Hi everyone.
Well, it's been another long day or so. We LOVED Haridwar with its crisp clean air, beautiful rocks, walk-able paths, and, of course, the green, green Ganges running through it. We wandered down to the river upon arrival...to be greeted by Indian students who were also on a trip. How many photos can we take of one another? A LOT!
Some of the BU SOCIOLOGY majors headed away from the group (what's new, right?) and we found a lovely little beach complete with beach cow and beach dog. It was fun to stick our toes in the water but, brrr…. cold! After lunch, many of the women enjoyed getting their hands hennaed and we all did a bit of shopping as we walked around town. After a lovely and relaxed afternoon, it was off to the ghats for a night-time deepmala ceremony and more time shopping at the local market. Oh, the stories I could tell! But, heck, I'm tired, so I'll let your sons/daughters tell you about their adventures that night.
We had an early night back at the hotel (9pm) so we could pack and have dinner. Have you ever heard of room service calling you back and saying "The mac and cheese is bad for you. Your order has been canceled?" Well, such things happen in India as Marti, Heather, and Taylor can attest. Again, good spirits prevailed although, sadly, back up room service didn't make it!
Today we left Haridwar for Delhi and a visit to the lovely B'ahai temple. Shaped like a giant lotus, it's hard to believe something could be so solid yet so light and airy. Too much to say about this so I’ll try to let pictures (or students) do the talking. We make a fast stop at McDonalds and S'barro. The food many of us never eat--scoff at, even--suddenly tasted like a bit of heaven. (Do I hear a haiku ode to french fries, anyone?) I think this means we must be ready to go home? Then, we made a stop at Fab India where, even I the non-shopper shopped. I'm not sure, but I think it's India's equivalent to Old Navy!
After one last dinner and a send off from our guide, Raj, students headed back into the bus on their way to the airport. (If all goes well, I'll post pictures of the day soon...but will probably need some settling time. Who knows what kind of airport wireless there is, so don’t be nervous if you don’t hear anything until folks are back in the states on the 9th.)
So, so much to say about this trip, but I really must go now. I do want to send a special shout out to the sociology majors who wrote me such funny, wonderful, haiku. You really cannot know what this gesture--and you--mean to me. Thanks for helping me have such a great time in India. And, for pushing me to be better as we do the work that we do.
Finally, special thanks to Maggie Monteverde for all her help getting our trip organized. (You cannot believe the effort she gives to this task. Really, she is an unsung hero!) To Paul Chenoweth for helping make this blog happen and to the UMAC folks (April, Jennifer) for getting the word out!! To Raj, our guide, as well as our driver and “helper” who made sure we got where we were going and who kept us safe and comfortable. To Geeta at New Age Travel who arranged our trip and who helped me, personally, tonight. (Thanks, Geeta!!!) To everyone at CCSA, especially Robin who was always so helpful and prompt and to Suzanne who helped us all with our travel (and, especially mine!). And, of course, how could we do any of it without Mike Klembara? We couldn’t! Thanks to my Associate Dean (Thom Storey), Dean (Bryce Sullivan), our President (Bob Fisher), and everyone else (including parents!!!) who support study abroad at Belmont. India is a tough country to travel, but it is so, so beautiful in so many ways. This trip has changed our lives and we hope we can show you how in the months to come. (Look for a VISUAL SOCIOLOGY dvd and convocation coming soon.)
Now we can say we’ve gone from here to India!
PS: Look for a few student blogs in the coming days...once they are settled in.