We've been in northern India for the last week-and-a-bit and it has
been another fantastic time. We've been touring around a few different cities seeing what they have
there. We've been able to talk to our Father about what we've seen
here. I'm so glad He's paid the price for that connection. It cost
more than I could ever pay. It's a long, long way home - but he feels
very much here with me. Most of the places we've been to are on the west coast of India, and
so it has been really nice to see the sea again, just like back in
Portsmouth. The sun sets very quickly here, and seeing it descend
below the sea was a very beautiful sight. On one day, we walked up a lighthouse, only to find the light had been
made in a town in Sussex, very close to our base! After that, we got
to ride camels (on the beach, not in the lighthouse). This was fun,
but I kept on thinking I was going to fall off! The places we've been to are very nice, but hopefully something will
come that will make them even better soon - help them become the
places they were made to be. Tours like ours will hopefully help with
that. It has been sad to see so many child beggers. All they want is a few
coins, but I just want to take them back home so they can have a
better life than what they can expect here. When there 20 kids
surrounding our group of 10 plus 2 guides, what can you do for them
all? I've been having thoughts about the need to increase unity among
different groups in Portsmouth. Over dinner someone mentioned they
have a friend who thinks a group needs to be big before they can do
any big social activities, but I had a strong reaction against that,
and thought about how if each smaller group could come together in
unity, they could all work together to see the same goal achieved. Talking of achieving goals: last Monday we went to Gandhi's house -
where he was born! You would think the town with that distiction would
make a bigger thing of that house, but if you didn't know it was
there, you wouldn't have guessed it. It is quite a simple house, with
low cealings. They have built an extra court yard next door, which has
a few memorials to Gandhi, but there really isn't much to celebrate
him there. It got me thinking how even a good man, while celebrated
while alive, is almost forgotten once dead. Why am I here? Who do I
celebrate? Who is still alive?
Such a contrast. Yesterday we went to a dam where they store drinking water for the
city. Apparently lots of people go there to commit suicide (which is a
big problem in India), as most Indians can't swim. There was a small
zoo near by, which had lions, tigers and bears, which was nice (apart
from if you were one of the animals, when you should be out of cages
roaming free). I finally managed to get my hair cut. The tour guide took me and the
other makein our group to the barbers he uses. It was perhaps one of
the most fun times I've had having my hair cut, but that isn't saying
much as I really don't like having my hair cut (although I know it is
better when done). Things started off a bit differently when we were
served tea and coffee (from one of the vendors on a street side stall
outside the barbers), and moved on to stranger, when my barber went to
have a sit down and a chat with the tour guide rather than getting on
with my hair! Apparently it is because they only use scissors so need
breaks every so often. Things got very strange for the other guy when
his barber offered to remove the hairs on his nose, which he did by a
strange technique involving twisting string around each hair, and
pulling the whole thing out! I was glad I didn't have to go through
that too. Things went from strange to painful at the end, when by
barber gave me a very vigorous head massage. I really wasn't ready for
such a thing. At least it is a bit cooler on my head now.... It is so hot here. Yesterday when we were at the dam, I just had to
find some shade to stand in. The heat here is extrodinary. And this is
the Indian winter! At night, it has got so cold I've considered taking
a thing jacket to wear over my t-shirt, but so far decided against it
anyway, and been fine. This morning we went to some shopping streets (a bit like "The Lanes"
in Brighton, Sussex), but the Indian verson, so there were lots of
clothes shops, which interested the girls in the group a lot more than
me. I got to taste some traditional food though, which was very, very
sweet. The meals we've had during the tour have all been very nice
though. We are now back at the hotel we started out at, and tomorrow even we
start the 24 hour train journey to Delhi. I forgot to say last time: Slumdog shows an orphanage. While what we
saw wasn't exactly the same, but it was very close. I can talk more
about this when I get back. Go see the film though. This tour has been very good. I'd even consider doing it again. It has
been good meeting the tour guides (the husband is from England, so it
has been good to speak to a fellow Brit for a while). I hope you are all well. Thanks for reading this. I'll be back in the
UK on 13th, but I'll be having a lot more to say after then, so please
keep on reading for more updates in the future.
been another fantastic time. We've been touring around a few different cities seeing what they have
there. We've been able to talk to our Father about what we've seen
here. I'm so glad He's paid the price for that connection. It cost
more than I could ever pay. It's a long, long way home - but he feels
very much here with me. Most of the places we've been to are on the west coast of India, and
so it has been really nice to see the sea again, just like back in
Portsmouth. The sun sets very quickly here, and seeing it descend
below the sea was a very beautiful sight. On one day, we walked up a lighthouse, only to find the light had been
made in a town in Sussex, very close to our base! After that, we got
to ride camels (on the beach, not in the lighthouse). This was fun,
but I kept on thinking I was going to fall off! The places we've been to are very nice, but hopefully something will
come that will make them even better soon - help them become the
places they were made to be. Tours like ours will hopefully help with
that. It has been sad to see so many child beggers. All they want is a few
coins, but I just want to take them back home so they can have a
better life than what they can expect here. When there 20 kids
surrounding our group of 10 plus 2 guides, what can you do for them
all? I've been having thoughts about the need to increase unity among
different groups in Portsmouth. Over dinner someone mentioned they
have a friend who thinks a group needs to be big before they can do
any big social activities, but I had a strong reaction against that,
and thought about how if each smaller group could come together in
unity, they could all work together to see the same goal achieved. Talking of achieving goals: last Monday we went to Gandhi's house -
where he was born! You would think the town with that distiction would
make a bigger thing of that house, but if you didn't know it was
there, you wouldn't have guessed it. It is quite a simple house, with
low cealings. They have built an extra court yard next door, which has
a few memorials to Gandhi, but there really isn't much to celebrate
him there. It got me thinking how even a good man, while celebrated
while alive, is almost forgotten once dead. Why am I here? Who do I
celebrate? Who is still alive?
Such a contrast. Yesterday we went to a dam where they store drinking water for the
city. Apparently lots of people go there to commit suicide (which is a
big problem in India), as most Indians can't swim. There was a small
zoo near by, which had lions, tigers and bears, which was nice (apart
from if you were one of the animals, when you should be out of cages
roaming free). I finally managed to get my hair cut. The tour guide took me and the
other makein our group to the barbers he uses. It was perhaps one of
the most fun times I've had having my hair cut, but that isn't saying
much as I really don't like having my hair cut (although I know it is
better when done). Things started off a bit differently when we were
served tea and coffee (from one of the vendors on a street side stall
outside the barbers), and moved on to stranger, when my barber went to
have a sit down and a chat with the tour guide rather than getting on
with my hair! Apparently it is because they only use scissors so need
breaks every so often. Things got very strange for the other guy when
his barber offered to remove the hairs on his nose, which he did by a
strange technique involving twisting string around each hair, and
pulling the whole thing out! I was glad I didn't have to go through
that too. Things went from strange to painful at the end, when by
barber gave me a very vigorous head massage. I really wasn't ready for
such a thing. At least it is a bit cooler on my head now.... It is so hot here. Yesterday when we were at the dam, I just had to
find some shade to stand in. The heat here is extrodinary. And this is
the Indian winter! At night, it has got so cold I've considered taking
a thing jacket to wear over my t-shirt, but so far decided against it
anyway, and been fine. This morning we went to some shopping streets (a bit like "The Lanes"
in Brighton, Sussex), but the Indian verson, so there were lots of
clothes shops, which interested the girls in the group a lot more than
me. I got to taste some traditional food though, which was very, very
sweet. The meals we've had during the tour have all been very nice
though. We are now back at the hotel we started out at, and tomorrow even we
start the 24 hour train journey to Delhi. I forgot to say last time: Slumdog shows an orphanage. While what we
saw wasn't exactly the same, but it was very close. I can talk more
about this when I get back. Go see the film though. This tour has been very good. I'd even consider doing it again. It has
been good meeting the tour guides (the husband is from England, so it
has been good to speak to a fellow Brit for a while). I hope you are all well. Thanks for reading this. I'll be back in the
UK on 13th, but I'll be having a lot more to say after then, so please
keep on reading for more updates in the future.
