India Day 7: Delhi Ho!!

India Day 7: Delhi Ho!!

Sadly, this is to be Miche's last day in India. None of us can believe its only been one week! It feels as if we have been adventuring for months. Anyways, because Miche is leaving late at night we opted to cram as much India into one day as possible. Starting with an early morning romp around the great, Taj Mahal. Again, I find myself at a loss for words. Here before us was a symbol/structure that we have seen in books and have heard about our whole lives but never in a thousand years could have imagined seeing with our own eyes (and it didn't disappoint).

It is bigger than you have imagined, it stands alone commanding the surrounding area more than you've imagined, and when viewed near sunrise there is a quality of effervescence that plays on your vision adding a sense of serenity beyond imagination. We milled around the grounds drinking in the rich history and often finding ourselves awestruck and staring over the shining white marble domes

(each man hating a little this impossible bar set by a wealthy sultan for his beloved). We shed ourselves of our shoes and entered this sacred place feeling the cool marble on our feet and touching gem-laidened marble walls while admiring the spectacular symmetry and care given to each nook and cranny. Finally we left, hearts satisfied at seeing one of the WORLD's greatest treasures. 

Next we rushed to the train station to catch the next train to Delhi. Unbenounced to us the only spots left on this 3 hour ride were in second class, on the shelf beds. Allow me to paint a picture of this experience for you. We are in the center if India, at the peak of the hot season, in an all metal train packed to the gills with people and children who do not share our American views on personal space. Luckily, or so we thought, we could escape from the bowels of the floor seats and seek refuge in the top bunks, but as the train pulls away we quickly realize our mistake.

The top bunks are situated 3 feet from the roof of the train cars, which are all metal. It was like riding in an oven set to top side broil. I thought Miche was actually going to die. Our waters turned to hot teas, our clothes drenched in our own sweat, and the train's delay continually growing, there was no end in sight. But we made friends with the local children and survived, barely. Over Miche's final hours we saw Delhi's red fort (not as spectacular as Agra's) which made us appreciate Agra's fort. We swam through bazaars, shopped, and had a few more beers.

We then said goodbyes to our faithful travel companion as he set out for the airport. 

Miche, thanks for all the meals, rides, and tours. You helped make this one of the most spectacular vacations/graduations ever! I would travel with you anytime. You will be sorely missed. Travel safe!  

India Day 6B: The Great Red Fort

India Day 6B: The Great Red Fort

In all the amazingness of the last two days we didn't have much time to sit and blog so I will attempt to catch everyone up. Yesterday, we arrived in Agra in the throws of heat, in fact our first meal was up on the roof of our "hotel", under a tin sheet cover... Needless to say, this was the beginning of our true education as to why tourists avoid India in the summertime. To give you an idea of our living conditions we have to forge through goats along a back ally to gain access to our room which included "A/C" (notice the heavy use of quotations here).

The room was for "3 guests" which included a full sized bed. (Emphases on the period).

But, who really cares? We dined with the freaking Taj Mahal as our scenic view!! 

Our first order of tourism was The Red Fort, which in hindsight may be my most memorable portion of this trip so far.. As I write this I find it difficult to put into words the shear sized, elegance, preservation, and aw inspiring this place was. Try to imagine a giant medieval fortress, including draw bridge, moat, 100ft walls, and medieval anti siege architecture, made completely from a deep red sand stone.  Then after gaining access through a series of huge gateways the innermost sanctum is, in stark contrast to the surrounding red stone, all white marble palaces, buildings, and terraces enveloped by lush gardens. Truly jaw dropping.  Next we visited the Southern Gardens to watch the Taj as the sunset, again my sense of beauty as been redefined. And so ended yesterday...

India Day 6 part 1

India Day 6: "Hot as Hell"

Last night we kissed our 5 star luxury palace by the lake goodbye and set out for the train station. I am convinced our tuktuk driver had a death wish as he would take his eyes off the already chaotic nighttime streets to turn 180* in his seat and chat with us about "how much good karma [he] has" right before whirling back around just in time to swerve out of a semi's way, and into a swarm of furiously honking motos, while avoiding a herd of children crossing the street (presumably hemophiliacs). Then while laughing mercilessly he throws booth arms in the air exclaiming "look man, no hands, no vans, no worries chicken curry!!" What??! There is just enough light to recognize that the "street" we are careening down is just wide enough for Miche to reach out and and touch either side yet there is more traffic than LA at rush hour with a hardness of defensive driving whose closest, yet insufficient, comparison are East Coast drivers during a holiday rush.  Our ride concluded with a surreal action movie drift into a parallel parking space, with our driver giggling we spilled out of the mini-death trap kissing the ground with fervor, despite the potential for disease.    

The train ride was uneventful except for the occasional broken wind. We arrived in Agra where it was a balmy 108*!

We sweat it out through the congested streets, and arrived at our less-than-perfect hotel and headed up to the roof for a "quick" lunch. I relinquish the writing to the wordsmith of our group, Miche, to provide due justice to the Taj Mahal.......... Please see part 2. 

India day 5!!

India Day 5:  what an amazing day!! We slept in like kings in our 5 star hotel

and were served coffee and chai in bed. Then we set out to tour India's second largest palace which was nothing short of impressive. The sheer opulence of past and present kings continued to astound us as our hired guide rambled through the intricate history of this magnificent city. There were many photos taken and relics appreciated. Halfway through the day we set sail for the king's pleasure palace (no longer in operation). Emasculate gardens, hand carved rooms, and plenty of concubines, it was a place I could spend my summers. After an hour at the pleasure palace, we returned to the mainland famished.  We found the only vegetarian restaurant in the city and toasted to Rach as we splurged on decadent curries, rice platters, and beer. After lunch Ben and I opted for a 70 minute full body massage while Miche headed out in search if a haircut and shave.  

Now this was an experience, Ben and I were only separated by a curtain and I could hear him laughing and exclaiming "sorry, I'm ticklish". But the real laughter didn't arrive until late in the massage. Our masseurs asked us to sit for the final back rub down and my masseuse proclaimed in nearly perfect English with an Indian accent, "hey man you've got too much hairs on your back and shoulders, you are in very dire need of a good and proper waxing."  To which Ben erupted in laugher, so fierce he struggled to catch his breath. It must have been contagious because we were all in tears for the remainder of the massage. Afterwards Ben and I set out to explore our neighborhood and nearly drowned in the labyrinth of buildings, shops, schools, and temples. We knew vaguely where to go but along the way fell upon a high school cricket game, cows wondering as lost as we were, and Miche! Yes, as we were meandering down a narrow street we happened to look in to a shop and saw a clean shaven and well trimmed Miche sitting in a barber chair enjoy coffee with his new friends. The barber just so happened to be the 3 time defending barber champion of Udaipur. Chai coffee soon arrived for Ben and I and, after much chatter, we left amidst a cascade of salutations. Finally we retired to the tallest roof top restaurant in town to watch the sun set over a hilltop temple. Perfection. Boys on the roof with beers just soaking up the city. Now we are off on a train towards the great T Hall. Wish us luck! And if you are reading this please drop a comment or two to let us know you're out there!!

India Day 4: Miche's 2nd blog

As Nick and Ben plunged into the warm, fetid waters of lake pichola, I was reminded of the opening scene from slumdog mlllionaire when a young boy, locked by his friend in a Mumbai outhouse, plugs his nose and drops into the sewage laden muck below.   

India is a land of contrasts.  As I look out upon the beauty of lake pichola, surrounded by mountains and opulent palaces turned hotels, I see a loveliness fractured at the edges, where tell tale blooms of algae rise from tepid waters like the arms of some deformed Frankensteinian creation to grab plastic bottles, empty bags of chips, toilet paper and other spices and stir them into man's special stew.

If lake pichola, a relatively clean and quaint tourist town, is fractured around the edges, mumbai is broken down the middle.  The train from here to there has a bathroom with a hole in the floor opening directly to the tracks below.  Looking out the window, a sea of trash creates an umbilical cord to the third world which has not yet been severed.  

Mumbai's waterfront has a promenade stretching for miles and miles serving as a respite for millions of people to escape chaos and concrete.  The serenity that I typically feel when gazing out upon the open waters of the ocean was thwarted in Mumbai by my sense of smell and the ubiquitous stench of raw sewage that became strongest near the rivers and the estuaries, where once clear waters, blue like teardrops, have been transformed into some form of monstrous excrement, like Godzilla's diarrhea.

The contrast of people in Mumbai is as evident as the landscape.  Many sleep in the streets and many more in the slums.  As far as the eye can see, ten by ten rooms have been built using cinderblocks and rocks for walls, and tin and tarps for roofs.  These adjoining Swiss army homes stretch into the horizon providing shelter for thousands and thousands of families, servicing as bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms.  Next to the slums are decaying apartment buildings, arcing their backs to the heavens like some primordial amphibian crawling onto land for the first time.  Further down the evolutionary block, are apartment buildings under construction, holding promise for the human species.  And among a skyline where miles and miles of skyscrapers cast shadows on the slums below, one super structure symbolizes both gloom and hope, and serves as a living testament to the ambition and inequity of man, a 570 foot behemoth with 27 floors. 11 elevators, 3 helicopter landing pads and 400,000 square feet of living space.  This is what $2 billion dollars can buy one family.  It seems as if this home, named 'antilla' should be 2 billion miles from the slums upon which it casts a shadow, but India is a land of contrasts.

In a land of kings and serfs, for my fortieth birthday, I chose to live like a king.  We are staying in a palatial suite with beds that have ornate carved wood frames and a ceiling inlaid with tile.  A daybed in the corner is surrounded on three sides by windows overlooking the lake with enchanting views as far as the eye can see.  We dined on the rooftop of our hotel and were served as sultans while lying on a king sized daybed with views of the sun bleeding into the horizon.  For $80 per night, the cost of this hotel is in stark contrast to the United States.  

As I think of home and the memories I will take back with me, the gut wrenching feeling of looking at the dirty face of child after child living in abject poverty with no chance for education or advancement will remind me how lucky I am to have grown up in a land and environment of opportunity.

India Day 4: Udaipur

India Day 3: The Train

India is massive. Last night we boarded an overnight train on our way to Udaipur. It was late, but Mumbai was bustling with the drop in mercury. In fact, there was a wedding celebration just outside of our hotel. We were keyed into this fact by the seal-bomb-like-explosions on the street dispersed intermittently between drumming and singing. Of course (like my sister before me) when I heard explosions I stepped out to see what was going on, and was immediately engulfed in a crowd of dancing Indians, with an elaborately dressed couple in the center being blessed from above their heads by various crowd members. The air was filled with joy and dancing from all ages. Young persons setting off fireworks as if they were going out of style and in the crowded street no less.  We made our winding way through Mumbai one last time as we headed for the train terminal. Ben booked us on a sleeper train

for the 15 hour ride to Udaipur (A/C, thank god Ben planned ahead!!). It was late, so we slept most of the way. However I enjoyed a true Indian moment this morning; I sat next to my window watching the countryside roll by with a great book in one hand and a hot chai in the other, it felt surreal. 

We finally arrived in Udaipur, India's most romantic city, and it's title is well deserved. Now, I am used to sleeping in some questionable places while traveling super cheap, but this time I am traveling with employed peoples who have chosen (and paid for) a spectacular hotel

that overlooks a magnificent lake. Words cannot express how incredible our hotel is, not to mention that we are the only occupants. After getting settled we walked around this cute little lakeside town and found ourselves on a peninsula sporting a plain temple. There were many locals swimming, bathing, doing laundry, etc in the steps leading into the lake from the temple. While we stood there admiring the spectacle the temple keeper came up to us and chatted about the city, where to go, how much to pay, and even gave us a private tour, which included walking around on the roof with great views! After watching all of the kids swimming I came up with a crazy idea that Ben and I should dive in and swim to our hotel. Ben was a little reluctant to say the least (perhaps because of swimming in contaminated water or the crocodiles the guide books warned us about). Needless to say I talked him into it. I mean, come on, swimming in India!! So we stripped down to our skivvies (much to the chagrin of the locals) and dove in. The water felt warm and amazing. We swam, heads up of course, across the little lagoon to our hotel where we met up with Miche who had carried our clothes back around. Next we retired to our hotel's restaurant for miche's 40th birthday dinner

. As we watched the beautiful sunset the lake became inundated with large birds, which upon closer inspection turned out to be giant bats!! Hundreds of them! Incredible! We ate and drank to our hearts content sharing stories and setting new bucket lists. Miche seemed to be very contented with his birthday. What a day!!

India Day 2 by Miche Hogan

India day 2: (Miche). There were many laughs involving India, Indian food, bathrooms and the "traveler's curse" in the weeks leading up to our departure.  On our second full day in Mumbai, there was bathroom event that took me by complete surprise and has made my fears grow even larger.

The day began early when the non-stop honking of our continuous alarm clock grew to a deafening roar in the streets below.   Our cab drivers have hit their horn on average 20 times a minute, and it seems an entrepreneur could do well with a custom horn shop to replace the ubiquitous beeps with an occasional "quack" or a "moo". 

We made our way out onto less unfamiliar streets after a lazy morning, growing more and more aware of the enormity of the city around us.  The skyline, as far as the eye can see, is filled with skyscrapers.   New beasts are bursting from the ground everywhere and it seems as growth is only limited by a shortage of cranes.  As we drove through miles of skyscrapers in one small section of Mumbai, our taxi driver told us they had all been built in the last 15 years to support the textile industry, at least that is what I think he said.  I think it must be like watching New York go through its Big Bang.

The people that fill these buildings come at you from everywhere in every type of vehicle imaginable.  My favorite so far is a tie...watching 14 people emerge from a five passenger microbus, or getting passed in our taxi by a man and a wife riding a one seat motorcycle with a baby between mom and dad and a small kid hanging off the back.  Luckily, dad was one if the few motorcyclists in Mumbai to actually be wearing a helmet.

The people stare at me when I am looking and I stare back when they are not.  I see faces shrouded by every color imaginable and most of them are smiling.  The melting pot of Hinduism , Buddhism, and Islam is fascinating in its diversity and beautiful in its vibrancy.  Bright colors come at you from everywhere and please my greedy senses.  A child wearing a pink and plaid dress and a bright pink hat rests on the lap of her mother, clashing against purple henna pants, a purple and blue striped skirt, a light and dark green patterned shirt, a green, purple, black, tan and turquoise scarf, and a black and gold necklace pressed against chocolate skin.  

The colors come at you from everywhere, But what  caught my eye and captured my heart was a faint silver and black henna embroidery which was barely visible on the sleeve of a woman wearing a black burqa.  Through a sliver in the burqa I saw her dark eyes, radiant against dark fabric covering her from head to toe, revealing an inner beauty of a people to whom I am a stranger.

With the chaos and confusion of millions of people bustling in all directions, we needed a plan in case someone got lost.  'Stop and look for the white guy' was executed to perfection when nick disappeared in the bazaar.  We have seen only a handful of other tourists, probably because it is the middle of the hot season.  After visiting the grand rail station which was built by the British in the late 1800s and gawking at its stunning architecture, I was soaked.  But I only sensed a much richer history to this strange and exotic land on which we travel after boarding a ship destined for elephant island.  The island contained a series of caves which had been enlarged and filled with 30 foot tall statues carved out of rock with elaborate murals chiseled into the cavern walls.  Buddhist monks labored over centuries long past working day and night to pay tribute to gods with statues they would never see finished in their lifetime.  

Sightseeing works up an appetite and we have been fortunate to find some incredible food on which to dine.  Service is a priority and during each meal we have had at least four waiters.   They like to stand close by and stare at you while you eat, so it does take a bit of getting used to.  Nick likes to challenge the waiting staff to very very spicy food which brings me back to the bathroom event that has taken me by surprise and very very fearful for our 15 hour train ride which leaves the station in 1.5 hours.  All quiet on the western front.  Number two has not come to visit.  There have been rumblings, but no major seismic activity.  Quite unusual for me especially considering the spicy Indian food.  Stay tuned....what is life anyway without a bit of adventure?

1st day in India!!

India Day 1: we arrived early this morning at the airport, which was recently renovated and looks amazing. Of course, my bag was one of the last ones off the belt leading to an extra hour stay but it was not that bad. Next we found a pre-paid taxi to our hotel. I have read in several books India being described as "an assault on the senses", even though it was late at night, the smells emanating from this metropolis laid siege to my nostrils. These smells were not necessarily malodorous but rather overwhelming in their complexities.   Ben had neglected to mention our hotel was in ghetto-ish territory,

which made Miche and I nervous as we were dropped off in front of a group of "interesting" fellows and told that our hotel was "around the [sketchy] corner". Luckily, it WAS just around the corner and Ben was waiting in the lobby (a sight for sore eyes indeed)!! After a good night's rest we set out in the early morning, only to discover that Mumbai does not awaken until after 10am. After a brisk walk to unveil our surrounding area, we enjoyed a simple breakfast and then hopped into a taxi headed towards the center of town. Now I have traveled to many countries, and I have experienced impressive traffic before, but nothing could have prepared me for the shear sphincter puckering insanity that occurs on the streets on Mumbai. It is as if there is a Lord-of-the-Flies-mentality on the road, where cars will honk then accelerate towards their street-crossing prey, where fitting as many cars across as few lanes as possible is "sporting good fun", and  honking must be India's favorite pastime. After seeing our lives flash before our eyes (several times) we arrived at our destination the Arch of India, it was crowded and impressive. We walked around the city as the mercury rose until our thirst drove is to seek refuge in a nearby restaurant that just so happen to serve cold pitchers of Kingfisher beer. Ahhh! Heaven. 

Our exploration continued as we visited mosques, street vendors,

and hanging gardens. Finally, after several hours of walking we decided to get some grub and found ourselves at a quaint little cafe where we let our palates rummage through some of India's finest cuisine; red chicken, butter chicken, and chili chicken. Spicy and deliciously  fabulous!!

After this exquisite late lunch we made our way back to our hotel for a much deserved nap, which turned into a 14 snooze (jet lag is a bitch). This is were you find me. Stay tuned for more updates!!