Amsterdam with family!

Ahhhh... gosh I needed this break. Being around family, having my own room with a clean comfy bed, having nothing to do each day was just what I needed! Although I still feel a bit tired (which bothers me because I love having energy), I realized how essential this down time was for me before going off to the next country - Israel!


I leave later today and looking forward to my next adventure, but wanted to finally take the time to reflect on these last 3 weeks.


This wasn’t my first time visiting Amsterdam, so I didn’t feel a need to see all the sights and sign up for every activity that presented itself to me. Rather, I came to visit with family and rest up and that is all I did! Well, ok, there was a bit more…

I want to first take some time to talk about the many incredible outdoor markets here in Amsterdam! Right away I felt a huge shift in my perspective. Coming from Asia, I automatically realized how CLEAN these markets were. No flies all over the meats, foods were in glass cases when refrigeration was needed, no one was sitting on the floor with their goods sprawled out! It was an amazing new feeling that I was really able to appreciate the western world and was grateful for this newfound perspective.

With so many great ingredients to choose from, I right away filled up a shopping bag and excitedly found my way into the kitchen. Oh, how fun was it to have a beautiful kitchen to cook in, practice my cooking, and best of all share with my family. I found out during these last 3 weeks that I can cook! I can really cook!! Yay! Goal accomplished. I created delicious meals and couldn’t believe I actually cooked them :) I no longer feel as intimidated using various spices and working with complex recipes. It is absolutely worth the effort as the process is fun, the product very satisfying, the practice of sharing is very fulfilling, and watching others enjoy your food is very rewarding.

So in between cooking, sleeping a lot, taking walks all around town, I also filled my time going to a meditation fair in the park (but left early because it was all in Dutch – go figure), spent time with my friend from Switzerland, Sam, who came to Amsterdam for a visit – we biked through the countryside together, went to the Troponmuseum (was probably the best museum I have ever been to!), drove to Maastricht with my family to hear my cousin give a lecture and to enjoy exploring a new city, and also enjoyed good conversation together. I also got a chance to visit with my friend Mike, who was one of the first people I met, for a nice lunch on a rainy day in Amsterdam. And best of all, I got to enjoy time with one of the cutest little people I know, Ezra, his mom Amy, and my cousin Steven. Spending time with family becomes more and more meaningful the older I get. Overall, I am really grateful for this time.

Along with spending time with family, visiting with friends, and enjoying Amsterdam, during these relaxing 3 weeks I have had the opportunity to really experience the culture shock of now coming back to the Western world. Boy do we have a luxuries in life! How did I ever complain before?!!!

I am finding my perspective shift and finding myself being grateful for so many more small things in life that I was blind to before my trip. It first started at the outdoor markets with the cleanliness, but I took it as far as simple things like appreciating organized roadways, air conditioned stores, weather I can enjoy without sweating all the time, and by far my favorite thing is no longer having masses of people begging for money and food. That just never got easier to witness. Without a doubt we have luxuries in the western world. We have more than we need, we always want more and more, and we too often get so wrapped up in our bubble we are unable to realize how much we really have. Now after experiencing life in some third world countries, I have the privilege of being able to step outside my bubble and appreciate all I have within it. I hope this feeling never fades. I hope this perspective remains as fresh as it is now. The ability to appreciate what we have day in and day out and especially notice the small things in life, I believe, will ultimately provide me with a life filled with happiness and gratitude. Please Elana, don’t ever forget this!

I want to keep on writing, but I have to get going now to catch my plane to Israel.  I hope this next part of my journey will help me to continue to grow, learn, and be inspired! How fortunate am I!

Miss you all very much.

Click on this album below for tons of pictures of Ezra, some of the yummy dishes I cooked, and some fun pics of Amsterdam.

Change of plans once again – now in Amsterdam!

Alright, I did it again. I changed my plans and SO happy I did it. You come to realize on a long trip like this that you can only plan so much ahead of time. I took guesses on the dates I wanted to be in certain places and guessed the length of time I wanted to visit. But, until you are actually here to experience it, you really NEVER know what the final plans will be. And, now that I am sick, my original plan seems unimaginable. I have plans to fly back to India for a short 3 day stay to shadow Indian homeopathic doctors (oh how I want to do this SO badly!), then back to Thailand for 3 days to finally visit an Island, and then a stopover in Malaysia for another short 3 days until finally reaching Amsterdam. But this plan seems almost impossible now that I am sick :( I just want a comfy and clean bed to rest! I need to shake off this cold! Oh man, time to make sacrifices.

So with all of this came decision making time. Do I change my plans, forgo time back in India, Thailand and a new country, Malaysia and fly directly to Amsterdam? YES. I need to rest!

At this point I am so exhausted I have lost my curiosity and excitement to see new things and meet new people. :( What a horrible feeling. I feel like I am wasting time trying to pass the days by so I can finally truly rest up. Not my cup of tea.

So, I decided to change up my plans and find a flight directly to Amsterdam from Nepal. (When I say directly I mean 3 flights total lasting over 24 hours from start to finish) And that last flight was the worst experience for me. I was so nauseous - I vomited multiple times on the plane. NO FUN!

The hardest part of this decision was giving up my time shadowing the homeopaths in India. I am so very grateful to both Kim and Micki Elia for connecting me with these doctors. And specifically to Dr. Geeta who has worked hard on finding doctors for me to shadow. I am so very sad to have to pass up this amazing opportunity. Through this I have learned that we can't always do it all and have to make sacrifices along the way. This was definitely one of them. :(

Now that I made it to Amsterdam I am SO happy with my choice. I am here visiting with family - my cousin Steven, his wife and baby Amy and Ezra. My bed is AMAZING! I have a clean room, clean bathroom, oh and the kitchen is incredible! I can't wait to start cooking in it!!! Wow - the luxuries that are here. True culture shock! But at first I had no choice but to rest. After MANY hours of sleeping, lots of tissue boxes and remedies, I am just now starting to get my energy back again and feeling like myself again. Oh, how I missed you.

Indian and Nepalese food

Although I was dissapointingly not a big fan of the food, I wanted to still share some of the dishes that I thought were worth taking a picture of. And to clarify - it is not that I don't enjoy Indian food, it was just SO difficult to eat such hot and heavy curries meal after meal when it was SO hot outside. And since eating raw fruits and veggies were out of the question, the food was really difficult for me to eat. Nevertheless, I was fed so I am grateful for that!

Breakfast on the train. Comprised of Vadas - fried lentil/rice doughnuts over rice.With a side of coconut chutney and dahl.




Dosa - (My favorite Indian dish!) Dosas are similar to a crepe most commonly stuffed with a potato curry mixture. The crepe is made from a fermented lentil/rice flour batter.  It is declisious. It is a Southern Indian dish but can be found in select northern restaurants. It is served with a side of a spicy vegetable soup and coconut chutney. 




Fish curry naan bread.




Digestive aids - fennel seed and sugar




Kitchari. This is a dish seldomly seen on the menu, but I often asked for it and I was never turned down. I know about it through reading about ayurvedic medicine (traditional Indian medicine). It is a healing dish that is made simply of rice, pulses (legumes), and few spices. It is cooked for a long time to make it somewhat a porridge consistency.





Really yummy potato dish.





Vegetable Biryani




Nepal had very similar Indian dishes, but the two distinct Nepalese dishes were Dahl Baht (which was what I was served at my cooking course) and Momo's which are seen in the picture below. These are Chinese dumplings. Because Nepal sits between India and China, every menu had both Indian and Chinese options. 

The people I meet along the way

Taking the time to reflect and express gratitude to some more people I have met along my travels. 

Kristal and Ryan, from Canada, were such a great example of a wonderful husband and wife pair who make priorities to travel the world. The two of you brought such a calming energy to our group. I really enjoyed coming to you guys to reflect and share my feelings especially during the hardest times here in India. Thank you.

Janie, from England, has traveled the world more than anyone I have ever met. Her stories were fascinating and the amount of time she has spent volunteering in various organizations around the world inspires me! Enjoy the rest of your world journeys Janie! I am grateful you have come into my life, even if it was for only a short while.

Megan, from the US currently living in AZ, was another grounding energy on our tour and brought up memories of my life and community back in AZ which was a warm feeling. Happy birthday Megan!

Izaak from the US and Abdula from Australia confirmed how much I am in love with google (as they both work for the company). In particular, Izaak and I had a great connection as he is a genuinely caring man. And to top it off, his mother wrote a famous book on Homeopathy so we automatically had lots to talk about! I look forward to meeting her one day! Getting our homeopathy kits out together to help one another when we were sick was a really nice connection. And thank you to Jamie from England who was full of homeo questions for Izaak and I. We loved them!

And then there was the fun group of ladies – Emma and Lucy from England, Jane from Whales, and Gabby from Australia. My most favorite memory with them was  finding the single tuk tuk in town that played the best Indian music and getting lost finding our way back to our hotel all together. Good fun. Thanks girls for making me smile :) At it was a coincident that yet again I was assigned roommates with another 22 year old from England. What are the chances? Thanks Emma for some of those late night talks.

And there was Karen from Toronto (thanks for all the picture taking!), Chris from the US (thanks for all the jokes), and our tour guide Verun from India (BIG thanks for convincing me to visit Nepal!). We all made such a nice team.

It was great meeting all of you!

The best view of the world – the Himilayan Mountain Range!

This was AMAZING! Although I felt sick while in Kathmandu, I knew I couldn't pass up this opportunity. A flight over the Himilayan mountain range. AMAZING!
I will let the pictures speak for itself.
I HIGHLY recommend doing this flight if ever in Nepal. It was INCREDIBLE!

Everest on the left. Standing 29,000 feet!

This album is incredible! Click on the picture below.

Sick in Pokhara and Kathmandu :(

Oh man, this is no fun traveling while sick. It hit me again and this time it has been longer than just 24 hours. I am officially sick :( I caught a bad cold that has now gone into my chest and have a body wide rash. Boo. Zero fun especially being away from home and in a strange place. I just want to leave my hotel room and see this new town. It looks like fun! But nope - I'm stuck trying to rest up. I want to be in my own bed SO much right now! (And since my bed is in storage and I technically couldn't truly rest in it also upset me). And this is making me feel homesick too. Ugh - shake it off Elana.

Since I was sick I don't have much to say about Pokhara or much of Kathmandu. I pushed myself to walk around these cities and the gist I got from them is that they are FULL of outdoor gear stores (which I just LOVE), trekkers are roaming the streets taking a break from their multi day/week/month treks, and these cities seem like a lot of fun to explore. Pokhara is definitely more laid back compared to the busy town of Kathmandu, but although Kathmandu is busier I still really enjoyed the energy there. I think it's because there were so many outdoor enthusiasts roaming around which made me smile. I wish I could enjoy it more. I wish I could go trekking! But I had to keep on resting. :(

Here are some albums with a few pictures. Unfortunately, I have no pictures from Pokhara, because I was just too out of it to take any. But the first album are pictures from a Monkey Temple that we stopped at on our way from Pokhara to Kathmandu. Monkeys everywhere! Lots of fun. And the second album are a few shots of my time in Kathmandu when I was finally feeling a bit better.

A Nepalese Cooking Experience!

The ultimate cooking class experience is about to be told. Let me preface this post with a warning – There will be NO recipes included. Rather, this cooking adventure was filled with giggling, nail painting, and a dance party instead of learning any recipes. It was not what I had thought I signed up for….. it was WAY better!!

The course started out with two Nepalese women picking us up from where we were staying and walking us across this great flat field where we walked right passed cows, goats, and water buffalos with a river passing through. There were rice fields, corn rows, and potato fields. Men were spread out along the fields, squatting while holding umbrellas as they watched their herd of animals. This was a sight to see!  How lucky was I?!

When we arrived to this tiny village we were welcomed by beautiful girls. These Nepalese teenagers showed me a wonderful time! We couldn’t get enough of each other J

Maya was the leader of the group. She was 16 years old and knew the most amount of English (which was still VERY little). Maya took us into her home which was a mud hut and had us sit on a bamboo mat in her kitchen. I COULD NOT believe this kitchen. I thought the Kitchen in India was unimaginable to cook in – this one was even more shocking. We sat in a dark enclosed room, on a dirt floor with two fire pits to hold two pots. The steam in the kitchen EASILY filled the room so girls would hold pieces of fabric on sticks to create manual fan for us. Wow – what an eye opener. I valued my kitchen SO much after this. And I mean SO much! Keep in mind that this picture below has a ton of light because of my flash. It truly was very dark in there.

We peeled potatoes with rusted knives and cut them with curved knives held steady between our toes. We crushed spices and chilies between a rounded rock and a flat rock. We scrubbed plates with muddy leaves and rinsed them with well water. There was no joking around with this cooking course – we were cooking with the locals. It was AMAZING!

 

But, this was only the beginning of the fun. While the rice and lentils were cooking, the girls took us around the village. Before I knew it we are painting each other’s nails and having a dance party in one of the huts. “Boom boom boom boom…. I want you in my room”. Yes, we were dancing to American pop music and having a blast!!!  We giggled like school girls and took so many pictures as the girls really loved seeing their picture on the digital cameras. We had SO much fun! 

 

 

After the dance party, Maya took me around to all of the girl’s huts to show me their bedrooms. The fanciest part of Sunu’s room, age 14, was her hot pink mosquito net over her bed. How lucky was this 14 year old girl? Angelina, age 10, had the luxury for an actual plug in fan. Wow – she was lucky! This was the ONLY prized possession of an electric fan in all of the huts I visited that day. Wow – now she was lucky! Sapana, age 12, had a TV in her hut AND a makeup box. We got even fancier. Her makeup box included the essentials for any 12 year old girl. Face whitening powder, face whitening lotion, bindi’s (sticker between your eye’s), and black eyeliner. Isn’t she lucky? And Maya’s room had none of the above mentioned luxuries. Just a dirt floor and a wooden table as a bed.  Please take a moment to be grateful for those very small things in life we ALL take for granted. Please take just one minute to consider the “luxuries” we have like a mattress, doors, and a shower. 
This room below was a grandmothers room :(

So now that my nails were painted and my body was dripping with sweat from our dance party – dinner was  ready to be eaten! We are welcomed back into the hot and steamy kitchen where we sat on the bamboo mat once again and were served our meal. The girls joined us for dinner and one of the mother’s served each of us one at a time. First on the plate was rice – a big serving worth. Next – Dahl. Third – Potato’s. Fourth – Tomato and Chili stir fry. I have really no idea how exactly this was all made – but I didn’t care. I was SO happy to be eating with my new friends!

And what better way to experience this meal but eating with our own dirty hands??!  Yummy!

This was an incredible experience. Definitely one of the highlights of my entire trip so far. Although I left with no recipes, I left with a full belly, a plethora of memories to keep, and most meaningful to me - the value of the luxuries I have in my life. Thanks Maya, Sapana, Angelina, and Sunu for a fantastic day!! These cultural experiences are what I live for during my travels! They make up the best days!

Click on this picture below for more great shots of this memorable experience!

Chitwan National Park – More elephant riding!

We made it to our second stop – Chitwan National Park. This place was perfect! Check out the view from the deck!

We woke early the next morning for a free elephant ride through the jungle. Oh how my nephew, Noah, is going to love his Aunt Elana on yet ANOTHER elephant!! Here are pictures for you Noah!

It was a fun group activity included in my tour, but I am still not too keen on riding elephants because I feel so bad about these wild animals being domesticated and treated poorly. But, it was still good fun and now my nephew can smile once again looking through these pictures! I miss you Noah!

Elephants roam around the town here in Chitwan. Often you see an Elephant roaming down the major street as it is just another mode of transportation for the locals. I found it strange that when I first saw this I didn’t even think twice how unusual it was. At that moment I realized that I have been away for a while now. If this was my first day on my journey, I would have been completely amazed. Today, I didn’t even need to look twice. It just felt normal. Wow – going back to the US is sure going to be a culture shock now.

Click on this picture for the entire album.

Oh how I love Nepal! – Lumbini

Alright, I DEFINITELY made the right decision. Nepal is beautiful! The landscape is beautiful, the people are beautiful, and it is drastically calmer than India – which is a beautiful thing! All of that anxiety got left behind and now I feel alive and back to my normal self! What a wonderful feeling. I can now really enjoy all that Nepal has to offer!

Our first stop was in Lumbini – where Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) was born. I got to visit the Bodhi tree in which his mother gave birth to him under.  It was incredible! There were prayer flags everywhere. My heart sank. My inner child came out again. It came out finally! Oh how I missed you. I absolutely loved the energy there. I sat under the tree, walked around the tree, smiled at the tree. I just couldn’t get enough of that tree!!!

After visiting Lumbini we set out for a scenic 5 hour bus ride. We went into the lush green jungle of Nepal – reminded me a lot of what Laos looked like. Oh trees! How I have missed you so! Fresh air, slight breeze, and finally some color to please my eyes! It took today for me to truly appreciate what nature does to my spirit. It lifts it so high and brings such inner peace. I missed that while in India. Not once did I see greenery in the places I visited. Just dirt and brown. I am so grateful to be in Nepal!

Click on this picture for the entire album

Random India

A few things to note:
Babies wear eyeliner to protect them from evil spirits

Although the women are covered both their bellies and stomachs hang out. I'll never understand this!







The train stations are one of the worse places to be as their are loads of men, women, and children sleeping on the floor and begging. The kids in particular are wearing horribly dirty clothes and walking around asking fir money, food, and any recyclable item. And all we can do is say no and ignore them in order to not support this system. What a horrible feeling to deny them things that I can definitely share without bother. Why does this happen?

A horse is a sign of power, an elephant good luck, and a camel love.

Gnesh is one of the many Hindu gods that symbolizes good luck. It is an elephant with many arms. This symbol appears in many Hindu temples.

People walk hand in hand or arm in arm all the time. Both women and surprisingly men too. It's often I see two men sitting on a sofa, very close to one another as if they are cuddling. Even the kids mimick this as they stand their together touching bodies very affectionate with one another. I like this. Especially with men since in the US it's not uncommon to see two heterosexual women walk arm and arm down the street. But for men to be seen like this - mostly unseen. I believe men should express themselves this way and feel free to do so.

Prices definitely differ for locals compared to tourists. Always look for the price in small black letters.





Star of davids everywhere.

Change of plans - Nepal :)

The ultimate lesson of my journey: Plans are never concrete!

After finding out that I messed up on my India visa while in Chiang Mai, almost 2 months ago, I figured I would not be able to make it to Nepal. Instead, I worked hard to arrange other plans. Well, look at me now….Elana is officially in Nepal J With a persistent  tour guide who wouldn’t let me say no, tour mates who kept on encouraging me to come, and this intense anxious feeling I was getting from all of the overwhelm of India,  I decided to just get on the bus and continue on with the group. At this point, I guess we will just see what will happen with my visa. I’m certain it will all work out.

So…. Last week India. This week Nepal J Took us a 15 hour bus ride to get here, but you can already tell Nepal is much more GREEN (yay for trees!!), a bit more clean (it couldn’t get any dirtier), and the people are awfully nice.  And I am SO excited to get back into a country where Buddhism prevails. I missed the feel of monasteries around me and monks passing me on the streets. I have never in my life felt like I needed to meditate more than right now. India brought out this anxious side of me that hasn’t come out in a while. I find it interesting that I came to India thinking it was going to be the place that I will experience the most spiritual growth, and so far most of what India has done is provoked anxiety. But that is probably my lesson, my test…Realizing that meditation is such an important practice for me in order to deal with overwhelm and anxiety. I guess I have that to thank India for reminding me that!

 I feel in my heart this was the best decision for me to leave India for now and roam around Nepal. I’ll return to India the beginning of June for one last visit, but for now I will enjoy 12 days in Nepal!

Varanasi – the place you don’t go if you can’t handle crowds

I’m finding this the hardest post for me to write since starting my blog because I feel so overwhelmed right now. I just experienced the busiest/most crowded streets I have ever walked through in my entire life. Pedestrians, tuk tuks, cows, donkeys, rickshshaws, motorbikes, taxis all share the same narrow dirt alley way. Horns beep non-stop, and I mean non-stop. The sound alone can drive anyone mad. As we walk we are shoved by other sweaty people. Some pushy, most coming up behind you trying to sell something, and then some just stare in awe of our white skin. In the midst of all of the crowds you must never take your eyes off the ground where there is animal dung every few feet. I have never experienced such complete scenery overload. I thought Jaipur was bad, Varanasi easily makes the top of the list.

But in the midst of the overwhelm, one of the most spiritual places in all of India is found through an alley way where the eye finally meets the Ganges.  The Ganges is a body of water that runs through Varanasi (along with other cities reaching up north). Hindu’s believe the Ganga is Mother. They believe she is divine and that she delivers happiness to our world and salvation when we leave it. As holy as this body of water is, it is also one of the most toxic bodies of water on this planet. It is the cities only sewage and industrial waste outlet. And, in this same body of water come hundreds, probably thousands, of devoted Hindu’s each day to bathe and sip the water, as they believe the water will wash away their sins. It is also used as a cremation site, 24/7, as bodies are burned on the ghats (steps into the ganges) and ashes are tossed into the water where the soul is believed to reach moksha – liberation from the cycle of birth and death. And in these same toxic waters kids play as if it is a swimming pool. Although this water can definitely endanger one’s life, these people are in love with it and still hold their rituals day in and day out. I have never in my life witnessed such religious devotion interplaying with mother earth. It was truly a sight to witness.   

We took a boat ride along the Ganges at both sunset and the next morning sunrise. We got the opportunity to watch Hindu’s celebrate Mother Ganga with huge musical acts, offerings, prayers (called pujas). People were on their knees kneeling to Mother Ganga, others were standing tall with hands in prayer position and closed eyes. Candles were lit, flowers were tossed about, faces were painted, and a burnt scent filled the humid air.

Although the chaos and overwhelm is a lot for me to handle, this city will always be a memorable one at best. Now I need some rest from it all. I’m finding myself more fatigued by this time in my trip than usual. And, coming back to the hotel with layers of sweat, deet, fuel emissions, dirt, and other peoples sweat on you has never made me appreciate a shower more!

Click on this picture below for more pictures of Varanasi. I finally feel I took enough pictures to finally give everyone a taste of what India is really like (minus the smell, heat, and overall chaotic and spiritual energy)

Indian cooking course! – Orchha

How lucky am I to have the opportunity to visit a home and watch an entire vegetarian meal be prepared from start to finish?  I loved every second!

A group of us gathered  into this home, took off our shoes, entered a small hot room, sat on the concrete floor and watched the chef create 8 dishes as she sat crossed legged on the ground with an electric stove in front of her. India amazes me everyday.

Few side notes before reading the recipes: (keep in mind that she somewhat estimated these measurements. I would guess she underestimated the majority of the time especially with the use of oil and a few spices here and there. Also you can use any other high heat oil in place of mustard oil if you can’t find it. All of these dishes are cooked over high heat so dish should be boiling.

First dish: Chai Tea

Chai Tea  4 cups water 3 tsp sugar 2 tsp black tea 4 pieces of green cardamom (crushed) 2 pieces of brown cardamom (crushed) 5 pieces of black pepper corn (crushed) 4 cups milk

Add all of the ingredients into a pot and boil for 5 minutes Strain and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Second dish: Spinach and Potato Curry

Spinach and Potato Curry 2 tbsp mustard oil ½ tsp cumin seeds (whole) 2 chopped green chilies 4 chopped skinned potatoes ½ tsp turmeric 500 grams chopped spinach (looked like 2 lbs) 1 tsp salt

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and chilies. Wait to hear them pop about 1-2 minutes. Add the potatoes and fry for 1 min. Add the turmeric, spinach and salt. Stir and then cover for 20 minutes. Easy as can be! Makes 8 servings.

Third dish: Eggplant Curry *A favorite!

Eggplant Curry (DELICIOUS!) 2 tbsp mustard oil 1 tsp black mustard seed 1 tsp anise seed 2 tsp coriander seed 1 tsp fenugreek seed ½ tsp cumin seed 1 chopped red onion 2 tsp minced garlic 4 small diced tomatoes 1 tsp turmeric 2 tsp coriander ½ tsp red chili powder ½ tsp gram masala 1 ½ tsp salt 4 sliced eggplants ½ cup water Garnish: cilantro

Heat oil and then add mustard, anise, coriander, fenugreek, and cumin seed. Fry till you here the seeds pop – not too long. Don’t want to burn seeds. Next add onion, garlic and tomatoes. Fry for 1 min – watch it boil. Add the reminder of spices and keep on stirring. Should become a thicker consistency. Add eggplant and ½ cup water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Garnish with a handful of cilantro. Makes 8 servings.

Fourth dish: Dahl

Dahl 2 tbsp mustard oil ½ tsp cumin seed ½ tsp mustard seed 2 chopped green chilies 1 large chopped red onion Boiled lentils: 2 cups split yellow lentils 4 cups water 1 ½ tsp salt 1 tsp turmeric 4 diced small tomatoes ½ cup water ½ tsp gram masala Handful of fresh cilantro

Heat oil and then add cumin seeds. Fry for 1 minute. Next, add the mustard seeds, chili, and onion. Fry for about 5 minutes. Next, add the boiled lentils. Prepare boiled lentils ahead of time in a pressure cooker. Place ingredients in pressure cooker and cook for 10 minutes. After adding boiled lentils add water, gram masala and handful of cilantro. Stir. All done! Serves 8.

Fifth dish: Cumin Rice

Cumin Rice 2 tbsp soybean oil 1 tsp cumin seed Handful of fresh chopped spinach ½ handful of fresh chopped cilantro 2 cups rice 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp gram masala 1 ½ tsp salt 4 cups water

Add oil to the bottom of the pressure cooker, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Mix and cook for 10 minutes.

Sixth Dish: Raita

Raita 500 grams of plain yogurt 2 cups water 1 handful fresh chopped cilantro ½ tsp gram masala ½ tsp black pepper powder 1 tsp black salt (tastes like sulphur) 1 tbsp mustard oil 1 tsp cumin seeds

Mix all ingredients except for oil and cumin seeds. Use oil to fry cumin seeds until they turn black. Add to yogurt and serve. Serves 8. *Bindi Raita is when fried chickpeas are added to the mixture. Adds  a nice texture.

Seventh Dish: Mango Chutney

Mango Chutney Handful of fresh cilantro 2 chopped small red onions 3 very small unripe mango sliced and chopped 2 chopped green chilies 1 tsp minced garlic ½ tsp salt

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend.

Eight Dish: Chapatti’s

Chapatti 2 kg wheat flour 2 tsp salt 4 cups of water

Mix, knead and roll Place each directly on flame Makes 50-60

Final product: Dahl on the upper left, Eggplant curry in the upper center, and Raita on the upper left corner. Below the Dahl on the lower left is the Cumin rice and beside it is the Spinach and Potato curry, below that is the Mango chutney and a Chapatti. Amazing meal!

Enjoyed on her roof top with a lovely sunset.  Special day. Can’t wait to host an Indian dinner party now J This was by far the most delicious Indian meal I have yet enjoyed while here. I am so happy to have these recipes and be able to share them with you all.

Click on this picture below for more pics of the cooking course.

First bout of sickness :(

It was inevitable. Getting sick is part of travelling. Everyone packs a first aid kit ready for the worst and prays that the illness only lasts a short while. Luckily mine was a quick one - thanks to my stellar first aid kit!! Let's just say I am a bit bias how amazing homeopathy and vitamins can help stimulate the body to heal!! :)

So I write this post to thank my forever friend, homeopathy, for saving the day once again. You are my best friend and will forever be grateful for having you around. You continuously inspire me to learn more about you and I find myself always talking about you to people :) Oh how I love you so!

And yes.... I must also thank Vitamin A, Vitamin C, salt water gargles, and ultimately a clean bed to lay in for MANY hours.

Now, I am back and ready to continue on my journey!!

Agra - home of the Taj Mahal

5 hr morning train ride got us from Jaiupur into Agra around noon. I couldn't wait to go and visit the Taj Mahal!! On the train ride over I read through two different guide books learning that the taj mahal was built by Empeor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his 3rd wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He loved her so much that after her death he built this incredible museolum for her that houses both of their tombs. Talk about true love. However, is true love also having dozens of other wives, concumbines, and dancing girls? Well, this was the norm back at that time. But Shah Jahan must of fancied Mumtaz more than any other.

I was SO excited to visit but my group scheduled a tour to Agra Fort first. The tour was so hard for me. All I wanted to do was save my energy for the taj mahal and this weather drains it so quickly! Oh well. Groups bring both positive and negative things- this happens to be a negative one.


Once again it was hard for me to appreciate this fort and the history behind it. Once again there was talk of expense of the building, how the king would have hundreds of concubines and lock them up when they would talk too much. There were both cells for prisoners as well as overly luxurious rooms used for royal baths. I can't help but feel this is wrong.

Although I may not like this type of injustice, I am still grateful for the opportunity to learn such history in great depth.

Now for the Taj Mahal!!!!
I must begin with saying that this is truly a magnificent structure. The symmetry lends itself to it's beauty along with the way it reflects off the water.

I hate to be a downer in any way, especially because I feel I am a positive person, but the inside of the taj was a bit disappointing. Nothing special.
What was special were the people. Oh- India really shined today!! I must have had at least two dozen people approach me to ask to take a picture with me. They were so friendly. These people were not pushy, rather were intrigued. I not only felt welcomed into their country, I also felt as if I was a celebrity enthusiastically being seen :)

Here are some pictures with some of my fans :)

Overall another great day had on my journey around this world!  India is beginning to shine it's light! Yay

For more pics of my time in Agra - click on this picture below

Ps. I am already sick of Indian food :( it's too heavy and oily to eat day in and day out in this weather. Food in Asia was amazing. Veggies galore and great variety. Shoot... It's only day 3 how can I be sick of it? I'll get thru it.