet. He claps and cheers when celebrities drive up and walk the red carpet.

Although, this one didn’t seem as high budget as my last production, I got a lot more face time on the camera, which should be good for my acting portfolio. I went to this shoot with my Isreali buddy Tamir and a bunch of the people from France. We all had a good time and the 80 minute cab ride took us through parts of Mumbai I had never seen before, which was a nice.

Rat Attack

2007-05-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

Rats are a common sight in the streets of Mumbai. They are huge, relatively brazen, and all over the place. The rats are actually as large, if not larger, then most of the stray cats. Luckily, the place I am staying is on the fourth floor of a building, and is the cleanest of the three places I have stayed in India, making it an unlikely habitat for rats.

A few nights ago, one of the Australians got bit on his chest while sleeping, and claimed it was a rat. I thought it was possible, but unlikely. Last night, I returned from my Bollywood shoot around 1am, and was walking down the hall to our room when a pretty huge (say 5-10 pounds) rat runs out of our room, literally stares me down, and then runs in to another room. Although I was not happy to see that the Aussie-biting rat exists, I was happy to see he has moved to another room. Just moments later in our bathroom, where I have to use my flashlight, I spotted another rat slipping in to the crack in the wall.

At that point I decided to take the necessary precautions to avoid getting bit by rabies-infested rat. I moved to a top bunk.

Huge Buddhism Conversion Ceremony

2007-05-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

Late on Sunday I went out to the northern, non-touristy, part of Mumbai with an Australian mate from the hostel to see a mass conversion to Buddhism. It was 50 years since low caste Hindus started converting to Buddhism, so it was a huge event. Many people were worried about violent opposition from Hindu extremists, but things ended up being peaceful. Of the 100,000 + people their, we were the only 2 white people, so the heavily armed guards at the gate did not allow us in. A bunch of Buddhists started arguing with the guard in Hindi on our behalf, and they ended up letting us in. It was an amazing atmosphere and their were sooo many people. At one point, everyone chanted harmoniously, and it was one of the most spiritual things I have ever experienced.

All of the people were amazingly nice and it was the first time since I arriving in India that I went a few hours without people selling me things, asking for money, or trying to scam me. We met many Buddhist converts who wanted to talk to us and they were some of the sweetest people I have ever met.

We talked to soooo many different people, and some even asked to have our picture taken with them. I think my hair and glasses suggested that I was somehow involved in Buddhism.

I even had a cool pro-Buddhism baseball cap, which I bought to protect my head from the sun, but I gave it to a sweet little kid who had his photo taken with us. It was an amazing and spiritual event, even for someone not actively involved in Buddhism.

Here is a news write-up on the event.

Elephanta Island

2007-05-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went to Elephanta Island. It is charming little island in the Mumbai harbor with 9th century cave statues of Hindu gods.

The statues were very pretty, and carved by hand. Unfortunately, when the Portuguese were in India, they used the statues for firing practice and many are at least partially destroyed. Overall, the island and the statues were very beautiful, and it was a nice (but expensive) morning outing. Also, on the island I had my first run-in with monkeys. I saw a monkey steal a coke from a little girl and drink it. Awesome.

A (Bollywood) Star is Born

2007-05-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I was an extra in a Bollywood movie. The producers needed white and black people to be movie extras, because the movie is set in South Africa. A French girl, 3 New Zealanders, and I were recruited from our hostel and were paid 500 rupees. I was ‘Office Worker #2.’ Office Worker #2 is an intelligent office worker in a hideous blue-green suit whose work consists of talking to one woman at her computer, picking up a document, and bringing it to another woman. I nailed it.

My mind-blowing acting landed me long-term acting gig. They wanted me to be a reoccurring character in another movie that was being shot Hydrabad & Mumbai. I would have to work 1 month. They offered me 1200 rupees a day, plus room and board. It was tempted, and acting was pretty fun, but I would rather see the Himilayas then act in a Bollywood film for a month. Maybe next time.

Map Of Tenative Travel Plans

2007-05-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

At my grandmother’s request, I made a map showing where I will be throughout the trip. Other then the final 6 weeks in Guwahati (#8) the plans are pretty fluid and may change, depending on who I meet or what catches my interest. The current plan is as follows:

Mumbai Area (#1) - I fly in to Mumbai.I plan on seeing the sights, watching Bollywood flicks, and partying with the Bombay residents I met on couchsurfing.com.(5-10 days)

Jaipur, Delhi, and Agra (#2,#3,#4) – I will take a train to these locations from Mumbai and will shuffle between the three cities. I plan on seeing the pink city, prominent forts, and the Taj Mahol. The amount of time I spend in these cities will depend on when I can get a flight to Leh. (3-7 days)

Leh, Manali, Simla, Himalayas (#5,6,7) – I will take a flight from Delhi to Leh. After taking a few days to adjust to the altitude I will do some trekking (hiking) in the Himalayas. I am looking forward to traveling the famous Leh-Manali highway and visiting Buddhist Gompas. I also hope to visit an assortment of small villages in Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. I will then head back towards Delhi by foot, camel, horse, jeep, and bus. (14-26 days)

Delhi (#4) – I will return to Delhi so that I can catch a train to Guwahati for my internship. If I have some extra time in Delhi, I will check out the city’s bazaars, tombs, and museums. (1-3 Days)

Guwahati (#8) – I will arrive in Guwahati and head to IIT for my internship. IIT is just a quick ferry ride across the Brahmaputra from center city, so I hope to spend weekends in the city or visiting Assamese wildlife reserves. I will reside in a graduate student dorm for 6 weeks. (6 Weeks)

Mumbai (#1) - I will then take another cross country train trip to Mumbai. I estimate that I will spend well over 100 hours on trains during my time in India. I will then spend a final few days in Mumbai, probably buying souvenirs, before heading home. (1-3 days)

Blog Intro

2007-05-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends. Somewhat inspired by Ayla's blog, I decided to create a blog to share my Indian adventures with family and friends. After the first few posts, this blog will consist mostly of photos from my trip. I will try to update it once a week, except when I am up in the Himalayas, where I will have limited internet access.

For those who don't know me, or what I am doing:
My name is Dave, and I am an American grad student backpacking India on my own for 6 weeks. After that, I am doing a research internship in the design school at IIT for 6 weeks.