Blogs from Madhya Pradesh, India, Asia - page 8

Geo: 24.85, 79.9333Am Morgen scheint es Janette besser zu gehen und somachen wir uns auf zum Fruehstueck und wollen dann zu den Tempeln. Leider gefaellt Netti's Magen die Idee desFruehstuecks nicht und so begibt sie sich direkt nach dem Essen wieder ins Hotel.Shahid, Claudi und ich machen uns also alleine auf denWeg zu den Tempeln. Es ist ein schoenes Gelaende und in regelmaessigenAbstaenden stehen einzelne Tempel herum. Eigentlich ist es schon recht schoenund interessant das alles anzusehen, aber leider sind die Grenzen von Shahid'sToleranz anderen Religionen gegenueber dann doch recht schnell erreicht, alsdie ersten, heftigen Kamasutra Kuenste zu bestaunen sind. So sehen wir uns dieVerzierungen der Tempel eher im Eilverfahren an. Sooo spannend ist es aber auchwirklich nicht. Gruppen-Orgien, Maenner, die es mit Tieren treiben… EntgegenShahid's fester Mei... read more

Namaste!! We went to Amritsar the morning after the wedding, REALLY tired but reeling with good spirits after how much fun we had had the night before. I hadn't really kept warm enough the night of the wedding (have I mentioned it's cold in Delhi? It is cold in Delhi) and so was feeling a little feverish as we arrived at the train station, where, almost unbelievably (but not really because things like this happen constantly in India), we were met by the exact same cycle-rickshaw driver who had met me 2 years ago when I went to Amritsar the first time. He was a really nice older man who spoke excellent English and knew that Vancouver had an Indian member of Parliament (even I didn't know that) and talked us into using him the following ... read more

Geo: 23.9333, 77.55Dec 31 – On to AgraWe caught an early morning train to Agra getting there about 11:30am. The train ride was uneventful but we did meet a young girl who engaged us in conversation for quite a while. It started out with the typical peak around the corner from her berth, ducking back, giggle, pause then another peak again. We expected the usual, "Where are you from?" line of questioning. Only she started with 'where have you been' so I started telling her where we had been in India, which puzzled her so she ducked back away. We heard murmuring and then she poked her head out again and asked ‘where are you from?' and, the conversation went on from there. At one point she asked if we had an American Dollar. This was ... read more

Train Depart de Varanasi en train couchette 1ere classe!!! Finalement pas trop differente de la 2e, sauf quelques petits details: - banquette mieux rembouree (communique des os de Diane) - litterie fournie - rideaux devant le compartiment et devant les couchettes sur le corridor - personne qui couche par terre entre les couchette. KHAJURAHO On arrive par un brouillard a trancher a la hache! 4 heures de retard. Mais, Khajuraho est calme, lux et volupte: - calme, parce qu'un petit village de 10 000 habitants (et puis apres Varanasi n'importe quelle autre ville parraitrait calme) - lux, parce que notre petit hotel Zen est niche dans un jardin fleuri avec 3 beaux petits basins d'eau au fleurs de lotus rose et statuettes de Budha - volupte, parce que Diane et Cornelia ont decide de se faire ... read more

*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