We arrived at LAX on Tuesday, and the plane was not so quiet upon our touchdown! We were all happy to be back in the states, but I personally could have spent more time in India. The last couple of days of our trip were very busy with traveling, but full of fun as well. Here goes the quick recap of our final days in India:
We visited the Taj Mahal, which is quiet an amazing site, but at 6:00am with about 97% humidity, most of us did not need the hour and a half we were given to take it in. After the Taj it was back to the hotel for breakfast, a quick shower, and then it was back on the road again to see Agra Fort. I actually liked the fort more than the Taj, as there was more to see there. It also provided a nice view of the city, including the Taj, as well as more shade than the Taj! That afternoon it was back to the hotel for napping and packing.
We left the next morning to make the 6 hour bus ride to Jaipur, known as the Pink City. Upon arrival to Jaipur, we stopped at a temple, and then headed to our hotel to check in. The hotel provided us with evening entertainment, including two ladies dancing with fire and pots on their heads, as well as a puppet show. Several students also got their palms read, and others had bracelets made to their specifications. The next morning, it was on to Amber Fort, where we road elephants up to the fort, walked around the fort, and then went to City Palace. Jaipur was also hot and very humid, so after the palace, several of us elected to go back to the hotel pool, while others decided to take in the local markets.
The next morning brought a 6:30 leave time, when we piled back on to the buses to drive the 5 hours to the Delhi airport, and then flew to Goa. This was not our original plan, but given all that was going on in Mumbai (where we had our original connecting flight to Goa) it was decided that this was the better travel route. This route however meant we spent the entire day traveling. My flight reached Goa at 5:15, and we arrived at the hotel at 6:45. Some students were on a later flight, and didn't reach the hotel until 8:45 (their flight was delayed). It was a bit of a bummer to the beginning of our stay in Goa, but things certainly picked up the next day!
Our full day in Goa brought time in the pool and in the ocean. The ocean water was nice and warm, but the rip tide was pretty strong, so we couldn't go in very deep. The drinks at the hotel were pretty cheap, so most of the students spent the day visiting the pool side bar! That evening, we all had dinner together at a restaurant called Fisherman's Wharf, which was a 4 minute walk from our hotel. Following dinner, it was back to hanging out at the hotel bar, chatting the night away. The next day, we had a 3:30am leave time, so most students didn't go to bed that night. At 3:30, it was back on the buses, heading for the airport, to fly back to Bangalore.
We were all exhausted on arrival in Bangalore. We ate breakfast at our hotel, which thankfully let us check in early (we arrived there at 9:15am), and then most of us went up to our rooms to sleep. Other than sleeping, the day was also filled with repacking of suitcases, as the next day we were headed back to the states.
We visited the Taj Mahal, which is quiet an amazing site, but at 6:00am with about 97% humidity, most of us did not need the hour and a half we were given to take it in. After the Taj it was back to the hotel for breakfast, a quick shower, and then it was back on the road again to see Agra Fort. I actually liked the fort more than the Taj, as there was more to see there. It also provided a nice view of the city, including the Taj, as well as more shade than the Taj! That afternoon it was back to the hotel for napping and packing.
We left the next morning to make the 6 hour bus ride to Jaipur, known as the Pink City. Upon arrival to Jaipur, we stopped at a temple, and then headed to our hotel to check in. The hotel provided us with evening entertainment, including two ladies dancing with fire and pots on their heads, as well as a puppet show. Several students also got their palms read, and others had bracelets made to their specifications. The next morning, it was on to Amber Fort, where we road elephants up to the fort, walked around the fort, and then went to City Palace. Jaipur was also hot and very humid, so after the palace, several of us elected to go back to the hotel pool, while others decided to take in the local markets.
The next morning brought a 6:30 leave time, when we piled back on to the buses to drive the 5 hours to the Delhi airport, and then flew to Goa. This was not our original plan, but given all that was going on in Mumbai (where we had our original connecting flight to Goa) it was decided that this was the better travel route. This route however meant we spent the entire day traveling. My flight reached Goa at 5:15, and we arrived at the hotel at 6:45. Some students were on a later flight, and didn't reach the hotel until 8:45 (their flight was delayed). It was a bit of a bummer to the beginning of our stay in Goa, but things certainly picked up the next day!
Our full day in Goa brought time in the pool and in the ocean. The ocean water was nice and warm, but the rip tide was pretty strong, so we couldn't go in very deep. The drinks at the hotel were pretty cheap, so most of the students spent the day visiting the pool side bar! That evening, we all had dinner together at a restaurant called Fisherman's Wharf, which was a 4 minute walk from our hotel. Following dinner, it was back to hanging out at the hotel bar, chatting the night away. The next day, we had a 3:30am leave time, so most students didn't go to bed that night. At 3:30, it was back on the buses, heading for the airport, to fly back to Bangalore.
We were all exhausted on arrival in Bangalore. We ate breakfast at our hotel, which thankfully let us check in early (we arrived there at 9:15am), and then most of us went up to our rooms to sleep. Other than sleeping, the day was also filled with repacking of suitcases, as the next day we were headed back to the states.
