Follow the Journey

After having witnessed the world famous beauty of the Taj Mahal, or the "monument of love" according to Samuel Kessler, the group set off to Varanasi, the city of lights. Straight upon arrival with the overnight train on fell in love with Varanasi, being the oldest city in the world. Straight away one felt at ease with the relaxing and spiritual vibe of the city. You want to know what… Read More

Today feels bittersweet, or as Winston (our German representative) says, "with one bright eye and one crying eye." By the time of this posting, we will have said farewell to our host families and be well on our way for an equally novel experience in Agra. But right now, I sit writing, enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze coming from the patio of my host family's living room. Papa Gee… Read More

Dear people in the outside world, This is Eve and Cameron. Hmmm…. How do we even explain this? The craziness of Delhi is something you need to see to believe. We can't quite explain the staring, the smell of hot masala tea, and all the kids saying hello while possibly trying to lift our pockets. Those cute little scoundrels! We're still getting our footing, but we took a really cool… Read More

Namaste from Delhi! Power duo Miranda and Lily write to you after a long day of scavenger hunting around the city…with bellies very full. Turns out that asking for just a chai translates to bringing us two full plates of food (which is just fine by us). Our adventures today have given us a small taste of the journey we have ahead; friendly people, bright colors, and all sorts of… Read More

Salutations from somewhere between Singapore and Delhi! It's been exactly 51 hours since we disembarked from San Francisco International Airport, new friends in the making. Since then, we've encountered several unexpected adventures. Little did we know as we boarded our first flight at 12:05 am on Wednesday, that Singapore airlines would become our best friend and our worst enemy. After arriving in Hong Kong, we got off our plane and… Read More

We have received word that the mighty Shanti group has successfully gathered together at SFO (minus Winston from Germany who will meet the group in New Delhi).  What's more, they've checked in for their flight and gone through security in fine style.  We send our best wishes as they travel across the world.  Stay tuned for the next posting from India!  … Read More

We’ve received word that the Shanti group has said their tearful goodbyes to Kelsi at the airport and they have set off from New Delhi.  We wish them all traveling mercies on their respective journeys home.  You are a fantastic group, team Shanti, filled with heart.  Namaste.… Read More

I could see the apprehension in Benji’s eyes at the first whispers of a Thanksgiving feast, hours after finishing a four day trek. But once Katrina and I secured a kitchen, the wheels of holiday cheer were in motion and there was no stopping us. Over the next few days, all eight of us brainstormed different dishes to serve and thought up strategies on how to execute an eight-dish meal… Read More

Ever since applying for Carpe India, I’ve been psyched for the four day trek. There’s something extremely satisfying about going from point A to point B using nothing but my two feet (plus 16 mules’ hooves…zero ways I’m dragging a propane tank and a few tents up the mountain). The trek was challenging on some days but we got plenty of breaks and were treated like kings and queens at… Read More

We have been very busy here in India the past several weeks, but a very different kind of busy from the first half of the trip. Instead of running about crowded towns filled with honking horns and cows, we have been enjoying the mountain scenery around the towns of Rishikesh and Dharamshala. After a short stop in Delhi after an incredible week in Kolkata, we took a train to Rishikesh… Read More

I’ve received a handful of emails from my friends in the states recently, all asking the same broad question: “what’s India like, Joe?” It’s a simple question, yet it was hard for me to answer until our group arrived in Varanasi. As I sat crosslegged on the banks of the Ganges, with the red sun’s first rays peeking over the distant hilltops, a half forgotten word sprang into my mind,… Read More

Namaste! After a long day of travel from Bodhgaya, we finally made it to the bustling streets of Kolkata. Coming to Kolkata after spending a peaceful day in Bodhgaya e(this letter key does not work)ploring temples, meditating, and rela()ing was a big change of pace. Our days in Kolkata were full of e()ploring the hectic streets, eating delicious and very greasy street food, volunteering for the Mother Theresa Home, and… Read More

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We are now in the city of Varanasi, or as the locals called it Banaras. Just a short walk from the Ganges, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed all this river symbolizes to the Hindustani people. I’ve watched as they pray to her, bathe in her, drift upon her surface, perform rituals in the ghats that line her shores, and sadly, also defecate on and litter the beaches, contaminating the waters to a… Read More

Even though we have only visited four different cities and villages in Northern India, it is already apparent how diverse the landscape, culture, and people can be. We have seen the dry quiet mountains of the arid village of Jhadol. We have seen the temples and camels reflected in the lakes of Udaipur. We have seen the absolute chaos that somehow comes together to create Delhi. And we have seen… Read More

Hi friends! Sophia again, we are currently in Jaipur, getting ready to leave for Udaipur tonight. We’ve kept ourselves busy this past week: eating glorious meals with our host families (and losing many games of chess), we’ve visited numerous organizations that have opened our minds and hearts. We went to a paper production factory on the first day. It gave me a new appreciation for gift bags, after watching the… Read More

After a week in California, couch surfing and exploring San Fran, it was easy not to be nervous for India. Even on the way to the airport, I was chatting with the guy next to me on the Bart train and didn’t really have a second to contemplate the MASSIVE trip I was about to embark on. India didn’t feel real until our first breakfast on our hostel’s roof. We… Read More