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Blogs from Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia - page 2
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April 24th 2013
19/04/2013 Our train from Delhi to Varanasi was meant to arrive at 11 am however as the train was five hours delayed leaving Delhi it was given low priority which meant every train behind us we had to let past. Our train therefore took an ironically ungodly 16 hours to reach Varanasi. The train itself, once we were finally aboard was quite pleasant. We were in class AC2 with the majority of people being tablet and mobile wielding Indians. It was only when the train finally left the station that we began to relax. We met a friendly man who used to work for a Irish cafe who was keen to know where we were going and to tell us where we should be going. Andrew and I slept soundly in our bunks despite the train ... read more
April 23rd 2013
Yesterday morning at about 06:00 I was awoken by the calls of the Chai wallah (man selling sweet tea) walking up and down the night train selling sweet smelling Chai. I peered out the window to see large red bastions which I presumed must be Agra Fort. The gentleman in the bed opposite told me that the train was not going to be stopping at Agra Cantonment despite it being on the schedule. This meant that not only did we have to deflate our pillows (Nanny & Grandad- we have used these every night bar the first two and they are brilliant!) and un-padlock our rucksacks at speed before being turfed off the train at the next station. We called our driver and let him know that we were instead at Agra Fort and he was ... read more
April 21st 2013
Whoever first uttered that nugget obviously never visited Bangkok in April. Sure, it's infernally humid but mix that with nearly 100 balmy degrees (F) and that has the makings of one hot city. I've been here a week and the last couple of days I've taken to staying in my air conditioned hotel room between roughly 11 am and 6 pm while catching up on the New England Patriots productive off season and the Celtics futility against the eminently beatable New York Knicks for which I was not about to wake up at 4:00 am local time to watch live on the internet. The rooftop pool is small comfort from the heat. I haven't blogged since early December 2012 from Turkey. Since then I've been to Egypt for 2 weeks, Ethiopia for a month, Nairobi for ... read more
April 18th 2013
After an early start (5am) we hopped into a car – bleary eyed - for the six hour round trip to Agra. Along the way we encountered various sites: cows, pigs and goats… that all apparently enjoy napping in the middle of the main roads. We also saw families on motorbikes (no helmets), mothers clinging on to their babies with one hand, clinging on to the driver with another. Seeing a baby’s tiny feet dangle off a motorcycle as oncoming trucks were beeping and blaring their way towards them... The first time we felt a tad sick. Yikes. We also saw many open buses, completely overcrowded. People were even hanging off the back of the buses and clinging onto the roof tops – for dear life I should imagine. Needless to say, we felt a little ... read more
Surviving a Pilgrimage in India with Krystal
Published: April 17th 2013Asia » India » Uttar Pradesh » Agra
April 17th 2013
Who's idea was it to take myself and my fellow client on a 22 kilometer "Holy Walk" at night, through a remote Indian village...Barefoot. Oh right...it was my idea. Sure the Taj Mahal is what everyone comes to India to see...(which we did) but what if you wanted something more than the normal touristy spots and stories? What if you had a chance to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a memory and a story worth telling...one that can't be explained with a simple photo. My first week in India over a year ago, my local Indian friends took me on this very pilgrimage and it opened my eyes to a whole new world I never would have dreamed real if not for my very own eyes confirming the impossible sights around me. ... read more
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April 16th 2013
On the banks of the Ganges in the holy city of Varanasi they burn the dead bodies of the believers. Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi and being burned on the banks of the sacred river will allow your soul to exit the constant cycle of reincarnation. Your exit from the cycle of death and rebirth is known as moksha and it is the desire of the faithful to end this continuous cycle and achieve ultimate salvation. Why is it that many people around the world want to live forever, but virtually all Hindus want to exit this continual cycle of infinite lives? Our world is full of irony. Ironically this sacred ritual has become a grotesque tourist attraction that draws thousands if not millions each year since the dawn of tourism. Those who bath in ... read more
April 9th 2013
Lucknow So after a 2hrs 10 min flight from Bengaluru with Indigo we arrive at Lucknow airport just in time for sunset at 6pm. A few observations here: The flight itself is good as usual with Indigo and the service excellent for a low budget airline. However, what catches our attention in the Indigo flight magazine is the Recruitment advertisement and the advert – extolling the “Girl Power” of their air stewardesses. Boy, are they blatantly and overtly sexist and racist in tone and content. Which is appalling and irresponsible for a corporate company at a time when India is struggling with the concept of the role of women in modern India and the inequalities and injustices they endure. We decide to write to the Company about this in the strongest terms and copy ... read more
April 7th 2013
For Spring break I was going to stay in Sikkim with Nicole. It is absolutely beautiful there! Sarah, an American grad students helping us, offered her apartment in Varanasi to Lily, Nicole, and I. So we spent two more days in Gangtok, Sikkim then took an overnight train to Varanasi. It was so nice to have a space all to ourselves. We all did want we wanted, reading and visiting friends. Hemant was back from school so we got to hang out with him and Saurabh. We also got to see Manoj, Anandi, Shiv, Guria, Manish, Dali Ji, Debbie Ji and many of our friends. I liked Varanasi the first time but it was a hundreds times better going back to visit friends. Highlights: We went to Saurabh's village again and hiked to a waterfall. We ... read more
How to survive India with Krystal--Taj Mahal
Published: March 31st 2013Asia » India » Uttar Pradesh » Agra
March 31st 2013
The Taj Mahal... One of the Seven Wonders of the World. My experience with the Taj Mahal was truly unforgettable. Having worked in Cairo, Egypt during the year 2011 I had been blessed with having seen for the first time in my life one of the seven wonders: The Pyramids of Giza. The sighting of the Great Pyramids for the first time in my life had my eyes nearly in tears at the beauty and I expected nothing less of a reaction from the Taj Mahal. How could anyone not fall in love with a temple built for love? I arrived to Agra early enough, however the heat was already scorching. I didn't pay the sun any attention as I was desperate to see the Great Wonder. My Indian travelling mates purchased my ticket and theirs ... read more
Fatehpur Sikri & Jaipur: One ancient city, one dusty city, and a run in with a cow
Published: March 19th 2013Asia » India » Uttar Pradesh » Agra
March 17th 2013
On the 7th, we woke up a little later than planned because Scott wasn't feeling well, ate breakfast on our hotel's rooftop (where we caught our last glimpse of the Taj), and caught a rickshaw to the public bus stand. Here, we waited in a dilapidated old bus for almost an hour before it finally departed for the ancient city of Fatehpur Sikri, about a two hour drive away. We arrived around 1:30 and ate lunch at a guesthouse that was kind enough to allow us to store our packs there while we toured the ruins, since we were only planning to be in town for a few hours before hopping on another bus bound for Jaipur. We began our tour at the Jama Masjid Mosque, which had no entry fee, but, as our guidebook warned ... read more
