India: Day One

Hello, loves! After waaaaaay too long in airports and on planes (thanks bomb cyclone), I finally made it to Hyderabad, India late last night.  ​

We were welcomed with a traditional meal and dance performance, which though absolutely amazing, we were so dead for.  Our whole travel group felt terrible that our clapping and conversation seemed less than enthusiastic, because we were extremely enamored with those performing– they were incredible!  Afterwards we made our way to our rooms and knocked out.

So that makes today my first full day in India.  A group of us woke up slightly before sunrise to walk to a nearby church, the Shrine of Our Lady of Health.  I was surprised to see so many people already out and about in the city, especially on a weekend.  The Shrine of Our Lady of Health is the largest octagonal church in Asia, so I was excited to check out the architecture.  Once within the church's compound, we walked in.  It was interesting that there were pews on all eight sides surrounding the center pulpit at which the priest stands for mass.  We were definitely caught off-guard by the neon-lined crucifix, large Santa playing the saxophone statue, decked-out-in-holiday-lights shrine to the Virgin Mary, and ABBA-like prayer music.  It was not what any of us were expecting– that's for sure!

We returned to our hotel to eat breakfast (fresh fruits, pastries, yummy potatoes, and more!) and then had a bit of downtime before our trip orientation.  Our trip orientation provided us with some quick local vocabulary (thank you = dhanyavaad (Hindi)) and discussed safety, schedule, and who to reach out to if there are any issues.

After the orientation wrapped up, we had a short break before lunch.  Lunch consisted of multiple Indian dishes and had a light and airy butterscotch ice cream as dessert.  I was incredibly worried about spicy foods on this trip– I don't do spice well and Southern India is a spicy region– but I've been okay so far!  Yes, every meal I've had to down a couple of water bottles to cool off my mouth, but it's never been too bad!

Following lunch, there were three optional site visits.  I chose to go to the Qutub Shahi Tombs and Shilparamam, an arts and crafts market.

On the bus ride to the Tombs, we learned about the history of Hyderabad and how it modernized quickly with the emergence of cyber technology.  The city now has large office buildings for companies like Facebook, Deloitte, HP, GE, and more.

The Qutub Shahi Tombs are part of the "old city" of Hyderabad.  These tombs house members of the Qutub Shahi dynasty, which ended in the late 1600s.  The dynasty gained their wealth through the diamond industry before the mines in Africa were discovered.  Though many of the tombs are now is disrepair, the architecture and grounds are proof enough of how gorgeous they would have been at their prime.

After about an hour and a half at the Qutub Shahi Tombs, we met back up and got in the bus to go to the Shilparamam.  Twenty minutes later, we arrived at what could be described as a bit of a tourist trap.  Children tried to sell you balloons and bubbles as you walk up to the gate and once inside you're presented with a market full of jewelry, pashminas, knickknacks, and brightly printed clothing.  People yell out to you from their booths, asking if you want to look at their goods.  I bargained with shopkeepers and bought some jewelry and a small wooden elephant for friends back in the States.

While at the market, I met up with my friend Bethany.  She is studying in Hyderabad this semester and happened to be visiting the Shilparamam at the same time I was.  I know Bethany from a conference I attended in high school and have been lucky to see her (and our other little friend group) a few times since, despite how spread out our homes are in the United States.  Meeting up with her across the world was pretty crazy!

We returned back to the hotel after the market and ate dinner.  We had a long day and I am physically exhausted! Time for bed! Can't wait to fill you in on the rest of the trip!