KERALA!

Ah, my last excursion of the trip. It was a fantastic one too! I have to say it was one of my favorite places that I have visited here in India.

We arrived in Cochin...and my I was in awe when I saw the city. One of the cleanest places I have been to in India. Then we arrived at the hotel, it was a resort. The place was absolutely beautiful and live classical musicians were playing by the pool. After checking in, we went for a walk by the Arabian sea. I was amazed by what I saw. The fishing nets lining the beach and the people frolicking in the water. I ended up dipping my toes into the sea.

After that, we took a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala. I enjoyed the beauty very much and the peace that was gained. It was fun observing the people because it was good Friday and to see the people walking towards the churches in the backwaters. The food was amazing of course and the pineapple chutney became a favorite of mine. Staying on the boat was fun and relaxing way to get a nice tan!

We also had the opportunity to stay at a resort. This was basically a lazy day by the pool and I got sunburnt.

Then we were off to the foothills of the mountains. On the way, we stopped at a rubber plantation and a pineapple plantation. It was cool to see how these processes were done. When we arrived at the destination, another resort of course! I had the opportunity to see how spices were grown and I enjoyed learning about the various spices. I also bought some! When we were touring the garden, they had the hottest chili in the world and I ate it. I survived... That night we went to a martial arts performance and that was neat to see. I also went to a dance performance. The performer was so young and talented.

I also traveled to Munnar. It is set in the beauty of the mountains. I didn't want to leave. I walked around and people watched. In the morning, the group went to learn about tea processing and that was fun!

The final place was the beach. A beachside resort was just what I needed. I swam in the Arabian sea and enjoyed the sunset. I forgot how much I enjoyed the beach and the sand. I wish I had a boogie board though!

I wish I had more time to write about this trip but I have to much to do for my finals!

This Little Light of Mine: Solar Lamps for Children in the Sundarbans

Hello all,
In India, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at Association for Social and Environmental Development. I have been working on a project to get solar lamps for children in the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans is a biosphere region located in West Bengal and is declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. Alternative energy sources are needed to preserve this area.

Children use dangerous kerosene lamps to study. The children can get injured or start fires from the use of these lamps. Using kerosene is the equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes The lamps also give poor light for school work. Solar lamps will provide a safer and cleaner light source for the children.

25 dollars will give a solar lamp to a child in need. Give what you can and know that these children are receiving a wonderful gift. This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. I want these children to realize their full potential through education. Here is the website to donate: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/solar-lamps-for-students-in-sundarbans-india/ and there is also additional information on the issues that I was discussing is available.