FIRST HAPPY BIRTHDAY JORDAN WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! <333 #champagneformyrealfriendsrealpainformyshamfriends
Namaste friends and family! It is with a heavy heart that I write the final weekly blog post of Carpe Diem Shiva fall 2014. I’m currently on a sleeper train somewhere between Jaisalmer and Delhi. Quickly, I would like to contrast this scene with the scene of us on a train leaving Delhi about 12 weeks ago.
12 weeks ago: I want you to picture a “well-loved” train car. There are three slightly dirty, pleasantly sticky faded blue plastic “cots” hanging one on top of the other in an alcove of sorts. Dusty metal fans attempt to turn above, sprinkling the grime of past passengers on us. Rusty, paint-chipped bars are our windows and old metal chains serve as our life-lines that hold each bunk above the other. We huddle into our corner. Deep breathing is a theme. We nervously laugh as chai guys run up and down the aisles by our feet screaming their song in the wee hours of the night.
7 sleeper trains and 12 weeks later… I want you to picture the very same thing with eight very seasoned travelers. Some are relaxing, others are listening to or playing music. I’m stretching with my feet out enjoying the night air on my face and hair streaming in my lovely rusty bar window.
I may have exaggerated the horrors of sleeper class to further illustrate my point, but the sentiment remains. The violent jerking on the tracks that used to make us grimace now rocks us to sleep. The uulations of the chai guys that used to make us wince now makes us laugh and yell back in reply. India has turned us from uptight westerners to laid-back travelers, from tourists to explorers.
This past week we had the chance to really flex our now-experienced adventuring muscles during student-directed travel. We started our week in Udaipur catching up on emails, relaxing, and doing some last minute shopping. The feel of Udaipur was quite similar to that in laid-back Rishikesh mixed with and artsy lake-side vibe. We enjoyed our time at colorful little cafes sprawled on pillows looking out at sparkling Lake Pichola. On the 3rd we climbed into an overnight bus and had a very bumpy, winding ride to the desert city of Jaisalmer.
We drove into the fort, which strongly resembled a sand castle from afar, on a rickshaw. We ended up staying in a guest house in the wall of the fort. Our rooms were draped from top to bottom in Rajasthani tapestries covering the exposed stone walls. Dark colored lights hanging from the ceiling and walls made the room especially comfy, complimenting the bohemian vibe.
With our first two days in Jaisalmer we explored the surprisingly clean and calm fort. Though certainly a tourist destination, we were all pleasantly surprised at how relaxed and quiet the inner fort felt. Of course there was more shopping to be done from vendors selling handmade tapestries and other handicrafts on the narrow fort streets. My favorite part of Jaisalmer was the palace fort. Originally built in 1156, the fort was unlike anything I’d ever seen or experienced. Walking through the truly ancient architecture reminded me of just how special and rich the culture and history in India is.
The morning after a closing ceremony true to Carpe style, equipped with candles and sage, we set off on our camel safari feeling happy and closer than ever. I think everyone would agree with me that the safari was one of the highs of the trip. We all have some entertaining stories about our own personal rides. My favorite part of the journey was playing around in the sand dunes where we camped. As we all sat around watching the sunset and playing with some desert puppies that found us, we really felt like a family. After a hearty fire cooked dinner we all bundled up on surprisingly comfortable cots, sleeping head to head and admiring the nearly full moon. We laughed at eachothers trip confessions and the puppies who’d made a bed suckling from their mother on Audrey’s cot. Although sleep was fitfull the night was pleasant and we awoke in high spirits as the puppies scampered across us at sunrise. We mounted the camels about an hour later and headed back to Jaisalmer to finish up last-minute errands before boarding our train to Delhi.
Now our trip is coming to a close and it feels very bittersweet. Although we miss our families, it pains us to realize we’re leaving one behind in India. I thank you all for keeping up with our journey, we’ve grown in ways we can’t even see yet and India as well as pieces of each other will constitute parts of us forever.
Namaste
Leine