Our school had another week off this week, and we took advantage of the time to go on another vacation. It has been quite a long time since we have been to Asia, so we decided to take a trip to India and Sri Lanka.
In India, we visited a friend that we knew in South Africa who now teaches at an international school in New Delhi. We were only there for a weekend but had a great experience. Our friend, Faze, took us to Old Delhi were we got a tour of the town by bicycle rickshaw. There we saw crowded streets, cows in the city roads, and the infamous cables and wires clumped together across buildings. The most memorable part of the tour was a stop at a local building where people sell chilli peppers. Just walking in to the bottom floor of the building, we started coughing and tearing up at the powerful smell. Once we walked up to the third floor, we finally saw the chillies - huge bags full of them. This was also a wake-up call in to local poverty and culture. There were very small stalls, one after another, that each contained a small platform with a blanket on top for a bed and many bags of chillies next to it. This is where sellers of the chillies sleep and live. It also happened to be Saturday - bathing day - where the people were able to wash up for the week. Taelyn was surprised to see how they would bathe right in front of us.
The next day, we took a day trip to see the Taj Mahol. We have seen numerous pictures of the palace, but the pictures do not give it justice! The Taj was enormous and impressive. Our guide pointed out all of the symmetry, and as we stood in various points on the property, we could look left and right to see exact mirrors images. This was true of the palace, the guest buildings, the front entranceway, and the gardens. It was amazing. The girls also had a great time as mini celebrities. We bought them Indian dresses the day before on our rickshaw tour, and they were eager to wear the dresses at the Taj. As they walked along, people came over every five minutes, asking to take pictures with the girls. Then when they posed for pictures in front of the palace, they had a little paparazzi ready to take the pictures as well. They didn't seem to notice too much, and Taelyn was really excited to take a picture where it looks like she is touching the top of the Taj Mahol.
The next stop on our journey was to Sri Lanka where we spent four nights at a beach resort with some friends from school. They have three daughters, so our girls were more than happy to play together. We stayed in small cabanas made out of palm leaf weaving on the walls and thatched roofs. Our bathroom actually outside the back of the cabana in a private, walled off palm leaf woven area, and the water for our shower ran through a piece of bamboo.
While on the beach, we got to see local fisherman bring in a huge round of fish 2-3 times per day by casting out a large net with boats and then pulling in the nets by hand. The girls loved to be around when during the final stages of the process so they could see all of the fish get dragged in. They got to pick up several fish on the beach, but we also had to be careful not to step on any of the mini swordfish. They were only about 3-4 inches long but very pointy.
The biggest highlight of our time in Sri Lanka was a boat excursion to go dolphin watching. The experiences was absolutely amazing. After about 10 minutes to driving out at sea, we came across tons of dolphins. They would literally swim past by the hundreds, leaping out of the water within feet from the boat, and occasionally jumping up to do a flip. All five girls were ecstatic with the adventure, and the adults were not any less impressed.
Other fun activities included salsa lessons for the adults and palm leaf weaving for the kids. There were also lots of places for the kids to explore - including a wooded area off the side of our cabanas and the many crooks and crannies of the resort where cats and kittens roamed. During the rest of the time at the beach, we spent quality time swimming in the ocean and pool, playing in the sand, and just hanging out. It was a great combination of adventure and relaxation.
In India, we visited a friend that we knew in South Africa who now teaches at an international school in New Delhi. We were only there for a weekend but had a great experience. Our friend, Faze, took us to Old Delhi were we got a tour of the town by bicycle rickshaw. There we saw crowded streets, cows in the city roads, and the infamous cables and wires clumped together across buildings. The most memorable part of the tour was a stop at a local building where people sell chilli peppers. Just walking in to the bottom floor of the building, we started coughing and tearing up at the powerful smell. Once we walked up to the third floor, we finally saw the chillies - huge bags full of them. This was also a wake-up call in to local poverty and culture. There were very small stalls, one after another, that each contained a small platform with a blanket on top for a bed and many bags of chillies next to it. This is where sellers of the chillies sleep and live. It also happened to be Saturday - bathing day - where the people were able to wash up for the week. Taelyn was surprised to see how they would bathe right in front of us.
The next day, we took a day trip to see the Taj Mahol. We have seen numerous pictures of the palace, but the pictures do not give it justice! The Taj was enormous and impressive. Our guide pointed out all of the symmetry, and as we stood in various points on the property, we could look left and right to see exact mirrors images. This was true of the palace, the guest buildings, the front entranceway, and the gardens. It was amazing. The girls also had a great time as mini celebrities. We bought them Indian dresses the day before on our rickshaw tour, and they were eager to wear the dresses at the Taj. As they walked along, people came over every five minutes, asking to take pictures with the girls. Then when they posed for pictures in front of the palace, they had a little paparazzi ready to take the pictures as well. They didn't seem to notice too much, and Taelyn was really excited to take a picture where it looks like she is touching the top of the Taj Mahol.
The next stop on our journey was to Sri Lanka where we spent four nights at a beach resort with some friends from school. They have three daughters, so our girls were more than happy to play together. We stayed in small cabanas made out of palm leaf weaving on the walls and thatched roofs. Our bathroom actually outside the back of the cabana in a private, walled off palm leaf woven area, and the water for our shower ran through a piece of bamboo.
While on the beach, we got to see local fisherman bring in a huge round of fish 2-3 times per day by casting out a large net with boats and then pulling in the nets by hand. The girls loved to be around when during the final stages of the process so they could see all of the fish get dragged in. They got to pick up several fish on the beach, but we also had to be careful not to step on any of the mini swordfish. They were only about 3-4 inches long but very pointy.
The biggest highlight of our time in Sri Lanka was a boat excursion to go dolphin watching. The experiences was absolutely amazing. After about 10 minutes to driving out at sea, we came across tons of dolphins. They would literally swim past by the hundreds, leaping out of the water within feet from the boat, and occasionally jumping up to do a flip. All five girls were ecstatic with the adventure, and the adults were not any less impressed.
Other fun activities included salsa lessons for the adults and palm leaf weaving for the kids. There were also lots of places for the kids to explore - including a wooded area off the side of our cabanas and the many crooks and crannies of the resort where cats and kittens roamed. During the rest of the time at the beach, we spent quality time swimming in the ocean and pool, playing in the sand, and just hanging out. It was a great combination of adventure and relaxation.
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