It feels sort of fitting that my final blog from India (and more than likely my final blog, period) comes from Agra - India's tourist mecca featuring the one and only - drum roll please - TAJ MAHAL!!!! Woooowwweeeeewwwwaaaaa Originally worried about what to expect in a place such as this, I feared being touted to death or purchasing more 1,000Rs bowls in haste. Unfortunately, this was not so. I was actually a little surprised at how FEW vendors were surrounding the three entrances to the Taj, as well as Agra Fort. I hope to God that these vendors never meet [View Full Entry]

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The Temples Khajuraho , the city which took me many a week to learn to pronounce even though its pronounced how it is spelt, is truly a marvel in temple architecture dating back to the....ppppppffffffff hahahahhahahahah.....the temple sculptures have boobies!!! Hahahahahah BOOBIES!!! The erotic temples of Kharjuraho, in all due honesty, contain some of the more intricate and detailed carvings I have seen to date, and are truly wonderful. It is just unfortunate, that the content of the sculptures is so awesome, awe-inspiring, or awful (depending on your religious [View Full Entry]

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Beards and Champs, Champs and Beards. They go hand in hand really... After marveling at my beard in the mirror for a whole evening, I decided it was probably time to put him to action. Send him out on Fort Gwalior (commonly known as Gwalior Fort) to see what havoc can be wrought. But first, to the Jai Vilas! Home of some of the strangest and oddest displays of excess known to bearded man... Jai Vilas The Maharaja's old palace and current museum, is essentially room after room of randomosity. Unfortunately, such randomness was not accompanied with beards, as for some [View Full Entry]

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I find myself conflicted on how to try to describe Delhi (both old and new). It is a city that seems to thrive on its very own contradictions. Poverty tucked away on every corner, unnoticeable from the balcony of the prestigious Delhi Golf and Country Club. White ambassadors side by side with broken down rickshaws circling what surely must be the worlds largest roundabout - Connaught Place. Lush green grass at every corner, stinking of the sewage it is watered with. The crowded mess that is Chandi Chowk and old Delhi in contrast to the open spaces of Rajpath and Shantipath [View Full Entry]

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Training for Battle, Bundi-style Travelling alone throughout the wilds of India is not easy; nor recommended for those without the proper and adequate training. Judging by my short time in this country, I realized that those who survive are, to use the cliche, the fittest. The wile and guile of the monkeys; the fear-enducing image of the bats; and the pride and prowess of the Tiger were all to be studied. But alas, let us not forget the ferocity and speed of the hawk... I spent my time in Bundi practising the lost arts at the Taragarh amidst the monkeys who [View Full Entry]

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JODHPUR We arrived in Jodhpur after my first - believe it or not - encounter with India's train system after an entire month of India-ing. All things considered it was a hell of a lot smoother than the buses and a tad more comfy. (My second encounter would change that slightly...) At around 5am in the morning, there isn't much to do in Jodhpur other than find a base of operations and take numerous photos of a beautiful sunrise ascending over the blue city - which is exactly what we did. The five of us: Alicia, Constance, Matt, Chris and I [View Full Entry]

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"Camel College, Best Knowledge" - Tiger, camel safari guide I am Arjun. Destroyer of towns, reaper of harvests, deserter of wives, and king of the desert. Atop my mighty Maharaja I have laid waste to all those who oppose and all those who challenge. But this will not always be the way...this will not always be me. This is my tale... Act I: The Quest After many encounters with the Holy Men of Pushkar, my body grew weak and frail with their holy waters and savoury poisons. I entered the desert, not as my self, but as a weakened, frail, wreck [View Full Entry]

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We last left off with yours truly leaving the Captain Jones Smitheringerton in Goa. Whether or not he felt I was ready for the seas ahead and whether or not I actually was were both not the point. The point was, I was flying the good times - Kingfisher Airlines - then taking a 4 hour bus from Jaipur to Pushkar to meet a french canadian, a german, a swede, and a hell of a lot of camels. Upon arrival in Jaipur I was greeted with processions of decorated wild horses galloping down the streets, elephants and beautiful chandeliers that should [View Full Entry]

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I would hope my cousins, Jake and Joe would get the title reference as it really is quite clever. If not, then I guess I may be the only one other than Penner, but that's just fine with me. After a sweet ass time in Badami it was time to head out where we'd finally be free of caves and instead subjected to the UNESCO protected ruins and boulders of Hampi. While the town itself has ruins inside - along with Lakshmi the Elephant who'll bless you for 1 rupee - some of the greatest views and temples were spread all [View Full Entry]

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And so began our intimate relationship with India's bus system. In the span of 24 hours, we took 4 buses, from Aurganbad to Shopal to Bijapur to Bangklok to Badami. Total bus time? I think a conservative estimate would be 17 hours, as we spent about 5 hours in Bijapur in between buses. You'd think I would be complaining, but there is no room for complaining in India. "Indians...we're relaxed cool dudes, man!" And besides, the bus offered some of the best experiences to date - like being double bounced 3 feet into the air. Bijapur With time to kill in [View Full Entry]

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