Sometimes the only home and shelter people had was under a tarp with several other family members.

Earlier this year Jake was in India working for a few weeks and I had the opportunity of traveling over there to meet him.  After his final week of work we went to spend some time with his cousin and took a road trip with them.  Over the next few weeks I will sharing more snapshots of our time in India.  India left a special mark on my heart.  It was an amazing experience!

Sign in MySore, India showing the way to the local places – MySore Palace, Zoo, Chamundi Hills, Airport, and MySore City Corporation

Houses in a small village that we passed through, even those these are a step up from a tent shelter it still breaks my heart seeing these homes.  Our driver stopped briefly to ask for directions. It was during this brief stop I realized that India has many different dialects even from town to town and even though we were only a short distance from where we were going it took awhile to find someone who knew which direction to point us.

I was really surprised at the amount of trash that littered the sides of the roads in India.  Some times you would see piles of trash that with people and animals digging through it to find food, supplies, or items they could use or sell.

Fresh Pineapple anyone….only 5 rupees (approximately 9 cents in US currency).  Some of the pineapples I saw were a little smaller then the ones we see in our grocery store but for 9 cents you could get quite a few for the price of one pineapple in the United States.

Can you see the bicycle underneath all the fresh coconuts?!  Pretty sure he is going to push that bike because it would be impossible to ride with all the coconuts. Behind the bike you can see coconuts that he has cracked open and the shells laying on the ground.  It is very fascinating to watch them break open a coconut, they basically take a huge mashedy knife and chop open the coconut.  It’s hard to see with the window glare but the ground all around that area is covered with dry coconut pieces…wonder how expensive it would be to buy “coconut mulch” in the United States?

Guy carrying a mattress on his head.  It amazes me the amount of stuff they carry on their heads.  You would think their necks would be so stiff.

Cows walking along the side of the road.  These are not your typical Kansas grass and corn fed beef cattle.  In India there are not always large grassy areas for the cows to graze so it is common to see their ribs.  You will often find cattle looking for small patches of grass and occasionally you will see them rummaging through the trash on the side of the road looking for food.

Families from the local village washing their laundry in the river.

After washing all the clothes in the river they lay them out to dry on the rocks.

It was fascinating to see a lot of the countryside of India.  We passed through towns and small villages.  There was always something interesting to see as we drove through the area.  Their fresh fruit looked delicious but I am not sure how much I would like washing my clothes in the river and drying them on the rocks, the wash machine is more efficient.  These pictures bring back a lot of memories.  I am thankful for the opportunity to see India and already looking forward to the next visit.

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!