Coming Home!

Today is my final day in India. I can hardly believe 18 weeks has gone by since I got here. In 18 weeks I've learned all about Bollywood and cricket. I've eaten some AMAZING food (and raised my tolerance for spice!) and learned how to make a dish or two for myself. I've met super cool people from all over the world. I've discovered how much I love teaching kids. I've learned how it feels to be intensely aware that you are in a minority at all times, and I've gotten used to being stared at. I've learned how to dodge traffic that includes cars, motorcycles, camels, bicycles, rickshaws and cows. I'm not sure how any of this will effect me once I'm back in New York. I'm a little nervous, to be honest, about coming home after so long. But more than anything I am relieved and overjoyed to be reunited with my family, my friends and my beloved New York City. Thank you all for following my adventures, and for your support and encouragement.

Until next time :)
Noel 

A Trip to the Sunderbans

Last weekend, I headed out of Kolkata to the Sunderbans along with Meghna, the daughter in the family I'm staying with, and her cousin Avni. The three of us had made arrangements to go with the Sunderban Royal Tiger Camp for a 2 day, 1 night excursion.The Sunderbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world. 60% in Bangladesh and 40% in Kolkata, the Sunderbans is home to innumerable species of wildlife, though its most noteworthy inhabitant is the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Saturday morning, Meghna, Avni and I woke up early and met the guide who would take us out of the city. After a two and a half hour drive, we made it to a large river, a tributary of the Bay of Bengal. There, we boarded a boat that took us to the Tiger Camp. We stayed in what was called a "tent", but with an attached bathroom and ceiling fans, it was more like the tents from Harry Potter. That afternoon we went to the nearby field museum to learn about the forest, but the museum wasn't very enlightening-- and I mean that literally as the lights weren't working so we had to roam around in the dark. However, we did see a crocodile and two water monitors (http://www.mongabay.com/images/malaysia/06/malaysia0513.JPG).
We then returned to the camp for dinner and a cultural performance of traditional Bengali dance.
The next morning we woke up early and were on the boat by 6:30 to embark on our search for a tiger. Chances were slim that we would see one and, as expected, we did not see any tigers. However, we got to observe the world's largest mangrove forest from the water, and I found the whole ride very pleasurable and peaceful. The most amusing incident was when Meghna's hat flew off into the water, and the boat driver turned around to fetch it out with a net. We made it back to the camp for lunch, and then set off back home, sunburned, tired and happy.