For Narnia and the North!

Hello again! So I’ve been pretty slack recently with the whole blogging thing and I know I didn’t really give Holi it’s proper due because it was really awesome but I think the pictures speak pretty well on that count. Everyone from all over campus came together with colored powder and colored water and attacked each other with color. It was a nice way of mixing with the Indian students and by the end everyone was so colored that you couldn’t distinguish who was Indian and who wasn’t.

Last week I took a trip up to the North which was really fabulous and I figured I should give an update on that ( It wasn't to Narnia but it was to the North).

I left last Wednesday (the 18th) night with Jessica and Mary for Jaipur, which is up in the Northwest state of Rajasthan. We took a night time flight on a tiny little plane which was quite nice. I enjoy being in airports and although it was weird to not be going home it was fun to be in the airport. I got to have a really yummy coffee drink which resembled a caramel frappacino and so I was quite happy.

Our 1.5 hour flight arrived at the tiny Jaipur airport at 10:30 and we got a cab to our hotel. It was a very nice hotel (a little more costly than our usual 200r per night accommodations) and we regretted that we were only going to be in it a short time. The plan was to spend Thursday around Jaipur/lounging at the pool and then at night take a bus up to Agra and see the Taj Mahal for sunrise (one of the prime viewing times according to guidebooks). We would leave Agra again by noon and take the 5 hour bus ride back to Jaipur and have a few hours before we had to catch a train over to Bikaner in the West of Rajasthan to do an overnight camel trek. However, if there is one thing I have learned about India it is that nothing ever stays stable or goes according to plan and sure enough India held up to her reputation.

As we were lying around our hotel after the flight just before we went to sleep, Mary was dutifully reading up on Agra in the Lonely Planet book when she realized that the Taj is closed on Fridays – the day we were planning to be there (side note: if anyone working at LP is reading this and wants to pay me for endorsing them please let me know. It’s a great book by the way). We already had our train tickets for Bikaner so the only time to do the Taj was the following day instead of touring Jaipur. It hadn’t occurred to us, nor apparently to the numerous people we consulted before leaving, that a national monument/a wonder of the world would ever be closed and so we were all very surprised. I believe it is closed because Friday is a Holy day for Islam but I still feel it’s like closing Disneyland on Fridays- you just don’t do it.

Accordingly, we had to rush to a bus the next morning so that we would get there with enough time to see the Taj at sunset which was closing time. I think it worked out just fine although we had hoped to have a relaxing day before starting up our travels. We arrived with a few hours until closing time and got inside fairly quickly. I had never realized that there is a huge gate around the Taj complex because every picture I’ve ever seen has been solely of the main building. As we walked inside I was worried that perhaps all the pictures I had seen would make the actual event of seeing this monument rather underwhelming but it was a silly concern. The building is more breathtaking in person as I could ever have imagined it to be. I’ve wanted to visit the Taj Mahal for pretty much as long as I can remember but I never really expected to do it. To be standing in front of this incredible work of art in the middle of India was just so intense. The fountains were a little bit sad looking since they were empty but otherwise everything was amazing. There were a lot of people there but for the most part that wasn’t really a bother.

When you approach the Taj you need to remove your shoes or put shoe covers on to walk up the steps and to enter the building and it was really nice to walk barefoot on the marble and tile. The inside of the Taj I did find to be disappointing mainly because people are all crammed inside and being herded around in a circle around the tomb. It was surprisingly noisy inside and though pictures were technically not allowed there was plenty of photography. What I enjoyed much more was sitting outside to watch the sun set and bathe the Taj in a golden glow. It was peaceful out there despite the crowds.

Since we had changed our plans we ended up getting a hotel in Agra for a night and going out to dinner. Everywhere you walk in Agra you get assaulted by massive amounts of vendors and people offering you things. It was one of the more stressed places we have traveled for sure. We were courted by many people when we wanted transportation to dinner but we ended up with 3 non-auto rickshaws. These are called rickshaws but they have no motor and consist of a man on a bike pulling a double seat carriage behind him. At least two of the drivers were not large men which is why we ended up in three different rickshaws because we tried two and they couldn’t carry us. I was amazed and a little horrified at the whole process and wondered how strong their legs must be from carrying people around all day. They waited for us outside the restaurant while we ate and we decided to pay them well for their trouble. They said they would be waiting for us the next morning to take us shopping and they weren’t lying. The north seems to have an interesting concept which is pay “as you like”. We are used to fighting with our rickshaw drivers over prices but on a number of occasions were told we could pay “as we liked”. I wish they would have this concept down in the south.

We let our rickshaw drivers take us to a store the next day since they got a commission for it and they were quite nice. They also found us a nice quite place for lunch. In the afternoon we hopped a bus back to Jaipur and then went straight to the train station to catch our train to Bikaner and camel trekking. It was a late evening train which arrived at 6:25am at Bikaner where the Camel man( seriously that’s his name, or well his business) was going to pick us up.

I don’t know if it was the two coffee with ice creams and spicy noodles I downed before getting on the train (though I suspect not as we all ate the same food) but I woke up several hours before the train was due to arrive feeling horrifically sick. Our train was one of the more bumpy ones I’ve been on, throwing us back and forth which certainly didn’t help. Needless to say, after trying to sleep again I ended up spending the rest of the time until we arrived between the bathroom and the space in between the train cars where I could get fresh air. I still felt rotten when we arrived and I was worried that I might not be able to make it on the camel trek.

Luckily the camel man also operates a guest house in addition to running treks so there were rooms we were able to stay in. It was only 7am and nothing would be starting until 10 at the earliest. I collapsed onto a bed and slept soundly until around ten when breakfast was. I did actually get up for breakfast and ate lightly since I felt better. Miraculously I felt pretty decent and ready to go so we headed out at 11.

First we drove with our guide to a small village where we met our camels. We had one guide and one person to lead each camel as well as drive the cart full of supplies. We were a little miffed at first about not being able to direct the camels ourselves (not that they needed much direction) but it was fine. One man led each camel on foot and then sometimes they would hop onto the cart and hold the reigns from there. A camel is a rather bumpy ride, a bit like a horse so it was a pretty interesting experience.

We passed through some towns and some places with schools along the way before we got to more serious desert. There was a lot more vegetation than I expected and our guide explained that certain trees had been planted by a coalition with the Israeli government and that these kinds of trees had grown successfully in Israel and now were growing well here. There were also random shrubs and flowering trees but they all had a desert-like quality to them. Our guide told us that the desert areas are spreading and the trees are an effort to keep the desert in check and not use up all the fertile lands.

By mid-day it was extremely hot and we were glad when our little caravan stopped for lunch. The three of us collapsed under the shade of a small tree on some mattresses they laid out for us while the guides cooked up a meal on little camper style gas stoves. The food was excellent though we did ask for no spices because all our stomachs were still a bit unsettled. They had the traditional rice and dal and chapatti bread as well as amazing vegetables including red carrots, which so far I’ve only seen up north. We rested for a while at the site and everyone napped until the sun had gotten a little lower in the sky and then we were off again!

The second half of our trip seemed a lot longer though it was very nice because we got deeper into areas of sand dunes and more typically the way I’d imagined a desert. The sun was getting pretty low in the sky when we finally stopped on a hill near a little cement building and preparations for tea began. We were sore and sweat-soaked and happy to get off the camels by that point. Moments after we arrived, we were joined by an Irish family (Father, son and daughter) who had done an afternoon trek and were spending the night with us. We had a good time getting to know them and talk with them as a table was arranged in the middle of the sand and tea served.

We got to watch the sun go down and suddenly it was much cooler and more pleasant. Three tents were set up to be shared by the six of us and we ate dinner by lamplight in the darkness. It was pretty dark out there except a little light coming from two nearby villages. We saw a decent amount of stars although the light from the towns did interfere a little. I was also amused to find that when I turned on my cell-phone I actually had reception.

The night was extremely windy and I woke at one point wondering if there was a sandstorm or if our tent was going to blow over because the sides were shaking like mad and making a loud noise. The wind did die down though and I was grateful for bringing a sweater with me.

In the morning after breakfast, we rode back by camel cart as our camels had been taken back to the village the day before. It was a nice rest for our legs and not too uncomfortable. Unfortunately, by that time Jessica had started to feel sick and didn’t appreciate our driver pushing the camel to run on several occasions.

Our train didn’t leave until the evening so we once again took a room and all collapsed for the day. I ventured outside into the yard for a bit when it rained because I was so excited to see rain but it was a short event. There was also rain on the bus ride back from Agra but we were sad because we couldn’t get out and experience it and had to settle for poking our hands out the window. I love rain and since we get so much of it at school I never thought I’d miss it but I do miss it quite a lot. This was the first rain I’d seen in almost three months in a hot climate.

Our train was once again an overnight train though this time less bumpy. We arrived in Jaipur very early in the morning and headed back to our same hotel. By that point I was the only person who didn’t feel terrible. Jessica was still bordering on sick and Mary had gotten a fever. We decided we’d spend most of the day just sleeping and watching movies in the hotel even though we were on a trip and there were things to see. It’s amazing how much energy traveling can take out of you.

After lunch we decided to devote a little time to the city. None of us felt like extensive sight-seeing so we opted for a little shopping in one of the markets. I went out first and the two of them planned to join me a bit later. The rickshaw driver wanted to take me to a store to get his commission and I agreed since we had no real agenda for the day. The shop was amazing but way out of my price range. It was a jewelry store (which is what Jaipur is famous for) with extraordinary pieces. It was a very classy place and I was given a tour of the workshop downstairs which was incredible. The salesman showed me how stones were polished by machine and by hand then took me to the concept drawing area where their designer jewelry is created. This particular store works with a theme each year and makes one-of-a-kind pieces of incredible handy-work. I got to see jewelers crafting each segment of the jewelry then fusing it together and then polishing it. The whole thing was incredible as was the gallery he showed me upstairs of their designer pieces. He knew I wasn’t going to buy but he said it was worth seeing and I have to say it was. One theme was lotus and the other was peacock and everything was exquisite.

After my extensive tour I continued on to the regular market and walked around. It was a pretty standard market and there were a lot of fun things there including the shoes I bought! Back at our hotel we had dinner and an early night. We had to be up at 4am for our flight so we wanted to make sure we got sleep. The hotel called us a taxi in the morning and we were soon back in the tiny airport.

In a typically Indian fashion the airport process was slow and tedious. Our airport in Hyderabad is large, swanky, and International but Jaipur is just a tiny domestic airport which looks like it was once a railway station. We had to wait for our flight to be called to even pass through security then we waited on line for a ridiculous amount of time while they straightened out the Bangalore/Hyderabad flights and finally started giving out boarding passes. After the waiting it was a simple matter of being shuttled out to our plane and boarding. We made it back on time and safely with no complaints and were even able to make it to classes on time.

I am not planning on traveling any more until the end of the semester (which is pretty soon!) because there’s not a whole lot of time and its costly so I’m gonna save for my final trip. We have internet on four computers at the house though still no wireless (I doubt there ever will be). I’ve only got about four more weeks and then two weeks of traveling and then I’m back! I don’t want anyone to think I’m not having a good time because it is great here and I’ve learned so much and experienced so much but I do miss some of the familiarity of home. India is a truly wonderful country but it takes a lot out of you to live here; that is the best way I can described it. I have read similar things from other people who have lived and studied here and now I understand what they meant. It’s hard to communicate but there is something about India which is very energy-consuming in its awesomeness. It’s just a different place and without living here it is hard to know what that means but I certainly wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

And there were photos....

Since I am about to embark on a third trip for which I will have mountains of pictures I've managed to get my act together and post up the Goa photos on facebook so here they are. Civic duty completed.
I'm working on the ashram pictures.


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2046079&id=29503181&l=6b36b

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2046080&id=29503181&l=6d2c8

***EDIT****
I've added the photos from Holi which is a celebration of colors and of spring (har har its already 100 degrees here). On Holi everyone throws colored powder and water at each other resulting in a big but completely awesome mess. I've been wanting to celebrate Holi since before I came to India. Oh, Also they showed Outsourced on tv on Holi and I was happy. HAPPY HOLI!