The Matt Devlin showing off
our mountain of water bottles

We are about to leave India, and I have been spending some time reflecting on my experience here. One of the things that I will not miss is the heat. It has gotten as hot as 111 degrees Fahrenheit with a low of about 84 degrees Fahrenheit. I have definitely taken air conditioning and water for granted.  I believe that every day I drink about 5-8 liters of water. A cold bottle of water is also a luxury. I don’t think I have very been more excited to retrieve a bottle of water that is frozen. As they say it’s the little things in life that bring the most happiness.

 I am definitely going to miss the food. I have never been a big fan of spicy food, but I anticipated that I was going to have to get over that before I came here. At Barefoot, they serve basically the same thing everyday: rice, roti (which is kind of like a delicious tortilla), and some type of curry. For breakfast they serve parratas which is basically a fancier form of a roti. I could eat parratas everyday for breakfast if I had the option. The food at Hope North will not be as authentic as the food here so I have been savoring every bite. 

One aspect that has been the most enriching about this experience is that I have gotten to meet other volunteers and visitors from all over the world. The first day we arrived we met two men from Nepal who had climbed Mt. Everest at least three times. No big deal. We were able to take a tour with them to see the city of Pushkar. On a side note, Pushkar was absolutely beautiful and I am so glad that we were able to go. I have also met volunteers from France, Vietnam, Italy, and South Africa. They are all awesome people and I have learned a great deal from all of them. 

I am beyond thankful that I was able to attend this leg of the trip and hopefully we can take some of things we have learned here and apply them at Hope North. Our train leaves at 4:00 o'clock today for Delhi. From Delhi we will fly to Dubai and then to Uganda! I am excited for some cooler weather and to start our next journey! In the meantime, here are some photos from our trip to Pushkar featuring the emphasis Pushkar Lake and a really cool camel. 

Panorama of Pushkar Lake

My travel amigos! 

Gotta love this tree

A mosque on top of a mountain overlooking Ajmer