Posts tagged world traveler interns
This Is Where Rainbows Are Made
Have you ever wondered where the Lucky Charms leprechauns live?
Well Casey and I found them today. Right at the intersection of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.
After seeing over 14 rainbows in one sighting of the massive Iguazú waterfalls, I am convinced that this is where those leprechauns call home. I wish someone had let me in on this secret when my eight-year-old self savored the rainbow marshmallow cereal, contemplating the whereabouts of these little men.
I can truly say that seeing Mother Nature shine in all her powerful splendor today through these roaring falls proved to be one of the most soul-shaking experiences I have had to date.
I first caught a glimpse of the beautiful expanse of water through a helicopter ride from the Argentinian side. I love heights and had never ridden in a chopper before, so I guess you could say this was a big moment for me. When I hopped in the co-pilot seat with my touristy HD cam in hand, I gave my pilot an excited pat on the shoulder “hello.” Apparently this enthusiasm did not go over too well because he sneered at me with disgust and did not speak the entire flight. Maybe the shoulder pat is more offensive in this country than America. Who knows.
So up, up, and away we went, and my eyes poured over the sea of lush greenery. About five minutes after take-off, I spotted the magnificent falls. If you’ve seen Avatar and remember those floating Hallelujah Mountains with the waterfalls, that’s about what this felt like… minus the floating part.
Then we took a high-speed boat ride up to the base of the Falls and we came face-to-face with the immense beauty. We were speechless. We had never seen anything like it. As we ended the day on a walking tour through the vistas, I could have sworn I saw a short green figure dart away into the forrest out of the corner of my eye. That’s when I knew that experiencing this natural wonder will forever be more valuable to me than 14 pots of gold at the end of rainbows.
The Beauty of India
I’m sure you’ve already heard that India is an overpowering place. The sights, the sounds, the smells, and any other S-words that could continue that alliteration. The entire country is alive and breathes with this incredible vitality, even in its darkest parts. But I am nowhere near a good enough writer to convey the complex contradictions and inherent truths that are evident all around you when you see India for the first time. So here are some things to keep in mind if you find yourself stepping off the plane onto the sub-continent.
There really are over a billion people in India. People are packed in everywhere and, subsequently, you won’t enjoy the same amount of personal space as you’re used to. This can be uncomfortable, especially for females, and I won’t say it’s some culture thing you should experience, it’s just a fact of life in India. The other big culture shock is the poverty and the visible squaller some people are living in. While India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the distribution of wealth and the standard of living are just not what Westerners are used to. And yet despite the garbage, filth, and poverty that some Indians endure, every person I know who has been there sees it as one of the most beautiful places on earth.
I don’t know how to explain India’s beauty any other way except that it is a type beauty that doesn’t exist in the developed world. It is purely organic and brutally honest. The beauty of India is not in it’s perfection, but rather in all it’s imperfections and the juxtaposition of life and death, the ripe and the rotted, the sacred and the profane, and it is all presented simultaneously. Exploring India has been one of the most engaging, challenging, and spectacular experiences of my life, the country presents life unedited, and I love it.
I’m all about traveling around the world just to see a building or painting – I’m a sucker for art like that. I fell in love with art in high school and I haven’t kicked the habit yet, hopefully I never do.
Consequently, seeing the Taj Mahal has always been a dream of mine, it is regarded as one of the world’s most architecturally perfect buildings and I was always told that the first sight of it would stick with you forever. Let me say this, it doesn’t disappoint. The Taj left me speechless.
