Exotic Eats: India
India is a culinary smorgasbord. The food is greatly varied and extremely flavorful. Before traveling to India, my knowledge of the cuisine did not extend further than naan and chicken curry. Anil, our driver, helped make every meal feel like a special occasion by taking us to restaurants that are “known” for whatever specific dish we ate. At almost every meal he would take a bite, savor it, and say, “You cannot get this taste at any other restaurant.”
It is impossible to include everything I ate during my two weeks in India so I have focused on some of the new things (and dishes that were easy on my American stomach) that I sampled:
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People Tell the Story: India
India in 2 weeks
As our adventure through India has come to a close, I find myself reflecting on the trip. These two weeks have been filled with unbelievable experiences in a foreign land but have also been riddled with frustration. I have felt outside of my comfort zone for 90% of my time in India and that is what makes it so wonderful and so terrible all at once. I have never encountered such high highs with such low lows all at the same time. Many people have asked me if I would recommend traveling to India now that I have experienced it. The truth is, I am not sure. India is not for the traveler that wants comfort or relaxation. The country will show you abject poverty, aggressive vendors wanting money at all costs, and sexism like you would never believe. However, I do feel that I am better off having spent time there. I have compiled a brief summary of each of our stops through Rajasthan in case you do want to take the plunge.
Read MorePeaceful Pushkar
India can be described with a myriad of adjectives: colorful, exciting, impoverished, flavorful, decadent, I could go on. One adjective that I never thought I would use, however, is peaceful. On our trip through Rajasthan, the state in India that we explored, we hit the major city high lights: Delhi (the capital), Agra (for the Taj Mahal), Jaipur (the “Pink City”), Jodhpur (the “Blue City”), and Udaipur. We even stopped at two more remote destinations in the countryside: Ranthambhore National Park for a tiger safari and Ranakpur to enjoy nature and a picturesque temple. While each city was unique and surprising, none were peaceful. I was thrilled when we arrived in the small town of Pushkar and I could finally catch my breath for 2 days of relaxation and cultural immersion.
Read MoreDriving through Rajasthan
Giving Back
A huge part of our journey is about giving back. While the personal travel is sure to dazzle, we are confident that it will be the volunteer experiences that will show us the most about the world and touch our souls. Read more...