Jennifer
I'm a progressive feminist vegetarian currently residing in San Francisco and I live to travel. When I'm not engrossed in international politics or the status of women, the environment and development, I like a cup of tea and a good book or a glass of wine and a good conversation. JenniferInternational
I am always thinking of the places I've been and the places I want to go, and am determined to see them all in this lifetime. So far I've been around the United States and Canada; traveled briefly in Mexico and the Caribbean; done the tour around Western Europe; visited parts of South and Southeast Asia; and seen a wee bit of the Middle East and North Africa. The short list of places I'd like to go next is long. I hope those reading this blog will find themselves inspired towards their own explorations of this fascinating world.
Voyager c'est vivre!
Travel Blog Posts
October 22nd 2011
So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked. - Mark Twain It's true. We arrived in the early morning on the last train of our journey, and made our way to a little hotel to drop our bags and get washed up. First stop was the Gateway of India, built to commemorate the 1911 royal visit of King George V and completed in 1924. Most impressive, despite the aggressive touts who lie in wait outside. From here we bought our boat tickets to Elephanta Island. A pleasant if toasty ride across filthy seas with a good view of Mumbai city until you got a ... read more
October 21st 2011
We arrived in Goa in the afternoon after a flight from Kolkata, transiting in Mumbai. The last leg of our trip was supposed to be one of the most relaxing but getting up at 5:00 am to catch our flight made for a long day and we were a little done in. It was refreshing to be in such a lush and tropical environment and to experience the lovely town of Panjim. Our hotel, Panjim Inn, was beautiful and the staff quite helpful and professional. Definitely recommended. After a tasty lunch of Goan specialties accompanied by feni at Viva Panjim - one of Clement's highlights of the trip - we spent the afternoon walking about the town and visited the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. In the evening we went on a river ... read more
October 18th 2011
I’m glad I went, and I’m glad I never have to go back. - Mark Twain on Calcutta (Kolkata) I expected to feel this way about Kolkata but didn't. Many travelers report being overwhelmed by the humanity, the squalor, the poverty. Certainly Kolkata has all these things, but in comparison to the other places we visited I found it relatively tidy and orderly, with many people employed looking out for the tourists and their fellow Kolkatans, in the streets as well as in the museums. It reminded me a bit of Mumbai, although quieter and more spread out, at least in terms of the sights. It's a city I'd like to return to and experience again, as two days certainly wasn't enough here. We began our stay at the Broadway Hotel, a nice place with pleasant ... read more
October 16th 2011
The railway journey up the mountain is forty miles, and it takes eight hours to make it. It is so wild and interesting and exciting and enchanting that it ought to take a week. As for the vegetation, it is a museum. The jungle seemed to contain samples of every rare and curious tree and bush that we had ever seen or heard of. I think, that the globe must have been supplied with the trees and vines and shrubs that it holds precious… The road is infinitely and charmingly crooked. It goes winding in and out under lofty cliffs that are smothered in vines and foliage, and around the edges of bottomless chasms; and all the way one glides by files of picturesque natives, some carrying burdens up, others going down from their work in ... read more
October 13th 2011
The bad hearts are there, but I believe that they are in a small, poor minority. One thing is sure: They are much the most interesting people in the world--and the nearest to being incomprehensible. At the very least they are the hardest to account for. Their character and their history, their customs and their religion, confront you with riddles at every turn--riddles which are a trifle more perplexing after they are explained than they were before. , it makes our own religious enthusiasm seem pale and cold. - Mark Twain Varanasi was quite a sensory overload. An active, alive, and holy place, everyone we talked to before and during our travels had strong feelings about the city, both for and against. We both really wanted to experience it, to enjoy it, to allow it to ... read more
October 11th 2011
*Warning: Images may be considered NSFW.* Another early arrival. We dropped our bags at a little spot recommended by the very nice Keralan couple at Ayur Arogyam, a fabulous - but pricey - ayurvedic massage place recommended by everyone. The hotel was only a spot to rest our heads and not particularly recommended, although staff were helpful. We stayed only for the day. Another train out late this evening to Varanasi. The temples for which Khajuraho is famous for are breathtaking, and it's even more amazing to think that many of them originally arose from a lake, now long gone. Most of the 85 temples - 25 of which now remain - were built between 950 to 1050 CE and remained in use for quite a while afterwards. Khajaraho's isolation helped preserve the temples from the ... read more
October 10th 2011
Henceforth, let the inhabitants of the world be divided into two classes - them as has seen the Taj Mahal, and them as hasn't. - Edward Lear (1874) We arrived at Hotel Sidhartha in the late hours after a relatively short train ride from Delhi. Another rather nondescript place to stay, although nicer than Delhi, extremely central, and with friendly and helpful management. Very tired. I'm beginning to come down with a wee bit of a cold, brought on no doubt by the lack of sleep we've been getting and the excess of pollution. Sleep. Got up in the early hours to catch the Taj Mahal at its finest, and before it became overrun with tourists. A good plan - we arrived within minutes of leaving the hotel, no lines, touts made an attempt at us ... read more
October 9th 2011
First class is certainly the way to travel. Last night we had our own compartment on the train to New Delhi, with a door that locked and an attendant available should we need anything. The bathroom was still down the hall. We would have enjoyed it more if we hadn't been so exhausted. At least we slept well! When we arrived at 5 am it was already hot. I don't typically sweat much in the Kentucky summer heat, but I was melting when we arrived in this city, and the sun wasn't even up yet. We found an auto-rickshaw to our hotel, Amax Inn, and although I took some photos it wasn't much to write home about. A decent room, air-conditioning and a fan, our own bathroom. Sleep! By the time we made it up we ... read more
October 7th 2011
In other countries a long wait at a train station is a dull thing and tedious, but one has no right to have that feeling in India. You have the monster crowd of bejeweled natives, the stir, the bustle, the confusion, the shifting splendors of the costumes--dear me, the delight of it, the charm of it are beyond speech. - Mark Twain It wasn't such a long wait for the train, but the train stations here certainly are something. Bustling, congested, people sleeping everywhere, dogs napping alongside, lots of trash. Variety of people. I love traveling by train and India is no exception, even if it's a very different experience from what I'm used to. For our first night on the train we were lucky to be in a carriage with a group of French tourists ... read more
October 6th 2011
Udaipur. Venice of the East. Rajasthan’s - maybe India's - most romantic city. This was one of the loveliest cities I've visited. Its beauty was tempered only by the noise and fumes of the many auto-rickshaws that ply the narrow streets of this town. On our arrival we checked into our fantastic hotel, Kankarwa Haveli. The accompanying photos speak louder than the words I could use to describe it. The owner is a most gracious gentleman, and our stay was such a pleasure. Highly recommended. We visited the major sights the city had to offer, but also spent a lot of time enjoying our hotel, including the rooftop terrace and restaurant. Otherwise, we visited Jagdish Temple, took a lovely boat ride on Lake Pichola to the palace on Jagmandir Island, and made a thorough tour of ... read more
JenniferInternational
| Joined | March 11th 2008 | Trips | 2 |
| Last Login | May 24th 2012 | Followers | 0 |
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Trips
Mediterranean Tour
March 11th 2008 -» April 30th 2008
A Glimpse of India
September 30th 2011 -» October 23rd 2011
March 11th 2008 -» April 30th 2008
A Glimpse of India
September 30th 2011 -» October 23rd 2011
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