Traveling Around India

August 14-19

As I mentioned in my last blog, I had the opportunity of traveling with a wonderful group of people from Europe around India. I loved just being able to be a tourist for once, but let me tell you there is a big difference between being here for mission work and being here for a tourist trip. I will try and sum up the whole week for you best I can.

I experienced my first train ride, which I must say I wouldn't mind EVER experiencing AGAIN! So crowded and confusing, but that is how we made it to our first stop, the Chenni (chin-i) Marina. But I have to say I don't know which was worse, the crowded train ride, or the over crowded beach! The beach was huge, but that meant the hike to the water would take a few minutes. Since I was a kid I have always wanted to ride a big beautiful horse on some lonely stretch of beach...what a nice picture... Well I never thought my dream would come true!....almost. A man on a horse rode up and offered to give me a ride down to the water. After saying no again and again, the people I was traveling with finally convinced me to have a ride. So I climbed up on that boney thing and the guy walked the horse through that crowded beach with everyone staring (because WHITE PERSON!) We finally made it to the water, and thats when he ripped five bucks off us by riding off before he had given us change. -_- Not exactly the fairy tale picture I had in my mind, but I did get to ride a horse on the beach and stick my feet in the Indian ocean. Things don't always go how we picture them, and when they don't thats when I can almost see God looking down from heaven just laughing at us! But it was also one of those moments where God knows your secret wishes and wants that you don't ask for, but he gives to us anyway in times when we least expect it . :)

We then traveled to St. Thomas's mount (Right) where “doubting Thomas” was martyred for his faith. As I stood on top of that mountain and looked out it was amazing to think that 2000 years ago Thomas traveled all this way probably by boat, foot, and mule just to tell people about Jesus. And I thought just flying 3000 miles away for the same thing was a big step! It was really neat to see how far his disciples carried the message.

Then we traveled to Puducherri (originally ruled by French) and saw another beach, this place was actually the nicest place I have been to so far in India, because it was the cleanest...and thats still saying a lot! Haha This beach was much better than the one in Chenni but unfortunately we didn't get to spend much time there.

More driving to Coimbatore, where we went to the Nilgiris railway and we took a slow steam engine (Swiss 120 years old) up to Ooty (8000ft) While in Ooty we went to the botanical gardens, tea plantations, and went for a boat ride on Ooty lake. At the lake I got my second chance to ride a horse, and I think the last horse ride I can handle for a while! It was a pure white horse which was neat, but about halfway through the ride it started rearing up and snorting. If I ever saw my life flash before my eyes, that was it! I was so scared it would run off with me on it or knock me off into the middle of all the traffic we were riding beside. Fortunately it calmed down, but I don't think I did until quite some time after wards!

Drove (some more!) to Mysore. I sound excited about the driving but don't get me wrong its all sarcasm, driving here long distances is the worst thing I have ever experienced...i think I would rather go to the dentist than spend one hour in a vehicle here, and believe me that is saying A LOT! In Mysore we went to the palace and toured it, the palace was really spectacular and was built from and contained items found in only certain parts of the world, so that was really neat.

Left top: Steam engine ride!

Left: Horse that went crazy!

And that ended my journey in India! I was back at the girls orphanage on August 19 in Bangalore for the last time till I leave, which at that point was 17 more weeks! Fred came back for a few days before going back to the states, and after saying goodbye to him and the people from Europe it hit me that I was the only one left, from then on it would be just me and God!

Right: Palace in Mysore

In Him -Katie T- The Daughter of a King