Sorry for the delay in posting. This last weekend our whole studio went on a trip. It was definitely a cool experience to have. We all met at the Bangalore train station which was filled with lost souls just laying around waiting for who knows what. We were unsure if we'd find our way to the correct platform but luckily three white people stood out like a sore thumb and they quickly spotted us.
The train ride itself was pretty cool. I'd never been on a train overnight and this one reminded me of movies I'd seen of trains with cramped sleeping compartments in Asia. True to those movies soon as the train started to slow people swarmed it. I saw people trying to crawl through windows, shoving through doors, pushing their bags like a shield to get people out of their way. It was chaos. Apparently it's first come first serve.
Lucky for us we had two cars secured just for us so no pushing we all had a spot. Another interesting fact: they call train cars bogies here. The cars had a good amount of room, and sleeping on it wasn't too bad actually. I got near a window and at night it got very cool and I fell right to sleep. They gave us some food too for the trip, since it was 9 hours on the train.
After getting up and seeing the sun rise over the India countryside we finally reached the middle of nowhere train stop. Our bus ride to the top of the mountain was scary. The driver seemed determined to beat every other vehicle to the top and would drive on the wrong side into on coming traffic that would have to stop onto the side of the road to let us pass. Also he'd swing wildly toward the edge. We were over 2,000 meters into the air and it was a straight drop. This man did not care. Once we reached the top everyone was just glad to still be alive.
The resort itself was really pretty. There is a big lake at the top of the mountain and it has lots of little street shops around it. That first day I spent my time in a hammock reading. We ate some good foods, and wandered around a little. Josh and I went and got oiled massages which was pretty cool, but a little weird. We played some board games and also some poker. That night the Studio I people took over the club house and had a dance party. Let me tell you: these people can dance! Those who were so quiet and meek in the office just went nuts here. Of course, they made a point to pull me, Josh and Kelly out onto the floor. We danced to bollywood music which was pretty cool. It reminded me of the kind of stuff you'd hear in DDR.
The next day we explored the mountain a little more. We went horse back riding. Since this is India there was no need to sign a waiver for safety, or bother with gear. Sandals on a horse? No problem! Also, as you can see I decided to ride one handed and use the phone. I figured if a knight can swing a sword from horse back surely I can manage my phone. I was told all I needed was a cowboy hat that I was riding so naturally. We happened to come across a wedding procession too! Apparently they cart the groom to the bride and have this big parade with people dressed up as Hindi Deities. It was really fun to see.
Out trip back was less eventful. No crazy bus ride. Everyone was exhausted. In fact, when we got to the train station we were at the wrong platform. We'd have to go up onto the overpass and back down to the next platform. Screw that. Too many stairs. Instead I jumped down into the train tracks and ran across to the next platform. I tossed my bag up ahead of me and a guy reached out to help pull me up. Some other guys had ran across after me too and instead of helping them the guy turned me and said, "Just leave them, they won't make it."
As you can see it was pretty dark out, I took this after I ran across. Everyone is still on the other side. Suckers. :)
The train ride itself was pretty cool. I'd never been on a train overnight and this one reminded me of movies I'd seen of trains with cramped sleeping compartments in Asia. True to those movies soon as the train started to slow people swarmed it. I saw people trying to crawl through windows, shoving through doors, pushing their bags like a shield to get people out of their way. It was chaos. Apparently it's first come first serve.
The resort itself was really pretty. There is a big lake at the top of the mountain and it has lots of little street shops around it. That first day I spent my time in a hammock reading. We ate some good foods, and wandered around a little. Josh and I went and got oiled massages which was pretty cool, but a little weird. We played some board games and also some poker. That night the Studio I people took over the club house and had a dance party. Let me tell you: these people can dance! Those who were so quiet and meek in the office just went nuts here. Of course, they made a point to pull me, Josh and Kelly out onto the floor. We danced to bollywood music which was pretty cool. It reminded me of the kind of stuff you'd hear in DDR.
The next day we explored the mountain a little more. We went horse back riding. Since this is India there was no need to sign a waiver for safety, or bother with gear. Sandals on a horse? No problem! Also, as you can see I decided to ride one handed and use the phone. I figured if a knight can swing a sword from horse back surely I can manage my phone. I was told all I needed was a cowboy hat that I was riding so naturally. We happened to come across a wedding procession too! Apparently they cart the groom to the bride and have this big parade with people dressed up as Hindi Deities. It was really fun to see.
Out trip back was less eventful. No crazy bus ride. Everyone was exhausted. In fact, when we got to the train station we were at the wrong platform. We'd have to go up onto the overpass and back down to the next platform. Screw that. Too many stairs. Instead I jumped down into the train tracks and ran across to the next platform. I tossed my bag up ahead of me and a guy reached out to help pull me up. Some other guys had ran across after me too and instead of helping them the guy turned me and said, "Just leave them, they won't make it."
