Taj MahHEYYY

Our last day in Delhi was dedicated to the Taj Mahal and it seemed to deserve a post for itself. I cannot believe I saw one of the wonders of the world! It was about a 4 hour drive, we left or hostel at 7 (sadly too early to get breakfast) and began our journey. We've been traveling around Delhi in two separate cars and in the first leg of the trip I was with the sing-a-long crew (which we all know I do love) but then for the second leg I switched to Shreya's car (the anthropology major in me couldn't bare to think I was missing out on the opportunity to ask so many questions!)

A brand new highway made the ride very easy and we even had convenient pit stops along the way. Vegetables and fruit is very rare on this trip so when Rakhal promised us fruit we were all very excited but we settled for some delicious mango juice instead. He also got us plain lays potato chips (you know, a typical Indian breakfast). Keep this food (or lack there of) in mind as I begin to explain the heat and crowds and lines of the Taj Mahal. This is all we had until 2 in the afternoon which really made the experience all the more memorable.

Well we drove to Agra and started to see the India you think about. Cows on the street, dogs, a few camels, an elephant in a distant field, some horses, a peacock on the side of the road, bumper to bumper traffic with some truly crazy horns, beautiful bright clothing, and a few goats.

This cows just walking by himself. That's a thing that happens.

We waited quite a while to finally enter the Taj. Definitely the "pit" of the day was having to say no to all of the children panhandlers. After a while we finally made it in - at this point our clothes are already thoroughly soaked with sweat and to be honest I don't think I would have made it very far if not for the adrenaline of seeing the TAJ MAHAL which really kept me going. 

These kids were really hamming it up
for us as we waited for our group to get
through security.

It was SO COOL. I was in my glory. Shreya has seen it so many times she said it was like seeing an old friend which was lovely. I love the tragic history of it all too.  I could have, however, skipped seeing the tombs inside: 0 lines, all pushing, so many people and the air was thick with sweat and heat and people. After that experience and the fact that everyone was very close to fainting we were all ready for a break. Though as we were walking away I kept glancing back at the Taj. The weird thing about the heat is that you don't feel hungry...and then you feel like you might pass out. 

My attempt to capture the chaos inside
the tomb area. 

Walking right outside of the Taj Mahal to the crowded streets of Agra.

Some of our group with Shreya in front
of the the Taj!

The doorman at the
restauraunt

Well tragically (I say that sarcastically) the fort we were going to visit was closed that day so we drove to a dusty driveway and walked in a building only to discover a beautiful gourmet Indian restaurant.  Can't say any of us were too disappointed.

We didn't eat here. 

We left happy satisfied and tired. During the ride back Shreya and I were the only ones awake and we talked the whole time. As I passed goats in tourist busses and women making noodles on the hot cement and people herding cows in the river, I began to think how incredibly different we are and how different our lives are. But as Shreya and I start talking about our families and school and friends and common fears of the future and you realize we're really not that different. Corny realizations I know but it had to be said. I had a lovely day and I gladly welcome my shower by the end of it. And I was so happy I got to know Shreya! I hope we see her again!

We drove back to the crowded streets of Delhi right as the sun was setting over the hazy city. It was definitely an experience but I can't say I'm too disappointed to be flying up to the mountains and to some cooler weather.

My Passage to India

I don't think a single day has gone by without me thinking "wow. I'm in India." First impressions? Hot, crowded, and "please let me not die in this crazy insane Delhi traffic." We've spent 3 nights in our YMCA hostel in Delhi.

My "hell yes I'm in India" outfit

Our first day was officially labeled a day of "rest and recovery" from the travel day and 9.5 hour time difference was instead a full day of sightseeing: ancient ruins, Hamayans tomb, the Red Fort and the Lotus Temple. This is my "hell yes im in india outfit." They were all really cool and beautiful But by the time we got to our last destination it was the peak heat and we were all very ready for lunch! 

  

Our fearless guide has been super careful about the food we eat (don't know if you've heard of the term "Delhi belly" but we tried hard to avoid that). There's about 4 people out of the 7 of us who hate spicy food. You should all be impressed when I tell you I am a proud member of the spicy food club. Hey, gotta get the full experience right?

Along with saving us from Delhi Belly, our guide also likes to keep our days plan a bit of a mystery. So we ended the day by visiting a representative of Indian Fulbright scholarships which was an interesting surprise. I've gotten very used to having absolutely no idea what's going on or what will happen next. 

The group as a tourist attraction

General Impressions:

No road rules, stray dogs everywhere, a surprising amount of green space, a bumpy rickshaw ride with  glimpses of old Delhi and soooo many people and Shops. Lots of bottled water. Lots of sweating, lots of people. Oh, and we are a tourist attraction ourselves. Everywhere we went people wanted our picture. With my crazy height and pale skin next to Jo and her pink hair, we were quite the sight. 

The second day in Delhi was a day just for shopping. I've mentioned this before but I do love me some good bargaining. My goal on this trip thus far has been to become the ultimate anthropology major. Jo is quite proud of me. I bought these crazy cool parachute pants (can't wait to hop off the plane in those babies), I have some cool Indian tops and most representative of the new and improved travel the world Molly is my beautiful unlined journal. It's so cute I love it. Because India Molly can handle writing without lines. Apparently India Molly also gets henna because she's cool like that. 

On this shopping day we met a first year college student from Delhi named Shreya. She was great and helped us with our shopping and bargaining. We then had dinner at her house that night. We met her mom and sister (who has just come home from a birthday party at a Chinese restaurant), and we met their two beautiful golden retrievers: Goldy and Mulan. They were so nice and kind to us!

More pictures and stories to come!

 

I'm in India!

Hello friends and family! I have arrived in Delhi after a 15 hour plane ride across the world! We left at 8:00pm on the 14th and arrived 8:00pm on the 15th. We met our wonderful guide Rakhal and had our first Indian meal for dinner before trying to sleep in our hostel. Pictures to come! But we'll be here for three nights. There are 3 girls, 3 guys and our faculty member/chaperon Jill from Wooster. Internet connection was spotty and details will come soon!

Think of me as I battle 107 degree heat today!

Time for another adventure!

It's a beautiful day at The College of Wooster and soon I will be walking this path to class for the last time this year. I'm bringing back the "mollytakescopenhagen" blog everyone! This time? Molly takes INDIA. Yup. Pretty much the polar opposite of Copenhagen in just about every single way. No socialized healthcare, no carefully lined bike lanes, no strict jaywalking laws, and probably fewer tall blondes. None of that. Instead I got three shots (who knew polio was a thing again?), malaria pills, and more than my fair share of anxiety (but what else is new)? If I thought Copenhagen wasn't exotic enough I will most certainly be making up for it this summer!

I will be leaving in less than two weeks (if I survive finals week that is) and I will be leaving for Delhi from Cleveland. I will be living in India for a full month. I applied for a "Wooster in Northeast India" program and I'll be venturing off with a faculty member from the off campus studies department and five other Wooster students. We'll be traveling a bit before settling into our new home at St. Anthony's College in Shillong. I'm still in denial as I write this. (Ahhh I can't believe I'm going to freaking India so soon!) 

Well, hopefully I'll be able to post some incredible pictures and keep you all updated! 

I'm gonna stop procrastinating and try to write my Junior IS now!

Welcome back!

Maybe about time.

Here I am, last night in Europe and getting ready for a long flight to America tomorrow. For the first time, I feel ready to go home. Maybe it's the awful hotel beds or the need to lug a semesters worth of stuff around the world or maybe it's because it's been almost five months. All I know is I am ecstatic to finally sleep in my own bed.

It's safe to say I have been bitten by the travel bug (I've already started looking up flights for the summer). It's been a really incredible semester. Ill try not to get too cheesy here but I feel so lucky to have had this incredible opportunity and I've learned a lot about the world and myself (Awww).

I'm not quite sure who's reading this blog but I see the numbers going up so you must exist which I appreciate! Thanks for joining me on this adventure.

Tomorrow ill board my last flight (well...until I go to school next week. Oh man). Ill see my last duty free stores and souvenir shops. I'm off to a world where street signs are in English, where bread and water is free of charge and where I can always google on my phone. Oh the luxury.

Here are the final stats:
137 days
8 countries
7 currencies
14 flights
Countless memories (aww I know but I just had to stick that one in there)

It's been amazing, I can't believe it's over. Finally going home and then it's off to Ohio: the land of Walmarts, cornfields and some of my best friends

Thanks for reading. Maybe this blog will be revived for my next great travel adventure but for now, see you in America!

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

  

Well, aside from poor internet connection, Spain has far exceeded my expectations. The tapas are fabulous, the sangria is wonderful, the people are friendly and the sun is the best thing in the world. Not to dwell on this too long because I've seen the forecasts at home and I don't want to brag too much but let me just say, being able to walk outside with just one pair of pants and no gloves is really quite lovely. We were in Barcelona for two nights and had we not been completely exhausted I'm sure we could have experienced the city a bit more. Even so, we saw the sights - Las Ramblas, the ocean, and ate the best paella in the city according to our tour guide. 

For the past few four days we've been staying in Marbella in southern Spain. Any ideas we had of a relaxing lie in the sun kind of vacation hasn't really lived up to its potential just because we're not really those kind of people. So, we've had some lovely day trips. Lots of driving along the coast and seeing resorts and high rises. We went to Gibraltar for the day and what we thought was just going to be a big rock was really an adorable British town (who knew?). We enjoyed fish and chips and British accents and for the first time in 5 months I saw english on every sign I saw. It was like a little taste of America. (sidenote: if blue oceans, old buildings and fish and chips feels like America for me, I may be in for quite the culture shock in a few days time). We went up the cable car to see the top of the rock. I should mention, I really really really dislike cable cars. But I was rewarded at the top by some terrifying apes. They look cute in the picture don't they? Yeah...no. Check out the warning sign on the right. These apes are just running around and chasing each other and about every five seconds our audio guide warned us not to feed or touch or go near the apes. Okay, then tell the apes not to run right next to me. It's safe to say I have never been so happy to get into a cable car as I was on the way down. Give me a cute little British town any time.

A two hour, slightly nerve-racking journey up some mountain roads and we made it to the best day-trip ever. Here's the beautiful town of Ronda. Gorgeous views and the birthplace of bullfighting. Mostly the beautiful views! (Though after the harrowing drive down during which I broke my no nail-biting streak, we all agreed we needed some wine).  

 New Years Eve involved a lovely trip to Granada. One of my best friends, Molly, spent the semester here so I was excited to check it out! We saw the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada mountains and made it back to enjoy the New Years Eve celebration in Marbella with mostly other tourists but it was fun. Apparently there's a tradition that you eat a grape each second for 12 seconds leading up to the new year. A lovely German woman offered us some grapes and I chomped down with quite a few other confused tourists and we celebrated the new year attempting not to choke and washing down some grapes with champagne. Cheers! Happy 2013!

All and all live in Spain has been lovely. The sun is wonderful and the ocean is beautiful. I think it's safe to say, however, that this traveling thing is getting to be quite exhausting. Eating and sleeping all day shouldn't be this tiring but it is.  Today we didn't leave the house until around 2...we had to watch the next two episodes of the Great British Bake-off after-all (who knew strudel was so complicated). Not that I'm complaining but it's seems about time to sleep in my own bed. It's been quite a while. Thank you Spain though, you've really outdone yourself. 

Merry Christmas from Praha!

To our friends and family around the globe, Merry Christmas from Praha!

My mom has a rule that you are not allowed to do anything on Christmas day. Today marks the first Christmas in my entire life that I have left the house and worn real clothes (aka not pajamas). Well, it was probably worth it. We've been pretty exhausted lately - this whole tourist business is not for the weak. We've been very busy seeing castles and churches, letting Rick Steves guide us around the Czech Republic, and drinking a lot of warm beverages.











Prague has been a lovely way to spend Christmas. I was worried it would feel weird not being at home but a little change of pace is always good. Plus I decorated our hotel room with Christmas-related items courtesy of my left over Netto money. We got home Christmas Eve night after listening to Czech music on the square, lit some candles and watched the Pope like the good Catholics we are. (I kid, I kid. Except we really did because there are no english channels). Then I checked the Santa tracker and right when I looked, he was on his way to Prague. Now that's Christmas magic for ya.









 Prague really is beautiful. I can't tell you how many times my mom has compared it to Disney land. And it's true, you can hardly believe it's real! The best part is that it has been much warmer the past two days which has made the whole walking outside all of the time thing considerably more tolerable. That being said, however, our favorite phrase on this trip has become, "wow, I bet this would be really beautiful in the spring." Well, looks like I'll have to come back.




We spent Christmas Eve visiting Prague Castle, drinking hot wine, looking at pretty lights and listening to Czech Christmas songs while  pretending we knew what was going on.



 I should also probably mention that we did take an hour train ride east to visit a Bone Church. My mom told me about a million times that this was probably the weirdest thing that she's ever done with me and I'll agree...but you have to admit, it's kind of cool in a bizarre...super creepy kind of way. This chandelier includes every bone in the human body. Yeah...I know, as I'm typing this, it just sounds weirder and weirder. Then we walked around the town of Kutna Hora that is a UNESCO site and...I'm about to say this phrase again...I'm sure it would be beautiful in the spring...or summer...or fall...or any day but this past sunday which was not only freezing but raining (a truly terrible combination). We were all a bit miserable. Good thing we had an hour train ride back to nap and warm up for a delicious fancy dinner.

And what does a family of three do Christmas day in a foreign country? Well, what all the other tourists are doing: eat lots of food outside in the Christmas market and walk around forever. We went to the Jewish Quarter and memorial (nice light Christmas activities) and listened to some Vivaldi and Mozart (we're really becoming quite cultured). We're all thoroughly exhausted by this point. Definitely ready for Spain tomorrow. Not that Prague hasn't been lovely but I'm looking forward to not having to wear 3 socks and I'm not going to lie, I've had quite enough of the potato pancake and cabbage and sausage thing. Onwards to siestas and sangria. 

Not a bad way to spend Christmas. Now time for some sun.