Sri Lanka

This was my first time to this country and I really didn't know what to expect. I figured being in close proximity to India that it would be similar, overwhelming, chaotic, hot, but it ended up being gorgeous and cool!  As an island nation it is very tropical.  There seemed to always be a light breeze.  In 2009 the civil war between the government and the tamil opposition came to an end and Sri Lanka has seen a long period of peace and prosperity during which they have boosted their infrastructure and tourism.  While the visits were ok, the food was wonderful.  Lots of seafood, one night we were able to eat dinner on the beach.  It was great to take off my sandals and let my feet sift through the sand.  I highly recommend the chili crabs!

India

I know I promised writing more, but I really didn't get any time throughout my trip to India to get on the internet!  The tour I was a part of had a busy schedule. This trip to India was much better then my last.  While Delhi was the same (no time to see anything other than school visits) Mumbai was a wonderful time.  Due to the protests occuring in Hyderabad, our trip there was cancelled giving us an extra 2 days in Mumbai.  With a day off I took advantage of visiting the Elephanta Island caves.  Elephanta is an island about an hour off the coast of mumbai where centuries ago, a local king had a temple to Shiva created out of the rock hill.  Intricate carvings of the god Shiva were carved out of the stone a massive undertaking but a beautiful place to visit if you ever have the chance.  The video below shows the trip from the Gateway of India, constructed for the arrival of King George V during his first visit to India.  The gateway is across from the famous Taj Hotel, a beautiful hotel which unfortunately was the target of the terrorist attacks a few years back.  As you get to the island you will see the abundance of monkeys were are quite a nuisance.  I watched as a monkey stole a bottle of pepsi from a kids hands and peanuts from someone else.  They can be quite aggresive!  The temple itself is shown near the end,  the main figure in each carving is the god Shiva the preserver.  Shiva is one of the 3 main gods who are manifestations of the one god that Hindus believe in.  The three include Brahman the creater, Vishnu the destroyer and Shiva the preserver.  In total there are over 3 million gods in the Hindu religion, however one you learn about the religion you realize there really is only one god they believe in and millions of manifestations of that god depicted in the hindu stories.  Hinduism is a fascinating religion and the stories that go with it are just as interesting.



After a bit of shopping around Colaba we were off to Madurai to visit Kodaikanal International School.  A very good school on top of a mountain which takes 4 hours to get to from the city we stay in but well worth it.  Check back shortly for another post on my trip to Sri Lanka!

Bangladesh

So I wasn't too good at keeping up with my blog on my previous trip but I will do better this time. I'm once again in Asia this time in South Asia visiting Dhaka, Bangladesh, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Madurai and Chennai India, Colombo Sri Lanka, Bangkok and Chiang Mai Thailand, Ho Chi Minh Vietnam and Jakarta Indonesia.

I have just arrived in Dhaka for my first stop.  This is my first time to Bangladesh and its turning out to be quite similar to India!  Bangladesh is a very small country but also one of the most densely populated in the world.  Dhaka is very similar to Indian cities, lots of traffic, overwhelming upon arrival.  The city is very spread out and there are hardly any buildings taller than 10 stories.  During the monsoon season Bangladesh is one of the hardest hit countries, with annual flooding and cyclone impacts.  Poverty is also very visable with many beggars approaching your car or following you on the street.  It is a vastly different experience than east Asia.

We will be in Dhaka for 2 days before heading on to Delhi, tomorrow we will be visiting two different schools and hopefully have some time to go out to dinner in the evening.  It hasn't been as hot as I was anticipating which is really nice as last time I was in south Asia the heat and humidity was unbearable.  I'll write again once we get to India.