Tag Archives: North India

City hopping in India

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Yesterday morning we said good bye to Varanasi by placing a floating candle in the Ganges, rode a taxi to the airport and checked into a flight to Calcutta. There had been two options regarding flying to the south –via Delhi or via Calcutta– and since we have never been to Calcutta, we chose the latter option. The second reason was that we were really eager to taste Bengali food.CalcuttaOur time in Calcutta was limited to fourteen hours but it was enough to fall in love with this former capital of India. It seemed very colorful, lively and culturally vivid, and yes, the food was out of this world. At 4.30 in the morning when we got into a taxi, the city was preparing itself for a new day. Market vendors were getting thousands of chicken out to the street and the yellow cabs were moving fast as ants. It was indeed a very memorable departure from Calcutta, and we will without any doubt return to experience more as soon as we can!Calcutta New MarketFrom Calcultta we flew to Bombay, changed into a different Jet Airways plane, flew over the house of our Bombay friends that we are going to see in one week, and some two hours later landed in Trivandrum, Kerala.

Almost every time I move from one place to another in India I fall in love with the new place. The Indian continent is extremely diversified and I absolutely love the fact the every new destination reveals something new to me, be it textiles, clothes, style, food, art, culture, religion or architecture.

Moreover, thinking about being in Varanasi, the holy Hindu city, yesterday morning, spending the night in the British-influenced Calcutta and writing this post from my bed in Kerala where I am surrounded by coconut trees, Ayurveda doctors and the Indian Ocean is mind blowing. Apart from incredible India, in which other country one can in less than 48 hours so easily travel between such culturally diversified places?

Blessing and curse of travelling without a plan

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This trip in India is sort of divided into phases: few days in Delhi, ten days in Rajasthan, several days in Varanasi, precious Ayurveda time in the south and quality time with friends in Bombay. I planned to do more destinations but gave up. Gwalior, Orchha and Khajuraho will have to wait. I will be back sooner or later.

Together with my parents I did Delhi-Agra-the Ranthambore Park-Jaipur-Pushkar-Neemrana-Delhi. As most of the places were familiar to me, I didn’t need to do a lot of research but it was still very time- and energy-consuming. I like making hotel reservations myself, I book tickets as I desire and when I like, etc. I very rarely use a travel agency. I like being free and for example to be able to change a hotel upon arrival if I don’t like it. I believe that I accumulate some valuable experiences by practicing this “philosophy” but at the same I acknowledge that this “freedom” takes a toll on me. I have been in Varanasi since Sunday and I am totally drained.JaipurFor example, what happened last Sunday, the day when my parents flew from Delhi to Dubai? The adventure begun!

In the morning all of us drove from Neemrana Fort-Palace: the magnificent 15th century palace to the Delhi airport. After saying good bye to my parents outside their terminal (only valid ticket holders are allowed in) I asked my husband a question “what are we going to do now?”. I was feeling very weak, had a cold and some stomach problem, and all I wanted was to find a bed with nice soft cotton sheets. But we had no reservations and no Internet connection!

Our only reasonable option seemed to be to spend some time at the airport and make calls, so we purchased tickets to enter the arrivals terminal (100 INR per person), ordered some drinks and sat down. I made some phone calls to a car company I had had contact with, but the idea of a road trip from Delhi to Varanasi (via Gwalior, Orchha and Khajuraho) seemed very expensive in comparison to what we had had in Rajasthan, and I was not sure that I could handle any more of Indian roads at least during some days.Indian roadAfter abandoning the road trip idea we went to an airplane ticket seller and asked for available tickets to Khajuraho and Varanasi. There were affordable tickets left but at this point I was feeling so sick that all I wanted was a bed to sleep in, so I told my husband to get a hotel somewhere near the airport. My idea was to have a good nap, eat some dahl and rice, sleep a good twelve hours and then return to the airport next day fresh to continue the journey. Well, this is what I thought was going to happen.

Upon arrival at an appalling Hotel Lohias about 4km from the Delhi airport I drunk a coke and took a shower. My husband checked the bed and the room, and called me to get out of the shower. You are not sleeping here, we were leaving… He didn’t think that the room was clean enough and the more I looked the more I agreed with him.Hotel LohiasWe did a bit of Internet search and found a flight leaving Delhi to Varanasi at 18h05 the same day (at the time of googling it was already 16h and we could not purchase tickets because it was too last minute).

We rushed to the reception (we had already paid the room by a voucher), gave 30 INR for the coke, ordered the taxi and run to the SpiceJet counter. The service was very smooth and we paid 11,590 INR (around 145€) for two Delhi-Varanasi tickets and by 16h30 we had tickets in hand.

See, most of the time things work out even if you leave it last minute and without a plan…Spicejet Delhi-VaranasiNext we found a KFC (yeah, when you are sick you are excused!) and ordered a sandwich with a coke. Thirty minutes later we were inside an airplane flying from Delhi to Varanasi and the world was looking much brighter (well, we did not know what was waiting for us in Varanasi but that is another story!). Anyhow, I LOVE SPICEJET!!

Purpose of Varanasi

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I think that I understand why millions of Hindus come to Varanasi.

I also understand the curiosity of tourists.

But why I am here? Why did I have to come here now? Why do I keep returning to the burning ghats? Is the Ganges beautiful or simply filthy? Is Varanasi as big as Mark Twain said? What is Varanasi?VaranasiAll I know is that it is no longer about the purpose of my life but about the raison d‘être of Varanasi.

Second part of the trip begins in Varanasi

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I took my parents to Delhi airport yesterday afternoon and after some to-be-told-later-on mishap () my husband and I finally arrived in Varanasi in the evening of the same day. The second part of the India tour started.

It has been quite a journey so far. Ten days in Rajasthan totally wore me out. Waking up before 6 o’clock (only way to tolerate the unbearable heat), sitting long hours (and about two thousand kilometers) in a rather uncomfortable car and trying to stand the sun (temperatures reaching 40C plus) totally wore me out. I am exhausted. Bone-tired. In addition, I have a cold (must be the dramatic difference between the AC and outside temperature) and I had some stomach problem. All I want is to sleep, so this post will be short.VaranasiMoreover, I have witnessed and experienced so much that I think I have come to the point where I just need to take a step back and let my brain relax. I am not sure I can absorb much more. For example, how do you write about the burning ghat where bodies that look like mummies are burnt? How do you write about eating at a restaurant by the Ganges while the smoke from the burning bodies enters your nose? I will try in a few days’ time but cannot right now. India is very enriching but it drains you out too. Physically but also emotionally. VaranasiAs I would not be able to say anything more intelligent or accurate about Varanasi, the holy Hindu site, my only option remains to quote Mark Twain:

“Varanasi is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together”.

PS Following Pearlspotting on Facebook gives you short updates when I don’t have time to write a full post. Think about it next time you log in!

 

Typical Rajasthani Road

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Two common sights in Rajasthani roads are overloaded trucks and camels. We passed by this camel heard yesterday. How exotic! Wonder where they were taking the camels? Rajasthani roadcamel herd in RajasthanPS Love Rajasthani turbans!!

 

Ranthambore National Park (Tiger Reserve)

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Ranthambore Park was originally used by Jaipur maharaji for hunting and it became a Tiger Reserve only in 1973. The number of tigers in the park has been increasing in the past years and today there are forty plus tigers (fyi: there are approximately 40 places in India where one can spot a tiger).Ranthambore ParkAccording to our guide, one has a 30% possibility of spotting a tiger in the Ranthambore Park. But even if one doesn’t fall under the lucky ones, the park is great for observing sambars, other types of deer, sloth bears, monkeys, crocodiles and many different types of birds to mention a few.Ranthambore parkIn addition, in the middle of the park, there is a tenth century old fort and a Hindu temple that we did not visit, but they seemed very popular among the locals.Ranthambore ParkWe spent two nights at Ankur Resort hotel near the park and did the morning safari. The car (for 20 people) left at 6 o’clock and we returned to the hotel at 10 o’clock. It cost 1100 INR (14€) per person. Immediately after the main gate there was a tiger resting in the grass and we waited and waited, but the tiger did not move. So, we did not really see a tiger, but some jeeps that were on the other side of the tiger saw it. It was a nice four-hour drive and I would do it again!

PS According to our guide, the best time to see tigers is from April to July (the hotter the better).

 

 

India Travel Essential

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I am pretty sure that most of you would list water, hat, sun cream and sun glasses as travel essentials in India, but I argue that the most important item is something less obvious. It is ear plugs!!

We left our Hotel Godwin in Delhi last Friday morning at 11 o’clock. Our first stop was Mehrauli (see Eight cities of Delhi) where we stopped for 1.5 hours. After the visit we returned to the old Delhi-Agra road (see Road from Delhi to Agra), which I now highly regret. The reason why we didn’t take the new road was that I wanted to show Mathura to my parents but unfortunately by the time we reached this famous Hindu site (Krishna’s birthplace) it was so dark and late that we observed the complex only from outside. So, total waste of time!DelhiThe journey was worse than I remembered (I took this same road in 2008). It was noisy, hot and dusty. By the time we reached our hotel in Agra (just before 9 o’oclock in the evening!!) I was ready to go and buy an hearing aid. My ears were blocked and now, after three days, I still don’t hear well.

This journey put me in a very bad mood and it worsened when we realized that our hotel (Amar Yatri Niwas), booked by a travel & car agency, was appalling. To make things worse, we had the most disappointing dinner ever, which to me is the worst! Had I had a decent meal, I would have been just fine, but no, we were eating a lamb curry that contained liver and who knows what else… What a pity!  camel in RajasthanThis said, yesterday we drove from Agra to the Ranthambore National Park and even if it was close to 40C, it was better in some aspects. Roads in Rajasthan (the state where we are now) are generally good, so we were a bit more relaxed. There were some overloaded trucks and occasionally we saw camels crossing the road. All this was much better than motorcycles, tuk tuks, private cars, tourist vans, trucks, buses, etc. all combined!

PS Do not think that ear plugs are only for road trips. In most cases, unless you are paying more money and staying at resorts, usually located a bit outside city centers, your hotel will be noisy too. I have slept every single night with ear plugs…

 

 

 

 

Religion Talks at Lal Qila

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Indians love talking and meeting foreigners. Sometimes the purpose is trying to make money out of the tourist, but in most cases (at least in my experience) it is out of sincere curiosity. Where do you come from? What is your country dollar? Are you married? Where do you work? What do you think of India? Etc. Etc. Questions never end.

This morning we started by visiting Lal Qila, the famous Red Fort of Delhi. Before entering the fort, my father started talking to a young man from Jharkhand region and eventually four of us spent two hours getting to know each other while visiting the magnificent fort. There is one particular topic we discussed during our time together that I will always remember, so here you go:

Lal Qila (Red Fort)Red Fort (Lal Qila)

Friend: I am Hindu. Have you heard about it?
Me: Yes, I know a little bit about it.
Friend: Good. A big religion. And you, what is your religion?
Me: I am Christian.
Friend: What is the name of your God?
Me: ummm… The God is called the God… ummm
Friend: But what is his name?
Me: He really is just called the God…
(pause)
Me: Well, he does have a son too..
Friend: I don’t understand, your God has a name, doesn’t he?
Me: Yes, there is the God, the father, the main God, and then he has a son called Jesus. So, we have two Gods you can say.
Friend: I know Jesus! He is well known among Hindus! But is that all? Only two?
Me: ummm.. well, technically, if you are a Catholic like the French are, then you also have something called Virgin Mary…. She is kind of like a God, too. But in Finland we don’t believe in her. Not like the French do. She is not our God.
Friend: Ok… (visibly puzzled)
(pause)
Me: So, what is your Hindu God?
Friend: My God is called Bajrangbali. I am single so like all Hindu singles, I believe in him. When I get married, I can change my God.
Me: Ok, I don’t know him. But my husband believes in Hanuman.
Friend: (all happy and smiling) Hanuman and my God are the same!

***

After this conversation we moved onto another one, but that story is for the next time! I am now going to get a glass of red Grover wine from Nandi Hills and eat some tandoori chicken. Adios and be well everyone.

 

Return to Delhi

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Delhi is much cleaner than it was in 2008. Have not even seen any cows yet (monkeys yes). People are as friendly as I remembered.

Waiting for the 5 o’clock prayers to stop at Jama Masjid. Air is thick, feels like a sandstorm is approaching us. Prayers end, we walk in. The huge, orange sun sets, the rain begins. Tomorrow is an other day.Jama Masjid

 

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India –here I come!

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Apologies for the unusual blog silence. My Emirates flight (380 of course!) to Delhi, India leaves in a few hours’ time. Been busy packing and taking care of things that require attention during the month of April when I am not in Paris.traveling to India

I will spend the first week with my parents pretty much along that same route that I have recently been writing about in my blog (Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan). It is a new travel concept to me (to take my parents to such an exotic destination) and I am even contemplating on adding a new tag word “traveling with parents”. Do you think it would be interesting?

My husbands joins us exactly one week from now and all of us will spend few days together probably at the Neemrana hotel I also already wrote about. After my parents leave, my husband and I hit the road from Delhi toward Varanasi. From Varanasi we will fly to the South India for the rest of the time I think. Free birds go where the wind takes them!

PS Unfortunately I did not have time to finish my India series that I have been writing about (missing posts are about Jodhpur, Pushkar and Udaipur), but I promise to complete the series in May. Meanwhile, I hope you will enjoy this new India trip with me!