July 1, 2015 We just returned from the airport where we sent Laura off on her 15 day adventure to India. I am going to miss her like crazy & worry about her until she returns, but I am thrilled that she is able to have this awesome opportunity. Safe travels to her & her traveling companions from People to People. Laura flew solo from Pittsburgh to Newark where she met her traveling companions & delegation leaders for the first time.
July 2, 2015 Laura made it safely to India! The flight only took a little more than 14 hours! This picture is the group she is traveling with (pre-flight). They arrived at 11:00 pm in New Delhi & it is still 88 degrees.
July 3, 2015 The group visited Jama Masjid today. Don t they look grand in their robes? They had to eventually leave though because it was prayer time at the mosque.
The group also visited Humayun Tomb today and walked in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi in Gurgaon, India.
Laura and her friends rode in a rickshaw today what a great way to get real up and close to the people of India.
July 4, 2015
Laura spent the day teaching and interacting with the children at the Deepalaya School, Gusbethi Village today. These are some of her new friends. The children from the school greeted Laura and her friends with traditional festive music and by throwing flower petals at them.
After lunch, Laura is helping the group with some planting of bushes and a hedge pathway around the school as a reminder of the day that they shared together. When it was time to leave, Laura and her friends presented some of the donations that they had brought with them for the kids.
July 5, 2015 Laura & her group traveled by train to Chandigarh, and then took a van on the very windy roads to Shimla today. They visited the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, formerly known as the Viceroy Regal Lodge. Only 50 people are accepted into the school s exclusive program requirements include having a PhD in either the Humanities or Social Sciences. No pictures were allowed in the school, but the group found pictures online that showed the grandeur inside the school. The school grounds were beautiful, and the group had their first encounter with the wildlife in India who doesn t love monkeys? Laura and her friends learned about the colonial history of the British Empire in India. Tomorrow they travel towards the Himalayas!
July 6, 2015 Laura and her group enjoyed some sights in Shimla today before continuing on their journey to the Himalayas. They took a walking tour of Shimla, a delightful town with an early English flair. They also visited Christchurch.
July 7, 2015 Laura & her friends had a very adventurous day today in Manali, India in the Himalayas they crossed a raging river on cables, went rock climbing & rappelling, rode a cable car high up in the mountains & went zorbing. Zorbing involves two people strapped inside a hamster-like ball and the ball is propelled down the hill.
July 7, 2015 Nice view from the lodge where Laura is staying. Oh, and another monkey!
July 8, 2015 Laura & her group did some hiking today & explored 5 villages in Manali, they supported the local economy by doing some shopping, & they got caught in a rain storm so they rode a tuk-tuk back to the lodge.
July 9, 2015 Today was mostly a traveling & resting day for Laura & her group. They are staying in these huts for a few days. The group had an enjoyable stopover at Castle Naggar.
July 10, 2015 Laura & her group interacted with kids from the Tibetan Children s Village in Northern India today. This charitable institution, which was established by the Dalai Lama cares for & educates orphaned and destitute Tibetan children in exile. Children are fostered in large groups of 30 to experience a family life. Tibetan children are sent over the border so they can practice their Tibetan ways. If left in China, they would have been forced to learn Mandarin Chinese.
July 10, 2015 Laura & her group visited the Norbulinka Tibetan Cultural Center in Dharmsala, Northern India today. They also did a Kora walk up a long hilly road to the Dalai Lama Temple, where they bumped into some monks (and some monkeys).
July 11, 2015 Today Laura & her group spent the day at a local government school in Macleodganj, India where they helped teach the kids English and prepare their lunch. To start the day, the kids sang a traditional song for the group. They also worked with the kids around the school and planted some trees. The kids loved interacting with the group.
Laura and her group had the opportunity to meet with Ven Bagdro today. He is a Buddhist monk who had previously been a political prisoner. He discussed the history of Tibet, as well as its current status. Many in the group bought his book (I hope Laura was one of them).
July 12, 2015 Laura and her group started their day with some early morning yoga before their long trek through the mountains to Amritsar, located on the historic Grand Trunk Road. In the evening, they engaged in community service at the Golden Temple, the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. The girls wore head scarves and the boys wore turbans
July 13, 2015 Today was another long travel day for Laura and her group, including a flight to Delhi and then a 6 hour bus ride to Agra. They got Henna tattoos (temporary) applied to their hands (girls) or upper arms (boys). Tomorrow they have a 4:45 am wake-up call so they can catch the sunrise at the Taj Mahal.
July 14, 2015 Laura and her group began their long journey home today. I can t wait to see her at the airport tomorrow afternoon and hear about her trip and the many friends she made and experiences she had along the way. They ended their time in India on a very high note by experiencing the grandeur of the Taj Mahal. Safe travels to Laura and all of her new friends! The group also visited Agra Fort. Akbar was the third Mughal emperor and undoubtedly the greatest. At age 14 he was crowned ruler. During his reign, the fort served mainly military purposes, while at the time of his grandson, Shahjahan, it also served as a palace and court.
The Taj Mahal, the seventh wonder of the world, symbolizes India. Taj Mahal means Crown Palace and is in fact the most well-preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb. It was built over a period of 22 years by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to his wife.
July 15, 2015 Laura is back in the U.S. and she and her new friends have to go their separate ways. One more quick flight back to Pittsburgh later this morning and she will be home. I am surer it is going to take her a few days to adjust to the time change.