Vivek Monteiro
Though senior Vivek Naik is known around MC for the community service he has done in Haiti throughout high school., during winter vacation, he had an interesting adventure in India.
“Most of the time I spent in India was with family, but it was nice because our grandparents took us on a tour of parts of India we had never seen,” Naik said. “We spent most of the time touring in the South Indian state of Kerala.”
During his time in Kerala, he went to three cities: Munnar, Kumarakom, and Kochi.
“In Munnar, we went to these tea plantations that were located high up in the mountains where it was pretty cold,” Naik said. “Due to its location, it is isolated from the loud and crowded India found in places like Bombay.”
However, while going to this mountainous town, the ride up perhaps was the more interesting part of the journey.
“Going up through the mountains was a little scary because of the narrow and the poorly maintained roads as well as [a lack of] road barriers,” Naik said. “At a couple of points, we encountered huge tour busses, making everyone stop, go backwards, and let them pass.”
After visiting the tea plantations of Munnar, Naik and his family headed towards the more urban towns of Kumarakom and Kochi.
“In Kumarakom, we spent some of our time on a lake which was nice because it allowed us to explore the backwaters,” Naik said. “I wouldn’t even try to compare [it] to Venice, but the city is intertwined with the waterways; boats are used for transportation.”
As a citizen who is committed to creating a world that has better healthcare, Naik also visited a clinic meant to help those who are less fortunate.
“One of my uncles runs a clinic in a village in the outskirts of Bombay for people who can’t afford to be treated or cannot reach government hospitals,” Naik said. “It resonated with me and my aspiration to work in third world countries”
For some people, going on a vacation can be a very superficial event in their lives, while for others, a real understanding of culture and history is absorbed.
“The highlight of my trip was honestly just being in India. You are hit by all five senses the second you enter the streets,” Naik said. “For me personally, I find it relaxing in its own strange way.”
