JRP at Sea

Mauritius is a fuel stop, so we only spent one day on the small island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. To give myself the best chance at seeing as much as possible I joined a field program that toured some of the island's most beautiful sights, including the Chamarel waterfall, one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen in my life, the Seven Coloured Earth, a fascinating geological formation, the   Black River Gorges National Park, with a stunning viewpoint across the hills and forests, Le Morne Peninsula, where the Le Morne Brabant mountain powerfully dominates the skyline behind the beach, and a viewpoint overlooking several of Mauritius' peaks. We toured all of these beautiful sights with a colorful tour guide who spoke passionately about his love for rum, especially when enjoying rum while hiding indoors during some of the powerful cyclones that hit the island. From his stories we gained a good sense of island life, and on an island as small as Ma...

My memory of our time in India seems fitting for the country, as my memories are colorful, varied, spontaneous, and unique. I can't clearly remember the order of events. I don't remember how everything came together. In the end, I have a collection of lasting memories and deeper connections with friends, thanks to the seemingly endless richness of culture in India. I remember Kyle, Aeriel, and I taking many tuk-tuk rides, which often involved unwanted shopping stops. Negotiating with tuk-tuk drivers was sometimes exhausting, when their deals with shop owners resulted in them offering us lower prices for rides if we stopped at a shop or two; offering more for a ride without shopping stops wasn't really an option. Our mentioning that we would take the ferry often resulted in tuk-tuk drivers telling us the ferry wasn't operating today (even though it was). Regardless, the tuk-tuk rides were fun and a great way to see the life of the city moving around us, kids in unifor...

Arriving in Myanmar was undoubtedly one of the more adventurous moments of our voyage. Few people have been to Myanmar, which enhanced my gratitude for what we were experiencing. Arriving at the port of Yangon, with mist and fog rising from the ground, with the rising sun illuminating them into gold clouds, made the arrival even more magical. Wandering around Yangon the first day was one of those days where all your senses are heightened, from street food, street vendors, crowded streets, beautiful balconies on old buildings, power lines stretched across streets, birds and birdcages, people wearing Thanaka on their faces, an old train running through the city, a deep-red sunset, and then the highlight of the day, the iconic Shwedagon Pagoda, the gold-plated stupa surrounded by candles, buddhas, shrines, and spiritual offerings. The next day I went on one of the best Semester at Sea field programs I ever joined, a three-night, four-day journey to Mandalay and Bagan, traveling between...