Our first city after Delhi was Agra. This city is most known for the classic Taj Mahal building. After arriving at night in Agra from Delhi we checked into our home stay in a 100 year old heritage building. This bed and breakfast of sorts was run by a Sikh couple. They were very accommodating and told us stories of their son who is living in Australia and is now the Manager of a T.G.I. Friday restaurant. As our home stay only cost 20 dollars a night Lisa and I wanted a taste of the high life and went to the oberoi Amar vilas hotel for drinks at sunset. This was an ultra lux hotel with rooms costing minimum 800 a night but we were able to get drinks at the bar and watch the sun set over the Taj.
The next morning we woke up a 6 to be one of the first to enter the gates of the Taj. This is the best time to visit as it is not that hot and also it isn't that crowded. Overall seeing the Taj mahal was a very surreal experience. It definately is the most impressive buildjng I have ever seen in my life and it is crazy to think it was all made by hand with no modern Machinery. We also hired a guide to guide us through and help us take all of the classic pictures we wanted with us and the taj. After about two hours at the Taj we finished up and our guide led us to a store were they sold marble goods. Clearly he was hoping we would buy a large marble table and be would then be able to skim some commission off that. The marble dealer initially offered us marble tables and the other goods in decreasing value but overall we weren't interested. After our time with our guide we met back up with our driver and headed in the direction of Jaipur.
On the way to Jaipur we stopped a a famous mosque and palace called Fatehpur Sikri. Throughout my blogs I won't reference many of the historical elements of the sites we visit as this can be easily googled to learn more accurate information. Anyways at this place we seemed to has arrived during a religious holiday because it was swarming with people. One of the things lisa and I have been dealing alot with is constant requests from people for either money, taxi/auto rickshaw rides, tips, offers for tours, and generally any and all types of requests of people asking us for money in some fashion. Unfortunately at this historic sit we were inundated with so many touts(people asking for money) that we simply had to turn around and leave. Every 60 seconds people were harassing us in some fashion and we have been learning to know when situations aria were we simply need to leave the place as fast as possible and this was one of them. Overall the situations aren't dangerous but more annoying to he point that we can't even enjoy where we are. I would say on an average day we are asked for money at least 15 times..... One crazy thing happened today while we were driving where on this rural road there was a human wall of girls. They clearly weren't moving and as we approached them they circled our car entirely and we clearly couldn't drive without runningover or severely injuring/killing them. Supposedly they were collecting money for some festival but I don't really think so. Anyways that is that regarding touts.
In Jaipur we saw all of the classic sites, from the big fort in the mountains, royal cenotaphs, a monkey temple with 30 monkeys running around crazily, a Jain temple, and the royAl lake palace. During the late afternoon our driver offered us the opportunity to come to his home for tea. We took him up on his generous offer and had an amazing afternoon at his home. He lived near the train tracks about 30 minutes from the center of Jaipur. He lived with his wife from an aranged marriage and 2 daughter and one son. Apparently this is the first time be ever offered anyone to come to his home so we were privileged for the opportunity. His home consisted of a one room brick structure tin roof one bed propane tank to cook on tv and small porch area. Overall very rudimentary. When we arrived to his house his neighbor immediately wisked us awayto visit his home. According to our driver this was the first time he ever saw a foreigner. We had chai tea on his neighbors large bed and snacked on some home made sweets apparently made by him. After our time at the neighbors we went back to our drivers house for more tea and also a plate of rice flour with vegetables made by his wife. Overall it was a very heartwarming experience and we were grateful to be welcomes into an Indian home as most of experiences are going from hotel to hotel.
After two night In Jaipur we continued on to Jodhpur. Overall jodhpur was enjoyable as we were able to visit the impressive umaid bahwan palace and I was very excited about the pool at our hotel !
The next day we headed to Jaisalmer to begin our desert experience. During the two days in Jaisalmer we averaged temperatures in The 100s fahrenheit. The first day we arrived at our hotel to begin our camel safari. Once arriving at our hotel we took an hour Jeep ride into the desert to meet the camels which we would ride on the dunes. We rode the camels for 2 hours into the sunset and then arrived at camp were we had dinner. That night and for the past couple days before and after I had been suffering from the famous "Delhi belly" upset stomach as well I am now recently recovering from a cold. So overall having a cold and Stomach problems in the middle of the desert in 100 degree temps doesn't make for the best time ever. At night we slept on the sand dunes and slept under the stars. It seems very romantic and makes for a good story but overall we were still in the desert and sleeping In the elements is quite the experience. Also if anything (knock on wood) were to happen we would be inserious trouble. Well I guess that could be said for many places here in India. Before the safari I stopped at the pharmacy to get cold Medicine and the first Medicine the 'pharmacist' recommended to me had a picture of Bart Simpson on a skate board. Ha anyways I remembered the names of the meds I needed and basically self medicated myself. Anyways After the camel safari we were glad to check into our AC hotel room and shower off all the Sweat sunscreen camel smells and sand. As well the next day we saw the famous Jaisalmer fort which over 4000 people still live in today. Pretty wild.
Yesterday we spent the night in jodhpur again on our way to get to udaipur where we are right now. We saw yet again a another for in jodhpur. It was pretty cool because you could look out from the top of the fort over the city and see all the houses paint lightblue, they call it the blue city.
Today we went from jodhpur to udaipur. On the way we stopped at the Ranakpur Jain temple, a very ornate detailed temple with over 1000 marble columns decorated and carved differently.
Now we are in Udaipur and look forward to more relaxation and less moving around. As well we are currently experiencing temple/fort/cenotaph overload. After two night here in the city we are heading into the mountain to hang out at a mountain retreat mansion with pools and huge private balconies overlooking the India country side. I look forward to this vacation within the vacation.
Anyways that is the latest going on here in India. I am definitely enjoying myself here. Everything In India is just wild, but definately in a good way. From religions, to the sheer mass of humanity you see on a daily basis, to the camels in the road, to cows everywhere, to the smells, to the caste system, turbins, heavy traffic, spicy food, not knowing the language, Mughal architecture, temples, vegetarian foods, cow droppings everywhere, horns always honking, Muslim call to prayer. Just rattled off a couple sites sounds I had going through my head .... Anyways all is well here. I miss all of my friends and family at home and I look forward to the future here in India then China then grad school in the fall !
Love to everyone ! Namaste !
Location:Brahmpol Rd,Udaipur,India
