Canada
Esther:

After Singapore, we flew north-east to Seoul, Korea. The airport there proved to be a soothing, serene atmosphere, despite the need to pass through unneccessary x-ray and frisking checks.

The last leg from Seoul to Vancouver was 9 1/2 hours and proved to be extremely comfortable. I think Angelo and I recognized that the patience we learned in India made the flight and waiting times very easy. The comfort in which we traveled was stellar next to anything we have done in the past 3+ months! We were treated like gold and ate wonderful Indian veg plane-cuisine. Our travel time total came to 30 hours including stopovers waits. We left Dehli 1115pm, April 7th and arrived in Vancouver at 1215pm on April 8th - so go figure if we're feeling out of sorts over the next few days.

As soon as Vancouver was in our sights, my heart began to beat harder and my emotions spoke to my gratification of coming home. The touchdown was like our last 'check' on the list of all the remaining things to do on this excursion.

What struck us about the drive home was, lines on the road to divide lanes, no honking whatsoever, courtesy within space between cars, boulevards, clean streets and signage to go with it all! The beauty of the Fraser Valley was astounding and beckoned me home to Chilliwack (our new place).

Home = Canada. What a great country to be born into. Really, doesn't it come down to that? We don't choose where we begin and that can make all the difference in what the definition of the 'real world' may be to you and me. India brought so much into focus for me, particularly that my life is a good one. Life is about love, pursuit of happiness within attaining the reality of dreams and about facing the difficult questions in order to find the right answer.

Truly, I don't know how to wrap up the blog, but I thank you for joining us on our travels. Our ability to capture India was fun to blog, fun to communicate and well, it's going to make explaining those 35+ rolls of film a whole lot easier to explain!

Thanks and keep in touch!
Email for now: angeloesther@hotmail.com
Phone #: 604-824-1352

Permanent Link | Travel Map

 
Singapore so far...
Esther:

Angelo and I are currently back in Singapore for a brief, but welcome stopover. We have had a lovely iced coffees and are utilizing this snazzy free internet stop to pass the time.

Leaving Delhi was a mixed bag of emotions for me. I had this strange feeling overwhelm me the entire night before our departure and following day that was almost like a sick-to-my-stomach kind of emotion, much like if you had to go on stage to perform or something. I guess my nerves were all wrapped up in whether or not I had done everything that I had hoped. Confidently, I can answer yes to that question, but it niggles in the back of my mind nonetheless.

The five hour flight from Dehli was non-eventful and quick. We've got some great movies to watch, mostly flicks that we didn't get to see because of leaving N. America, so we're optimistic about the next 17.5 hour leg onto Vancouver.

Looking forward to more real coffee and getting those films developed!

Permanent Link | Travel Map

 
Luxury
Angelo:

Esther and I are now in the last days of our India sojourn, (we board a Singapore Airlines flight bound for Vancouver on Wednesday, April 7th), and have decided to spend them in luxury. Last night we arrived at the New Delhi Radisson and booked ourselves into a Business-Class suite. King-sized bed, copious pillows, warm lighting, satellite television, opulent marble bathroom (with 24-hour hot water!) and a complimentary buffet breakfast with real brewed coffee...another world. Once we settled in, though, I looked out over the freeway outside our window and saw a babu riding his elephant along the shoulder as unaffected locals in air-conditioned Toyotas roared by him, and at night the mullah's cries from a nearby mosque could be heard over the purring of our air conditioner. Still in India.

The five-star prices are relatively outrageous, (a can of pop costs nearly ten times what it does elsewhere), but we have no problem justifying this excess. After all, our three months in the subcontinent cost us much less than we anticipated. We budgeted around $30 CAN per day, and on average spent around $20 CAN...that's including rooms, food, transport and souvenirs...for the both of us.

We're enjoying this last stage of the journey, a vacation within the trip, but are somewhat sad that it's all coming to an end as well.


Permanent Link | Travel Map

 
In the Moment
Angelo:

Darjeeling was cold this morning and, much like the day we arrived, the gathering clouds obscured the valley. We bid a fond farewell and caught a jeep out of town.

In the last couple of days the water shortage problem in Darjeeling has really heated up. It's come to the attention of the press that the West Bengal government earmarked funds to remedy the water-distribution debacle...which have subsequently gone missing. The local MP was quoted as saying that the water shortage problem in Darjeeling was "...a minor issue." Not so if your livelihood depends on tourism and the tenents of your guest house cannot take a shower or flush the toilet. Last night frustrated residents crowded around the two or three water trucks sent up the mountain from Siliguri to placate them. Protests and marches were planned for later today.

Given the above circumstances our departure felt serendipitous. Our over-loaded Tata Sumo jeep dove down, down down...descending two-thousand meters in approximately thirty kilometers in a long series of switchbacks that had the fender wells rrrrppp-rrrppp-rrrppping against the tires and our driver wrestling with the steering wheel.

As we lurched down the side of the mountain through enormous bamboo stands, forests, and tea fields where women with baskets on their heads picked the 'first flush' while balancing precariously on toes on forty-five-degree slopes, it occurred to me that the success of traveling lies in the enjoyment of the moment. With a panoramic view of the valley opening upon greater West Bengal I was certainly enjoying this one, though the Indian fellow in the back seat retching out the side window for the entire descent might have had other ideas about it.
Permanent Link | Travel Map

 
Last hike in Darjeeling
Esther:

Today marked our last hike through the beauty of the hills of Darjeeling. We did a long walk past the Zoo to the Ropeway, which marks the outskirts of Darjeeling proper. Then we took the turn to walk back to town along the slopes of the tea plantations.

Within this walk we encountered Tenzing Rock, which is huge rock that the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute uses for training students. It was quite impressive, with a makeshift tourist centre huddled around it, with kids belaying down the slope (much to my chagrin) with basic ropes around waists and all the while hooting and hollering to their hearts content.

We found a small path shortly thereafter through a tea field and made our may up up up to the main road to town. This tea field path was wee, making it much more realistic how difficult it is to farm these extremely steep slopes to collect tea leaves. We earned an even greater respect for the tea workers by simply walking on their 'main path' through the plantation.

Sweating happily, we made it back to town where the scene is bustling and the sun is shining upon the lovely Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian faces. We headed to our Hasty Tasty restaurant for a couple of masala dosas (maybe the last ones of the trip!) and realized that we've fallen into quite a routine, not discluding this blogging and email bout. Darjeeling has become close to hearts, making it a little sad to go, but a great memory amongst many in our India excursion.
Permanent Link | Travel Map