Kochi (Kerala): sunsets, pizza, dresses and perfumes.

English:

Kochi (Kerala): sunsets, pizza, dresses and perfumes.

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog!

This week I'd like to enlighten everyone with one of the reddest sunsets I've ever seen... It took place in Kochi (Kerala, India) back in October 2016 and right after spending some days in Alleppey. 

As you all probably know, back then I was still living in India and, during a school break, I decided to travel there with my friend Cristina, whom I had met in Anantapur while volunteering - I am sure you have seen her in other posts, like Agra and Jaipur. 

Alleppey: a trip to the quiet area of Backwaters, in Kerala.

English:

Alleppey: a trip to the quiet area of Backwaters, in Kerala.

In July 2016, as many of you already know, I started working at an international school in India. That was, in fact, the job that, unfortunately, I had to resign from because of the family situation that I have so often talked about lately. That unfortunate situation was the one that pushed me to cancel my three weeks in Thailand and return to Mallorca, my birthplace.

However, during my time living in Bangalore (India) I went on some outstanding trips around the country of colors and spices and my destination in the first long holiday I had, in October 2016, was Kerala and I went with my friend Cristina, whom I met during my volunteer work in Anantapur and who you have also heard about in the publications of New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. 

Visiting the Ecology Project of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation

English:

Visiting the Ecology Project of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation:

After some time without writing in the blog and being already in Spain because of some family problems, I arrived with the desire to tell you some experiences that I had pending from when I was still living in India. India was my home for a year and a half of my life and, therefore, I have more memories and experiences than I could narrate in this blog. However, there are several experiences that, either due to lack of time or technical problems, have not been reflected here until now.

Let's go back in time, exactly until July 8th 2015, three days after arriving in India. As I said on other occasions, the purpose of this trip was to volunteer with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation for a year, although we spent the first three days visiting projects carried out by said NGO.

The cheap luxury of... Indian perfumes!

If you want me to be totally honest, I believe that this kind of perfumes can be bought in many other places in the world and not only in India. However, the ones that you can see in the pictures below are produced in Mysore (India) and sold here, too. I specifically bought these six bottles while I was in Kochi (Kerala) and I am really happy with my purchase! 

Interviewed by Ser Catalunya while volunteering in India.

English:

Interviewed by Ser Catalunya while volunteering in Anantapur (India).

While I was in Anantapur, I was interviewed by the radio station Ser Catalunya, specifically for the programme "Tot és comèdia". They came to Anantapur to visit the facilities of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation and spoke to many professionals working there - Indian and Spanish workers as well as volunteers. 

Jaipur: the real magic of the 'pink city'.

English:

Jaipur: the real magic of the 'pink city'.

As I said in my last post, the most extraordinary experience I lived during the month of April was a short trip through northern India, particularly to the cities of Jaipur and Agra.

The first stop after our short walk through Delhi was Jaipur, also known as 'the pink city' because of the colour of the buildings that compose it. In fact, the 'pink city' is only a part of Jaipur located between some characteristic salmon-pink gates. The rest of Jaipur is composed of historic palaces and buildings and fascinating bazaars.

New Delhi: a little hint of the chaos in the Indian capital city.

English:

New Delhi: a little hint of the chaos in the Indian capital city.

Hello everyone!

Today I am coming back with another post to tell you about another of my adventures in India.

From the 6th until the 10th of April, taking advantage of the weekend of Ugadi (New Year for Hindus), two of my fellow volunteers (who have become two good friends of mine) and I decided to spend two days in Jaipur and two in Agra.

A one-weekend trip to Hampi: monkeys, excellent food, a four-star hotel and lots of temples.

English:

A one-weekend trip to Hampi: 

monkeys, excellent food, a four-star hotel and lots of temples.

Last weekend, i.e. from July 17th to July 19th 2015, three of my fellow volunteers and I decided to go to Hampi, in the state of Karnataka, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. The current city centre houses around 350 temples, fortifications, sculptures, stables... along with a vast amount of guesthouses, whose food is excellent.

Instead of staying in a guesthouse, we opted for a four-star hotel in the city of Hospet, just a few kilometres away from Hampi. There, we enjoyed a fantastic hot shower and a comfortable bed which could have delighted anyone. However, we did not walk a lot around Hospet and, instead of that, we decided to spend all day visiting and enjoying Hampi.

Focusing on...: traffic in Anantapur.

English:

Focusing on...: traffic in Anantapur.

As I mentioned here, and as I am sure many of you may have read in articles or seen in movies, the streets of India are a compendium of people, cows, pigs, roosters, dogs, noise, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, rubbish, etcetera. I had also read about it and had seen it in movies, but it's not until you set foot in these cities that you actually see what it is like to live here and walk around these streets. It is surprising how much control these people have, whatever their means of transport is, and how little angry they get when they see that a car is approaching them from the front because it is overtaking a bus and two bikes at a time, not to mention how closely they pass pedestrians. Their tranquility is unchanged whatever the traffic intensity is or how much trouble there is around. Here you can see some examples of such chaos, but, as I have previously said, the photos and videos do not do justice to what one actually lives here. Personally, I am still surprised when I walk through these streets or when I am driven somewhere, but I'm getting used to the Indian way of doing things and I dare say I am not afraid anymore.

My first days in India: visiting humanitarian projects in Anantapur.

English:

My first days in India: visiting humanitarian projects in Anantapur.

As many of you know, on Sunday last week I began an adventure to India that will be extended, in principle, until July 2016. This adventure consists on volunteering in the country, specifically in the city of Anantapur, as an English teacher with Fundación Vicente Ferrer, known here as Rural Development Trust.