India Day 6

                Today is my last day in India. I can’t believe how fast it went. This morning I ran into a group of friends that I had not really seen all week. So there was 7 of us who decided to go to the back waters. I’m not sure what I’m going to say about this so bear with me!

                The seven of us took taxis about an hour and a half away to the back waters. Here we negotiated a price for us to take a two hour tour of the waters. Once we got on the small wooden boat our guide (who spoke no English) took us around a loop of the back waters. It was honestly one of the most relaxing things I have done during this whole trip. The soft sound of the engine hum, the rustling trees, and the rhythmic sounds of people washing and cleaning easily made a sweet lullaby to sleep to. However, I managed to stay awake the whole time.  We got to see a whole different lifestyle here in the backwaters. The people here have generally no water or electricity. They use the back waters as their drinking, washing, cooking, and bathing water. They also use the back waters as their main mode of transportation as well.

                Basically, while traveling through the back waters I got to spend time with my friends talking about our experiences in India and beyond. I also got to get to know them a little better as well. It was a great time to sit, relax, and laugh with a great group of people.

                After the back waters tour we stopped at a local restaurant and got some lunch. This is where I had my favorite dish in India. It was chicken in a black pepper sauce. It was so good! I cannot wait to go home and learn how to make this dish.

                After lunch we came back to the ship. By the time we got back it was 4:30 and we had to be on the ship at 6:00 so it really worked out perfectly.  Overall, I loved India. This was my second favorite country to date! I learned so much here not only about myself, but more importantly about other cultures and religions. This was one of the most enlightening countries I have experienced. This country was our halfway mark just so everyone knows. I am officially getting closer to America now. I cannot say that I am thrilled about that except that I will be happy to see my family! I will be in Singapore on Thursday, for just one day but it will be great!