It is Christmas morning here, and Christmas eve in the States. That's strange.
It feels really weird to be here, but also I am really distracted by everything around me. Darjeeling is really lovely, and we have a beautiful hotel room with a fireplace and a great view. We are at a bakery/internet cafe. I had to see when is the best to call my parents, and check up on the political situation in Goa (where we are headed on the 29th - and get there on the 31st....
Merry Christmas. May it be wonderful, peaceful, and practical.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Darjeeling
Darjeeling is so lovely...it is the quietest, cleanest, and most peaceful place I have been in India. There is a large population of Tibetans and Nepalis, which sorta lightens my heart. After traveling in India, my fondness for Nepal has become even stronger.
Also, there are no cows here, which is never the case in India or Nepal...it's a little spooky, but also nice to not have to dodge cow shit every 2 feet. Especially when you are wearing flip-flops, which is all the time for me, it can be a not so fun time.
Our train was only 2 hours late coming to our destination, and the jeep ride 3 hours...getting us to Darjeeling by 6:00pm.
I am just really glad to not have to get on a train for another 5 days, and to chill out. It is going to be a nice place to spend Christmas.
Hopefully we can find a nice hotel for Xmas with a fireplace. There are a couple of them, and we are going to hopefully book something today. The guest house we got for now though is nice and quiet, clean and has great windows. If it clears up, we should be able to see the highest mountain in India (that I cannot remember the name of), Everest, and the huge Everest region. It's pretty foggy though. Being here, in the crisp cold, with overcast, really makes it feel like Christmas though.
Our first Christmas together, and our first apart from our families...bittersweet.
Also, there are no cows here, which is never the case in India or Nepal...it's a little spooky, but also nice to not have to dodge cow shit every 2 feet. Especially when you are wearing flip-flops, which is all the time for me, it can be a not so fun time.
Our train was only 2 hours late coming to our destination, and the jeep ride 3 hours...getting us to Darjeeling by 6:00pm.
I am just really glad to not have to get on a train for another 5 days, and to chill out. It is going to be a nice place to spend Christmas.
Hopefully we can find a nice hotel for Xmas with a fireplace. There are a couple of them, and we are going to hopefully book something today. The guest house we got for now though is nice and quiet, clean and has great windows. If it clears up, we should be able to see the highest mountain in India (that I cannot remember the name of), Everest, and the huge Everest region. It's pretty foggy though. Being here, in the crisp cold, with overcast, really makes it feel like Christmas though.
Our first Christmas together, and our first apart from our families...bittersweet.
Friday, December 19, 2008
trains, trees, and trains
The train that was 3 hours and 40 minutes late, ended up being 10 hours late. That's right, 10 hours. It was 12 hours late arriving in Gaya. Let me tell you how fun it was.
Fun.
The train stations in India are not exactly clean or peaceful. There are countless people, from elders to babies, begging. Sidewalks covered with shit, though that is everywhere in India. People spitting and yelling. And of course the hoards of people starring like crazy at us really strange people with white skin. There is no room for concentration on something like reading a book.
It was a very trying 10 hours.
We ended up getting into Gaya at 2:00am, unsure if we could find anywhere to sleep, or if we would be sleeping at the train station. With any luck there was someone from a hotel in Bodhgaya, 13km away, who had a room "just for us".
At first we were considering changing our tickets to leave Gaya the next day. That meant though, that we would have to change our class to General. General class is where no one is guarenteed a seat and there are people fighting (slapping and beating eachother) to get one. Also, the fears I have of being gropped on the train would become a reality. We decided against that.
Kinda strange to arrive in one place and leave the same day, while checking into a hotel...
We got to our guest house at 3:00am, making waking up at 9:00 really hard.
Our train left Gaya at 1:05, so we had to get a move on.
It was so nice, after all of that chaos, to be in such a serene and powerful place.
To be at the tree and the place where Buddha attained enlightenment, and medidtated for over 3 weeks after being enlightened was...there are no words.
There were hundreds of monks and devotees praying in the fields of gompas around the temple, and walking the temple area.
Ahhhhhhh....how lovely.
We are killing time again waiting in between trains. If our train is on time, we will leave at 10:45pm and arrive in Darjeeling area at 11:45am...but they are usually off schedule, so we will probably get in around 2.
Wish us luck.
Fun.
The train stations in India are not exactly clean or peaceful. There are countless people, from elders to babies, begging. Sidewalks covered with shit, though that is everywhere in India. People spitting and yelling. And of course the hoards of people starring like crazy at us really strange people with white skin. There is no room for concentration on something like reading a book.
It was a very trying 10 hours.
We ended up getting into Gaya at 2:00am, unsure if we could find anywhere to sleep, or if we would be sleeping at the train station. With any luck there was someone from a hotel in Bodhgaya, 13km away, who had a room "just for us".
At first we were considering changing our tickets to leave Gaya the next day. That meant though, that we would have to change our class to General. General class is where no one is guarenteed a seat and there are people fighting (slapping and beating eachother) to get one. Also, the fears I have of being gropped on the train would become a reality. We decided against that.
Kinda strange to arrive in one place and leave the same day, while checking into a hotel...
We got to our guest house at 3:00am, making waking up at 9:00 really hard.
Our train left Gaya at 1:05, so we had to get a move on.
It was so nice, after all of that chaos, to be in such a serene and powerful place.
To be at the tree and the place where Buddha attained enlightenment, and medidtated for over 3 weeks after being enlightened was...there are no words.
There were hundreds of monks and devotees praying in the fields of gompas around the temple, and walking the temple area.
Ahhhhhhh....how lovely.
We are killing time again waiting in between trains. If our train is on time, we will leave at 10:45pm and arrive in Darjeeling area at 11:45am...but they are usually off schedule, so we will probably get in around 2.
Wish us luck.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Back in Varanasi
The train is 3 hours and 40 minutes late out of Varanasi, so we have some time to kill.
Varanasi is still magical. It sucks that we only had time enough to be there for a day, but it was still really nice. We stayed at the cheap place I stayed at before. Spending the day hanging out on the ghats and chillin was really nice. After dinner, we were walking back and there was a puga right above the water (a religious prayer/ceremony). The ceremony was so beautiful, incorporating ritualistic music, movement, and items such as fire, conch shells, water, flowers, peacock feathers, and ash. We sat down with the Indian audience automatically becoming part of this religious offering and ritual. We were given candles to light and passed our flame to the 10 tiered bronze candle 'holder' (for lack of a better word). The Baba (holy man) came to each of us with his lit oil lamp, which we then circled our hands over and brought to our heads and faces. Then we were given flowers and leaves. Once the prayers on the stage reached it's climax we all went down to the Ganges and threw our gifts into the river as an offering to the gods. Many people proceeded to wash themselves in the river and drink the water, but I didn't get past washing my arms and putting some water on my head. Then the music continued, this time with everyone singing and dancing and clapping. People were looking at us like we were these nuts white people trying to fit in, but it was really cool.
It was nice to be here with TJ for many reasons. One of the reasons is being here alone I didn't get to experience late night rituals, as it was dark and unsafe.
Very special to be a part of that.
We shall get to Gaya today, where the tree of Buddha's enlightenment stands, and then we leave tomorrow for Darjeeling.
I won't lie, I am excited to get to one place and chill for a while......not having to get on a train every day.
Though tiring, trains are a great way to jet across and see a lot of things.
Varanasi is still magical. It sucks that we only had time enough to be there for a day, but it was still really nice. We stayed at the cheap place I stayed at before. Spending the day hanging out on the ghats and chillin was really nice. After dinner, we were walking back and there was a puga right above the water (a religious prayer/ceremony). The ceremony was so beautiful, incorporating ritualistic music, movement, and items such as fire, conch shells, water, flowers, peacock feathers, and ash. We sat down with the Indian audience automatically becoming part of this religious offering and ritual. We were given candles to light and passed our flame to the 10 tiered bronze candle 'holder' (for lack of a better word). The Baba (holy man) came to each of us with his lit oil lamp, which we then circled our hands over and brought to our heads and faces. Then we were given flowers and leaves. Once the prayers on the stage reached it's climax we all went down to the Ganges and threw our gifts into the river as an offering to the gods. Many people proceeded to wash themselves in the river and drink the water, but I didn't get past washing my arms and putting some water on my head. Then the music continued, this time with everyone singing and dancing and clapping. People were looking at us like we were these nuts white people trying to fit in, but it was really cool.
It was nice to be here with TJ for many reasons. One of the reasons is being here alone I didn't get to experience late night rituals, as it was dark and unsafe.
Very special to be a part of that.
We shall get to Gaya today, where the tree of Buddha's enlightenment stands, and then we leave tomorrow for Darjeeling.
I won't lie, I am excited to get to one place and chill for a while......not having to get on a train every day.
Though tiring, trains are a great way to jet across and see a lot of things.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Camel Safari
It's 7:56am...do you know where I am?
We are waiting in between train rides, back in Jodhpur. Going to Agra...the site of the famous Taj.
We ended up doing a 2 day, one night, camel safari. It was pretty awesome to ride a camel, though i am more sore now than I was for the entire trek. I had the most unruly camel of the bunch, the pubescent teenager who loves to be rebellious. All of a sudden he would just take off trotting, and pick up speed real fast. On the first day, we were just going along, and my young buckaroo got pretty ahead. The camel drivers (who were awesome, corkey guys) started yelling "STOP! STOP!", so I pulled the reigns, but my dude freaked out. The saddle was falling loose, so I imagine not only was the camel nervous of them yelling, and me pulling, but also very uncomfortable with a loose load and person on his back. He basically bucked, and wiggled, me off. Down I went off the back of him. I was complemented on my nice and swift acrobatic skills though. As soon as I landed on the ground I somersaulted and rolled as far away from the teenage boy as possible...in a bunch of stickers (which was really the worst part).
Not a lot of people can say they have been bucked off of a camel in the desert.
I can.
Other than that episode, it was great. Unfortunately we didn't get too far into the middle of no where...kinda disappointing when you are on what is called a 'safari'. For 98% of the time you could spot wind generators. As unfortunate as that was though, it is pretty cool that there are wind generators on this side of the world (they power the electric fence that runs on the Indo-Pakistani boarder and local villages).
We slept on sand dunes. The sunset was incredible and seemed to stretch across the whole world. And the moon was FULL. She was shinning so bright, you could barely see many stars and you didn't need a flashlight to go pee in the middle of the night.
Must go to catch our train...we arrive in Agra 12 hours later. This is bound to be a fun ride.
We are waiting in between train rides, back in Jodhpur. Going to Agra...the site of the famous Taj.
We ended up doing a 2 day, one night, camel safari. It was pretty awesome to ride a camel, though i am more sore now than I was for the entire trek. I had the most unruly camel of the bunch, the pubescent teenager who loves to be rebellious. All of a sudden he would just take off trotting, and pick up speed real fast. On the first day, we were just going along, and my young buckaroo got pretty ahead. The camel drivers (who were awesome, corkey guys) started yelling "STOP! STOP!", so I pulled the reigns, but my dude freaked out. The saddle was falling loose, so I imagine not only was the camel nervous of them yelling, and me pulling, but also very uncomfortable with a loose load and person on his back. He basically bucked, and wiggled, me off. Down I went off the back of him. I was complemented on my nice and swift acrobatic skills though. As soon as I landed on the ground I somersaulted and rolled as far away from the teenage boy as possible...in a bunch of stickers (which was really the worst part).
Not a lot of people can say they have been bucked off of a camel in the desert.
I can.
Other than that episode, it was great. Unfortunately we didn't get too far into the middle of no where...kinda disappointing when you are on what is called a 'safari'. For 98% of the time you could spot wind generators. As unfortunate as that was though, it is pretty cool that there are wind generators on this side of the world (they power the electric fence that runs on the Indo-Pakistani boarder and local villages).
We slept on sand dunes. The sunset was incredible and seemed to stretch across the whole world. And the moon was FULL. She was shinning so bright, you could barely see many stars and you didn't need a flashlight to go pee in the middle of the night.
Must go to catch our train...we arrive in Agra 12 hours later. This is bound to be a fun ride.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The train ride(s) have been great...no one tried to get in bed with me. The berths aren't ultra comfy, but it's way better than a bus ride. The bathrooms are by far the worst part.
We are in Jaisalmer now...in the dessert. We arrived yesterday and today are just chillin. It's nice to hang out, instead of being on the go constantly. Today we are shopping around for an overnight camel safari, where you sleep in the dessert on the ground, under the stars, in solitary (with you and your guide/camel driver) beauty. It might be a little spendy, like $16 per person, but how often can you go on a camel safari in the dessert of India?
Here and in Jodhpur, where we were prior to Jaisalmer, there are incredible historical architectural structures known as Forts. They are the places where the Kings and Queen's lived, along with their followers. The Forts are on top of huge rock formations, from 85 - 125 meters up from the city. During the times of British takeover, there were many wars that were fought at these monuments.
The fort in Jodhpur was built in the 1400's, while the one in Jaisalmer was built in 1156. There is such amazing attention to detail, and these sandstone creations look as delicate as lace. The Jodhpur fort was by far more impressive, with many gates and buildings that are more grandiose and with such precision. The Jaisalmer Fort is much more commercialized, with many shops, restaurants, hotels, and families still living there. It is actually on the list of 100 World Monuments on the watch, because the sewage system is literally causing it to disintegrate.
Crappy sewage or not, these are such incredible places to see up close and personal.
We are in Jaisalmer now...in the dessert. We arrived yesterday and today are just chillin. It's nice to hang out, instead of being on the go constantly. Today we are shopping around for an overnight camel safari, where you sleep in the dessert on the ground, under the stars, in solitary (with you and your guide/camel driver) beauty. It might be a little spendy, like $16 per person, but how often can you go on a camel safari in the dessert of India?
Here and in Jodhpur, where we were prior to Jaisalmer, there are incredible historical architectural structures known as Forts. They are the places where the Kings and Queen's lived, along with their followers. The Forts are on top of huge rock formations, from 85 - 125 meters up from the city. During the times of British takeover, there were many wars that were fought at these monuments.
The fort in Jodhpur was built in the 1400's, while the one in Jaisalmer was built in 1156. There is such amazing attention to detail, and these sandstone creations look as delicate as lace. The Jodhpur fort was by far more impressive, with many gates and buildings that are more grandiose and with such precision. The Jaisalmer Fort is much more commercialized, with many shops, restaurants, hotels, and families still living there. It is actually on the list of 100 World Monuments on the watch, because the sewage system is literally causing it to disintegrate.
Crappy sewage or not, these are such incredible places to see up close and personal.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Awaiting My First India Train Experience
We got into Delhi at 5:30 am yesterday. Originally we just wanted to find a place to sleep for a couple of hours, till check out at noon...either people didn't get it, or they were being a little money grubbing because we still would have to pay 300+ rs for 4 hours. After not sleeping at all on a bumpy, nauseous ride with other passengers way too close for comfort with horrible gas and breath, and hacking up a lung, we decided to stay in Majnu ka Tilla again for the night.
Yesterday, we got our train tickets for the next 4 trips we will be doing.
Paying for the sleeper class, one of the cheapest options, I find myself a little anxious for what this, or these, nights will hold. I have heard that people in the sitting class will try to get into your berth with you all night, making you fight and push them off. We'll see what happens. All I know is if it is a horrible and uncomfortable ride, I will definitely pay the extra rupees to make sure I have my own bed. I guess we'll cross that road if need be. But a 12 hour train ride of pushing away creepy Indian men sounds like no fun at all...
I will be sure to keep you updated on this event.
Our train leaves tonight at 8:45pm from the Old Delhi train station and we arrive in Jodhpur, Rajastan at 8:00am. We will spend one night in this 'blue city' and then we are going to Jaisalmer for 3 nights to watch the sunset over the rolling dessert, and maybe go on a camel safari depending on prices.
From there we have a ticket to go back to Jodhpur in order to catch another train that day to Agra, the place of the famous Taj Mahal.
I am stoked to leave Delhi, as I am also interested, and a little nervous, for this ride...
Yesterday, we got our train tickets for the next 4 trips we will be doing.
Paying for the sleeper class, one of the cheapest options, I find myself a little anxious for what this, or these, nights will hold. I have heard that people in the sitting class will try to get into your berth with you all night, making you fight and push them off. We'll see what happens. All I know is if it is a horrible and uncomfortable ride, I will definitely pay the extra rupees to make sure I have my own bed. I guess we'll cross that road if need be. But a 12 hour train ride of pushing away creepy Indian men sounds like no fun at all...
I will be sure to keep you updated on this event.
Our train leaves tonight at 8:45pm from the Old Delhi train station and we arrive in Jodhpur, Rajastan at 8:00am. We will spend one night in this 'blue city' and then we are going to Jaisalmer for 3 nights to watch the sunset over the rolling dessert, and maybe go on a camel safari depending on prices.
From there we have a ticket to go back to Jodhpur in order to catch another train that day to Agra, the place of the famous Taj Mahal.
I am stoked to leave Delhi, as I am also interested, and a little nervous, for this ride...
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