The European Leg

This will be my last blog post, and it is long overdue. Upon returning home I got caught up in the excitement of being back, visiting with family and friends, and the Cavs championship run. With a little more time on my hands now, I decided it would be a good time to reminisce on, and relive the European leg of our journey. My last post ended with me talking about the time we spent in India. Our next stop was Paris.

Paris

We landed in Paris the night of Monday, May 2^nd. That night we didn’t do much other than find our Airbnb. The next day was our first in the western world since the previous October. While we loved our time in Southeast Asia, it was nice to be in a place that was orderly, and operated in a way that we were used to before our travels. We had a packed first day in Paris. The first site we visited was the Sainte-Chapelle, a royal chapel built in the 1200s. We marveled at the stained glass there and enjoyed seeing the church. Our next top was the Notre Dame cathedral, a much larger church built over a nearly 200 year span ending in the 1300s. We waited in line to go to the top of the cathedral’s towers and had a great, but chilly view from the city. Staying warm while we were in Paris was a bit of a struggle. It was much colder than we were used to and we did not have any heavy coats with us. Luckily the other places we visited in Europe were a bit warmer, and we had friends to borrow warmer clothes from. 

Stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle

The Notre Dame

Later on in the day we visited the Musée d’Orsay. Molly has a minor in art history and is very knowledgeable when it comes to paintings. We had a blast looking at their impressionist collection. They also had a special exhibit on Henri Rousseau, a painter who became famous for jungle scenes, but had never actually seen a jungle himself.  He had lots of famous influences and the exhibit explored these as well. We ended our day by walking to the Eiffel Tower.

Wednesday began with a trip to the Louvre. It was my second visit there but it was Molly’s first. If anyone plans to visit, try to go in one of the side entrance as the main one is usually much more crowded. After getting into the museum we focused primarily on the paintings there, rather than the entire museum. We got to see many famous works ranging from Botticelli to Caravaggio to Leonardo da Vinci. Afterward we spent some time in the nearby Tuileries Gardens. After so much time spent seeing sites and museums we had a quieter night and grabbed some delicious dinner near where we were staying.

On Thursday morning I ran from our Airbnb to the Eiffel Tower, after which Molly and I finally went up the tower on our last day in the city. It was a beautiful morning and a perfect time for a run. The view from a top the tower was stunning. Seeing a beautiful city from above was so different than the island viewpoints we got to experience in southern Thailand. We had a picnic lunch in the fields in front of the tower. That night we had reservations for a price fixed, four course dinner, at Les Papilles, a wine bar and bistro near the Luxembourg Gardens. We briefly visited the gardens before heading to the restaurant. The meal was highlighted by an amazing sweet potato and chorizo soup that I will dream about, and a delicious roast lamb. The next morning, we flew to Prague. 

View from the Eiffel Tower

Sweet Potato Soup

Roast Lamb

Molly and I had a wonderful time in Paris. There is a stereotype of Parisians being rude, especially to tourists. I am happy to say that we did not encounter this at all while we were there. After my first trip to Paris I did not know if I would go back, because we did have some harsh interactions with locals. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there this go round and would love to go back someday.  

Prague

We landed in Prague on Friday, May 6^th and met up with Molly’s friend from her time in Americorps, Maddie, and her husband, Alex. They had recently moved out to Prague and had an apartment in the heart of the city. Friday night we walked around Old Town, saw the Charles Bridge, and had dinner near the Old Town Square.

On Saturday we visited the Saint Vitus Cathedral. This was my favorite site in Europe, and had the most beautiful stained glass that I had ever seen. The scenes were created by the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. On Sunday we visited a museum about Mucha and his rise to prominence. He became famous for painting posters that were used to advertise upcoming Parisian plays. We spent the rest of our Sunday trying some local beers in a park by the Vltava river and even got to peddle boat on the river for an hour or two. Prague was such a fun and historic city, much of its architecture has been preserved as it was never bombed during either of the World Wars. We had great hosts, and are so grateful to Maddie and Alex for putting us up and spending their weekend with us. On Monday morning we caught a train from Prague to Berlin. 

At  Saint Vitus Cathedral:

Peddle boating:

Molly and Maddie in the boat

Berlin

We got into Berlin early on the morning of Monday, May 9^th. After dropping our stuff off at our Airbnb, we headed out to see some of the sites. We saw Brandenburg Gate as well as the Reichstag building, where the German parliament meets. Brandenburg gate is an important historical site as it was the setting for many notable events, it was along the border between east and west Berlin, and it remained after the second World War without being destroyed. Berlin feels like a much more modern city than Prague or even Paris; most of it had to be rebuilt after the war. On Monday night I had a delicious veal schnitzel for dinner. I loved the food in Germany.

The next day I went for a run along the river and a portion of the Berlin wall. Molly and I visited the Berlin wall memorial in the afternoon. I knew that the situation in Berlin was rough after the city was separated, but I had never really considered the implications of isolating two sides of a city. If you had friends or relatives that lived across town it was difficult to visit them or even communicate; if you lived on one side of the city but worked on another you had to find a new job. It’s crazy to think that the city was in such conflict so recently, and that it remained divided for nearly 30 years. It was 1989 when the wall came down and Berlin was made whole again.

On Wednesday Molly and I rented bikes and after lunch I decided to go on a longer bike ride while Molly went back to the Airbnb for some downtime. I biked a good distance out to Groβer Tiegarten, Berlin’s oldest park. I was thinking that I may even visit the zoo there when I looked in my basket and saw that my bike lock had fallen out somewhere during my ride. My heart sank, as I knew that my 50 Euro deposit would likely be gone if I could not find it. So I spent the next hour or two retracing my route through the meandering streets of berlin, while scouring the roadside for a bike lock. I had nearly given up when I finally found it near where I had started my ride. I couldn’t believe that I had found it, I wa so relieved. That evening we got Donner Kebabs, similar to gyros, for dinner. We left for London the next morning.

London

We arrived in London on the afternoon of Thursday May, 12^th. Harry, my exchange student from high school, picked us up from the airport and took us back to his house in Caterham. The three of us took his dog, Tilly, for a walk in the English countryside that evening, and had dinner at a pub. I got fish ‘n’ chips with mushy peas, and it was wonderful.

On Friday Molly, Harry, and I went into the city and saw some of the major tourist sites. We visited the National Gallery and were impressed with the paintings they had there. According to Molly nearly every painting there was a famous piece. What it lacked in the size when compared to the Louvre’s collection, it made up for in prominence. Molly enjoyed the paintings there even more than the ones we saw at the Louvre, and it was free. After that we grabbed lunch in a park in the city, and then walked around Westminster, Buckingham Palace, and St. James park. We then met up with Katie, a friend from college who is now getting her PhD at Cambridge and Hallam, another exchange student from high school for dinner. All of us then went back to Hallam’s flat in the city and spent the night hanging out there. 

The next day Hallam, Harry, Molly and I met up with Bella, Molly’s German exchange student who now studies film production in London. The five of us went to the Tate Museum of Modern Art. Everyone except for Harry found the museum to be a bit underwhelming. Later on we all went to Camden market and had fun looking at the shops and grabbing a beer there. After that we went to china town for dinner. The restaurant we went to required knocking at the door and then stating how many were in your party before entering into the restaurant. It was a dim sum style meal. After dinner we all went back to Hallam’s for some Pims, a drink that is often enjoyed in the English summers.

Me, Harry, and Hallam

Molly and Bella

On Sunday morning Molly, Harry, and I left London and went to visit Katie in Cambridge. We spent the day touring and learning about the college and what it is like for Katie there. It is an amazing place to go to school. We had dinner at The Eagle Pub. This is where Watson and Crick announced their discovery of DNA, and it had great fish ‘n’ chips. After dinner we took trains back to Harry’s house and he drove us to the airport the next morning for our flight to Ireland. It was so nice to catch up with everyone in London, and we are so thankful to Harry and Hallam for hosting us. 

Katie, Molly, and I in Cambridge

Stephen Hawking's office

Ireland

We landed in Belfast in the evening of Monday, May 16^th. Ciaran, my friend from high school, picked us up from the airport and we went back to his house. I have been to Belfast with Ciaran a few times but this was Molly’s first time there. We went out with Ciaran, his girlfriend, Aiofe, and another friend Sean that night. The next day we spent in the city, and that night we all stayed up late to watch the Cavs play live (typically I waited and watched the next day). On Wednesday Molly left Belfast for Dublin to meet up with her parents, who flew out to go on a road trip around Ireland with us. I spent Wednesday and Thursday hanging out with Ciaran, Aiofe, Sean and Dillon. On Friday Molly and her parents, Beth and Quincy, picked me up and we went to the Giant’s Causeway, a famous geological feature on the coast of Ireland. The Causeway was formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago, and left many hexagonal shaped column that are unique to the site.  

The next day we drove to Galway, and spent the day exploring the town and it’s coatline. We enjoyed some beers sitting by the sea in the afternoon. On Sunday we drove through the Connemara region of Ireland. We visited Kylemore Abby there and went on a spectacular hike up Diamond Hill. Kylemore Abby was originally built as a private residence by a young English couple who fell in love with the Connemara region in the 1860s. It is now a Benedictine monastery that is visited by many tourists each year. The architecture and surrounding gardens were beautiful, but we were a bit disappointed by the limited area inside the castle that was open for exploration. The highlight of the day, was the hike up the adjacent Diamond Hill. It was a bit rainy and cold on the hike, but the view was fantastic. You could see the ocean, Kylemore Abby, and the Irish countryside. It may have been the best view of our entire journey around the globe.

Kylemore Abby

At Diamond Hill:

All of us atop the hill

On Monday we visited the Cliffs of Moher and got a chance to appreciate even more spectacular views from the Irish coast. The cliffs range from 400 to 700 feet in height, and tourist are allowed to go right up to the edge of them. The sensation of looking straight down a 700 foot drop into the ocean was both frightening and wonderful at the same time. We spent a few hours walking up and down the cliffs before driving to Killarney.

On Tuesday we went on a bike ride around Killarney National Park. We saw a few old castles, travelled around gorgeous lakes, explored beautiful gardens and had a Centra sandwich picnic lunch. If you go to Ireland you have to try the Centra sandwiches, they are a national treasure. After riding all around the park we headed to Waterford for the night.

On Wednesday morning we explored Waterford for a while and visited the Waterford Crystal museum, where I was able to pick up a late mother’s day gift for my mom. We drove to Dublin Wednesday afternoon and flew back to the states Thursday morning. Molly’s parents flew to Toronto and then home to Cincinnati. I had so much fun touring Ireland with them, and am so appreciative that they took me on their road trip. Molly and I flew through Iceland and then to Baltimore. Molly flew to Cincinnati early the next morning while I stayed with Connor, my fraternity brother, in Baltimore and met up with some friends in DC the next day. I finally made it home to Cleveland on Sunday May 28^th.

I had the trip of my life. I saw countless remarkable sites, met many amazing people, and got the chance to reconnect with many old friends. I grew as a person and somehow got even closer with Molly through our travels. In 8 months Molly and I made a complete revolution of the globe, and it was the biggest adventure of my life thus far. In a few weeks we will both start school again at Ohio State. Molly will be going to law school there and I will be going to medical school. It is going to be quite a change, but I am excited and ready to get started. 

Indonesia, Malaysia, and India

Wednesday, May 4th 2016

Yesterday was my first day since October that was not spent in Asia. Moving to another continent was an experience unlike any other that I have had. I learned so much about different ways of life and how it feels to exist in a culture that is so different from my own. Asia is a place with ancient roots and long standing traditions. It was such a privilege to be able to see so much of southeast Asia. With all of that being said, by when it was time to leave Molly and I were ready for something new. We were ready to be back in western society where life is more ordered, organized, and is what we are accustomed to. But before I get into our plans for Europe let me tell you about our last two weeks in Asia.

Bali

We got into Bali late on Friday, April 15^th. When we were planning everything back in December we decided to splurge on a more upscale hotel for our stay. When we got into Arana Suite we knew we had made the right decision. After living out of hostels and guesthouses for so long it was a treat to stay in a nicer place. We enjoyed the pool and having breakfast brought to our door each morning (an included service). We stayed in Seminyak on the west side of the island. We didn’t have a ton of time on Bali, so we just wanted to relax and enjoy the sun, pool and beach while we were there.

On Saturday and Sunday, we spent the days in the pool and at the nearby Double 6 Beach. The beaches in Bali were not as picturesque or easy to swim in as those in southern Thailand. They did have much larger waves that were fun to play in, and there were many people there learning to surf.

On Monday we hired a car to take us around to different sites on the island. We got to see some different beaches: Nusa Dura and Dreamland beach. The highlight of the day was a visit to Uluwatu, aka the temple on the cliff. The views of the ocean were stunning. There were also tons of monkeys there, which seemed cute at first, but turned out to be more of a nuisance than anything else. They have learned to steal flip flops and sunglasses in order to trade them back for food. I got a stick to fend them away from Molly and I, so it was fun to watch them go after the other tourists.

Nusa Dura Beach

Dreamland Beach

 Uluwatu:

Tuesday was our last full day in Bali. I spent it scuba diving off of the nearby island Nusa Penida. The most famous dive site there was Manta Point. As the name suggests it is home to manta rays year round. I had heard about it while on my previous dive trip and it became a must see after we did not encounter any mantas in Thailand. Before leaving the shore, my guide remarked how she was a bit worried because her friend had “only” seen five manta rays the day before. I told her that I would be excited to see one. We descended down to the first, and shallowest area of the cleaning station where the mantas visit. Immediately we spotted a large shadow in the distance. As it came closer we could see the manta ray much more clearly with other shadows following along. More and more mantas kept swooping over and around us as we floated near the sandy bottom just off of the cleaning station. They are playful creatures and don’t mind getting close or swimming alongside you, as long as you don’t chase them around. In all there were probably 15-20 manta rays circling the dive site. It was a dive I will never forget. The next day we relaxed by the pool in the morning and then departed for Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in the afternoon.

Kuala Lumpur

We landed in Kuala Lumpur late on Wednesday night and spent the next two days in the city. We got to meet up with my dad’s old coworker and friend, Ravi, who was gracious enough to host us while we were there. It was great catching up with him and his family. I used to play with his sons Sarat and Shreyas back in Ohio almost a decade ago. They both happened to be in town while we were there.

The first site we saw around the city was Batu Caves. The most famous cave is located atop a hill. It had three massive caverns with a temple in each one. After exploring the caves, we took the metro back into the city and walked around the city center. The Petronas Towers there were a site to see. We had planned to go up to the top of the towers, but the lady selling the tickets told us that because of the weather the view would not be good. We decided not to go up, and as we walked to a nearby mall a huge rainstorm started. Kuala Lumpur is on the border of a rainforest so a big storm happens almost every afternoon. It is also a city filled with malls. That combined with its cleanliness, and the aforementioned well organized metro system made it feel like a much more western city than what we were used to. That first night ended with watching a Cavs game and a dinner out with Ravi and his family. It was the perfect end to a great day. Watching the Cavs always makes me feel a little closer to home.

The entrance to Batu Caves

The Patronas Towers

The next day we walked around a lush area of the city, near the national mosque, that is filled with trees and greenery. We found out earlier that Kuala Lumpur has the world’s largest walk through aviary at KL Bird Park. We spent a couple hours observing all of the birds there. Most were not caged and free to fly anywhere they wanted within their large residential zone. They must have had over a hundred peacocks there. It was a beautiful place.

Feeding a giant hornbill

After the bird park we headed over to the Pavilion mall for lunch, and then it was time to meet up with Sarat and head to the airport (he was headed back to San Francisco). The next stop was Mumbai.  

Mumbai

It was so fun to take Molly to India. While in Mumbai we stayed with my Aunty Tinu and Dadi (grandma) in their apartment in Malad West. Mumbai has the unique combination of being massive and extremely densely populated. It is one of the most populous cities in the world, and driving rules are not followed to any extent there. To get across the city can take anywhere from 2-3 hours, so planning your day around the traffic is a must.

On Saturday we spent the day hanging around the apartment. It had been a while since we had any downtime and it was a much needed rest. That night Molly and I went for a short run in a nearby park. The next day we spent the morning in Sanjay Gandi National Park, which is a massive park in the middle of the city. The sign outside the park stated that it was the largest park surrounded by a city, and I believe it. One of the marquee sites in the park is Kanheri Caves. These caves were man made thousands of years ago, and were home to an ancient Buddhist village. They are built on the top of a large hill that had a great view of the city. That afternoon and evening we visited with my great aunt Kana and her family. In India is typical to have three or four generations living in the same house. We had some awesome food there and even got to do some shopping. It was a great visit.

One of the ancient dwellings

The view from atop the caves

On Monday we left the city to go to a farm about two hours north of the city (if you leave from the northern part of Mumbai). Tinu organized the trip for the four of us and I am so grateful that she did. It was wonderful to see some of the countryside and to stay at a quieter place in India. The farm was famous for growing the chiku fruit but had many other crops as well. The first day there was spent relaxing, taking a farm tour and eating awesome food. We also visited a nearby beach in the evening before dinner. It really highlighted how India can be a place of high and lows. Here we were at this giant, sandy, slow sloping beach. It should have been a beautiful place, but it was littered with garbage. It was sad to see the extent of the pollution there, but the country has definitely made improvements in managing the waste created by their dense population since my last visit.

My Dadi and I on the farm tour

My Dadi, Aunty Tinu and I on the beach

 The next morning, we went for zip lining and a ropes course after breakfast. We then got to go fishing in their retention pond, which is used to store water from the monsoons to irrigate the farm for an entire year. Then we had lunch and after a short rest it was time to head back to the city. On our way back we made a quick stop to visit with some more of my extended family. It is always great to catch up with people and I am so happy that Molly got to meet so many of my family members while we were in India.

On Wednesday we made the trip into the southern part of the city to see the Gateway of India, where that commemorated where the British first landed in the country. After that we did some shopping and then had a buffet lunch at the Taj Mahal Hotel. In India when eating out of the house it is important to pick restaurants carefully to avoid food poisoning. Higher end places and fast food chains are usually the safest bet. The Taj has an awesome lunch buffet and we were stuffed with Indian and continental food by the time we were done there. We then travelled to the Juhu area to meet up with Jugdeep, one of my dad’s best friends from school. He is an awesome guy and we were happy to catch up with him.

Gateway of India selfie

The next day was already our last in Mumbai, after seeing some more family who we had not gotten a chance to visit with yet, we headed to the airport to fly into Delhi.

New Delhi

We arrived in Delhi the night of Thursday, April 28^th. My aunt Seema’s friend from college, Nikhil, hosted us while we were in Delhi. It was so nice of him to have us, and it was lots of fun to get to know him and his family. On Friday morning we got an uber into the city (yes uber is truly worldwide). We spent the morning visiting some famous sites. The first was the Lotus Temple: a non-denominational temple built in the shape of a lotus surrounded by beautiful grounds. Next we visited Humayun’s Tomb, which was built as the burial site for an ancient Mughal emperor. Lastly we visited the Red Fort in the old part of Delhi. It was built to protect the palaces of the ancient capital.

The Lotus Temple

Outside Humayun's Tomb 

After lunch we did some shopping at Cottage Industries, a massive store that has tons of hand-made Indian products. We then headed to Hauz Khas village for drinks and dinner at a couple rooftop restaurants.

On Saturday we explored the ruins of Qutub Minar. This was my favorite site in Delhi. It featured a massive tower and an iron pillar that has not rusted since it was built, over 1600 years ago. After Qutub Minar we took a metro across the city to visit Arun, a friend from my father’s college years. It was lovely to meet him and his wife. That night we had a fun at dinner and drinks with Nikhil and his family.

Me and the famous iron pillar

Molly with the tower (right) and pillar (left) in the background

Sunday was our last full day in Asia. We left Delhi at 5:00 am to make the drive to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We got there around 8:00 am and spent over three hours exploring a wonder of the world. The inlayed stones in the white marble were beautiful. Our guide showed us how the red stones light up when hit with light, and can be seen glowing on night’s when there is a full moon. All of it was built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his late wife in the 1600s. However, the pictures do the Taj more justice than anything I could write.

After seeing the Taj we grabbed some lunch at a nearby hotel, and then explored the Agra Fort for an hour or so. It was similar to the Red Fort in Delhi, but had some breathtaking views of the Taj. It was here that Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son for attempting to spend another $40 million to build a black Taj Mahal to be his own tomb across the river. He now rests beside his wife in the Taj Mahal.

Agra Fort

While we were in India we were fortunate enough to stay with family and friends who cooked us amazing food, helped us hire cars for transportation, and helped us see so much of the country. We had an amazing trip and would not trade it for anything, but it is impossible to visit India without being affected by the poverty, dirtiness and lack of respect for others in the country. It affected us most as we were constantly accosted by hawkers. People tried to scam us often. Guides come free with your ticket to the Taj but people in the parking lot try to get you to pay them to show you around. People try to give you a “blessing” and then demand a donation. They do all this because they are desperate to make enough to provide for their families. I understand why it happens but it is frustrating to constantly deal with. It really helped me to appreciate how good we have it in the United States. It is a place where you almost never have to deal with being scammed or taken advantage of.

My next post should come in about two weeks when I reach Ireland. Thanks again for reading, and I look forward to updating you all on our adventures through Europe!