So happy to have you visit. If you’re here to read about Tanzania, it perhaps works best to start at the bottom of here and work your way up. If you’re here for India, starting from the fourth post down here may make the most sense. Of course, it’s entirely up to you. I hope you find something that interests you.
If you feel compelled to contact me about any of this for any reason, you can reach me at: bridget(dot)nickol(at)gmail(dot)com.
Everyone always wants to know about food, so as my final photo, I offer you a traditional Gujarati feast in all its overwhelming glory.
Alright, perhaps I was a lot preoccupied. But you cannot possibly claim that this squirrel is not cute.
I was a bit preoccupied by Gandhi’s squirrels.
Tranquil religious retreat amidst nature meets my discordant mind.
To better convey my experience while at Gandhi’s ashram, I should mention that Animal Collective’s “We Tigers” was in my head for the length of our time there. Literally as we walked through the entranceway, it began playing in my mind, and stuck. I can offer no explanation.
We also visited Gandhi’s ashram while in Ahmedabad, another of my favorite portions of the trip.
At the conclusion of our trip, we spent a couple days in Ahmedabad (though if you want to pronounce it correctly, I’d go with “Amdavad”). Once the capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad remains the largest city in the state. One of the most impressive sites we visited while there was this step well, a tremendous architectural feat built over 500 years ago to capture water that fell during the monsoon season and supply it to the city.
On our last night in Dahod, a few of us took Dr. Swati up on her offer to visit her at her home in the city. Swati served as our wonderful director for our entire stay, and is a store of incredible knowledge that she is always more than willing to share. Her uncle, whom we met during this visit, is quite the marvelous character himself. This visit was without a doubt one of my favorite parts of the entire experience. Faces never lie, and the happiness shows in this photo.
Krystal using a bit of Gujarati she had learned from a friend before the trip to introduce herself on one of the farms we visited. These kids were wonderful.
This photo is taken on a check dam Sadguru helped put in place some time ago to retain some of the valuable water that floods the land during the monsoon season. By catching it before it has drained back into the ocean, farmers are able to have water for a second growing season when the rain does not fall.
Sadguru’s grounds are beautiful, and hold many wandering peacocks. Can you find the one in this photo?
Teacups in the Sahaj courtyard.
