We spent a total of eight weeks in Ahmedabad. We spent most of our time with Jigar’s friends and family (which was the whole idea). I got the chance to learn about Gujarati culture and Gujarati food. I took Gujarati lessons every morning (which means I can now say, “How are you?”, “I’m fine”, and “Goodbye” in Gujarati). We did a lot of shopping. Jigar watched every cricket match that India played in. We celebrated Diwali. We visited friends. We spent time together as a family, playing cards and watching TV. I learned to make masala chai. We went to the movies. In short, we slowed down, stopped traveling and just lived a regular life (minus the work part) for a few weeks. We did have a few adventures around town. We went and visited Jigar’s old school and he showed me the places they used to live. We visited the old city for the Heritage walk and also visited Ghandi’s ashram. We took a day trip to Lothal – the ruins of a 4500 year old city which seems to have a better drainage system than most present day Indian cities. We had a great time in Ahmedabad. It was the first time in many years that Jigar could just come home and relax, without having to worry about getting back to the States for work or school. I got to see the city I have been hearing about for years from Jigar and his friends and family. Next stop: Delhi, to visit Jigar’s childhood friend, Himanshu Shani… with a few stops in Rajasthan along the way.
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