Thoughts on the year that goes.

It's early morning on the last day of 2014. 

(At least here, in my corner of the world it is still early morning). 

The air is buzzing with anticipation, excitement and so many plans for the year to come, but it is also filled with memories, wonder & grateful thoughts for the year that is ending. 

To me, this year has been particularly fantastic. 

I traveled 15'612 km, officially making 2014 my year with Most Distance Traveled. I won a scholarship, packed my bags and moved to rural Maharashtra in what seemed like a heartbeat. I saw countless new (incredible) places. I met new (amazing) people who come from all corners of the world and whom I now proudly call my friends. I met my source of strength, my roomies. I met my loves, my latinos. I ate great food. I went away and did new things, learned new lessons, changed (a lot), made hard decisions. To top it off, I had the chance to come back home and say goodbye to 2014 in the exact same place where I received it 365 days ago. 

Who knew so many things could happen in such short time. 

Who knew one could be this blissfully happy. 

And even though this year was filled with so many wonderful things, it had its fair share of scares, tears & deceiving. I went through things that didn't make me specially happy. I cried out of frustration and helplessness. I got particularly mad & particularly sad. I have had to say goodbye to many things.

It's early morning on the last day of 2014. 

(At least here, in my corner of the world it is still early morning). 

All I am is grateful for the year that is ending because I can safely state (without fear of being wrong), that this year tops off any other in terms of the things I've done and planned for myself. 

This has actually been my best year ever. 

If this had been any other time, I would probably be asking the New Year to give me love, fortune, travel & whatnot. But with so many things that have happened, all the adventures I've lived and the wanderlust my heart is filled to the brim with...

All I ask of 2015 is to grant me the knack of knowing when to stop. 

The Magic of a Mexican town.

Yesterday you may have spied a photo of some giant rock on my Instagram feed. If you did, then you already know that I've arrived in Mexico and I'm currently relaxing on the place I call home. 

In fact, I have been in Mexico for about three weeks now, and I have been taking a vacation from the blog in order to recover from jet lag and reunite with my Mexicans, as well as sleep all day and eat all the food I can possibly fit into myself. 

Yesterday, I went to one of my favourite places in my state: a small town called Bernal, in which rests this enormous rock, the Peak of Bernal. Also known as Bernal's Boulder, this monolith was formed about 8 million years ago (when it was presumably three times bigger than today), and is currently one of the tallest in the world. 

The town of Bernal is one of the most sought-after places by tourists, since apart from hiking/climbing the Peña de Bernal (as it is known in Spanish), one can enjoy some great food and buy loads and loads of Mexican crafts. However, the main reason why tourists and locals alike visit Bernal is because it is considered one of Mexico's Magical Villages.

One of the best things to do in Bernal is eat. Almost every restaurant has a view of the Peak, and the food ranges from simple snacks to five-course meals -all of which do a terrific job of representing Mexico's food. 

If you don't believe me, just look at these gorgeous tiny gorditas made out of corn flour, chicken, beans, lettuce, cheese and lots of salsa.

We also ate enmoladas, a sort of chicken or cheese taco soaked in mole rojo. Definitely, one of the best dishes to try while in Mexico. Of course, we couldn't miss the guacamole, could we?

Later on, we did some sightseeing and certainly a lot of shopping. There are just many beautiful things to buy around here, and seeing all the vendors displaying their art was certainly one of the things I missed most from home.

Just look at these two cuties made out of Mexican ceramic. Her, the image of a china poblana, and him the authentic charro. 

Or this lovely hand-painted Mexican landscape on a clay tile. 

Finally, I couldn't miss our beloved Catrinas, who even though it's past their time (they usually come out in Día de Muertos -Day of the Dead), look as stunning as ever.

Not to conform to the Mexican stereotypes or anything, but it seems like we're getting into the Christmas festivities already. Not that we are always festive, right?

Bernal feels specially lovely under all the Christmas lights and holly jolly vibes. 

The truth is, even when I may travel around and fall in love with new places, I would never trade this small town of mine for anything else. No wonder people say it's magical.

It feels great to be home.

From Paris, with love. (Part II)

It was early in the morning when the metro left me on the doorstep of the most famous cabaret in the world. 

After walking around for a bit, I found the Café des Deux Moulins (yes! that's where Amélie works!) and after going up on some of Montmartre's famous stairs, I arrived at the Moulin de la Galette.

I walked a bit more and found myself standing right in front of the Chateau d'Eau, surrounded by a little garden which even though is open to tourists, stays unoccupied. 

A little bit further down is the Musée de Montmartre, known for having been home to various artists, including Renoir.

The place is gorgeous and it has some of the best views of Montmartre. 

As I walked around I found Salis the Cat, who (supposedly) inspired Steinlen's poster for Le Chat Noir cabaret owned by Rodolphe Salis and known for its puppet theatre. 

There is a small Café in one of the gardens that serves the best hot chocolate I've tried in a while (it's almost as good as Mexican chocolate, can you believe it?).

From there you can see the Water Tower and a tiny bit of Sacre-Cœur.

Once I was inside the museum I learned all there is to know about the 18ème arrondissement, although my favourite part was Suzanne Valadon's studio. I'm not sure as to what kind of magic it holds, but it made me cry like a baby (the good kind of crying, you know?).

Before I left the museum I visited the last part of the gardens, which are right next to the Clos Montmartre  --Paris' secret vineyard.

If you look closely at the last photo you will be able to find the Lapin Agile (Montmartre's oldest cabaret) previously visited by Picasso & Modigliani. The dry leaves that can be seen on the lower left corner of the picture are part of the secret vineyard I mentioned above.

I moved on, and went to one of my last stops before calling it quits for the day.

I couldn't leave Montmartre without having first gone to Sacre-Cœur, so I joined the rest of the hundreds of tourists and went up every step so that I could explore that place inside and out.

The views of the City make the walk completely worth it.

After sight-seeing, I went back to the Place du Tertre, where I ate everything from brioche to quiche, an infinity of crêpes and for dessert, Tarte Tatin. I had to laugh out loud when this lady told me that the only cuisine is the French cuisine, and everything else in the world is just food. Notoriously, she hasn't been to Mexico.

When I was done, I went to get lost in the streets and find more favourite places to add to the list, along with secret cafés and other nice secluded spots in which to sit and read a good book. 

I don't know, I hear everyone say that Paris is the City of Love and they all fall for the place and make plans to go back. I think differently. Paris has its magic, of course, but it isn't a place I would like to visit with someone else. It isn't a place where I would go shopping, either. And it definitely isn't a place in which I'd like to live.

I like Paris because time kind of stops and the cold goes unnoticed. I like Paris because I can explore it slow, or in a hurry. I like it because I can walk my soul off and I can eat until I explode. I like it because I can read a good novel and think about things that only come to mind once you're sitting on a bench eating macarons and feeling a bit lost. I like Paris because I can buy the used and reused books from the bouquinistes. I like Paris because I can draw the Seine, but above all, I like Paris because I can write about it. Over and over again.

Yup. That's why I like Paris.

From Paris, with love.

If you have kept yourself posted on the news around here recently, you know by now that I spent a few days in Paris. Well, today is finally the day I'm covering a bit of my trip in here, just for you. 

So let's see.

On my first morning in Paris I realized my trip was going to be a bit unusual. I wasn't willing to put up with crowds of people and endless queues and tourists all over the place. I didn't want to wait forever to see the Musée d'Orsay & I was definitely not willing to freeze my butt off in the line for the Louvre. No, no. This trip was going to be different. What are the perks of traveling alone, if not choosing your own schedule? 

After having my morning coffee, I headed out of my hotel. Outside, the wind was howling and my nose was freezing, but hey, after living on the Hill for the last few months...the autumn cold in the City of Light came as a blessing. Wearing a coat was bliss. 

For this trip, I chose to stay close to Place de la République, just off the Bd. Saint-Martin. It's a pretty good location without being immediately close to the hustle and bustle of the city centre (and it's cheaper, too). I found the quaintest little hotel thanks to this post on one of my favourite blogs. Can you guess which one it is? 

I had the metro a few blocks away from me, so it was a matter of minutes before I was standing right outside of the first place I said I wouldn't go: the Louvre. It must have been around 8-9 in the morning. The lines were just beginning to form, and the sky shone beautifully. Oh, the Pyramids! Oh, the buildings! I was swooning. Such a clichéd little tourist, me. 

From there, it's just a couple of minutes' walk towards the Jardin des Tuileries. However, it's fall. Every single plant was dry. I had not seen that coming.

Anyway, I strolled through the gardens and found myself face to face with this beauty. 

La Grande Roue de Paris. 

The original Grande Roue is currently touring somewhere in Italy (Rimini, I believe?), but this Ferris Wheel, was just as good. It looked really, really lovely against the morning sun. Just next to it is the Obelisque, in the middle of Place de la Concorde, and you guessed it... it's crammed with tourists. 

After standing around, lost and very confused about where to go next, I ended up following a bunch of people and arriving at the doorstep of the Grand Palais, which is where I had intended to go all along. It wasn't really the Grand Palais what was calling me, but the promise of one of the best little cafés in the whole of Paris that can be found right across the street, inside the Petit Palais. 

After yet another coffee and a couple (of dozens) of pastries, I kept walking through the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in order to get to my next (very clichéd) destination: L'Arc de Triomphe. No, honestly...who am I kidding? I wanted to shop. And I wanted to eat and walk with the tourists and enter all the stores. I went to Disney Store Paris and fell in love a little (and also died a little because who knew they could fit that many people into such a small space) and I was about to keep going when Ladurée caught my eye and I lost it. I went crazy and had my third breakfast that morning. Heh.

From then, it was just a matter of walking (rolling, rolling all my fat) all the way to the Arc, and snapping this photo.

After getting lost once again, I arrived at the least visited placed in the world. As in...no one ever goes there when they go to Paris, at all. 

As you can see, my photos from Trocadéro are all in black and white because that's when the mood struck and I decided to shoot my own postcards. And also because the lighting was not optimal and my photos were too dark. The skies were beautiful, the tower is beautiful and that day was amazing. Period.

I redirected my steps towards the crowds, and went under the tower and into Champ de Mars. 

I sat on a bench for a while and contemplated the people. Up until that moment I was so mad that the Parisians were refusing to speak English. They had pretty much forced me into silence, all because I really, really distrust my French and my introverted-self keeps me from trying to speak, even though I know exactly what I want to say most of the time. 

However, if I had to be invaded by thousands of tourists in my doorstep every single day, I would be doing just the same. I would be giving them the cold shoulder and walking away from their questions and their maps and their excitement. Poor Parisians, what are we doing to them? 

As I rambled, my tired legs took me to the Musée d'Orsay.

I contemplated whether to enter or not for a long time. The Art Historian inside of me frowned deeply when I chose to cross the street and look at the Seine instead, but my inner hopeless romantic smiled a little too, when I realized I felt utterly happy. Paris is nice. The food is amazing. I get to chill in front of the Seine and walk around town all by myself, and wander aimlessly and go wherever the wind feels like taking me. What else is there to ask from life? 

From there, it's a simple walk to the Pont des Arts. 

There is a crêpe stand right in front of this bridge that I wouldn't miss for the world. Really, it's just too good.

As I was eating my crêpe, I made a point of walking through every major bridge which crossed l'Île de la Cité, so I spent the next good part of an hour zig-zagging through les bouquinistes, snapping photos and going over bridges.

I also passed in front of Notre Dame (all prepped up and pretty for Christmas), and it is full to the brim with tourists. I also passed in front of the Sorbonne on my way to the Luxembourg Gardens, and believe it or not, I stopped for a while to get another meal. How many had I had already? 

The Gardens are a wonder, even in the fall. It is a little saddening to see close to no flowers around, but hey...you still get this view.

I honestly think the rest of that day went by with me indulging in the tremendously fantastic food, getting lost in the middle of Paris, and trying to find my way back to the hotel, where I crashed right after closing the door behind me (and eating the last macarons of the day).

In a few days, I will be back to post some more of my adventures while in the City, so hold on tight, and (as always) keep reading! 

P.S. Next time you find yourself in Paris...

Walk towards the exit of the Louvre that's opposite the Jardin des Tuileries. Across the street you will find my favourite place in the whole of Paris: a tiny, tiny bookstore called Abbey Bookstore (right next to Saint-Germain L'Auxerrois) which is perfect if you're into books and small spaces. Too lovely.

Also, if you walk through Rue de Rivoli (midpoint between the Louvre and the Hotel de Ville) in the corner where there's a Forever 21, you will find a street called Rue de l'Arbre Sec. If you happen to be a bookworm, be sure to visit La Galcante. It's a store that sells old, old press and even older books from all corners of the world...and it smells like heaven!

Notes on Pune (or Pune as seen at 60 km/h).

A few weeks ago in this post, I shared with you all some photos (and a small video) of the little village that's close to my school, Paud.

As I said last time, Paud is about fifteen minutes away from MUWCI and it is where we sometimes go for dinner and spend our evenings. Today I want to talk to you about the city that's closest to us, Pune.

Pune City is about an hour away from Campus by car, and that is where almost every weekend, we get Starbucks, eat Chili's, go to the movies and shop at Phoenix Mall. Or, we buy cereal, fruits and other yummy treats at MG Road's Dorabjee's. 

Going to Pune is an experience on its own. 

First of all, because the ride feels infinite and since we do a week's worth of shopping when we go there, and we take some time off to relax with good food & movies, we try to stay there for a whole day, so it ends up feeling like a weekend's outing instead of a quick shopping spree.

Then, since the Jeeps and buses that take us from the school to Pune leave us at MG Road...we have to take a rickshaw from there to Phoenix Mall (a good 20 minutes away), and trust me, bargaining with about 40 drivers at a time is an art. Not to mention that we have learned how to fit all our bags, backpacks and friends into a tiny car that makes as much noise as if it was spitting its whole engine out. But oh, what would Pune be without its rickshaws? And what would we be without our weekend fun?

And finally, there's so much dirt in Pune that you know that all of next week's showers are not going to be enough to take it all away, and traffic is so loud that you wonder how you can still hear yourself thinking. Even then though, we wouldn't trade our trips to Pune for the world, because even with their ups and downs...we love them.

Before I say goodbye, I will leave you guys a small video of one of my trips to Pune (on what seems to be a pretty calm and common day). I hope you guys like it and (as always), thanks so much for reading.

 

Next week I will start posting about my recent trip to Paris and my plans for the winter, so do try to keep in touch. It still surprises me how my life is full of amazing things (and even more amazing people) ♡.

Chronicles of Project Week - Part Two.

If you read yesterday's post you'll remember that we finished right in the middle of the story, when my friend Srishti and I were enjoying the beach.

Well, next day we were given some plastic bags to pick up the trash that's left behind by the fishermen and tourists on the beach. The best part of my day was that my camera got a lot of wild action (*wink, wink*) because there were many little creatures that decided to pose for my lens.

Some days after, something amazing happened.

We woke up at around four in the morning in order to go hunting for snakes with the Irula, an Indian tribe that makes a living out of catching snakes, getting their venom in order to  make antidotes, and releasing the snakes back into the wild. 

The day looked promising. It seemed like it was going to be sunny and gorgeous and even though we weren't particularly happy about waking up early, the sunrise mesmerised us. It was definitely one of the best things we saw that week. 

Finally, our walk turned much more interesting when we found a Cobra. Well actually, the Irula found her rolled up in a little hole and we ran to see it. They showed us how snakes won't immediately attack even though they feel threatened but will wait until they are provoked several times. 

Here is a photo of my recently-acquired friend rocking a sexy pose for the lens.

I still can't believe that I was this close to a wild Cobra and I lived to tell the tale. I don't think it's necessary to  mention that I felt like such a pro when I got the photo, right? (Besides, I was the only one allowed this close because I had the camera. Privileges. Hehe). 

In one of our last days we went to the nearby towns to get some sightseeing done (who am I kidding, we went shopping). We had a lot of fun and I fell madly in love with Southern India. The food is just too good. 

We visited a pair of temples located just right next to the beach, and the view has been the best in the world.

We took a group picture that has become one of the prettiest memories of our trip. I love our diversity and ever since we went back to MUWCI, I have missed Kayleigh's pink hair randomly appearing in the middle of the crowd, Xueying's eternal good mood, Srishti's sarcastic comments and Rowan's cute face. My group was so nice and this week was truly special. 

Top (left to right): Enie (Malaysia) & Young (South Korea)

Bottom (left to right): Shebaz (Bangladesh), Xueying (China), Srishti (India/USA), Ariane (India/France), Amarnath (India), Amy (UK), Cary (Jamaica), Tanvi (India), Eleanor (Singapore), Me, Kayleigh (Wales), Omari (Jamaica) & Rowan (UK). 

Oh! By the way, there were no carpenter ants. But we did have mosquitos. Lots of them.

Finally, I have mande a tiny video of the three main animals that we saw in the Croc Bank (crocs, turtles and snakes) during their feedings. It's mixed with some beach shots because...well because I can. I hope you like it (and remember I have no talent for filming/editing!).

So...yes, I have reached the end of my week and the next posts you'll see (soon, very soon) will probably be very, very different. 

As always, thanks for reading. It means a lot to me.