Emily's Exploring Quill

I feel as if I left a piece of my heart in Africa. So touched and humbled by the people that make the continent so adorable, a tiny piece of me is left with them.

In the same vain I feel that India has shaped my soul - making me question my life, my aspirations for my future and appreciate all those I love so dearly .

I realise these are bold statements - romantic and roll of the tongue onto screen oh so easily, to paint a great travel ‘journey’ when this chapter of my life is over. But I mean what I write, I honestly do.

Each child we met so keen to learn yet forced to work to earn enough rupees to feed their family made me appreciate how incredible my own education was, and how fortunate I am to have had a Father who always encouraged me to be the best I could be - even if that meant forcing me out of bed on Saturday mornings for swimming lessons. The young people we spoke to who had secret girlfriends / boyfriends because their parents had already lined up a partner for marriage made me grateful I have the freedom to fall in love and spend my life with who I choose, without pressure to consult my family about my decisions.

The importance of family within Indian culture made me want to spend more time with my parents and sisters - realising I have a friendship with each of them detached from simply being “family”.

My ideas about religion have been streamlined by learning about Hinduism - something that has confused & fascinated me from the romantic symbolism of camels to worshipping a baby with an elephants head.

I am so thankful we came here. I feel as if I am leaving a place that I have only just been introduced to behind … We have had our first date, flirted , winked and smiled - leaving only desperate to return to uncover more of its secrets.

I never expected India, or travelling in general, to be such an education. I learn something new everyday and feel I have gained skills I will use for the rest of my life.

Travelling allows you to wake up everyday and be grateful of life - grateful that you are living your dream and to realise that in reality it was more than you ever expected it to be.

The whole experience has been a heady and intoxicating flurry of : colour: - fuscia pinks, glimmering golds, turquoise blues, emerald greens and deep Rajasthani reds, animals: sacred cows, painted elephants, cheeky monkeys, stray dogs and bleeting goats, food: paneer cheese, chapati, iced coffee, masala chai, and delicious fruit Lassis, and of course people : sweet and generous Indian families who made us welcome in their homes, Indian men who would shamelessly stare, young Indian girls so interested in Western life and fashion and other travellers who shared the same passion for India that we have both discovered.

I will miss the sweltering streets, honking horns, sweet and spicy smelling air, endearing head shake, romantic beautiful buildings, treasure trove shops, burning incense, constant haggling, extravagant fashions, sweet afternoon Chai, glittering jewellery and mouthwatering food so much, yet know this is a place to which I will most definitely return.

I would not believe all India was, is and will be had I not seen it with my own eyes. It has exhausted, stretched and challenged every cell in my body , assaulted my senses and shaken me alive again.

India , I thank you.

I had always dreamed of visiting India. A place so intriguing and mystical i knew as soon as I could afford it I would go.

A friend I met in America introduced me to India Someday, a team of travel experts who live and have travelled around India, whose sole purpose is to assist travellers in planning their trip to a place that can be overwhelming and quite daunting when first deciding where to go in such a diverse Country. A good year and a half ago I sent my first Email to Abbas, and since then we have been working on shaping the perfect itinerary for our trip. I would not recommend trying to put a plan together so far in advance- once you have booked a flight

India Someday helped us with all the things we would struggle to do ourselves such as: book train tickets, find cheap yet beautiful accommodation, stay with Indian families, visit spots off the beaten tourist track as well as giving us invaluable support and advice while in India.

Abbas and Aaliya have been a joy & have made our first visit to India one I will remember for all the right reasons: welcoming Indian hosts, delicious food, stressless cheap transport and a mixture of destinations that have all given us a taste of the mirage India has to offer.

I can’t recommend them enough, Abbas has become a friend and someone I hope will do really well with a Company that is really doing a good thing. On our last night in Mumbai we met up with Abbas and discussed our trip over a Kingfisher. It was clear to see

It is a priceless treasure to have local knowledge, advice and support when you are within a Culture that can, at times, be testing and difficult to understand.

I feel so lucky to have experienced India this way - it has been a complete education and i cannot wait to come back. If you are ever tempted to visit India, contact them and see what they can do for you - I promise you won’t regret it!

Beautiful henna … Tempts me to get a tattoo …

So many Rupees - so little value !

So skilled with a Henna pen ….

Varanasi is famous for its Ghats or Ganges that flow through the City and are known to be the holiest waters in all of Hindu religion. The boats moored on the edge of the water are all different colours and sizes and young girls stand selling terracotta pots filled with rose petals and candles that can be lit and placed in the water.

We rowed down towards the Burning Ghat - where on the bank of the river family & friends would watch as their deceased loved ones would burn upon the logs before the ashes were deposited in the river. There are exceptions to who can be burnt - pregnant women, bachelors, children and the diseased are just put into the ganges in the condition in which they die.

They are bound in white cloth and decorated in bright orange and pink flowers before being carried through the busy streets of Varanasi and set down upon a carefully constructed mound of logs & then set alight. Women are not allowed to attend burning ceremonies which seems totally unfair. I cannot imagine not being allowed to attend my father or husbands cremation simply because I am a woman .

While sailing down the river we noticed 2 Western women bathing in the Ghat. This may not seem that strange at first, yet the water that fills the Ganges is amongst the dirtiest and most toxic in the world because of the ashes of previously burnt bodies that have been deposited in the water.

As we approached the Burning Ghat I expected to feel a bit repulsed by seeing bodies burning in front of me - unable to look and wanting to leave. Yet what I experienced was quite the opposite. I felt transfixed - watching the fire dance around the serene white cloth upon the logs. Those attending the ceremony were unbelievably composed and calm creating an aura of peace and stillness. It occurred to me that this wasn’t all that different to cremation at home - we just watch the body slide behind a curtain in a mock theatrical way that in some ways is more ridiculous and traumatic than dealing with death naturally in this way.

There were quite a few of us from the School who went onto the Ghat that evening - we had some interesting chats about life & death and what we thought of the way it is handled in Indian culture. There seemed to be a mix of those of us who found it quietly beautiful and those who found it brash and quite disgusting. It is definitely worth seeing with your own eyes - just expect to feel the unexpected and have your perceptions about death in some way changed forever.

Early Birthday present from Miss Madeleine - Turquoise & Silver Indian Ring … Feeling like a very lucky girl :)

Leaving Udaipur felt like being a child on my first day of school. We had become so comfortable - knowing the good coffee shops, streets and our way around that the place felt familiar. As our rickshaw winded it’s way through the streets toward the bus station at 6 am everywhere I looked seemed greyer and sadder than it had before. That is the one downside to “travelling” - just as somewhere begins to feel comfortable it is time to dislodge yourself and start again somewhere new .. The very essence of why we do it I suppose! The bus ride to Jodphur was , without exception, the worst journey of my life. That includes the 12 hour long, hungover, baking hot drives through the bumpy terrain of Africa! The driver seemed to think his bus was some sort of Mary Poppins bag with unending capacity … Women , children, business men and elderly people just kept piling in until every inch was full. As we drove further into the desert it just got hotter and hotter - the smell of curry, spice and sweat intensifying. When we got out 2 rickshaw drivers were arguing over our fair - they nearly had a punch up !

When we got to Hem Guest House it was a complete haven. They welcomed us into their family home with Chai and Lorru ( an Indian sweet) where we relaxed before heading out to explore. The streets were tiny and bustling - far more so than in Udaipur, the poverty is far worse here too. Children have been trained to put out their hand and beg for money and when one child comes over to beg - it creates a flurry of others who think they are going to get something from you. Strangely it is not these children I find most upsetting. We have seen so many children here working really hard to help support their families, giving up an expensive education on order to earn some money to feed everyone. Education is something most feel is a right , not a privilege. Yet in these Countries where they have so little to be able to learn to read and write is something very special and not taken for granted. That evening we enjoyed a meal at our Guest House and awoke early to go and see the fort that surrounds the City.

I am glad we came here, but compared with the gentle and relaxing vibe of Udaipur, Jodphur felt like bustling madness! Many of the street vendors weren’t willing to barter with us at all and we experienced a negative attitude towards us sometimes but this is something we expected to happen. There seems to be a dichotomy between those who are thrilled to have us in India and those who definitely are not. We have mainly met people who want to bend over backwards to help us and are excited at the prospect of showing us their treasures and secrets .

My impression of Indian people is that they are gentle, humble , generous and actually extremely funny. Their sense of humour is totally unique and something that has made a lasting impression on me.

Traffic in Jodphur … Total Madness !

India is simply enchanting. It pushes you out of your comfort zone - right off the edge, leaving you feeling like a fish gasping for air in a very large pond.

After travelling Africa it seems to me that India could be its own continent - “the whole world in one Country” they say.

Instantly you don’t understand the noise, the smell or the culture … Which is strangely India’s charm.

We flew straight from Mumbai to Udaipur - the City known to be the most romantic in India. We arrived late at night and had our first Indian meal atop a roof top terrace surrounded by twinkly fairy lights, a crackling fire and the sound of children’s laughter. It was unexpectedly chilly, so we cosyed up under some blankets before heading to our room to sleep. Orla and I both couldn’t stop smiling feeling like the sacred cow that got the cream - the luckiest girls in the world.

The next day our Hotel owner Nadir gave us a tour of rural Udaipur on his motorbike. I felt really safe despite the insane chaos of Indian traffic - having to dodge to avoid motorbikes, cars an rickshaws. We went up to Tiger Hills and whiled away the afternoon listening to music, learning about Rajasthani History and ancient Hindu mythology. We learnt that the Indian traditions we assume to be engrained into each person here are in fact as subjective as our English traditions. Women can wear jeans and reveal their shoulders, young people can choose their own husband / wife. The most interesting thing I learnt was that some women are empowered - have complete free choice in regard to their love life and education.

The next day we ventured into town. After enjoying our 37th Iced Coffee we went I buy some Indian Silk Scarves which were unbelievably beautiful. Nadir was impressed with the bartering skills we had learnt in Africa - generally we try to pay at least 50% less than the original asking price. Being young, female and blonde makes us scam targets but we try as much as possible to be careful and aware of what we should be charged for things.

We then went to Monsoon Mountain to watch the Sunset, it was beautiful to see Udaipur from so high up - what I thought was a small and intimate place actually a sprawling City.

The next day we went to see the City Palace which is still home to Indian Royalty. The architecture is a mix of traditional Indian and unexpected mosaic, stained glass and almost retro mirror creations. Everything has been made in a way that confuses and inspires you … Imagining a time in Ancient India when these beautiful places were bought to life.

Udaipur was the perfect beginning to our travels around India - deep glistening lakes, rolling hills , mouth watering food and a perfect example of the hospitality and kind hearted nature that Indian people are famous for.