Best’s and Worst’s of India

We were lucky enough to spend a few weeks in India with Sarah (Rachel’s sister) and Kevin (Rachel’s cousin) and we couldn’t have had better company. Anyone who can handle 18+ hours of riding on a train in a cramped compartment is OK by me. While this is a little late (we blame what we imagine must have been non-stop Christmas cookie eating), we hope you enjoy our best’s and worst’s of India! Note: This is the definitely a PG version of the worst’s (see Nick’s post on WTFI if you would like a more colorful take on the wonderful world of India).

By the numbers

Days in India: 18

National Parks/Natural Areas Visited: 0

World Heritage Sites Visited: 3 (many of the sites we visited should be on the list, but aren’t)

Stomach Illnesses: 1 (Delhi Belly tracked Sarah down, I am not sure how the rest of us were unscathed)

Flights: 0

Train Rides: 5

Time spent on trains: 42 hours (nearly 2 days!)

Crazy Car Rides: 1 (One is enough)

Numbers of Lassies (yogurt drink) and Pounds of Paneer Cheese Consumed: Too many to count

Forts Visited: 4

Photos Taken By Nick: 2290 (an average of 127/day-this average seems to be increasing…)

Photos Taken By Kevin: 2976 (including my stops in London)

Best’s

Best Day

Nick: Waking up at sunrise to see the Taj Mahal, then going to see the Baby Taj at sundown, then having a great Thanksgiving meal overlooking the Taj

Rachel: the day we went to see Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur (minus the awful car ride)

Sarah: The day of the Taj Mahal as well. We had fun driving around in that auto-richshaw with our driver Lucky, and the dinner that night was amazing!!

Kevin: Running around Kumbhalgarh fort…seriously cool place you can get lost in!

Best City/Town

Nick: Jaisalmer

Rachel: Jaisalmer

Sarah: Jaisalmer – but I did like Udaipur a lot, too!

Kevin:Jaisalmer

Best Meal

Nick: Our rooftop Thanksgiving feast in Agra

Rachel: Anytime I was eating Palak Paneer

Sarah: The night we were. . .Or I would say the Thanksgiving dinner, too.

Kevin: Taj Thanks Giving – Good food, good people, King Fisher, AND the Taj!

Best View

Nick: The views of and from Kumbhalgarh Fort

Rachel: ditto to Nick

Sarah: Agree with Nick and Rachel, and the view from our Thanksgiving dinner of the Taj

Kevin: My fort bedroom in Jaisalmer!

Best Surprise

Nick: Amber Fort (I was awed by the whole place)

Rachel: how scary riding a camel was…like a rollercoaster (ok, not really)

Sarah: How beautiful Jaisalmer was and how freakin’ amazing our Haveli/hotel was!! (Worst Surprise: THE DELHI BELLY!!)

Kevin: When Nick and I actually got our money back after not entering the Udaipur City Palace…without a fight!

Best Hotel/Hostel

Nick: Suraj Hotel in Jaisalmer

Rachel:Suraj Hotel in Jaisalmer

Sarah: Suraj Hotel/Haveli!

Kevin: Suraj Hotel - Jaisalmer

Place to which we’d most like to return

Nick: The Taj Mahal

Rachel: Maybe one day we can go somewhere else in India…otherwise- Jaisalmer

Sarah: Eh… Jaisalmer – But if I ever return to India, I won’t be returning to the North, because I never need to fly through Delhi again. So – none, I’d go to the South.

Kevin: Jaisalmer

Favorite Train Ride

Nick: From Agra to Jaipur (beautiful sunrise and scenery)

Rachel: From Delhi to Agra. They served us breakfast with a nice view.

Sarah: Delhi to Agra – painless, breakfast & the infamous views of morning activities on the railroad tracks J

Kevin: Agra to Jaipur – not just the trains use the tracks…the people do too!

Most Fun

Nick: Riding a camel

Rachel: riding a camel

Sarah: Eating (when I wasn’t sick) and seeing that wedding parade in Udaipur!

Kevin: Not to go with the crowd, but camel riding!

Funniest Moment

Nick: How obsessed Indian men were with my “Ali Baba” beard. On numerous occasions I was asked “How much did it cost?” or “Can I touch it?” or “Where did you get it?”

Rachel: The crowd of 30 or so men that were captivated by Kevin while we waited for a train at 11pm in Jaipur (this was more seriously amusing than funny)

Sarah: Rachel’s camel’s gas problem. Or one of Nick’s “that’s what she said” remarks.

Kevin: Watching literally all of India wake up and perform the morning ritual from the train to Jaipur.

Worst’s

Worst City/Town

Nick: Delhi, Delhi, Delhi (Is there a worse city in the world?)

Rachel: Jaipur…the honking made me crazy (Delhi is a given)

Sarah: Agreed with Delhi. Second worse = Jaipur.

Kevin: There can be only one…Delhi

Worst Meal

Nick: Golden Peacock beer (not exactly a meal, but it was horrible)

Rachel: anytime we skipped lunch

Sarah: Food was usually awesome. The feeling of being sick when looking/smelling Indian food while I was ill. Tragic.

Kevin: Breakfast on the flight to Delhi…Indian food we had was always good!

Biggest Waste of Money

Nick: The City Palace in Jaipur (300 rupees for nothing)

Rachel: being overcharged for absolutely EVERYTHING

Sarah: CITY PALACE of Jaipur! F that.

Kevin:Jaipur City Palace, although I did get pictures of a cute little Indian girl!

Most Disappointing Moment

Nick: Arriving in Delhi after the long train ride from Jaisalmer

Rachel: being kicked out of a store for haggling too much…

Sarah: Agreed with both of Nick and Rachel’s statements. I forgot how awful Delhi was by the time we returned. But I was so pissed off/disappointed with that man for not selling us his block stamps!!

Kevin: Finding out dust in a train can wake you up…there’s no escape!

Worst Hotel/Hostel:

Nick: The Taj Plaza in Agra (actually this place is not bad, but it was the worst place we stayed)

Rachel: Ditto to Nick, however some of the staff were super nice

Sarah: Taj Plaza/Agra and the danky bathroom!!!!

Kevin:Taj Plaza with by far the worst bathroom!

Saddest Moment

Nick: Watching 8-year-olds do drugs (presumably heroin) on the street in Delhi

Rachel: Watching as bodies were being burned across the river in Agra

Sarah: Delhi. Everything about Delhi.

Kevin: Leaving everyone, I had a great time in India and it’s all due to the company!

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Yoga School Rock

18-24 December 2010

During our weeklong stint as “real yogis” Nick and I spent a lot of time folding ourselves into lotus pose, pouring salt water in one nostril and out the another, breathing furiously while practicing pranayama, eating apples, falling asleep during meditation (how embarrassing), staring at the lake and watching paragliders, playing drums and chanting in Sanskrit, and painting benches.

So, you may be wondering what a day in the life of a “real yogi” is like….silly music, fade to dark….

“Dong, Dong, Dong” the morning bell sounds just before six for meditation. Meditation is an hour of sitting cross-legged and silently repeating the mantra “So, Hum”. You do this while trying to keep your mind from wandering (impossible for Nick, which is why he only went once) and trying desperately to stay awake. After breathing the life back into our legs and wandering out into the misty morning air for tea, I was surprised that my mind was more clear and awake than usual in the morning. After tea, we would head down to the garden with a tea pot full of warm salt water. Once in the garden we would crouch down and pour the salt water into one nostril, letting it fall out the other – nose cleansing nettie pot style. This is actually an amazing feeling and anyone with a cold or serious allergies should look into this morning ritual.

After dancing around like a chicken trying to clear the remaining snot and saltwater our noses (yes this looked as funny as it sounds), we would head to morning yoga for some pranayama (breathing exercises) and serious stretching. By the time we were done we were starving, but unfortunately we still had an hour long walk around the mountain before our yummy breakfast would be served. It was around this time, on the first of seven days, that Nick realized there would be no coffee (meat, caffeine, and alcohol are big no-no’s in at yoga school). We were a few kilometers from town, making coffee difficult to obtain, and a crazed caffeine-starved panic swept through Nick so fast it made me laugh hysterically.

After breakfast we had our choice of a mud or steam bath, followed by two hours of free time, before another hour of meditation (soooo, hummmm…I was incapable of staying awake during this one for some reason), then a delicious Nepali lunch (dal bhat), another few hours of free time, Karma yoga (go on the roof and paint benches for the new dining room), chanting, more yoga, and finally dinner.

For the last three days we took part in a fast/cleanse to rid ourselves of stomach issues and, you know, to balance out our manipura chakra. Nick has no opinion on the current, past, or future status or existence of his manipura chakra. This is the part where we ate a lot of apples and were really hungry. I don’t want to talk about what happened on the 3^rd day (use your imagination) apart from the fact Nick and I both did very well.

Back in the lakeside area of Pokhara, we are relaxed and our colons are clean! That certainly doesn’t seem like Christmas, does it?

Late on Christmas Eve there are still quite a few mice stirring (and, shockingly, even a guinea pig that scampered around our lunch table today). Instead of Christmas songs we have Sanskrit chants stuck in our heads (“Jaya mata Kali, Jaya mata Durgai”). Lucky us! It is a very un-Christmasy Christmas. And speaking totally honestly, we don’t miss the hustle and bustle and last minute gift wrapping at all. What we do miss is our dear family and friends who we haven’t seen in so long and who seem so, so far away. While we don’t miss the corny music, we deeply miss sharing in the love and comforts of the season. Cherish your loved ones this holiday season, however you celebrate. Hugs to all from Nepal.

Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Om.

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Kickin' it Around the Kathmandu Valley

9-13 December 2010

As the saying goes, “Nepal, once is not enough.” We agree.

We have spent the past few days seeing the sights near Kathmandu, enjoying some great food, and relishing in the peace and quiet (yes, after India, we find Kathmandu quite peaceful).

The Kathmandu Valley is littered with World Heritage cultural sites. During our last visit last visit we were on a strict trekking diet and are now enjoying this different taste of Nepal. Our first stop was the magnificent Bodhnath Stupa-just a short taxi ride from the center of Kathmandu. Surrounded with shops, restaurants, and hotels the magnificent, white and gold Bodhnath Stupa towers over its surroundings. Each day thousands of Buddhist pilgrims visit Bodhnath to pray, walking clockwise around the stupa, fingering their prayer beads, burning juniper incense, prostrating themselves in prayer, spinning prayer wheels, or lighting butter lamps. We joined in the mass of pilgrims making their ritual rounds at Bodhnath and watched as the late afternoon sun bathed this remarkable centerpiece of Buddhist devotion.

In the 17^th century three rival city states ruled the Kathmandu Valley. Powerful kings built grand palaces and temples in Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. Each of the town’s centers (all called Durbar Square) showcase similar architecture with intricate stone and wood carvings and grand palaces surrounding wide central squares.

Having already visited Kathmandu’s Durbar Square we set out first to Patan. Patan showcases a myriad of temples of similar appearance and a lively, bustling atmosphere. We wandered the streets and narrow alleyways observing vegetable and souvenir sellers, marveled at the intricate stone and wood carvings and enjoyed some people watching from one of the town’s many rooftop cafes.

From Patan, we made our way to Bhaktapur, widely regarded as the best-preserved of the valley’s medieval cities. Bhaktapur is a wonderful place to explore. In contrast to both Patan and Kathmandu, where you spend half of your time dodging speeding taxis and motorcycles, much of Bhaktapur is closed to vehicle traffic. Here, you are free to roam backstreets, squares, and alleys-all of which are relatively free of traffic.

The architecture of Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square is roughly similar to Patan and Kathmandu, but upon closer inspection the place is truly unique-children hide your eyes. Several of the temples feature detailed carvings of men and women (sometimes many of them) engaged in creative erotic acts. In one famous carving, a woman multi-tasks by washing her hair while, well…Also, Bhaktapur’s erotic carvings are not restricted to humans alone. The Erotic Elephant Temple showcases carvings of elephants and sheep and lions doing what the birds and bees do. What an interesting place!

Wandering around Bhaktapur we stumbled upon dozens of shrines and temples devoted to various Hindu Gods. Fruit and vegetable sellers line the streets next to merchants peddling beads, paintings, and metalwork next to momo (like potstickers) wallahs cooking delicious Tibetan dumplings, clouds of steam wafting into the cool Himalayan winter air. One afternoon we wandered to Potters Square, and watched pottery being thrown on foot pedaled wheels.

The pottery is left in the sun to dry before being layered with straw in huge piles and fired for several days. The same afternoon we stumbled upon the Taduchen Bahal Monastery, with carvings depicting scenes of torture. In medieval times Bhaktapur’s residents would be well advised to be on good behavior and avoid having their teeth pulled, being strangled by a snake or their head rammed (by rams, of course). Bhaktapur is a quirky, beautiful, and a relaxing place.

Tomorrow we head west to Pokhara, Nepal’s third largest city-perched on the shore of Phewa Lake and below the Annapurna mountain range. During the next couple of weeks we will partake in 10 days of yoga and meditation (Ommmmm) and spend the New Year trekking below some of the world’s highest peaks.

We wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday season!

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Jammin' in Jaisalmer

2-6 December 2010

You don’t just find yourself on a camel. You have to pay. When I originally read about camel safaris months before our departure, I proposed to Rachel that we partake in an 8 to 21 day camel safari. Her immediate response was “WTF”. And after eight minutes on a camel, twenty one minutes seemed like a lifetime. Rachel is always right (she wrote that).

We met up with our camels after an hour long jeep ride from Jaisalmer, the Golden City, though the Thar Desert near the Pakistani border. As we pulled up, the four camels rested peacefully in the hot sun, disinterested. They were acting like, well, camels.

We spent about 3 hours on our camels that afternoon. Our time between the humps alternated between crashing through desert scrub (camels just cannot be concerned with avoiding shrubbery), gazing at rolling sand dunes, yelling at Kevin’s camel, Charlie, to stop eating every plant in sight (“Charlie stop eating that”), enjoying the peace and quiet, and stretching our groin muscles to the near the point of rupture. We ate a simple dinner of potato curry, rice, and chapattis, and watched the sun go down over the dunes. The camel ride was a success.

Riding camels is one of the main activities to partake in outside of Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer consists of a massive, golden-brown fort perched on a small hill overlooking a small, busy market town below. We decided to splurge and stayed in Hotel Suraj, located inside the fort. For the first time in India, our fortified location protected us from the constant street noise and blaring horns.

Our hotel rooms were located inside a haveli, basically a mansion built of stone and wood. It is a beautiful 500-year old building, and is owned and run by relatives of the original owners. When we gazed out our rooms our eyes met the fort’s walls (complete with a canon for protection) and an intricately carved Jain temple. There is something gratifying about staying in a fort and waking up each morning in a room that has barely changed for 5 centuries.

We spent the rest of our time in Jaisalmer wandering through narrow alleyways trying not to be gored by cows, browsing in the many, many handicraft shops, getting lost, eating good food (there is even a decent Italian restaurant), and visiting a couple of restored havelis, which charge admission. We were astounded to learn that one of the “restored” havelis was less well-preserved and beautiful than our home at Hotel Suraj. What a special place! Jaisalmer is a gem.

From Jaisalmer we embarked on a long, long 18-hour train ride back to Delhi. The contrast between Delhi and Jaisalmer is remarkable. After 2 mostly peaceful weeks in Rajasthan, Delhi (the traffic, noise, pollution, horrendous poverty, open drug use, and filth) was a shock. Most of you know that I am the kind of person that likes to go out and do things. For me a day without a nice long walk seems incomplete. In Delhi, all I wanted to do was stay in our hotel room. In fact, going outside didn’t even cross my mind.

The plan was for us to wish Kevin and Sarah a fond farewell and board another long (16-hour) train to the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges River. I woke up that morning with a really bad feeling about Varanasi. For some reason, I felt that we shouldn’t go. We were both feeling weary (and tired of India), so after some discussion we decided to change our plans and bought plane tickets back to Kathmandu, Nepal. Little did we know that had we taken that train to Varanasi we would have arrived just hours following a bombing which occurred very close to the hotel where were supposed to be staying. This cowardly act of terrorism injured dozens and claimed one life.

We are now back in Nepal (we love Nepal), and will spend the next few days exploring some of the sights in the Kathmandu Valley that we missed in our last visit. In December, the air is cool and clear here in Kathmandu, and many snow-capped Himalayan giants are visible in the distance. Nepal seems like a nice place to spend the rest of 2010 and ring in the New Year.

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What do lakes, auto-rickshaws, and James Bond have in common?

28 November- 1 December 2010

Udiapur is India’s most romantic city. Situated on a lake, it is known
as “the Venice of India” and its claim to fame is the James Bond film
“Octopussy”. Curiously enough, watching the film projected on a wall
at a restaurant we came to realize that the streets of Udiapur haven’t
changed much, from its auto-rickshaws to it’s to its meandering cows,
since the 1960’s. From our breakfast table on our hotel’s rooftop, far
off palaces, elaborate Rajasthani architecture, and local flavor are
all on display from a seat high above the hustle and bustle of the
street below.


The palaces in and around Udiapur were constructed at the whim and
desire of the maharajahs; the city palace for winter, the monsoon
palace for monsoon season, and the water palace- which appeared to
float on the lake- for parties, of course. And from our short visit it
certainly appeared as though it was always party season in Udiapur.
Wedding parties were continually stopping traffic to dance, sing, and
light off fireworks (some that are so powerful the blast could be felt
from twenty feet away ) in the middle of the street and were followed
by a somber bride or groom in a horse drawn carriage or gleaming white
horse.


We took a break from our voyeurism, wandering, and shopping to go on a
city tour via auto-rickshaw. Our driver took us to various gardens and
view points, a local vegetable market that made my mouth water for the
fresh vegetables that I know would make me sick, and a tea and spice
market that made us want to learn to cook authentic Indian dishes. At
the end of the day we visited a place called Ahar, dozens of cenotaphs
(similar to mausoleums) of past maharajahs and their families. The
spot appeared abandoned and forgotten, with only faint paths through
the overgrown grass winding through the cenotaphs and an abandoned car
just inside the gate. Practically deserted, we explored the towering
cenotaphs, marveling at the seemingly forgotten marble relics,
startling a large flock of pigeons, and enjoying a quiet that is truly
rare in India.


After a few days, we made a day trip to Kumbalgarth fort and Ranakpur
Jain temple on our way to Jodhpur and Jaislamier. Both places were
well worth the long day in the car and were situated amongst rolling
desert hills, still green from the recent record breaking monsoon
season. Kumbalgarth was stunning. The views from the wood carved
windows and rooftops were amazing, despite the ever present smog. I
think we’ve all come to the conclusion that we love forts. There is a
self-indulgent joy in the act of finding your way through the passages
and interconnected rooms of Indian palace forts.


The Jain temple, a huge intricately carved marble structure with row
after row of beautifully carved marble columns, was less of an
adventure but more of an awe inspiring sight. Within one of the many
passages growing out of the marble is a 500 year old tree, struggling
to survive. The serenity of the temple seemed inherent to the marble
itself. The Jain religious group is a sect of Hindi that takes the
“do no harm” saying to an extreme. Jainists are rumored to not even
sit or walk on grass because it might harm the plants and won’t eat
food that hasn’t died of natural causes (including plants). If this
religion ever goes mainstream (and it likely will not since it is
considered a waning religious group), I don’t think that Jain cuisine
will be very popular. In fact, I actually have no idea what they eat
and haven’t bothered to Google it.


As we sped tensely along the highway towards Jodhpur, where we would
spend the night and catch a train to Jaisalmier early the next day, we
all learned why the roads in India are dangerous. Large trucks who
don’t bother to turn their lights on at night, crazy motorists who
pass and honk furiously in hopes of slowing down the oncoming traffic,
merging seconds before a lethal collision, a million near misses, and
pedestrians marching through the darkness. During this white knuckle
journey I could not help but think with sadness and regret of my
friend Ajeet who lost his life on roads of India this past summer.
Please drive safely everyone.


We arrived in Jodhpur late and tired but relieved to be out of a car
and happy to wake up at 4:30am the next day to catch a train (no more
car rides) to Jaislimier. After a 5.5 hour, dusty ride in the Sleeper
class (where the locals sit), we rolled into the ancient
walled city of Jaislimier. We were immediately transfixed by the
winding pathway to our guest house, a haveli (mansion) built over 500
years ago. Camel rides, ancient palaces, and desert sand dunes here we
come!!!

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WTF, India!

29 November 2010

At every twist and turn, the sights, sounds, and smells of India surround you. In a short visit to this massively intense country, you encounter enough novel experiences to last a lifetime. At times India is mystifyingly beautiful and leaves us dreaming of wealthy maharajas ordering the construction of intricate palaces and fortresses. Make no mistake; India is not a comfortable place to visit. Filth, poverty, and suffering are abundant and constantly in your face. Some of the things we have seen will, unfortunately, be burned into my memory- like watching two street children (no more than 10 years old) huddled beneath a blanket doing drugs. I have lost count of the number of men, women, and children we have seen picking through mounds of putrid garbage searching for objects that they can use or sell. They sift through societies refuse alongside pigs, dogs, and sacred cows. Walking the streets early in the morning, India’s homeless, far too many of them children, huddle under blankets next to busy streets. During the daytime these children latch onto tourists’ arms pleading for money. They stand alongside the blind, dismembered, and disfigured vying for sympathy and support. They beg for help, but you realize that helping any one of these charity cases literally amounts to “a drop in the bucket,” there are just too many. India breaks your heart.

Many times, however, I have wished that India would break my ability to smell. Sewage, urine and feces from humans, cows, pigs, dogs, and, occasionally, camels or elephants are everywhere. In fact, India might be the only place in the world where if you don’t watch your step you might step in camel dung or trip over a dead dog (no, I am not making this up). Coming into Agra we watched as dozens of men, women, and children performed their morning rituals-squatting along the train tracks. Mental note-never walk along the train tracks in India. Each day, unsavory smells contrast mightily with exotic incense wafting through the air, and the wonderful spicy aroma of food being prepared. As I write this now, early in the morning in our hotel room, my mouth is watering from the smell of breakfast being cooked in someone’s home next door.

Last but not least in this sensory tour of India is sound. If you want to know what India sounds like go stand in front of your car and enlist a friend or relative to honk the horn over and over again. Mix that in with some revving auto-rickshaw engines, whizzing motorbikes, and a pinch of blaring Bollywood tunes and that is pretty much what it sounds like.

In tourist advertisements, India promotes itself, as “Incredible India.” Indeed, none of us can believe what we have seen, smelled, and heard. India truly is incredible. Glossy tourist brochures and posters of the country’s famous sites contrast greatly with the reality that greets you with every step. Two days ago, we crammed ourselves into a rickshaw and made our way to Amber Fort, just outside of Jaipur. We passed beggars, piles of garbage that made me want to wretch, and inhaled enough pollution to last a lifetime (at the end of each day a white tissue placed in one’s nostril comes out black with soot). However, as we walked up the staircase to this grand, amber-hued fortress, the annoyances of India disappeared and we were immediately lost in the “Incredible India” of tourist brochures. Wandering through its hidden passages, gardens, and numerous courtyards of marble and sandstone we were awe-inspired by the beauty of Amber Fort and forgot the travails of travel in India.

Walking on the street one day Kevin and I coined our own slogan, one which we believe fits a bit more properly. It is: WTF, India, or WTFI for short. The proper use of this phase is as follows: It can be used to describe how you feel when your auto-rickshaw dodges a huge tour bus as it speeds past, repeatedly blaring it’s horn, carrying hordes of tourists in search of “Incredible India,” followed by a brigade of camels. It is at this moment that you might feel like exclaiming, above the symphony of blaring horns, “WTFI!”

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