Final Thoughts on India

Hi guys, good to be back!  Here are my final thoughts about India.

Some things that I really like about India:

• there is lots of fresh fruits like mango, pineapple, papaya, coconut available
• their winter is like our summers.  But at night, it gets a bit cool (need a hoodie)
• the rickshaws because they were open so we got a nice breeze
• the food - it's fresh and smells great
• the beaches and swimming pools

Some things that I don't like about India are:

• spicy food
• animals walking around (dogs, cats, cows)
• poverty
• beggars
• traffic

I still miss India but I'm glad to be home.

Sincerely,
Ilan Rajpar

Fishing Village in Mumbai

In Mumbai, we stayed at a place called Madh Island.  It is not really an island, but is a peninsula.  Erangal village is one of the villages in Madh Island.  Here are some pictures taken at Erangal village:

Fish being dried - to be sold at Erangal Market

Church in Erangal Village

Main road leading to the jetty

Going for a walk

Big home - lots of TV shows and movies are shot here

There is another small village hat we walked through every day on our way to the jetty (ferry to take us across the water).  Here are some pictures from this village:

 

 

 

Elementary School

 

 

 

 

As we walk through the village, here are some photos of where we stayed.  These are the only big buildings in Madh Island, and some are still under construction.

After a walk through the above village on our way to town, we would arrive at the jetty.  Here are some pictures of the ferry that would take us across to an area called Versova.

My sister Maya and I waiting for the ferry

Lots of people of the ferry

Looking across to the other side of Madh Island (Versova)

Another photo of Versova from the ferry

Kids working on the fishing boat

After the ferry ride from Madh Island we would arrive at Versova, and then take the rickshaw to other nice areas like Bandra or Juhu Beach.  Here are some pictures from Versova.

From Versova, looking back toward Madh Island (notice the yummy fresh fruit stand)

Motorcycle on the way to the ferry

No rickshaw available in Versova so we walked on the street - right into a wedding!

 

My Grandpa's Birthplace in Gujarat

My Dadabapa (grandpa) was born in India in a small town in the state of Gujarat.  The name of the town is Nagalpur.  My dadabapa left Nagalpur when he was 8 years old, and moved to Tanzania, East Africa .. and then Canada .. but had never been back to India.  On this trip to India, my Dadabapa came with us and he visited his birth place in Nagalpur and even met a family that had take care of him as a little kid in Nagalpur!

My Dadabapa at his birth home in India

Family in Nagalpur

Farmer in Gujarat

Here are some more photos of some homes and people in Nagalpur:

 

Beach Holiday in Goa

Here are some pictures from our trip to Goa.  We spent 6 days in Goa, and had lots of beach time and lots of fun.  There is always lots of action on the beach, and the restaurant shacks server yummy food all day (Indian, Chinese, pizza, burgers, fish, lobster).

Goa is India's smallest state, and the capital of Goa is Panaji.  We stayed near the famous Baga Beach and Calangute Beach.

Taking a dip in the Indian Ocean

Young girl performing on the beach - notice her right foot is in a plate to make it more challenging!

Fun with the banana boat and sea-doo!

Restaurant shacks serving lots of yummy food all day

Woman carrying fruit to sell (pineapple, papaya, mango)

Cows taking a walk on the beach

Indo-Russian restaurant on Baga Beach

Playing cricket on the beach

Beach joggers posing for a photo

Taking a walk on the beach

 Here are some family photos with the Baga Beach sunset.

My little sister Maya and I

On the way back to the airport, we stopped for Coconut water and this lady cut open the coconut with a machete:

 And here is a photo of one of the planes that flies to Goa: