Everyone who’s been to India says that it’s a huge culture shock. Chris and I figured that it would be a breeze after having been through Africa and the Middle East. Some people may call it cocky but I’d consider it to be our optimistic “bring-it-on attitude” that responded by saying it would be no big deal. After all, we are world travelers…

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! I couldn’t have eaten those words any quicker than I did when I got off the train station in Varanasi. Yes, India has it’s own culture and chaos but Varanasi is the epitome of India lifestyle, culture, beliefs, and traditions all lumped into one city. It was 6:00am in the morning and our eyes were still have filled with sleep. The morning started with a rickshaw ride to a guesthouse. Once we settled on a price, the driver set off constantly honking, swerving around cows, nearly running people and dogs over, and almost being crushed by large pinata-like decorated Indian trucks. We stopped unexpectedly within 10 minutes of our destination for a chai (Indian culture is to offer tea to all guests/newcomers). I didn’t know what we were stopping for as there was only a small rickety wooden shed in which there was a man sitting on the table next to a boiling kettle, but I couldn’t be more happy. My eyes burned from the think smog and pollution that setteled on the streets and I did everything I could to remove the burn for the short time we were standing still. The driver brought us back two small cups of chai in clay/mud-like cups. We were told to NEVER drink the water in India and while it was hot tea, I was still hesitant. We drank the chai to be polite, and afterwards handed the cups to the driver, who then instructed us to throw them into the ground. He said they would smash to pieces and decompose overtime. “OK,” I said as my mind still wondered if this tea would make me sick.  The driver jumped back into his autorickshaw and we zoomed onward toward the guesthouse.
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Since most people’s iPhone’s aren’t unlocked and AT&T charges an obscene amount for international data roaming, I’m going to assume that the majority of users aren’t going to be able to use any applications that need to access the Internet. Therefore, I’ve divided my list of iPhone apps in to two categories: Offline and Online.

Offline (no Internet required):

• GoodReader – An offline html/doc/pdf reader and my #1 app. I have 3-4 different websites backed up on my iPhone, along with countless Lonely Planet pdf files. It’s because of this app that I don’t travel with a guidebook.
• Currencies – My personal favorite currency convertor (except that it doesn’t include Syrian pounds and Lao Kip)
• Babelingo – A travel phrase book with 300+ phrases in 11 languages (but still no Arabic…).
• MotionX GPS – An offline GPS application. When I know I have an upcoming bus or train ride, I often store the destinations as gps waypoints so I can monitor how much longer I have on the journey.
• gUnit – The most comprehensive Unit Convertor for the iPhone
• Your favorite time-wasting game: My current favorites are Catan, Spades Classic, Adikus’ Backgammon and Lux DLX

Online:

• Kayak – The easiest way to check flight prices on your iPhone
• Flight Status – Great interface for monitoring/tracking flights
• Skype – Great for a quick and cheap call home when you find free wifi
• Tweetie 2 – My personal favorite iPhone Twitter client (the latest version supports geotagging tweets)

1. People bathing in the same water that they brush their teeth in, drink, do laundry, dispose of trash/waste, and scatter human ashes (India)
2. Being asked for bribes by the people who are supposed to ensure you aren’t being asked for bribes (Egypt)
3. Men walking around the streets (uniform and non-uniform alike) sporting machine guns, AK47’s, and rifles (Africa, Middle East, India)
4. Men killing live sheep, skinning them, and hanging them on hooks in the road… right next to the vegetable stand (Syria)
5. Magnificent new high rise buildings right next to war-torn shot up, bombed and burnt buildings (Lebanon)
6. Small children wandering the streets like packs of wolves wreaking havoc during school days and on school hours when they should be learning (Tanzania)
7. Ordering and eating a full breakfast for $0.04 (India)
8. The inside of a hippo’s vicious mouth up close and personal or being run out of camp by elephants for that matter (Botswana)
9. Driving full speed into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the highway (Uganda)
10. People sharing the small amounts of food they’ve been given with others even though they themselves haven’t eaten in 5 days (Kenya)

While we do not have white fluffy snow on the ground, Christmas carolers approaching our door, or a fireplace with stockings hung, we are blessed to be spending the holidays with Chris’s family in Mumbai, India. Our time in India thus far has been a unique and eye-opening experience which makes us appreciate everything we have in America even more. With that said, we have had a wonderful time together and we are hoping the same for all of you. We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays during this wonderful season. May you enjoy the holiday cheer, the gifts of life, the joys of peace, and quality time with family and friends.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HANUKKAH! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Sent with love,
Chris and Amy

Beirut has built up a reputation as the Paris of the Middle East. While it most definitely is, I would describe it more so as Paris’ wild child step-sister. Anything goes here… I mean ANYTHING! Beirut is the liberal counterpart to it’s ultra conservative neighbors in the Middle East and with it comes the liberal activities. Beirut has recently become famous for it’s bustling nightlife. The city is home to several bars that were voted best bars in 2008 and it has recently ranked as one of the top party cities in the world. There are places to go and things to experience for anyone looking to have a good time. The only appropriate dress code in this Middle Eastern city is to cover yourself as little as possible. The people pull up to nightclubs and bars dressed to a T. Designer labels here trump all. The women step out of their cars flaunting Jimmy Choo stilettos, short Dolce & Gabanna dresses, Chloe Bags, Van Cleef jewelry, blown out hair and gobs of MAC makeup. The men strut around flaunting Prada glasses, Ralph Lauren suits, Ferragamo shoes and possibly a man purse in one hand with a cigarette in the other. It is probably the only place in the Middle East where you can dance, drink, and party until the sun rises… every night of the week! If you ever get the chance to travel to the Middle East, I highly encourage you check out the liberal nightlife of Beirut. It will guarantee you an interesting and exciting evening!

Lebanon is a small country spanning an area of 10,452 square kilometers (4,035 sq mi) with a lot of diversity therefore it was easy for us to travel and explore different parts of the country. Chris and I headed South to Tyre and Saida one day to explore ruins, castles, and the towns themselves. Upon driving into Tyre we were smothered by posters and flags covered with the prominent heads of Hezbollah. We passed through several checkpoints laced with barbed wire, bunker holes and armed officials. There were a few large army tanks littering certain intersections within the city. The South was unlike Beirut in that the population is a much higher concentration of conservative Muslims and Hezbollah families. We were using an old Lonely Planet map which didn’t give us specific directions so we drove around the city searching for a sign for the largest and best restored hippodrome in the world. We found ourselves on the main road suddenly driving by several blocks that were heavily guarded by army men with huge guns, tanks, and barbed wire fences. Behind the fences were thousands of Palestinians in refugee camps. The Palestinian people here had no citizenship anywhere and therefore they had no land, no passports, only a few had jobs and most had minimal money. Needless to say, this was an area that we should not have gotten any closer to. The city was less developed and more conservative. It was apparent that the town had been attacked in the past 3 wars with bombs and bullets as there were markings depicting the chaos on building walls. We finally found the ruins we were looking for and walked around the historic site. The ruins (situated in the heart of the city) were quiet and somewhat eerie. The only signs of life we saw were a few Arab workers and a wild dog. The history of the place was interesting though and well worth the drive.

From there we jumped back into our car and drove to Saida (located between Tyre and Beirut). On the way to Saida, we passed several UN and Lebanese army tanks. There was one that specifically stood out. We were driving up the coastal highway where on the right side of the road was a large army tank equipped with two large missiles mounted on the top. It was the real deal and while it was interesting to see, it was far too close for comfort. Yikes! We finally arrived at Saida which proved to be a step up from Tyre. The buildings were not as antiquated and there was a small boardwalk along the water looking out to a Sea Castle floating atop the turquoise waters. We walked around the city for a bit, explored the castle, and then sat down at a local restaurant for a Lebanese lunch full of mezzes (small tapas-like dishes). In most Middle Eastern countries, you never get the bill unless you ask for it, so I got up to find the man who had originally helped us. When I finally did, he asked “where do you live?” I told him California and reciprocated his question asking if he was originally from Saida. He stared at me for a second before looking me straight in the eyes and saying, “No. I’m a Palestinian from Palestine.” Uh oh. It was a little awkward for me after seeing the refugee camps scattered around the region. I wanted to say something to help relieve the tension but I could not. We were both frozen. Suddenly I made a small joke which got him to smile enough for me to say thank you and slip away. AWKWARD!

Walking back to the car, I realized how much tragedy, aggression, despair, and loss these people have gone through. Yes, they may support all of Hezbollah’s actions, but it’s my understanding that they put their trust in the group because it’s their first line of defense to keep themselves, their family and their property safe. I understand there are two sides to every story and I am still not convinced as to who is right or wrong but I will say that it was an interesting experience that puts things in a new light.