So Final thoughts and reflections on India before my flight back to America tonight... Seeing the Taj Mahal was a perfect way to end the trip. The Taj was one of the few things that was incredibly beautiful in its form and symmetry that made me catch my breath. Other places and sights were beautiful but not awe inspiring unfortunately. At the train station, I just happened to meet a couple from San Francisco and while I was sitting with them these Indian girls came up to us. Their sincerity and generosity overwhelmed me as they came up to us (after [View Full Entry]

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ok so where did I leave off? I did end up riding that elephant at the Amber Fort in Jaipur. If I was expecting a smooth ride I was sadly mistaken as we seemed to sway from side to side and jerk forward with every slow plodding step of the elephant. The elephant driver spotted my friend's Buddha keychain and wanted it as a form of baksheesh (tip). He was rather insistent on getting this keychain and wanted to remove it in the middle of the ride. We finally had to tell him to keep his eyes on the road and [View Full Entry]

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My wishful thinking that I could eat almost anything (within reason) and my propensity for cheap food got me into trouble. However, gravol, immodium and ciprofloxin have saved the day. The moral of the story is don't be cocky and don't be cheap with food; the reason being... the first day I could leave to Agra was the day the Taj Mahal wasn't open. I decided to still see the Red Fort with two guys I met at my hotel. Trying to get to the Red Fort was a feat in itself as one of the guys wanted to go to [View Full Entry]

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I think I've emerged relatively unscathed from this two day train ride from Southern India to the capital of India, New Delhi. My stomach seems to be okay after eating nothing but train food and I have all my luggage with me! The toilets are okay but a bit dicey as the contents of the toilet dump directly onto the train tracks so you have to keep your possessions close in hand. The ride was actually pretty fun as I did nothing but eat and try new food. I guess certain train stations are famous for regional foods they produce well [View Full Entry]

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I'm writing from Ooty which is a hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu located in Southern India. This place is touristy but its currently low season so I've only season a handful of westerners. The scenery is beautiful as there are tea plantations and eucalyptus trees in the surrounding areas. I ended up taking two tours which only cost me about $3cdn each and perhaps it was a good thing I didn't have high expectations on the tours. One of them had a guide who didn't speak english and the other tour started an hour late as we drove [View Full Entry]

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I guess now is officially the start of my travels alone as I decided to travel to the destinations sooner than the Australian couple I had been with. My stop at the moment is a place called Mysore in the Karnataka. There are tourists here but not by the hoardes. The main draw here is the beautiful royal Majaraja's Palace. The royal family was in power from about the 1500s to the early 1900s. This area is known for its silk and incense industry so I had fun shopping. I remember that when I wrote about Peru (ages ago), I said [View Full Entry]

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I've finally made it from Hampi to this place called Puttapathi, home of this ashram (sacred spiritual centre) of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, believed to be a living god. I guess this guru has millions of followers around the world and they flock from all over to come and see him. He must be in his 80s now and is still known for his afro-like hair and his orange robe. It was a strange experience to see thousands of people gather just to see a glimpse of him and bow down to worship. Women have to wear shawls here... for what [View Full Entry]

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so I've finally made it to Hampi after spending 11 hours on a truly local bus. I was subjected to some local fruits and vegtables by a lady and her daughter after I agreed to switch seats with the girl so she could puke out the window. How to describe Hampi... this vast area once the empire of these princes in the 1400s. I guess its soon to be famous as its the backdrop for a Jackie Chan movie coming out in the next while? I'm travelling with a couple (she's australian, he's from India) who've graciously allowed me to tag [View Full Entry]

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So Air Deccan actually is a legitimate airline company (I wasn't so sure about it until I got to the booking counter at the airport) and isn't a website looking to swindle me out of my money despite the fact that no local Indian has heard of this airline. For those of you interested, Air Deccan is supposed to be a low-cost alternative to the major airlines with tickets 1/5 of the competition's pricing. I took Air Deccan from Bombay to Goa. The flight from KL to Mumbai/Bombay was alright but the flight got in late and so I paid a [View Full Entry]

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I'm back in KL momentarily hanging out until my flight to Mumbai leaves tomorrow. I've checked out all of the main touristy attractions including the Petronas Towers and the various mosques. I would not recommend the Petronas Tower visit if you're easily bored to death by the many random facts that the tour guides like to spout... such as how much concrete was used in the foundations or who used to own the property the towers sits on now. When visiting the mosques, I noticed that women have a separate prayer area that is closed off. Does anyone know why? [View Full Entry]

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