J o u r n e y s: India!

I don't know if I can ever put into words how memorable India is. It's too big, too bold, too old, too much for any description. But I'll try.

I arrived in Delhi on a plane from Tokyo full of Japanese businessmen. Seriously, there were only about 5 women on the plane. We had an easy flight with amazing views of Mt Fuji and Mt Everest out the windows on the way. I breezed through customs with an e-visa, and the tour company liaison was waiting for me just past the gate. I'd been warned that your first step out of the airport was an assault on the senses, but I didn't find that at all. It wasn't overly dirty or loud, and smelled of fuel exhaust, not anything else. The tour company, G Adventures, had arranged transportation with a female driver cab company, and with all of the traffic, it took over an hour to get to the hotel. We had to drive through a bustling market to get there, which was a little frightening. It definitely seemed like it should have been a pedestrian only street. The hotel was not awesome, and the water was not hot, but the bed sheets were clean and breakfast on the rooftop was lovely the next morning.

We began seeing a few sights in Delhi. We were able to walk around the India Gate and take some pictures, and then we drove by the Rashtrapati Bhavan, home of the Prime Minister. I definitely wish we'd had more time in Delhi, but we were off on the road to Jaipur. We stopped a few times, once at a McDonalds for the restroom, which was funny to the bus of Westerners. They had no beef on the menu. Think McChickpeas. We also saw herds of cows on the highway and monkeys in the city.

Jaipur was crazy crowded and full of traffic. There was construction everywhere as they build a subway. We drove through the chaos to our palace hotel, a lovely little oasis from the noise. Then we had a walking tour through the market. We saw the gorgeous flower sellers near the temple and the spice stalls. We tried masala tea and watched monkeys jump around the upper floors of the buildings. After the walk, we were able to watch a Bollywood movie. It wasn't quite the historical epic I'd expected, but the theater was gloriously air conditioned and popcorn is always a fantastic dinner.

The next day we got to sleep a little later, then drove to the Palace of the Winds to see that incredible building. Then it was off to the Observatory, which I enjoyed but definitely bored others. It was cool to compare it to the Observatory I saw in Uzbekistan- this one was definitely much bigger! We then toured the City Palace, which was not awesome. The local guide we had spoke very quietly, and kept standing right next to other guides so you couldn't understand him. There were some gorgeous buildings but we didn't get a good explanation of them. It was a bit of a let down. We had thali for lunch, a sample platter of Indian favorites, and then went to the Amber Fort. On a hill outside of town, this building was an amazing mix of Muslim and Hindu architecture. There were beautiful courtyards, intricately carved window screens, and even a pavillion of mirrored tiles. The palace was definitely reminiscent of the Mongol palaces in Uzbekistan, even though this was not part of the Mughal Empire.

Our last stop that day was at a temple outside of town known as the Monkey Temple. It's an active Hindu temple, but it's always occupied by two types of monkeys. There were a ton of baby monkeys around. One even hopped up on my shoulder for a bit! It was definitely fun to watch them jumping around and playing.

The next day we left early to get to Agra for the highlight of the trip. We stopped along the way at a large step-well. The water level was low, and the walls were covered in stairs that made a striking, Escher-like geometric design. One side of the well was a palace, so the well-to-do could lounge over the cool waters. We had a pretty awful lunch on the road, and finally arrived in Agra around 3. We had a local guide there who walked us into the site and gave us some history about the building and the Mughal emperor who built it. It was a beautiful day, and pictures were a must. This was my 7th Wonder of the World, and I needed to get a good photo for my collage frame! Truly, the building was just lovely and the gardens were so perfect. It was everything I'd expected and more.

We stayed in a shady hotel in Agra for the night, then left early to catch a train to Orchha the next morning. Around lunch time we arrived, and visited a paper factory where women turned fabric rags into new paper. It was a cool process to see. We rode in tuktuks to the hotel, which was just a little piece of paradise. There was a lovely pool, great restaurant, and beautiful sights nearby. We had some free time (swimming!) before going out that evening. We walked across this scary one lane cement slab bridge with no guardrails to see a nice view of the cenotaphs, then had to walk back. Good news: no one died, or fell in,or got hit by a bus. But it was close! We then walked into town and up to Chaturbhuj Temple, which is dedicated to Vishnu. It was an unfinished building, but impressive all the same. That night we got to see a Hindu ceremony at the nearby temple to Lord Ram, the Ram Raja. It was beautifully painted. The ceremony was loud, and men and women sorted into different sections. There was singing and offerings made, candles lit, and flowers laid. It was definitely exciting if overwhelming.

The next day, we took a tour of the palace complex. We started with the Raj Mahal and then moved into the Jahangir Mahal. Climbing the steep dark stairs between levels was so fun, and the views from the many windows and balconies were spectacular. You could imagine the place draped in fabrics and cushions, filled with the servants of the raja. It was a spectacular piece of architecture and I definitely want to learn more about it.

We had free time after that, and spent the afternoon at the pool because it really was incredibly hot. Late afternoon, I rode with a few other travellers to a cooking class in a local woman's home. She showed us how to make all kinds of vegetarian dishes, including roti and chabati breads! I loved it. She even left the cilantro off of my servings.

That night was an overnight train ride from Orchha to Varanasi. I had a middle bunk. It wasn't enough space to sit, even hunched. I didn't really sleep. Once the bunks were folded up during the day the ride was fine, but it definitely wasn't an experience I need to repeat. When we got to Varanasi, I grabbed my room key and RAN into the shower. Literally. Right into the shower. And it was somewhat hot, which was great. It had been a few days since I'd gotten a hot shower. I had lunch at the hotel with some travelmates, delicious naan and terrible corn soup, and then we all piled into tuktuks to ride to the river. The main site in Varanasi is the Ganges River. It is sacred to Hindus, and the site of multiple cremations. It was interesting to see, but also disturbing. I can't imagine Western funerals being tourist attractions. I felt very intrusive. We rode a boat up and down the river and the settled in for a Hindu ceremony honoring the river. It was pretty surreal- the smell of incense, the cacophony of two river ceremonies singing and playing music at the same time, the darkness closing in, the rock of the boat, the crush of people... definitely a memorable night.

The next morning we were back on the river, for a sunrise ride completely with live traditional music. I loved the fold music they played on the zitar and drums! We had a very American breakfast that day, then went for a walk trying to find a market. We found shopping but it definitely wasn't souvenir style. Oh well. That afternoon we went to a silk factory, which was really an entire complex of buildings that went from design to production of silk fabrics. We went for lassis afterward, and then to dinner. Varanasi was where my stomach turned, so I didn't eat very much. Bed was early that night, because we were on the road before sunrise to get to the Nepalese border.

All told, this was a great introduction to India. We saw big cities and small towns, mighty historical buildings and touching modern religious ceremonies. My biggest take away is that there is so much more to see in India.