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World Trip Newsletter #5 (June 2007) India was our biggest challenge to date. We were quite unlucky with illness in that we were sick for 4 out of the 5 weeks we were in India, including a week-long struggle with Dengue Fever. In addition to that, we nearly melted in the oppressive heat. Temperatures averaged between 100-120 degrees during the day and it was very difficult to be outside. I really regret that we weren't able to explore India under better circumstances and I certainly feel that we missed out on truly experiencing this unique country. But we did the best we could with what we had and we came through it okay. Sometimes, that's all you can ask. India
Religion is all-encompassing in Indian culture. Because of that, we set out to explore various communities that practice some of the key religions. We went to Varanasi to see the Hindus worshiping the mighty Ganges River. We took in the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal and learned about Islam and the Muslim people. We headed up north to the Tibetan sanctuary of Dharamsala where Buddhist monks meditate and pray. We journeyed to Amritsar to walk through the elaborate Golden Temple and spend some time with the gentle Sikh people. We learned more than I can possibly explain here and enjoyed seeing the differences between these groups of people. We also developed a decent understanding of the challenges this country is facing as it tries to step into the world as a major power. It still seems woefully behind the times with regard to its lack of infrastructure and the abject poverty and suffering of most of its people. I hope for the best for these people and hope that they have good leaders who will work to provide them with better opportunities. Click here for full trip report.
Coming Up We are heading to Turkey next. We're not really sure what we're going to do while we're there but we're definitely going to spend some time in Istanbul, explore the remains of civilizations past and spend some time on a boat tour of the coast of Turkey. I'm sure we'll get in some beach time as well. After that, we'll hit Europe. We have decided to rent a house in Spain from August through November. We are very excited by the prospect of staying in one place for a while and getting the chance to soak up the Spanish/Moorish culture of southern Spain. More on that plan later.
Lots of love! Leslie and Sarah
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