New Delhi, Darjeeling, Calcutta, Chennai, Thekkady, Allepy, and Home!

Sunday March 6, 2011

We were up and out of our hotel before the sun in order to make it to our 7 o’clock train to New Delhi. Though I must admit I was a little skeptical of how enjoyable and easy the ride would be, seeing as our late purchase of our tickets resulted in 5^th class seating, I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort we had. Granted I had to hold all my luggage on my knees for 5 hours, and then move in and out of the aisle as people scooted past me, it was much better than what I had expected: people jam packed body to body fighting for fold-out chairs placed in an otherwise furniture-less car.

Since we were heavily advised to take the train rather than drive, we had to abandon our quick detour to take a look at the Taj Mahal. When we finally made it to New Delhi, India’s capital, bag porters immediately bombarded the train, efficiently making it impossible for people to get off without using them to carry their luggage. We felt like we were forced to let one of these frail men carry our luggage, but were surprised at his strength as he put two suitcases on his head, and another two duffle bags around his shoulders. We then had to follow him, weaving in and out of people, in order to get to the front of the station. We eventually got settled in at our home-stay, and went out to explore the crazy city.

I soon found that this city was my least favorite. We wanted to see older parts of the city, so we took the metro to Old Delhi and took a stroll down a famous bazaar created by a king for his wife to shop in. It was packed with people selling goods in alleyways 4 feet wide. We wandered for what felt like hours until we finally made our way back to a main street where we could grab a cab to the Red Fort. Yet another gigantic fort, though this one was very red. The city was interesting, but it did not have any “charm” as one lady we met put it. She said, “It is just like a regular Indian city, but without any of the charm.” We saw lots of people, lots of trash, lots of slums, and nothing very appealing.

The next day we were off to Darjeeling, which was a one hour flight and a three hour car ride away. I really enjoyed Darjeeling, probably because it was so different from anywhere else we had been in India. Not only were we in the middle of the Himalayas, which attested to the very new scenery, but the people also started to change. They became more Tibetan, and wore different clothes. They also ate totally different food, which was delicious.

In Darjeeling we learned all about tea, and hiked around the mountain city, exploring Buddhist temples and little shops. The city also had a very nice zoo, complete with snow leopards and red pandas.

After our visit in Darjeeling, it was time to take a load off at a very fancy hotel known as the Oberoi Grand in the city of Calcutta. Though we had only one night in Calcutta, I think it was my favorite city in India. It might have been because the book City Of Joy, had prepared me for the worst, or because we were staying in such a nice hotel, but it felt much cleaner and more open than the rest of the cities we had visited. It had big parks and gardens, and actually felt like some thought went into the structure of the city itself.  While in Calcutta we took a stroll around the park, which was packed with thousands of people playing soccer and cricket, and took a look at the Victorian Memorial, which is a huge building in Queen Victoria’s memorial shaped just like our Capital Building.

The next day we were in Chennai, one the up-and-coming IT sectors of the world, but other than that, a similar stereotypical Indian city. Our main purpose for this stop was to take a look at one of the famous IT parks. These are groups of giant buildings that house one or more IT sections of many different companies from all over the world. We got a tour from a friend who worked in the Petrofac IT building, and got to see people work away on designing oil rigs and such. We also had lunch with a very hospitable family of one of our friends back home.

After Chennai we took a flight to the southern Indian city of Madurai, and then took a cab to a town called Thekkady. The farther south we drove, the more tropic and humid it got. Pretty soon we were in a rainforest, all the plants changed and the heat was much more heavy than the heat up North. We stayed on a tea and cardamom plantation, which was really interesting. Cardamom is a commonly used spice in India that grows little green balls at the bottom of a tall tropical looking plant. In the US we can find dried cardamom, but very seldom do we come across green cardamom, which is a spice used frequently in Indian cooking.

After hiking around the jungle, and learning all about cardamom harvesting, it was time to take another long drive to our last destination of Allepy. This city is right on the ocean, but has a web of fresh water backwaters that people use as a main form of transportation. The first night we stayed in a home-stay, and took a look at the city. The next day we were scheduled to stay on a houseboat and take a one-day tour of the backwaters.

The houseboat was amazing; with two hotel-size rooms and a ‘living room’ area that over looked the water, it was set up for pure fun. We sat on the deck and watched the town go by as we drifted along the backwaters. We were surrounded by little houses full of people doing their daily tasks and huge rice patties that went so far we could not see the end of them. The people used the water to irrigate their fields flawlessly, making an ideal spot to plant and harvest rice. That night we slept on the boat, which was tied up to a coconut tree on the side of a rice patty.

The next morning we got off the boat early and headed to the beach, which would be our last bit of fun in India before the long flight home. The white sand beach scattered with shade-providing palm trees was beautiful; but the murky water took some of its glamour away. Soon enough our time was up, and we were off to the Kochi airport to fly to Mumbai. Once in Mumbai we waited four hours to take the international fight to Hong Kong, and now I sit on a plane, flying over the Pacific Ocean, preparing to enjoy the in-flight movie, King’s Speech.  

See you all soon!

Jaisalmer, Bera, Udaipur, and Ranthanbore National Park

Tuesday, February 22

Internet is harder to come by than expected, and a lot has happened since visiting the small desert city of Jodhpur. After Jodhpur we took a five-hour drive to a different desert city called Jaisalmer. Even when out of the city, driving is insane. The only difference is now we are traveling at 60 MPH rather than 25. When we weren’t closing our eyes, sure of imminent death as we played chicken with trucks on a one lane road full of pot holes, we could not help but notice that there was no area not inhabited by people. We were literally in the middle of nowhere, in a waterless desert, but still, we could not find a square mile of unpopulated land.

When we arrived to our tent camp, which was located on the outskirts of the city, it was just getting dark. We put our things down and got ready for dinner, which consisted of the usual, yet very tasty, buffet of vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries, along with some naan and rice. By nine o’clock we were exhausted from our drive and fell asleep the moment we hit the bed.

 The next day we woke up and walked around the picturesque Sam Sand Dunes that surrounded our camp. By mid-day we were in the car to be dropped off at Jaisalmer’s fort, which was yet another beautiful piece of work. The only difference was that this time the fort was occupied by the people of the city and was full of different food stands, shops, homes, and hotels.

It was probably around this day that I began to become immune to the constant trash and crowds. I found myself no longer focusing on the vast amounts of trash that always surrounded us, or wishing for some peace and quiet. I began to admire the strangest form of recycling I’d ever seen. The trash that was everywhere in the country was being eaten and scavenged by the many cows. The cows would then supply patties to be dried and fuel fires. It doesn’t seem like this would make any sense, but not once have I seen a cow grazing on anything but the heaps of trash strewn across the cities.

The next day we hopped back in our car, and lived through another long drive to the town of Bera. On the drive we slowly noticed the environment change from desert to chaparral-like rocky foothills. We stayed in a nice hotel were we went out with the owner multiple times on leopard safaris. Though we found no leopards, we had a wonderful experience testing the abilities of jeeps as we rock hopped huge granite boulders scattered throughout the land. In the morning we visited the dam that kept in enough water to keep the land irrigated year round and house around 150 crocodiles. That afternoon we took the time to explore the small settlement, and get a feel for how towns differ from cities.

Bera was probably a square mile within the walls of the city, and had a population of about 4000. Uniformed students crowded the streets, along with cattle and stray dogs. There were well pumps placed randomly throughout the town, free for anyone to use. Stands selling snacks and “mouth fresheners” (minty anis seeds) also popped up frequently.

The life style of the town people was pretty similar to that of a city. They lived in little houses and apartments, and worked in tiny shops. It was the life style of those that lived in the area surrounding the town that I liked most. These shepherds live a very relaxed life, guiding their herds in the morning to nearby water holes and then bringing them back at night. During the day they sit under trees and have picnics with fellow shepherds. Sitting in the shade of a tree all day and guiding their flocks to and from home each day; it is easy to see why these people have a very Zen way about them. Although, I must say, I do not know what to think when I see the men sitting and drinking tea all day while I drive down the roads and see only women doing road work; looking like a chain gang in colorful saris rather than striped prison outfits.

One thing that was not different from the city was the trash, heaps and heaps of trash. The ditches throughout the town were clogged with wrappers and tin foil making the waist water pool all around in the streets. There were alleyways where you could not see the ground, it was just a heap of trash, like an in-town garbage dump. I’ve found that I have begun only to notice when I do not see trash, rather than when I do.

Soon enough we left Bera and took another life threatening drive to Udaipur, also known as the “Venice of India.” This city was really cool. It surrounds a lake, giving it the watery feel of Venice, and is full of tall older buildings with tiny streets just wide enough for a compact car to squeeze through.  We went through the main palace of the city, which was yet again just as awe inspiring as all the other forts and palaces we have already seen. Next, we walked through the streets, dodging cars and watching cows direct traffic as they usually do in Indian cities. That night we sat at a rooftop restaurant and looked over the beautiful lake filled with man-made “floating palaces.”

The next day we took a flight to Jaipur, known as the pink city, to quickly visit a famous solid marble temple, and then continue on our way with a 3 hour drive to Ranthanbore National Park. The park was beautiful, but small; a mere 150 square miles, which is just a little more than 12 miles by 12 miles. The next morning we went on a tiger safari, since the park is well known for the amount of tigers it has. Though we spotted no tigers, we got a solid lay of the land. The best way to describe the land is a sort of arid jungle, which is no doubt an oxymoron. The vegetation looked very jungle-y, but was brown and dry in many areas, most likely just because it was not rainy season. During the rainy season the park would probably fill up with marshes, and become a beautiful lush jungle.

We also went up to the ruined fort that overlooks the forest. Although the architecture and many small temples and such were impressive, the most fun part was watching the many monkeys fly around the fort and play with each other. Yet again it seemed as if we could not get away from the trash, even in the monument of a national park.

Now it is time to take a train ride to New Delhi

Next Stop: New Delhi, Darjeeling, Calcutta, and Chennai!

Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Jodhpur

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

It’s been 6 days since we left the sheltered Santa Ynez Valley and began our adventure across the world. It began with a sedentary 15 hours, in a trans-pacific flight to Hong Kong that consisted of two meals, three movies, and a numbing nine hours of attempted sleep.

After the flight, we had a 14-hour layover in Hong Kong, giving us the perfect amount of time to step out, stretch our legs, and get a quick peek of what the city is all about. After eating some delicious dim sung, taking a walk down Nathan Road, and riding the ferry across to the island of Hong Kong, it was time to take the express train back to the airport.

A 6-hour flight and there we were, Mumbai, India; dirty, crowded, and hectic. The first thing to be noticed was the thick haze that covered the entire city. I don’t know if it was dust, clouds, or pollution, but it never went away during the 2 days spent in the city. The next thing that caught our attention was the way driving worked. First, lanes don’t have meaning. Next, traffic signals “are only suggestions,” as our friend Sunit would say. It is quite hard to describe the way the traffic moved, or didn’t, but to drive in that city without breaking out in a full sweat would be a great feat. This was one of the many indicators that showed that the city was over-populated by about 15 times.

The next indicator was most likely the slums. Stacked and stuck together were thousands of mud-brick 10 by 10 cubes topped with sheets of corrugated metal. These huts were everywhere and we would see anyone from businessmen to construction workers walk out of them.

Despite the many slums and over population, the people were neither starving nor full of resentment, which is what usually comes hand in hand with poverty. Instead we were greeted with smiles and hellos from all the happy and healthy people.

During our stay we visited many attractions. The first place we saw was Dhobi Ghats. Basically, it is an area full of cement pools filled with water where special laundry men do most of the cities laundry. From hotels to airlines to hospitals, this place was literally laundry central.  Another destination of ours was the home in which Gandhi would stay whenever he was in Mumbai. This place was filled with the history of Gandhi’s life, and was a great way to learn more about the man that has so influenced the whole of India and even the world. 

Soon enough our time in Mumbai was spent, and it was time to get on a one-hour domestic flight to the city of Jodhpur. The most notable thing about this desert city is the giant, impenetrable fort that overlooks it. The Mehrangarh Fort is amazing. The amount of time put into every nook and cranny of this beautifully sculpted fort is mind-boggling.  The outer walls were full of intricate designs made of carved stone, while the inner walls had the same, but made of marble and gold leaf. The rest of our day in Jodhpur was spent wandering the streets of Old Town and waiting in a tiny tailor shop while my mom got measured for a new pair of jodhpurs.

Next Stop: Jaisalmer Desert Fair and Leopard’s Lair, Bera