India

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Hi Everyone!

Well it's been a while coming, but we have managed to get something written about our travels on the way home from London to Australia. We got carried away with the amount of writing, so we have split it into 3 seperate entries - 1: India 2: Nepal 3: Thailand. As usual, if you can't be bothered reading the text just skip to the photos which speak for themselves. On to India where we spent our first 10 days.........

Sunday 11th March 2007 - Delhi
Stacy and Erin saw us off to Heathrow in London in the afternoon of Saturday the 10th. It was a funny feeling closing the front door of our house knowing we were not coming back! We arrived into Delhi at 3am on the 11th where our driver met us at the airport and took us to our accommodation - Abracadabra The Whitehouse - which Mum (Bev) had arranged for us with the owner, Mini. Being a seasoned travellor to India, Mum had advised that we tell people we were married as it was frowned apon to be living/travelling together in 'sin'! So in taking her advice we decided to tell everyone that asked we were married, however we had not worked out any details beyond this (eg. how long for, where we got married, etc.) Of course the first question we were asked by our driver was "Are you married?" He followed on to ask for how long, etc at which point we looked at each other and simultaneously offered a different response! This set an ongoing trend when we were asked about our marriage status for the rest of the trip. Essentially we just made up random stories as we went along.

After a sleep in we wandered to Conaught Place and caught the metro to the Old Town. The metro seemed to be a time machine, as we found ourselves delivered straight into a scene of chaos and filth, mixed with old world charm. This was India! It offered a familiar feeling from our earlier travels in Asia - the smells, the traffic, the sheer population, the bartering and of course the drop toilets. Our first port of call was Jama Masjid which was built in the 1600's and is the largest mosque (gathering place) in India. We (along with any other westeners) were a source of intrigue and
found ourselves followed by posse of children and even some adults. We explored the mosque and climbed one of the 2 minarets (Tower). From here we walked to the Red Fort which was also built in the 1600's, and is surrounded by 2kms of sandstone walls. After a quick look through some markets, then got an autorickshaw back to our guest house which we found to be a great haven away from the noise and intensity of the city. We ate dinner at a local Indian restaurant (vegetarian) where it was a lucky dip ordering process. It turned out very lucky as our meal was beautiful and the bill was even better - 350Rs (approx $10AUS).

Monday 12th Mar - Delhi
We hired a driver for the day to see the sights of the city. His name was Anil, and he was to become our driver for the remainder of our time in India. He showed us the Parliament, the President's house, India Gate (a WW1 monument), the Lodi Garden, Safdarjung’s Tomb and Humayuns Tomb (she was the wife of an emperor). This tomb was an impressive white marble and red sandstone structure. After a quick drive by the fascinating Lotus Temple it was time for lunch. In India you learn very quickly from your mistakes…our first was to let our driver take us to a restaurant. This place was a typical 'tourist trap' with only white people in it, and the food was priced accordingly. Our next mistake was made when Anil took us to a tourist shop (where he gets a commission/reward for taking us). It was a steep learning curve, but we made an agreement with Anil that we would look in tourist shops so he would get commission if he didn’t take us to any tourist restaurants. Last stop for the day was another temple - Laxmi Narayan. In the evening we decided to check out the Imperial Hotel which is a well-known luxurious 5 star hotel in Delhi. Talk about contrasts! Inside you feel like you could be anywhere in the world - 1st rate presentation and service. You certainly get a reality check when you walk out the front gates and are greeted by beggars, pollution, traffic, slums and poverty. After 2 beers and a daquari that came to 1,050 Rs (approx $22 AU) then walked across the road for dinner at a
local restaurant - 200 Rs (approx $4 AU). You do the math!

Tuesday 13th Mar - Jaipur
We loved the colourful saris and culture of India, particularly eating with our hand! Remembering which hand was the only problem. After a while it became obvious what was respected in Indian culture. Everyone we met ALWAYS asked 5 questions:

1. Are you married? - Yes was a much easier answer to this
2. Do you have any children? - Responding 'No' was met by a look of disappointment
3. What do you do? - In India your job is a sign of status, and is class related
4. Where are you from? - Responding 'Australia' - do you know Ricky Ponting?
5. Do you like India?

We were sad to leave the haven that was Mini’s guesthouse but we were keen to venture out beyond Delhi. So our 8 day road trip through Rajasthan with Anil in our 4WD began. First stop was the city of Jaipur - the capital of Rajasthan. The 5 ½ hour drive was interesting with people, bikes, cars, trucks, camels, goats, cows and pigs to compete with for road space. The car horn in India has a very practical use, not to say “Up yours buddy”, but as a warning to others and for your safety. Consequently it's used far too much!

We stopped just outside Jaipur at the Amber Fort which is an impressive structure built in the 1500’s on a rocky mountainside - very picturesque. We headed onto Jaipur, which is known as the 'pink city', being painted this way in the 1800’s to welcome the visiting Prince of Wales. Within the old walled city was the palace where we checked out the armory and the costume museum. We went onto the Birla Lakshmi Narayan Temple that is made completely of white marble and had a gorgeous glow as the sun was setting. Dinner was at the Jaipur Inn; they have a fantastic rooftop terrace buffet for 100 Rs ea ($2 AU) as recommended by the trusty Lonely Planet.

Wednesday 14th Mar - Jaipur
We visited Jantar Mantar observatory where we were met by a jungle of enormous sundials (27m high) and various other astrological devices. The biggest sundial's shadow moves up to 4m/hr. We climbed “Iswari Minar Swarga Sal” - a minaret (tower) that had great views over the
old city. We then went into Hewa Mahal (Palace of the winds) which looks like a huge honeycomb from the street. It was so designed to allow royal ladies to watch the life and parades of the city below without being seen. Then we ventured into the bazaars for a touch of shopping. Lunch was more delicious curries, naan and rice in a very authentic restaurant. In the afternoon we asked Anil to drop us at the foot of a hill (he thought we were nuts) to walk up the switchback path to reach a beautiful fort - Nahargarh (or Tiger Fort) - which overlooked the city. We found an amazing spot for sunset and stayed till the city lights came on. We made our way back down the hill and caught a tuk-tuk to OM Tower for dinner (a revolving restaurant). Justin wasn’t feeling so well at this point so Rach scoffed her meal (it was delicious) and we grabbed a tuk-tuk back to the hotel. Unfortunately Justin had been struck with a case of Delhi belly.

Thursday 15th Mar - Udaipur
The drive from Jaipur to Udaipur was 8 hrs. Justin wasn’t feeling well so the last
thing he felt like was curry, so he had jam on toast for lunch. Meanwhile Rach hoed into another marvelous curry in front of him! We eventually arrived at our hotel after a torturous car trip for Justin. Our room was beautiful with views overlooking the lake. There was also a great rooftop terrace where we watched the sunset over the lake with a couple of beers.

Anil walked us into town (via a few tourist shops) and helped us locate our restaurant - Udai Kothi. This restaurant was a stunning rooftop terrace set around a pool with candlelit tables…very romantic. It overlooked the lake palace, a former royal palace built on an island in the middle of the lake, now converted into an exclusive 5 star hotel. The meal set us back a whopping 720 Rs ($15 AU). Unfortunately Justin still wasn’t up to eating curry, but Rachael made the most of it.

Friday 16th Mar - Udaipur
We explored the city palace, which is Rajasthan's largest. The peacock mosaic and the tiger trap were just 2 of the interesting things we saw. Lunch for Justin was again limited to beans on toast and a milkshake while Rach couldn’t get enough curry and naan. We got a tuk tuk to the Maharajas personal vintage and classic car collection which included the 1934 Phantom Rolls Royce from James Bond's Octopussy. We then took a tuk tuk (which only just made it) to the Monsoon Palace (19th century) which is perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the city. We decided it was time for an afternoon beverage so we headed to Sunset View Terrace in the palace complex for a G&T and a few beers. From here we had uninterrupted views of the lake and the lake palace as the sun set. Dinner again was at a rooftop terrace overlooking the lake.

Saturday 17th Mar - Jodhpur
Today we set off for Jodhpur which is famous for Polo. This of course is why the horse riding pants are named after the city. We stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant where we saw a mouse running on the bench the supposedly clean dishes. Surprisingly we didn’t get sick from this meal, although Justin had still not fully recovered from his last dose. To top this off we checked into a rather crappy hotel which wasn’t very clean. We told Anil we weren’t very happy and suddenly 2 men appeared with clean linen and a mop. It seems if you don’t ask then they will try and get away with murder. Once our room was satisfactory we headed to Meherangarh Fort, which was on a hill overlooking the city, to watch the sunset. Jodhpur is known as the blue city, and this is obvious when peering down on the old city. Dinner was at a wonderful candlelit garden restaurant with live music.

Sunday 18th Mar - Jodhpur
In the morning we returned to Meherangarh Fort to do an audio tour which was highly recommended and is very interesting and informative. The walls of the fort are scarred by cannonballs used during many battles. All things considered it has been well preserved. As you enter the main gates there are 31 handprints on the wall - prints from the 31 widows of Maharaja Man Singh who threw themselves on his funeral pyre (fire) in 1843 as a sign of respect. Now I ask you, where do you find that kind of commitment today?!? :-)

We had a look around the museum after which Rach decided to visit the astrologer who offered palm readings for 200 Rs. He informed her that she would live to 80+, that she was in a good relationship (not sure if Justin handed over a few 100Rs or not?!). He went on to tell me that I will have 1 boy and 1 girl, I have a very supportive family and I will have a happy life. I won't bore you with all the details, but he was pretty spot on.

We went onto Jaswant Thada - a memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh the 2nd. Justin was now able to eat noodles for lunch although still not feeling 100%. Then it was off to Umaid Bhawan palace and museum, a striking red sandstone palace that can be seen all over the city. It was built in 1929 as a work creation program during a severe drought; it took 3,000 workers 15 yrs to build. It is now a 5 star hotel where the Maharaja of Jodhpur lives. After a look around the museum we decided to have a drink inside the hotel. However they requested 1,500 Rs cover charge each ($30 AU ea) just to get in, so we headed to another 5 star hotel for some air conditioning and a milkshake in the heat of the day.

Once we were recharged we headed to the clock tower in the old city for some market action. The market was full of colourful spices, bright material and fresh veggies. Not to mention some colourful characters. For dinner we had booked something special, and possibly the most memorable. We booked a table at Meherangarh Fort (built in the 1600’s) for sunset. We walked up the hill to the fort and made our way to the top of the walls which towered 140m above the city. Awaiting us were 6 candlelit tables spread out on top of the fort wall, overlooking Jodhpur. It was spectacular being surrounded by old cannons and hand carved stone buildings, not to mention the mind-blowing view. Justin was feeling a little better by this stage and ventured back into some curry.

Monday 19th Mar - Pushka
After a long drive to Pushka we arrived at 2pm. Pushka is a small town in the middle of the desert that is a major Hindu pilgrimage center. Strict religious laws state you are not allowed to eat meat or eggs, drink alcohol or display any public affection. It has also become a bit of a hangout for hippies and westerners who have had enough of the western way of life and enjoy wacky tabbacy. Think of a town like Byron Bay but in the middle of the desert in India!

We took a walk around the holy lake surrounded by bathing ghats where pilgrims bathe in the sacred water (which is quite polluted). Gandhi’s ashes were scattered at one of the ghats, appropriately named Gandhi ghat. It was impossible to escape the 'holy men' trying to sell you flowers as an offering. We were even taken to a temple and basically forced to make a donation. Whilst it was not much money for us, we hoped that the money actually did go to charity and not into someone’s pocket as we suspected. For our efforts we were given a red piece of string to tie around our wrist which essentially told everyone 'we've already been done'. These guys even had the balls to then ask for 'something to remember us by' like sunnies, jewellery, or Australian money......nice try!

After dealing with that rubbish we headed into a Brahma temple - one of only a few in the world, and indeed the largest. We then had a wander through the markets before a half hr camel ride (these things can run!) to the base of a hill where we walked up to Savitiri Temple. We enjoyed beautiful views of the city and sunset from here. We rode the camels back into town and had dinner overlooking the lake.

Tuesday 20th Mar - Agra
Today was basically spent in the car. It was a long drive from Pushka to Agra with the only stop other than lunch being Fatehpur Sikri, a ghost city just outside Agra. The empire was ruled from here between 1571 and 1585, but it was abandoned due to water shortages. The palace buildings and mosque were left in great condition and it is now a world heritage site.
We reached Agra by dinner time and checked into our hotel.

Wednesday 21st Mar - Agra
We dragged ourselves out of bed at 5.30am to watch the sunrise over the Taj Mahal. We hired a guide who showed us around, and although he wasn’t overly informative, he was useful to have as a photographer! The Taj was built by Emporer Shah Hahan for his 2nd wife who died whilst giving birth to their 14th child. She obviously deserved it! Construction started in 1631 and it was completed in 1653. It’s covered in intricate marble inlay work, which is only fully appreciated up close, and is filled with thousands of semi-precious stones. They used 43 different types of stones including - amber, jade, turquoise, mother of pearl, black onyx and lapyse to name just a few. It was extraordinary to see such a monument built in the name of love. From the Taj we were then taken to see how the inlay work was (and still is) done. The process is done by hand and is something you need a lot of patience for.
After a quick look at Agra Fort and some shopping, we went for a walk to Amar Vilas which is a new world class hotel that has great views of the Taj. We set in for a beer or 2 in the cool air conditioning. On the way back we shopped at roadside antique dealer and went for dinner on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Taj.

After dinner it was time to say good-bye Anil (our driver) as we were beginning our overland journey to Nepal from Agra. He left us at the train station which was a crowded and grubby looking place. We quickly discovered we were the only white people. Once we eventually worked out which platform to catch our over-night train, we settled in for a few hours wait. The train eventually arrived at 12:25am and we found our 1st class AC sleeper cabin very comfortable. The toilet, however, was interesting to say the least. We thought we had mastered the squat, but a moving train added a challenging new dimension! This coupled with the fact that you could see onto the tracks below (this explains the rats on the tracks) was a little odd. However we did get a great sleep and felt very refreshed the next day.

Thursday 22nd Mar - Crossing the India/Nepal border
We got off the train at 9am in Gorakhpur to find a bus that would take us to the India/Nepal border. We were harassed constantly by touts offering bus tickets for 475 Rs, however we knew we could get a local bus for 56 Rs thanks to the Lonely Planet. We eventually found the local bus and felt a great sense of achievement for not getting ripped off for once! It was an interesting 3hr bus ride in a bus packed with intrigued locals. Justin spent the first hour sitting on his pack on the floor as there were no seats. We had a quick pit stop at which point Rach asked where the toilet was. She was taken out the back and directed into the sugar cane field! We eventually reached Sunauli (where the border crossing is) in one piece. After finding the border post we filled out a leaving card on the Indian side then walked over the border to the Nepalese immigration office, purchased our visa and changed our money. An thus ended our Indian experience........

In a nutshell we had a brilliant time in India with the highlights being the food, the colour, eating with our hands, and the culture shock coming from London.

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Photos

Jama Msdjid - Delhi
India's Largest Mosque

Rach inside Hawa Mahal - Jaipur
Note the crowded street in the background

Jantar Mantar Observatory - Jaipur
27 meter high sundial from the 18th century.

Up we go...
The view up to the fort in Jaipur before we walked up.

View across Jaipur from the fort
Note the walls running along the ridgeline

Car from Octopussy - James Bond
The Maharajas Classic Vintage Car Collection - Udaipur

Comments

[Brooke]

Wow
India looks amazing... love the pictures and stories. Miss you heaps, caught up with Megs and Ian, Erin and Stace, Breck and Amer on the weekend, had a bit of pub crawl in Putney. Love and big, big warm hugs Brooke

[Stacy]

Sweet travels
Hey guys! Nice blog - that will be a great memory in the years to come. The photos are awesome (nice work behind the camera). Looks like you both had a great trip - spewing now you have to settle back into reality. thanks for all the blogs - they were awesome!! Stace!