Hey folks, just a short update. I ended up taking a trip to Nepal and will be flying into India today. So far Nepal has been an experience, the Nepali are extremely friendly and helpful, but the pollution in Nepal is astounding. More about that later when I get the chance to upload photos.
I spent the majority of my time in Nepal in a place called Pokhara learning yoga and generally detoxing from the world and ordinary life. I stayed with a Nepali family, which I felt was beneficial in learning more about the Nepali way of life and gave me a clearer picture of Nepal, the tourism trade, and family life.
I can't say I'll miss Nepal, but it has been a good experience. I think if anything, Nepal has turned me onto the idea that aid workers are not always necessarily benefiting the community they aim to help. Seeing all this really flipped a switch in me and I feel differently towards a lot of what I used to hold sacred. This is why I enjoy traveling solo so much, because I am alone, female, and not white, for some reason strangers tend to confide in me. The not white part benefits me more in Asian and Arabic countries as the people tend not to really see me as American since I am of Asian decent and do not look like the stereotypical American. I can't count the number of times I've said that I am American, but people insist I am not!
I am bracing myself for India. I fly out this afternoon and arrive in New Delhi, there an old friend will meet me and we'll hire a taxi to take us to Agra and the sights there, including the Taj Mahal! I can't believe I'll actually be seeing the Taj Mahal, it's a sight I've wanted to see ever since I was little, that and the Pyramids, Angkor, Petra, Terracotta Warriors, and Parthenon. After tomorrow I'll have seen all the sights except the Parthenon, so I'll just have to make it out to Greece finally. After Agra I fly to Mumbai with my friend while I figure out what's next. I'm looking at spending the majority of my time in Rajasthan, but I'm still open to other options. With this last minute change of going to Mumbai at the beginning of my trip rather than end, I may consider flying home from New Delhi instead of Mumbai...I'll let you know what happens. :)
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