While planning for our trip last year, people continually told us that India is both the most revolting and the most amazing place we'll ever visit. After being here for over a month now, we know exactly what they were all talking about and both agree wholeheartedly.
Our very first night in India was a perfect example of what I mean by this. Amanda and I rolled into the Delhi airport at around 10pm....which got us into Pahar Ganj (where we wanted to stay in Delhi) at around 11pm. After looking for a room in about 10 hotels....we slowly realized that finding ANY available rooms was going to be a challenge. By the time midnight rolled around, we started to wish that we had reserved something in advance (or that the Thai minutes on our cell phone hadn't run out). Like an angel from heaven, one of the suspicious-looking men who was wandering in the shadows was kind enough to escort us to the ONE hotel in all of Pahar Ganj that had a room left. Now this wasn't just any ordinary room. This was probably the nastiest and most shocking room we had stayed in to date. Dirt all over the walls, stains covering the sheets, hard matress and pillows, asian toilet (the type that has two places to put your feet and a hole in the ground) and last but not least.....an enormous unidentifiable object taking up the only spare space that the room had to offer. We think it was an old air conditioner....though the jury is still out on that one.
Needless to say, we were very excited to have a place to sleep that night.
As soon as we put our bags down and squashed a few healthy mosquitos on the wall, we were off to find a late supper as we were famished from an entire day of traveling. We walked along the main drag of Pahar Ganj which is not so much a street (since there is no concrete), but more of a wide and dark pathway filled with cows, dogs, homeless people, cow/dog/homeless person poop, strange smells, dark shadows, auto-rickshaws (aka. tuk-tuks), cars, bicycles and general mayhem of all kinds. The pathway is mostly dirt and so bumpy that the cars have much difficulty passing by. The food stalls enticed us with their exotic aromas....but the fear of "Delhi Belly" kept us away from those venues....for the time being.
At the end of the 'road', near the train station was an eatery that was completely full except for one little table in the corner on the upstairs level. As we walked to our table, it was as if the music screeched to a halt. Immediately it became apparent that foreigners didn't frequent this place too often which is mostly what we expected, but we didn't think we'd get such a reaction out of them. The entire room of 25 were staring at us throughout our entire meal (or at least it felt like it)....analyzing our every move....how we didn't shovel the rice/food mixture into our mouths with our bare hands like the rest of them...how we used our left hands to help rip the bread (which for them is a no-no since they 'use the bathroom' with that hand)...and how we drank mineral water unlike the rest of them. Not to mention the fact that Amanda was the only woman in the entire restaurant since all the men's wives were to stay at home after regular daylight hours. Between all that, combined with our skin color.....we certainly felt a little uncomfortable, but at the same time, both intrigued and thrilled.
Upon finishing our delicious meal, we decided that it was the BEST food we had eaten in weeks and we LOVED how the experience was so unique, shocking and amazing at the same time....not to mention that our huge meals were only $1 each!! I must say, this was a great way to set the stage for the rest of our travels through India. A challenging and strange place.....but possessing so many great things and offering so many new experiences. No other place in Southeast Asia had been so unique in that way.
Over the next few days in Dehli, we went to the Ghandi Masoleum, hung out in the park at Connaught Place, explored their huge zoo (which was 10 cents for locals, 1 dollar for foreigners), checked out some historical buildings and ate some really delicious Northern Indian cuisine. In general, all the prices were shockingly low. We started spending about half as much as we were throughout SE Asia. So about $15 per day each, rather than $30. Wow. Starting to really feel like royalty a bit.
Next stop was Agra, home of the amazing Taj Mahal. You've all heard the name before, but did you know that this masoleum was actually built by the emporer in memory of his favorite wife? It was his third wife, and she died giving birth in 1631 to their 14th child! The structure was built to symbolize his love for her, and to this day is one of the most amazing architectural wonders of the world....fully built out of marble. Quite a sight.
After Agra, we hopped over to the city of Jaipur, where we checked out the large and historical Amber Fort, the famous shopping district at the city gates as well as the beautiful central park which reminded us a lot of Golden Gate Park. We ate dinner one night on the 25th floor of the OM Hotel which had a revolving floor. Pretty cool way to see the skyline. For my big birthday celebration on Feb 13th, Amanda treated us to a fantastic Italian roof-top dinner and amazing ayurvedic massages. She had the trance-inducing "third-eye" hot oil drip on the forehead and I opted for the absolutely glutenous and overwhelming hot oil bath where they pour several liters of hot oil all over your body over and over for about 30 minutes. It was absolutely mind-altering and left me feeling rejuvenated for the next few days.
Next on the T&A tour came Pushkar, one of the most holy and spiritual towns in India.
In Pushkar, we hung out for a bit by the 'ghats' which are ancient bathing areas at the edge of a small lake where 'priests' can make prayers for you and your family in exchange for a donation. We were warned against being 'scammed' by these guys, so we just sat back and enjoyed the sunsets there instead. Our favorite day was the hike up to a temple which stood alone, on top of a lone mountain, very close to the town center. The views from the top were breathtaking and we were greeted by many of the langurs (monkeys) along the way which was pretty cool (picture seen of one of them with flowers below). The langurs were pretty fun to see up close, but at the same time would sometimes hiss and lunge at us (meaning Amanda) for the potato chips in her backpack. A little unnerving while walking along the edge of the cliffside stairway.
Pushkar was a very unique town in that it didn't sell any sort of meat (beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc) in any of the restaurants, nor did it (officially) sell any alcohol because of it's strong Hindu background...though a couple of the late-night restaurants could sneak some beer to you inside of a teapot if one was so inclined (Pink Floyd Cafe for those of you going there soon). With Amanda being pescaterian, the no-meat thing was a dream come true for her. For our Russian friend that we hung out with for a bit, this was a plague of the worst degree. He had a serious craving for a fat steak, which is very tough to find anywhere in India...if not, impossible. The only steak we've seen to date, has been in Goa, and it isn't actually cow, it's water buffalo....which kinda looks like a cow....and sort of tastes like it too.
Next on the tour was Udaipur, which some call the Venice of India. Very hilly town, much like San Francisco, with a river running right through the middle of it. This is where James Bond's Octopussy was filmed....and it just so happened we got to see the movie being shown on our hotel rooftop one night. During a few points in the movie where they showed a temple lit up on the hill at night along the skyline, we could actually turn our necks to the left about 90 degrees and see the same temple lit up. Pretty cool.
The next day we took a tour of the Maharaja's vintage car collection containing about 25 cars built anywhere from 1920 to 1950. The 1930's Rolls Royce from Octopussy was in that collection which was fascinating to see up close. All cars were in emaculate shape and the holders of those cars keep them all in running condition by driving them around the area once a week.
On our last day in Udaipur, we did the tour of the great City Palace which is where all the royal family and friends would hang out in the 17th century. That night, we had sunset drinks along the river while being serenaded by a sitar/tabla duo decked out in the full local garb. To cap off the evening, we saw a light/sound show which was done outside the City Palace. Definitely a must see for the next time you're in the 'hood.
Next morning, we hopped on an 8 hour bus over to Mount Abu which is a popular honeymoon destination for Indians as well as a place for people from the immediate south (Gujarat) to have vacations so they can drink since Gujarat is a dry state.
Mount Abu was a nice little town set up around a lake in the mountains. It was really refreshing to be up in the higher altitudes for a little bit of the cooler weather as well as the amazing jagged landscape which we hadn't seen in the last couple months. Over the next few days, we did some horseback riding (pic below), got taken around the lake by someone in a private water-gondola, got our fair share of soft-serve ice cream as well as our first taste of Southern Indian food....which was a nice change of pace. Our personal favorite dish was the Uttapum which we liked eating for breakfast....it's like a thick savory pancake made of rice with the vegetables of your choice fused inside. They serve it with two dipping sauces, one of sambar and one of coconut chutney. Yum.
The absolute highight of Mount Abu (as well as India so far) was our overnight mountain trek through the nearby ancient mountain villages. We went with 'Mount Abu Trekking' which is run by a great Indian guy nicknamed Charles who has a relationship with several of the hill-tribes. The trip included the three of us, plus our Russian friend, Andre, who we had hung out with a bit throughout our recent travels. Charles only takes visitors on these types of treks about twice per month....and each time he visits different tribes....which means each of these villages only sees foreigners about once every few months. It's quite a treat for them....and even more of a treat for us! The hike up through the mountains was absolutely beautiful. Very varied terrain, from high desert cactus to lush green wheat fields (thanks to their advanced, electricity-free irrigation systems from dammed water sources) to the many amazing rock formations on hillsides. The first day we hiked about 11 miles with a total elevation gain of about 4,000 feet. Not bad for a day's work.
Along the hike, we stopped at three of the local villages for 'chai' which is the local tea made with milk, cardamom and sugar. The locals, since they knew our guide, would welcome us into their mud/straw huts and then proceed to chat away to our guide who grew up in Mount Abu and therefore knew the local dialect. We took a few pictures of some of them (which they loved seeing on our digital cameras)...of which you can see below.
We stayed the night in a village of maybe 5 families....comprised of about 10 huts. The family there (along with Charles) made us an amazing dinner comprised of homemade chapati (like pita bread), yogurt curry and potatoes. Everything was made from scratch and everything was created right there on their property. The villages are so far from the nearest towns that they are almost 100% self-sustaining, with exception to a few household items, special spices, etc. We shared a room in the hut with two of the local girls who had an obvious infatuation with Amanda. They liked holding her hand, they liked her foreign clothing.....and even liked her so much that when I awoke the next morning, I found the two of them standing next to her side of the bed, staring at her in amazement while she slept. Very eerie.
We did have a little visitor in the middle of the night which was fun. A little field mouse came to our backpack in search of the nuts we had inside. We turned on the flashlight to catch a look at him and found the most amazing features we had ever seen on a mouse. Long ears, tall body, huge eyes. A very good looking mouse indeed.
On day two, we hiked all the way down the backside of the mountain, where our handsome driver met us in his jeep (pic of him below with the red turban on). Our guide hadn't seen a family friend in a while (who lived in a tiny home out in the middle of nowhere) so we decided to pay them a visit that afternoon to enhance our already amazing experience. Upon arrival, we had some chai and then checked out the amazing, home-made water well, wheat crops and anise plants. I was very jealous of the locals to be able to drink straight from the well....whereas I needed to stick to my bottled mineral water due to fear of bacteria. We did however test our stomachs by having some of their homemade water buffalo milk, served warm. It was a taste that we'll never forget.
All the people we met on this trek seemed so interesting to us since they have learned through generations upon generations of surviving off the land...and living like their ancestors did many years ago. Their gestures and culture so primal, and hearts so sincere. It was really an honor for us to have such a unique experience spending time with them. This was the sort of opportunity you can't buy from a tour service in India....or any other country for that matter. Thanks Charles.
From Mount Abu, we took a 9 hour bus ride down to Baroda (Vadodara) to visit our friend from San Francisco....one of BSSP's very own....LILY GOLDSCHMIDT! Yes, that's right all you crazy advertising people reading out there....Lily Goldschmidt. She's alive and well and living in the wonderful city of Baroda, India. We spent one afternoon with the non-profit organization she's been working with and it looked like she was ready to take over the place. The group is set up to help out local women with any troubles that they're facing at home or in the workplace.
Lily took us to some great restaurants, as well as some Baskin Robbins (pic below) for a much needed and refreshing ice cream cone. We wish her the best of luck in her travels and work abroad.
This takes us to the end of my lengthy blog entry on Northern India. If you've read all of this, then you're definitely family....so we love you and look forward to showing you our thousands of photos in person in May. If you're not family, then you must have a ton of time on your hands....so get back to work.....and check back in with us for Amanda's blog entry next month on the wonderful beaches and backwaters of Southern India.
-T&A
From Mount Abu, we took a 9 hour bus ride down to Baroda (Vadodara) to visit our friend from San Francisco....one of BSSP's very own....LILY GOLDSCHMIDT! Yes, that's right all you crazy advertising people reading out there....Lily Goldschmidt. She's alive and well and living in the wonderful city of Baroda, India. We spent one afternoon with the non-profit organization she's been working with and it looked like she was ready to take over the place. The group is set up to help out local women with any troubles that they're facing at home or in the workplace.
Lily took us to some great restaurants, as well as some Baskin Robbins (pic below) for a much needed and refreshing ice cream cone. We wish her the best of luck in her travels and work abroad.
This takes us to the end of my lengthy blog entry on Northern India. If you've read all of this, then you're definitely family....so we love you and look forward to showing you our thousands of photos in person in May. If you're not family, then you must have a ton of time on your hands....so get back to work.....and check back in with us for Amanda's blog entry next month on the wonderful beaches and backwaters of Southern India.
-T&A
