Look at all that scaffolding around the local water tower….

One of the best parts about driving through a chunk of India is we got to see a lot!  Even though it has been several months since our last trip I still think about it often.   Driving through India really made me appreciate all the many blessings I have in my life, including, food, shelter, and so much more.  I really have more than I really need and somehow that is ok (and even expected) in our culture, yet it bothers me.  I hope that I never take all the amazing blessings for granted and learn to share what I do have with others.

Look out shelter high up in the tree.  It is used mostly to keep an eye out for wild animals and alert the people in the small villages of danger.  As you may remember from an earlier post there are tigers and leopards that roam the jungle near them, see our boat safari and jeep safari.

Loaded down jeep….people hanging off of it and items stacked up high on it.

Large irrigation and water canal coming from the Kabini River and going to the local villages.

Kids playing on their bicycle

Brightly colored house in a nearby village.  Many of the homes we seen were painted very bright and bold colors.

Colt walking on the street with all the cars, Mama horse was right in front of this little guy.

On the back of the truck we were following…”PLEASE SOUND HORN PLEASE”  One thing about India is you hear a lot of horn honking!

A group of people waiting near the gas station for the public bus to arrive.

Mom and four kids waiting by the side of the road.

Jake relaxing on our ride back to Bangalore.

Now that’s a load full of goods.

People literally find spots on the sidewalk, benches or random places on the side of the road to sleep.

Recently, I read an article in the Bloomberg magazine about a group of people in India taking the food that was given to the poor and reselling it so they could pocket the money.  This happened over several years and was several billion dollars worth of food.  They had warehouses full of food that literally went moldy and was eaten by animals even though only a couple miles down the street people were starving.  This article probably would have never had the impact if I had not gone to India.  Several days after reading that article I was still thinking about it.  We are very blessed to be living in the United States and have a home, food, and so much more.

Man sleeping on a cement slab outside a vacant building.

Standing room only in this auto rickshaw!

Multitasking…..talking on the phone while riding his bike.

Construction site in India, the wooden poles help hold up the levels of the building.

I was amazed at the amount of liter on the side of the road.

Tarp tents set up on the side of the road.

Family riding together on their motorcycle.  It was common to see families on their motorcycles riding through town with a bunch of goods from the market on their laps.

Our trip to India was amazing, shocking, and life changing all wrapped up into one package.  I hope I never forget some of the things that made such an impact on me during my time in India.  May I appreciate the blessings in my life more and learn to be more generous with those around me.

The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun, and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!