"normality"

It has been two weeks already since India. Everything is almost back to normal, and I'm glad to be back to normal. But every time I come back from a trip, 'normal' just seems a little stranger than normal. I notice things I don't usually notice. And more interestingly, unfamiliarities stimulate energy. Suddenly I find myself enjoying the things I usually take for granted. I get excited by mundane chores. Well, that's a bit of exaggeration, but I like this positivity. My fear is though, and the reality is, that eventually this stimulus will dry out. How can I keep this energy going. I don't want to lose it. How can I keep myself fresh all the time.

I believe there are couple essential elements for a healthy life. God, family and friends, means to make a living, rest and rejuvenation, giving back to society. Different people have different ways of looking at it, or categorizing it. But in any case, all these require times. All of these are important, and prioritizing is always easier said than done. I already find them competing with each other for my time and resources. Striking a balance is essential to serenity. I need to stay put, as I commit myself to things again after the vacation, and more importantly, as the new year comes.

India - day 20 - homestretch

Going home is also part of the journey I guess. The last night at the hotel I hardly slept. In my mind was all the flashbacks of the different scenes in different part of the journey. In my mind I found myself practicing how to response to people when they ask me how was my vacation. I really can't sum it up in less than a few sentences. It has been bitter and sweet. It has been an education rather than a relaxation. It has frustrated me, it has saddened me, it has battered me, yet it was an experience that has forever changed me. I now realize how much we actually have here.

Turns out I completely overreacted about the transfer shuttle. I've been misguided by the guide book. It says it as if the 2 airports were located two different ends of the city, but actually the airports are next to each other. The bus ride only took 15 minutes. I still don't fully understand it. The real delay ended up was at the security, where there were line ups, line ups, and re-line up... Other than that, everything was so smooth all the way through the Canadian border.

So that's it, I'm home! At last, there are no more people cut in line with no shame, no more cars driving on 2 lanes, garbage is appropriately placed in the garbage can, and the air is fresh, and of course, the rain. Everyone are nice to each other, and everybody are treated the same no matter what color you are. And everything are more less on schedule.

I'm still sick, I hope I didn't infect anyone on the way back. I hope I can get well soon and see everyone...

Thanks so much for everyone's care for the past 3 weeks. I didn't have time to reply the comments but I feel warm every time I read them. Thanks guys! You were part of the journey!

India - day nineteen - Udaipur

Yesterday night I was too tired, it felt like I was having a fever... But after a night of sweating, I feel better now. I got out at 12, and did a boat tour around this ancient man made lake, with two palaces on it. The lake was also made famous by the Roger Moore's 007 movie Octopussy. It is very beautiful indeed. I kept my promise and did not go into any of the palaces. I also did some shopping... At one of the shop, the guy noticed I have a running nose, and suggested I go for the head massage at their affiliated shop, which suppose to help my cold. I'm not sure if it has made it worst. I didn't know I have to take off my clothes for just the head massage, and a fan was running...

So this is it, if God willing, I've just had my last dinner in India, at the roof top of my hotel, overlooking the illuminated palaces on the lake. When everything goes well, this is a fantastic place to be. It has really been a mix feeling in this trip...

Tomorrow I will catch a taxi at 5:45am and go to the domestic airport. Then I will fly to Delhi, and transfer to the international airport. There's only a free shuttle bus, or perhaps an expensive taxi ride, to connect to the other airport, which is far away. This is where much of the delay could be.
The other worry is, if I'm still feeling ill, or if I'm running a temperature tomorrow, I have no idea what I need to do to get on the plane? and will they let me go through the borders? Things just can't get more exciting than this!

India - day eighteen - Udaipur

It is stunningly beautiful here. A palace rise up from the water... I'm glad I'm here. However I have not had a chance to enjoy it yet, 'cause I have found out I have booked the wrong connector flight from Udaipur back to Delhi, where I will take the flight back home. How can I be so stupid! I have spent probably an hour to talk to the Indian accent receptionist to try to cancel my ticket... I'm still not sure if I was able to cancel it. Now I have booked another flight which allows me more time to go from the domestic airport to the international airport. But with the things so backward here, it is still not 100% sure I can catch the flight. If I miss it, I will stuck here for another week :( Or maybe I'm just worrying too much.

I'm feeling a bit better today, but after all the mess, I'm again dead tired now. Anyway, signing off. Should get some sleep, for a full day of touring tomorrow...

Please pray for me...

India - day sixteen, seventeen - Mt Abu

It's been a long time since I see green mountains, green pastures, and green trees. It is so refreshing here. This is the cleanest place I have yet seen in India. Interestingly this is mostly a place for local tourists, not foreigners.

I think I've came down with a cold. I have to drop my hiking plan :( It would have been a nice hike... It is just too bad that I made it all the way here and couldn't do the stuff I've planned. All I managed to do was to walk around the lake, and went to see the sunset.

Little did I know, that yesterday was the last day of Diwali. Fireworks were everywhere. I was finally able to see some locals playing fireworks. And there were rave party music playing really loud from afar. If it's not for my cold, I would have followed the noise...

I've met the nicest locals here, they are so willing to help out. I arrived late at night yesterday. An off duty tour guide offered to walk me to my hotel. Thank God for that fellow 'cause I was dead tired with my cold.

I wouldn't mind spending a few more days here! But tomorrow I have to move on to my final destination, Udaipur - Viennese of the East.

India - day fiften - Jodhpur

I can't believe its November already. Feel like I've been here for the whole month! And I have forgotten which day of the week it is... The first day I've arrived in Delhi seems like a long long time ago.

Gotten bit of a soar throat this morning, maybe because I've gotten overheat on the us ride to here. The bus was sardined with people, there was no way to get off during break stop, so I drank very little water so I didn't have to go to washroom...

Anyway, toured around different view point today, one of it being a fortress, again. It was my last scheduled visit to a fortress. I think I have enough of it now. I start to feel they are all the same...

When touring one of the palaces, I saw a man who look very much like Anderson Cooper from CNN touring the museum, I wonder if they are doing a CNN India special or something...

I've gotten tired, so I decided to skip the shopping today. I really don't wanna get sick now, I would be really disappointed if I do. I think my last 2 destinations very likely gonna be the best part of my trip. I'm trying to get a day of hiking and hope to see some wildlife, and my last stop at Udaipur, which more than one person I met said is superbly beautiful.

India - day twelve, thirteen, forteen - Pushkar, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur

The past day my schedule has been too tight so no time for me to write anything. On my last day in Pushkar, I ran out of things to do. The fair became too loud and too dusty for me. The programming seems to be too touristy. I did find a music school and had my hands for the first time on a sitar. It is a complicated looking instrument, but after a few instruction, I was able to play some simple stuff. The teacher told me it can only be played in C, and there seems to be some notes missing from the tab; or perhaps the teacher didn't teach me everything.

On the same day I met Michael from Toronto, he is also touring India alone for more than a month. Just when I thought this camel fest was too much for me, I met another girl from Japan traveling also alone, decided to stay for another 3 days for the fest. I start to feel I'm getting too old for this. Maybe my mentality is just not like before. I keep wondering why this trip has been so tough for me, even more tough for me than Cambodia...

After that, I took a night bus to Jaisalmer in the western part of Rajasthan. It was a wild ride. I chose not to look too much outside. I did manage to sleep for a while. We arrived safely at around 9am. It is a hot place, it is really a dessert town. I was dead tired. It was like jet lag all over again. I had only the day to tour the city, so no time to rest.

I was skeptical about coming here because of not so good review from the guide book, but I'm glad I did. It is a small town and not as stressed. I found the most amazing craving at the temple inside the castle here. The cravings are detailed and complicated. I toured the castle museum and it was one of the most organized ones. After that I went for the touristy camel dessert ride to see the sunset. It was absolutely touristy. The dessert was full of people, garbage, camel crap, and people trying to sell you stuff. At the end I was able to find a quiet spot though.

There, I was 60km from Pakistan. Suddenly I feel so far away from home, and I've made it a long way. For a brief moment, I felt I was truly away from everything, but only for a brief moment. After a while, I see people again, and asked me which country I'm from,... etc.

That was yesterday. This morning I took a morning bus to Jodhpur. So far every hotel offered me free pick up service. But for this one, they asked me to call them when I arrive, 'cause the bus never stops at the same place... It was a disaster when I arrived. They dropped everybody off at a gas station. I had no idea where I was. As soon as I got off, the gas station staff tried to kick us out of their property, at the same time ricksaw drivers surrounded me (the tourist) and tried to take me to the hotel which they can receive commission. Even if you give them the address, they would take you to some obscure place and tell you the hotel doesn't exist anymore. At the same time still, street kids grabbed my clothes and hand and begged me for money. It was the most helpless situation, but I know I cannot lose my cool. I took a ricksaw with another Chinese couple to the train station so at least I knew where I was. Then I tried to call the hotel, but couldn't get through. I didn't know here I have to dial zero first! Nobody told me. At the end, I took a chance with a ricksaw driver. Thank God he was honest. (at least with the location. I know he overcharged me.) All this make me feel sad that people could become so selfish here. In India, you basically can never know for sure whom you can trust, and no one is really willing to lend a hand. Everybody looks after their own interests, and you are absolutely on your own. The more helpless you are, the more people see it as opportunities to take advantages of. If there is one thing I've learned from this trip, it would be never be selfish. Go the extra miles for a stranger in need; because I don't want the place I live in become like this.

Anyway, got to my hotel safely. It looks pretty nice. It is at a school area, at the end of a dead end street, very quiet and relatively clean.

I had my first non-vegetarian meal tonight. And I feel good. From Jaipur to Pushkar, to Jaisalmer, nowhere could I find meat.

I've been having diarrhea for the past few days. Had my first Pepto Bismal in Pushkar, had my second one this morning. Thank God so far it only happened when I was back to the hotel, so at least I have a clean washroom to go to. I still do not know for sure what is causing it.