As I was continually reminding my students, our trip to India wasn’t a tour, it was a class. That meant a lot of reading, writing, class meetings, and discussion. But it didn’t mean we didn’t have fun–a lot of it. Once we got back to the States, I got email after email from students telling me that they learned a great deal in the class, but also mentioning the beauty and excitement of just being in India.
Here are just a few of the experiences we enjoyed on our trip.
 |
| At a traditional Rajasthani restaurant, a dancer performed a devotional folk dance. These three pots were just the beginning. She danced with as many as six pots on her head, with flames (see the top picture), and standing on nails and on knife blades. |
 |
| AT the end of the performance, we joined the dancer for a dance around a fire pit. |
 |
| One of my students tried out the ancient art of block printing at a factory in Jaipur. |
 |
| In the sacred city of Vrindavan, my students got their first experience of riding in a bicycle rickshaw. |
 |
| In a Rajasthani village, one of my students tried a traditional butter churn, under the watchful eye of a local woman. |
 |
| Henna “tattoos” for everyone. |
 |
| HEre, one of my students is trying on a sari for the first time. |
 |
| On our last night, the head of our tour agency invited us to his home for a delicious meal. A neighbor girl provided entertainment. |
 |
| Last night party! |