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We are sitting in an internet cafe in Varanasi, India. We arrived in Delhi, India on Oct 7th, after our nice layover in Mauritius. Since that time, our itinerary has been as follows: (1) 2 days in Delhi (1 relaxing and 1 site-seeing); (2) a 15 day tour, by private car, of Rajasthan (Delhi - Mandawa - Bikaner - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Udaipur - Pushkar - Ranthambore - Jaipur . . . and then to Agra); and (3) from Agra to Varanasi by train. Tonight, we head to the Himalayas (Darjeeling) by train and then a bus.
Posting about India will be somewhat hard, because this country is very difficult to describe. Basically, to really understand what this place is like, you need to see it for yourself. India is, in almost every way imaginable, unlike anything else we have ever seen or experienced. Other people have told me that being in India is like being on a movie set. We would agree with that, but might also add that being in India is like being in a video game -- the craziest game you've ever played (sort of like Grand Theft Auto meets Mr. Toad's Wild Ride meets Nascar meets Animal Farm . . . . just absolultely crazy). Being in India brings out many emotions -- the poverty and despair are very confrontational and disturbing, but the energy and frenetic pace (of everything) is invigorating. It is such a complex country, not only because of its size and diversity of population, but also because of its many paradoxes. It is a huge democracy, with a large upper and very viable middle class. Yet it also has so much poverty and government/polit ical violence. Everything here is inexorably related not only to religion, but also to the caste system. Reading the paper each morning is a fascinating social exercise. Many articles are very similar to ones we read at home (e.g., which movie stars appeared at a function last night), while others are just incomprehensible (e.g., villagers clashing with police about where/when they can immerse their sacred idols into a holy river during the Durga festival).
In sum, this place is absolutely insane, but also one of the most amazing places we have ever seen.
Delhi: I don't know what we expected (huge piles of lepers everywhere maybe?), but D was, really, not so bad. In fact, while we would not move there any time soon, D was kind of a nice place to spend 2 days. We saw some amazing sights, including the spot on which Gandi was assasinated and Humayan's tomb -- an amazing piece of Mughal architecture. D also had a lot of open space and some nice parks.
Rajasthan: Just amazing. Over the course of 2 weeks, we saw some incredible forts, palaces, and temples -- far too many to describe in detail here. In particular, the fort at Jodhpur was amazing. Perched high on a hilltop, the fort -- built in the 16th c -- had never been conquered. The exterior was surpassed only by the amazing palaces on the inside. I also loved Jaisalmer, where we took a camel ride in the desert and wandered the streets of the J Fort (where people still live today). J was like being on an Indiana Jones set -- the city, all in golden sandstone, literally rises out of the desert. We also stayed in some amazing hotels -- actual palaces (where the maharajas still live!!!) that have been converted -- at least in part (see the parentheses above) -- to hotels. We also visited Jain Temples in Ratakpur -- the most amazing, beautiful churces we have ever seen. The carvings were just incredible and the temples, built over 500 years ago, were immaculate and appeared brand new. Finally, in Ranthambore, we went on 2 game drives and not only had our best leopard sighting of the trip, but also got a glimpse of a bengal tiger. Our experiences in Raj were far numerous than those listed here, but the rest will have to wait. It is a colorful, vibrant place, filled with some of the most interesting and amazing monuments we have ever seen.
Agra: The Red Fort was great. The Taj Mahal, on the other hand, is impossible to describe with words. No matter what your expectations may be, the TM will surpass them. As we came through the entrance arch, we both just stopped and were incapable of talking for at least a minute. The TM is, undoubtedly, the greatest and most awesome monument either of us has ever seen. It is a stunning, take-your-breath-away type of experience that must be seen to be truly understood (no matter how good a picture, that pix cannot possibly capture the majesty of this 16th century mausoleum).
We also had an amazing time just people-watching. The diversity of people here is fascinating. Likewise, I have been fascinated by the traffic -- particularly at the traffic circles. Road rules seem to exist (all of the locals seem to know about and abide by them), but I cannot figure them out for the life of me. Forget about terrorist attacks and insurgency problems. If you want to worry about us, then worry about us being on the roads (a problem that has followed us since we left London). Try to picture a traffic circle, much like one in Europe (or New Jersey). Around that traffic circle is a countless number of things, all going at the same time in every direction -- cars, trucks, buses, motor-bikes, bicyles and cycle rickshaws, autorickshaws (like go karts), jeeps, and minivans, not to mention people, dogs, cows (which are free roaming everywhere), pigs, goats, donkeys, and camels. Sitting and watching a traffic circle in India (or being in the middle of one) is one of the craziest and wildest things we have EVER seen.
Varanasi: India's holiest city and home to the sacred Ganges River -- a place to which every Hindu must make a pilgrimage (to bathe in the sacred waters of the Ganges, which will wash away sins). That same Ganges, by the way, is the place where Hindus throw the ashes of their cremated bodies (or, if the person is poor and cannot buy enough wood, the partially cremated body). V has been, undoubtedly, the most amazing cultural experience either of us has ever had. We spent a lot of time in V just relaxing (just walking around India is exhausting -- the heat, pollution, constant touts and taxi drivers, not to mention the insane traffic and incessantly blaring horns), but we also took 2 boat rides on the Ganges: one at sunset, and one at sunrise. As we floated along in our rowboat, what we saw was indescribable -- just unreal. Basically, you hire a boat and then row up and down the river, along the ghats (basically docks). Each ghat is different/unique -- some have temples, while others have restaurants; some are holy (or holier than others), and some are preferred by different Hindu sects (e.g., Jains). While on our boat rides, we saw festivals, people making puja (prayer), and a lot of prayer candles that light up the river. We also floated past the crematorium ghats, with the fires burning 24 hours a day (let's just say Jenn is glad she did not wear her contacts and could not really see what was happening!!!). In that very same river, we saw people praying, bathing, swimming, frolicking, and even brushing their teeth. The truly amazing thing about the Ganges is that, while many tourists are floating by, it is NOT a tourist show -- not at all. The chance to experience, first-hand, this type of ancient cultural and religious practice was truly mind-blowing, and one we will never forget.
Tonight, we head to Darjeeling and the Himalayas, where we will be immersed in Tibetan/Buddhist culture.
Again, India is a place that needs to be seen to be really understood -- in fact, to be believed. I will try to post more later, but that's it in a nutshell for now.
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