Ah, the open road. The fresh air. For a second there, I forgot I was in India. Then we passed a herd of camels, 10 bicycle rickshaws carrying 20x their weight, I looked up and and saw the traffic coming at me from the wrong side, circled a few roundabouts, then was brought back to Asia...
Since leaving the calming quarters of Steven's apartment on campus in Mumbai, we hit the ground running, to experience the offerings of the streets of one of the most populated cities in the entire world. Our sleeping quarters coincidentally proportionately represented the crowdedness of Delhi, and after 3 nights of what Jennifer coined "pallet surfing", with 10-15 other residents and fellow Couch Surfers, I felt like I had seen as much of Delhi as I needed to see. Staying with the family was humbling and I was re-exposed to the bucket bath, this time in an emclosed space, with an electric plate placed in the bucket to warm it up. Like I mentioned before, couch surfing is always a roll of the dice, but I am traveling with some serious troupers and even though it was initially a shock (perhaps in a couple of ways for Stacy during bath time), we all agreed that we were grateful for the hospitality and kindness of our hosts and that it certainly is important to understand or at least experience a glimpse of life through a "middle class" Indian's eyes.
After 3 nights in Delhi, we were on our way to Jaipur, at the suggestion of our CS host. We opted for hiring a car for four days through Wahoe Travel and so far we haven't been steered wrongly. In Jaipur we went to a couple of monument sites, including the Red Fort, where we wooed the nationals with some acrobatic yoga and juggling. (Don't worry there are pictures and video-as if being westerners didn't draw enough attention). But even before we began the show, Jennifer and my's blonde hair already made us famous. I am beginning to get quite the collection of photos with other Indians. I wonder what they do with theirs... The next day, we visited the Amber Fort, Sawai Jai Singh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Indian astrological observatory, the Nar Har Garh, a palace made of marble, where we could see the entire city of Jaipur, down below. I sat outside the Amber Fort palace, but inside the walls of the fort, while Jen, Stacy and Steven went inside. It was only a matter of minutes of sitting under a tree and writing, before one family after another approached me to take photos with them. In Jaipur, we stayed at this hotel called Hotel Moonlight Palace, that was exquisite and made us all the more appreciative of our previous quarters.
Today we left early in the morning with Hare, our sweet and patient driver, to head to Agra. It is the the first time I've really been able to see the "countryside" of India. It was nice to see fields of green and grains and flowers and eucalyptus trees lining the streets. I even caught site of a hand water pump. Once, we stopped for a pee and breakfast break, but not even Hare thought the restaurant was up to standards, so we rode on. Agra is known for one thing and one thing only: the Taj Mahal- Shan Jahad's wife's tomb. After stepping foot in Agra, I know one thing and one thing only: I'll never come back. Touring the Taj Mahal is like touring Disney Land, on a stimulant. Ushered this way, corralled that way, foreigners line up here, pay this much, plus this much more to pee. The only other exciting thing besides the incredible and magnificent Taj, was that I convinced a bicycle rickshaw driver to let me drive him on his own rickshaw. Of course, it was not without a price!
Tomorrow we'll head out of town again to try to seek some peace and solace, after a 12 hour car ride, to Rishikesh, a town in the foothills of the Himalayas, known for meditation and yoga. THAT will be a breath of fresh air. Until that is, I wake up from my nights sleep!
No comments:
Post a Comment