Delhi Round II

One overnight train and a treacherous mountain drive later, we're in McLeod Ganj. More on this exceptional location later though, I've got to recap the past week in Delhi. We owe our return to this large and chaotic city to Liz's family visiting. We have the pleasure of traveling as five for two weeks now; there's Liz's mom (Ashley), stepdad (Dan), Setse, Liz, and I. And guess what? We can all fit into one auto rickshaw.

We stayed in a guesthouse in the south of Delhi called KS Palace. A lovely place, but near impossible to find. Liz and I were on foot after leaving behind our broken-down rickshaw in search of this hotel when Dan and Ashley happened upon us in their car, lost as well. The sweaty, backpack-laden family reunion was not quite what I had envisioned, but it was heartfelt to witness just the same. We spent the rest of the day on sofas in the sunroom, catching up and sampling Burmese candy, compliments of Setse.

As it turned out, we needed the rest. Voyaging around Delhi as a family unit is not a task for the faint-hearted. On our first day out, we returned to Paharganj, where Liz and I have fond memories of our previous stay. I was so excited to go back to my congested backpacker haunt. It felt a little bit like going home, especially when shopkeepers recognized us and we shared nice exchanges. Main bazaar was having a quiet day, but that didn't stop it from making an impression on the rest of the family. We ate malai kofta at Tadka, collectively bought 8 pashminas in one go, drank chai on the rooftop of Sam's, and Liz scolded her family members about the principles of haggling - a solid introduction to Paharganj. We bargained a rickety car to take us to the Jama Masjid, a massive mosque in the middle of Old Delhi. We arrived at an off time and hunger drove the group to a nearby restaurant. I did make it inside just before sunset - the vast space is open to the sky and houses some of India's most known Islamic architecture. No pictures allowed, though. When I replied no to the security man who asked if I had a camera, he simple asked, "you promise?," as opposed to searching my bag. You know you're in India when...

As I previously mentioned, voyaging around Delhi as a group of five is not a task for the faint of heart. This is statement is mainly derived from the hellish journey back to KS Palace from Old Delhi on our first day out. Two cycle rickshaws, one metro ride, one cramped autorickshaw, and over an hour later, we crawled back to our rooms. With convenience and comfort trumping cheaper transportation, we piled into a car for the next day's journey, which including visiting Setse's grandfather's grave, the Indian Habitat Centre, and the cinema. On the 26th, we went sightseeing to the Lotus Temple, and then to Akshardham, a Hindu temple complex in east Delhi. The impressive central temple completed construction in 2005, and makes it easy to fantasize that you are in a different time period since most structures of its kind are now ruins. But there it stands, a pristine and impossibly intricate structure inside and out. On the flip side, some Delhiites denounce it as controversially ostentatious. Our sightseeing wrapped up at Humayun's Tomb, also known as the mini Taj Mahal. (It served as inspiration to its better-known relative.)

Delhi was essentially shut down the following day...Happy Belated Republic Day! We didn't have tickets to the parade celebration, and that was just as well. Delhi's questionable air quality had smited us all with hacking coughs, and we spent the day lounging and watching the hotel painter line the walls with flowers and paisley designs.

Before we caught our evening train on the 27th, Dan, Liz, and I made one more outing to the Qutub Minar complex. Here we saw (drumroll)...the Minar! as well as other Islamic ruins and a wrought iron pillar that is apparently a metallurgic wonder of the ancient world. Lunch was exceptional. We capitalized on our trio's openness to culinary adventure and holed up in the corner of a crowded street-side restaurant for traditional thalis. Dan said it was his favorite lunch yet.

Traveling with others has once again shed light on Liz and my style of traveling, most drastically so with Liz's family. We increasingly find, and they tell us, that we are bargain and authenticity seekers and are "aggressive" in our pursuits. One might have even called us "seasoned travelers." Life dreams becoming reality!

Love,
Alexis

Rajasthan

From Ahmedabad, we made our way to Jaipur. It was our first taste of Rajasthan, India's most flamboyant state. Our hotel reflected that fact. It was called the Pearl Palace and the walls, doors, furniture, and restaurant were all ornate and very flashy. My favorite in particular was a massive 6 foot peacock that lived on the rooftop restaurant. We spent many meals there because it was cheap, relatively good and had a nice ambiance. We only had a few days in Jaipur, but we were able to pack in a lot thanks to the help of Babu, our friendly auto rickshaw driver. He brought us to the Amber Fort, Monkey Temple, Water Temple, and some cool local stores.

The Amber Fort was much better than I was expecting. The place rests picturesquely up on the hill and you have to climb up to get there. Not only is it still impressive from the outside but it's still retained a lot of its magnificence as the palace was still very much intact. Visitors can wander the multi-story palace freely. Allowing everyone to get their own unique feel of the place. As you exit, there is a fabulous art museum that had some very inspiring Indian paintings, a few of which we regretted being unable to purchase. Alas, the backpack, thwarting yet again the range of souvenirs we can bring home. Anyway, the Water Temple was cool because it looks like it is literally floating in the water. We couldn't enter though. Babu allowed us to fulfill one of our greatest wishes in India. We drove a rickshaw. It's surprisingly difficult and makes me respect the impressive driving I see everyday even more. The Monkey Temple itself was underwhelming but the experience was worth it because we got to hand feed monkeys peanuts! The day was also a success because Alexis and I got some rockin' tapestries that we are very pleased about. I packed that day into one short paragraph but it was a very exhausting, satisfying, gratifying day.

The rest of our time in Jaipur was spent in the old city wandering the market streets. We were on a search for the famed Rajasthani bangles. We did find many fabulous bangles, so many in fact that by the end of the day, they all looked the same. On our first day of bangling we weren't even able to buy any we were so bangled out. And I have to say Jaipur itself is very overwhelming. Shopkeepers, swindlers and beggars are so aggressive that it isn't uncommon to be grabbed, pushed or assertively directed to accommodate someone else's agenda. India pushed it's limits on me that day and if someone had offered me a plane ride home I very we'll might have taken it. But that's India for you. A constant struggle.

Jaisalmer was a whole other beast entirely. It is very aptly named the Golden City and seems to rise out of the desert like a mirage. Outside the fort reminded me of Tatooine from Star Wars and I half expected Obi Wan to be around the next corner saying "These aren't the droids you're looking for." We didn't spend much time in the city however because...we went on a camel trek! We left very early in the morning so we could eat breakfast as the sun rose in the desert. For the desert, it is surprisingly cold in the morning and we huddled around the cook fire with fresh made chai to warm our bellies.

Then it was camel time. My camel's name was Johnny Walker and Alexis's was Lucky. Getting on a camel is an exhilarating experience. It feels like a mini roller coaster in itself. Then there's the actual ride. It's true the novelty wears off pretty quickly and turns to pain, but as you plod along with desert on all side ps as far as you can see, with nothing but blue sky, you can't help but feel like a cowboy. We were on the camels for 3 hours before lunch time (getting closer and closer to Pakistan), which was plenty of time for our groins and thighs to be severely strained. We rested during the heat of the day under a large desert bush and then pushed on. The second part of the day i felt less like a cowboy and more like Rango because it was HOT. Like so hot you couldn't even sweat you went straight to roasting. Which in my opinion is better then Kerala heat. And I'm happy to say we were so covered the whole day, we didn't get sunburned! It was funny, when we arrived in camp, these French people told us, they had thought we were Japanese people because we were so covered up when we first rolled up to camp! The sand dunes were spectacular. I sang Arabian nights on repeat in my head for the first two hours we were there. We watched the sun set over the dunes and then sat around a campfire for dinner. We tuckered out really really early. But who can blame us? Our whole bodies were jello after a full day on a camel! We fell asleep to the sound of french children's songs around the camp fire and we slept out under the stars under very thick blankets. The French people we were with were very impressed that we were sleeping uncovered (they had brought tents) but I wouldn't have done it any other way because when we woke up in the middle of the night we saw millions of stars and the outlines of the sand dunes. It was stunning.

The morning was rough. It was cold, noses were runny and our whole bodies were beyond sore. But we persevered and after breakfast we were back on our camels heading back to Jaisalmer. The ride was comparatively short and before we knew it, we were saying good bye to our camels. It was a short but extremely satisfying trek and most definitely one of my favorites so far in India.

Caves and Kites

Liz and I left Mumbai the same day Ally flew home, departingto a place called Aurangbad. The city itself isn’t much, mostly dust andautorickshaws, but it serves as a launching point from which visitors canexplore the famous caves of Ellora and Ajanta.

Both sets of caves, Ellora and Ajanta, are out in the middle of the country side, making me question 1) how someone ever found them and 2) why and how someone ever built them. The caves are an incredible human feat for a number of reasons. The Ellora Caves, famous for their architecture and sculpture, were carved between 400 and 100 AD, and are comprised of (from oldest to newer) Buddhist Monasteries, Hindu Temples, and Jain Temples. The most famous cave, cave number 16 or the Kailasha, is one of India's most famous monuments and the world's largest monolithic structure. It is estimated that the task of quarrying its 3 million cubic feet of rock occupied between one hundred and two hundred years, a statistic that is hard to wrap your head around even when standing in the midst of all its stone glory.

The next day we visited the Caves of Ajanta. The Ajanta Caves were excavated between 2nd century BC and 6th century AD, and discovered by accident in the early 1800s. Ajanta is famous for being the most perfect example of Indian wall paintings, such as the Bodhisattva Padmapani of cave one. Though the paintings have been worn by the centuries, you can still see glimpses of the vivid colors that once covered the Buddhist temple caves. The intricate designs that still cover some of the stone surfaces make you wish you could time transport back to see Ajanta in all of its glory.

Liz was very into comparing the two sets of caves. Here are her notes:

The two sets of caves have very different vibes: Ellora was so open that it required only natural sunlight. This gave it a much more ruinous feel, the fact that anyone can explore them on our own added to this. Ajanta was dramatically lit and the wall paintings roped off, giving it a more touristy but grandiose feel. The caves felt more intact because they were set so far in the mountain. They felt almost frozen in time and even the smell indicated a sense of grandeur. Because they were so dark, they had an other-worldly feel that made it easier for me to imagine their original extravagance, more so than at Ellora.

We were going to follow up our two days of cave exploration with a visit to a hilltop fort, but alas, early mornings and sightseeing take their toll. We had to rest up for more travel, too, a never ending task.

We had planned to go back to Mumbai to catch a train north,but changed our plans when we finally found a bus that went directly to Ahmedabad,where India’s two-day kite festival is especially celebrated. It was anovernight sleeper bus reminiscent of Harry Potter’s Knight Bus, with all of thenausea-inducing driving included.  Youcatch some serious air when the road gets bumpy. However, it got us toAhmedabad early on the morning of January 14^th, the first day of thefestival. We were lucky to be taken in by Anita and family, who we met throughLiz’s sister Setse, who attends and Indian boarding school with their daughterJuhi. Whew. Essentially, we got to stay with a lovely Indian-American familyand Setse during an incredible kite festival.

After breakfast we went up to the rooftop of their building,where our kite education began. The kites are all basically the same – small, paper– except that they come in a wide assortment of colors.  Four holes are poked in the kite near thewooden rod running the length of the middle; we used an incense stick to dothis. Then the kite string is threaded through the holes in a very preciseprocess, since the knot has to be exactly in between both top and bottom forthe kite to fly successfully.  Onceprepared, the kite is thrown up into the wind, and its strings are pulled onstrategically to get it flying. After it is in the air, it is incredible howfar these seemingly fragile paper and string creations can go. That is, if thesky is clear of other kites – my false belief that kite-flying was a peaceful activitywas quickly shattered after I arrived in Ahmedabad. The reality is that eachkite is looking to go into battle with other kites, the main objective being tocut them out of the sky. (This is possible because the colorful kite string isthreaded with small shards of glass.) During our session on the rooftop though,in the main part of the city, we were not threatened by many competitors.

The scene changed completely when we all took a car to theresidential district in the late afternoon. Here is where the kite festival really went down. We went upstairs to afriend’s rooftop, where the view completely took my breath away. The whole cityhad relocated to the rooftops; there was no building in sight with an empty terrace.On top of the crowds were the thousands of kites they were flying.  There were so many kites, and the commotioncontinued as far as the horizon. My camera failed miserably at capturing thespecks of kites that dotted out the sky for miles upon miles. Paper kites clungto all the electric wires, littered the ground, fell through the sky in dozens.(With this quantity of kites, constant kite fights ensure that none will stayin the air for longer than a few minutes.) I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. On our rooftop, the womensat around talking to each other, kids ran around with brightly colored kitestring, one skilled grandmother hacked other kites out of the air, and anyonewas willing to take over the task of holding the spool for another kite flier.

I thought the festivities would cease when nighttime came. I’mfoolish – this is Indian festivals we’re talking about. The kite flying didstart to slow down when the sun disappeared, giving way to the setting off ofpaper lanterns. We saw one or two at first, witnessing their carefulpreparation and delicate send-off on terraces near us. Within ten minutes, thesky was full of them.  As if that wasn’tmagical enough, fireworks started popping up over every rooftop. (Safety bedamned.) I had the best seat in the world, I felt, on the highest point in thecity, with an unobstructed 360 degree view of lanterns and fireworks lightingup the night sky. 

We had a lovely night of sleep after a delectable Indian dinner, followed a relaxing day at the house. (The exceptions were leaving for ice cream and freshly squeezed sugar cane juice.) We went up to the roof again to kite fly, but the lack of wind prevented any real action and led to my kite getting stuck in a tree, next to 50 other ones. Our whirlwind welcome to Ahmedabad had a fast turn around to our next overnight bus, but the travel is worth it when you leave with memories like this in your head.

(More photos to come!)

Dreds, Drumming, and Departures (by Alynn Evans)

Please enjoy the following guest post as much as we enjoyed not having to write it.

____________________________________________________________________________

Surprise! You are hearing from the one and only Alynn (Ally)Evans who spent the last three weeks in India with the infamous Alexis and Liz.Since you have last heard from the duo, you may be a bit concerned about our wellbeingin the south. Liz was not exaggerating when she described the sweltering heat,but despite all the sweating, we had a wonderful time.

From Cochin, we flew to Goa in search of beaches and(fingers crossed) cooler weather. Arriving in Arambol, the beach town locatedin north Goa, we were greeted by both of these, along with the overarchingvibes of peace and love and an eclectic array of Westerners with dreadlockedheads. We weren't in India anymore –or at least it felt like it. In fact, itfelt as if we had been taken straight back in time to the 1960s. Our thoughtprocess shifted from synthesizing the Indian culture we had been observing tocomprehending the massive amounts of hippies we were suddenly surrounded by.  People from all over the world flock to Goafor its ‘chill atmosphere’ and easy going lifestyle. As three tuckered out travelers–we fit right in. Furthermore, we took to lounging quite quickly –spending upwardsof five hours on floor pillows in a beach shack restaurant reading andrelaxing. One morning, in the spirit of Goa, Liz stopped and got two dreadlockson our way to breakfast. How casual, I know. She was quite brave in the processof teasing and wrapping and intertwining a chunk of her beautiful blonde hair. Theyturned out very nicely! As we continued on our search for breakfast, we werestopped by a woman who stared wide-eyed at Alexis. She leaned in close andasked, “Were you that girl I saw dancing in the drumming circle last night?” ClassicGoa.

Two days later, we left Goa for Mumbai, where were thrustback into the hustle and bustle of large Indian city. The break from attention wegot in Goa was over, as we were quickly reminded that our light skin color was wortha stare. Though brief, I really enjoyed my time in Mumbai. Unfortunately, Lizwasn’t feeling well for most of our time in Mumbai, but we were still allvisited some amazing sights like the Gateway of India, the Jain Temple and theGhats. We stayed in an area full of museums, art galleries and impressivearchitecture –a sheer gold mine for an art history major. Alexis and I visitedMumbai’s Modern Art Museum filled with works by one particular artist known asRamkinkar. The food was fabulous as well. I have never imagined one could do somuch with my favorite chocolate bar, the Toblerone, but India has done it. Ihad a delicious Toblerone cake in Mumbai, while Liz and Alexis split a giant rockyroad sundae at a nice restaurant in the area. My last dinner was scrumptious aswell – a paneer dish and just enough parata (delicious dense and flaky bread) toalready make me nostalgic for my time in India. I left early the next morningfor my long travel journey back to Colorado – a nine hour plane ride to London,fifteen hours in the airport, and a ten hour plane ride home, yikes (but I madeit)!

As for the two lovely ladies I have been traveling with,they are doing well. In the eyes of a Westerner –they have looked better; butfor two travelers in India with 4 months under their belt, they’re dashing!Getting to spend three weeks with my dearest friend Alexis (who is known to meas Allie) was the greatest Christmas/New Year present I could ask for (besideshaving the opportunity to be in India, of course). We crossed off some keyfriendship firsts as well –like flying together, being on the beach, and survivingsome straining train and bus travels. Being a spicy food devotee, I owe a lotto her sharing some less intense meals to tend to my weak, bland palate. AndLiz, a girl who I briefly met last spring when I visited Boston, has become agreat friend. It turns out that three weeks of sleeping next to each other andsweating together in the relentless south Indian sun is the perfect grounds fora friendship to start! We made a great trio –walking the streets of Delhi,eating the wonderful food of the south, and lounging in Goa. I was so sad toleave them in Mumbai, but am excited (and jealous) to hear of their futuretravels.

I am still trying to process my time in India, I had anincredible time and was touched by this country. I was constantly in awe at all thebeauty I saw in the many faces, craftsmanship, and simply the living in India. Beyondbeauty, I was surrounded by stories –told and untold – that have seeped into melike tea from a tea bag!

Namaste and much love,

Alynn

_____________________________________________________________________________

Isn't she the greatest?
We miss you already, and you are inextricably connected to many things India (like mini autorickshaws and porotta) for us.
Cheers to the best adventures with best friends. And middle-aged versions of ourselves that show us what we have to look forward to.
Lots of love,
Alexis

Functioning in Heat

As you may know we flew south to enjoy the balmy weather of Kerala in its peak season. What we did not know is that it is hot. Not that pleasant ah I'm glad I'm sitting here outside hot, but really hot. I can't function, it's 80% humidity, the sun burns hot. So these past few days have been a struggle between wanting to be able to go out and see things and being incapable of function much less productivity.

Kollam we managed to do many fabulous back waters boat tour which was fascinating and also gave us a look at life in the backwaters. Our hotel ended up being fabulous as well, on an isolated peninsula out of the town. Our host was very inviting and planned it so we would arrive in Kollam in the midst of a parade celebration of one of the Hindu gods. At the end of the parade we got to see elephants!

In Alleppey we were there for less than 24 hours and it was so wretchedly hot that we laid under the fan in our room and ate in an air conditioned hotel. And that was it.

The bus ride from Alleppey to Munnar was hideous. We walked from our hotel to the bus station at 3:45am to find our 4:30AM <--- bus was already completely full. So we stood squished in the aisle with the bags between our legs on a bus that was worse than wretchedly hot. Like I'm talking drowning, can't breath, pushing you to insanity hot. I was a mess, my only shirt inside out and soaked in sweat, anticipating the 5.5 hour bus ride ahead. The brief relief we got when the bus started moving was squashed when every person on the bus for some insane reason closed their windows. I don't understand how everyone here can bear this heat, truly I don't, and they barely even sweat. After the first hour (thank god) people began to open their windows which made the ride infinitely more bearable. My feet began to hurt less, I wasn't quite so drenched, it wasn't quite so squished or claustrophobic. And then as we approached hour two, we finally got not one but three seats! Of course we can't get that without more suffering. The bus then parked and remained still for over 30 minutes. I've done a lot of traveling and I've been a lot of places, but unless you have been this hot for such a sustained amount of time, I cannot describe to you the sheer miserableness of it. Your other senses began to fail and your whole body shuts down until all you can do is stare blankly ahead with not ONE thought in your brain. I can positively say that I have never ever been so hot in my life. And when I say that, it includes this entire week, it has not gotten better for this whole week. As a matter of fact everyone of our travel days has been similar to this (though not quite so horrid), but we have yet to have one go smoothly, so fingers crossed!

We did eventually make it to Munnar where we spent New Years (I am not proud to say) in bed falling asleep, the reason being we had an early morning start to a trek through the tea plantations. I think this has been my favorite thing so far. Tea plantations are unreal. Literally. They look like something out of Alice and Wonderland. The plants are raised maybe 3/4 feet high, perfectly manicured with thin zigzag paths for the tea pickers to walk along and random silver oaks to keep the ground strong. It is incredibly beautiful and we had the pleasure of doing a 7.5 hour hike which was largely through them. The hike also included spice plantations and some great mountain views over breakfast. It is most certainly the most physical activity that Alexis and I have done since we've been traveling and there was a lot of difficult downhill that was rough on the knees. Needless to say we were very sore the next day. Our trek ended us at our hotel's cottage, nestled in one of the many mountains of Munnar. We spent a lovely night there before moving on to Cochin.

Cochin has probably been the peak of our inactivity as we've spent many hours semi-conscious from heat exhaustion in our hotel room. The food here has been fabulous though, most notably a place called Dal Roti, so good that we had to return to sample more things on the menu. We also managed to visit an elephant training camp in the early morning hours before it got unbearable. I can't say I enjoyed it very much though. The elephants did not have ample room and all had chains on their legs. After seeing families of elephants in the wild in Africa, it broke my heart to see these primarily lone creatures forced to live in spaces too small for their greatness. Anyway, we're off to Goa tomorrow which will hopefully be a little less hot and we will have the luxury of the cool ocean water. Alexis and I cannot wait to go back north though where it is breathable at night! The only downside to this is that the end of the south means the end of Ally, who has been a very welcome and comforting addition to our time so far in India.

Cheers,
Liz.