BIG UPDATE, SEVERAL DAYS

WARNING – LONG POST, COVER SEVERAL DAYS

Due to a lack of internet connection, I was unable to update the blog for the last several days.  I did take some time and write out my thoughts each day so that I could keep it all together as best I could.  This posting is VERY long as it encompasses several days.  I hope that you can make it through!  For your reference, I am using a conversion of 50 Rupees to $1.  This is typical right now for a conversion rate.  Here’s what we’ve spent the last several days doing:

Travel to Delhi – January 8

On Sunday morning we awoke early for a 2 hour drive from Surat to the airport in Varodra (or Varodara).  Our driver (Dhaval’s mom’s driver) got us there in short order!  The trip was easy and he handed us over at the airport as he was not allowed inside without a ticket.  Getting through the airport wasn’t any more difficult than in the US at a small local airport.  Security was friendly and easy to work through.  After about an hour wait at the airport, we were able to board the plane.  We were on a large Airbus plane but the airport was tiny.  There were no terminals like we use in America so we departed from the “gate”, walked 25 feet to a bus, the bus drove us about 50 feet to the plane, then we boarded the plane using stairs.  The flight was short to Delhi.

Upon arrival in Delhi it was the same routine as boarding the plane in Varodra.  No gate so we walked down a ramp, onto a waiting bus, then a 50 foot bus ride to the airport terminal.  Upon exiting the airport we were greeted by our driver for the length of the trip Amar (pronounced Ummer).  He loaded us into the Tata Indica (think older style Honda Civic for size) and started on our way to Agra.

Agra Adventures – January 8

The trip to Agra was about 5 hours.  Along the way we stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant and enjoyed a lovely chicken sizzler (I’m really liking these things!).  Apparently, we arrived in Agra too late to see Taj Mahal but met our Agra tour guide, Gupta, at the hotel as we checked in (stayed at the Sarovar Portico).  This is where the adventure got hairy.  We were taken around Agra and shown Agra fort.  After snapping some photos, Gupta talked to us about the three “arts” of Agra.  The minerals (two stones in particular being Star Ruby and Black Star of India), the carpet making (if he said “best in the world” again I was going to be sick), and the marble inlay (the marble has three beauties: it is translucent, it is non-porous, and something else I can’t remember now).  We were taken to a local jewelry shop where we were shown the stones and a hard sale was put on us (no taxes, can’t find these any cheaper anywhere in India and will be triple the price in the US, etc.).  After making our way out of there, we were taken to a carpet shop off the beaten path.  They showed us a brief description of how the carpet was made.  It didn’t provide nearly as much detail as we would have liked and it turned out to be nothing more than a front for a hard sale in the “finished product” room below.  After spending several minutes insisting that we weren’t interested in buying and carpets (but they pack DHL shipping to America!  ::eye roll::) we made our way out of the shop.  At this point we were both tired and disgusted with our “tour guide” so rather than see what the marble inlay place would try to sell us we opted to go to the hotel.  I called Dhaval to express my frustration with this part of the trip.  He took care of calling the tour operator and the driver to see to it that we were not going to be pushed through this again.

Agra Day 2 – January 9

The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel.  It was nice to have some international fare to mix into the food rotation.  I have yet to have much of an appetite so I opted for French toast and some fresh watermelon and mango.  We met with Gupta and he explained his reasons for taking us to those shops (blah blah blah).  We got on the road to Taj Mahal.  About this time we began to understand how badly this country tried to nickel and dime tourists.  Due to Taj being a protected area we were unable to be driven up to the gate by our car and driver.  We were required to take an electric vehicle for 100 rupees or Rs (or government bus but they don’t run unless full and that could waste time, Gupta said).  Admission to Taj was 750 Rs per person.  We made our way through security to enter the monument.  This trip was well worth the cost.  The monument itself consists of several buildings and the layout is stunning.  It was very foggy as we went early in the morning but there were not many visitors there yet.  It is difficult to put into words the beauty of Taj, the mosques around it, the grounds and gardens, and everything else there.  The detail work in the marble and jewel inlay is amazing.  The construction of the buildings are impeccable.  The double dome architecture of Taj allows echoes to pass through the chambers.  All I can say is go check out the pictures (once they’re up) to get a feel for what I’m talking about.

We left Taj, returned to the hotel for checkout, tipped Gupta a small amount for his services (300 Rs), and began the drive to Jaipur (the pink city, see pictures and video later).  Along the way we stopped to visit the Fatehpur Sikri monument.  Again with the nickel and diming.  300 Rs for a local tour guide (obviously a tout but it was arranged by Amar), 100 Rs for a rickshaw ride to the monument, and 520 Rs for entrance to the monument.  We were shown the Sikri side of the monument where Akbar built palaces for each of his three wives (Christian lady, Muslim lady, Hindu lady).  These weren’t “palaces” in the traditional sense.  The detail work was again amazing.  The Muslim palace was a one-room building that was entirely hand carved on the walls and ceilings.  That is the one that stuck with me the most.  There was so much to see here.  The winter and summer bedrooms, the pond where one of Akbar’s ministers would sing on a platform in the middle, the courtyard where Akbar would hear cases from the commoners, the stone where Akbar’s favorite elephant was tied and the elephant was used to deliver punishment (elephant would crush the leg of those found guilty), etc.  Again, you’ll have to see the pictures to get a better feel as my words just can’t do it.  We completed our tour of the Sikri side and walked towards the Fatehpur side.  We were told we would have to leave our shoes outside so we opted to not go through this monument.  We were taken around to the front gate to see the amazing structure built.

The amount of poverty, filth, and beggars that we have encountered is amazing.  You will be able to see a lot of what I’m talking about in the pictures.  The small children (and even some adults) pushing things in your face to buy is aggravating but it’s best to sternly say NO or just ignore and walk past them.   Keep in mind that many of these children are also adept pickpockets, from what I’ve been told.  We haven’t encountered any of this yet but we’ve also been very cautious to keep all valuables secured in front pockets and zippered pockets inside of jackets.  It also appears that many of these folks hang out around tourist monuments just to get a chance to make some money.  It’s sad to see but you cannot give them any money as you will start a mob scene.  It also doesn’t help that the car we’re being driven around in has “TOURIST” in big letter written across the top of the windshield. 

Journey to Jaipur – January 9

After the Fatehpur Sikri stop we continued on our journey to Jaipur.  The cities in India get VERY dense and congested.  My dad shot some video footage of the roads in Jaipur and keep in mind that this isn’t even as bad as we’ve seen!  We arrived at the hotel (Park Inn) after a short ride through the city.  Amar offered to take us for an off-itinerary journey to Chokobanni (sp?) for 450 Rs entry.  After traveling all day we were far too tired and not interested in getting sent off to something unknown this late in the day.  We checked into the hotel about an hour before nightfall.  The hotel has wifi access but when I asked the front desk I was informed that it was available at a cost of 110 Rs per hour so we opted to pass on this and instead watched some tv, and called it a night.

Getting onto Indian time for sleeping hasn’t been very difficult but I’m still a bit off at this time.  I find myself going to bed too early in the evenings and end up waking very early in the mornings.  Also, the beds aren’t the most comfortable at these hotels.  I think the additional domestic travel has made it a bit more difficult than if we had stayed at Dhaval’s place.  That was never really an option, though, as I would have not come to India without seeing Taj.  The rest of these monuments have been interesting but I could honestly do without all of the extra local flavor that comes with them.  Fortunately we don’t have much more to see.  Today we are to visit Amber, Hawa Mahal (palace of wind), and see some museums and the Jantar-Mantar observatory.  The next day we will travel from Jaipur to Delhi to finish the trip, spend two nights in Delhi, then return to Surat (by way of domestic flight from Delhi to Varodra).  Truthfully, I’m not having the best time on this portion of the trip.  I’ve become a bit homesick and realize that I can’t exactly go home for quite some time without paying a large amount of money to change tickets around.  I’m sure I’ll get over this, especially once we get back to Surat and I am more comfortable being looked after by Dhaval and his family.  Right now I have a sense of vulnerability that I didn’t have when I was at Dhaval’s place.

Round 2 in Jaipur – January 10

I wasn’t expecting much from today.  The program called for sightseeing in Jaipur.  After the last couple of days, I really wasn’t all that excited.  Boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong!

We were late getting started this morning because we found the LSU game on ESPN at the hotel.  We watched the first half and were disgusted enough to move on with our day.  I didn’t have much hope for LSU and it turns out that I was right.  We proceeded downstairs for breakfast, enjoyed some basic fare of cereal, croissant, and lots of fresh fruit.  I’d love to try the Indian dishes but I’m not willing to do so without it being explained to me or at least know what’s in the dish.  I really don’t want to get food and leave it on the plate.

After breakfast we met our tour guide for the day, Abhishek.  We were given the option to try an elephant ride for 900 Rs which we passed on.  Instead we began our day at the Jantar-Mantar observatory after taking a brief picture stop at Hawa Mahal , the Wind Palace.  This was an absolutely amazing way to start the day!  Admission to the observatory was 200 Rs for both of us.  Our guide has been giving this tour for approximately 7 years and he studied under his uncle and father and assisted with writing astronomy books.  His explanations of all of the observatory tools were impeccable.  It is amazing to see devices that were built out of stone over 280 years ago that can achieve the precision and accuracy as these.  We were first shown a sun dial that could accurately tell the local time within 20 seconds.  Utilizing Jaipur’s location in India and it’s longitudinal relationship to the center of India you can compare this result to actual India Standard Time and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t dead on!  On top of this, the Maharaja who built this facility, Maharaja Savai Jai Singh II, also commissioned a BIGGER sun dial with accuracy within TWO SECONDS!  It is recognized by Guinness as the world’s largest sun dial.  There were also several other devices at the observatory that could be used to determine a whole variety of things.  I highly suggest that you google this location to learn more about it as my explanations are subject at best.

After the observatory we went to Jaipur City Palace where admission was 600 Rs for both of us but this included several other sights for the day.  This is where our guide’s skills were taken to a new level.  It’s one thing to recite lines about the tools but his knowledge and depth of explanation of the rich history and culture of the region and the country as a whole.  The beauty of this palace is amazing.  Apparently the royal family, descendants of Maharajah Savai Jai Singh II, still resides in the palace.  There are some amazing photos depicting the architecture, coloration, and beauty of this place. 

We stopped for lunch at a local outdoor restaurant called Durg.  After perusing the menu we opted for Murg Tikka Lababdaar with garlic naan.  This was easily my favorite dish in India thus far.  It was an amazing tomato based sauce with chunks of boneless chicken and some grilled onion and peppers.  Lunch with two cans of diet coke, an order of garlic naan, and the chicken dish totaled 670 Rs.

After lunch we made our way to Amber fort but there was a surprise along the way.  There is a palace called the Water Palace that was used as a summertime palace by the royal family.  You really have to see the pictures of this one.  It is literally a palace in the middle of a manmade lake that looks like it is just sitting on the water.  After seeing the water palace, we continued on our journey to Amber fort.  This admission was included with the City Palace but we had to spend an extra 100 Rs to be driven up to the monument and bring a camera in.  Amber fort held some amazing sights that will be best captured by photos that you can see on the shutterfly site.  The views were breathtaking at the top of the mountain!  Looking down over the town of Amber we could see Amber palace, the entirety of the town, and the amazing defense wall that surrounds the city.  Construction initially began in 10^th century and was modified in the 17^th century.  Before leaving Amber fort, our guide suddenly asked me for 50 Rs to buy a ticket.  I had no idea what he was buying but several minutes later he walked me over to a guy nearby for a camel ride!  This was very fun and, although only a few minutes long, was well worth the cheap price.

From Amber fort we made our way down the hill to Amber palace where admission was 400 Rs.  This, like many other palaces, was very strategically laid out, held separate palace bedrooms for summer and winter, and separate spaces for each of the ruler’s wives.  The amazing feature of this palace was its water conservation.  This was also part of Amber fort but was taken to a different level at the palace.  From the top of the palace, water could pass through several tunnels and conduits through the bedrooms where it was used for cooling when wind would blow across the water flow.  The water that passed through was used to water the amazing gardens.  From here, the water would pass through several reservoirs and levels of sand underground for natural filtration.  The water at the last reservoir was used in the palace for drinking water.  There was also a bucket and gear drive system in place to transport the water from the bottom reservoir all the way to the top of the palace to repeat the cycle.  This was truly a marvel of engineering for the 1600’s!

This day completely changed my spirits about this trip.  I know I’ve talked before about the problems but today was nothing but excitement from the beginning to the very end.  This is what I was hoping to get from India.  This was the marvel and the beauty of a country that has been in existence for thousands of years.  This was the good and possibly some of the best that India had to offer.  I also cannot say enough good things about our tour guide.  At the end of the day he was dropped off to his motorcycle and we gladly tipped him 1000 Rs for his services for the day.  We returned to the hotel to rest as today was a very tiring day.  I am glad to get to relax now and reflect on a phenomenal day in India!

Delhi Bound – January 11

Today is an easy travel day.  We are to leave the hotel shortly and travel by car for 5 hours to Delhi.  Lunch will be taken along the way.  Upon arrival in Delhi, we will check into the hotel and hang out there for the evening.  Tomorrow we are set to sightsee in Delhi with our driver, Amar.  The next day we are set to fly back to Varodra and travel to Surat by car to return to Dhaval’s in the evening.  Hopefully we have some wifi at the hotel in Delhi!