Brazil

The first day in Brazil, I got off the ship with my friends Danny, Peyton, and a few others.  We walked around for a bit, took the elevator to upper Salvador, and took in the sights.  Afterwards, I went back to the ship to meet for my class trip.  It was pretty cool to see the favelas, Portuguese for slums.  It was difficult to get a cab to the airport, and it ended up being about $35 but I had a fun time in the cab, jammin’ out with three locals.  I played my CD for them and they played theirs.  I got to the airport, got a beer, and Peyton, Nils, and Martin showed up shortly after.  We got on the plane and ordered free beers.  We took a blue bus to Ipanema, a beach area near Copacabana, upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro.  Eventually we found our friend Shannon’s apartment.  It was on the eighth floor of an apartment building; they rented it for the three nights they were there.  We dropped off our stuff and went to start drinking at a bar called Shennanigan’s.  It was there that we met two beautiful Brazilian girls and their friend.  Turns one of them had a private driver, so he took us around to some of the local clubs.  It was a crazy ride packing us all into that black Chevy Trailblazer. 
     The next morning, I woke up everyone because we had to get the day started.  We had all gone to sleep around 6AM, so it was a bit of a rough morning to say the least.  We had banana-chocolate crepes for breakfast, then caught the subway to Maracana stadium, once known as the largest stadium in the world, holding around 180,000.  After standing in line and figuring out that we couldn’t use our student ID’s to get a discount, we decided to come back later in the night to scalp tickets.  We caught a cab to Parque Nacional de Tijuca.  We got some drinks and I bought a delicious egg-cheese burger, then we headed into the park.  The waterfalls were absolutely gorgeous.  We saw a sign that said Prohibo Banho, which we could only guess meant no swimming.  We ran into two locals dudes in swimsuits who were walking by and told us to come in the water with them.  We were convinced and swam in in a mini whirlpool in a river above the falls.  It was so refreshing.  After talking to them for a while, they told us that night to stop by club 00.  We said we would and left the park.  We found a place to stay for that night, called Stone of a Beach, a cool hostel with a hip vibe.  We dropped off our stuff and headed for the game.  The game, Fluminense vs. Portuguesa, was really cool.  The fans were intense.  Everyone wore Fluminense gear, had flags, and were even lighting off flares in the stands.  One of the players with the last name Fred scored a hat trick.  That night we made it to 00, paid the expensive cover charge, and went in.  We tore up the dance floor.  All the locals were just bobbing back and forth while we were fist pumping and taking up a lot of space. 
     The next day we took a cab up to Christ the Redeemer, a giant art-deco sculpture at Corvocado, a mountain overlooking Rio.  Afterwards, not wanting to pay 10 Reais (Brazilian currency) each for a ride down the mountain, a guy finally told us that if we wanted to walk down, we could follow an abandoned railroad track all the way to the bottom.  We were sold.  It felt like we were in a movie.  Some parts were definitely a bit dangerous, but after about an hour, we made it all the way down.  On our last day in Rio, we checked out a market, got a few things and took the bus to our flight.  We got dinner at the ship and headed to a club called Madres.  After the ticket scalper misled us, we started a party in the street.  Eventually a pick-up truck started playing music and we started a dance party in the street.  I was dancing with some locals, pulling out my lines like, “Voce quer dancar?” which means 'Would you like to dance?' in Portuguese. At one point we were dancing like crazy on the truck bed, bouncing it up and down to the song, “I gotta feeling.”  The next day we went out, had some drinks, and got back on the ship.

Brazil

The first day in Brazil, I got off the ship with my friends Danny, Peyton, and a few others.  We walked around for a bit, took the elevator to upper Salvador, and took in the sights.  Afterwards, I went back to the ship to meet for my class trip.  It was pretty cool to see the favelas, Portuguese for slums.  It was difficult to get a cab to the airport, and it ended up being about $35 but I had a fun time in the cab, jammin’ out with three locals.  I played my CD for them and they played theirs.  I got to the airport, got a beer, and Peyton, Nils, and Martin showed up shortly after.  We got on the plane and ordered free beers.  We took a blue bus to Ipanema, a beach area near Copacabana, upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro.  Eventually we found our friend Shannon’s apartment.  It was on the eighth floor of an apartment building; they rented it for the three nights they were there.  We dropped off our stuff and went to start drinking at a bar called Shennanigan’s.  It was there that we met two beautiful Brazilian girls and their friend.  Turns one of them had a private driver, so he took us around to some of the local clubs.  It was a crazy ride packing us all into that black Chevy Trailblazer. 
     The next morning, I woke up everyone because we had to get the day started.  We had all gone to sleep around 6AM, so it was a bit of a rough morning to say the least.  We had banana-chocolate crepes for breakfast, then caught the subway to Maracana stadium, once known as the largest stadium in the world, holding around 180,000.  After standing in line and figuring out that we couldn’t use our student ID’s to get a discount, we decided to come back later in the night to scalp tickets.  We caught a cab to Parque Nacional de Tijuca.  We got some drinks and I bought a delicious egg-cheese burger, then we headed into the park.  The waterfalls were absolutely gorgeous.  We saw a sign that said Prohibo Banho, which we could only guess meant no swimming.  We ran into two locals dudes in swimsuits who were walking by and told us to come in the water with them.  We were convinced and swam in in a mini whirlpool in a river above the falls.  It was so refreshing.  After talking to them for a while, they told us that night to stop by club 00.  We said we would and left the park.  We found a place to stay for that night, called Stone of a Beach, a cool hostel with a hip vibe.  We dropped off our stuff and headed for the game.  The game, Fluminense vs. Portuguesa, was really cool.  The fans were intense.  Everyone wore Fluminense gear, had flags, and were even lighting off flares in the stands.  One of the players with the last name Fred scored a hat trick.  That night we made it to 00, paid the expensive cover charge, and went in.  We tore up the dance floor.  All the locals were just bobbing back and forth while we were fist pumping and taking up a lot of space. 
     The next day we took a cab up to Christ the Redeemer, a giant art-deco sculpture at Corvocado, a mountain overlooking Rio.  Afterwards, not wanting to pay 10 Reais (Brazilian currency) each for a ride down the mountain, a guy finally told us that if we wanted to walk down, we could follow an abandoned railroad track all the way to the bottom.  We were sold.  It felt like we were in a movie.  Some parts were definitely a bit dangerous, but after about an hour, we made it all the way down.  On our last day in Rio, we checked out a market, got a few things and took the bus to our flight.  We got dinner at the ship and headed to a club called Madres.  After the ticket scalper misled us, we started a party in the street.  Eventually a pick-up truck started playing music and we started a dance party in the street.  I was dancing with some locals, pulling out my lines like, “Voce quer dancar?” which means 'Would you like to dance?' in Portuguese. At one point we were dancing like crazy on the truck bed, bouncing it up and down to the song, “I gotta feeling.”  The next day we went out, had some drinks, and got back on the ship.

Ghana have fun

     On the first day we arrivied in Tema, I traveled with Abbie, Nils, Alyson, and Lauren.  We took the 45 minutes bus ride to Accra and met up with my friend Jillian who’s studying in the city.  It was great to see her after so many months.  She led us around, first to a restaurant, then some markets, then to an orphanage she volunteers at.  We got to play soccer with the kids there. It was quite the workout, but I managed to score the first goal. I traded my shirt and 15 cedis (Ghanain currency: 1.4 cedis = $1) for another guy’s shirt at one of the markets.  I think I may have gotten ripped off but I didn't worry about it.  We got to see Jill’s host home, we had dinner there, and she took us out to the Purple Bar in town.  We had a few drinks and I headed back to the ship. My friends stayed over at Jill's house. The next day I went to the slave dungeons and castles of Ghana.   It was really profound to see how the triangle slave trade worked and where the slaves were kept.  It was a lot of traveling during the day, but worth seeing.  I met a guy that taught me some of the native language. One of the coolest things about Ghanain greetings is the snap handshake. While pulling away from a handshake, Ghanains pull the middle finger so that each hand snaps.  That night I went out to a local place in Tema called Manila Bar.
        The third day, after much deliberation, I decided to travel alone to attempt to get to the famous Wli Waterfalls near Hohoe.  After consulting a tour company, I found the bus station and took a tro-tro to Hohoe.  Tro-tros are 15-18 person vans that run daily, leaving from a station whenever they fill up.  I paid 7.5 cedis for the 4-hour ride.  I met a woman named Patience who worked for an NGO (non-government organization) educating the public about HIV/AIDS awareness.  After we got off, I went to dinner with Patience and she helped me find a taxi to Wli, the village with the waterfalls.  I got to Wli and went to the first hotel I could find owned by a German couple.  The hotel was full.  I got to another hotel called the Wli Waterheights Hotel and paid 20 cedis for the room overnight.  I got outside and asked for directions to the border to Togo.  The woman who worked at the hotel told me the border closed in 10 minutes, but I thought I’d give it a shot.  I walked out the gate towards the border, some 250 meters away.  I ran into a guy named Victor, who introduced himself as one of the Wli waterfall tour guides.  I told him my name and he said that after I came back, I should hang out with him.  He ended up accompanying me to the border, which helped a lot considering he was friends with the guards.  They let us pass, and we walked into the neutral zone between Ghana and Togo.  We walked further and got to the police checkpoint into the village.  They asked for my passport.  I gave it to them and asked them not to stamp it.  “Are you a soldier?” the officer asked.  “No,” I replied, not sure why they were asking.  They let us go.  We walked through the village.  The people there spoke French.  Victor helped me find a lady to exchange my cedi to CFA, the Togolese currency. That night me, Victor, and a few of his friends had some drinks at a local bar.  Keep in mind friends, I will give all of you a more detailed story when I talk to you in person.
        The next morning I woke up at 5am, found Victor finally by six, and started climbing to the upper falls of Wli through the rain forest.  It was an incredibly difficult aerobic climb, but we made it and it was completely worth it.  I got to the falls and looked up in awe.  I stripped down to my suit and walked into the water.  Victor told me the water was safe to drink, so I splashed water on myself and drank it.  The water was sweet, pure and cool.  I stood underneath the falls and fell the light sting on my back.  It was wonderful.  We climbed down afterwards.  Victor helped me find the right tro-tro and I said good-bye, promising to return one day.  I felt truly sad to leave my new friend.
        On the way back to Accra, I met a girl named Mary and talked with her for a while on our 4-hour journey.  She was an absolutely beautiful Ghanain woman, and she happened to be just one year older than I.  As we came near to the end of our journey, I asked Mary if she wanted to get a drink with me and she told me she would like that.  I took her out for a drink, then realized I only had about an hour to get back on the ship.  I shared a taxi with her, then realized I was going in a different direction.  I kissed her good-bye, promised to come back someday, then got in another taxi.  I got to the shuttle area only to realize that the last shuttle left at 4PM.  It was past 4:30.  I told the driver I only had 13 cedi left and he said that he would help me, though it was very little money compared to the long drive back to the Tema port from Accra.  I clocked in at the ship at exactly 6:00PM. 

Ghana have fun

     On the first day we arrivied in Tema, I traveled with Abbie, Nils, Alyson, and Lauren.  We took the 45 minutes bus ride to Accra and met up with my friend Jillian who’s studying in the city.  It was great to see her after so many months.  She led us around, first to a restaurant, then some markets, then to an orphanage she volunteers at.  We got to play soccer with the kids there. It was quite the workout, but I managed to score the first goal. I traded my shirt and 15 cedis (Ghanain currency: 1.4 cedis = $1) for another guy’s shirt at one of the markets.  I think I may have gotten ripped off but I didn't worry about it.  We got to see Jill’s host home, we had dinner there, and she took us out to the Purple Bar in town.  We had a few drinks and I headed back to the ship. My friends stayed over at Jill's house. The next day I went to the slave dungeons and castles of Ghana.   It was really profound to see how the triangle slave trade worked and where the slaves were kept.  It was a lot of traveling during the day, but worth seeing.  I met a guy that taught me some of the native language. One of the coolest things about Ghanain greetings is the snap handshake. While pulling away from a handshake, Ghanains pull the middle finger so that each hand snaps.  That night I went out to a local place in Tema called Manila Bar.
        The third day, after much deliberation, I decided to travel alone to attempt to get to the famous Wli Waterfalls near Hohoe.  After consulting a tour company, I found the bus station and took a tro-tro to Hohoe.  Tro-tros are 15-18 person vans that run daily, leaving from a station whenever they fill up.  I paid 7.5 cedis for the 4-hour ride.  I met a woman named Patience who worked for an NGO (non-government organization) educating the public about HIV/AIDS awareness.  After we got off, I went to dinner with Patience and she helped me find a taxi to Wli, the village with the waterfalls.  I got to Wli and went to the first hotel I could find owned by a German couple.  The hotel was full.  I got to another hotel called the Wli Waterheights Hotel and paid 20 cedis for the room overnight.  I got outside and asked for directions to the border to Togo.  The woman who worked at the hotel told me the border closed in 10 minutes, but I thought I’d give it a shot.  I walked out the gate towards the border, some 250 meters away.  I ran into a guy named Victor, who introduced himself as one of the Wli waterfall tour guides.  I told him my name and he said that after I came back, I should hang out with him.  He ended up accompanying me to the border, which helped a lot considering he was friends with the guards.  They let us pass, and we walked into the neutral zone between Ghana and Togo.  We walked further and got to the police checkpoint into the village.  They asked for my passport.  I gave it to them and asked them not to stamp it.  “Are you a soldier?” the officer asked.  “No,” I replied, not sure why they were asking.  They let us go.  We walked through the village.  The people there spoke French.  Victor helped me find a lady to exchange my cedi to CFA, the Togolese currency. That night me, Victor, and a few of his friends had some drinks at a local bar.  Keep in mind friends, I will give all of you a more detailed story when I talk to you in person.
        The next morning I woke up at 5am, found Victor finally by six, and started climbing to the upper falls of Wli through the rain forest.  It was an incredibly difficult aerobic climb, but we made it and it was completely worth it.  I got to the falls and looked up in awe.  I stripped down to my suit and walked into the water.  Victor told me the water was safe to drink, so I splashed water on myself and drank it.  The water was sweet, pure and cool.  I stood underneath the falls and fell the light sting on my back.  It was wonderful.  We climbed down afterwards.  Victor helped me find the right tro-tro and I said good-bye, promising to return one day.  I felt truly sad to leave my new friend.
        On the way back to Accra, I met a girl named Mary and talked with her for a while on our 4-hour journey.  She was an absolutely beautiful Ghanain woman, and she happened to be just one year older than I.  As we came near to the end of our journey, I asked Mary if she wanted to get a drink with me and she told me she would like that.  I took her out for a drink, then realized I only had about an hour to get back on the ship.  I shared a taxi with her, then realized I was going in a different direction.  I kissed her good-bye, promised to come back someday, then got in another taxi.  I got to the shuttle area only to realize that the last shuttle left at 4PM.  It was past 4:30.  I told the driver I only had 13 cedi left and he said that he would help me, though it was very little money compared to the long drive back to the Tema port from Accra.  I clocked in at the ship at exactly 6:00PM. 

South Africa

        The first day we arrived in Cape Town, I looked down off the ship and saw frolicking seals and a large number of jellyfish.  That morning I had a class trip with my shark biology professor, Dr. Abel.  We went to the Marine Aquaculture Research Center in Cape Town.  We learned about some of the diseases acquired by marine life and got to touch sea urchins and some baby leopard sharks.  Afterwards, me and the only other kid on the trip, Jeremy, explored a bit of Cape Town, saw Table Mountain from its base, and shopped around the markets.  That afternoon we stopped on Long Street, one of the main bar areas in the city.  We had a few beers and met a local named Bjorn that was happy to help us back to our ship when we asked for directions.  For one of the few nights this trip, I went to sleep early to be ready for the next morning.
        The next day me and my classmate Allysa were picked up at 5am to go shark cage diving.  We drove two hours to a town called Gansbaii, notoriously known for its occurrence of great white sharks.  We took a boat called the Megalodon II twenty minutes out from the coast.  A number of other shark diving tour boats were already in the water.  The large occurrence of sharks was due to a high seal population in the area.  Anchored out in the water, we put on wet suits and goggles.  The cage could hold 5 people at a time with our group of 23.  I volunteered to be one of the first to go and slid into the watery cage.  The guide threw out a bait line of tuna head and told us that he would signal us to hold our breath and dip under the water when a shark was going for the bait.  When he yelled, “Down!” for the first time, we put our heads underwater.  Lunging for the bait was a giant grey and white monster with its enormous jaws open and dead black eyes locked on the bait.  It was incredible.  Later on, during our last dives, a giant male shark, distinguished by its pelvic claspers near the tail, had its jaws open wide hurling at the bait line right near my position in the cage.  I instinctively backed up as it turned away at the last second.  Needless to say, my heart was racing after that experience.
        The next morning I met up with Max, Nick, and Jay to go on our overnight safari.  On our way to the bus, we saw a total surf bro with long blonde hair and a purple shirt that read, ‘SHRED ALL DAY.’  We were making fun of it the rest of the trip.  We were saying that if this guy’s Facebook status probably says he’s shredding.  Always.  We took public transportation down N2, called the Garden Route.  It took us at least four hours to get to our destination: The Garden Route Game Lodge near Albertinia, South Africa.  We arrived at 4:25 PM just in time for the first game drive.  A game lodge is a large, fenced in area with some animals living in the same enclosure, and others, like the lions, fenced off by themselves.  This particular reserve was nearly 4,000 acres in area.  In our open-air safari jeep during that first drive, we saw lions, giraffes, antelope, elephants, and others.  When we came upon a cheetah lying in the grass by itself, the driver slowed to a halt and we observed and took pictures.  Before we started to move again, the cheetah tensed up and looked off curiously into the distance.  Far away was a herd of antelope, but considerably closer was a pair of full-grown ostriches, unaware of the cheetah’s presence.  After waiting for what seemed like 15 minutes, watching the cheetah stalking the ostriches, suddenly the big cat took off like a rocket.  We were told later that cheetahs can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds.  The ostriches were literally running for their lives.  The jeep pursued the chase as soon as the cheetah launched.  We saw the cat just barely miss the two birds as it slowed to a stop after a lively attempt.  The ostriches just kept running, eventually out of sight.  We had an amazing buffet dinner with the most savory pork chops I’ve ever had, then we went to the bar later that night and retired around 11 to our bungalows.  Before heading to dinner, we looked up in the sky to see only what I can describe as a UFO.  It was an object that looked at first to be a star, but with the motion of a satellite.  It was bright in color, only slightly more yellow than the surrounding stars.  It soared through the sky at a good pace towards the horizon then slowly faded, like a piece of coal in a fire simmering out as it loses its heat.  If anyone has any idea what it could have been (one of my friends guessed it could have been a piece of space trash), please let me know.  I’m still convinced it was aliens. 
        The next morning we took another game drive at 7:30.  We got a better look at the lions in the daylight, and came within two feet of a full-grown African White Rhino.  It was amazing to be that close to wildlife.  That’s one of the things I preferred about the game lodge.  On a safari at a national park, there’s a chance you might not be able to see the animals you want to, but at the game lodge, the chances are much greater at seeing everything.  After the drive, we had the best breakfast I’ve ever had in my life, consisting of a full buffet of omelets-to-order, crepes, sausages, hash browns, fruit juice, cereal, and croissants.  Afterwards we got a tour of the reptile house and cheetah enclosure, then headed on our way.  That night we went out again to the bars on Long Street, met some more locals, and came back to the ship for the night.
        On our last day, I travelled with Nick, Kristina, Max, Gabe, and Danny.  It was one of the best times I’ve had just because of the people I with whom I traveled.  I just noticed that if I spell ‘travel(l)ed’ with one l or two, it’s still correct according to Microsoft Word.  If anyone reading this is an English major, I’d like to know why.  Anyway, we took a train to Simon’s Town, an hour south of Cape Town.  We then got to Boulders Beach, famously known for its penguin population.  We were able to go in the water and actually got pretty close to some penguins swimming around.  They didn’t like to be touched however, and made sort of the hiss a Canadian goose makes when you get too close.  It was called Boulders Beach for a reason and had giant stone boulders all along the sand.  It reminded me a lot of the British Virgin Islands.  After the beach, we got back to Cape Town and took a taxi to Langa, a very poor township area.  My friend Gabe had gone earlier in the trip and wanted to go back.  The movie District 9 was based on the townships of South Africa.  Under Apartheid, blacks and Indians were put in segregated neighborhoods in areas where whites worked.  The townships were basically shanty towns, with all of the homes built by the residents and made of scrap materials, such as dilapidated wood and used sheet metal. We met a man named Abel (not my professor) who led us around the area.  Despite the conditions, people were happy.  We were able to play catch and take pictures with a group of small children, and afterwards we went to a barbecue storefront that lets you pick out raw meat from the counter and cooks it for you.  The food was delicious.  We then paid our guide and got a taxi back to the ship.  Next stop, Ghana.

Mauritius

Mark Twain once said that heaven was modeled after Mauritius.  I couldn't agree more.  The island was absolutely beautfiul, with high hills and breathtaking beaches.  I was fortunate enough to stay at a Hilton Resort at Flic en Flac beach, one hour south of where our ship docked at Port Louis.  We hung out on the beach at night, went out to the bars, and met some friendly Mauritian locals.  I traded shirts with a guy I was talking to.

The next morning I went with my roommate Mike and my friend Clara to Casela Nature Park near where I was staying.  We went on what's called a Lion Walk.  For one hour, a group of us followed a guide and two full-grown lions on a walking path.  We were able to pet the lions and take all the pictures and video we could.  Near the end of the walk, the guide placed a piece of meat on a high branch and had one of the lions leap up to grab it.  Afterwards, the guide led us into the cheetah enclosure, where we met two cheetahs and had the chance to pet and interact with them.  It was one of the coolest things I've ever done.  We walked around Port Louis the rest of the day before getting back on the ship.

India

We arrived in India at the port of Chennai on March 11th.  My plan for India was to travel directly to the state of Kerala on the southeast coast with my friends Haley, Alyson, and Dave.  We agreed that we would all meet at the ship at 4:30 that evening.  Initially I got off the ship with Haley, Dave, and my other friends Martin, Danny, and Peyton.  Within 20 minutes of getting there, however, we got separated into two groups by auto rickshaws, small three wheeled taxis that carry three passengers.  Haley, Martin and I spent about an hour and a half trying to figure out where the other three of us went, but we never got back to them.  We eventually started exploring Chennai by ourselves.  We ended up at the train station to buy overnight tickets to Cochin, another southern port city in the state of Kerala.  Haley and I found the foreign tourist ticket counter and worked on getting the tickets for nearly two hours while Martin waited on a bench for us.  The first lady we talked to was not very helpful.  She told us there was a waiting list for the tickets we wanted; when we asked her if there was another way to get to Cochin that night, she told us that she only deals with trains and that she wasn’t a travel agent.  Eventually, to our confusion, she left the office telling us that the next guy whose shift was next would help us.  We waited another 15 minutes for the next guy.  He eventually arrived and started helping us get tickets.  He was much more helpful and got us on the waiting list for four tickets to Ernakulum Town near the wildlife reserve we wanted to visit. The tickets were Rs. 1,300 or around $30.  Haley and I met our friends Dave and Alyson back at the ship.  Luckily we were able to get on the train that night at 7:45.  We had the overnight sleeper train with air conditioning which was quite comfortable.  After switching seats with a few Indian friends, the four of us got beds next to each other.  I went with Dave for a cigarette and met two friendly Indian men that we think may have been police officers, but we couldn’t tell for sure because their English was limited.  Although smoking wasn’t really allowed on the train, one of the crew members told us that it was fine.  Our slogan for India is “It’s possible” because of all the times we heard that phrase.  For many of the things we did in India, it was kind of like the country telling us, “You’re really not supposed to, but go ahead and do it anyway.”  We met a woman on the train, Lakshmi, who told us she was a daughter of a government official in Kerala.  She told us to stop in Kotayam, which was closer to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary where we were going.  She also gave us her phone number and told us that if we lost or got anything stolen, we could call her and her father would get it replaced for us. 
        The next morning we got to Kotayam and took a three hour roller coaster bus ride for Rs. 75 through the hills to Thekkady Road in Kumily, about 4km from the reserve.  The area is about 800m above sea level and considerably cooler than where we were in Chennai, which was a relief.  Upon getting off the bus, a man who introduced himself as Osaka told us he would help us find a hotel and lead us around the area.  We agreed and didn’t know it then, but Osaka would help make our trip quite unforgettable.  Osaka told us he would take us to the Rainbow Hotel near the bus stop, so we started walking.  Around us we saw some of the slums of India and people outside working, talking, and enjoying each other’s company.  As we continued to walk we came upon a brightly colored edifice that definitely stood out among the Indian slums.  The hotel had just about every color and each room was a single bright color theme.  Dave and I got the blue room while the girls got the green room.  Later that afternoon Osaka took us to go ride elephants followed by an ‘elephant shower’ which involved us sitting on the back of an elephant while it took water into its trunk and sprayed it repeatedly onto us.  We were completely drenched afterwards.  It was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done.  We then went to a spice garden and got to see and taste plants like pepper, coffee, vanilla, avocado, nutmeg, and masala.  We even tried an insulin leaf, which the guide told us he gives to people with diabetes.  That evening we went to a local home where a family showed us how they make a traditional Indian dinner.  We got to help mix ingredients and roll dough.  It was the best meal I had in India.
        The next day we took a Jeep into the heart of the Periyar Wildlife Reserve.  It was an open-air back seat so we stood up the entire way there and took in all the sights, smells and sounds.  When we got there, we took a boat ride on a lake in search of tigers.  We got off near some muddy grass and saw tiger footprints, but unfortunately no tigers.  Afterwards, we took an hour and a half hike to our campsite in the jungle.  A moat was dug around the area to keep out any animals.  At night, while I was shining a flashlight into the brush, I saw two pairs of green glowing eyes making their way through the bushes.  I shined my light in another direction and saw what I thought was another pair of green eyes.  Desperate to see a tiger, I imagined what I saw was a tiger and even had my friend Haley believing it.  After getting so excited and calling over the guide however, we discovered that it was merely a bit of reflective material and a plastic bag.  The next morning, we hiked back and saw some wild bison.  The day before we had seen the national bird of India flying through the trees, as well as some wild monkeys and squirrels. After leaving the wildlife sanctuary, we took a taxi to Alleppey, where the backwaters of India are located.  The backwaters are a collection of villages on the edge of a long series of rivers and canals.  We stayed overnight on a houseboat that travelled around the canals and docked for the night.  We were able to go into town to pick up drinks and had quite the pleasant evening. 
        The next day we took a rickshaw back to Cochin and dropped off Haley at the ship.  Me, Dave, and Alyson explored the city and got a hotel for the night.  Before we went out that night, we went to a textiles store and asked for suggestions on traditional Indian clothing.  I’m wearing a dark green ‘skirt’ and green dress shirt as I’m writing this.  That night we went out to the bars in our traditional clothing.  We got many gestures of approval and amusement walking around the streets of the city.  When we got to our second bar and we met an Indian man that spoke nearly perfect English.  We asked him some questions about the culture and politics of the region and the rest of India.  Later he took us to another bar and bought us a round of drinks.  I bought the last round after that before we headed back to our hotel.
        While Dave, Alyson and I were walking around Cochin the next day, two Indian boys called out to us to play with them.  We had nothing else to do so we agreed.  We ended up playing cricket in the street with the two boys.  They used a piece of wood as a bat.  We asked them if there was a place close to them that sold cricket bats and they led us to a local sports store.  We asked one of the boys which bat he liked best and we paid 600 Rupees (around $14) for the bat.  We then gave the bat to the two boys.  They were in shock.  As we parted ways, we saw the boys ecstatic and running across the street to show their friends.  It was a good feeling.