INDIA

I know, I know! Could I take any longer to write about India?!
It’s funny because I used to be SO BUSY on the ship that I’d make myself write a blog in the twelve minutes of free-time I had each day… and NOW… I have so much free time, I keep putting it off!!
Anyway – here goes…
So, as I alluded to earlier, India was a tough port for many people. (Thank you, Nancy, for suggesting the trip to Erode – it was definitely the way to go!!!)
Even though we knew that we would encounter some harsh realities in India, many people were not emotionally prepared for the human hardships they would face on a daily basis – extreme poverty, rampant begging, etc. At our previous ports, when everyone returns to the ship during our last day in port, we hear endless accounts of positive experiences, adventures, quests and heart-to-heart moments with local people. This time was different. I heard a lot of: “I don’t like India,” or “I’ll never go back to India.” This was very sad for me to hear for a number of reasons. First, Joe and I had a totally different experience of India and would DEFINITELY go back someday. Second, I was disappointed that so many people (students, staff, and faculty alike) would so easily write off an entire country because of a few tough experiences. Granted, some folks who went to the Taj Mahal were burdened by a trip that was WAY TOO LONG and involved way too much travel and too little cultural immersion. But still… it makes me sad to think that some people will never go back because they didn’t get the chance to see another side of India – beyond some of the touristy spots that do not reflect the soul of India.
It had been recommended to me by my friend Nancy to do a homestay in one of the rural villages of southern India. This turned out to be one of the best pieces of advice on our voyage so far. I was the trip leader for a group of 30 students, staff & faculty to a town named Erode, southwest of the port city of Chennai. Chennai itself is the 4th largest city in all of India, so it is definitely an overwhelming, big, hustle-bustle city with fast-paced, slightly unnerving rickshaw rides all over the city. I can’t really describe what a rickshaw is, so I’ll wait for Joe to show y’all pictures of them. (P.S. Brian Holtz, you would want one of these rickshaws as your personal vehicle. They are awesome!)
Anyway - On the evening of our first night in port, my group traveled by sleeper train overnight to Erode. The sleeper train was so much fun! We had heard nightmares of bed bugs in the blankets on the train (yikes!), but we didn’t experience any bug attacks. We woke up from our little train beds at about 6:00am with bags under our eyes, but ready to experience rural India. We were met by our gracious guides who took us by motor coach into their small village of Jayaramapuram. When we reached the village, we were greeted by our host family and welcomed into their beautiful home. Our hosts brought out endless cups of hot tea & coffee, which immediately warmed our bellies and our hearts. The heads of the household were joined by their son and daughter in law, and a few other family members who served as our guides, friends, and hosts for our trip. They were amazingly accommodating and were willing to answer endless questions and tell many stories about their lives, arranged marriages, Hinduism, the caste system, etc. This particular family has been hosting Semester at Sea groups for 18 YEARS!! They love the opportunity to share India with the students and, as our wonderful friend Bharathi put it, “send more ambassadors for India out into the world.”
On the first day they took us on a tour of their farm, to the rice paddies, and adventured with us to the local markets. In between our outings, we were treated to some AMAZING homemade Indian food. Let me tell ya – I was in vegetarian’s paradise in India! The food is incredible, and since the cow is sacred in India – no cow meat and very little other meat is served. For dinner we were served a traditional Indian dinner on banana leaves. We all ate with our right hand – not our left because it is considered offensive. We got very accustomed to eating with our right hand! Did I tell you how good the food is??!! Coconut rice, chutneys, curries, naan bread, and endless yumminess!!! I was in food heaven!
We played games, told stories, and just hung out with the family and their children.
The following day we had to leave our wonderful host family, but it wasn’t without drawn-out goodbyes. We were sad to have to leave our gracious hosts, but it was time to join up with our guides and travel to the Bhavani temple in Erode. This temple was incredible… intricate, detailed Hindu stories and gods depicted on buildings… beautiful shrines… and an elephant that blesses each person that gives him (or her?) rupees! (see pictures).
We also had the pleasure of visiting two different Indian schools – one was a school for physically challenged young children, which was an incredible experience but way too short! The children performed for us – dances, martial arts and more – and then we performed for them, too! We had developed a routine the night before which included some acrobatic moves, an African stomp dance, and a traditional dance from Java.
Next we traveled to a large school in Erode to experience a day in the life of an Indian student. It was so fun! We got to look around the classrooms – 4000 students attend the school!! – talk with students, play a little basketball, see more traditional performances, and then – get ready for it – for our performance (we were not aware we had to perform)… our group pulled off a synchronized, country-style “Electric Slide” on stage in front of the whole school! It was hilarious.
Some of the students from the school accompanied us throughout the day, visiting temples, local factories, etc… this was really the highlight of the whole trip… to have such incredible travel companions who were so willing to share themselves and their culture. It was wonderful.
As the day came to end, we knew it was time to leave but none of us wanted to get back on the sleeper train. Our trip was too short, but we’ll always remember it!!
We slept like rocks on the way back, had another early wake-up call on the train, and arrived back at the ship around 6:30am. Joe and I took a nap and then traveled to Mamalapurum (south of Chennai on the coast) with the Exec. Dean and his wife, their son, and our friends J.B. and Theresa. Mamalapurum is a coastal town that has a resorty feel to it. It was very beautiful and we got to visit some ancient ruins that date back to 500-600 AD, yet were only discovered very recently. Joe has some great pictures of these…
All in all, we had an incredible experience in India. Our homestay provided us with the opportunity to see another side of India outside of Chennai and to truly interact and “just be” with our newfound friends in rural India. We definitely plan to return someday!