Tiger Hunting and Sun Seeking

Ranthambhore National Park was our next stop and was the first time in almost a month that we were able to breath fresh air and see blue sky. Eating dinner on the rooftop restaurant and watching the goats, pigs and dogs meander around the adjacent farm was a nice change from the auto rickshaws and taxi wallas in Delhi. Delhi was nice to visit and is undoubtedly very populated. We had two very different impressions of the city. We were in Delhi 4 times either in transit or to see the city itself. The first two times we made the mistake of staying in the budget hotels and near the train station. This had a huge impact on our impression of the city as both the area, and the hotel were just too dodgy for our liking. All over India we've stayed at some great hotels in the budget range, but Delhi is simply different. The last 2 times we stayed at Hotel Sri Nanak, which was a bit of a price upgrade, but worth every penny. It allowed us to have a peaceful sleep and enjoy the next day.

We had heard about the tiger safaris at Ranthambhore National Park (a quick six hour train ride away) and booked two safaris in an open top jeep. While it sounded a little unusual to go searching for tiger in an open vehicle, we were assured it was safe. In the park we whizzed by groups of monkeys playing in trees, several deer grazing in the grass, and even spotted an owl. But the tigers took precedent and there was no time to stop our hunt. With an eagle eye, we spotted the trail of the tiger by the paw print left in the sand on the side of the road. It was conveniently circled for easy identification by the trackers. We followed its trail to the usual tiger areas but saw only trees and tall yellow grass in a dried up river bed. At one point there was a big rustling in the leaves but we neither saw or heard anything resembling a tiger. That's ok. We had other wildlife sightings to keep us entertained.

Supposedly, the sloth bear is a rare sighting, but we managed to see two (or one twice?) of them in the same day! Leave it to the Canadians to spot the bears. We also got a great shot of the national bird, called the King Fisher (also the name of the most popular beer, and water). All in all, the safari was a great way to spend the day. Cruising around a beautiful national park listening to the birds and watching the wildlife. The deer in particular were incredibly calm and came very close to the jeep.

Due to a major flight delay, we changed our itinerary and decided to head straight to Kovalam Beach. We intended to only stay three nights here and then visit some other cities lying close by. But the peaceful tranquility of the small beach set is a cove between a lighthouse and a rocky out crop proved too strong. Three nights stretched into six nights and seven days. In the mornings we watched the fishermen haul in the catch of the day with their nets. Strolled by the shops all selling the same articles by noon and in the afternoon we swam in the Indian Ocean. It's easy to see why this beach is the favorite of many Germans. The incredible German Bakery was like a piece of home selling apple crumble, french toast and freshly squeezed OJ.

The guide books all rave about the "backwater cruise". So not wanting to miss out on anything, we booked a trip to supposedly meander the backwater canals and water ways while a guide explains the local ecosystem. The cruise consisted of a canoe with two plastic chairs, quietly guided through the back water river system by a "guide" who didn't speak a lick of english but did have a good eye for spotting birds. Getting the name the bird was a different story.

Guide: Says something unintelligble.
Jo: Preethenma?
Guide: Says same thing but equally unintelligble.
Jo: Preeththen?
Guide: Points to the bird.
Rich (to Jo): What's it called?
Jo: No idea.
Rich: Sweet! Nice bird though.

This spot marked the last bit of our visit to India. As we leave we have to mention that a small miracle happened. We spent a months here and didn't get sick once. We planned for the usual GI disaster but it never came. Thankfully, we leave the country healthily, but there are some things we leave behind in India that we will miss. Like the incredible nan bread from the tandoori, the extra rupees we gave to the theiving overcharging taxi drivers, the chunk of my scalp I lost when a turbine wave surfed my head onto the sandy floor of the beach, Jo's Canada flag badge which was ever so caringly cut off her pack by a baggage handler with out cutting her bag and of course the black soot we blew out our noses each time we used a kleenex. For all it's downs, this wacky country has it's major ups. Like the warm demeanor of it's people, the ambiguous head wobble that can mean "yes", "no", "maybe" or "I dunno", the open heart to many forms of spirituality and religion, and lastly, the amazing food. Oh... the food. I will miss the curries, the dum aloo, the biryani...

Last thing, check out the link Jo set up called "Where are!" (top right in the links section) and use the idiot proof map to see where we are in the world (indicated by a red arrow). Click on the arrow of your choice and read the text Jo has so caringly typed for your reading pleasure. Now it's off to Sri Lanka.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Taj Mahal

There are no words to describe it. To be in its presence is like nothing I've ever experienced before. I was truly awestruck. I can't say that I anticipated feeling that way. The Taj Mahal is one of the most photographed monuments in the world. You would think that this would make the experience of seeing it, live and in-person, anti-climactic - but it was so far from that. From photos, the Taj looks just like a big white marble building. Being there, you see that the walls of this mausoleum are actually inlaid with colourful floral patterns and scripture from the Quran. It is beautiful beyond description. The inside is no less so and is essentially empty except for the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan (which is the only thing that offsets the symmetry in the whole building). Because there is only natural light seeping into the center room, it's a very peaceful place. Feeling the cool marble under your bare feet and leaving your eyes to wander freely over the colourful and intricate inlay work on the walls and cenotaphs is a little piece of heaven. A single flower (of which there were thousands) requires dozens of individually cut semi-precious stones.

Shah Jahan built the Taj as a memorial for his wife who died giving birth to their 14th child. He is said to have been so heartbroken that his hair turned grey overnight. Shah Jahan is now also buried there, next to her. Très romantique. We spent the entire day there strolling around and just relaxing on the grass, with the most romantic and beautiful building ever made watching over us and exotic birds flying all around. We went to Agra just to see the Taj Mahal and it was more than worth the trip. Seeing it was honestly moving to the point of tears. We left feeling relaxed and fulfilled and ready for our upcoming trip to Varanasi.

Varanasi, like the Taj Mahal, is something you have to see if you come to India. It is considered the most holy city in India and, if you die here, you are guaranteed moksha (which breaks the cycle of rebirth and frees the spirit). Plenty of people come here to die, too. It is not uncommon to see corpses carried through the street on the way to the funeral pyres. They are cremated at the ghats and their ashes sprinkled into the Ganges. Those who are considered to be already pure (pregnant women, children and holy men) are not cremated and are put directly into the water so that it would not be out of the question to have to row around "someone" as you paddle down the river. Risking this, Rich and I got up at the crack of dawn nonetheless to take a boat ride along the ghats and watch the sun rise. Fortunately, our boat didn't have to paddle strategically around anyone except the (very alive) swimmers and bathers.

We floated past the many ghats where people bathe, do their laundry, play, pray and exercise. A couple of the ghats are specifically for cremations and the funeral pyres burn night and day. It was such a great experience to be out at that time of the morning as the sun rose and the mist lay on the water. We felt very priveleged to be able to share in little aspects of peoples lives and, sometimes, deaths. We got to see a deeper part of India. Somehow, you just don't feel the same after that.

Aside from its holiness, Varanasi is also renowned for its silk. We went into one of the shops just to look at the incredible silk sarees. Banarasi sarees, as they are called, are world famous (with price tags to match - but stunningly beautiful to look at). We sat on the futon mattress-covered floor, drinking masala chai, as we became covered in layer upon layer of silk as the shop owner spread out all his wares for us to see. Aside from the sarees, they had amazing scarves, shawls, cushion covers and duvet covers - not to mention silk by the metre. We were pretty good though. Rich got a couple of shirts made and we bought a few things but didn't break the bank.

Varanasi has been great, but we're looking forward to our visits to smaller towns with fewer people and slightly fresher air. Our lungs are "exhausted" - ha ha! I kill me.

We're off now to try to spot some tigers. Stay tuned...

Jodhpur, Udaipur & Jaipur. The blue, cream and pink cities of Rajasthan.

Our trip from Pushkar to Jodhpur included the usual dusty, cramped and rocky bus ride, which stopped more times than a milk truck. Surprisingly, our auto rickshaw driver actually suggested a reasonable price for the trip which allowed us to chill out on the terrace of Cozy's guest house.

Jodhpur is the home of 846, 408 people (small town by Indian standards) and the mighty Mehrangarh. This is a massive sprawling fort which looks much like a life sized sandcastle perched on a mountain top. It feels as though you're walking through history as you stroll past the pock marks made by previous attacks with cannon balls and the cenotaph showing where a soldier offered to be sacrificed and buried within the fort foundation to appease the gods. This was done to avoid the many years of bad luck said to inhabit the land, upon which the fort was built.

Listening to the entertaining audio guide sometimes gives you the chills as it describes in detail the Indian practice of Sati, death before dishonour. This act was banned more than a century ago but is still occasionally practiced today. In 1843, the 15 wives plus multiple concubines of Maharaja Man Singh placed their hand in a bronze casting before setting themselves ablaze beside their husband's funeral pyre. It's eerie to walk by the plate showing their actual handprints made just before their fiery deaths. Further on,the museum showed a curious mix of weapons, palanquins, clothes and of course the "women's dumbell". Looking more like 3 foot long decorated horn, this was meant to keep the women's arms well toned for their Maharaja. The rest of the towns 400 year old buildings are painted cobalt blue giving this town it's nick name the blue city. Supposedly the blue colour is said to repel mosquitos but its effect seemed lost in time.

Udaipur is, without a doubt, a tourist city. As our taxi swerved to go around the elephant strolling down the middle of the street, it's easy to learn the rules of driving. Bigger is better and the elephant reigns supreme. Skipping the shopping stalls which line the roads, we chose to enjoy the scenery and good food. We ate at the German bakery, Edelweiss, which unfortunately put the song of the same name in my head for the rest of the day - a truly painful experience. The peaceful view of the streetside cows munching on garbage and the shining water on the ghat (steps that lead to the water), was starkly contrasted by the constant honking of autorickshaws, motorcycles and the odd car. This mix made for a bizarre sense of calm, sandwiched by fright amidst a sea of colourful sarees.

To it's credit, Udaipur has one of the best Indian restaurants we have experienced on our journey. Restaurant Ambrai, is located on the edge of Pichola Lake and has a beautiful patio under the stars. Local musicians played the sensuous sounds of India as we ate Mutton Keena Mutter, Dum Aloo Kashmiri and nan. Yes Jon, you'll be proud... I ordered something other than chicken! It's one of the only restaurants in town where Indians will actually wait in line to get a table.

We also made time to take an Indian cooking class. Shakti, our chef extraordinaire, from the Indian Spice Box, had us make Chai Masala, Dum Aloo Kashmiri, and other tasty dishes. His instructions over the years have become refined to include a pleasant mix of grammatical errors and his scripted jokes. "Ven de oil is to be sitting on top of de mixture... then it is to be going... ready" and "too much spiiice... is going make the test... go bad in... de mouth" are phrases which are now ingrained in our memories. We only realized near the end of the class, that "test" meant "taste".

Jaipur, was a chance for us to revisit our sense of being famous. We rented Mohamed's services to drive us around to the sites for the day in his auto rickshaw ($6.60 CDN). With each site we went to, shy Indian teenage males would ask Jo if they could have her photo. This usually happened the moment I drifted more then 10 feet away from her. Smiling proudly, they made sure to keep the 12 inch bubble around her - well clear of any body contact as that's a huge NO NO. Our favourite was the entire class of 25 students, all in uniform, running across garden lawns to catch up with us for the photo op. Having that many smiling laughing faces so excited to just be near you and constantly waiving at us as we walked away put a huge grin on our faces that seemed to last the whole day. Nicknamed the pink city, Jaipur is oddly orange in colour but nevertheless, it is indeed painted all the same colour. Maybe they got a discount on the paint? "How much if I buy, 10, 000 gallons?"

Our day ended with a visit to the Monkey Temple. Here, perched atop a rocky barren hillcrest, a buddist temple gives an impressive view of the smog that lies above the pink (orange?) city. We came to see the monkeys but the charm of this temple was the giggling group of kids gretting us with their best english phrases. Each in turn, they said "Hi! How are you?" "What's your name?". As soon as we finished the exercise in english pronunciation, the next one standing in line would start up as though they didn't know our name. Declining the adults' offer to join them for dinner (we kind of interrupted a private dinner party), we left the temple, turning back every 15 steps to wave at the kids who stood there waving until we disappeared out of sight. The welcoming Indian spirit and warmth of these people far outweighs the the smog and poverty combined. It truly touches the soul and, at the end of the day, it's important to remember the human qualities of this country and let the pollution and the other less positive aspects drift away with the wind.

Incredible India - Pushkar Camel Fair

We have been looking forward to the India portion of our trip since the beginning and it's hard to believe that we're finally here. What can I say... India is truly amazing. We had developed images in our minds but it's just so much more than you can imagine. Urban monkeys climbing all over the buildings and cows wandering everywhere that constantly have to be manoeuvered around. We've seen wild peacocks, loads of wild green parakeets and all kinds of other birds, many that I've never seen before. This is quite a change from China where there was a visible dearth of wildlife (except for cats!). There are so many colours and smells here. Everything we ever thought it would be and more.

When we first arrived in Delhi, we immediately got a taxi so that we could check into our hotel. Then, to our amusement, it happened - the famous taxi-hotel scam...

Upon arrival in Delhi, our taxi-wallah played out practically verbatim what the guide book warns people about. I had just finished reading about it in the airport and it goes something like this: The taxi driver claims he doesn't speak English and/or he needs directions. He stops at an "official" tourist agent who calls your hotel, says it's double booked (or closed/burned down/full of bugs, etc) but says that the hotel is going to set us up at one of their "sister hotels". Of course, this is actually a hotel that gives him a huge commission for bringing people in.

Basically, we just sat in the cab until he took us to our hotel (an hour or so later). Thankfully our cab was pre-paid so we didn't really care how long he took - his gas. After taking us to the "sister hotel" and after we explained, again, that we had already paid for our hotel in full and weren't going to pay any more, he "phoned" our hotel again and, miraculously, a room was now available for us. "Wow, what luck" Joanne says to the driver sarcastically. "Oh yes, very lucky", says the taxi driver. Our cabby (this picture isn't of him by the way) actually tried to ditch us down the street in the middle of nowhere and then tried again to just leave us at the train station - all to avoid getting caught out in his scam. After finally getting to our hotel he had the gaul to ask for a tip! "HA! HA!", said Rich. We got to our room and had a great laugh over it all. We fell in love with India immediately.

The next morning, we got up nice and early to get ready for a long day of travel. We were to take a flight to Jaipur, a bus to Ajmer and a cab to Pushkar. We arrived at the airport with a nice big Joanne-sized cushion of time to find out that we were at the wrong building! Luckily, we managed to find a free shuttle to the other terminal which sped us across the tarmac and along the actual runways, avoiding planes as they took off and landed, and we arrived at the correct terminal 15 minutes before our scheduled flight. Phew.

"You have missed your flight - it left at 7am", said the lady at the desk. What?!?! Stupidly, we had forgotten to confirm that portion of our trip and the time of the flight had been changed. So, off we went to make friends with a man called Lal Chand - the airport manager.

What an amazingly kind person he was. We explained our predicament and he and his colleague immediately got on the phone to get help us with other arrangements. They not only arranged a driver to take us all the way to Pushkar but bought us lunch too! If that wasn't enough, we got to see the Rajasthani countryside instead of the inside of a plane. Our driver was great and, 6 hours later, we pulled into Pushkar in time to check in and take a breather before heading out for a chai to celebrate an enjoyable and successful trip.

Pushkar is amazing. It's a very small town built up around a lake that people come on pilgrimages to in order to bathe in the holy water. It's usually very peaceful but becomes completely packed with people for one week a year for the Pushkar Camel Fair. It was a crazy introduction to India. We spent our days browsing the shops, eating all the great Indian food and just taking it all in. We even saw a moustache competition - here's a picture of the winner! There were also all kinds of spiritual goings-on. We got blessed more times than perhaps was strictly necessary, but the priests (eager to get a few rupees for the cause) are abundant and it's nearly impossible to escape the day without at least a few red finger prints on your forehead. The spiritual aspect of the fair also has people bursting into song at all hours of the day and night, people leading around their special spiritual cows that have extra limbs, and others wrapping themselves in padded suits and rolling down the street with a band of devotees following closely behind and chanting (encouragement?).

The camels were gorgeously decorated and the stores were full of amazingly priced and colourful clothes, which I took advantage of to the fullest extent that my pack would allow.

We are totally in love with India. We're already talking about when we'll be back since a month isn't nearly enough time to explore everything we want to see.