Back to our lovely country

Tomorrow it’s time to say goodbye to Jamaica and hello to Norway. It’s going to be sad, but also a little good. You know, it’s great to travel far away, but the best place to be is home. No matter how you twist and turn it!

Right now, we are sitting on the plane back to cold and freezing Norway. It has been a marvelous trip from India to Jamaica. We have experienced and learned a lot, and are dreading us to come back home, but it will be nice as well. We hope we will repeat it again somewhere in the future, because it has been wonderful as already mentioned.

During the trip we have got to know the culture in India and Jamaica, and it has been interesting and informative.

 

 

-          Bendik and Maria

 

National Heroes Park

Today we’ve found out that we love flowers! Red ones, yellow ones, pink ones, white ones and you name it. They are so pretty and we never get bored looking at them. That is actually what we have been doing today, since we have visited National Heroes Park.

National Heroes Park is a botanical garden, with flowers and many different kinds of other plants as well. It is a huge outdoor-area, and it is actually the largest open space here in Kingston. It is fresh, green grass all over the area, so the atmosphere is great!

Except from the plants, the park has also got several monuments, and it is the burial site of many of Jamaica’s cultural leaders, national heroes and prime ministers. In that case, the park isn’t just special for the tourists, but the inhabitants also visit this park. It is a park that means a lot to the Jamaican inhabitants, so that’s why we have to treat it with respect.

                                                      Here is a burial from the park.

 

By looking at these pictures, I guess you understand how beautiful the park is. Absolutely worth to visit!

When we got to the park, we didn’t know anything, but luckily one of the local guides taught us very much. He was so friendly and inspiring, actually one of the most pleasant and compelling man we have met during these days in Jamaica. Not that the other inhabitants aren’t nice, because they are, but he was extremely polite and inclusive.

Both of us thought something was a bit familiar with our guide, and suddenly we understood it! It was the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, who had guided us around the national Heroes park! Incredible! Unfortunately we didn’t take any pictures, but here is a picture we found on the internet.

 

           

 - Bendik and Maria

 

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Heroes_Park.

http://www.google.no/imgres?q=national+park+heroes&um=1&hl=no&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=nQ6o9ZEBtQ4Q9M:&imgrefurl=http://www.jamaicapage.com/national-heroes-park-to-be-cleaned-on-labour-day/&docid=CASTtDWb1Kd7jM&imgurl=http://www.jamaicapage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/national-areana-jamaica-marcus-garvey.jpg&w=500&h=326&ei=Hdd_UILtGMnIswaP9oH4AQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=488&vpy=155&dur=2440&hovh=181&hovw=278&tx=93&ty=122&sig=113024040539766158113&page=1&tbnh=137&tbnw=202&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:74

http://www.google.no/imgres?q=national+park+heroes&um=1&hl=no&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=1x0iYE7kmgwglM:&imgrefurl=http://mwapoleni-bunty.blogspot.com/2010/10/saturday.html&docid=TpkgPtsEaBHcsM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2RnryO8mJ2NqGu4CAYl1dkrhyphenhyphenNL3umPmEnU6Urw1U-baY3nCyyFrNcBm_WVvN_eRuo-3Zc1K4cZWufgNegx6bZEViskE_olTHRA5mc4LEWfhNldgJmCq8Bx0AVpzUVOc63HwiIGAGhgfA/s400/bogle%252Band%252Bgordon.jpg&w=400&h=267&ei=Hdd_UILtGMnIswaP9oH4AQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=920&vpy=386&dur=834&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=127&ty=134&sig=113024040539766158113&page=1&tbnh=131&tbnw=182&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:15,s:0,i:113

http://www.google.no/imgres?q=national+park+heroes&um=1&hl=no&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=Z1ZgnA9dPqo3PM:&imgrefurl=http://mwapoleni-bunty.blogspot.com/2010/10/saturday.html&docid=TpkgPtsEaBHcsM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapbiC2q89HHlMNsYI0C4gRQEIunBrPkfZJFDseeo1ViNLbRDpl1sZFzYAqE5z40QbwDtzdynbj2wOca54Mftd0XdPVXwDzBCbBYEVogMzYxAU5CDUfUAbyOLNB04rAnm9ybHCl6nwrSZS/s400/tombstone.jpg&w=400&h=267&ei=Hdd_UILtGMnIswaP9oH4AQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=250&sig=113024040539766158113&page=2&tbnh=139&tbnw=203&start=23&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:20,i:180&tx=137&ty=61

http://www.google.no/imgres?q=usain+bolt&num=10&hl=no&biw=1366&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=E2Zkm-SdU1vBOM:&imgrefurl=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/london-olympics/usain-bolt-wins-200m-gold/story-fn9dheyx-1226447197892&docid=xDdNtRt0_OtvHM&imgurl=http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2012/08/10/1226447/688548-usain-bolt.jpg&w=650&h=366&ei=D-6EUIm5M4XEswaC94GIBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=790&vpy=203&dur=899&hovh=168&hovw=299&tx=233&ty=86&sig=113024040539766158113&page=1&tbnh=148&tbnw=257&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0,i:133

 

Bob Marley’s house

Today we had a great day! We decided go visiting the old house of Jamaica’s great son, Bob Marley in New Kingston. For you guys who don’t know who Bob Marley was, he was the greatest reggae star the world ever had seen. After the long and exhausting trip from India we thought a chill day with some reggae would be nice, and it was. The only problem was that it was so crowded.

Actually, Bob Marley’s house is one of Jamaica’s greatest tourist attractions, and that isn’t strange, thinking of how interesting it was. We found the gunshot wounds from the assassination attempt on Marley in 1976 most interesting. Even though he didn’t die in the assassination attempt he died just 5 years later, only 36 years old.

Here is a picture of Bob Marley’s house, where he lived until his way too early death.

 

We know Bob Marley did smoke a lot of weed, and we actually found out that he inspired lots of young people to start smoking weed. He was an idol, and maybe he had a negative influence.

See you tomorrow when we’re heading to National Heroes Park.

 

-          Bendik and Maria

 

Sources:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley

Jamaica next

Right now we’re in the air again, so this time we are on our way to a new and exciting country. It’s an exotic and memorable country, at least according my uncle. In which extent we can trust him is another case, based on that crocs is his pair of favorite shoes. Haha, what a joke! Made your day, right? I hope so, because a good laughter extends the life.

Anyway, what we tried to say is that we’re travelling to the island Jamaica in Africa. This is actually extremely exciting to both of us, since none of us have been to Africa ever before. Therefore, we hope this adventure will give us lots of new experiences, memories and knowledge.

In Jamaica, we have decided to visit National Heroes’ park and Bob Marley's house. We’re not quite sure what any of those attractions are, since it was the flight attendant who told us about it. In that case, we are looking forward to visit both of those places and to tell you about it here on the blog. Therefore, you’ll have to stay tuned!

It’s a bit sad to leave India, although we’re going to a new place. We really liked India and its culture. India has got lots of kind people to talk to and different places to experience. The inhabitants are so friendly even though many of them are extremely poor. Luckily, we stayed in a rich society, so we didn’t get to see much of the slum.

Oh, we almost forgot to tell you about the celebrity we met in India. We were in a local store shopping food, when we saw Dev Patel- the main character, Jamal Malik, from the film Slumdog Millionaire. It was awesome to see him even though we didn’t talk much.

                                                   Here is a picture of Dev Patel.

After all, it was a great experience visiting India. We got to know a new society where they work hard for what they believe in. There are no free-riders to put it that way! That’s something Norway should pick up and practice.

Even though we wanted to stay longer, Jamaica is waiting for us now. We have still got one adventure to experience, so we better enjoy every second!

 

-          Bendik and Maria

 

Sources: http://www.google.no/imgres?um=1&hl=no&sa=G&biw=1366&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=t_O_Lk3rWlAeZM:&imgrefurl=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/4524146/Slumdog-Millionaire-star-Dev-Patel-an-underdog-no-more.html&docid=G_VrYKkAXP6EaM&imgurl=http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01290/dev-patel-1_1290259c.jpg&w=460&h=288&ei=8_aEUPXPF47otQbt_IDIAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=288&vpy=313&dur=233&hovh=178&hovw=284&tx=234&ty=125&sig=113024040539766158113&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=221&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:98

The Lotus Temple

Today has been exciting and eventful. We have visited Baha’i House of Worship also known as the Lotus Temple. Baha’i House of Worship is its official name, but because of its flowerlike shape we name it the Lotus Temple.

The first thing that caught our attention when we walked into the Lotus temple, was the beautiful roof 34 meters towered. Its shape symbolized a bud of a flower and the roof had an opening to let the light inside the temple.

The roof in the Lotus Temple

 

We loved the thought that all the religions are welcome into the temple, no matter what. During our visit, we met Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians. It was great to meet that many different kinds of people, but maybe it was a little cramped sometimes.

We found out that the Lotus Temple is one of the world most visited buildings in the world. It has actually got thirteen thousand visitors daily, and we were two of them. It’s pretty awesome to think about that we have visited two of the most popular tourist attractions during two days. We are quite cultured!

 

We’re in a hurry, since we have to go and catch our spa treatment. We need some luxury during our holiday, you know. See you tomorrow!

 

-          Bendik and Maria

 

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_temple
http://www.google.no/imgres?q=lotus+temple&um=1&hl=no&biw=1366&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=JIVnS6JEiRxplM:&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Temple&docid=JCuF4uFHx3-G8M&imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Lotus_Temple_-_Delhi,_various_views_(3).JPG/250px-Lotus_Temple_-_Delhi,_various_views_(3).JPG&w=250&h=223&ei=7Nd_UPj9Co_JswaOs4GYCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=420&vpy=162&dur=377&hovh=178&hovw=200&tx=98&ty=102&sig=113024040539766158113&page=1&tbnh=148&tbnw=180&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:68
http://www.google.no/imgres?q=lotus+temple&um=1&hl=no&biw=1366&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=aytgWNGfW7-AUM:&imgrefurl=http://www.shalusharma.com/lotus-temple-must-see-bahai-temple/&docid=1S429ehAgcqLUM&imgurl=http://www.shalusharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Lotus-Temple-New-Delhi.jpg&w=784&h=600&ei=7Nd_UPj9Co_JswaOs4GYCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=596&vpy=153&dur=59&hovh=196&hovw=257&tx=151&ty=91&sig=113024040539766158113&page=1&tbnh=148&tbnw=204&start=0&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:71

Taj Mahal

We’ve just got back to the hotel after a fantastic day visiting Taj Mahal. The hotel is so beautiful and everything is luxurious. It’s the best hotel we’ve ever stayed in! Our room is huge with a living-room, two bedrooms and a bathroom with Jacuzzi and minibar. It’s like living in heaven!

picture from our hotel room

 

Anyway, today we visited Taj Mahal, one of the worlds most beautiful buildings. We had a guided trip around Taj Mahal’s secrets, so we learned a couple of things to share with you.

Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, a place where they buried dead people. It was built in 1632 by the mogul Shah Jahan. His favorite wife, Mumtaz, died, and in that case he built Taj Mahal. Not alone, of course, he got much help from the architect Ustad Ahmad and 22 000 workers. Taj Mahal is built in marble and lots of gold. It’s fantastic!

Taj Mahal is surrounded by a beautiful garden with an exclusive pool. It was the most beautiful garden we have seen in our whole entire life. We almost fainted.

 

                                                                                                                                  

Oh, we almost forgot one thing! Something happened on our way home from Taj Mahal. We borrowed a car and started our trip back to the hotel. After one hour, strange noises came from the hood, an engine failure had appeared.  Maria didn’t know what to do and she started crying, but luckily Bendik fixed the engine in some minutes and we were on our way home.

During our accident, many local people stopped and asked if we needed help and so on. That was really nice of them and really strange compared to Norway, where no one would stop and offer help. We think this tell us about the differences between the Norwegian and Indian people.

It was great seeing the hotel again, and the bed had never felt this soft and warm.

See you later alligator!

-          Bendik and Maria

Soruces:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal
http://www.google.no/imgres?q=taj+mahal&um=1&hl=no&biw=1366&bih=683&tbm=isch&tbnid=1RAoy97tH6k9nM:&imgrefurl=http://www.albatros-travel.no/destinasjoner/asia/india/Pages/fotosfilm.aspx&docid=LnWarcELp63TfM&imgurl=http://www.albatros-travel.no/destinasjoner/asia/india/Gallery/TAJ%252520MAHAL.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=Q9h_UIO3MMnAswbA9oHwAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=922&vpy=189&dur=367&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=187&ty=119&sig=113024040539766158113&page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=186&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0,i:104
 

Greetings from the clouds

We caught the plane, but it was on the verge! You see, on our way to the airport it was such a terrible traffic jam. We were stationed for almost half an hour. I can tell you it was nerve wracking as hell.

It did come one positive thing out of this mess. We did get some time reading in our travel guide about India. We read about the capital, New Delhi, where we are arriving in about fourteen hours. We found out that New Dehli has 302 000 inhabitants, which is very little in relate to the whole India. It’s actually 1,2 billion inhabitants in India, and this makes India the second most populated country in the world.

We read about some extremely exciting tourist attractions in New Delhi. The lotus temple and Taj Mahal caught our interest, and we’re visiting them when we arrive in India.

This is something we’re looking forward to.

 

See you later alligator!

-          Bendik and Maria