Arrived into Mumbai and settled into my room at my aunt's place...this time I had air-con in my room and can't begin to tell you how excited I was. Ready to come home to say the least. Anyways, spent about 6 days in Mumbai altogether....caught up with family, met some of my mom's friends, saw the sites, checked out the nightlife. By now its basically become the same routine over and over in all the places I've been and in some ways I'm glad this was the last time. As most of you know, in November Mumbai faced some terrorist attacks which they refer to as 26/11. Since then there is heightened security everyhwere from the airports, to hotels, and even at the train stations. I think its good, but at times you feel like its lost its charm. Enough of that and more about the city...
17 million+ people, the city is expansive, much bigger than NYC and sooo much dirtier (not as bad as Delhi). Took about 1.5 hour to get from airport to my aunt's place to give you an idea of size. Went out the second night to Leopold's...a bar in the Colaba Causeway area (backpacker zone) for a few beers. Leopold's is actually where the November attacks began...a famous expat/foreigner hangout, the terrorists had dinner there and then after paying their bills began shooting. There are still bullet holes in the wall/glass and its crazy to think of while you are sitting there having a beer. At one table there was a hole just next to my head...I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like to be there when it all went down. So, here I met a Pakistani guy, Waqas, from New Jersey who was also traveling solo. We ended up hanging out the next few days checking out the sights and nightlife of Mumbai...never did find my Bollywood actress but met many stunning Indian locals ;) Saw the Gateway of India (where the terrorists entered via sea...but strangely still no security here?!?) and nearby Taj Hotel which is probably the nicest hotel I've ever seen. Had a beer in the bar there looking out over the sea and they provide you with unlimited snacks (at $8USD they better!), but enough to fill you up and skip dinner :) Visited the Haji Ali durgah which was nowhere near as crazy as the dargah in Ajmer but certainly impressive. Also checked out Dharavi (slums from Slum Dog Millionaire)...that place was crazy. To see how the people live there...words cannot express! Didn't go to far into the slums since everyone warned of the diseases I could catch just by walking around...found that surprising since I wouldnt be drinking the water, etc, but I listened and stuck to the outskirts which was still more than enough for my eyes. At the end of it all, Mumbai was a great place to end the trip...a little expensive and at times more expensive than the States. The British influence is very evident throughout the city, with Victorian architecture everywhere since they were responsible for much of the growth of this now Western metropolis. There is a stark contrast between the old historic buildings and their architecture to the new buildings of Mumbai and I think everyone will agree they like the charm of the old better. The nightlife was great, everybody spoke English, lounges very posh so I got use the nice clothes for once. Got a leather jacket tailor made in 24 hours after picking out the leather I wanted which was really cool. I missed out on the rainy season, but did get an occasional shower. I was anxious to see the hype of this so called all day rains, but unfortunately its arrived a few weeks to late this year and I'm on my way home. Caught my flight back to Delhi and wrapping up a few last minute things before taking off for the airport for my midnight flight tonight.
So after 8 months of travel through 21 countries I'm signing off...for those that followed along, I hope you enjoyed...I'll share more stories on my return! I'll probably have a few more posts...but this is it from on the road!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Day 237 -- Delhi to Mumbai
Train arrived at I dropped off the shopping suitcase in the cloak room as I was tired of lugging it around. At 10 rupees per day for storage its affordable to say the least, but we'll find out about the safety/security when I pick it up. David and I got out of the train station and made our way to Paharganj, the backpacer neighborhood in Delhi I mentioned before. As it was late and the neighborhood very shady/seedy we found a hotel that was safe for 700 rupees a night only after much negotiation. Tired from a late night last night and a long day of wanderings we watched some soccer (USA vs. Italy) and crashed. Got up at about 10am and he let me use his computer to back up all my pictures. About pictures, internet is really slow in India and I'm having a lot of difficulty uploading them so you guys will have to wait until I get back on the 23rd...they will be up shortly thereafter...sorry!
Checked out, booked my taxi for the airport and wandered outside for some breakfast. Surpisingly Paharganj was shut down and in fact there was a protest in the street. None of the shops/restaurants were open as the government was making plans to demolish many of the shops to widen the road to allow buses to travel to the nearby train station. Needless to say this angered many of the business owners so they staged a protest...a peacefule one, but the military was still called in to secure order. We found a rooftop cafe which was open and provided a good view of the action down on the street and by the end of breakfast it had all calmed down and the shops began to open. I wrote down tons of information for David about Thailand, Malaysia's Perhentian Islands and the infamous Gilis in Indonesia since he was planning to book a ticket out that afternoon...brought back some good memories and I started having feelings of heading back there but I need to get home...its time to get back to reality...not so sure how I feel about that just yet...guess I'll find out next week. Anyways, enough of that, hit the internet and then hopped in the cab to the airport. Flight to Mumbai was good and then after picking up my bag hopped in a taxi to my mom's sister-in-law's flat (condo) in South Bombay. My mom's brother passed away a few years back therefore I'm here staying with his wife, but her son, Bhisham (my cousin) from NYC is also here so it was good to catch up since I haven't seen him since I was like 8. Really nice place with cool views of the sea and should make a good base for exploring Mumbai until its time to head home...Maybe I'll sneak in a quick flight to Goa for a couple of nights!
Checked out, booked my taxi for the airport and wandered outside for some breakfast. Surpisingly Paharganj was shut down and in fact there was a protest in the street. None of the shops/restaurants were open as the government was making plans to demolish many of the shops to widen the road to allow buses to travel to the nearby train station. Needless to say this angered many of the business owners so they staged a protest...a peacefule one, but the military was still called in to secure order. We found a rooftop cafe which was open and provided a good view of the action down on the street and by the end of breakfast it had all calmed down and the shops began to open. I wrote down tons of information for David about Thailand, Malaysia's Perhentian Islands and the infamous Gilis in Indonesia since he was planning to book a ticket out that afternoon...brought back some good memories and I started having feelings of heading back there but I need to get home...its time to get back to reality...not so sure how I feel about that just yet...guess I'll find out next week. Anyways, enough of that, hit the internet and then hopped in the cab to the airport. Flight to Mumbai was good and then after picking up my bag hopped in a taxi to my mom's sister-in-law's flat (condo) in South Bombay. My mom's brother passed away a few years back therefore I'm here staying with his wife, but her son, Bhisham (my cousin) from NYC is also here so it was good to catch up since I haven't seen him since I was like 8. Really nice place with cool views of the sea and should make a good base for exploring Mumbai until its time to head home...Maybe I'll sneak in a quick flight to Goa for a couple of nights!
Days 235-236 -- Agra (Taj Mahal!)
So after 4 nights of family time in Ajmer it was time to continue the journey and make my way towards Agra. My uncle helped me book a sleeper bus Agra through a local travel agency. I should have known not to expect much since my sleeper seat only cost 190 rupees (47 rupees = 1USD). Bus wasn't there when I got to the depot so sat around for about an hour before it finally arrived. Got onboard and was surprised to find that my sleeper seat was more like a chicken coop and that you had to carry all your own luggage with you instead of putting it underneath the bus as in most cases. Not sure if I mentioned previously that I went on a massive shopping spree in Ajmer/Pushkar so now I had an extra suitcase...seriously regretting this at this point! Anyways, made it work out by convincing the old man below me that he could use one of my bags to prop up his feet and he happily obliged. Slept on top of my main backpack...not too comfortable, but managed to get some sleep and awoke in Agra about 6:30AM.
Hopped into an auto-rickshaw (tuk-tuk) and headed to my hotel, Hotel Taj Plaza which I had found on Hostelworld. They had a good rating which helped my decision and immediately after seeing my room I could see why. 600 meters from the Taj with an awesome view from the rooftop restaurant and more importantly the rooms were immaculate at only 350 rupees. Slept for a few hours since I was a little tired and then got up, showered, had some breakfast and was ready to do some sightseeing. Walked out of the hotel and jumped in a tuk-tuk towards the bus station to get a bus to Fatehpur Sikri, about 40km outside of Agra. Since it was low-season and not many tourists the driver (after much negotiation) decided to take me the whole way and back as well as wait for me for a few hours for only 300 rupees...not a bad deal if you ask me! Fatehpur Sikri is a historical city which was constructed by Mughal emperor beginning in 1570 and served as the empire's capital from 1571 until 1585, until it was abandoned for reasons that remain unclear. The surviving palace and mosque is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hour+ ride was bumpy but breezy since the tuk-tuk has no doors/windows. Along the way we had to stop at a police checkpoint where the driver had to bribe his way past (obvious corruption in India) since generally tuk-tuk's from Agra are not allowed to go there, but rather only hired tourist taxis. Next we were pulled into another road block, this time set up by tourist guides who would not take no for an answer. After much argument one decided to come with me for 'free' since I was insistent that I needed no guide...nothing is ever free - something I've certainly learned after traveling for 8 months! Arrived to the site and entered the mosque at first...no shoes and the ground was steaming in the 42+ degree heat but I survived. The main gate was 54 meters high and rather impressive with lots of detail carved into the stone and the massive courtyard inside seemed like it could hold in excess of 20,000 people. The guide explained some of the history and after about 30 minutes I felt like I was being rushed and politely asked him to let me roam on my own. He then pressed me for money which resulted in a small argument...he eventually got no money and stormed off screaming Hindhi curse words in my direction...haha! In my defense I told him repeatedly I wanted no guide and had no intention of paying any money beforehand but he insisted on coming along suggesting that he would have an opportunity to practice his English. Wandered around to the mosque before moving down towards the palace.
At the palace gate I tried to purchase a ticket at the local price of 20 rupees using my few phrases of Hindhi I picked up, however failed miserably and got stuck with the 250 rupee foreigner entrance charge. The palace was expansive and comprised of 20+ buildings and it was here I thought that maybe a guide would have been useful...oh well! I used my Lonely Planet and the map helped me navigate my way around easily as well as provide some history and information about the various buildings which was more than enough. Wandered outside and my driver was waiting as promised and we made our way out of there. He asked if I wanted to meet his family since he was from a nearby area and I happily obliged since he had taken me so far and stood around idle in the heat for 3+ hours. We arrived at his 'home' and I met his 'father' who was busy weaving carpets using very traditional instruments. I was offered tea, met the children and then shown carpets available for purchase...this is where I began to wonder if it really was his family (still don't know...) Either way at the end of it all and on my way out, the mother of the family gave me a carpet for free as a gift for playing with their children which I was forced to take since its rude to say 'no.' There is that free term again but again I didn't pay a single rupee. Made our way back towards Agra and on the way back to the hotel I agreed for the driver to stop at a couple of shops since these shops pay the drivers 20-30 rupees for bringing tourists to their businesses. I spent 10-15 minutes in each store acting interested in a few items, but purchased nothing and he still got his money. Finally reached the hotel at about 3pm and was exhausted from the long journey from Ajmer and all day outside in the heat so I crashed for a few hours.
Woke up and watched a Bollywood film on TV, Namaste London...the entire film was in Hindhi and I probably understood no more than 10% but still was able to understand the movie...I'll spare you the details but just mention that it was about a Indian girl raised in London who faced pressure from her family to marry an Indian but resisted and chose to marry an English boy..lots of disapproval from the family, etc, etc...blah, blah...I'm sure you can figure it out. Anyways, went downstairs and met a Spanish guy, David, also traveling alone who was going to get a beer and food so I tagged along. We found a nearby cafe and I learned that David was only 40 days into his 8 month trip whereas I am 8 days away from the end of my trip! He was tired of the heat in India and in need of some beach time, so I advised him to head to Malaysia/Indonesia and I think by the end of the night and after seeing my pics he was ready to go there a few days...haha! Called it a night and made plans to get up early to see the Taj.
Everyone said the Taj was best seen at sunrise but since we had a late night, we decided to skip the 5:15am sunrise and meet at 6:15am to be there just as the gates opened. Tried again for the Indian price of 50 rupees but failed and had to pay the foreigner cost of 750 rupees...a little steep if you ask me! Got inside and what an amazing site. Definitely not the best wonder I've seen on the trip, but still magnificent nonetheless. The Taj was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife after she died giving birth to their 14th child. Certainly the most grand structure ever built in the name of love and I'm definitely glad I didn't visit it with a girlfriend/wife since who knows what she'd expect later in life...just kidding! The white marble structure inlaid with semi-precious stones stones is symmetrical from all sides and the small fountain/pond in the front carries a beautiful reflection of the main mausoleum. I don't think anything like this could be replicated and urban legends say that the chief architect had his hands choped off at completion so he could not build anything similar for anyone else. Some estimates suggest that its cost was 32 million rupees at time of construction and in excess of 100 million USD at present. Its very difficult to put into words the feelings and thoughts you feel when you walk around this mega complex, but one thing for sure is that it truly is something special.
After a few hours of walking around inside and out, David and I were hungry so we made our way to the same cafe where we found almost the entire same group of people who were eating their the night before. I guess if you find a place and your stomach doesn't break (as it happens so often in India...) you continue to frequent the establishment. Had some breakfast and then back to the hotel where we had them book our train tickets to Delhi for that evening. Took a nap and then that afternoon I visted the Agra Fort, aka the Red Fort of Agra. The most important fort in India as the great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb here as well as since the country was governed from here. It contained the largest state treasury and mint and visited by foreign ambassadors, travellers and the highest dignitaries who participated in the making of history in India. With walls in excess of 70 ft. the fort is truly a walled palatial city and references of its existence date back to 1080AD. Wandering around this was like wandering around a maze. The architecture, level of detail and sheer size make you wonder how this was built so long ago, let alone the time, number of people and money that was needed. Unfortunately the mosque area (very impressive from outside) was under renovation so I could not get inside. After about an hour and half of making my way through this place I had to go as it was time for the train to Delhi.
The train to Delhi was the Shatabdi (sp?) express train, taking only 2 hours versus the inter-city trains at 4-5 hours. The extra cost (total ticket 550 rupees) was well worth it since there was plenty of place for all my luggage (33kg at this point...), reclining seat, dinner, bottles of water, ice cream...I could get used to this! The train was a little delayed and we finally arrived into Delhi shortly before midnight.
I rambled a lot here and it definitely was a long post but now that I'm back with family and got a free computer its a lot easier and much less pressure when you don't see a timer on your screen showing your internet charges add up! I hope you enjoy it!
Hopped into an auto-rickshaw (tuk-tuk) and headed to my hotel, Hotel Taj Plaza which I had found on Hostelworld. They had a good rating which helped my decision and immediately after seeing my room I could see why. 600 meters from the Taj with an awesome view from the rooftop restaurant and more importantly the rooms were immaculate at only 350 rupees. Slept for a few hours since I was a little tired and then got up, showered, had some breakfast and was ready to do some sightseeing. Walked out of the hotel and jumped in a tuk-tuk towards the bus station to get a bus to Fatehpur Sikri, about 40km outside of Agra. Since it was low-season and not many tourists the driver (after much negotiation) decided to take me the whole way and back as well as wait for me for a few hours for only 300 rupees...not a bad deal if you ask me! Fatehpur Sikri is a historical city which was constructed by Mughal emperor beginning in 1570 and served as the empire's capital from 1571 until 1585, until it was abandoned for reasons that remain unclear. The surviving palace and mosque is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hour+ ride was bumpy but breezy since the tuk-tuk has no doors/windows. Along the way we had to stop at a police checkpoint where the driver had to bribe his way past (obvious corruption in India) since generally tuk-tuk's from Agra are not allowed to go there, but rather only hired tourist taxis. Next we were pulled into another road block, this time set up by tourist guides who would not take no for an answer. After much argument one decided to come with me for 'free' since I was insistent that I needed no guide...nothing is ever free - something I've certainly learned after traveling for 8 months! Arrived to the site and entered the mosque at first...no shoes and the ground was steaming in the 42+ degree heat but I survived. The main gate was 54 meters high and rather impressive with lots of detail carved into the stone and the massive courtyard inside seemed like it could hold in excess of 20,000 people. The guide explained some of the history and after about 30 minutes I felt like I was being rushed and politely asked him to let me roam on my own. He then pressed me for money which resulted in a small argument...he eventually got no money and stormed off screaming Hindhi curse words in my direction...haha! In my defense I told him repeatedly I wanted no guide and had no intention of paying any money beforehand but he insisted on coming along suggesting that he would have an opportunity to practice his English. Wandered around to the mosque before moving down towards the palace.
At the palace gate I tried to purchase a ticket at the local price of 20 rupees using my few phrases of Hindhi I picked up, however failed miserably and got stuck with the 250 rupee foreigner entrance charge. The palace was expansive and comprised of 20+ buildings and it was here I thought that maybe a guide would have been useful...oh well! I used my Lonely Planet and the map helped me navigate my way around easily as well as provide some history and information about the various buildings which was more than enough. Wandered outside and my driver was waiting as promised and we made our way out of there. He asked if I wanted to meet his family since he was from a nearby area and I happily obliged since he had taken me so far and stood around idle in the heat for 3+ hours. We arrived at his 'home' and I met his 'father' who was busy weaving carpets using very traditional instruments. I was offered tea, met the children and then shown carpets available for purchase...this is where I began to wonder if it really was his family (still don't know...) Either way at the end of it all and on my way out, the mother of the family gave me a carpet for free as a gift for playing with their children which I was forced to take since its rude to say 'no.' There is that free term again but again I didn't pay a single rupee. Made our way back towards Agra and on the way back to the hotel I agreed for the driver to stop at a couple of shops since these shops pay the drivers 20-30 rupees for bringing tourists to their businesses. I spent 10-15 minutes in each store acting interested in a few items, but purchased nothing and he still got his money. Finally reached the hotel at about 3pm and was exhausted from the long journey from Ajmer and all day outside in the heat so I crashed for a few hours.
Woke up and watched a Bollywood film on TV, Namaste London...the entire film was in Hindhi and I probably understood no more than 10% but still was able to understand the movie...I'll spare you the details but just mention that it was about a Indian girl raised in London who faced pressure from her family to marry an Indian but resisted and chose to marry an English boy..lots of disapproval from the family, etc, etc...blah, blah...I'm sure you can figure it out. Anyways, went downstairs and met a Spanish guy, David, also traveling alone who was going to get a beer and food so I tagged along. We found a nearby cafe and I learned that David was only 40 days into his 8 month trip whereas I am 8 days away from the end of my trip! He was tired of the heat in India and in need of some beach time, so I advised him to head to Malaysia/Indonesia and I think by the end of the night and after seeing my pics he was ready to go there a few days...haha! Called it a night and made plans to get up early to see the Taj.
Everyone said the Taj was best seen at sunrise but since we had a late night, we decided to skip the 5:15am sunrise and meet at 6:15am to be there just as the gates opened. Tried again for the Indian price of 50 rupees but failed and had to pay the foreigner cost of 750 rupees...a little steep if you ask me! Got inside and what an amazing site. Definitely not the best wonder I've seen on the trip, but still magnificent nonetheless. The Taj was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife after she died giving birth to their 14th child. Certainly the most grand structure ever built in the name of love and I'm definitely glad I didn't visit it with a girlfriend/wife since who knows what she'd expect later in life...just kidding! The white marble structure inlaid with semi-precious stones stones is symmetrical from all sides and the small fountain/pond in the front carries a beautiful reflection of the main mausoleum. I don't think anything like this could be replicated and urban legends say that the chief architect had his hands choped off at completion so he could not build anything similar for anyone else. Some estimates suggest that its cost was 32 million rupees at time of construction and in excess of 100 million USD at present. Its very difficult to put into words the feelings and thoughts you feel when you walk around this mega complex, but one thing for sure is that it truly is something special.
After a few hours of walking around inside and out, David and I were hungry so we made our way to the same cafe where we found almost the entire same group of people who were eating their the night before. I guess if you find a place and your stomach doesn't break (as it happens so often in India...) you continue to frequent the establishment. Had some breakfast and then back to the hotel where we had them book our train tickets to Delhi for that evening. Took a nap and then that afternoon I visted the Agra Fort, aka the Red Fort of Agra. The most important fort in India as the great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb here as well as since the country was governed from here. It contained the largest state treasury and mint and visited by foreign ambassadors, travellers and the highest dignitaries who participated in the making of history in India. With walls in excess of 70 ft. the fort is truly a walled palatial city and references of its existence date back to 1080AD. Wandering around this was like wandering around a maze. The architecture, level of detail and sheer size make you wonder how this was built so long ago, let alone the time, number of people and money that was needed. Unfortunately the mosque area (very impressive from outside) was under renovation so I could not get inside. After about an hour and half of making my way through this place I had to go as it was time for the train to Delhi.
The train to Delhi was the Shatabdi (sp?) express train, taking only 2 hours versus the inter-city trains at 4-5 hours. The extra cost (total ticket 550 rupees) was well worth it since there was plenty of place for all my luggage (33kg at this point...), reclining seat, dinner, bottles of water, ice cream...I could get used to this! The train was a little delayed and we finally arrived into Delhi shortly before midnight.
I rambled a lot here and it definitely was a long post but now that I'm back with family and got a free computer its a lot easier and much less pressure when you don't see a timer on your screen showing your internet charges add up! I hope you enjoy it!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Days 231-234 -- Ajmer/Pushkar
So I took the two hour bus journey from Jaipur to Ajmer and was greeted by mom's cousin, Uncle Prabhu at the bus station. Luckily I went with the air-con bus because today was another scorcher. More importantly, I'm glad I had my ipod b/c they were blasting the Indian tunes, even louder than the Thai night buses. Jumped in the car and headed to the house for what would prove to be an interesting 4 days. So as most of you know, I dont speak any Sindhi/Hindhi, but I thought I could understand a fair bit....not really. I guess the basic talk at home with my parents, 'what do you want to eat,' 'where are you going,' 'when will you be back' don't really help when you are trying to navigate with family you havent seen in 20+ years...haha! Let's just say I found out pretty quickly that there is still a TON I need to learn about my culture, but you have to start somewhere and here I am!
Settled into my room in the house (no air-con :( ) and had some lunch with the family. Joint family house, typical to most Indian homes, where there were three families under one roof and one of the children along with his wife and kids were also part of the household. Much different that the traditional Western household we are used to in the States. So enough about that, Ajmer is where my mom went to school, Sophia College and I had a quick chance to check it out. My uncle was cool enough to take me around over the 4 days I was here...and he really should be a tour guide! He knew all the history, dates of construction, best places to get pictures, etc so it was really cool to have him around. I probably learned more about my culture in these 4 days than I have in my whole life...a little exaggeration but it was information overload. We saw Dargah (sp?) a extremely historical Muslim site which was chaos. Tons of pilgrims pushing and shoving in all directions trying to get their chance to pray and give offerings. Old women (age 65+) were pushing me left, right, down to the floor just to get in front of me...something you really have to see. Saw Ann Sagar (sp?) which is a series of marble structures set on the lake at sunset which was marvelous. All the locals were gathered around in the evenings having a picnic, family reunions, etc. Really cool to see how the local people interacted and having a local host definitely highlighted it since I didn't stand out as a foreigner as much. Also checked out an amazing Jain temple with detail that must have taken 30 years to complete....I don't think they build sites like this anymore. There was also a fort here, but unfortunately it was going through restoration so couldn't check out too much of the inside :(
One afternoon, I went with Uncle Ishwar (another uncle in the house) to the Global Mgt College where he is the director as they were celebrating their 10 year anniversary. The held a traditional 'havan' prayer ceremony (a little long) but I hadn't attended one in a while and it was my first true religous exercise on this trip which was really cool. Got to meet some of the families friends, most of whom knew my mom from her days in Ajmer during school. Ajmer is a Muslim dominant city, but also has a huge population of Sindhi's (the type of Indian I am). Another aunt in the city ran a guesthouse out of her home where I stayed one night and it was actually listed in my Lonely Planet as the best place to stay in Ajmer...didn't know it was hers until I got here. So there were two main families here and the primary family was pure vegetarian and the other was non-vegetarian. They both went out of their way to make me have a good time and were so hospitable I have no way of ever thanking them enough for what they did. I got the sense that all the locals here are that way since everyone I met knew who my mom was and basically treated me like they're son. Any home I visited I was given chai (tea), water, snacks until you couldn't eat anymore and then still they would insist you eat more.
One afternoon, we went to nearby Pushkar, a sacred village built around a holy lake. Pushkar is a famous destination for travelers since it has a hippy vibe, very religous and its one of those places where you go on vacation from your vacation. Once we entered I could see why it was soo popular. Hundreds (400+) of temples, priests everywhere (though some were just there to make money...) and just extremely laid back. The entire town has three rules, no drugs, no meat and no alcohol, yet the foreigners come and stay forever. I think the charm of the town overrides any other vices on may have. We saw a few temples and at one I saw more Sindhi plaques devoted to lost family members than I know Sindhis in America. Also visited one of the worlds only Brahma temples which was fascinating along with a temple boasting South Indian architecture. The work and detail are something I've never seen before and reminded me of some of the places I saw in the Middle East way back in November.
So the past 4 days for me were pretty enlightening and I got from here what I hoped to get out of my trip to India. I picked up a few words, met some family, learned some culture and feel much more Indian at the end of it all. I saw a lot of cool sites and had my own private tour guide, but since I wrote so much already I'll spare the details....Its kinda like I've described one temple to you guys...do you really want to hear about every single one?!!? So not sure if I mentioned before, but I had originally changed my flight back to the US to return on the 17th since this heat is unbearable. After this, plans have changed again and I'm staying one more week to get a chance to visit with more family in Mumbai next week. I'll be home June 23rd now and that date is not changing! If it wasn't for the heat and my savings account getting pretty close to zero I think I'd stay in India for a long time since its such a big place and there is sooo much to see.
Next stop....Taj Mahal! Been looking forward to this for a long time!
Settled into my room in the house (no air-con :( ) and had some lunch with the family. Joint family house, typical to most Indian homes, where there were three families under one roof and one of the children along with his wife and kids were also part of the household. Much different that the traditional Western household we are used to in the States. So enough about that, Ajmer is where my mom went to school, Sophia College and I had a quick chance to check it out. My uncle was cool enough to take me around over the 4 days I was here...and he really should be a tour guide! He knew all the history, dates of construction, best places to get pictures, etc so it was really cool to have him around. I probably learned more about my culture in these 4 days than I have in my whole life...a little exaggeration but it was information overload. We saw Dargah (sp?) a extremely historical Muslim site which was chaos. Tons of pilgrims pushing and shoving in all directions trying to get their chance to pray and give offerings. Old women (age 65+) were pushing me left, right, down to the floor just to get in front of me...something you really have to see. Saw Ann Sagar (sp?) which is a series of marble structures set on the lake at sunset which was marvelous. All the locals were gathered around in the evenings having a picnic, family reunions, etc. Really cool to see how the local people interacted and having a local host definitely highlighted it since I didn't stand out as a foreigner as much. Also checked out an amazing Jain temple with detail that must have taken 30 years to complete....I don't think they build sites like this anymore. There was also a fort here, but unfortunately it was going through restoration so couldn't check out too much of the inside :(
One afternoon, I went with Uncle Ishwar (another uncle in the house) to the Global Mgt College where he is the director as they were celebrating their 10 year anniversary. The held a traditional 'havan' prayer ceremony (a little long) but I hadn't attended one in a while and it was my first true religous exercise on this trip which was really cool. Got to meet some of the families friends, most of whom knew my mom from her days in Ajmer during school. Ajmer is a Muslim dominant city, but also has a huge population of Sindhi's (the type of Indian I am). Another aunt in the city ran a guesthouse out of her home where I stayed one night and it was actually listed in my Lonely Planet as the best place to stay in Ajmer...didn't know it was hers until I got here. So there were two main families here and the primary family was pure vegetarian and the other was non-vegetarian. They both went out of their way to make me have a good time and were so hospitable I have no way of ever thanking them enough for what they did. I got the sense that all the locals here are that way since everyone I met knew who my mom was and basically treated me like they're son. Any home I visited I was given chai (tea), water, snacks until you couldn't eat anymore and then still they would insist you eat more.
One afternoon, we went to nearby Pushkar, a sacred village built around a holy lake. Pushkar is a famous destination for travelers since it has a hippy vibe, very religous and its one of those places where you go on vacation from your vacation. Once we entered I could see why it was soo popular. Hundreds (400+) of temples, priests everywhere (though some were just there to make money...) and just extremely laid back. The entire town has three rules, no drugs, no meat and no alcohol, yet the foreigners come and stay forever. I think the charm of the town overrides any other vices on may have. We saw a few temples and at one I saw more Sindhi plaques devoted to lost family members than I know Sindhis in America. Also visited one of the worlds only Brahma temples which was fascinating along with a temple boasting South Indian architecture. The work and detail are something I've never seen before and reminded me of some of the places I saw in the Middle East way back in November.
So the past 4 days for me were pretty enlightening and I got from here what I hoped to get out of my trip to India. I picked up a few words, met some family, learned some culture and feel much more Indian at the end of it all. I saw a lot of cool sites and had my own private tour guide, but since I wrote so much already I'll spare the details....Its kinda like I've described one temple to you guys...do you really want to hear about every single one?!!? So not sure if I mentioned before, but I had originally changed my flight back to the US to return on the 17th since this heat is unbearable. After this, plans have changed again and I'm staying one more week to get a chance to visit with more family in Mumbai next week. I'll be home June 23rd now and that date is not changing! If it wasn't for the heat and my savings account getting pretty close to zero I think I'd stay in India for a long time since its such a big place and there is sooo much to see.
Next stop....Taj Mahal! Been looking forward to this for a long time!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Days 228-230 -- Jaipur
My train journey to Jaipur was interesting to say the least. Went with third class AC, the cheapest AC option. At 400 rupees (47 rupees = 1USD) for an 7 hour journey, not a bad deal. Glad I went with the AC since its still blazing outside, 110+ everyday. Anyways, back to the train...so the agent sold me an upper berth seat which I didnt realize until there were more people with seats assigned in my section than we had seats...so basically I had a foldout bed/seat up top for the entire journey...not too bad since I could nap, but it would have been nice to know beforehand, more importantly have a seat to sit in when I didn't feel like laying down....no big deal, all part of the experience. Got into Jaipur at about 9pm and checked into a nearby guesthouse, Krishna Palace. Basically a family's home where they converted extra rooms into a small guesthouse...really nice vibe and very clean. Food took FOREVER since they basically cooked it in their kitchen, but at least it was fresh and home-cooked. Didn't do much the first evening since I was pretty tired so just had some dinner and went to sleep early...
Woke up at about 7AM since the sun was shining straight in my room. No air-con in my accomodation budget so it gets pretty hot early in the morning. Decided to wander around the city and to my surprise it was very quiet. Sundays I came to find out are a peaceful day with most people staying home or going to religous services. It was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of India as I've come to see the past week. In fact, tuk-tuk drivers were begging for business more than I had experienced since it was such a quiet day. No tuk-tuk this morning and I made the 5km trek into the old city of Jaipur...not a good idea! By the time I arrived I was covered in sweat and craving a cold drink, but nothing was open! Found a hotel that had a restaurant, got some cold water, ice cream and just relaxed for about an hour before heading back out. Wandered through the old city, checked out some bazaars, made a stroll around City Palace and then to the Jantar Mantar observatory where they built all sorts of devices to tell time and predict how heavy the rains will be each year...pretty fascinating! Found one of the few restaurants that sold beer and stepped inside for a beer to get away from the heat. Afterwards, I headed back to the guesthouse and called it an early night. Up early the next morning I headed to the Amber fort about 15 minutes outside of town perched atop a hill overlooking the city. India is full of forts from the olden days since each state had their own army, etc. This fort was pretty impressive, very detailed and massive! Too bad it was 43/114 degrees otherwise I would have wandered around for a lot longer. After the fort it was back to the city center to do some shopping, eat some ice cream and just wander around and soak in India.
The cities here are too hard to put into words. First off, the locals throw trash everywhere...no such thing as trash cans. Then you have the cows and elephants wandering around taking care of their business in the road. Beggars coming at every corner tugging at your shirt for money. The street is also the local toilet with kids and adults doing both #1 and #2 just off the side of the road in alleys and sometimes even on the big streets! But dont get me wrong, I'm not complaining about it, but I think its just crazy how many different sides to this country there are...truly is fascinating and I think all of this is what makes this such a special place. Tradition exists and its still really strong and Western influence hasn't taken over like so many other places I have been. Anyways, finished up my tour of Jaipur and caught a bus to Ajmer...time for some family time!
The cities here are too hard to put into words. First off, the locals throw trash everywhere...no such thing as trash cans. Then you have the cows and elephants wandering around taking care of their business in the road. Beggars coming at every corner tugging at your shirt for money. The street is also the local toilet with kids and adults doing both #1 and #2 just off the side of the road in alleys and sometimes even on the big streets! But dont get me wrong, I'm not complaining about it, but I think its just crazy how many different sides to this country there are...truly is fascinating and I think all of this is what makes this such a special place. Tradition exists and its still really strong and Western influence hasn't taken over like so many other places I have been. Anyways, finished up my tour of Jaipur and caught a bus to Ajmer...time for some family time!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Days 225-227 -- Delhi
India...what a fascinating place. After getting picked up from the airport, I had about a 40 minute drive to the area of Paharanj, Delhi's backpacker area. On the ride in I can tell you I was simply blown away...cows loitering in the streets, tuk-tuks/rickshaws all over the place weaving in and around the cars and cows...total madness! Got into my hotel and pretty exhausted I got my room and crashed for the night. Early start the next morning since I was paying way too much for this room, really just wanted someone to pick me up for the airport, I moved down the street a little bit and found a room at Hotel Downtown for 250 rupees (5USD)...solid room with large bed, hot water shower and tv! Channels included Al Jazeera, HBO and Star Movies so I wasn't complaining. No air-con and given this 110 degree weather I wished I had splurged on the upgrade. Settled into the new room and went down the road to Sam's Cafe for some breakfast. Ran into two English guys on their gap year trip who were going to do some site seeing so I tagged along.
Hopped into a tuk-tuk and headed to the Gandhi Memorial where we learned tons of information about the leader and then saw the areas where we was killed and later cremated. Also here was an outline of his last steps before he was killed. Headed back to Paharanj and got some dinner off the street before calling it an early night. The heat here is unreal. In the daytime its about 110 and close to 100 in the evenings....not sure if I can handle a month of this, but I'm going to try. The next morning got up early again since my room was baking and headed for breakfast. This time I ran into a Dutch girl who was going to see the Red Fort and Jasmid Mosque. The Red Fort was really impressive, massive fort within Old Delhi and beautiful gardens on the inside. Certainly didnt feel like India especially based on what I had seen outside the fort with all of the beggars, pollution, etc. Don't get me wrong, India is a great place, but by far the poorest of all the places I've visited so far. Moving to the Jasmid Mosque where we had to cover up since we had shorts, we climbed the south tower for some great views of the city. Didn't stay here too long since we had to go around in our bare feet and the floor was REALLY hot. Again it was back to Paharanj for an early night.
This morning I woke up and booked a train to Jaipur...leaving this afternoon and hopefully its a little cooler. Some things I have yet to figure out about India...how all the locals walk around in pants or saris in this heat....the colors of the saris and how they don't get dirty since my sandals and clothes are covered in dust when I get home...I've got a few weeks to figure it out along with many other things.
Hopped into a tuk-tuk and headed to the Gandhi Memorial where we learned tons of information about the leader and then saw the areas where we was killed and later cremated. Also here was an outline of his last steps before he was killed. Headed back to Paharanj and got some dinner off the street before calling it an early night. The heat here is unreal. In the daytime its about 110 and close to 100 in the evenings....not sure if I can handle a month of this, but I'm going to try. The next morning got up early again since my room was baking and headed for breakfast. This time I ran into a Dutch girl who was going to see the Red Fort and Jasmid Mosque. The Red Fort was really impressive, massive fort within Old Delhi and beautiful gardens on the inside. Certainly didnt feel like India especially based on what I had seen outside the fort with all of the beggars, pollution, etc. Don't get me wrong, India is a great place, but by far the poorest of all the places I've visited so far. Moving to the Jasmid Mosque where we had to cover up since we had shorts, we climbed the south tower for some great views of the city. Didn't stay here too long since we had to go around in our bare feet and the floor was REALLY hot. Again it was back to Paharanj for an early night.
This morning I woke up and booked a train to Jaipur...leaving this afternoon and hopefully its a little cooler. Some things I have yet to figure out about India...how all the locals walk around in pants or saris in this heat....the colors of the saris and how they don't get dirty since my sandals and clothes are covered in dust when I get home...I've got a few weeks to figure it out along with many other things.
Days 223-224 - Bangkok to Delhi
Time to the leave the islands and make my towards Bangkok to catch a flight to India. Took a ferry from Koh Phangan to the mainland then a night bus to Bangkok. Only 6 people on my bus and being pretty exhausted I crashed once I hit in my seat. Not so lucky for me since somehow somebody opened my bag and snatched some cash and a card...I must have been out cold. Anyways, I noticed early in the morning when we got into Bangkok so was able to cancel everything immediately and more importantly they didnt take my passport. Arrived into Bangkok at about 4:30am and got a room for the day just near Khao San Road. Spent the day doing last minute things like laundry, research on India and picking up some souveneirs since I hadn't done much shopping in all of SE Asia. Ran into some people on Khao San that I met in Perhentian and we had a few beers before I had to take off for the airport...no changing my flight this week.
About 8pm I jumped in the shuttle for my midnight flight. Not a fun day of flying ahead since to get to Delhi I had to connect in London, damn British Airways. Airport staff had fun with that asking me why I chose to do a 24 hour journey when Delhi is only 4 hours away...like I really wanted to do that! First flight was easy, slept most of the way and towards the end I got up and watched Ferris Beuller's Day Off. Landed in London and had a few hours to kill before heading in the right direction back towards India. Second flight was good, had a few Carlsbergs and watched a handful of episodes of 30 Rock before arriving in Delhi near midnight...after a full 24 hours it was really nice to see a guy holding my name on the sign and my car ready to take me to the hotel!
About 8pm I jumped in the shuttle for my midnight flight. Not a fun day of flying ahead since to get to Delhi I had to connect in London, damn British Airways. Airport staff had fun with that asking me why I chose to do a 24 hour journey when Delhi is only 4 hours away...like I really wanted to do that! First flight was easy, slept most of the way and towards the end I got up and watched Ferris Beuller's Day Off. Landed in London and had a few hours to kill before heading in the right direction back towards India. Second flight was good, had a few Carlsbergs and watched a handful of episodes of 30 Rock before arriving in Delhi near midnight...after a full 24 hours it was really nice to see a guy holding my name on the sign and my car ready to take me to the hotel!
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