Thank you India!

 

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In the morning we asked Hema the questions we were afraid to ask the other NGOs. We had built a relationship with her so it was easier to talk to her. She gave us a lot of insight and gave us another perspective we could use in our documentaries. She had so much to say and to share with us. It was nice to have more of a one on one experience with her and get her perspective.

This was our last day in Goa, so we packed up our stuff and we were off to Mumbai.

After arriving in Mumbai, we went sightseeing; we saw the Taj hotel, the queens necklace, the bay, and the gate to India. I wish we could of been there during the day. Mumbai had a different feel than all the other cities. I would compare it to a New York City, where the towers are big and new. I think exploring it in the day would of given it more life. We saw a lot of slums but it was dark so it didn’t make a difference.

I would really like to go back to Mumbai to experience all it has to offer. Absolutely beautiful!!!

I was energized by the excitement of the city. 

Thank you Mother India for the Adventure!!

The O Hotel

Flower Sales

Gate of India

Sunrise

Beach day

Saturday Market

Jewelery the girl made from the NGO

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Fun in the Sun

Since we had been traveling so much we were given a free day. I wanted to see the sunrise, swim in the ocean, bath in the pool, and lay in the sun all day. I wanted to spend time mentally getting my thoughts together. It was refreshing and enlightening to have a free schedule.

We started the day with brunch. We had a great conversation with our server Ekara. He was very knowledgeable about the city and gave us great insight about our journey. Listening to him tell us about his everyday experiences was a great way to start the day.

The rest of the day we spent at the beach and enjoying the people we traveled with. We got some time to relax and just hang out. It was amazing sitting by the beach and taking in the sun. It was very hot but being in the water felt refreshing. We had lunch at a place call Calamari. It was on the beach and they had live music all day. Of course we couldn't sit in our seats when the music was so good. We got up and danced with the locals. 

Around 7:00 PM we all went to the Saturday market. When we arrived it was overwhelming. There were so many cars and bikes I could see straight. On top of the fact that it was crowded it was very hot. Although I was very uncomfortable we found some really great buys. I met a lot of interesting people.

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Video Volunteers and ARZ
 

In the morning we were off to ARZ. I was curious to see what it was like. I was going to be different than the other NGOs we had seen before. When we pulled up it had a cute sign and we were walked in by one of the girls. The owner of ARZ spoke with passion and conviction. He gave us a different perspective on trafficking.

He told us that the woman’s families needed help as well. Everyone can be damaged and they need a system to help everyone involved. I had never thought of that before.

Next we went to video volunteers. By this time, everyone was tired and hot and I don’t think we wanted to go but it ended up changing my life. We watched documentaries that the youth had made. They were so inspiring, I cried after I saw the last one. They really touched my heart.  Seeing young people make a difference gave me vision for what we could do in America. After the presentation we asked a few of them how you would begin to be an activist and what that meant to them. This footage was great for later use.

We decided to make our documentary about this organization. I feel that they can really make a difference if they make some changes. We got a chance to interview a couple of their volunteers. We wanted to know what it means to them to be an activist and how to get involved. Sitting down with them and hearing their stories were so inspiring. You could see their passion and how ready they were to change the world. Their stories touched our lives. I am so excited to get back to the states and share our knowledge with them!!

What an amazing day!!!!!

Brunch

Beautiful faces in Bangalore

Day 7 was our travel day to Goa. We got up extremely early and then left for Bangalore for our flight. We grabbed lunch at a nice hotel and did some shopping before we left.

When we arrived in Goa Hema met us, with a smile on her face. She escorted us to meet with the Police Commissioner. He was very educated and gave us a different perspective on sex trafficking. In Goa it is more of a concern with tourists, not as much with people who live there. He answered all of our questions and then he had to leave for the day.

It was very nice of him to give us his time to answer our questions. After meeting with him we went to the hotel to rest and then left for dinner. We were spoiled and went to a restaurant that overlooked the sea. Unfortunately, it was dark but it still felt like paradise.

  Day in the Sister City 

The Royal Treatment

            We began our tour of Mysore on a chartered bus with Joseph our guide. He was full of energy and excitement. The first stop on our agenda was the Chamundeshwari Temple. Our bus drove up a large hill that overlooked the whole city. You could see everything for miles. It was absolutely stunning. Joseph described to us the history of the hill as we journey to the top.

            Once our bus parked we walked down the street and were instantly swept away but the markets and all the people. There were so many sights and sounds it was so excited. As we walked up to the temple a couple cows greeted us. Joseph said they were the temple cows and they never leave. Being from Ohio we see cows all the time but never that up close.

            We took our shoes off and walked into the temple. There were a lot of people praying and chanting. We carried in coconut and flowers to be blessed for good luck. The temple was filled with chanting and music. The architecture was beautiful and hand carved. After leaving the temple I felt at peace and calm, this was something ou just couldn’t experience in Cincinnati.

            On our way to the next stop we stopped to see the Nandi statue. This statue is said to bring good luck and health. To get to the statue you pass people carving small statues by hand. It was something I had never seen before, so of course I had to have one.

            Our next stop was the Mysore Palace. When we entered the gates all of our mouths dropped. Seeing the size and the detail were almost overwhelming. As soon as we parked we we greeted by another tour guide. We walked into a back room where we were asked to remove our shoes. We were going to receive a private tour and we needed to be very gracious and not draw attention.

            Walking through the halls of the palace left me speechless. The paintings, the details, the architecture, the marble, and the art were amazing. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and made us feel like royalty. We got to discover the palace the way a king or queen would. I got the opportunity to ask our tour guide a ton of questions. He gave me a world of knowledge.

            When leaving the palace we thanked him for his time and journeyed to the side of the palace where we were met by a group of elephants. On of my dreams has been to ride and elephant in India and today my dream came true. The experience was just has wonderful as I imagined it to be.

After a great day we ate lunch as local hotel. It was stunning as well. The food was amazing and they gave us the VIP treatment as well. When we were finished with lunch we finished the day by doing some shopping. We went to a silk outlet. The fabric was beautiful and handmade. There were so many colors and the silk felt so smooth.

What a great way to end the day. Then we went back to hotel and rest for the next day. What a great day, Mysore mead us feel very special.

Last stop.. Germany. What a great start to the day!

Yoga Stops Trafficking

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Today we got the opportunity to spend the whole day with Ordinadi. We were going to interview the leaders, have lunch with them, and then they were going to preform for us. Everywhere we went we were spoiled and Ordinadi was no exception.

When we arrived the owners welcomed us. They showed us up to a beautiful room where we could hear their story. Their stories were inspiring and left us amazed at the passion they had. I had never thought about having positive male role models in the girl’s lives, but when we met them it made sense. It will help show them what a positive relationship is like.

We got a grand tour of the whole organization. I came across  lovely girl making jewelry so I sat next to her and began asking her about the jewelry and the process. She seemed excited to share it will me. She was so sweet and passionate about what she was doing. I should of asked if I could buy a piece because they were absolutely beautiful.

There rooms were all decorated and made you feel happy when you were in them. You can almost feel the positive affects this NGO if having on the girls. They had rooms for making jewelry, sewing, yoga, TV, and simply expressing themselves through art.

After our tours were over we went downstairs to have lunch. They prepared a tradition Indian lunch, I enjoyed it very much. They were so sweet. When we were finished with lunch we took the bus to a local hair salon of a woman that has made a name for herself in the community. She was a product of the NGO and they wanted to show us he accomplishments.

When we arrived back to Ordinadi we were greeted by the schoolgirls. They walked us to our seats so we could watch everyone preform. Watching the young girls preform and be happy was amazing. We were able to interact with them after the show. I played with my phone with one young girl she was at awe about how it worked. It was so cute. They loved attention and being around us. It was one of the most touching moments of the trip.

What a great day!!!!