Ultimate Game of Chicken

I used to play chicken as a child but now it has a whole new meaning to it. Any form of transportation in India is going to have some fear inducing side effects. I have had some quite interesting experiences in getting around. Foot of course is the cheapest and sometimes the most convenient way to get around in the city. At the same time, it is a huge game of frogger. You have to navigate and be aggressive to get across the street. I learned that you can't wait for traffic to stop for you or otherwise you'll be there the whole day. I have successfully made it so far without getting killed or injured which I considered to be an accomplishment. In the end, this is the least fear inducing form of transportation. The metro isn't as bad. It can actually be quite fun to people watch. At the same time, you have to safe guard your belongings and look out for the creeps. The creeps is where the fear can come. The ones who eye you up, cat call or sometimes brush against you. It can be quite uncomfortable but not as scary. I feel safest on the metro because of the sheer number of people. As it gets later into the night, the metro becomes unsafe and a woman shouldn't take it after 9:30 by herself. The reason behind this is the trains become infrequent and stop at 11. Autos, tuck-tucks or rickshaws whatever you wish to call are one of the most iconic things from India. There cheap and great for short distances. Be ready to be smashed in with people and have no personal space. Autos break down a lot but the driver does find another auto for you. The scary part is that auto drivers are some of the craziest drivers out on the roads. In addition, sometimes you are only half in the auto and that leads to an adrenaline filled ride because you are holding on for dear life. Being that close to a bus where you feel like you could lose an arm is part of the Indian experience and it is now normal for me. Cars are a common way to go long distances but taxis are convenient for those short term in a hurry trips. Let me start by saying, getting into a taxi and learning your driver doesn't know where he is going is scary. Sometimes they just pretend they don't know. Driving around can be just as frightening as they don't really follow the traffic rules. Cars back up the street or run lights all the time even drive on the wrong side of the road. The video that I have posted is an experience driving back from an excursion and it gives you a taste of the driving style in India.Transportation is quite an experience in India. I have just learned to enjoy the ride.

As long as I don't die and I get to my destanation safely that is all that matters. Each form of trnasportation has its own pros and cons to it but sometimes the funnest part of the trip is getting there.

Life in Kolkata

Since I have wrote mostly about my travels around India, I thought I should tell you a little bit of my experience living in a city an extended amount of time. Kolkata is a city of 15 million people and is one of the world's biggest people. When I told people I was coming here, I often got the question how will you deal with all those people. I do come from a small town and it was an understandable question to be asked. Now that I am here, I'm dealing quite well with it. At first, it was overwhelming but now I'm used to it. I never feel like I am in that big of city.
Adjusting to traffic was an intersting experience for me. The people plus the amount of cars was overwhelming and scary. I have joked it is a real life game of Frogger. Who knew playing that game would come in handy. You just have to close your eyes and have faith that you won't get hit. I have actually become quite good at crossing the street and I just go. You have to be quick and mentally aware to make it across the street alive.
I'm getting used to all the activites that are afforded to me living in a big city. The different streets you walk down and the places you find is remarkable. The other day I found a place called Aurobindo Bhawan. It is a place where you can meditate and enjoy the beautiful garden. It is the birthplace of a guru. I couldn't believe walking in off the busy street and it was so peaceful. I have also visited College Street. It is one of the most famous places in Kolkata and oldest. It has 4 of the oldest Kolkata universities. There are tons of book stalls. I don't think you can even imagince the number of book stalls that are possiible. It was for sure an eye candy experience for me! In addition, I went to the famous Indian Coffee house and of course had coffee! The things that you can do are amazing....I can't wait to explore more of the city and tell you of the places I find.

Till I write again,
Bekkah

Himalayas

Hey everyone! I haven't written for awhile so I thought I would today. Last week, I went on a five day trip to the Jungle and the Himalayas. Friday, we took an aeroplane to a city and then a few hour jeep ride to Chilapata Jungle camp. We got there late in the day. So, it was a surprise the next day when we woke up at what surronded us. It was a breathtaking sight even though we had to be up at 6 am to take our jungle safari. The safari was amazing! We saw some herds of elephants, birds and rhinos. I enjoyed every minute of it. We headed back after a few hours for some breakfast. Then after breakfast, the group split up. I ended up deciding to go birdwatching. We didn't see many birds but the walk through the jungle was surely worth it! After that, we took a drive to a river and chilled for a few minutes. It was getting close to our evening safari. We ended up seeing another herd of elephants. Its rare to see 3 herds of elephants in a day! It was beautiful to see the forest and wished I could just sit in a tree to watch all the animals all day. The next day we had to get up early to make our trek to the Himalayas. The car ride was another long one! On the way to Neora Valley, we got to see tea gardens and how tea is made. We continued our trip and made another few stops. We ended up stopping at this river and taking pictures for awhile. I climbed up this huge rock and was so scared but once I got on top it was so worth it! Then I was the crazy girl who went in the river and took so pictures. It was so cold but so worth it! Then after that little stop, we were almost there. Surprise! Our car got a flat tire and we had to walk the rest of the way there. The walk was lovely after being stuck in the car for a while! The himalayas are surely beautiful. We got cut loose to explore the mountains by ourselves and we ended up going up a dried up waterfall. I fell into a snake pit! JK JK. Anyway, we headed back for tea and then dinner later on.
The next day we went on a walk to a waterfall. It was gorgeous to see and the video is of me at the waterfall. After our walk, we ended up going to Lava(the nearby town) and visiting a buddhist moneastry. It was breathtaking and cold! The work that goes into those places is amazing. I ended up buying some buddhist prayer beads. This blog post is getting long, so this is what I have for you guys and I hope you enjoyed reading!

I hope you enjoy the video...I don't know the quality so bear with me!