Yoyo,
after I've been facebooking/skyping/emailing with some of you I thought it might be time for some pictures from my India trip. During the last month I travelled from Visakhapatnam to Konark, Puri, Kolkatta, Darjeeling and Varanasi (where I'm at the moment). Here are just some impressions, too much is happening and everyday is full of stories and those moments that make travelling so worth while.
This is Anna. She was volunteering with Balamitra during the last year and is a cool girl. She managed to dress mostly in Indian clothes for the past year, something we did not achieve when we were here!
As I told some of you the school grew massively. Most of the children in this picture are new. It took them some time to get used to us, but after a while they were as active and open with us as the old children.
A couple of nights before we left we had a little function, the children singing songs, playing drums and dancing. It was one of those beautiful nights that take your heart. Coming back for 2 weeks made me feel like I never left Vizag...
O.k. and off we go on our journey. Fabian, Ina and me enjoying the 'sex-o-yogic' art of the sun temple in Konark. A quote from our guide is enough to describe the situation: 'This is an optimistic couple, one man, two wives".
The Gang on the bus to Puri where we spent a day at the beach before taking the train to Kolkatta.
Sudder St. Kolkatta. Taken in the heart of the tourist ghetto and still you have some of these pictures that are just wonderful, don't you think? Oh and what's special about it: I haven't seen much street art in India - and this piece actually looks quite good...
A drum-maker in Kolkatta. Even though it was after sunset it was still blazing hot, hence he works without a shirt on. I was sitting there for five minutes, watching his work, how concentrated he moved his knife and hammer to tighten the leather.
At the street barber in Kolkatta. Unfortunately I had just shaved so I could not take part in this session. But (!) I promise after writing these posts I will go to the barber next door which looks at least as good as these fellows.
On my first day, in the blazing sun of Delhi, Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the president of India lives (?) and works, one of those gazillion pictures of "old" and "new" India in one.
As a hard working student of South Asia I could not miss Teen Murthi Bhavan, where Nehru used to live. A HUGE mansion as you can see, very quite with a nice and lush garden. There was a little exhibition with quotes and pictures and you could see the rooms, furniture and books looked like they were originals ... You could see that his family had money and Nehru's Western influences, at the same time I found it quite down to earth, considering his powers and influence. A very interesting visit.
Nehru's study. Unfortunately you couldnt enter the room, they were sealed off, you had to look through windows.
And a puppeteer in Delhi, on my last evening there before hitting the road to Mussoorie. I had an interesting discussion with him after the show, he's been around the world, especially in Europe, on invitation of the Augsburger Puppenkiste. (Here a link for the non-Germans)
Flags on a temple roof, on the way to Rishikesh.
Rishikesh. Friends from the language school chilling on a rock in the Ganges. The water was surprisingly cold, we had a few nice dips (dual use: cool down and be forgiven your sins) and enjoyed the afternoon here.
