Gujarat Tour

In short, my tour of Gujarat was a lot of Rotary meetings, temples, and riding in the bus, but we had a ton of fun through most of it. After all they say it’s not where you are, but who you’re with, and with the 16 other long term exchangers and the extra 12 Malaysian short terms that joined us for the Gujarat tour, everyone managed to have a good time.

We started off our tour with a fun train ride that reunited us back with everyone living in other cities. After a Rotary Meeting in Ahmanabad where Mayara, Morie and I performed a Japanese Dance and a pop/country dance to Shania Twain’s “Man! I feel like a Woman!” there was a four hour bus ride to Rajkot where we spent two days sightseeing there, staying a host families, and attended a Rotary Meeting.

Once we had completed our stay at Rajkot we spent the day traveling stopping at one city to see a Jain temple and then continued on till we reached the Jain city of Polytana that has several temples all built at the top of high hillsides. This happened to be Thanksgiving day and that night we stayed at a temple hostel. Surprisingly I had a very fun thanksgiving, and I spent a lot of the day explaining Thanksgiving to the students from other countries. After our 6:30 dinner of temple food (not Thanksgiving dinner by a long ways) some of the students brought out their hidden stash of peanut butter and Nutella and with cookies covered in these condiments we made a fake turkey, we went up to the terrace of the hostel, sat in a circle, and everyone went around saying what they were thankful for. It was a very universal Thanksgiving.

The next morning we got up early to go and see one of the temple and managed to a make it through the crowds of people begging on the sides, there was a wedding going on, and then all the other visitors to the temple. Finally we made it up and saw the temple which was very pretty, but being a Jain temple has a series of almost identical-appearing statues of Gods. After another crowed walk back to the bus we then drove up a twisty road up to the top of a hill where a beautiful, white marble temple lay at the top looking out over everything. The temple was still in the process of being built, but it was so open and light that you just felt blinded by the light of holiness. Although at one point we were walking up to the next story and it was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, and you had to feel your way up the steps.

That night we went to a Rotary meeting in Bhvnagar and that night I stayed in a private hospital. At the hospital we actually slept in the hospital beds and later that night we met the only patients and I held a five hour old baby. The stay and host were a little strange, but it was still fun and definitely a new experience. During the next day it was a very temple filled day and all day we were in the bus we then stopped to see a temple and then eat at the temple then we kept driving until we stopped to see then eat at and then stay in the temple’s hostel.

On this particular day the temple experience was to the extreme and we had the experience of eating what the poorer pilgrims ate and see how they sleep on the floor outside the temple. The association with the other pilgrims was a great experience at the temples. Unfortunately the hygiene of these places was a little questionable and for dinner that night we were able to watch a domino show of bodies shoot standing strait up (accompanied by shrill screams) as a rat ran along the wall they were leaning on to eat. Despite the bad hygiene (see a rat, people using their hands to serve us food ect.) the temple had a very unique kitchen where one side could make kurd (yogurt) without adding anything to make it solidify. The kurd was at least good there.

For our next destination we had all thought that we were going to the Sasan Gir Reserve where the last Asiatic Lions survive, but due to the expense to high for most of the students and time constraints we had to skip that and then drove to the beach in Diu!! Oh the beach was soooo much fun! The beach didn’t smell like a proper beach, but there was water for swimming, sand, shells, and one of the exchangers even found a poisonous snake slithering about. Needless to say anywhere near water I am in heaven so I loved Diu!!! After lots of swimming and in my case a little body surfing we went in to have dinner and later that night a dance party on the beach!

The next morning most of the exchangers woke up early to see the sunrise! Myself and two other girls went for a run along the shore, and then spent a ton of time searching for seashells and other treasures. When we were almost back to the hotel a huge group (25) of tribal women carrying firewood overtook us and surrounded us talking in their native tongues, a couple grabbed pieces of our clothing, and others touched our hair. Honestly it was kind of a startling experience. By then most of the other exchangers had gone back to sleep, but I was glad that I had stayed up to enjoy the sunrise to its fullest extent and enjoy the beach for as long as possible.

After a late start out of the hotel we visited a fort overlooking the ocean, saw a Catholic church, and then had a very long bus ride to Porbandar. Luckily on the way we stopped to see this amazing Hindu Oceanside temple in Somnath, and then again on the beach for a short dip your feet and enjoy the sand, and then it was more time on the bus. In Porbandar we ended up staying at a girls school/hostel and we went and hung out with the girls after a Rotary meeting. With the girls we stayed up late dancing and chatting with them, and finally at about 1:00 in the morning we all went to sleep only to wake up at 5:00 the next morning.

During our stay at the girls hostel we saw them perform and visited the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and then we had a 13 hour journey to our next destination. Most of us all slept the first part of the day and then as soon as it got dark it was party time on the bus. One of the exchangers had speakers for his ipod so we cranked the music and started dancing on the bus. The bus was crazy and because the roads in India are horrible everyone was falling all over the place as the bus swerved around, but the important thing was that everyone was having a blast.

Upon reaching Anand we had another Rotary meeting with a great dance performance and then everyone stayed in host families. Originally I was staying with one of the other exchangers, but one of the Rotarians came up to me and asked me to come and stay with him because his daughter was crying because none of the exchangers were going to stay at there house. Well I get in the car and the little girl looks and me, and then terrified shrinks as far away from me as she can. I personally don’t think I am that scary, but I felt bad for the little girl that she had to have me living at her house for one night. The next day the little girl began to warm up to me, and then I left with her father who showed me around the city a little before we saw the Amul Co-Op milk factory. That Afternoon we arrived in Baroda to stay in host families, do a little sightseeing, and then for the next couple days participate in a leadership camp.

Wow! When you are gone for such a long time, and see so many things you have so much to talk about. Sorry if this entry is a bit long, but I have a lot to catch everyone up on, and hopefully I will be able to summarize my North Tour soon also. Basically my Gujarat tour was a great time to spend with all of the exchangers, and going by bus was a great way to see more of Gujarat. I would have to say my favorite places were Polytana and Diu by a long shot, but as a whole the tour was great. Next time I would like to see more of Gujarat in a little more detail, and take a little more time to enjoy my surroundings.