Blogs from Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia - page 11

This post will be a long one. Thanks for sticking with me, if you decide to. I'm riding on a train to our next destination and have lots of time. I've figured out how to use my tablet off line too. Breakfast in this luxiourious hotel, feels like I'm staying at a current day Taj...Then off to see the Taj Mahal. Beautiful morning, cool, fogs lifting quickly and the blue sky is showing. Kapil said we are very lucky. It's only the 2nd time in a month that the the weather was clear enough to see the Taj. Once we entered the area and saw this incredible tomb, Kapil told us the story of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his beloved third wife mumtaz Mahal. . She died giving birth to their 14th child at ... read more

Quattro sono i luoghi piu' sacri legati alla vita del Buddha: di Lumbini (nascita) e Bodhgaya (illuminazione) ne ho gia' brevemente raccontato qualcosa, mentre per quanto riguarda Kushinagar (morte), chissa' mai se e quando riusciro' a visitarla; rimane solo Sarnath (predicazione) che capita giusto qui poco fuori Varanasi: sara' il caso di ritornarvi e scattare delle foto: la prima volta la mia macchina fotografica era nelle mani di qualche simpatico ladruncolo locale... Colgo l'occasione offertami da un colossale ritardo accumulato dal mio treno per l'Orissa: numerato 12876, il Neelachal Express parte da New Delhi per raggiungere Puri passando da qui a raccogliere le torme di pellegrini che lasciano le sponde benedette del Gange per riversarsi in massa in un'altra, l'ennesima, citta' sacra del paese; arrivato di buon'ora in stazione scopro che il treno, previsto in partenza ... read more

Varanasi and the Ganges – Northern India Having been captivated by this incredible country before, I jumped at the chance to return and explore further east; to experience the river on which more than a billion people depend – the Ganges. Over the coming weeks, my footprints will track from the teeming masses of Delhi to the pink city of Jaipur; marvel once again at the marble edifice of the Taj Mahal in Agra - all familiar locations now - and then onwards to new territory. But first I drag my butt out of bed at the crack of darkness and head to the airport. As much time as I spend at McCarran, I should have a parking space reserved with a golden plaque bearing my name. Today’s itinerary has the first stop in ... read more

Day twenty two was not such an early morning, we had curry and strange fried bread 'doughnuts' for breakfast then met our driver and headed back towards Jaipur along our favourite bumpy roads. Playing I-spy kept us occupied and stopping at a little way station we bought some supplies and fed some Pringles to a dog who clearly had puppies. Everywhere we bumped into children they always got so excited to see us, calling out 'hello' and waving frantically. We took the car directly to the train station, stopping along the way to try and find a cash point with no success. With only a small delay we hopped on the train towards Agra. The sleeper carriages in India are very different to those in Vietnam, there are six beds with two tiers in each area ... read more

Red Sandstone Fort surrounded by moat, maze of walled courtyards, mosques and private chambers reflecting the grandeur of the Moghul Empire.... read more