A Week in Nepal

 While my 'official' time on an International Field Study may have come to a close, I am not yet done globe-trotting. Along with India, Nepal has been a dream destination of mine for years, however, it's remote location has always made it impractical (financially) to visit: until now!

For just about $300 I am able to fly from Bangalore into Nepal's capital city of Kathmandu.  Luckily, I have arranged to stay with a friend's family there (a Northeastern classmate in her second year). I'm looking forward to a more laid-back trip with the insider's perspective gained by staying in a Nepalese household.

Day 1: Kathmandu

After several hours of traveling, including a 5-hour layover in what is becoming a very familiar New Delhi airport I finally land in Kathmandu. The flight was beautiful and I'm glad I had the foresight to pick a window seat so that I could watch the terraced rice paddies and mountains as I fly into Kathmandu Valley.

The airport is tiny and would hardly pass for an international airport elsewhere. What is most shocking to me is that,when I didn't have money to buy my visa at the airport, they let me leave the airport, walk around the city for a bit until I found an ATM and then return the way I came, through the airport without a security check. This would never happen in the U.S.! I guess I don't look that threatening?

After finally handling my visa situation I meet my driver outside. He hands over a necklace of marigolds and it finally hits me that I'm in Nepal!  We bump along through traffic to my friend's home. This trip is perhaps the least planned I have ever embarked on. I'm relying a bit on the fact that my friend's family runs a trekking company: Snow Leopard Trek, and that they will help me figure it the necessary travel details.

When I arrive I'm thrilled when my friend's family offers me the option to stay at their home, rather than a hotel, for the next several days. Not only do I prefer that option from a cultural aspect, but I'll be saving a lot of money at the same time.

That night I climb four stories to my roof-top room and get settled.  I have a city tour planned for tomorrow and want to make sure I'm alert and ready for my first full day in Nepal.

Day 2: Kathmandu & Patan

Patan Durbar Square

I wake up early and, after a nice breakfast of eggs and toast, head downstairs to meet my guide for the day.  We begin our tour at one of Kathmandu Valley's three cities: Patan. We first stop at the Maha Buddha temple before making our way to the city's Durbar Square (or city center). I love it and am surprised to see so many pagoda-style buildings, having always associated those with China. I, again, get photographed by locals (it seems that will be the theme of my trip), get reprimanded for trying to enter a Hindu temple and then sit down to enjoy a lunch of water buffalo momos! I'm happy to say that Nepali food suites my palette much better than Indian food.

Despite some threatening skies, we travel on to Swayambunath. We drive up a steep road and enter into a courtyard filled with monkeys (with a designated monkey swimming pool), vendors and hundreds of prayers flags twisted into the trees.  We climb what feels like a million steps to the stupa. This is what I have been waiting for! I see the giant white stupa, painted with the Buddhist third eye and covered in gold and prayer flags. To me, this is what I had always pictured Nepal to look like and I'm so happy that it hasn't let me down.

My guide and I wander around the structure for about an hour, taking in the hundreds of memorials to families, thousands of butter candles lit in honor of lost loved ones and look out onto a panoramic view of the giant Kathmandu Valley that houses one million residents.

After dropping off my guide at her home I ask the driver if he doesn't mind dropping me on the main road for some more sightseeing. I'm not ready to stop yet! After an hour or so of getting lost I finally make it to Kathmandu Durbar Square.

I take in a leisurely walk and kind of enjoy the lack of a tour guide.  I take time to just sit and people watch, marvel at a temple that is only open one day a year and peruse the rows of vendors selling trinkets.

After I've had my fill I walk home to Naxal and spend a good while attempting  to find what I assumed would be plentiful internet cafes- not so! I finally find a computer located in a shack in the back of some guy's house. The computer is old, slow and mosquitos swarm around me, but at about 25 cents per hour for internet, I don't complain.

After that I pick up some snacks at a local shop and head home for a traditional Tibetan dinner of noodles and water buffalo before heading to bed to get ready for my Himalayan mountain flight tomorrow.

Day 3: Kathmandu, Himalayas & Bhaktapur

I wake up today to some bad news: apparently the entire city of Kathmandu is striking in an attempt to get their constitution passed. While the cause is a worthy one, I get worried about the fate of my sightseeing. Luckily, mountain flight still run, though getting a cab to airport is a whole different matter. Cars aren't allowed on the road during a strike!

My friend's family manages to convince someone to take me (for a price) and I'm glad they did! While the flight was host to some very pushy European tourists, I still loved it! I mean, how often do you get to see Mount Everest! Amazing!

I return home by around 10:00am and wonder how I will pass the rest of my day, assuming that my scheduled tour to Bhaktapur is shot as a result of the strike. But, again, the wonders of staying with a local family works miracles. They manage to get a friend of theirs with a motorbike to take me to the sights. This is even better! I love seeing a city on the back of a motorbike. But, little did I know how adventurous that ride would get.

Apparently the strikers don't like motorbikes on the road either. In fact, for each of the SIX human barricades along the miles of freeway we passed, I had to smile and hope the protestors were friendly to tourists. Luckily, the strikers, once they saw my happy, visibly tourist face, would laugh, wave us by and even give me nods of approval for braving a motorbike sans helmet with a local behind the wheel.

Tallest pagoda in Nepal

Our first stop is the third city of Kathmandu Valley: Bhaktapur. I simply adore it! Because of the strike I get to see it in a nearly deserted state. I pass through pottery square, take in the tallest pagoda in Nepal and absorb the view.

 Next, my speed demon driver and I are off to Pashupati  Temple. There I experience my first cremation. While sitting by the river, I watch as six individuals are prepared for and taken through the steps of cremation out in the public eye. I am told that this happens daily. A bit transfixed by the scene, it is hard for me to move on to the surrounding temples, including one of the most sacred Hindu holy sites in Nepal. My guide and I wander for an hour or so before it's back on the bike to my most anticipated site: Boudhanath, one of the largest stupas in Nepal.

Boudhanath

It is sight to see and shops encircle the entire holy site. Monks stroll around its perimeter and children play amongst pigeons, creating a hectic, yet peaceful scene. What a way to end my stay in Kathmandu.

Day 4: Kathmandu -> Pokhara

Today starts early as I head out on my 8-hour journey to Pokhara, Nepal.  The overland journey by bus, while long, allows me to take in the landscape as it transitions for frenetic Kathmandu to rural countryside. But, the journey wasn't all fun and games. In an effort to keep my backpack from tumbling on top of my fellow travelers during the VERY turbulent ride I fall over, severely spraining my ankle in a very public fall. Ugh!

When I make it to the hotel, it's right to a rattan chair, beer in hand and ice on my ankle. What a first impression I made to the sweet hotel staff at the Lakeview Resort!

Day 5: Pokhara

Soooo... the strike has followed me from Kathmandu to Pokhara. I was lucky that the strike had lifted yesterday long enough for me to get to my new location, but now, here I am, restricted from the road. Now, this normally wouldn't be an issue in the quaint city of Pokhara, but I can do little more than hop along on one foot because of my injured ankle.

The hotel manager and I agree that a boat ride of Phewa Lake wouldn't stress my ankle too much and we rearrange my schedule to accommodate my injury and the political climate. The lake is amazing! I can even see the Himalayas in amazing clarity. Stunning! We even hop onto an island temple for a full view of the lake.

Lake Phewa

As my injury restricts me from doing much else, I spend the rest of the day experiencing a state of true relaxation that is very rare for me. I literally sit for hours at the outdoor hotel restaurant, reading, sipping Nepal Ice and chatting with the hotel staff and guests (all of whom are just fabulous!). This injury is making me quite popular here.

Day 6: Pokhara

I wake up early today (read: 4:00am) as per plans to see sunrise over Sarangkot. Alas, it is raining and the trip is cancelled. Also, there's still a strike! I do manage to snag a car to take me to the International Mountain Museum but am disappointed with it and return the hotel believing my sightseeing done for the day.

Luckily, I have befriended a resourceful guide and staff. We decide (despite my mending foot), to walk what we had previously planned to drive. That is how dedicated I am to travel!

A clothes-cleaning party at the river!

I start out slowly but my foot actually improves as the day goes on. On foot, my guide and I are able to take in local life in a way that driving couldn't. In fact, the strike was a blessing in disguise. I loved our three-hour hike that took us through a Tibetan refugee camp, Davi's Fall and Gupteshwar Mahadev Cave.

I spend the rest of the day shopping, eating out at local food joints and just loving Pokhara' relaxing vibe.


Day 7: Pokhara -> Kathmandu

In a last ditch effort to see sunrise over Sarangkot I am up for the third day in a row at 4:00am. Again, I see rain. I go back to sleep for a couple of hours before I take in my last breakfast in Pokhara, say goodbye to the hotel staff I've so enjoyed and head back to the tourist bus that treated me so poorly just a few days earlier.

Stuck in a river-road

 While I wasn't injured this time around, our bus did run into some trouble. The severe morning rains had caused part of our narrow, winding mountain road to literally wipe away. We are stuck for two hours as more than a hundred people attempt to push a different tourist bus out from a rushing river of road. It was a crazy, scary sight but luckily we all get out, albeit slightly later than expected.

I spend my last night in Kathmandu relaxing with my friend's family over dinner and reminiscing on my amazing Nepal trip.


Day 8: Kathmandu -> LAX

Crowded Kathmandu street corner

Of course my last day in Nepal would be another strike one. I manage to bribe a driver to take me to the airport for what will be a 43-hour journey home to California. Oh, but it was so worth it! This has been a trip of a lifetime.

* The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, its staff or affiliates.

International Field Study - India

After 10 days of independent travel it is now time to join the rest of the Northeastern MBAs for our International Field Study. I'm so excited! I've been waiting for this since before I began at Northeastern! Here we go...

Day 1: New Delhi

After recovering from my long train journey with a nap and some socializing with our group at the hotel lounge I call it an early night so that I can be ready for our early morning business visits tomorrow. Plus, while it was fun to hang with my classmates at the hotel bar, my direction to avoid ice leaves my beverage options sadly lacking.

Day 2: New Delhi

Our first order of business today is a feast of a breakfast in a private Taj Hotel conference room. I see pork product for the first time in weeks along with pastries and all those delicious American breakfast goodies I have been missing.  After getting acquainted with the entire group, including four students from the part-time and online programs, we leave the comforts of our Taj Hotel for an equally westernized hotel about 15 minutes away. Here we are given a series of presentations from companies such as Possible Worldwide, a global interactive marketing agency.

Alstom

We enjoy a buffet lunch before hopping on our air-conditioned bus to Noida for our first on-site company visit at Alstom, a leading supplier of transport infrastructure, power generation and transmission.  While this presentation was decidedly more technical it was nice to have access to the actual company site. We had several company representatives speak to us on everything from the India job market, the company culture and even the specifics of electrical currents!

Continuing down the line of our jam-packed day, we get a few minutes back at the Taj Hotel to refresh before heading back to the Claridges Hotel for dinner and more presentations by influential Indians.

One of our dinner presenters was of particular interest to me. Raju Mansukhani is a former journalist who is now the Director of Mansar Communications.  He was perhaps the most impressive speaker we had yet as his experience in the newspaper industry gave him an intimate and wide-ranging knowledge of many cultural and political traits of the subcontinent.  What's more, he spent a good while discussing Udaipur's tourism efforts, showing pictures of the city I had just come from. How cool!

While these presentations were quite interesting, I begin to see the toll of a long day and jet lag impacting my classmates. Even our professor looks exhausted! We don't get home until past midnight. Looks like we'll only get only a few hours of sleep before our 5:00am attendance call in the hotel lobby. But it's fine by me because tomorrows is the TAJ MAHAL!!!

Day 3: Agra (a.k.a the home of the Taj Mahal)

I'll admit, even with the Taj Mahal calling my name it's a rough morning wake-up. We all sleepily grab a boxed breakfast and somehow manage to board the bus and then the tourist train to Agra intact.

During the two-hour train ride to Agra you can see the class start to wake up with a visible excitement replacing once sleepy eyes. I just can't believe we're going to see one of the most iconic structures in the world. I wonder if it can possibly live up to all of the hype...

Tonga ride to the Taj Mahal

After some schedule shifting (something that will become the theme of the trip) our Accent Group guide informs us that we will be heading to the Taj Mahal first, rather than at the previously scheduled twilight hour. I'm a bit disappointed, yearning for a stunning sunset snapshot, but understand his logic: he fears that if we wait until the end of the day we'll be too exhausted to enjoy it. So we board another large tourist bus and head to the main attraction. I'm pleasantly surprised to see that we will be riding horse-drawn tongas to the Taj Mahal! I hop in a rickety (to say the least) cart and before I know it our driver has us racing his friend down an Indian street. I have to admit it's thrilling a super fun.

The Taj Mahal is everything it promises to be and more. I had always assumed that I would arrive at the site to see only the white marble structure, but in reality, the Taj Mahal is made up of a series of buildings in shades of white and rusty red. We spend the next hour exploring the grounds and taking more photos than is healthy.

By the time we leave the Taj everyone is visibly overheated and drained, understandable in 107-degree heat. We are relieved to get back on the bus to our next site: Agra Fort. I'm eager to see the giant red-orange complex but, unfortunately, several of my classmates couldn't seem to face the heat again deciding, instead, to wait out the tour napping on the bus. If only I had known that this was just the beginning of our groups ailments...

Monkeying around at Agra Fort

Agra Fort is a treat. I especially enjoy that I can take photos of the Taj Mahal from across the river. The large community of monkeys calling the fort home isn't too shabby either.

After about an hour we're back on the bus to lunch at the Trident Hotel. The 23 of us all but rush the door for air conditioning and a cool drink. Some of my classmates even jump into the hotel pool fully clothed, resulting in our group getting banned from the outdoor area. Whoops!

Fatehpur Sikri

Even though we've already completed a fair share of site-seeing we're off again in an hour- this time to Fatehpur Sikri, a two-hour drive outside of Agra. I really enjoy the drive and the chance to take in the countryside. Fatehpur Sikri is nice as well and we manage to catch it at sunset. I snag some of my coveted photos at the deserted site before we're back on the bus for a mad dash to the train station.

On the way we realize a sit-down dinner is not in the cards time-wise and so our driver drops all 23 of us off at a Pizza Hut were we overtake the take-out window. With much rushing we make it to the train station in time for our train, but not before a scary encounter with some slum-children who we are informed are under the influence of drugs. They grab at our food, try to pull our belongings off of us and even sneak peaks up some of the girls' skirts! It was a very unpleasant experience and I pray for the train to arrive on time (it is, of course, 15 minutes late).

We finally stumble into our hotel in New Delhi around midnight with a wake-up call of 7:00am.

Day 4: Delhi

I'm super excited for today! Not only do we have a community service project in the morning but we'll finally get a city tour of New Delhi, 3 days after we've arrived here!

With some students from The Oxford Square

The Oxford Square is an NGO that provides free education to slum-dwelling children. I wasn't quite sure what to expect but was extremely (and pleasantly) surprised! One man has sacrificed half of his home and converted it into a school for more than 200 needy children ranging in age from 4 or 5 to 16 or 17! All classes are taught in English and I am honestly impressed with the student's mastery of the language. I'm pretty sure this visit was one of the most rewarding for our entire group. We leave smiling and inspired.

After our great morning we stop by a local restaurant for lunch before heading back to the Taj Hotel. Here's were things start to fall apart. After much complaining from my group our professor and Accent Group leader decide to CANCEL the New Delhi city tour! I'm incensed to say the least! I have paid for this tour and now I'll be forced to pay for it AGAIN if I want to see Delhi. I'm fuming when my teacher comes over to me to apologize. After conferring with the tour leader he agrees to pay for a cab for myself and two online/part-time students to go to the same sites. While we still have to pay the entrance fees, I am slightly appeased.

India Gate

Let me just say that my group missed out. We visit Qutab Minar and take in its famous Islamic architecture (some dating as far back as the 4th century!), Humayuns tomb which was the inspiration of the Taj Mahal but which I thought was far more impressive and ended the day with a sunset tour of the government buildings and India Gate for some ice cream, sodas and local flavor. The Delhi city tour was one of my favorite parts of my IFS tour!

Day 5: Delhi -> Chennai

Today is the day that our group transforms from students to a walking cesspool of sickness. Perfect timing for our flight to Chennai.

We all get up early and it's apparent that 'Delhi Belly' has claimed its dues. A good portion of our group can barely contain their illness on the ride to the airport. By the time we're through security, many can't even do that. Not to get into too much detail, I'll just say several of us couldn't make it to the restroom on time and I'm pretty sure we cleaned the airplane of its entire airsickness bag stock.

When we arrive at the Park Hotel it's all I can do to keep myself standing at reception to check out. I spend the rest of the day in bed, with the illness that had been hovered around me for days finally taking full hold.

Day 6: Chennai

Despite obvious stomach issues I can't bear to miss a day of site seeing so I force myself awake in the morning for our 2-hour drive out to Mahabalipuram. Unfortunately, about 20 minutes into the ride I'm feeling awful and I spend the next several hours trying to sleep on the bus while others take in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. When they return I ask our guide what my options are for heading back to the hotel; I don't think I can handle sitting on the bus for the rest of the day. We arrange for a cab ride home for me after lunch.

After my pathetic attempts at lunch (read a piece of naan and some white rice) I'm in the back of a cab.  When I arrive back at the Park Hotel I order room service, begging for some simple pasta or something. I'm starving but all of the India food seems to be upsetting my stomach.

My glorious meal arrives shortly (though with a nearly $20 price tag for noodles) and I sleep for the rest of the day and night.

Day 7: Chennai

Ugh.... I don't leave my bed today. I feel horrible for missing out on a company visit to Dell. The one thing that makes me feel not as guilty is that my roommate, a native of Chennai, has been gone for the past three days with visits to the doctor from stomach issues as well. It appears that India does not discriminate on who it gifts its stomach issues to.

Day 8: Chennai -> Bangalore

I wake up early today based on instructions from our itinerary. However, as mentioned previously, that itinerary changes every hour. After completing my check-out at 6:00am I wait with another classmate who was sick yesterday in the lobby. We sit for 3 hours before our professor rolls around to inform us that the schedule had been changed and we would now be meeting in a room of the Park Hotel (rather than traveling to a business) at 10:00am. Frustrated I head to the breakfast bar and then to spend $10 for an hour for internet.

Listening to a presentation by Hand in Hand

Our meeting  turns out to be quite interesting. We are visited by a firm called Hand in Hand and it provides microfinancing for villagers around India. Their efforts are much broader than I would have expected and I am uplifted by the presenter's stories of success. It's amazing what $100 dollars or less can do for an aspiring business owner or villager who barely makes that much in a year.

Next we head a bit outside of town for a visit to Accurate Products, a leading grease fitting manufacturer. The owner is actually our professor's old friend from college! We get a plant tour and a nice Powerpoint presentation before rushing off to catch out afternoon Kingfisher flight to Bangalore, the last stop on our IFS tour.

Day 9: Bangalore

After a glorious night's sleep and gourmet breakfast at the Gateway Hotel (an offshoot of the Taj hotels) we head to our final company visit: IBM. The IBM tour was one of the best of the trip. Located in a large complex of heavy-hitting international companies like Yahoo! and Ebay, the IBM building was a modern facility housing thousands of workers. After several presentations from such higher-ups as the Vice President of Operations, we get a tour, grab some snacks at their 'campus' cafeteria and return home.

I spend the rest of the afternoon browsing shops near the hotel. That night most of us make our way a couple of doors down from our hotel to an Irish pub (of all places) for some Kingfishers. Our professor even joins us for some drinks.

I excuse myself relatively early to rest up for what was supposed to be a full -day tour of Mysore tomorrow (about 5 hours away). Little did I know that our trip there was soon to be canceled.

Day 10: Bangalore

Due to lack of interest our trip to Mysore would not longer be running. Upon hearing the news I become visibly furious. I was literally the ONLY person who wanted to go. Everyone else just wanted to lounge by the pool. This having now been the SECOND time a cultural activity was canceled I approach our professor and tour leader to protest. They say there is nothing they can do and don't even offer a cab for me to go on my own or any other options to see the sights. UGH! I'm at my wits end with my sickness and the heat and the disorganization of this trip.

We finally come to some agreement that they will offer us a short city tour of Bangalore. It makes me feel a little better that my professor comes over to express his sympathies and apologize for the situation.

Luckily, the city tour ends up going quite well. We take a tour of Tippu Sultan's Palace, the Nandi Temple with one of the largest Nandi murthis in the world followed by a walk in the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.

The rest of the afternoon is spent by the pool, shopping and with all the girls getting henna done! I guess the day didn't turn out as poorly as I thought it would. Plus, we were able to relax before our farewell dinner.

I get to bed that night around 11:00 pm and will have to wake up around 2:30 am in order to get ready for my 6:00am flight to Nepal. I travel to the airport with 5 other students and as we zoom through the early morning darkness of Bangalore I bid India goodbye.

Namaste from India

 
After a grueling 17+ hour journey I touch down in New Delhi on Sunday, May 1st.

It's around 9:00 at night here and my friend and I deliriously manage to collect our bags and head outside for what was supposed to be a hotel pick up. After 45 minutes we decide he is not coming and hail a cab. Hotel Eurostar is decidedly less clean and 'business-traveler friendly' than advertised but we're only here one night and the air-conditioned room and shower are just what we need.

Day 1: New Delhi - > Jaipur

Delhi Cantt Station

We wake up early the next morning for our first Indian train experience. Fortunately, I booked our train out of the less-popular Delhi Cantt station so it is more manageable to find our way around. We grab a sad breakfast of cashew cookies and curry-flavored chips (all packaged foods to avoid illness) and wait for the train. When it arrives there is, of course, no signage as to where our cabin is, how to board, etc. Nervous, we just hop on the train at the first cart - big mistake! We had entered the luggage carriage, or, the carriage where lower-fare ticket holders ride. There is no order and people hang from the ceilings, cover the floor and generally prevent our movement while simultaneously giving us dirty looks that say "you do not belong here".  We somehow manage to traverse about seven carts like this and eventually get to our AC 2 cart (2nd tier sleeper cars with AC). This seems like heaven comparatively. We bounce along on our 5-6 hour train ride and I venture to order some food on the train. It's quite good but I wonder if I made a fatal error judgement by ordering it.

We arrive at the Jaipur station around 1:30pm. After being hassled by rickshaw drivers we come across one who speaks English quite well. His name is 'Jimmy' and while I'm quite sure our ride will end in a sales pitch for some tour, we don't care at this point and just want to get to our hotel.

The ride does, indeed, end in a sales pitch and a sale. He has agreed to come pick us up this afternoon and give us a mini-tour for 400 rupees (less than $10). This seems fair so we both head inside the Umaid Mahal (a heritage hotel), cleanup and grab some lunch.

Flowers from Jimmy

We meet 'Jimmy' outside around 3:00 pm. He shows us a beautifully mosaiced temple of mirrors, the lake front and then takes us (of course) to a friend of his' fabric store. While I am generally opposed to being 'sold' things,  I decide buying a Salwar Kameez will be useful and is something I had wanted anyway. I get it specially made and they promise delivery by tomorrow evening. My friend picks up a bedding set, embroidered blanket and pashmina. We also get to see the fabrics being made, so while it was definitely a commissioned sale for Jimmy, I guess it all worked out.

Day 2: Jaipur

City Palace, Jaipur

After a brief discussion, Jimmy agrees to pick us up tomorrow morning for a full day of site-seeing. We hit up the City Palace, the eery ancient astrological park Jantar Mantar and the Amber Fort just outside of town. I LOVE the Amber Fort. When we pull up to it I feel like I'm in some period piece film that takes place in the Middle East. After a bit of a hike up to the actual fort, my friend gets sick. The heat has become too much and she insists I proceed through the fort without her. I make a quick round before meeting her outside. We rush back to the hotel, unfortunately, stopping along the way when she gets sick. I hope this is not an indicator of the entire trip to come! Yikes!

We decide to break for the afternoon and Jimmy says he will pick us up in the early evening. When that time rolls around, my friend is still  not feeling well so I head out alone. I hit up the Monkey Temple (literally littered with the critters) and then fall victim to another of Jimmy's sales pitches. He takes me to a jeweler friend despite my protestations and leaves me there. Great. At least the store owner quickly realizes I'm not interested and leaves me be. They call Jimmy to come pick me up.

Frustrated with him I ask to be taken home. Relentless he tries to sell an early morning tour of Jaipur the next day but I say no and tell him to pick us up at 2:00pm for our flight to Udaipur.

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Day 3: Jaipur - > Udaipur

The next morning my travel companion and I decide an Ayurvedic massage is in order. We head down the street to a location recommended by Lonely Planet. It was certainly an experience as we were drenched in gallons of oils. I won't say I would do it again, but at least I had that experience.

We spend our remaining hours in Jaipur at the hotel restaurant eating some bland Chicken Byriani and playing cards with large Kingfisher beers by our side.

Jimmy picks us up and drops us off at the surprisingly modern and clean Jaipur airport. We each grab a soda and wait to board Kingfisher airlines (yes, the beer company has an airline).

After a brief 40 minute flight we touch down in what will become my favorite Indian city: Udaipur.

The friendly hotel driver greets us and takes us the 30-minute drive to the city. He stops along the way to explain some sites and give us a chocolate candy. We're staying at the Jaiwana Haveli. It is lake-front and has a roof-top restaurant. The service here is amazing! Our room has great views and the food here is actually good!

We spend the day resting, strolling the narrow European-esque streets and enjoying dinner on the roof. There we meet a friendly Canadian flight attendant on a 5-week vacation in India. After chatting for a while we all agree to do some site-seeing together in the morning. She also gives me the most amazing travel tip: apparently you can use internet and Skype on your iPhone if there is wi-fi for free! You just have to disable some of the phone capabilities!  I will definitely have to try this out.

Day 4: Udaipur

We meet our new friend in the morning during breakfast. Our first order of business is a stop at the City Palace of Udaipur. We will learn that most of the major sites in the city are within walking distance from our hotel. Fabulous! The City Palace is quite large and the three of us spend a good couple of hours maneuvering its lavish rooms filled with paintings, mirrors and brilliant colors.

After we've had our fill of the palace and our new celebrity status (we are CONSTANTLY asked for pictures), we wander down the hill for our hour-long boat tour of Lake Pichola - including the Jag Mandir Palace. On our way to the boat the path directs us through a park where every tree is literally infested with large fruit bats. While I enjoy the site I make sure to avoid hanging out below them for too long.

The boat ride ends up being amazing! The breeze on the open air boat cools the 105 degree temperature substantially. We circle the Taj Lake Palace (which refused to allow my friends and I onto the island for lunch- snobs!) and then land at Jag Mandir Palace which appears to float in the middle of the lake.

Jag Mandir Palace

By the time our boat tour ends we are all a bit tired from the heat and so agree to meet in the hotel lobby a couple of hours later to share a cab to the Monsoon Palace, perched high atop a mountain that overlooks Lake Pichola.

Thankfully, we get our kind driver again. He takes us the 40-minute ride up the mountain where the three of us marvel at the abandoned Palace, which has since been inhabited by bats, the 360 view of Udaipur and its lakes and the large family of monkeys that chased our car down the hill.

On our way back to the hotel our driver takes us through a detour around the second large lake in Udaipur, past a festive Indian wedding occurring smack dab in the middle of the street and finally to a large gated garden where, again, the three of us become the stars of the locals photographs and cell phone videos.

That night the three of us enjoy a nice dinner on our rooftop restaurant before joining a new American friend for drinks at HIS hotel's rooftop restaurant. I'm liking this theme!  

Day 5: Udaipur -> Jodhpur

Caroline and I get up early the next morning in order to grab breakfast and a quick visit to the Jagdish Temple down the road. We then rush back to the hotel to grab our cab to the airport for what was supposed to be a 40-minute flight to Jodphur. But, alas, things don't always work out as they are supposed to.

When we get to the airport we are informed that our flight is cancelled. Air India, whom I will never fly again, had been experiencing strikes for three days but never considered letting its passengers know that all flights were cancelled. The manager casually dismisses us and tells us to take a 4-hour cab ride to Jodhpur. We reluctantly concede. Too bad that 4-hour ride would turn into one of the biggest nightmares of the trip.

What should have taken 4 hours took 7.5, three stops for our driver to pray, use the restroom, 12 stops to ask for directions (he didn't know where we were going) and a complete exposure of all our drivers deepest secrets ranging from his three mistresses from all over the world, to his wife, etc.

Kingfisher: Extremely necessary after our journey

When we arrive at the Jodhpur city limits our driver gives up his task of getting us to the hotel and hands us over to a rickshaw driver who finally gets us there. By this time my friend and I are so exhausted we rush into the hotel, demand Kingfishers and directions to the hotel restaurant.

Day 6: Jodhpur

Mehrangarh Fort in the daytime

For our day in Jodhpur we hire a rickshaw driver to guide us around the blue city. He takes us to Umaid Bhawan Palace, the Mandore Gardens and an attempt to enter the Mehrangarh Fort for panoramic views of the famed blue buildings of the city. However, we were informed that the Fort was closed until 7:00pm that night for, get this, filming of the new BATMAN movie! What!? How cool is that? We decide to return later that night since the heat is getting to us anyway.

After resting for a bit, we stroll the markets nearby our hotel, see the clock tower and enjoy some lunch. At 6:30pm we meet our driver and he takes us up the hill to Mehrangarh Fort. We hope that, since we're a bit early, we may be able to sneak a peek of Christian Bale but alas, he stood us up.

The Fort at night!

The fort is amazing and, in fact, I think I prefer it in the cool of the early evening. My friend and I maneuver the beautifully intricate rooms and shop the museum shop. It's easy to see why Hollywood producers would choose to shoot such a big-budget movie here: it's beautiful.

After dinner we call it an early night since we've agreed to meet our rickshaw driver at 4:00am for a ride to the train station.  

Day 7: Jodhpur -> Jaisalmer

Just chillin' in the Thar Desert

It's a rough morning as my friend and I try and stay alert for our train ride. Luckily, we've learned a bit since our first trip and are better about finding our cart.

The 6-hour journey gets us into Jaisalmer in the heat of the day; a heat that hovers around 111 degrees. Yikes! Luckily, with the heat comes lower price and we are able to snag an AC cab ride to our hotel for a little more than 1 dollar. Nice.

Our hotel is really nice and new, if not slightly empty. We quickly befriend the owner who asks us for design advice on everything from rattan patio furniture to the direction his new pool should face. Luckily he agrees to take us that night on a camel ride in the Thar Desert!!! I am SO thrilled! I thought that the heat would preclude us from such an activity but he assures us the early evening is much cooler.

We spend the rest of the time until our adventure resting, using the internet and befriending the young waiter at the hotel restaurant.

When 5:30pm arrives we are on our way in the hotel owners brand new Toyota Fortuner out the dunes. On our way he stops to explain some sites to us while he takes a smoke break. It's easy to see how close we are to the Pakistani boarder (less than 50km!) as everything is just desert all around.

After passing some nomadic huts, goats and camels we arrive at our camel trek starting point. I am happy to see that it is literally just my friend and I and two camel drivers. There are no tourists around and I feel that we might get a more authentic experience. Our hotel owner agrees to pick us up from the dunes since he wants to try out his new car, four-wheeler style.

The ride is amazing and one of my favorite parts of the trip. We jog out into what seems like the end of the world to watch the sun fall behind the desert floor.


After our ride home the hotel manager agrees to drop us off the next morning at the Jaisalmer Fort, free of charge. Yes!

Day 8: Jaislamer

Jaislamer Fort

The Jaisalmer Fort is quite the site; resembling a giant sandcastle rising up from the dry earth. It is basically a compound for what has now become an eclectic mix of ancient temples and palaces and decidedly less ancient hostels and restaurants.  We take a guided tour of the main fort area and museum but don't last all that long as I have started to get sick.  After about 2 hours we make our way to the streets directly outside the fort to look for some souvenirs before the heat gets to us and we grab a rickshaw home.

Because of the heat, the summer months in Jaisalmer are not very tourist friendly. In fact, the Jaisalmer airport closes for six months out of the year because they figure who would really want to visit a desert in the middle of summer (well, crazy American MBA students, obviously). So, while we had originally hoped for a flight into New Delhi to meet our IFS group we had to settle for a 17-hour overnight train.

After resting up in the afternoon and grabbing our last dinner my friend and I get dropped off at the train station for our long journey. This time we splurged for an AC Tier 1 cart. In our cart we meet a girl who had been traveling in Nepal for two months and was getting ready to meet her boyfriend in Instanbul to bike ride to England. Yikes!

I try and stay up and converse for as long as I can but I've gotten quite ill at this point and decided to crawl up to my nook of a bed, drug myself with Tylenol PM and pass out.

Day 9: Jaisalmer to New Delhi

This is what an AC Tier 1 cart looks like

The journey ends up taking 20 hours and by the time we stop at the New Delhi station my friend and I can't wait to get our of our mouse-inhabited train cart and to the Taj Hotel and see our group.

Day 10: New Delhi

We grab a rickshaw and direct him to the Taj Hotel. He tells us he knows where it is, but we soon learn that he does not. After some direction-asking we finally pull up to the lavish, 5-star hotel, in a rickshaw, filthy, exhausted, starving and with clothes ripped and stained from our train journey.

We all but run to the front door. Unfortunately, as soon as I step up to the reception desk I start to get light-headed and know that I will faint if I don't get a seat soon. I frantically scan the lobby and find and find a chair where I collapse, visibly scaring the hotel staff. They must have thought we were the craziest pair of travelers yet!

Concerned, they grab me some water and juice. I realize I haven't eaten anything but a few cookies on the train in a full 24 hours.

After checking in I stumble to my room, rid myself of bags and head to the restaurant where all I want is the most boring item on the menu. Unfortunately, that is a chicken sandwich costing me $20. Yikes! I can tell the IFS portion of the trip will be notably more expensive that the first part.

After food and a rest I join some classmates at the hotel lounge and wait for the rest of our group to arrive and officially begin our International Field Study in India!