We ended up staying on Pulau Perhentian Kecil for five nights. It was a very narrow island; we were staying on the west coast, but walked along a jungle-y, ten minute trail every day to enjoy the clear blue water and white sand on the est coast. The food was disappointing - overpriced, Westernized versions of Malay food - with not a drop of duty-free alcohol in sight. I guess you trade good quality food for the beautiful beaches.
Because of the shallow depth and crystal clear water, we opted to put off scuba diving until Thailand and took a snorkelling trip instead. We went by boat to five locations around the two islands in the area. The underwater scenery was wonderful, with unusal coral formations and cool sea creatures. At Shark Point, our first location, we saw a black-tip shark within three minutes of getting in the water. By the end of the day, we'd seen multiple sharks, sting rays, thousands of colourful fish (many of which enjoyed nibbling on Craig's peeling back skin - ew!), a school of teethy, menacing barracudas, and a giant green sea turtle well over a metre long who Craig dove down over five metres to stare in the eyes as it chomped on coral.
Next we headed to Kota Bharu where we spent three days eating our hearts out. Delicious street food was everywhere, at real prices not set to exploit tourists. Our favourite eatery was the nightly food markets, where rows of local vendors sold an astonishing array of Malaysian food. Everything from marinated skewers of chicken breast/neck/feet to every size and shape of noodle that your heart could desire to the biggest spread of exotic sweets Andrea had ever laid eyes on was for sale at the markets. If you haven't guessed it by now, somewhere in India, our trip has turned into an International Culinary Tour Extravaganza.
Our final stop in Malaysia was the big well-developed island of Penang on the west coast, which wasn't very far offshore and had more of a big-city feel than a touristy beach vibe. The town has a large Chinatown area and a giant Little India. Since we're both still going through Indian food withdrawl, we ensured our first meal was an Indian feast of paneer butter masala, aloo gobi masala, chapathi, and Indian chai, all enjoyed over the sweet smell of incense and ear-splittingly loud Bollywood music. Just like old times. Andrea had to restrain Craig from booking a plane ticket back to India.
Probably the strangest treat we've had so far Craig has voted to be in his Top Five dishes consumed thus far (and Andrea's tastebuds were too confused to decide): a local specialty called ABC. The small mom-and-pop stand always had a line-up, and people were buying them as fast as they could make them. Disclaimer: ABC is going to sound disgusting, but it's really delicious (says Craig) and confusingly alright (says Andrea). ABC consists of a bowl of shaved ice, covered with a sweet red syrup, green gummy tapioca balls, stringy black gummy pieces which can only be described as "leech-like" (honestly, we have no idea what half of these ingredients are), clear lychee-flavoured jube jubes, spoonfuls of red kidney beans and creamed corn (seriously), all topped with a heavy pour of sweetened condensed milk. Craig usually ate two bowls of ABC a day, which Andrea stole spoonfuls without beans.
Today we caught a mini-bus from Penang to Thailand. We were slightly apprehensive about the land border crossing, since it was our first outside of Canada. However, it went as smoothly as Big Dave's head. We are currently in the town of Hat Yai, and will be leaving Monday for our first Thai beach destination (yet to be decided since there are so many to choose from).
After spending three weeks in Malaysia we have found it to be the most liveable country we've visited (outside of Australia) - it's clean, friendly, and safe. That said, we don't fully understand the current government situation regarding the well-being of its citizens (for instance, the government tightly censors the media). However it was a lovely country to visit, and if we end up liking another country in South East Asia as much, we'd be very surprised.
It hasn't taken us long to get back on the beer bandwagon, since alcohol in Malaysia usually had very high taxes. Here, Chang beer (7%) costs under $1 CAD, so we sit here enjoying a beer (or three) in the muggy 30-degree Thai evening. We definitely don't live a rough life!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Craig Misses Indian Food More Than He Misses You
To further our post-India culture shock, after spending two days in Kuala Lumpur we headed to Puala Tioman, a small island paradise.
First of all, our bus to the port town of Mersing was about as different to a bus in India as you can get. Instead of 300-decibel Bollywood movies playing over three sets of speakers, we listened to easy-listening Top 40 Malaysian music set at the volume of a baby's fart. No one was yelling at each other or at their mobile phones - most people slept. Instead of missing seat cushions and windows, the bus was quite luxurious and less than 40 years old (in fact, it seemed brand new). And in place of potholed, dirt roads littered with goats and cows, we drove down modern paved highways, smooth as the farting baby's bottom.
Stepping foot onto ABC beach on Tioman, we truly left India's often-frantic pace behind. The beach we stayed at had no road, just a concrete foot path lined with family-run restaurants and bungalow complexes. The odd scooter (many complete with a sidecar full of waving kids) would lazily ferry children to and from school.
We spent our time on the island unwinding, swimming in crystal-clear blue water, and relaxing on the beach in between sampling lots of delicious home-made Malaysian food. We went on jungle treks to explore other beaches, with swinging monkeys overhead and shy six-food-long monitor lizards crossing our path. We even managed to get back into the routine of morning jogs, something we never did in India, since here we no longer have to deal with avoiding random cows and kamikazee rickshaw drivers, or air quality equal to that of a coal factory located at a wastewater treatment plant.
With $10 CAD/night bungalows to rent a mere 20 metres from the beach and meals costing between $1 and $4, Pulau Tioman is the kind of place that can kidnap a person for awhile. After a week of ultimate relaxing, we were ready to jump onto the backpacker circuit of Malaysia, with a three hour ferry ride and a four hour bus ride to our next destination.
We've been in the sleepy mainland beach town of Cherating for three days now. All the rain we didn't get in India is catching up to us, and it's rained on and off all day today.
Tomorrow we leave for our next destination: another island full of beaches and duty-free alcohol. As we follow the east coast highway north, we find the Malaysian backpacker trail to be just our cup of tea: it follows the coast and we never find ourselves too far from a beach.
PS - Yes, Thailand is our next destination. Yes, we know about all the unrest there - our moms keep emailing us articles. And yes, Craig is excited to get some photojournalism action there.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Culture Shock! Trading Indian Chaos for Asian Order
We are in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, and LOVE it!
We are feeling definite culture shock, coming here after almost three months in India. Instead of squat toilets and dirty bathrooms, there are Western toilets and super-clean bathrooms; instead of garbage on the streets, there are garbage cans everywhere; instead of people trying to cut in front of you in a queue for the metro/subway, there are people waiting patiently in lines; instead of incessant honking, there is... lots of traffic, yet quiet. We are missing our India food and some of the hustle and bustle, but in a way, Malaysia is a good change. This city is probably cleaner than Toronto, and very modern and Westernized.
Today we went and visited the Petronas Towers, home of a Malaysian oil and gas company, the tallest twin towers in the world at 88 floors and 451.9 m tall. They have free tours to the double-decker skybridge that links the 41st and 42nd floors. Looking down at the city from 170 m high was pretty neat.
The street food here in great - lots of soups and noodle and rice dishes, and meat, yes meat. Although we did not miss meat in India, turns out neither of us are destined to become vegetarians any time soon!
And now, for a Small World Moment: randomly we ran into Erin, the Canadian girl we met in Goa, at the street markets yesterday. Since she's also bouncing around South East Asia until September, I am sure we will run into her again.
Tomorrow we board a bus for the town of Mersing, where we will catch a ferry for Pulau Tioman (Tioman Island). We are in the need of some relaxing beach time to detox from the hustle and bustle of India!
We are feeling definite culture shock, coming here after almost three months in India. Instead of squat toilets and dirty bathrooms, there are Western toilets and super-clean bathrooms; instead of garbage on the streets, there are garbage cans everywhere; instead of people trying to cut in front of you in a queue for the metro/subway, there are people waiting patiently in lines; instead of incessant honking, there is... lots of traffic, yet quiet. We are missing our India food and some of the hustle and bustle, but in a way, Malaysia is a good change. This city is probably cleaner than Toronto, and very modern and Westernized.
Today we went and visited the Petronas Towers, home of a Malaysian oil and gas company, the tallest twin towers in the world at 88 floors and 451.9 m tall. They have free tours to the double-decker skybridge that links the 41st and 42nd floors. Looking down at the city from 170 m high was pretty neat.
The street food here in great - lots of soups and noodle and rice dishes, and meat, yes meat. Although we did not miss meat in India, turns out neither of us are destined to become vegetarians any time soon!
And now, for a Small World Moment: randomly we ran into Erin, the Canadian girl we met in Goa, at the street markets yesterday. Since she's also bouncing around South East Asia until September, I am sure we will run into her again.
Tomorrow we board a bus for the town of Mersing, where we will catch a ferry for Pulau Tioman (Tioman Island). We are in the need of some relaxing beach time to detox from the hustle and bustle of India!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
To India, With Love
From the temperate hill station of Kodaikanal we descended back into the full-on Indian heat - it's been at least 37 degrees Celsius every day since.
We spent two days in Trichy, where we visited two GIANT temples. One involved climbing 437 stone-cut steps to a wonderful view at the top. (An information board here claimed that geological surveys dated the rocky mountain at 3500 billion years old.... hmmm....) You can imagine how sweaty we were by the end of the climb. Luckily there was a film crew from Mumbai waiting for us at the top who were filming a documentary/travel show. They enjoyed getting lots of shots of two sweaty, sweaty white people climbing up and down the steps.
Our second-last stop was Pondicherry, the French-Indian town. Its history as a French trading post is still apparent in its many street signs being in both French and Tamil (the state language), businesses that close from 1 - 3:30 PM for a long lunch, and its yearly celebration of Bastille Day. Two days here were enough - we didn't really love it, though we couldn't pinpoint why.
We've been in Chennai now for three days. It's another big city (6.6 million). We've been doing last-minute shopping, exploring, and soaking it all in, as well as trying lots of street food and drinks we hadn't yet tried and indulging in our favourite Indian meals. We fly to Malaysia tonight.
And now...
India In Five Words
Friendly
We weren't fully prepared for all the attention we'd attract here. Being white, we stand out in any crowd as painfully obvious tourists. However, this means that there are loads of people who want to talk to us, take their picture with us, and ask us the Usual Questions: Where are you from? What is your good name? Is this your first time in India? How long are you here for? How are you enjoying your trip? We could answer the questions in our sleep by now, but it's great meeting people. Often there were times we were trying to get directions/bus info/train info/etc and we'd attract a giant crowd of people wanting to help (or watch). The children are the best; walking down a street, they often call out greetings to us, shake our hands, and try out their limited English.
Challenging
All friendliness aside, India is not without its challenges and frustrations. For every wonderful person we've met, we've also encountered at least ten not-so-wonderful people who try to rip us off any way they can. For rickshaw drivers to apple sellers to shop owners, white skin usually means MONEY and its close to impossible to get a fair price. We've been ignored, given the crappy seats on a long-distance bus ride (we've even been lied to about the destination of a long distance bus just to get us to fill empty seats - we discovered this half way to the wrong town), and had people try to cut in front of us in almost every line we've ever stood in. The racism (is that what it is?) can be extremely frustrating. Add to that language barriers, erratic bus schedules, Delhi belly, and the ubiquitous Indian head wobble (which means yes, or no, or I don't speak English, or anything else), and it adds up to a challenging 11 weeks. We've joked that "surviving" India should be something worth putting on a resume since it requires so many skills!
Any people thinking of traveling to India together need the ability to differentiate between being angry at your travel partnet vs. being frustrated at a situation; the ability to have important conversations regarding travel plans with at least 20 Indians watching/listening; and the willingness to unashamedly discuss your bowel movements together.
Sense-ational
India is, without a doubt, a definite assault on the senses!
Sights: Vibrant colours abound in India, from spectacular saris to the rainbows of fruit and veg stalls to the colour-throwing festival of Holi, with much more in between.
Smells: Walking down any street the smells range from mouth-watering restaurant meals to open sewers (they're EVERYWHERE) to fresh flowers in women's hair to cow and dog poop.
Tastes: Ahh, Indian food. Craig says it's the best food in the world - and Andrea just might agree. The range of dishes here is incredible, and unlike any "Indian" food we've ever had back in Canada. We've both been mostly vegetarian here, since so many restaurants are pure veg, and since the veggie food here is so good even Craig hasn't missed meat (much). Add to the food the spicy, milky chai (tea) and bakery sweets, and you have 11 weeks' worth of unforgettable meals. That said, somehow (maybe due to the 10 km + of walking we do daily) we've each lost at least 10 pounds.
Sounds: India is LOUD. City buses have air horns, and cars and motorbikes have unnecessarily loud DOUBLE horns. And everyone seems to honk them every five seconds, often for no reason. There is random music BLARING out of public speakers. Many cities have a VERY loud call to prayer at 5 am. And long-distance buses play Bollywood movies WAY above the threshold of hearing damage. We are certain we've both suffered hearing loss here. So speak up, will ya!
Touches: As we said, we shake hands with many strangers (adults and children) daily. Luckily, all restaurants have hand-washing stations. Most people eat with their hands here (even rice!), and we've only managed non-utensil eating for a few dishes - for rice, we still have to ask for a spoon. The hand-washing stations are especially lucky since toilet paper is not widely used here, but the "hand in bucket (of water)" technique is used. Even for number twos. (We always carry our own toilet paper.)
Perspective-Changing
India has put us in our place countless times. Although this country has the world's fastest-growing number of millionaires, a third of the population subsists on less than 45 rupees ($1 CAD) per day. (Our budget is 2000 rupees per day - and that's considered budget.) Poverty is everywhere, as are beggars. It gets a bit soul-tiring seeing upwards of 20 - 30 beggars a day (at least). We've heard accounts of parents purposely crippling their children so they can have a "good career" as a beggar. Government schools here have between 40 - 50 students in a class (and Ontario teachers complain!). People suffering from leprosy and polio - diseases unheard of in Canada - are everywhere. If we take anything away from this trip, hopefully our memories of India will make us complain a bit less about our "first world problems" and be more grateful for our fortunate lives in Canada.
Unforgettable
Like the Indian dust that settles into your clothes and bags and doesn't budge no matter how often you wash them, this country gets under your skin. You learn to love it or hate it - and we've definitely met travelers who are, unfortunately, hating it. Even though there are things we will miss about India there are also things we won't miss - but it's all a part of the experience. We can confidently say we LOVE India, and hope to return one day - maybe even with kids in tow, for some perspective-changing of their own.
And finally, because this post isn't already long enough...
Indian Math
$36 CAD/day spent
13 train rides
14 bus rides
41 rickshaw rides
23 cities visited
3 delicious, mouth-watering meals a day
1 Bollywood movie acting experience
7698 photographs taken of India by Craig
189 photographs taken of us by strangers
_________________________________
76 INCREDIBLE days in India
We spent two days in Trichy, where we visited two GIANT temples. One involved climbing 437 stone-cut steps to a wonderful view at the top. (An information board here claimed that geological surveys dated the rocky mountain at 3500 billion years old.... hmmm....) You can imagine how sweaty we were by the end of the climb. Luckily there was a film crew from Mumbai waiting for us at the top who were filming a documentary/travel show. They enjoyed getting lots of shots of two sweaty, sweaty white people climbing up and down the steps.
Our second-last stop was Pondicherry, the French-Indian town. Its history as a French trading post is still apparent in its many street signs being in both French and Tamil (the state language), businesses that close from 1 - 3:30 PM for a long lunch, and its yearly celebration of Bastille Day. Two days here were enough - we didn't really love it, though we couldn't pinpoint why.
We've been in Chennai now for three days. It's another big city (6.6 million). We've been doing last-minute shopping, exploring, and soaking it all in, as well as trying lots of street food and drinks we hadn't yet tried and indulging in our favourite Indian meals. We fly to Malaysia tonight.
And now...
India In Five Words
Friendly
We weren't fully prepared for all the attention we'd attract here. Being white, we stand out in any crowd as painfully obvious tourists. However, this means that there are loads of people who want to talk to us, take their picture with us, and ask us the Usual Questions: Where are you from? What is your good name? Is this your first time in India? How long are you here for? How are you enjoying your trip? We could answer the questions in our sleep by now, but it's great meeting people. Often there were times we were trying to get directions/bus info/train info/etc and we'd attract a giant crowd of people wanting to help (or watch). The children are the best; walking down a street, they often call out greetings to us, shake our hands, and try out their limited English.
Challenging
All friendliness aside, India is not without its challenges and frustrations. For every wonderful person we've met, we've also encountered at least ten not-so-wonderful people who try to rip us off any way they can. For rickshaw drivers to apple sellers to shop owners, white skin usually means MONEY and its close to impossible to get a fair price. We've been ignored, given the crappy seats on a long-distance bus ride (we've even been lied to about the destination of a long distance bus just to get us to fill empty seats - we discovered this half way to the wrong town), and had people try to cut in front of us in almost every line we've ever stood in. The racism (is that what it is?) can be extremely frustrating. Add to that language barriers, erratic bus schedules, Delhi belly, and the ubiquitous Indian head wobble (which means yes, or no, or I don't speak English, or anything else), and it adds up to a challenging 11 weeks. We've joked that "surviving" India should be something worth putting on a resume since it requires so many skills!
Any people thinking of traveling to India together need the ability to differentiate between being angry at your travel partnet vs. being frustrated at a situation; the ability to have important conversations regarding travel plans with at least 20 Indians watching/listening; and the willingness to unashamedly discuss your bowel movements together.
Sense-ational
India is, without a doubt, a definite assault on the senses!
Sights: Vibrant colours abound in India, from spectacular saris to the rainbows of fruit and veg stalls to the colour-throwing festival of Holi, with much more in between.
Smells: Walking down any street the smells range from mouth-watering restaurant meals to open sewers (they're EVERYWHERE) to fresh flowers in women's hair to cow and dog poop.
Tastes: Ahh, Indian food. Craig says it's the best food in the world - and Andrea just might agree. The range of dishes here is incredible, and unlike any "Indian" food we've ever had back in Canada. We've both been mostly vegetarian here, since so many restaurants are pure veg, and since the veggie food here is so good even Craig hasn't missed meat (much). Add to the food the spicy, milky chai (tea) and bakery sweets, and you have 11 weeks' worth of unforgettable meals. That said, somehow (maybe due to the 10 km + of walking we do daily) we've each lost at least 10 pounds.
Sounds: India is LOUD. City buses have air horns, and cars and motorbikes have unnecessarily loud DOUBLE horns. And everyone seems to honk them every five seconds, often for no reason. There is random music BLARING out of public speakers. Many cities have a VERY loud call to prayer at 5 am. And long-distance buses play Bollywood movies WAY above the threshold of hearing damage. We are certain we've both suffered hearing loss here. So speak up, will ya!
Touches: As we said, we shake hands with many strangers (adults and children) daily. Luckily, all restaurants have hand-washing stations. Most people eat with their hands here (even rice!), and we've only managed non-utensil eating for a few dishes - for rice, we still have to ask for a spoon. The hand-washing stations are especially lucky since toilet paper is not widely used here, but the "hand in bucket (of water)" technique is used. Even for number twos. (We always carry our own toilet paper.)
Perspective-Changing
India has put us in our place countless times. Although this country has the world's fastest-growing number of millionaires, a third of the population subsists on less than 45 rupees ($1 CAD) per day. (Our budget is 2000 rupees per day - and that's considered budget.) Poverty is everywhere, as are beggars. It gets a bit soul-tiring seeing upwards of 20 - 30 beggars a day (at least). We've heard accounts of parents purposely crippling their children so they can have a "good career" as a beggar. Government schools here have between 40 - 50 students in a class (and Ontario teachers complain!). People suffering from leprosy and polio - diseases unheard of in Canada - are everywhere. If we take anything away from this trip, hopefully our memories of India will make us complain a bit less about our "first world problems" and be more grateful for our fortunate lives in Canada.
Unforgettable
Like the Indian dust that settles into your clothes and bags and doesn't budge no matter how often you wash them, this country gets under your skin. You learn to love it or hate it - and we've definitely met travelers who are, unfortunately, hating it. Even though there are things we will miss about India there are also things we won't miss - but it's all a part of the experience. We can confidently say we LOVE India, and hope to return one day - maybe even with kids in tow, for some perspective-changing of their own.
And finally, because this post isn't already long enough...
Indian Math
$36 CAD/day spent
13 train rides
14 bus rides
41 rickshaw rides
23 cities visited
3 delicious, mouth-watering meals a day
1 Bollywood movie acting experience
7698 photographs taken of India by Craig
189 photographs taken of us by strangers
_________________________________
76 INCREDIBLE days in India
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Heads in the Clouds
Turns out the next two towns we visited were also super touristy, but in the best possible way: they were India-touristy and chock full of Indian families on vacation. This means heaps of authentic cheap food; tons of friendly people; and barely any other Western tourists. It also means heaps of things to see and do.
We spent two days in Cape Comorin, the southernmost point in India. It's seven degrees north of the equator and it was SUPER hot - over 40 degrees Celsius. You can stand at the shore and look out at what appears to be the nexus of the universe, where three seas (the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal) mingle and dance with the eloquent beauty of a drunken ballerina. There were islands with giant statues and temples just offshore. We got mobbed by many Indian families, and became the main tourist attraction when everyone wanted a "snap" with us. One family treated it like wedding photos, and kept trading family members in and out of the pictures to get many different combinations of everyone in a photo with us. They even got one of just Andrea and the baby. A group of 20 12-year-old girls on a school trip spent half an hour with us, and even got Andrea to sing the Canadian national anthem (no small feat - Andrea does NOT sing in public), and then they sang us the Indian national anthem. Luckily, Craig got most of the encounter (and all of the singing) on film. He, however, somehow managed not to sing.
For the past five days we've been in the hill station town of Kodaikanal (elevation 2100 m). The weather here is glorious - 25 degrees during the day, around 15 degrees overnight. We have done a different walk every day, around lakes, to viewpoints, and even past a golf course full of monkeys (we suspect golf balls get stolen often there).
The food here is incredible, and super cheap: teas and coffees for 5 rupees ($0.12), fresh bakery delights for 6 rupees ($0.15), yummy Indian breakfasts for 15 rupees ($0.40), and all-you-can-eat Indian lunches called thalis where they bring the refills straight to your table - the best kind of buffet ever - for 50 rupees ($1.25).
Everyone here is very friendly. We've met locals and shopowners who love us, so we feel welcome being recognized as we walk down the street. In a town of only 30,000 people, it's not hard to stand out as two of the few white people around.
This past weekend was a holiday weekend, so the town was hopping with well-off Indian families on vacation. We got asked to pose for pictures a lot - one girl even knocked on our hotel room one morning to get a "snap" before she checked out. Man, India is good for your self-esteem! We feel like celebrities!
Looking back, we wish we had visited more hill stations other than just Darjeeling and Kodaikanal. The weather up here is wonderful, the air is clean, and the people are so genuine.
We have only one week left in India before we fly to Malaysia. Our final three stops are planned (Trichy, Pondicherry, and Chennai). It's going to be difficult to say good-bye to such a colourful, bustling country as India.
We spent two days in Cape Comorin, the southernmost point in India. It's seven degrees north of the equator and it was SUPER hot - over 40 degrees Celsius. You can stand at the shore and look out at what appears to be the nexus of the universe, where three seas (the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Bay of Bengal) mingle and dance with the eloquent beauty of a drunken ballerina. There were islands with giant statues and temples just offshore. We got mobbed by many Indian families, and became the main tourist attraction when everyone wanted a "snap" with us. One family treated it like wedding photos, and kept trading family members in and out of the pictures to get many different combinations of everyone in a photo with us. They even got one of just Andrea and the baby. A group of 20 12-year-old girls on a school trip spent half an hour with us, and even got Andrea to sing the Canadian national anthem (no small feat - Andrea does NOT sing in public), and then they sang us the Indian national anthem. Luckily, Craig got most of the encounter (and all of the singing) on film. He, however, somehow managed not to sing.
For the past five days we've been in the hill station town of Kodaikanal (elevation 2100 m). The weather here is glorious - 25 degrees during the day, around 15 degrees overnight. We have done a different walk every day, around lakes, to viewpoints, and even past a golf course full of monkeys (we suspect golf balls get stolen often there).
The food here is incredible, and super cheap: teas and coffees for 5 rupees ($0.12), fresh bakery delights for 6 rupees ($0.15), yummy Indian breakfasts for 15 rupees ($0.40), and all-you-can-eat Indian lunches called thalis where they bring the refills straight to your table - the best kind of buffet ever - for 50 rupees ($1.25).
Everyone here is very friendly. We've met locals and shopowners who love us, so we feel welcome being recognized as we walk down the street. In a town of only 30,000 people, it's not hard to stand out as two of the few white people around.
This past weekend was a holiday weekend, so the town was hopping with well-off Indian families on vacation. We got asked to pose for pictures a lot - one girl even knocked on our hotel room one morning to get a "snap" before she checked out. Man, India is good for your self-esteem! We feel like celebrities!
Looking back, we wish we had visited more hill stations other than just Darjeeling and Kodaikanal. The weather up here is wonderful, the air is clean, and the people are so genuine.
We have only one week left in India before we fly to Malaysia. Our final three stops are planned (Trichy, Pondicherry, and Chennai). It's going to be difficult to say good-bye to such a colourful, bustling country as India.
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