Diu, India is a beautiful location filled with palm trees, colorful streets, forts and tan colored beaches along the Indian Ocean. I had my first taste of meat since I had been in India in Diu. It was chicken lollipops or as we would call them, chicken wings. The street food and vegetable markets were incredible and don’t miss my Diu video post to see the fancy flash milkshake maker. The ancient fort was interesting and the best part was the Diu Jail is still located inside. I have never been to Goa, but I think Diu gives it a run for the money.

Diu, Gujarat, India

Diu Street

Diu Street Food

Diu Fisherman

Diu Fort

Diu Jail

Diu Beach Street

After climbing Mount Girnar we drove down south to Gir National Park which is located in the far south region of Gujarat, India. It is the only home to the nearly extinct Asiatic Lion. From the lions, food, lodging and african dancers it was an incredible experience that I will never forget.

Gir National Park

Safari Bus

This was our safari bus. If you will be taking photos be sure to get there early enough to grab a window seat. The driver does a great job of pointing out where the animals are and stopping the safari bus at each sighting so you can take lots of photos.

Gir National Park Leopard

Asiatic Lion

This is the famous Asiatic Lion. I have never seen a lion this close up before and it was hard to believe how large they actually are. The paws are massive and his roar is a lot more terrifying when there is only a small window between you rather than a 20 foot gap and iron fence at the zoo. I found out later that we were very lucky seeing the lions our first time around. A couple at the lodge told me they had been twice already and were going back again that evening to try and spot them.

Waterfall

This waterfall is not actually in Gir National Park, it is on the way from Girnar. It was amazing to see this large of falls in the middle of southwest India. There is also a beautiful river that flows into it. When you drive to Gir National Park there will be a series of gates where you have to give the amount of persons traveling, car number and your names (because of terrorism) be sure to ask the gate keeper where the turn off is for the waterfall or you will never find it.

Shyam Farm House

The lodge was perfect. The photo above shows one of their tent rooms but you actually stay in a real room with a toilet and shower.  The host was extremely friendly and generous and there was even an outdoor swimming pool. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was delicious and the entertainment was like nothing I had ever seen before.

Our Amazing Chef

African Dancer

This part was unexpected. Before dinner the host asked if he were interested in seeing a “Negro Dance.” We said absolutely and went on to dinner. Once we finished our dinner the host told us to follow him over to the campfire. That’s when it got crazy. I know this photo doesn’t explain exactly what happened but basically it was like nothing I had ever seen before. There were drums, chanting and lots of dancing that resembled bird movements. Check out my video post of Gir National Park so you can see what I am talking about.

India has created yet another unforgettable memory and experience to my life.

Budget Breakdown

One night of Lodging at Shyam Farm House including breakfast, lunch, dinner, swimming pool and the “negro dancing” – $15/per person (700 Rs)

Gir National Park Safari – $20/per person (900 Rs)

Last night I went to the movie theater here in Ahemedabad and saw a movie completely in Hindi.

There was a lot of Hindi, a lot of random dancing and singing, and a lot of great cinematography. Shockingly, I really enjoyed the movie although I could only understand a few words I’ve learned since being here.

Here are 4 things you’ll find different than what a normal movie in America is like.

1. The flag of India is played on the screen while everyone stands and sings the national anthem
2. The seats are numbered and you sit in your assigned seat
3. There is an intermission
4. They serve french fries at the concession stand

I love all of these differences between American and Indian movie theaters.  It was an amazing experience and I highly recommend going to a movie in a country where there is going to be absolutely no English.

Here is a trailer of the movie.

When I saw photos of the temples at Mount Girnar I knew I wanted to see them. I had no clue what I was about to embark on, but it was one of the best experiences of my life. Mount Girnar is 3,600 feet tall. Imagine climbing the height of the Sears tower… two and a half times and then climbing back down on rock steps built in 1128 AD. My calves felt like concrete for the next 4 days. However,  I would do it again in a heartbeat. It’s incredibly beautiful and the climb up is just as amazing as reaching the top. From monks to monkeys you see it all on Mount Girnar.

Beauitful Climber

Monkeys on Mount Girnar

Seeing monkeys in person is a little different then at the local city zoo.  The are a lot bigger when you are 3 feet away. You become very aware that they aren’t as cute and cuddly as we all hoped as kids.  In fact they are kinda scary.  You never know what they are going to do next.  At one point I got to close and my friend Kapil quickly warned me that my camera could end up at the bottom of Mount Girnar if the monkey decided that’s where it should be.

Mount Girnar Escalator

Ok so I know the title of the image is a joke but still this was incredible.  The elderly and disabled pay men to carry them up the entire mountain.  Worst job ever in my opinion.  Evidentally they make some good cash though.  $100 USD to carry you up and down Mount Girnar.  About half way up that wasn’t sounding too expensive or like too bad of an idea.  These men have a large wooden pole that goes across their shoulders and then is holding a pillow swing.  The person sits on this the entire way up.  They only stop here and there all while never allowing the person to touch the ground.

Tomatoes on Mount Girnar

This lady was awesome.  She was very interested in the fact that I was from America and kept saying it over and over again.  Just one word.  America! I would laugh and then she would laugh and then once again, America!  She shared her tomatoes with me which were amazing.  Just like every type of Indian food I have had so far they take a normal food, add spices, and make it even better.  She also thought me saying “Thank You” was hilarious.  This image is not staged, this is her actually laughing after I told her thank you for letting me take the first photo of her.

Mount Girnar Food Stand

On the climb up there are food stands that serve everything from candy, chips, lemon juice and fruit.  It seems that the businesses on Mount Girnar have had a lesson in supply and demand because the higher up the mountain the more expensive the snacks and water get.  Smart huh?

Mount Girnar Temple

Mount Girnar Temples

Once you reach the top you will realize how much it was worth every second of the climb.  The temples are absolutely beautiful.  Just keep in mind you can not take your camera inside the temple, or even take photos inside the wall of temples.  So if you have a friend with you take turns going in and out without your camera.  Turns out they allowed photos inside the temple up until last year because of terrorism.  Thanks a lot terrorism, way to ruin something for all of us again.

Kapil and I on Mount Girnar

After reaching the top there was no way I wasn’t getting a photo of myself at the top.  Maybe just to prove that I did it or maybe because I wasn’t sure I would survive the climb down.

Mount Girnar Holy Cow

I took this photo because I thought it was a great composition and just a cool photograph to have.  After I got back and started editing I realized something.  This cow is about 3,600 feet high.  He isn’t coming down.  Therefor he must just live in this temple area.  If you look at his face it kinda looks like he is smiling, I guess he likes it up there.

Headed Down Mount Girnar

If ever in the South West region of India I highly suggest making a trip to Mount Girnar.  You won’t regret it.  You can leave from here and head down to Gir National Park or the beach community of Diu.  Mount Girnar is located in the state of Gujarat.

I have to say that the Uttarayan Kite Festival in Ahmedabad was one of my top 5 experiences ever.  We started out today in old Amhedabad and went to three different terraces to fly the kites.  


All ages from children to seniors were out on the rooftops flying kites and the women made different types of snack foods and brought them on the roof tops where we had blankets laid out to sit on and eat.  We ate lots of Tikki, which is basically like a praline with different types of seeds, nuts, grapes and drank chai tea.

Uttarayan Terraces

The Kites and Manja

The kites were made from very thin paper, and all types of bright colors.  The photos of Uttarayan I have taken don’t do justice to how colorful the sky was. The string is called Manja, and is coated by thin glass pieces.  This makes the string a lot tougher for the kite wars during Uttarayan.  I had seen the movie kite runner but this was for real. It’s amazing to see how they use different hand motions to move the kite higher, lower, or left to right.  Needless to say it took some practice for me to even get close to making the thing fly.  Some many kites get cut, or just get tangled in power lines there are literally kites everywhere you look.  Towards the end of the day I took this picture of a tree that had been swarmed by kites.

Manja (String)

American Kite Festival?

I never thought flying kites could be so much fun.  I think the most interesting part to me was that there were so many people on the rooftops.  I’ve never seen anything like this in America.  Maybe it’s just because we don’t have terraces like this and I should compare this to something like a 4^th of July parade but the sight of everyone on top of their roofs for Uttarayan was just something I had never seen before.

Uttarayan Kite Festival

Headed to Mount Girnar

After an amazing day of flying kites for Uttarayan and having the time of my life we are headed off to Mount Girnar.

You can view all of my images from Uttarayan on flickr.  Click here.



For international flights having the wrong seat can mean life or death. Thanks to seatguru.com you no longer second guess which seat to choose.  Here are a few reasons to check out their website next time you fly.

Seatguru ranks the seats in 6 categories.

• Good Seat
• Some Drawbacks
• Poor Seat
• Standard Seat
• Blocked Seat
• Crew Seat

Seatguru shows what’s nearby your seat.

• Emergency Exit
• Galley
• Lavatory
• Closet

Seatguru shows “the special seats”.

• Power Port
• Overhead TV
• Leg Room Space
• Overhead Space
• Seat Recline Information

They also tell you if the seat has a history of being loud, cold or in a busy area.  Next time your flying be sure to check seatguru.com!

I was packed, passport ready to go, even an extra hour early to the airport. There was still one item missing I was unaware of. You don’t have a visa? These were the harsh words that came from the american airlines attendant while attempting to print out my boarding pass. I had no clue what she meant. I wasn’t planning on working in India, wasn’t planning on being a student or conducting research… so why did I need a visa? I was wrong. I have not traveled a ton but I have traveled to Mexico, Belize, Canada, and The British Virgin Islands all of which requires only a passport and no visa.

Lucky for me there is an India Visa Center in Houston, TX about 4 hours south from Dallas. I’ll be driving down tonight, staying in a hotel, and then getting my visa Friday. I have rescheduled my flight for Sunday and the flight from New Delhi to Ahmedabad on Monday. With all this being said here is some information if you ever find yourself needing an India Visa.

Types of India Visas

• 6 Month – $75
• 5 Year – $165
• 10 Year – $165

• Tourist Visa
• Business Visa
• Transfer of Tourist Visa
• Transfer of Business Visa
• Transfer of Entry Visa
• Conference Visa
• Transit Visa
• Entry Visa
• Employment Visa
• Student Visa
• Research Visa
• Missionaries Visa
• Journalist Visa
• Permit to Re-enter Within 2 Months

Rush India Visas

Most people can just apply by mail and be just fine, however if you do need a rush india visa here is some information that might help. There are 5 locations that you can apply in person.

• Washington DC
• New York, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• San Francisco, CA

Same day india visa applications must be submitted in person to the Outsourcing Office between 9:00am and 11:00am (you will need an appointment that is selected at the end of the online application form). Pickup for same day applications is usually between 5:30pm and 6:00 pm. They do not guarantee the visa will be issued same day. Applications must be received before 11:00am or else you will be issued the visa the following day.  Please note that even the overnight fedex includes a 4 to 5 day processing time.

India Visa Resources

• Travisa Outsourcing

So tomorrow I will be heading off to India for 6 weeks.  The feelings of excitement and nervousness are overwhelming.  Tomorrow I fly from Dallas to Chicago to New Delhi, where I will spend one night before heading off to Ahmedabad.  Ahmedabad is about 300km north from Mumbai in the South Western state of Gujurat.  I’ll be living with two friends that I have worked with over the past year and a half.  Kapil and Harry.  I’m just as excited to meet them as I am to be consumed with the vast culture of India.  I look forward to all the colors of clothes, smells of street vendors and traffic I will soon be overwhelmed with.  My plan is to keep this blog up to date while I’m away and continue to post images of the exicting things I’ll experience.

Some places I’ll be traveling:

• New Delhi
• Ahmedabad
• Girnar
• Diu
• Mumbai
• Goa
• Jaipur (The Pink City)
• Agra