The Taj...

Taj Majal: immense…awe-inspiring…surreal. It’s really no wonder why this magnificent structure is known as one of the seven man-made wonders of the world. And to be there and see it in person was simply awesome. In fact, I loved it so much, that I tried to pick it up and take it home with me...



The city Agra is really known for one thing, and that is the Taj Majal. There are other forts, temples and mausoleums, but all pale in comparison. So, we were there for just one night and two days and the majority of the time spent outside of our hotel’s neighborhood was spent viewing the Taj. On the first day, we went to a beautiful garden at the suggestion of our tour guide, in which you can view the Taj from across the river. We decided we would see it at sunset from this view and would go to the actual site for sunrise, when there would be far fewer tourists there.

The garden, called Matar Bagh, was a nice, quiet escape from the city on its own, but the spectacular view of the Taj made the 100 rupee (or $2) entry fee really worthwhile. We camped out at the river and as we waited for the sun to set we had fun taking entertaining pictures holding it in our hands, lifting it, and even taking a bite out of the Taj. Although the sun didn’t set near the Taj, so the colors weren’t as spectacular as we’d been hoping, it was still a perfect way to spend our first eveing in Agra.







The next morning we woke up at 5:00 am (the third early morning in the past four days!) and hired rickshaws to take us to the actual site. We had all made it a point to be on time and scrambled to get there well before sunrise, so we were extremely disappointed when the guards didn’t open the ticket counter or the main entrance until at least 15 minutes after the start of sunrise. After a half hour of waiting anxiously (and being entertained by the monkeys all around), we were still the first group to get a glimpse of the stunning Taj Majal. We spent several hours walking around and exploring the different magnificent views and areas of the grounds. Like I said, it was simply awesome. I don’t know what else I can say, I think my pictures are the only things that come close to doing it justice. So, I’ll think I’ll just leave it at that.

We had another overnight train that evening, and arrived early this morning to Varanassi. It is the most holy city in India, where Buddha gave his first sermon, and where thousands of Hindus go every year to die. It is also cool because it is the longest continually inhabited city in the world. People have been living here for over 5,000 years. Anyway, that’s all I know for now, so I’ll right more on my way back to Delhi.

Jaipur: The "Pink" City

I had high hopes for the city of Jaipur, known for it’s ancient forts and palaces made of pink clay. When we arrived, it was immediately apparent that this was, as we’d been told, the biggest city in Rajasthan. It was crowded, chaotic, and noisy, but luckily our guesthouse was in a nice secluded area. Still, I was looking forward to seeing the old downtown, pink area. On the first evening, we went for an orientation walk with Shakti, and we traveled through the market, until we finally arrived at the Hawa Majal, or the “Palace of the Winds.” This old palace is named for its 953 windows and it is said to be the most photographed building in Rajasthan. It certainly was beautiful. We admired the building and the chaos around it (elephants, cows, pigs, dogs, and goats included) and then moved on.





As we made our way through the touristy market area, it became apparent that this was definitely the most pushy city. Every store, every stand we passed, people approached us practically shoving their goods into our faces. It wasn’t exactly a surprise because we’d dealt with it a little already, but we were all becoming annoyed pretty quickly. I just kept repeating the rules- patience, patience, patience, patience…and a sense of humor. Shakti took us to an old square where thousands of pigeons hang out and people buy corn and grains to feed them; kind of a confusing idea seeing as India already has plenty of people and animals to worry about feeding, but it was fun to see the pigeons flying every which way around us. Luckily, there were no poop mishaps either.

After becoming oriented with the sites, we headed to the local cinema, which is known to be the most beautiful old cinema in India. For 100 rupees or $2 we got a ticket to see a bollywood film and a lassi (a delicious yogurt specialty drink). The movie was called “Love Kal jaal” and it was a love story about an Indian woman who is living in London, but goes back to India for an arranged marriage, only to discover she is still in love with an India man in England. Though we couldn’t understand much of the movie (no subtitles either) we thoroughly enjoyed the bollywood-style, especially the dancing. When the movie finished, we went for a very local Indian meal, where we could see the food being cooked in an open kitchen.

The next day, we decided to avoid downtown and find more relaxing activities. A bunch of us took a rickshaw about 30 minutes outside of the city to see the Amber Fort. We were a little over budget so we decided not to spend the money to go into the fort, but we were delighted to see so much just by walking around it.; we were still able to walk through beautiful gardens, up stone paths and into the fort’s main plaza.

pushy people!

Finally, in the late afternoon, it was time for the highlight of our Jaipur visit; an Aryuvedic massage. Aryuveda is an ancient Indian medicine practice, that believes there are three sources of energy (air, fire and water) which must be balanced in the body. Their practices focus on vital points on the body to release, restore and balance a persons energy. For just $12 dollars, I had a one-hour Marma Therapy Massage, in which they used warm herbal oil to massage the entire body, focusing on the vital energy points. It was soooooo good! I left feeling completely relaxed and revitalized, and also very satisfied with the incredible bargain. It also left me looking forward to all the massages I’ll be getting in Thailand!




Tomorrow, it’s off to Agra to see the Taj Majal- finally!!! Although Agra is not known as the most cultural or beautiful city, I’m sure seeing the Taj will make it a highlight of the trip. Look forward to pictures soon!

Onward to Pushkar...

Pushkar is a small holy town surrounded by mountains and farmland, that attracts tourists and Indians alike, who come to see or experience Hindu pilgrimages. The town has a strict no alcohol, no meat, no dairy policy, so needless to say it was a very healthy stay.




We arrived at our beautiful hotel in the early afternoon and spent the day exploring the bazaar, full of cheap, Indian goods that made it difficult not to overspend. Walking through the market, I got my first glimpse at the holy men who live their; dressed in white linen pants and tunics, wooden beaded necklaces, and a bright orange or yellow turbin around their head, while holding a big wooden walking stick, it’s hard to miss them. But their faces are by far the their most distinctive feature. Usually, they have a long white mustache and beard, and have red and orange dots or lines drawn on their forehead. Some are even covered with a whitish pant that makes them look ghostly. It’s really amazing to see them for the first time. The only problem is that I was way too intimidated (and felt quite intrusive) to try to take a picture. Hopefully, I can get one in the next holy city, Varanassi, but for now, I've found one online.

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3147/2317014702_4bf5194f5a.jpg)

We headed to bed early the first night as we would be waking up at 4:30 a.m. the next morning to do a sunrise climb up to a temple on a mountain overlooking the city. We met in the lobby at 5 a.m. and the 6 of us who were up for it made our way through the sleepy city. When we got to the base of the mountain, it was just about dawn and we knew we had to scramble to make it to the top by sunrise. The only problem was it was a very, very steep climb, up big, stone steps. Mark led the pack and I was determined to keep up with him, so despite sweat pouring down my face and my heart pounding, I kept on without taking a break. We made it to the top in about 30 minutes and the 4 others made it up shortly after; later, Shakti told us that we were the first group he’s had in three years to have everyone who attempted the climb to make it to the top. Anyway, despite a few clouds blocking the sun, it was still a beautiful view and I was so glad to be up in the mountains. After soaking up the view, we headed back down, through town and back to bed for a few hours.



On Day 2, we explored the market again and took our last opportunity to haggle over the items we wanted. It’s so much fun to haggle in India! You can always get the price down, and if you’re not happy you just have to walk away and you’re almost guaranteed to hear “Ok, ok!” as you’re leaving. It usually makes for a very satisfying purchase. That night, we went to a restaurant that plays movies. We were the only group there, so we were able to choose and we settled on “Slumdog Millionaire,” one of my favorite movies ever. The first time I saw it, I loved it, but watching it in India, after having experienced so many things that go on the in the movie, made it so much more enjoyable and special. The only problem with the evening was that the movie was finished before our dinner was served! Over 2 hours! But as Shakti told us on the first day, there are five rules when traveling in India: 1) patience, 2) patience, 3) patience, 4) patience, 5) a sense of humor. I think it’s very solid advice.

Udaipur

For our first night in Udaipur, we hired rickshaws to drive us around for the evening, which gave us the opportunity to really see this beautiful city. It is by far the cleanest, most livable city we’d been in; not that I liked it better (the others had other great qualities), but this was definitely the first glimpse we had at middle class life in India. We went to the lake and saw the many palaces and five star hotels scattered through out the mountains and coast, and then wandered through a magnificent garden full of fountains and sculptures. Finally, it was time for dinner, and we were in for a treat. Udaipur is our guide Shakti’s hometown, so he really knows the best places to go. He took us to the coolest outdoor food court, where we sat at picnic tables with tons of different food stalls around us. The best part was that we were able to sample some of the best, most local food we’d had yet. I had a potato and lentil dish called “Chola Koftka” which was creamy and so perfectly flavored with spices, it was by far my favorite dish of the trip.




The next morning, Shakti had one more surprise for us. His home, which he shares with about 10 members of his family, was right around the corner from our hotel, so he invited us to a traditional Indian breakfast, cooked by his wife. It was delicious. We had fresh bananas and guava, a yellow biryani rice with fresh herbs and spices, a light, fluffy cake made of mace flour fermented overnight, a sweet syrupy cake, and my favorite of all- India chai. The sweet, milky tea has the perfect mixture of spices making it incredibly addictive. After a few refills, we were ready to go for an orientation walk of the palace area.

That day, we walked all through out the palace, where the current Maharage (King) of Udaipur and family still reside. Shakti was able to take us to some areas where you wouldn’t go as a regular tourist, such as the sitting room and ballroom of the five star palace hotel. It was beautiful, but we were all most excited about the evening activities.

At 4 pm we made our way to a local homeless shelter (part of our tour companies campaign for responsible travel) where we greeted the residents, handed out food, and met with the nuns who run the facility. They were incredibly kind to us and all of the people seemed very grateful that we cared to make a visit. We all pitched in a group donation and then left feeling a little sad, but also very good for helping out.

Next, we had our much anticipated cooking class. For a mere $10 we were given a 3 hour cooking lesson and were served a massive feast of vegetarian dishes. They taught us how to make paneer masala, Malai Koftka, spicy snacks called samosas, biryani rice, and chai tea. We cooked, laughed, and at the end, finally ate. It was so cool to see all of the individual ingredients and spices that go into India food, and it definitely served as inspiration for me to try cooking more when I get home. I can’t wait to experiment with all of the new ethnic flavors I’ve picked up!



The last stop of the night was a cultural show of music and dance. It was truly spectacular. Three musicians sat in the corner of the stage (set in a beautiful outdoor courtyard) as women dressed in vibrant, sparkling saris showed us a variety of traditional dances. First, they danced with little gold castinets all over their bodies, then they twirled around with fire on their heads. The final (and most spectacular dance) was a water dance from the desert region of Rajasthan. They explained that in the desert, woman have to walk very far to retrieve water, so instead of carrying just one pot on their head, they can carry up to nine. In this dance, the woman started with just one large pot on her head, and one by one, they added more and more pots, and she continued dancing around the stage. Finally, she had nine pots which probably measured over 20 feet high, and she continued to spin around the dance floor. It was unbelievable. I took some video, so hopefully I’ll be able to post it sometime soon.



So, it was a great time in Udaipur. It was really fun to see another side to our tour guide, as well as experience some different aspects of Indian culture. As of right now, we’re on a train to Pushkar, known for their bazaars and camel fairs. I don’t know what to expect, but I’m sure it will be good.

Uncovering Jodhpur

When we arrived by bus in Jodphur, the streets appeared to be crowded and dingy, and I had no idea the treasures that we would find here. We checked into our gorgeous little oasis of a hotel, with a garden courtyard and pool (which we made plenty of use of in the 100+ degree weather) and then headed out to explore the city.

After haggling down the price of an auto-rickshaw from 100 rupees to 50 (about $2 to $1), we were driven to the pinnacle of the city, the stunning Maherang Fort, a centuries old fort palace where the actress Liz Hurley was recently married. The fort was stunningly beautiful and we wandered around it, taking pictures and getting a lot of attention from the Indian tourists who apparently hadn’t seen any foreigners in this less touristy city. When we were finished, we wandered down hundreds (maybe thousands) of steps into the city neighborhoods, with their blue façades, dyed with indigo to keep the buildings cool. We just wandered the neighborhoods observing the ordinary, yet fascinating daily lives of the Jodphur people. Everyone was friendly and we had so many kids chasing after us, screaming “hello!!” and it took me back to Korea for a moment. After a few hours of exploring the neighborhoods and markets, we headed back, and tried our first Indian talhi dinner, a sort of buffet in which you’re served an assortment of small dishes. It was, of course, delicious.



The next morning, we were up early to take an excursion out of the city to see the Bishnou villages of India. Bishnou means “29” and the people in these villages commit to 29 rules to living an eco-friendly life. They are subsistent farmers who don’t kill animals; they farm and make handicrafts for a living. The 11 of us were driven by safari jeeps an hour outside of Jodphur, and our first stop was with a farm family, where we would participate in an opium ceremony. Opium is illegal in India, but the Bishnou people have been using it forever in ceremonies and to welcome guests, and no one stops them because they don’t abuse it or try to sell it. Anyway, the elderly man of the family welcomed us and had us sit in a circle with him, around a wooden contraption used in the ceremony for making opium tea. After preparing the tea, he did a ritual chant and then offered us each a taste. There were no tea cups at this ceremony though- in the Bishnou culture, each person drinks the tea from the hand of the eldest man. So yes, I sipped opium tea out of an Indian man’s hand, and it was an experience I‘ll never forget. It was just a small sip, not enough to have any effect on us, except the equivalent of a caffeine buzz, but it was just amazing to be a part of the ceremony.







After exploring their house and meeting the family, we headed to the next village where we were taken to the house of a weaver. When we arrived, he was seated at a huge, wooden weaving machine, making a massive blue “Duhri” and Indian rug made of cotton. He let us all have a try and showed us some of his best pieces. After leaving the weavers, we visited a potter and a clothe maker, who made gorgeous handmade prints for bedspreads, saris and pillows. It was very tempting to buy, but once again I resisted. Finally, we were taken to a farm families house where we were served a simple, yet delicious lunch of millet bread, curry lentils and masala potatoes. As we drove back to the city, we spotted wild antelope and water buffalo, and we all basked in the delight of such an exhilarating morning. It was such a beautiful and unique experience to be welcomed into the homes of the Bishnou people, yet another that I surely won’t forget.






That afternoon, we enjoyed our oasis, before taking our group orientation walk with our Tour Leader, Shakti, that evening. First, we walked through the Jodphur market sampling street food and checking out the local goods. Next we went to a Lassi Shop (famous Indian drink, like a yogurt shake), which Shakti had been talking for days, saying it is known to serve the best lassi’s in India. My expectations were very high, and luckily they were met. The lassi’s were thick, creamy and cold, and were the perfect combination of sweet and tangy, and had an added surprise of spices like saffron. Absolutely delicious and so filling, but the boys couldn’t resist and had to get another. For only 17 rupees each (40 cents), they could afford it. After, we went to an amazing textile shop, were we were showed beautiful fabrics and some people did a bit of shopping. Finally, we capped the night off with another talhi dinner, this time all you can eat for 125 rupees (less than $3!). Yet another delicious meal.

This morning we had a 8-hour bus ride to Udaipur, through stunning mountains and farmland. We’re here for two days, in the “most romantic city in India” and will be going to the city palace, Lake Pichola, as well as taking a cooking class. Hopefully, I’ll learn how to replicate some of the amazing cuisine I’ve been experiencing!

20 Hours to Jaisalmer

After a twenty-hour overnight train (sharing one room with 6 people), we finally arrived in Jaisalmer, a fort city in the middle of the desert. As we rode in on tuk tuk, I was absolutely taken away by the majestic fort, rising up over the yellow city; and all of the beautiful people going about their day, dressed in brightly colored saris and tunics. It looked like something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, simply unreal. And soooo different from Delhi, thankfully. That afternoon we all needed to unwind from our nearly day long journey, so we enjoyed our beautiful hotel pool and courtyard, before heading out for an evening of exploration. We went to a stunning lake where we met Indian families and played with some children, then we rode out into the desert to see the sunset while sitting in the ruins of an old palace. To top it off, we ate at a delicious Indian food at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the brightly lit fortress, and listened to the sound of traditional Indian music. It was quite an evening.

Jaisalmer city fort

The following day, we explored the inside of the fort, which is the only inhabited fort in India. Every road, every corner, every alley, was a feast for the eyes. Cows wandered down the little stone paths, and traditionally dressed women and children went about daily life. There were plenty of shops and stands selling goods to tourists, but everything was handmade and absolutely beautiful. It was so hard to resist buying it all, and a few of the people in our group couldn‘t; my friend Anna purchased a stunning 4x6 wall hanging, leather purses and a few scarves. We headed back to the hotel in the late afternoon, to get ready for our overnight camel safari. Jeeps picked us up at 5, and drove us 45 minutes into the desert to a picturesque campsite, with the coolest safari tents, once again feeling as if we were in an old movie. We dropped off our things and got right on our camels. It was so incredible to be on top of these huge, docile animals, riding over sand dunes in the middle of the Thar desert. As we watched yet another beautiful desert sunset, I really couldn’t believe where I was, and everything that I was doing. Truly magical.

The rest of the night was spent feasting on Indian food, playing cards and having a laugh with the group outside of our tent. In the morning, we headed back to the hotel and had one last day to explore the fort and palaces of Jaisalmer. The next day we would be heading to the Jodphur, the “blue city,” famous for making jodphurs, the horse back riding pants. At that point, I wasn’t sure how it could get much better, but I had no doubt that it would. All I can say is India is spectacular.

First of India- Delirious in Delhi

After pulling an all-nighter, Lex and I said our final good-bye to Korea and embarked on our greatly anticipated journey, which would start in India. Four flights and 20 sleepless hours later, we landed in New Delhi airport and were finally at our destination late on Sunday night. We were exhausted, so we decided to take it easy on Monday morning, but by about 1 p.m. we were ready to go out and get our first glimpse of Delhi life. We would be meeting our group for the adventure tour at 6 p.m. that evening, so we thought we’d just wander around that afternoon. We met a girl name Sophie who was in the same position, so she tagged along as we headed out in to the streets of our neighborhood called Karol Bagh.

We knew that there was a market near by, but weren’t sure where it was, so we just decided to walk. Immediately we were bombarded by the chaos and noise of the Delhi streets, and if that weren’t overwhelming enough, our appearances were giving completely gave us away to the locals. We got a lot of attention as tourists, but just tried to keep our belongings close and not make ourselves look too out of placeWe wandered, admiring the beautiful textiles, shoes, and other random goods, but we weren’t ready to buy anything just yet. After a couple of hours, we decided we had had enough for our first day; this was surely a place that you needed to ease into. We headed back to the hotel for our meeting, where we met the group we’d be traveling with for the next twenty days.

Right away, the group dynamic was fantastic! Our Tour Leader is an Indian man named Shakti who has been working for GAP for 3 years and knows everything there is to know about the places we’ll be going. There are 11 of us on the tour, all in our twenties. There are nine girls and two guys, which isn’t the best ratio, but everyone gets along great so it’s fine. Also, Lex and I are the only Americans, everyone else is British, so that’s a fun dynamic for us. That night we went out for our first Indian meal, and all I can say is, AMAZING! The food is just so good, I’ll try to get some pics.

On Day 2, we met Shakti in the morning and went out to have an orientation walk of Old Delhi. The moment we got to Old Delhi, it was complete and utter sensory overload!! People, cars, bikes, rickshaws, going in every which way and ALL honking their horns. Not to mention the millions of people, dogs, and occasional goat or cow. It was incredibly overwhelming…and at times smelly. But there were so many interesting things to see too. We went to a Sihk temple first, where we watched many people praying, as three holy men sat at the alter and sang. We then went to the community center behind the temple, where volunteers cooked curry and made chipatis, of which any one is welcome to come and eat. They offered it to us, but we were sure our stomachs weren’t ready. Still, watching and helping with the cooking was definitely the coolest experience of the day. We wondered through more markets, checked out the Red Fort, and eventually headed back for a big lunch before boarding our train. We had a 20-hour overnight train to Jaisalmer to look forward to, but honestly I was ecstatic to escape the chaos of Delhi, in exchange for a more relaxing, natural side of India.