darthmilmo

I said my goodbyes to the Polish travelers as I left Agra and headed to Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna, a reincarnation of Vishnu (Hindu god). Following the advice of the Ukrainians, I went to pay a visit as it fell on Krishna's birthday. I could only imagine the festivities that must arise. The newspaper said that there would be about 500,000 pilgrims visiting Mathura and Vrindavan, a nearby town that housed the center of the festivities. So it was no surprise that I took a shared taxi to Vrindavan. It took me a while to find a vacant room of course, but in the end I found a nice place. Vrindavan is the most sacred place in India for Vaishnavite Hindu, where many of the mythological stories depicting Krishna took place. I dropped my bags ... read more

I took an early bus to the Nubra Valley the next day. This road is probably one of the highest roads on earth (the very highest according to the Indian authorities) as you make your way up towards the Khardung La (at a height of 5,600 meters above sea level; over 17,000 feet). I can't honestly proof them correct or incorrect, but suffice to say it was an awsome experience. There were lots of twists and turns as to be expected in a mountain road. There were several nerve raking moments when the bus could have just as easily gone off the side of the road and down a deep cliff. As we went up there were to stops at two different military checkpoints that scrutinized the photocopied permits each of the foreigners on board had. ... read more

Namaste, I last left you in Rajasthan, as I was taking a night train out of Bikaner and to Amritsar. I had spent 3 weeks in the dry state of Rajasthan and so as I woke up the following morning to the tune of the moving train my eyes nearly fell out when I look at all the green fields on the state of Punjab. They have build an extensive irrigation network in this state and as such is one of the green belts of India. After a long train ride, I arrived to Amritsar, a large city in the state of Punjab. It is famous for the beautifully decorated Golden Temple complex in the center of town. The Golden Temple is the hollyest place for the Sikh religion. The Sikh faith is an interesting one. ... read more

Namaste, Sorry it's been too long since my last update. At times it's seems as though I have experienced a lifetime since I last wrote to you guys. India is such a wonderful place where a multitude of religions, cultures, and ideas blend together. I'm not too sure where to begin now, so i'll just continue from where I left off. After leaving the former Portugese colony of Diu, I headed to Rajasthan, which thru it's enigmatic history is known as the home of the Maharayas and the powerful Rajasthan armies. The Moghuls invadors from Central Asia knew better then to fight them so they allied with them and allowed them to keep regional control. It worked for a few centuries until some of the Maharayas rebelled and took over full control of their princely states. ... read more

The following is an unedited account to my travels thru India from June to September. I sent this writeups to my friends and family. As such it is aimed at those who know little about Indian history. Please read that last sentence, "aimed at those who know little about Indian history." So to all the veterans out there this is but my mere interpretation of what I saw in India. I'm sure you will find it biased beyond imagination so I hope I didn't insult anyone. And if I do, well stop reading . Anyway, I have not cut anything so here goes... Namaste ("hello" in Hindi), How's everyone doing? Long time now hear, I know. I write to you from India today. The last few months at home have been refreshing and entretaining, specially since ... read more