1-2 March 2012 - (Holy) Varanasi...

Starting from the beginning, we departed Agra early Thursday morning and got our train to Delhi! We wanted to be there early enough so that we can settle down in front of our platform. The train was over 1 hr late!!!! And the screens weren't being updated! This train was coming from Bangalore - a 30 hr trip from south India. We had a very small window to get up on it! All in all we managed! Thanks to the help of a friendly chap! In general people who can speak Hinglish are pretty friendly - this one in particular walked us to the correct spot. I think he saw the concerned face we had!!!! This time we were entertained by a huge rat! Goodness it was horrible to know it was so close! On this train we made good use of our friend "shewee" a portable plastic stand-up peeing device! Gabie really needed to go but she'd rather wet her pants than use the train toilet! She filled up half the bottle....it was hilarious - also caught on video!!!!
We got to the airport on time and with no further glitches. We got the airport express train from central Delhi! It's a fast sate of the art train, cleaner and faster than the airport express trains in London.
Having landed in Varanasi our driver was there to pick u up with a helper! I finally got into an Ambassador car! Have been wanting to ride one - it's some 1960's model! He stopped us about a five minute walk from the b&b since the alley ways are too small for anything to pass through (albeit motorcycles still manage!!!!). Everyone was welcoming and we were escorted to our room which to my pleasure was immaculately clean! If you had to see the b&b from the outside you'd think it was a shack! We do have a full Ganges view room! What else could we ask for?
We didn't have time to settle down! It was 5:50pm and the sunset boat ride was about to leave at 6:15. Cameras on the ready we went to our boat which was waiting for just the two of us. Varanasi is different to any city we've been to. Why? Because we don't seem to be the only tourists! In fact it's the first time we didn't feel constantly harassed and bombarded with stares. Here we seemed to blend in nicely!
The boat ride was spectacular - the Hindus here take their holy city seriously and their prayers even more. I thought it would be a tourist hype but indeed people from all over India come here to pray and bury their dead. The ride lasted and hour and we saw ceremonies and the burning of bodies. No bodies are floating anymore due the hygiene (yet still filthy - if I had to fall in I'd die with just the panic of all the yuck I'd be swallowing!). They do throw some bodies in though with a stone wrapped around them, however this only happens to certain people. We hope the photos turned out good!!! Not sure the blog supports video but I took a short one on my phone that will be sent!
This morning was another early start and we went to see the ghats again a this time with sunrise. It's again surreal for Gabie and I to be here! A place to come to if you visit India!
The test of the day was or shopping (ta l-ahhar). We thought that there won't be much here, it being a holy city and all that, but this was the bet place to shop! Narrow lanes bursting with colours and stalls - everything Indian! We made good bargaining deals too! The trick is I walk away and they will give you the price you want (doesn't always work!). We bought some paint which the hacker started off with Rs 500. We managed to get it to Rs 100 and the 2nd box Rs 50. Good deal or what? We rewarded ourselves with a good Lassi! (here pictured). Very renown!
Tonight we watched a ceremony which we saw from the boat last night. Lots of chanting and incense and fire. Pretty but I was hungry!
We are now dining at what is called the Brown bread bakery! It's small and looks really dingy but we have live music and the food is said to be fantastic!
This might be my last India blog! Tomorrow we fly back to Delhi and are meeting a friend as soon as we land and fr. George for dinner!
I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did!!!! After here it's packing time and scrubbing time. Gabie and I never felt this dirty! It will take a few week for the dirt to seep out of our skin! (feet iluateation) And to end on a positive note.... No belly bug! Well 2 more days left to go so I'd better not jinx it right?
Love to all!!!

29 Feb 2012 - Am I really here?

Early start to the day! Again paranoid of not waking up in time I catch out train albeit with 2 alarms, I was awake at 4am an waited until the alarm rang at 5am! I sprung out of bed with enthusiasm .... We were off to see the Taj!!!!
The locals are nice and we had several long chats with a few in adjacent berths in between episodes of me dosing off. Again, I had a window seat and this time the land was waking up so I could see what was going on. Unfortunately this country is so poor it's like a war zone. Heaps of rubble and rubbish everywhere you look. People pooing and peeing on the train lines openly facing Tom, Dick and Harry! We also had lots of company on this trip... Lots of mice! They crosses under seats... And I'm not referring to just one or two! I think I spotted more than the fingers on my hands!
Our tour guide was waiting for us when we got there and was friendly. We chose to go round by tuk tuk rather than by AC taxi. We are loving the pollution (haha not!) - we chose it for speed in getting around and price! We got to our rather modern looking hotel - freshened up and left!
All the fuss about the Taj is not in vain! It REALLY is spectacular! It's big, it's bold and it's beautiful! There is so much intricate work and it's so clean, you think you're in some different planet! Here is a taster in my photos!
We spent a few hours here, then visited the Baby Taj and then crossed the Yumanara river to watch sunset !!!!
What a satisfying day! To actually be there left Gabie and I a bit overwhelmed and speechless - we didn't talk much but were overly content... To say the least!!!!
We finished our evening with a Veg dinner! Quite different from Rajasthani cuisine (we are now in the Uttra Pradesh state).
The person who organised the tour (the boss) also came to pay us a visit at the hotel to make sure our tour went ok and that we were safe and sound ! How nice of him!!!!!!
Anyways I need to get in the washing machine! I am and feel filthy! Iswed johrog l-ilma!!!!

26-28 Feb 2012 - a little bit of everything

I forget where I left off and what I'm able to write for the past 3 days since our days have been so jam packed!!!

Sunday night's cooking class was incredible! We went to Shashi's house - 2 dingy rooms with 7 people crammed in and local visitors going and coming as they please. We experienced the true Raj cooking but u don't know if I will actually remember anything since I felt i was mesmerised with Shashi and her story and her life and smile! I took long video clips which hopefully will turn out great!
The night train followed!!!!! Frantic panicked Gabie and Debbie trying to find the berth and carriage at 10pm and no one to ask but herds of people And all signs in Hindi! We did eventually make it on the train on time after having walked up and down the (very long) platform! We had sheets and a pillow and a cover all nearly packed in a brown paper bag - yet still unsanitary in my opinion! Now I'm past sanitary and used all the bedding! Gabie slept in a different cabin and we had curtain separating us - she slept within minutes... For me it was a different story! I felt I was on some orient express and kept looking out the window. I managed to get myself comfortable but the conductor had his hand on the horn for the whole trip i.e. over 8 hrs!!! Therefore it was hard for me to close an eye! Plus I was paranoid I would wake up on time and we would miss our stop! We did get off and arrived in the (still sleeping) pink city!
Another bustling city but with a lot of character! I cannot tell of all my experiences because there are too many to tell but in short we experiences palaces, bazaars and again glorious food! I think the best part of the last two days was today when we met our guide Akshat! Our booked 2 two-hour tours turned into over 7 hrs of new experiences! We met locals ate with them saw their work and listened to experiences. Definitely off the tourist track!!! I wouldn't have fallen in love with Jaipur hadn't it been for him! The camera didn't have a break! I was happy snapping away with a 300mm!!! Good unnoticed shots! My video did also fall into a drainage pipe - with mud like drainage though! Nonetheless it survived and still In good condition!
Anyways! Train is early tomorrow and we are off to see the Taj!
Xxx

24-25 Feb - Of forts and temples!

It's been a hectic but fruitful two days! I won't be able to relive each detail with you due to extreme tiredness and tomorrow's early start!
So jodhpur was a bit of an anti-climax from the serene Osian campsite. A bustling city but with a lot of character. It's known as the blue city, since previously houses were painted blue if you belonged to a particular clan. Now everyone is allowed to paint their house blue and the tale is that blue or violet keep the mozzy's away! They look very cool!
The past two days have been of forts and temples - really well kept forts and intricate Jain temples. The forts both in jodhpur and on the way down to udaipur, caused me two big blisters... And no...not on my feet...Ixxawwat!!!!!

Udaipur is really... But Really pretty and clean! The lake Pichola is lovely but unfortunately we didn't manage to get a sunset boat ride...can't wait to see how it looks in the morning!!! We already had dinner on the rooftop terrace and tomorrow we'll have early breakfast. The owner of this "haveli" asked us why just one night? I ask myself the same question!
And talking about food! It's true when they say "stick to the local food and you'll be fine!" - we eat indian food 3 times a day! Even breakfast has curry, dhals and Chillies!!!! We love it and haven't tasted/experienced bad food as yet! Gabie is in her element! I am too but for some reason (I blame the chillies) my upper lip is extremely cracked and dry! (serves me right for not packing the Chapstick!!!)
Oh well... The geyser has been on for 15 mins as instructed and I'm off for my shower! We were also instructed that between 11:30am and 1:00pm there will be a city power cut! And it's not because I'm a bezzulla... It's because it happens everyday!!!!

Feb 23-24 Nothing less than spectacular!!!!

We got to the airport for our trip to Jodhpur. A world class airport having 'west' written all over! A very stark contrast from the city's jungle!
Jodhpur's airport was quaint and tiny! A driver was waiting for us there with a sign "Debbie Galea - Camp Osian". I was delighted seeing him there - that meant that my persistent emails worked making sure I have everything in place! By then I was craving the nicotine (it seems and feels I'm barely smoking... By the way 10 packets of cigarettes from Doha were just $15!). Anyways we commenced our trip to Osian some 70km north of jodhpur.
On the way we passed small villages on a bumpy tarmac road. Here we saw many more water buffaloes than in Delhi that are treated as kings! But they seem to know the rules. The driver honks and the herd moves.
Having arrived at the camp it felt like someone pulled me out of my world and put me in some fantasy! I don't think 'magical' quite describes it either! The camp or what I thought the palace was made out of red stone and built in the time of the Raj. Again, the photos will do little justice to what I saw and felt! We were welcomed by a fresh glass of lemonade and headed off on the (enormous) camel for our sunset ride! What a laugh! Getting up for starters was a feat in itself. Obviously showing my crack as I got up, the camel seemed to make excruciating noises, so as to say..."boy you're on fat ass lady"! I was happy he did the exact same noises when Gabie came up too! Our camel guide was really nice too!
When back we were escorted to our tents! How pretty was that! I was really happy for having come all the way out here!
I could go on and on but in short, we had traditional music, dancing and good food (and a fanfarun solo American who decided to befriend us and join us for dinner)
This morning we took a safari jeep ride in the desert which will go down as 'one of the most memorable days of my life' day. We went to the nearby village and had tea, saw an old man do pottery and ladies weave. The children....oh the children!!! Such poverty but yet all waving and happy! They don't ask for money all they wanted were pens to write! We asked our driver to take us to a shop to buy some... Flocks of kids saying 'me' 'me' 'me'! We were out of pens in less than you knew it! (Valley, Fr. George did give me a pen for me to give you.... Tell him thank you but you won't be getting it anytime soon....sorry)

I can leave India saying that I've had a great time already! The food is amazing and spicy means spicy here! Up until now the bowel movement seems to be in place but I shouldn't be too quick to speak... Ghax jien bezzulla!!!!

Now we are in Jodhpur at the Kothi Heritage! Beautiful Indian welcome!!!! And squeaky clean! I feel I'm growing dreads in my hair bil hmieg!!!!

To be continued.....

22nd Feb 2012 - Incredible India? Incredible Old Delhi!

I am proud that we made it back in one piece at the hotel! And what a day it was!!!

We got to the hotel safely as you know from my email. After that a Vodafone representative kindly showed up on time to activate our Indian sim! With a the commotion we forgot to tell him that for an iPhone you needed a micro sim and not just a regular one. "Be back in 30 mins" he told us. (at this point Gabie and I were feeling a little overwhelmed and the tiredness started to kick in). The 30 mins turned into 1 hr and 30 mins....which felt longer whilst we waited in the lobby! The owner offered us coffee and to go sit on the roof garden in the sun (nahseb thassarna nistennew). As soon as we sat down Mr. Voda turned up! He was a very pleasant chap but our data plan still doesn't seem to work on the phone!
Anyways the wait was to say the least appreciated.... Why? Because our day was the craziest day of our lives! Literally!
We got to old Delhi chadni chowk metro station on time for our 'old Delhi' tour. Our guide was there after 10 mins! You'd think delhi would be full of tourists! Wrong! It seemed we were the only westerns there! Therefore we were easily recognisable. "Are you Debbie" she nicely said... And we started. Our infamous tuk tuk tour took us for the ride of our lives! You haven't experienced culture shock until you see what we have seen!
Tuk Tuks in the 100s (both cycles a d motorised) all trying to bust their way through the same lane. Dogs playing dead in the middle of the street. Men lying on the 'centre strip' asleep?dead? I don't know! Goats and cattle in the road too. Motor cycles beeping their horn 50 times per minute... All I know is that we were bombarded with everything - sights, smells and noise! The Indians were staring at us constantly - bot just the men but women and children too. We were fully clothed and extremely decent! But they cannot help seeing "white" people so they just stare and their heads keep turning even once you've passed them!

The tour was nice and the guide extremely knowledgeable (She was following us in a tuk tuk and talking to us through audio microphones plugged in our ears.) but the extreme poverty and dirt was shocking (for me at least). Kids dirty and when I say dirty I mean it! They are not begging for money but want scraps of food. There is a excessive disorganisation/poverty in this old city which I cannot describe - I just don't know where to start! People cooking, others selling parts of cars, right next to them people selling Sarees, rubbish everywhere... and it goes on and on.
The tuk tuk driver or should I say peddler was extremely good and brave to navigate through the narrow streets. Narrow enough for you to touch both walls with oncoming traffic! Yikes!
After the tuk tuk we met up with another guide and this time it was eating time! We ate good food but the places look uninviting! We will definitely give raving reviews (we didn't tell him we were from trip advisor hehe) it was good fun! (We were there with another 2 girls from Manchester)
Anyways the photos below don't give justice to what we have seen today. These are only a few I managed to take with my phone. I have lots of videos which will paint a much better picture though!
All in all this was just the harsh part of India. From tomorrow our trips are going to be much less hectic with much less adrenaline (to my liking). Gabie and I kept saying to each other that we wouldn't imagine any of our friends or family ever making it here! Literally not even sweet Valley!!!
It was a part we had to experienced and looking back on my day, I keep telling myself 'what an achievement'

Tomorrow we will be staying in the Thar desert and I doubt Internet will be available... But one hopes for more updates!

Now in bed, exhausted but greatly satisfied!!!!!