photos

To see photos of the trip, go to this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/farmerrirene/India1?feat=directlink

There are 4 India albums, go to the My Photos on the upper left of the photos to see the other albums. 

end of the road

I finished out my trip with dinner at Pete and Solvi's house last evening (Tuesday evening Delhi time).  In case some of you don't know the connection, Pete is the brother of Paula, who is married to my brother Clay.  The evening was very nice, great food (and I didn't have to worry about what might not be safe to eat!) and wonderful company.  We ended up chatting about traveler's tales we've read and other books.  Getting there was a little bit of fun.  The person at the desk at the hotel said they could not call a taxi, so I walked down to the train station and haggled with a guy there.  After we agreed on a price, I asked him if he was going to be my driver.  He looked a bit affronted and told me, "I am the owner".  Then when I saw the car I was going to ride in, I had to laugh.  There were some decent looking cars there, but I got the one held together with baling wire and the slightly surly driver who did not know where he was going but would not take any help from me.  But it all worked out, he got us to the general vicinity and then asked directions a couple of times.  I had an easy ride home, Solvi sent me with her driver.  What a fun way to wind up the trip!  When I got back to my hotel, I went up on the rooftop for a little bit but it was a bit chilly, and there was a faint aroma of....how shall I say this delicately...poop wafting up over the rooftop from below. 

No time at all on my layover in Taipei, our flight was a bit late arriving so I walked from one gate to the other and on to the next plane.  They fed us dinner almost right away, then I took a couple of dramamine and slept about 5 hours.  Then it was time for breakfast! (I'm telling you, the non US airlines feed you pretty well). 

Took forever to get my checked bag full of Indian goodies and then I got out and Clay was there waiting to drive me home.  I'm eating peanut M&M's for dinner as I type this.  I should go to bed but I'm not quite ready for that yet.

I'll post a link on here for the photos in the next couple of days.  Thanks for reading this blog, it's been a blast writing it.

airports

I am at the Delhi airport, waiting to board my flight.  I got here in plenty of time to check in, go through immigration and security and still have time to eat and browse.  The security in the Indian airports is taken very seriously.  They are very polite but also very thorough.  They have screened off areas for women to be screened, which is kind of nice.

The bathrooms have the option of a western toilet or an Indian one-distinguished by a drawing on the door as to what type is inside the stall.  Toilet paper is provided, what a luxury!

I just heard my flight called, so I'm going to get off here and head over.  If there is internet available in Taipei, I may jump back on again.

Nearly journey's end

I flew into Delhi this morning from Udaipur, got a hotel in the Paharganj section, which is not great.  Oh well, live and learn.  I have been traveling light this entire trip, and now I have an extra bag, filled with stuff I've bought to bring home.  That really affects my flexibility.  When I got to the hotel I had picked sort of randomly from the guide book, it was not great, but I was not willing to hoist that extra bag around looking for something else.  So there you have it.  I read someplace recently that the enjoyment of travel functions in inverse proportion to the amount of baggage one has.   I know I"ve loved having a small pack and daybag and being able to walk comfortably as long as needed with them. 

I'm going to Pete and Solvi's house for dinner tonight (Paula's brother and sister-in-law-Paula is my brother Clay's wife).  I wish I had a gift to bring but what could they possibly want from here that they don't already have?!  So I am afraid I go emptyhanded.

Had lunch at the Club India, doesn't that sound interesting?  Well, it wasn't really.  This section of Delhi is full of touts and filth.  Every few seconds as I walked down the street, someone wanted to walk along and chat, but of course they really wanted to sell something.  I have resorted to ignoring them or being downright rude.  I told one guy today that I just wanted to walk by myself and turned and went in another direction. 

But then I went down another street and suddenly the touts were gone, just regular folks living their lives.  I ended up in what I'll call the upholstered furniture section-lots of blocks of foam, fabrics, men sewing and gluing, then on the other side of the street, men stripping and refinishing some dining chairs.  Then I went down an alley that smelled very ripe, the source of which turned out to be a HUGE compost pile of rotting food plus other things, I'm sure.  Shacks made of wood scraps and old, torn and dirty fabric, people living as basic as it gets.

I'm off to clean up for dinner.  I don't know if I'll post anything tomorrow, so you may not see anything until I get home.  The funny thing is I leave Delhi tomorrow at 2 pm and get to SF at 6:30 or so the same day, just 4 1/2 hrs later by the clock, but I'm doing the time travel thing, and will be flying to Taipai ( 4-5 hrs) and then to SF (11-12 hrs).  No doubt I'll be fresh and perky by the time I get home, but I'll try to post something just to say I made it safely. 

silly things to ponder

Will I ever be clean again?

Will I ever NOT be thirsty again?

Why is it ok to bare one's midriff but not one's shoulders?

Who teaches children to say "one pen" every time they see westerners?

Why do we keep trying to homogenize the world?

Hay un bano por aqui? doesn't really work here.  Trust me on this.

How is it that my clothes are clean after being washed in that nasty dirty lake?

I miss ice cubes most of all.  I thought it would be meat, but I don't really miss it. 

Had a long walk through countless streets today, love the markets where the locals go!  I'd tell you what I bought, but a few of you might then know what you're getting for Christmas.  Off to clean up for a dinner date, for this I even bought a skirt!   

other travelers

While India is a big country, the westerners who come to visit often visit specific locations, such as Varanasi, Jaipur, Mumbai, etc.  So what happens is you sometimes see people you have met earlier in the trip again.  In my case, that was partly because I changed my itinerary based on some ideas from other travelers.  So in Bundi I ran into both Philip and David again (see previous posts).  One evening I went to a show with them and Ana from Hungary and Mia from Belgium.  We stuffed into one tuk tuk and went out of town about 2 kilometers to see various performers.  The crowd was primarily Indian, but they had set up special areas for tourists, right up front.  It felt a little strange!  The show was interesting, although I don't think I need to see another one.  One highlight for me was a young woman who sang, accompanied by a sitar player and two hand drummers -not sure what their actual drums are called.  Anyway, she had an awesome voice, although the amplification was turned up to distortion level.  At one point some african style dancers from another area of India (they migrated from Africa long ago) pulled a couple of tourist girls up on the stage with them.  In the US this would have been no big deal but I can't help thinking it further diminished our standing with the locals.  Not my problem, just seemed a little out of place.  Then at the end they did some fireworks.  Fireworks are big during this time, for Divali.  Most of the time you just hear very loud booms and don't see any pretty fireworks, as I guess the sound is meaningful on it's own.  Let me tell you, it also meaningful when you are lying in bed and a sonic boom goes off outside your window.  Just maybe a different kind of spiritual experience than the Indians intended.

At any rate, while I am loving traveling alone, running into friendly westerners is also a nice respite from the hustle of India.

dung and sugar cane

No visit to the Palace Hotel unfortunately, they are currently not taking any bookings for dinner unless you are a guest of their hotel.  That costs something like $400/night for the rooms without a view, and I'm not willing to pay it, so no James Bond experience there for me. 

Today I am off to the bazaars to do some shopping.  I have only a couple of days left in India, and so I'm going to buy a cheap suitcase/bag and stuff it with treasures to bring back with me.  The area around my hotel is very touristy and has lots of shops that cater to tourists but they are not the ones I want to shop at.  Yesterday I discovered by accident the Mandi Market, and saw some interesting things.  For instance, I was wandering aimlessly down little side streets and came upon a home where an old woman was sitting out front working with something that at first glance looks like clay, to make some jug shaped things that are open at the top and bottom and have a small rounded hole at the bottom as well (I took pictures that will explain this much better).  Anyway, the man came out and from our combined gestures and a few words, it appears these are used for cooking.  The sort of 'mouse hole' at the bottom is where they put the sticks or other fuel and the pot sits on top.  Also, after looking around a bit more, it was apparent that this device is molded from dried and reconstituted manure, with some additives, I am sure.  I also saw chapati makers made of cow dung.  Also saw patties (hand formed, mind you) of cow dung drying to be used as fuel.  No waste!

Then as I wandered on, I came to another open area where a lot of women were working on weaving with split stalks of sugar cane, making baskets and other implements.  One man sat there splitting the canes with his machete.

Everywhere I went down those streets, the children and some of the women wanted me to take their photos, not for money but just to see them.  One group of women asked me to take their photo, which I did, then I showed it to them, and they laughed and chattered!  So fun.  Everyone said hello, or good morning, or one pen.  While I am careful of my pockets and bag, I felt safe walking through those streets.

So wish me luck, I'm going to go take a tuk tuk and find some other shopping areas near by the Mandi Market.

I have a flight to Delhi on the 10th, and am hoping to have dinner with Pete and Solvi that evening.  I hadn't emailed them yet as I just firmed up my final days' plans.  I can't believe it's almost over already, I just got here and just got my feet on the ground.

morning in Udaipur

My room in Udaipur has 32 light/power switches and that doesn't count a whole other panel in the bathroom.  For some reason this is the norm so far, and most of the switches don't actually operate anything.  The master switch is outside the door of the room, so if you have left for a while, they will turn off the power.  They know you have left because the locking system is large padlocks and if you are inside you would use the deadbolt inside, but the padlock would not be on the door.  They also don't explain this to you, you just figure it out when you come back and there is no power.

Up this morning at dawn, not by choice, but now that I'm up, I came out on the roof top to look at the lake.  The city center is a lake, around which there are ghats, temples, palaces and other buildings.  For those who are James Bond afficionados, this is where parts of Octopussy were filmed.  I'm going to dinner tomorrow evening out on the island at the Palace, minimum charge 3,300 rupees just to go there to eat!  The Monsoon Mansion high up on the hill was also used, it was the villain's home in the movie.

This morning is the first time I've used my fleece jacket on this trip, other than in the airplane.  But it did not stay cool long.  This is the furthest south I've gone, but I'm not really clear on the weather patterns by location here anyway.  And since my wardrobe choices are distinctly limited, I just get dressed and then find out how much I'm going to sweat today.

This city is referred to as the Venice of Asia.  If it weren't a sure path to an accident, I'd rent a motorbike and ride around town.  But between me being distracted by looking around, and oddly placed holes in the road, other drivers and pedestrians, I am not going to even consider it.  I'm hungry but apparently no one else is because nothing seems to be open yet.

Sweat, pee and water

Dennis always used to say 'traveling is hard work' and it is. It's also rewarding, but there has come a time in every journey here in India where I am soaked with sweat, uncertain what to do next, tired, hungry or have to go to the bathroom and wondering why I want to do it the hard way! Then again, I am not sure there is really an easy way here. When you are that hot, you want a lot of water, but when you are trapped on the bus, you don't want to feed the other end of that process-trying to put it delicately, sorry if I offend!

Took the train from Bundi to Chattargarh then whooshed over to the bus station via tuk-tuk and got a seat on a bus leaving right away for Udaipur. No time for food or bathroom, oh well, it's only 2-3 hours, right?

The train ride was lovely, through countryside being farmed mostly with manual labor. I saw women in saris threshing long stalks of grain, and oxen pulling some sort of plow. Very neat.

I was dripping sweat when I got on the bus, and until it moved, there was no breeze. To add to the fun, you would not believe how many people you can cram on a bus if you really want to. I was in a front seat on the 2 seat side with another westerner. Across the aisle in the 3 seat side, there were 3 women and 3 children. The aisles were jammed with standees most of the trip. I kept doing the bobble head thing, which perhaps was some sort of entertainment for other passengers.

Someone asked how I'm feeling. It started out as a wicked cold, now just the usual, so I'm ok. No tissue to be found in any stores so I keep a roll of toilet paper with me. I brought 2 with me, but they are long gone, but at least I can buy that here.

Off to explore now that I'm settled, showered, bladder emptied and fed.

Bindi in Bundi and moving on

It's afternoon in Bundi, I'm up on the roof top. There's a boy flying a kite on another roof top in the near distance, the tuk-tuk's horns are making music of a sort and up on the hill, on the road out of town, a tractor pulling a LARGE load of loose hay or straw is sharing the road with everyone else.

I'm sipping a Coke,heading down to the festival to see what's happening. As I write, I catch a glimpse of the henna on my right arm and it makes me smile. The process was fascinating, and the situation just so much fun. The woman who runs the hotel with her husband did it, right behind the front desk, while their 2 year old daughter sat up on the desk and bindi'd a couple of tourist guys who were on the other side of the desk. Meanwhile the husband got me my train ticket for the next leg, and answered some other tourists' questions patiently, called and ordered a tuk-tuk and helped keep an eye on his daughter. The family is very nice and interesting to watch how they work. I did not ask, but presumably they had an arranged marriage. They seem to partner very well together.

On to Udaipur on Friday-at least I think that's what day tomorrow is. It's hard to keep track.

time and being alone

Time goes by so quickly on trips like this. You spend a fair amount of time figuring out your next move, and how to get there, finding a place to stay, eat, blog, and whatever else you want to do. You have to think of that stuff as part of the experience, not just the means to an end. There are so many places to go, each having it's own draw. But I did not want to race around constantly, changing hotels every day so I've moved every 2 or 3 days. Plus the traveling itself, whether by bus or train, is tiring and generally at least partly a grind. I can see where that part might be easier with a companion. But I do like wandering the cities on my own. I suppose, if you were traveling with someone who was willing to be on their own part of the time, that would probably be the best of both worlds-that's assuming you can agree on where to go!

As has happened before, I already can't wait to plan my next trip. This is addictive!! It's hard to describe the allure of going places I've never been and seeing things I've never seen, but it's something I hope to be able to do for many years to come.

I have been talking with fellow travelers and I hear about how much vacation time most of the rest of the western world gets-wow. They all seem to get at least 6 weeks and that's without any seniority on the job. We Americans definitely don't have the work/life balance thing pegged.

I heard a lot about how tough it is for a woman to travel alone here before I came. I was a bit nervous about it, because I heard so much. However, it's definitely doable. Sure, you get hassled, and stared at, but other than my first hotel, I have felt safe everywhere I go. I get tired of the looks, but I remind myself that I'm an intruder in their world, and I take breaks either in my room or the rooftop or some other place when it starts to make my cranky.

Also, I have met some other travelers who I hope will become friends. I guess some part of my dad has rubbed off on me. I strike up conversations with other travelers if they look at all willing to chat when I am in a restaurant, or a bus or train. Sometimes it's just where are you from, where are you going, we share our views of the places we've been so far (that's how I heard about Bundi) and how long you're in India for. Often we don't even trade names. If I was not on my own, I would be less inclined to chat like that.

Thank you everyone for your comments, it's helpful to know someone is reading this!

Bundi

Today is the first day of a festival in Bundi, and it began this morning up the hill at the entrance to the old palace, which is amazing. I don't know how they built these huge things into a rock wall so many years ago! At any rate, the festival. They laid down some large colored fabric. Picture an old cobbled road made from large rocks, not very many of which are flat on the surface. Then lay a cloth over it so you can't see where you are stepping. OSHA would have a field day. Anyway, there were many notables at the event, with elaborate turbans and a small band that consisted of a bagpipe player, a flute player and drums. Then there were prayers and chants as more participants gathered, some of which were dressed in costumes, plus more bands. Then eventually the procession began it's way down the hill and through town. Us tourists were all taking photos, but no one seemed to mind. This town is not on the tourist trail for westerners, so they are welcoming and nice. In fact, this whole town is a pretty nice place. It still has quite a bit of trash, but no beggars!! and my hotel room is clean and comfortable. I even have hot water. There are almost no restaurants in town except for the roof top ones associated with the guest houses. The one I am staying in is a haveli-a converted old home, very nice. The center of the 2nd and 3rd floors is open with a grate to the ground floor, which allows light and air all through the building. In these older cities, everyone built very closely together, so the ventilation is much better with this setup. The rooftops are sort of like the back yards of America. The family that runs my hotel is a young couple with an 8 yr old son and a 2 yr old daughter. They both speak english and are very helpful. The wife did henna on my right arm, not sure if it will last til I get home but it's cool to look at now. While she was doing my arm, her daughter, who loves to 'bindi', was putting henna on a couple of tourist guys who were sitting nearby. The little girl has little flower designs on the top of her feet, which her mom had done for her.

I'm heading down to the festival grounds this afternoon, after the heat of the day has passed, and may get a little shopping done. I only have one more city after this one, other than Delhi. I don't think I'll get to Delhi in time to do much shopping, so I think I should get started. I've enjoyed having little baggage thus far, but will probably pick up a bag here or in Udaipur to carry some 'stuff'.

Train to Chattargauh (sp?) in the morning, then via bus to Udaipur. I hope to get a flight from Udaipur to Delhi, or failing that, a sleeper train.

pockets and bus rides

Both of my pairs of pants have extra pockets that either zip or snap closed.  Like most foreign travelers, I have a system.  The bottom left pocket is for 500 rupees notes, the bottom right is for 100 rupee notes and the top right is for small bills and change.  That way you don't flash a wad every time you buy a bottle of water.  The top left pocket is for kleenex, thanks to my cold.  I'm Rudolph right now and the tissue here is none too soft.

Then there is either a money belt around the waist or the neck for travel days and some people also have a belt with a zipper compartment or socks with a pocket.

Important stuff goes in the little day bag.  Clothes and things I can live without go in the pack.

I rode from Ajmer to Bundi today on the bus, the only tourist and I can see why.  We stopped a lot.  a lot.  And since I did not know a) how long the stop was or b) who I could ask, I just stayed on the bus.  I bought some food through the window though.  A girl who was traveling with her older sister and others came back to the seat beside me part way through the trip to chat with me.  She speaks little english, and it's different than any I've heard before.  For instance "wayona" is what is your name.  So anyway, we traded names and she told me she was13 -I think.  I could not understand where she lives but she invited me to come home with them.  She signalled her big sister and a little boy who is some sort of relation back to meet me and shake hands too.  Another business card from Sonoma Bank is now residing in an Indian home. 

Ajmer and begging

When you wake up at 4 or 5 am, there's not a lot to go and do.  It's dark until about 6:30.

I went out last night to look for food and enjoyed the tramp through the markets.  This town is heavily muslim.  Khwaja Muri-ud-din Chishti settled here in the early 13th century.  He was a highly regarded muslim Indian who at the age of 13 gave his inheritance to the poor and adopted a pious and simple life as a Sufi fakir.  He believed that there was one higher power, and that the different religions were material manifestations of the same, thus promoting tolerance and unity between Hindis and Muslims.  I am no student of Islam but this is different than anything I had ever heard of.  Anyway, apparently the feeling is that this attitude still prevails in this area today.

I haven't written much about the beggars.  I think India is famous for them, and rightly so.  They are everywhere, particularly at central locations such as temples, mosques, railway stations and tourist areas.  There are different schools of thought regarding what the appropriate response is to them.  Regardless of what one decides, the sight of people so disenfranchised is wrenching.  In Pushkar, there was a man without some or all of each of his hands and feet, rolling about on the ground right in the street.  I don't think a few rupees from me would make any difference but it is hard not to be affected.  The old woman over on the curb with her hand out is someone's mother.  And the dirty little children whose hair looks as if it has never been brushed, barefoot with dirty, torn clothes and a dark look in their eyes-they are probably hungry.

If you give to them, are you perpetuating a habit that will keep them from other possibilities or are you helping them eat their next meal?  Or are you giving money to their 'pimps'?

If you refuse, are you being a cold hearted rich bastard or are you avoiding a con game?

None, and all, may be true, and each person decides for themselves.  It is hard to look at them, but for sure it's harder to be in their shoes.

I'm in Bundi now, a delightful small town where people are actually friendly, they say hello constantly, not just kids either.  This is a first so far on this trip.

important things

The place I am staying at tonight in Ajmer is called the Haveli Heritage Inn, or something close to that. The guide book liked it and it was close to both the rail station and the bus stand. The book had mentioned that Gandhi and Nehru had both stayed there. Well, it turns out that the room I am sleeping in was slept in by Gandhi!

I found this out because that room also has (had, I hope!) a mouse, who ran over the top of my foot.

And, the owners have a dog who looks sort of like a german shepherd who also is a mouser.

I only hope my little visitor does not return tonight. I am going imagine it several times in the night, I am sure. I wasn't sure if the owners would see a mouse as any kind of big deal, so I sort of casually walked out into the courtyard area where the wife was watering plants. I was happy to see her respond immediately! So because I was standing out there while the husband and the dog unsuccessfully mouse hunted in my room, I heard the wife and another guest discussing which room Gandhi slept in and it is mine.

I'd say I was glad for the mouse, but that would be a lie. I HATE rodents. I know they exist but I prefer to live in blind ignorance.

By the way, Paula, I haven't found any little Buddhas yet, but I'll keep looking.

Do overs

One of the things about travel is sort of like an evening when you have more than one party to go to. Sometimes you end up leaving a great party to go to another one, and end up regretting it. But you never know til you know.

Arriving in Ajmer was a grind-hot dirty city, bad traffic, polution and trash. Just like all the cities so far I guess. The railway station was packed, had to shoulder into the mass and then just go with it, pack on my back and daybag in front.

The train ride was about 5 1/2 hrs, and the first 3 were great. The train was fairly empty and I saw some beautiful country. There is no glass in the windows of the 2nd class non AC, which I was in, so I got a nice breeze too. Then we got to Marwar Junction and changed directions and suddenly I was going backwards. Some of you know how car sick I get...not fun. The train filled up too, so no chance to change positions. Anyway, chunks contained! Wishing I'd stayed another day in Jodhpur, but too late now. I may change my itinerary yet again. I've changed it at least twice so far.

You may have already read about India's railway stations, how people just seem to camp out or live there. They sleep in the middle of the floor, usually on a blanket or rug, but not always. In addition, everything is filthy and sticky, the restrooms are abominable and you have to watch your back. Other than that, it's a piece of cake! So far in my limited experience, the bus stations are easier to deal with, they remind me of central American bus stations, except the people are not generally as helpful. I'm hoping to get to Bundi tomorrow, which means I need to go to the bus station today to scope out the options. First I have to go back to my hotel to check in. They said they were having a lunch break and asked me to come back in an hour. But since they let me leave my pack there, I didn't mind, I was hungry anyway.

I'm thinking I'll need a vacation from my vacation when I get home.

The fort and blue city

I went to the fort yesterday, it was quite amazing. The structure itself is built into the rock and then towers high above. It has never been taken over in an attack, due to the way it was built. One thing they did was make the approach to the main gate so that there is a 90 degree turn just before the huge gates so that the enemy could not get up momentum with any kind of ramrod. The purdah sections were very interesting, the screens are hand worked metal screens each with it's own design. There is an audio tour, so I could wander at my own pace. At one point I was sitting on a rock step and an Indian family came by and asked if they could take my photo! Then they wanted a photo of their daughter with me. What a hoot! Very nice people, nice contrast to much of what I've run into here. Went down from the fort by way of the old 'road' laid with huge stones, through some of the blue houses. Interesting stuff.

Felt kind of puny during the day and by evening was in trouble. I went to dinner with Philip and Valerie, and felt like I was going to pass out. I did not want to let on that I was feeling so bad so I tried to tough it out. Didn't want the evening to end, but felt so bad. Long night, fever, sore throat, light headed. Better enough today to get on the train. I don't like feeling sick in a strange country.

Philip is the man who rode in on the same bus, we ended up at the same hotel, and did some exploring in the markets. Valerie is a 70+ year old woman who is traveling on her own! Very nice people. Both are from Englad, but now Philip lives in Australia and Valerie lives in the US. On to Ajmer...

Jodhpur

There was one other non-Indian on the bus today and when we got off there was a mob of tuk-tuk drivers waiting (auto rickshaws are called tuk-tuks here, like in Thailand).  He was being completely mobbed, I had picked one right away because he offered me a ride for 10 rupees.  I felt sorry for him and offered to share mine, which he did.  His name is Philip and he and his wife are from England but live in Australia.  He's on a 2 1/2 month trip in India. 

I went to the clock tower, the center of town here and then wandered around the streets.  The main market starts at the clock tower but goes into mazes of streets around it.  It is a lot like the winding narrow streets in Tangier, this place has a sort of Arab flavor to it anyway.  I saw several women in burkas or something similar (snuck a couple of photos) and the spices and other things in the market place seemed more arabic to me.  The town has old walls and it encircles the fort on a very large rock, really amazing thick walls with 5 or 6 gates.  Some of the old walls have been torn down over the years, and of course the city has outgrown the walls anyway.  I am going to visit the fort first thing in the morning before it heats up too much. It's 90 + and I am wearing long sleeves, pants and a scarf at all times.  I could take 3 showers a day and not stay clean, but I don't have that many clothes anyway.  Only 2 pairs of pants and 3 long sleeve shirts.  I did pick up some shampoo today at the market and figure it can double as laundry soap.

I got totally lost going back to my hotel-another town with winding streets and no regularity to how it is laid out.    I wandered a long time as it grew dark and finally resorted to asking shop keepers for directions (they seemed more likely to know english and not likely to follow me down the street).  I knew as a last resort I could stop a tuk tuk, but I could just picture them charging me a ridiculous amount of money and then going around the block and stopping in front of my hotel.  Turns out I was within about a block of it at one point in my meandering.

Jodhpur is the city that jodhpur pants are named from, at least according to my guide book.  In case anyone wants to know, this town is on the eastern fringe of the Thar desert.  The city is known as the Blue City for its many buildings painted blue.  This originated from some high caste Brahmin homes mixing indigo in with whitewash when they painted their homes, as they believed it helped deter pests and kept it cooler.  I guess it became a fad and there are quite a few blue buildings in town. It's lovely to look at.  I'll post more pictures another day and show you.  The fort was established in 1459 and it is absolutely massive from down here.  I am excited to explore it tomorrow.  I have no other plans other than wandering the streets some more.  Love this city!  I video taped a bit of the blue bldgs and the fort while the call to prayer was sounding this afternoon, hope it turns out.

Tyler, if you're reading this, I'm seeking out the perfect cricket bat for you!  In this town, sidewalks exist but are for marketing or store expansions, everyone walks in the street, which is another game of chicken.  Speaking of the streets, I am enjoying the game of 'cross the street'.  It is really quite fun!  If possible I line up down wind of some locals and just follow their lead, but lately I've been brave enough to strike out on my own, and so far have been successful!  I guess if I hadn't been, you might not be reading this. 

If anyone wants to know about anything in particular, please post a question in the comments, I'd love to tell you stuff you're interested in.  Thanks for reading this, otherwise I'd just be talking to myself!

I'm here in Jodhpur until Monday, when I am taking a morning train to Ajmer, then hoping to catch a bus toward Bundi.  One never knows how that may work out, but I'm fairly certain I'll find a place to lay my head one way or another. 

Random things

My pack is my footstool, it's getting a bit dirty.

Men hold hands with each other here, it's perfectly acceptable.  Physical contact between the sexes is quite rare though.

Little children are frequently seen in public with no pants on, up to age 3 or so. 

The water supply appears to primarily be in the form of public spigots, placed throughout the city, at least in Pushkar.

In the midst of being hassled by touts and hard looks from men, along the way, in passing groups of women, one will say "good morning" and it just makes me feel good.

Children love to say whatever english words they know when they see me, and it's cute! 

Pushkar and moving on

The festival at Pushkar seems to be heating up.  The music went almost all night and when I left the hotel at 5:45 am, the streets were full of people heading place, most to the ghats.

The shops in the buildings are generally very small, maybe 8' x 10' or even less sometimes.  In addition there are many streetside stalls made of wood which appear to be semi permanent, the a lot of wooden rolling carts, such as the chai and food carts.  Then there are the tarps laid out on the ground with goods laid out on them.  Both the prices and usually quality decline as you step from the actual stores down to the tarps.  The ground tarps, the carts and even some of the store fronts are homes to individuals and families at times.  This morning as I walked, it was hard to tell which lumps under tarps were people and which were goods.  Many people sleep in the streets, on benches, everywhere.  Reminds me of Cusco on the square at night, the people all lined up.  As I was passing through to the bus station this morning, I could hear a family waking up and starting their day from behind tarps hung up on their stand, it could not have been more than 6 x 8.

I took the long way to the bus station, not sure how!  I had traced and backtracked the route yesterday, because the town is laid out around the lake and none of the streets are square.  Some meander off and never connect to anything for a long time.  So I got to see Pushkar one more time.  Good thing my pack is fairly light.  Some of the 'streets' are so narrow, and some with steps, so the only things you could do on them are to walk or use an animal.  They are of course, quite old.

I wonder what Miss Manners would have to say about the protocol regarding encounters with cows on the street.  One sort of walked into me yesterday and gently head butted me.  I was afraid I had a new friend for a minute and I was pretty sure it wouldn't do to bat it on the head.

As I sat on the bus waiting to leave, there were 3 cows right outside my window (holsteins, Clay!) eating some sort of greens someone had brought to them.  Mind you, this is smack dab in the middle of town.  Walking down the streets lined with shops, restaurants, etc, you'd just see a cow, or a goat or monkeys hanging about.

The bus is sort of like an old school bus but was a grade higher in it's early life.  On one side there are 2 seats and the other 3, all padded and upholstered with fabric, which is now old, torn, worn and dirty.  The driver's area is glassed off, but has a window to the rest of the bus, through which passengers who want to sit up there can pass.  In addition to the driver's seat there are a couple of benches and at one point I counted 6 people up there.  When we started out the bus was only half full but that soon changed.  This was not an express bus, so we stopped often.  But that is partly why I chose this kind of bus for this trip, I really wanted to see the countryside and the villages, etc.  I would not take this kind of bus for a trip any longer than today's, but I am glad I took it today.  The driver has two assistants, one seems to be senior and he collects fares and bosses people around if necessary.  The other one yells out the door announcing "Jodhpur, Jodhpur" at stops and groups of people and then gets them on the bus as fast as possible.  Anyway, the trip is about 5 hours, I had water and raisins if needed, but we stopped in a couple of places where vendors came on the bus.  I don't know what to call what I ate, but they were good and only 5 rupees each.  Let's see, that is less than 2 cents, I think.

I am ready to leave Pushkar, it is kind of touristy in all the bad ways but does not have typical tourist services.  For instance I have only seen one bank and ATM in town, there is no place to get reliable info, only touts who all have something to sell.  Even your hotel staff have something to sell and I'm not sure safety is a major concern of anyone's.  For sure I did not feel safe at my hotel, and I think that's a first for me.

The people working at my hotel were all men, and yesterday one who I think  is a boss came out of a room near the stairwell as I was approaching it to go down.  He said hello and asked how things were.  I said fine, and kept going.  He then said, 'I want to show you one thing' and gestured toward the room he had just walked out of.  I did not break stride, just kept going and said no, thank you.  Then last evening I came home about dark, and went up to the second floor to the little restaurant as I knew they had bottles of water they sell and I wanted one for the trip.  No one was there just then but I was sure they'd show up and so I sat down and watched the street scene below.  One employee, who seemed fairly junior, and who had been too friendly previously to me, came up and tried to interest me in an ayurvedic massage-hmmm....  Sometimes you just know something stinks.  He persisted for a while and I kept refusing and finally said I just wanted to look at the people and get some water.  He was overly familiar and kept touching my shoulder everytime he said something.  Then the regular restaurant guy came up, he is ok, I paid for the water and massage dude left.  Then another man came up, who I thought worked there as I had seen him in the lobby several times.  I asked him about checking out early (I had personal knowledge that no one would be up before 7 from the morning of my arrival!) and he then told me he did not work there and I apologized.  He laughed and shook my hand and wanted to know my room number.  I pretended not to remember it.  Then I gave up and went to my room.  Well, the power in my room was out.  The lights in other rooms and on the balcony were on, and my bathroom lights worked, but not the room.  The worst of this was the ceiling fan didn't work.  It all may have been a perfectly innocent coincidence, but I decided to put up with no power, since the bathroom light worked.  It felt like maybe it would be a good excuse to get in my room.  All this because I was a woman alone.  But your hotel is not supposed to be like that!  The one I have in Jodhpur is completely different.

My seat mates varied throughout the trip today, from a young woman with a large bundle tied up in a white cloth, to 2 young ladies on their way to school to several different men.  The girls were quite interested in talking with me.  I had read that people here are quite inquisitive and it's considered acceptable to ask strangers personal questions.  They started with my name and where I was from, then was I married, then did I have a boyfriend.  I could tell they felt sorry for me when I said no to that.  The best I could tell, they are both working in some sort of hospital/medical training school. One is 17 and one is 18 (they asked me how old I was, so I asked them too).  They asked for a memory of me when they were getting off, so I gave them each a business card-that was kind of funny.  Then I asked to take their photos, but they declined, one said her father does not approve, so I said I understood and we parted happily.

pictures

Sorry about my technical difficulties.  If you copy and paste this into your browser, you should be able to see some photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=farmerrirene&target=ALBUM&id=5398323101206418897&authkey=Gv1sRgCI7zr6fO6tC9_AE&feat=email

time and money

Well, I seem to have my days and nights mixed up.  That nap yesterday was a mistake  I never got up!  Then at 12:30 am I was wide awake.  Today my goal is to stay up til 8 pm.  I have to get up early tomorrow anyway, I'm hoping to catch a bus that maybe leaves at 7am.  When you and the person you are asking don't speak the same language, communication is iffy at best.  But we both gave it our best!  So I'm showing up around 7 and hoping it works out.  There are other options, but I want to take the regular bus, it's not A/C and you can actually see out the windows.  Since the ride will be done around 12:30 and the windows open, that seems like the best option.  Otherwise I can take a 'deluxe' bus, which may or may not be deluxe, but for sure the windows won't open and I would freeze from the air conditioning.  But the bus station I have to catch the bus at is a little intimidating!  I went by there today, found it by accident (street signs are for wusses, they don't seem to have them here).  It was sort of like walking into a biker bar in a business suit, if you get what I mean. 

Since I was awake so early, I played with the settings on my camera, discovered I hadn't forgotten my sunscreen but had forgotten shampoo.  This is not the sort of hotel where you can go to the front counter and ask for a complimentary bottle, so I figured soap was a worthy substitute.  Besides, my hair looks like hell by 9 am anyway.  I was out and down by the ghats before daylight, surprising how many people were out also.  Apparently it's a popular time to come down and bathe at the lake (the ghats are concrete steps sort of like stadium rows without seats that lead down into the water).  This is one of the holiest festivals in Hindu religion, and this lake is the spot for it.  There are colored lights up on the foot bridge and other buildings, and in the dark they were reflecting beautifully in the water.  There was a group of women singing and there was a nice breeze.  And at that hour, no one was trying to insist that I take a flower to the lake as an offering.

Then I tramped out past the camels and discovered what looks like a gypsy camp-where all the folks from the desert that came to this to actually trade camels and cattle are.  They were not too friendly to me, I suppose because I was a woman alone, so I did not hang out long.

For anyone who's looking for a cheap adventure, this might even beat Thailand so far.  I paid about 150 rupees for food yesterday, and it takes about 45 rupees to make a dollar.  Of course, I'm not eating a lot.  It's too hot and I'm a little shy of the street food just yet.  I haven't had any meat at all, it is not readily to be found anyway and I'm not sure it's a good idea.  Lots of water, LOTS.  It's in the low 90's and quite dry (we are in the desert here, just outside of town are the sand dunes) so I'm drinking more water than I ever have in my life.

I'm trying to upload some photos while I'm typing this.  At 20 rupees an hour, I can afford the computer time, and it's hot outside right now.  If I am successful, I'll let you know.

Ajmer and Pushkar

It is Thursday and I'm in Pushkar now.  I can't stop taking photos, the colors and scenes are so amazing!  I only know a little about the different religions here, and then there are so many subsects of each.  I can at least tell if someone is Hindi or Muslim, but who knew there were so many ways to wrap a turban!  And the women's clothes are just insanely colorful and elaborate.

I got to Ajmer about 3 am.  Arriving at that hour and alone was a little intimidating.  You know the saying about faking it til you make it, that's what I did.  I had one of those illuminating conversations with the train car attendant, wherein I said as we were standing by the door of the train waiting for it to stop, "taxi?"  He could not understand me and I had given up after trying 3 times to say 'taxi' in some recognizable way when he said all of a sudden "Taxi!"  Sounded the same to me, but apparently not to him.  Anyway he used a few english words and some hand gestures to explain that I should walk to the end of the platform and then go right, up the stairs.  So I walked the guantlet down the platform as if I arrived there all the time and knew what the hell I was doing.  So many people awake at that early hour.  When I got to the top of the stairs, I could see the station building, and that was a relief.  I figured if I had to, I could hang out there for a few hours.  But as I came in the door, a man came up and said "taxi?".  I looked at him and wondered if he would take me to Pushkar or rob me blind.  Turns out he was a good guy and even walked me down the street after the police would not let him drive into town when we got to Pushkar.  As we were walking down the dark street, I could hear praying in a mosque and then praying of another sort in another building, I can only guess it was a Hindi prayer.  There is also a famous Brahmin temple here but I did not know that last night.  As we walked, it occured to me the taxi driver might be thinking he would get a commission from the hotel for bringing me (this is common in many countries).  So I bravely ventured forth on another conversation wherein neither of us understood each other at all.  I gave up, and he ended up stopping as soon as we came in sight of the hotel anyway.  He was just a nice person!  The scene at the hotel was a little different.  The door was slightly ajar, so I stepped in.  It was pretty dark but I could just see 3 separate forms on the floor sleeping.  I also saw steps up to some sort of open air place, so I tiptoed past them and went up the stairs.  There I found it was a sort of courtyard, with the 4 levels of rooms on 3 sides and an open air restaurant on the street side.  There is also a pool in the middle, but not one that I will be swimming in.  However, by the moonlight it all looked very nice, and clean too.  So i found a chair and proceeded to doze off and on for 3 hours.  they never knew I was there.

Keep in mind that at this point I had not had a shower or changed my clothes since Monday and I was pretty ripe by then.  so the first thing I did when I got my room is take a shower and put on some clean clothes.  Not the pants though.  These have so many wonderful pockets, with zippers, and given how dirty I was going to get today, I put the dirty ones back on. 

Then I headed out into stimulation overload.  I struck out in the general direction of the lake, and saw camels all decorated for the festival, many many kinds of clothing, beautiful saris on beautiful women, prayers and music cascading into the streets, beggars, stalls and roadside tables with vendors, and of course, the touts who tried very hard to push flowers into my hands.  I knew if I took the flower they would then try to take me down to the ghats and have me 'bathe' in the lake and then charge me for the experience.  So I refused and kept going.  I did go down to the ghats, but on my own.  And I really didn't want to do the flower thing, as I am woefully ignorant of what it means.  I think I'd just be insulting devout believers.  The people watching was great.  I figured out if I followed a group of women I got hassled less, so when a group went by on their way around the lake, I fell in and followed them.  We ended up in a narrow lane with more exotic sights.  Then I meandered on and came to the market, which was just getting busy.  I had lost track of time, and then again, time is a bit mushy right now anyway, so when i saw a restaurant that looked easy, I went in.  Turned out it was up on the rooftop and I could sit right by the street, under a shade cloth.  it was great for watching and for taking pictures.  There were a couple of different processions that came through as I sat there.  They did not look up and see me so I could stare and snap photos with abandon.  And I ate too...it was only 9am, go figure!

Then I found the camels themselves, and made use of my scarf to shade from the sun.  I forgot my sunscreen!  Yikes, I will have to keep on the lookout for some.  No luck so far.  I hear there were a lot more earlier in the week, but there are still a lot here.  A lot of them have what I'd call tattoos, like the mark of a sun, or other designs.  Some are clearly recalcitrant and have the marks to show it. 

I think a nap is likely for today, I really need to catch up on my sleep!  Besides, it's warm in the sun, and I don't want to turn bright red.  I'm here all day tomorrow and leaving on Saturday.  I have no idea where I'm leaving to though, so I need to do some research.  I'll keep you posted!

The train ride to Ajmer

When I got out to the platform, I could not see anyone official to ask, so I asked a police officer.  I knew he was not there for that, but figured he would at least point me in the right direction, which he did.  It turns out there was some sort of protest that day and the train I was supposed to take had been sort of ambushed and a bunch of windows broken out.  This I heard from an Indian who spoke english I could understand and he and his wife helped me figure out where to catch my train.

The berth is a 4 bed sleeper, and I shared it with a married couple, whose sons were in the 2 bed sleeper directly across from us, and another man who felt free to pass gas and make strange noises.  They all spoke something that I can only guess is Hindi.  Fortunately the teenage son spoke a little english, so with much pantomiming, I got across that I was very tired and even though I was supposed to have the bottom bunk, I would take the top one so they could stay up and I could sleep.  Other than that it was a lot of awkward silence or they just carried on a conversation on their own.  But they did help me tell the car attendant that I needed to get off in Ajmer which we were getting to at 2:30 am.  Then I passed out!  I had not slept more than a few hours since Sunday night and boy was I feeling it by then!  I got about 5 hours which kept me sane, at least.

The adventure begins

First things first:  I arrived safely.  I was not able to get to internet until today, so I have some catching up to do.
Second, I think I need to start with a disclaimer.  I'm going to be sharing my experience here, and having been in India for a whole day or something, I'm not claiming to be an expert.  However, I am going to share what I am seeing and thinking, whether it's accurate or not is up to you to decide.

The trip here was long-14 hours to Taipei and then another 6 to Delhi.  It was sort of like we chased the sun and finally caught up with it as we landed in Taipei.  Teri M took me to the airport and i was feeling a little foolish about getting there so early until we got to the checkin line.  At 9pm there was already a line and shortly after we got there, the line got really long.  Because we were near the front of the line, I got an exit row seat which is priceless on such long trips.  I held a baby and met a new friend in the course of the 20 hours, and got a little sleep.  I could not sleep for long at a time on the plane.  I think I told a few folks that I particularly wanted to fly on a non-US airline, both because they feed you better (and for free) and are generally nicer.  That proved true again.  Two meals on the 14 hour flight and one meal and a snack on the 6 hour flight, and the attendants were very nice.  They dealt with lots of babies, a sick drunk and various other issues with grace and discretion.

Wednesday:  The new friend was also going to the train station from the airport so we shared a cab.  The train station was a hoot.  I knew there would be crowds and really bad touts (and they were) but had read that the Left Luggage service was safe.  It definitely did not feel safe, but I left my backpack anyway and then David (the new friend) and I went to see the Red Fort to kill time.  We took an auto rickshaw over.  If I get organized, I'll try to video the ride in one of those, it would be a hoot.  It reminds me of the time I drove a rental car in Acapulco, or maybe Bangkok traffic, with even less regard for niceties like lanes and right of way.

Anyway, my train was leaving before David's so back I went to the station.  About that point I was so tired, I felt nauseas.  So I kept myself awake waiting for my train by writing down what I was going to post here.

Turns out even though a large portion of the population speaks english here, it's quite different than American english, or even British english.  I was riding back to the station in an autorickshaw, which is open on both sides.  The driver was trying to ask me a question as he drove, and between the traffic noise, and him speaking ahead and me trying to listen behind him, and his accent, he had to ask 3 times before I guessed that he was asking what country I was from.  After that, I just smiled and agreed with anything he said, there was no way we were going to understand each other.

So far, India is as dirty or dirtier than Ecuador.  Really dirty, everywhere.  I'm getting stared at a lot because of the blond hair.  My response depends on who is staring.  If it is women, I smile and say hello.  If men, I ignore them and put my scarf on my head or something to make it clear I'm not inviting attention.  No real problems so far.  Lots of touts in certain areas, but I have experienced that before, so while it gets annoying, I can get rid of them generally.  If this were my first trip to a less developed country, I'd probably be hiding out in my hotel room wondering what the hell I was doing here.  I do sort of wonder that, but I'm not hiding!

By the time I got on the train, I was so smelly I was bothering myself.  But that would have to wait, the train bathrooms are like the european stoop toilets, just a hole in the floor.  At the station, a bunch of people who weren't going on the train rushed on and used the toilets, then got off.  Compared to the rail station bathrooms, they are better.  On to the train...

Ready to fly

I have my plane tickets now, am very excited about this adventure.  I am turning 50 right before I leave, this feels a bit like a rite of passage or celebration of attainment of 5 decades.  The weather here is gloomy and chilly today, and it only exacerbates the urge to GO.  I am thinking about trying to get off the tourist trail a bit, both to get away from the crowds and to see the everyday lives of Indians. 

Hello

I am starting this blog to chronicle my trip to India, or what I hope is my trip to India. Got my visa in the mail today, just need to find some flights that don't break the bank, and preferably don't get into Delhi at midnight. I don't fancy finding a hotel room in the middle of the night. Wish I could go for a month or two, and go to a few different places, but 2 weeks will have to do for this time.