43 Celcius in Ahmedabad!

Today it is a little warm here in Ahmedabad. Amazingly the streets
are still full and busy. Our purpose in coming to Ahmedabad has been
fulfilled by a visit to the Calico Museum of Textiles. At this time
of year they give one guided tour a day to the first 20 people. The
tour lasts for two hours but one could easily spend two days. The
collection is incredible. The museum is comprised of several
buildings including an old Haveli style home. The guide spins the
stories of the textiles as beautifully as the creations themelves.

Both yesterday and today we have been taken around the city by an
auto-rickshaw driver named Manu. He has been a great help and taken
us to all of the sights in Ahmedabad. We have seen the original city
walls, 500 year old stepwells, the shaking minarets of the Sidi
Bashir's Mosque, the Hathee Jain Temple and many other temples and
sights. Not bad considering the heat!

Tonight we will take an overnight bus to Bhuj. In Bhuj we will visit
Kala Raksha, a sort of handicraft cooperative and model for preserving
and sustaining the traditional styles of handicraft arts of Kutch (the
area of Gujarat Bhuj is located). It is possible that the temperature
will be higher in Bhuj. This is the hottest week of the year just
before the monsoon arrives. Our timing could not have been more
perfect.

This is a great beginning for our summer fieldwork and I look forward
to everything that will come. There is so much to learn and I am
excited about everyday and every opportunity. Thanks for traveling
along with us!

Posted by: Stacey Baumgarn

Arrival in Delhi

After over 20 hours sitting on 3 different planes, we have made it to India successfully!  Currently we are sitting in the Delhi domestic airport restaurant awaiting our departure to Ahmedabad, another 2 hour flight.  

Things have been great so far, I caught up on much needed sleep and Stacey managed to watch a couple of movies and do a little reading.  Somehow we managed to wonder our way to the restaurant where there is internet, Nescafe, and air-conditioning.   I thought the internet was free until we realized to stay in the restaurant you have to spend no less than 250 Rupees, about 8 US dollars.  

The connection is uncertain so I am going to keep this short...don't want to waste valuable battery if I can't post my blog.  

Take care and we will be in touch soon.

Thanks to all of you who have shown your support through donations, advice and encouraging words, it really means a lot to me. Please know that Stacey and I truly appreciate it and will do our best to make a positive impact and a lasting impression.

We leave this Monday, May 26th! We have been working on this project for a full semester now and truly, it seems like a dream come true. We are actually going to fly halfway around the world to work with a group of women entrepreneurs!

On our way to Nepal we will spend 10 days in India. First, we will visit the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad. Then we will head to Buhj, were we will visit Kala Rakasha and Shurjan. Two different, but very successful textile and handicraft business models. We want to get an idea of what other business models exist and what works best in certain circumstance. We are hoping to learn from best practices and trials.

Stacey and I will fly to Kathmandu on June 8th. Rita, who is one of the first co-founders of Dhaka Weaves and our local contact, will meet us at the airport and, from there, we will figure out what comes next. Nepal is a very different country than our own and business is done differently. It is important for us to establish relationships in order to work together to determine the next best steps for Dhaka Weaves. Several great ideas have been going through my mind, but the truth is, we don't know what this trip will really bring. However, we do know that we are working towards some goals, which include: support Dhaka Weaves expand into new markets, get fair trade certified, and create a marketing strategy for future growth.

I am sure we will also get out of the city to see the mountains and forests. This trip will be challenging and exciting and I am glad that we can take you all with us!


Now, we are busy getting ready to go. If anyone has advice for us on what to pack or what not to pack we welcome it with open arms. I will be sure to write often to share our experiences and our photos!


Thanks again for all of your support!