Taj Mahal, another World Wonder down, 4 to go…

A dream come true, I have wanted to go to the Taj Mahal ever since I can remember. I don't remember a time when I didn't want to go to India. Call me crazy but I love this country. We arrived very early in the morning on the overnight bus, the bus had flat beds but no A/C so we kept the windows open all night. There is nothing quite like the lullaby of traffic and honking.

Once we arrived in Agra we walked down the road and found a hotel that would let us store our luggage with them and also let us use their bathroom to freshen up. No amount of freshening up can take away our time on the bus. Finally it came time for the Taj Mahal to open, we entered from the western gates and it was a beautiful site to see. The sunrise was just ending so the sky still had colors of purple and pink, with it being the low tourist season and given the early hour we were able to experience it with very few people around. We got pictures with just us & the Taj Mahal.

Sometimes early mornings pay off

Once we got to the end of the pools we removed our shoes or as they call them in India we removed our "slippers" and walked up to and thru this monument. What people don't tell you is that there are 2 beautiful buildings to either side of the Taj Mahal as well. *Note if you have a foot/germ phobia then the platform of the Taj Mahal is defiantly not for you.* After we spent quite a bit of time soaking in the beauty we determined it was time for food. The place we stored our luggage had a rooftop restaurant with good food and a great view of the Taj Mahal.

We didn't have much time to explore Agra, but from the bit we did see it seemed the Taj Mahal is pretty much it for this small town in India. The only place we saw souvenirs was in the market as we left the Taj Mahal.
We left soon after taking a taxi to Delhi, I am pretty sure everyone slept the whole way there ( I know I did)

** to note the Taj Mahal is closed every Friday and is open from sunrise to sunset.**

Looking back at the gate to the Taj Mahal

This nice older guy came up as I was taking selfies
and asked if I wanted a photo with the Taj in my eye.
I think he has done this before.. But it is a cool idea

Traveling India's Himalayas 2.0

Now that we got the crazy story from the Himalayas out of the way, I can proceed to the shorter tale of Darjeeling. Feeling adventurous we decided to head out on a hike thru the Himalayas into Nepal.
Being wise, we decided to hire a guide, since the Himalayas are a crazy place to get adventurous.
I was a bit hesitant at first since this was a full day, no turning back type of hike, but it ended up being more than worth the anxiety. Pima, our guide, picked us up in the AM and headed about 1 hour away into Nepal where we ate an early breakfast before heading out, the food was delicious and the warm mug of boost was delightful. It was a tight fit getting all 8 of us seated, since the kitchen was out of someone's home, but it was some of the best breakfast food ever. After we went to the customs office to present our passports for documentation, it was a great "typical" mountaineering-in-a-foreign-country office.
From there we began our hike up thru the amazing lush green mountain, what started off as a nicely cobblestoned path soon disappeared (which is when we were so glad Pima was with us).

I wavered between thinking we were in India, Ireland and New Zealand, with the mist settling over us it felt like we were the last people on earth. As we continued walking amazing cultural & natural beauty awaited us as the fog revealed its treasures. Already in love with the Tibetan culture, seeing the brightly painted stones only enhanced my love and sense of wonderment for this land, its history and culture. I mean talk about a magical experience!
Was I in 2014, or had I gone back a few centuries?

Eventually we did stop for lunch in Nepal at a great little lodge tucked up in the slopes of the mountains. I learned you can also hike and spend the night up there, during summer they are completely booked with many travelers filling every available space on the floor! With wonderful food cooked over the wood stove, a perky little puppy and friends gathered around the table what is not to be loved? The whole place is a recipe for memories for years to come.
Eventually we did finish eating and continued our way down the mountainside. We did cross inbetween Nepal and India so we came to another "border crossing" and presented our passports for documentation at the smallest boarder crossing station I have ever seen. (sorry no pictures) but it was just a hut big enough for a guy and platform for writing. The last part was the hardest part since it was all down hill(and we aren't talking a nice stroll, I mean we are in the freaking Himalayas!)

The lodge we stopped at for a delightful lunch.

This place is magical with the green hills, the fog and the stillness.

Tibetan Writing (love the colors)

Once we all made it down and back to town some of us were crazy enough to go out into town to get dinner and do some shopping, the walk uphill to town center was a killer! I have no idea what we were thinking. Ann and I stopped at a breakfast restaurant that happened to have the best gluten free cookies. Who would have thought we would find those in Darjheeling of all places! As everyone split up for various activities some how Ann and I got left alone without a working phone…when some of the girls took it to the border crossing into Nepal it did something… needless to say heading back in the dark thru the freaky alleyways was quite the adventure. At one point we walked past a small group who started watching us and then following us. Since I do believe in a higher power I silently started pleading for protection. Ann loves to sing so to calm our hearts we sang a medley of Disney songs.. It worked we made it home safely (with help from the heavenly side) and singing. Music is a powerful force in this world.

For our final adventure we took one of the last operating steam trains in the world(at least thats what they claim) from Darjeeling to Ghum. Great experience but be prepared for some major ash. This train used to operate all the way from the valley, but it has ceased those operations and now acts as a tourist operation.  One of the coolest things I was hoping to view was Mt. Everest, on a clear day you can see the mountain but we were never lucky enough for a clear day. But the respite from the heat and crowds did wonders for us all. One of my new favorite destinations.

Quirks I picked up traveling

*Travelling introduces you not only to a new culture but within that culture a new way of doing things... I have a few cultural quirks that have stayed with me despite being home in America.

*I can't remember if it's left right left I look or right left right before crossing the road. So I do both just to be sure.

*Same goes for reading, when people write "backwards" it doesn't seem odd.

*Even less noticeable is how a book opens. 

*Spelling and dates; I get confused between the American version and the world version
ie someone tells me their birthdate is 06/01/2000 is that January 6th or June 1st...

*Sometimes I forget to turn off the car before getting out... It's getting better.. I mean I didn't have to open car doors for 3 months, you just climbed in...

*Layovers don't scare me, nor does flying alone to a new airport

*I mix up simple phrases in various languages. Is "si" Spanish or Italian or both?? 

*Digging through my coins to find US currency is a small task...on the upside I'm set if we have any dramatic changes in the exchange rate

*On another upside my international pronounciation has been better since I can usually identify which language I am pronouncing. 

*I have a bag packed with everything but clothes and shoes... Kind of like having separated parents and you have one set at moms and one set at dad's..

*When I go shopping the first thoughts are 'How well is this going to travel?'

*Speaking of which when people compliment me on something I'm wearing, especially accessories, they know my answer will involve a place I travelled and therefore they probably wont ever get it.

*Upon purchasing anything I have to check myself on bartering...

*I am horribly aware of the lack of cleanliness...  

* I am always prepared with tissue, hand sanitizer, band aids, gum and whatever else I won't find while traveling...

* I get to public places and go to use something only to realize the lack of cleanliness and then I realize I have survived worse. 

 

 

*Sometimes I forget how things really are in America, and I get greater culture shock coming home then I did going foreign. (true story every time)

*And then I remember all the things I took for granted on my vacation. Like the abundance of spices, mango lassi and watermelon shakes for a dollar... and of course a grand adventure.

*This picture isn't the grand adventure.*

Life Lessons & Motto

As one of my roommates pointed out, I live a cultured life. Sometimes it feels like the life of a Fairytales or a Dream. I mean who is Crazy enough (as well as so blessed to have time and opportunity) to leave  their own country, take time and money to go learn and experience various lifestyles and cultures around the world.

One word.. Me. Call me a dreamer, eccentric, unrealistic, childish, spoiled or whatever else you like.  It doesn't change who I am, and how I follow my heart. In life all that I am passionate about comes down to two things 1. Helping others feel their true value. Everyone has something to offer. Every. Single. Person. On. This. Earth! *Yes, that without a doubt certainly means YOU!!!

2. I LOVE loving everyone, and helping others to come to a greater understanding of what the power of open minds and hearts can yield.
I once read a quote via Pinterest or Instagram (follow me @shleyw)

'nough said.

In school, I always struggled knowing what to study, and gain a degree in. I enjoyed so many things, but not one thing did I love enough to stick with it for 4 years, much less a lifetime. Then as I took time off after completing my Associates Degree, I began to discover who I am, and what I want to do with my life. It started making sense this path I was on. Sure it's hard going against the norm, but for me it is worth every second. 

In the area I live most everyone is either finishing their undergrad, going on and getting a Masters or PhD, getting married and starting families, or beginning their career. I felt so isolated at times because I wasn't continuing traditional education, and I wasn't working a job in my 'career' path. 

I continued to choose life experience, and travel, its the only thing that continually felt right. Every time I stopped to consider school, it never felt like the right path for me, even though I longed to be at school, learning from others and their experiences in new and exciting subjects. 

It has only been the last few months that I have come to terms with doing things 'my way', and realizing its for a purpose. I have been exposed to so many cultures, and people. I have witnessed many joyful and tragic events. My heart has been left in so many places that it will never be at comfortably in one piece again. 

I have realized, thanks to my roommates, that the knowledge I have is in fact a usable knowledge. I am striving to make this knowledge available to many throughout the world. It seems like an impossible task to spread love and understanding to all the world, but if I can make a difference to one person, my life is worthwhile and complete. 

In the bible it says men's hearts shall wax cold and they shall love things more then people. I see so much of this happening in the world around. But I also see so much good as well. We see what we choose to see. If we focus on the negative, that is what we will find in life even amidst the good. If you choose to see the beauty and positivity in life, you will find that, even amidst the bad. 

Why do we see, or even meet, one person and judge a whole group based off that one person?? Most people are searching for good and try to live their lives the best they know how. Who are we to judge them? The biggest lesson I have learned is to 'live the life you were born to lead.'

Follow your heart. Your inner voice. Your Jimminy cricket. Your gut feeling. Your conscious. The Spirit. However you want to recognize "that" feeling, it's there for a reason.