Written by India & Nepal Students, Ava Mendler and Nora Thomas
What’s New in Our Journey?
Jaipur: The First Golden Triangle City
Jaipur was truly a shock to my (Ava) system, both mentally and physically. Immediately when I got into the Rickshaw after our long train journey from Udaipur, I was totally overwhelmed by the commotion, sounds, traffic on the streets, smells, and poor air quality. That night, we ate a rejuvenating meal at the Hawkview restaurant with a rooftop view- the chocolate milkshake was ethereal. After a tiring day of travel and moving around, we all collapsed onto Zostel beds and rested for the next two days, where Tara and Anand (our phenomenal OEs) gave us full autonomy over our day plans for the first time. You heard that right folks, we could finally go out on the town BY OURSELVES and explore Jaipur the way we wanted to.
Everyone in our group did an insane myriad of things in Jaipur with our freedom. Some went to cafés for a more chill Jaipur experience (I’m looking at you, Sarah). Iona and Nina came back after their day on the town having made some local friends who toured around with them. Stephanie (when she wasn’t sick) visited the city palace and worked on her bargaining skills at some local touristy shops. When Mae’s solo hiking plans were foiled by an overly cautious rickshaw driver who was scared she would be attacked by monkeys, she went to a museum (where she taught a boy English) and explored Central Park Jaipur Edition. Nora finessed her way into a Bollywood film called Devara Part 2, walking around, and visiting too many things for me to explain. These are just a few examples of the many experiences we had. A Rickshaw driver I befriended, Ali, took me around to Gatore( a pretty monument), a textile factory, and the water palace, on my alone day. It was beautiful to see everyone explore Jaipur the way they wanted to and come back to the group with their own unique experiences. I think everyone felt more confident about solo travel after those two days in Jaipur. Jaipur really made a mark on us all, but little did we know how much of an impact it would have on our group.
Agra and the Majestic Taj Mahal
We got on an early morning bus and later arrived in Agra, where we had one objective: to see the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, in all its glory, once and for all. I’ll keep it brief. The Taj Mahal absolutely delivered. Beautiful is a huge understatement. I have no words to describe how majestic the Taj Mahal was. Birds were flying around it, and the way the sun shone down on it and set behind it was so picturesque. I will never forget the Taj Mahal. It also had a cool story! Arif, our guide, explained that Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal for his wife who died, and a little more boring Taj Mahal history you can just search if you want to learn. But something that stuck with me was the hexagonal pattern at the front of the Taj. It represents honey, which if left pure, never goes bad, just like Shah Jahan’s love for his wife. This left me feeling really curious, though. What makes love pure? How and why was Shah Jahan’s love pure? What does pure even mean…it could be so subjective. Anyway, I didn’t leave with those answers, but I will always look back and remember how beautiful of a day it was and how much I loved seeing the Taj Mahal.
Unfortunately, the day also brought an outbreak of illness among the group, marking a less pleasant memory of our time in Agra. Something tells me Jaipur was the culprit for all the “chocolate milk” hitting the porcelain of our poor, poor hostel bathroom.
We spent the morning of our second day in Agra visiting Wildlife SOS, an organization dedicated to rescuing Elephants and bears who have been mistreated and abused in the entertainment and tourism businesses in India. I truly think the website will do a better job at explaining it than me: https://wildlifesos.org … go check it out if you want to learn more! A quick PSA: never EVER do an elephant ride. These businesses market themselves as an animal “sanctuary”, but they mistreat the animals and isolate them. Wildlife SOS provides these animals with a place they can recover from injuries, and live a happy life.
Delhi: Recovery and Revelations
The chronicles of the group’s sickness followed us into the bustling town of Delhi. We arrived by train and immediately were swarmed by a group of rickshaw drivers. We snagged three and headed to the beloved Zostel. The Delhi Zostel would later become an amazing temporary doctor’s office for the Carpe Diem group. On October 28th, cue a dramatic rendition of Darth Vader’s March, the group arose from the throws of sickness and excitement and embarked on our first day in Delhi. Amazing Anand prevailed in leading us to the famous Sikh temple in Delhi. We oversaw the inside and witnessed the generosity surrounding the temple. It was an amazing time and another location on the devastating diarrhea map the group would develop throughout India. After sitting with the temple, the group as a whole moved further into Delhi. We visited a custom Jean store. Everyone got jeans. Baggy jeans, straight-leg jeans, jeans, jeans, and jeans. It was an amazing time to be alive. Amid the delirium of buying jeans, the group felt the cramps of sickness take the whole. The Zostel called for rest and relaxation. But we moved on. Nora, Stephanie, Anand, and Tara went to a delicious Italian spot to qualm the rumblings of their tummies. While Sarah, Iona, Mae, Ava, and Nina went to a nearby cafe. After enjoying a delightful meal it was time to return to the Zostel. The rest of the day was a fever dream of resting and healing.
The morning of October 29th was a slow start. Nora and Ava ventured out to the same Italian spot for Ava to indulge in some classic GF pasta. While the rest of the group HaveMore a beloved butter chicken restaurant. We saw the Lodi garden and lauded it on the grass while watching a couple’s engagement photo shots. During sunset, we visited the Tomb of Safadarjung and landed on the warm tiles of the tomb. The group re-entered the streets of Delhi via rickshaw and traveled to the Dilli Haat. Nora and Anand sat and chatted. Sarah and Ava shopped about. Nina was on a mission for gifts. And Mae got a shirt to wear at the Ashram. We tried fruit beer and then headed back to the Zostel to try on our jeans. Everyone in room 108 was subjected to a fashion show of custom jeans. We were all asked to meet on the roof of the Zostel and there was a surprise celebration for Nora. It was an amazing cake that embraced the essence of Delhi with 18 birthday candles. It was a wonderful close to the trials and tribulations that had occurred in Delhi. The day of October 30th the group swept down to the south of India and endured a full day of flights from Delhi to Bangalore to Madurai.
Ashram Life and Diwali Celebrations
On October 31st it was Diwali and everyone was excited to celebrate! We received a tour of the Ashram and understood what our schedule would look like for the upcoming days. There was a celebration of the goddess at night and afterward, we lite off many fireworks in celebration. On November 1st the schedule began. 5:30 wake up, 6 morning Satsang, 7:30 grab time, 8 morning yoga, 10 brunch, karma yoga, 1:30 tea time, 2 lecture, 3:30 afternoon yoga, 6 dinner, 8:00 evening satsang. The group embraced the schedule.
On November 2nd the Ashram hosted a talent show. The group did a singing rendition with Ava, Steph, and Nina singing and Nora, Sarah, Iona, and Mae singing and swaying in the back of Something in the Orange and Scientist. Later we performed a remix of the dance we learned in Nepal with a combination of the Cotton Eye Joe line dance. A lady at the ashram, Tina, said it was the most American thing that could have been performed. It was an amazing accomplishment after Sarah’s 2-hour rehearsal of our dances.
On November 3rd morning Satsang was different. We went on a hike to a local rock and were above the tree for sunset. As Tara described it, it looked like an untouched land of broccoli. Then again the tailors found us in the ashram. Amid tea time the group was huddled around their cups when suddenly a man appeared. He is working with the ashram and pulled out fabric samples of things he could make. Of course, we bought some. Truly an amazing investment.
Looking Ahead: The Western Ghats
We leave the ashram on the morning of the 7th. This segment of our journey through India has been a whirlwind of sickness, excitement, and challenge. Now, it’s time to head for the Western Ghats—ready for new adventures in this breathtaking region!
