India mon amour

We are about to start our trip to India! 17 days 6 cities 17 hours flying each way 1 night in a train and 1 night in the dessert

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Taj Mahal 

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Jaipur - Part I

Now back in San Francisco

We took the train early in the afternoon from Agra station. The train ride was great, we were able to sleep comfortably enough and got sooner than expected to Jaipur.

We were expecting Jaideo (our host) to pick us up at the station, but after a few minutes we noticed he was not around. We could have easily taken a taxi but somehow the address was not complete in the airbnb reservation we had. We were obviously looking pretty confused when suddenly a rickshaw boy wanted to “help” us. Luckily, we decided to find help ourselves and we were able to call Jaideo from a phone booth. Five minutes later he picked us up (the rickshaw boy was very persistent and was still with us - very annoying) and took us to the hotel, which was called Ikaki Niwas.

This was definitely one of my favorite accommodations during our trip. It was a good combination of the family environment of a homestay and the decoration and style of a boutique hotel.

As soon as we arrived we knew it was going to be great. We left our bags in the room and went straight to the amazing rooftop where Jaideo’s wife was doing a cooking demonstration for the other guests. That night we had a home-cooked dinner and met other visitors from Belgium, Iceland and Australia.

The next morning we were ready to explore the city. Jaideo gave us some recommendations and helped us get a driver for the day. Matt, an australian living in Singapur joined us for the day.  

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, has a population of about 3 million and most of its inhabitants are Hindu (77%) while most of the rest are Muslim. It is often called the Pink City in reference to its distinctly colored buildings.

We had a very packed day but it was a beautiful one. During the morning we visited 3 different nearby forts: Amber, Jaigarh and Nahargarh.

Amber was the highlight among the three, the name has nothing to do with the pastel yellow colour, instead, the fort is named after the town of Amber. One of the most beautiful sights is the Sheesh Mahal, a room adorned with thousands on thousands of mirror tiles on the walls and the ceiling.  

After that we visited Jaigarh Fort, our recommendation would be that if you don’t have a lot of time is something you can skip, even though it has the largest cannon in the world, it wasn’t particularly beautiful or very interesting.

Finally we visited the last of the three forts Nahargarh, after seeing Jaigarh Fort, we didn’t have a lot of expectations but we were nicely surprised. The views from the fort are really beautiful and the fort itself has an interesting architecture.

After that we were ready for lunch! We decided to try out Niro’s. The place was similar to other indian restaurants, completely isolated from the street and without any natural light, but as usual it’s better not to be picky about the decor and enjoy the food. We had a great lunch and after that we were ready to have a Lassi adventure! Right across the street there was a famous Lassiwala place, I personally LOVE Mango lassis. Interestingly there were exactly three places with the same name right by each other (maybe it’s not that weird as walla means seller) but according to our guide only one of them was the authentic “Lassiwala”. In the end we weren’t brave enough to try it (what a shame haha). The place didn’t stand out for it’s cleanliness and it was the beginning of our trip and we didn’t want to get sick.

Our day didn’t end there! After we were back in the car and we went to the City Palace and Jantar Mantar.

The City Palace is definitely worth a visit. It’s divided into a series of courtyards, gardens and buildings, even the actual Maharajah of Jaipur lives there.

On the book I was reading during the trip called Arrow of the Blue Skinned God there was a very interesting interview to the previous Maharaja of Jaipur, Bhawani Singh. It turns out most royal families in Rajasthan converted their palaces into luxury hotels or museums and also collaborate on the protection and continuation of traditional arts and heritage. I guess it’s hard to maintain those buildings without collecting taxes ;)  

Right next to it, you can find Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory. It has fourteen major instruments for measuring time, tracking stars, determining celestial altitudes etc.  

We recommend hiring a guide tour, it’s fascinating when you get to understand how each of the tools work and the fact that to this day they still work.

After a full day of sightseeing we were ready to relax. The driver took us back to our hotel and we decided to spend some time in the terrace. We were just a few days of the Diwali celebration and we could start hearing the firecrackers in the air.

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Books

I would like to share a couple of interesting books related to India. Here is the list, it’s definitely worth to read before and during the trip.

Here goes the list:

City of Djinns

Book by William Dalrymple

City of Djinns is a travelogue by William Dalrymple about the historical capital of India, Delhi. It is his second book, and culminated as a result of his six-year stay in New Delhi.

Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God: Retracing the Ramayana Through India

By Jonah Blank

The three-thousand-year-old epic Ramayana chronicles Lord Rama's physical voyage from one end of the Indian subcontinent to the other and his spiritual voyage from Man to God. In Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God, anthropologist and journalist Jonah Blank gives a new perspective to this Hindu classic, retelling the ancient tale while following the course of Rama's journey through present-day India and Sri Lanka. Ultimately, Blank's journey, like that of Lord Rama, evolves into a quest: to understand the chimerical essence of India itself, in all its overwhelming beauty and paradox.

The White Tiger: A Novel

by Aravind Adiga

The novel provides a darkly humorous perspective of India’s class struggle in a globalized world as told through a retrospective narration from Balram Halwai, a village boy. In detailing Balram’s journey first to Delhi, where he works as a chauffeur to a rich landlord, and then to Bangalore, the place to which he flees after killing his master and stealing his money, the novel examines issues of religion, caste, loyalty, corruption and poverty in India. Ultimately, Balram transcends his sweet-maker caste and becomes a successful entrepreneur, establishing his own taxi service. In a nation proudly shedding a history of poverty and underdevelopment, he represents, as he himself says, "tomorrow."

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New Delhi - Part II

Today writing from Udaipur...

On our second day in Delhi we visited Gurgaon, Qutb Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate and the Presidential Palace.

We decided to book a driver for the day as our host mentioned to us that it was more convenient. We had to do our first quick stop at the Google office in Gurgaon, a suburb of Delhi (I had to get some stitches removed from an unfortunate cooking accident the week before).

After that we went back to Delhi and made our second stop at Qutb Minar. 

Qutb Minar

The Qutb Minar itself is a soaring 73m/240ft-high tower of victory that was started in 1193, immediately after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. At its base is Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid (Might of Islam Mosque), India's first.

The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony, and it tapers, like something out of a fairy tale, from a 15m (50ft) diameter at the base to just 2.5m (8ft) at the top. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone, the fourth and fifth storeys of marble and sandstone. The stairs inside the tower coil so steeply that they're enough to make the hardiest climber dizzy and claustrophobic, and it was no surprise when a stampede during a school trip in 1979 resulted in a number of deaths. The inside of the tower has since been closed to visitors.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/delhi/sights/architecture/qutb-minar#ixzz2jh5FLcRE

It was time to have lunch and we had our first disappointment with the driver - he didn’t let us choose the restaurant and conveniently (for him) decided to take us to to “Red Onion”. We pushed back and suggested other options but everything was too far away and a million other excuses. As soon as we entered to the restaurant, it was full of other tourists! Long story short, drivers have arrangements with some restaurants where they get food or money if they bring tourists. It was very annoying to see that we were being fooled and the restaurant wasn’t good either.

Back in the car, a little bit annoyed, we continued towards Humayun’s Tomb. 

Humayun’s Tomb

Finally we made a quick stop at India Gate and we passed by the presidential palace. 

Back home at Hauz Khas, it was time to pay our driver… and again another disappointment, the driver wanted to charge us more than what we originally arranged. In general something I have learnt in this trip is that drivers are difficult and ready to trick you every time they can, it’s always good to set a price and ground rules at the beginning and don’t let them do what they want. You are the paying customer and it’s your holidays!

It was our last night in Delhi. We say good-bye to Nalin, our friendly host, packed our bags and prepared for a good night’s sleep before heading to Agra the next morning. 

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New Delhi - Part I

Writing from Jaipur...

We are finally in India after a long flight from San Francisco. We landed in New Delhi in the middle of a smoggy night; Ramesh was waiting for us and took us to Nalin’s homestay at Hauz Khas. We were really lucky to have someone that picked us up as it would have been really difficult to find the place.

The next morning we met Nalin, the owner of the homestay, he was really nice and helped us organize our two days in Delhi.

First day: Old Delhi

After having breakfast, we took a tuk tuk from Nalin’s house to Green Park Metro Station in direction to Old Delhi (Chandi Chowk Station). I have to mention that the metro was a really nice surprise, It’s one of the most modern, clean and inexpensive I have ever taken in my life, and it’s a great way to move around and avoid the hassle of the busy streets above.

Red Fort

This massive fort is a sandstone carcass of its former self; but it’s the best place in Delhi to imagine the Mughal city’s sometime splendour. It dates from the peak of the dynasty’s power, a time of unparalleled pomp: of eunuchs, ceremonial elephants, palanquins, and buildings lined in precious stones Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/delhi/sights/other/red-fort#ixzz2jSj3yQI1

Nalin mentioned to us that it was overrated, I would say I agree but… after seeing a lot of other things.

It was very curious to see a lot of families/men/women wanting to take pictures with us and of us. The first time we thought they wanted us to take a picture of them, but no no… they wanted a picture with us! In some other cases they were just a few meters pointing with their cell phones or cameras, but it’s a matter of getting used to it, most of them are really nice and it can be a nice experience of meeting local people.

    Jama Masjid

We visited Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque. Before entering you need to take off your shoes and women need to be covered, there’s someone offering robes but in my case I decided to use my jacket.

While you are there you’ll see families sitting down in the edges of the mosque having food and relaxing in the shades. 

Karim’s

We had lunch at Karim’s ($), a well-known Mughlai restaurant running since 1913. We waited a few minutes in line and once we entered they sit us wherever there was an open spot, so we shared the table with other people.  There’s no silverware so we used our hands! The only disappointment it was that it wasn’t as spicy as I was expecting, but other than that the place is simple and the food is good. 

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How to book a train in India?

Many people say that no visit to India is complete without experiencing the bustle of Indian railway stations. But, how to book a train in India?

In our case we used a site called Cleartrip, it’s easy to use and reliable (and they accept international credit cards).

Registration is a bit tricky… so be patient. The Cleartrip website bundles the registration for a Cleartrip account and for an IRCTC (Indian Railways) account together, so you only need to use the Cleartrip website but you'll end up with two linked accounts.

However, IRCTC requires you to enter an Indian mobile phone number to which an activation code for the IRCTC account will be sent (talk about red tape...), and you probably don't have an Indian mobile phone. But don't worry, there's a workaround for this by emailing customer care with a scanned copy of your passport.  

You can book train tickets 60 days in advance, which I recommend doing as they sell pretty fast.

Types of seats

Air-Conditioned First Class (1AC): The most expensive class of train travel; two-or four-berth compartments with locking doors and meals included.

Air-Conditioned 2-Tier (2AC): Two-tier berths arranged in groups of four and two in an open-plan carriage. The bunks convert to seats by day and there are curtains for some semblance of privacy.

Air-Conditioned 3-Tier (3AC): Three-tier berths arranged in groups of six in an open-plan carriage; no curtains.

AC Executive Chair: Comfortable, reclining chairs and plenty of space; usually found on Shatabdi express trains.

Sleeper Class: Open plan carriages with three-tier bunks and no AC; but the open windows afford great views.

Unreserved 2nd Class: Wooden or plastic seats and a lot of people – but cheap!

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Almost every major religion breeds ascetics; wandering monks who have renounced all earthly possessions, dedicating their lives to the pursuit of spiritual liberation.Their reality is dictated only by the mind, not material objects. Even death is not a fearsome concept, but a passing from the world of illusion.

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Medicines and Vaccines: check!

This week we both visited the doctor to get all the necessary vaccines and medicines for the upcoming trip (not that funny ha!) 

The doctor recommended Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Polio vaccines... 1 minute later, 3 jabs! 

They also gave us anti-malaria pills and some anti-biotic pills in case we get travelers' diarrhea (AKA Delhi belly) -finger's crossed.  

I can say now that we are almost ready to go! :) 

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India Mon Amour

A year ago I read a book by Dominique Lapierre named "India Mon Amour" and I always remember this paragraph. 

¡La India! Un país continente, un inmenso mosaico de pueblos, de razas, de castas, de religiones, de culturas. Un país de mil doscientos millones de habitantes que viven en seiscientas cincuenta mil poblaciones, donde se hablan más de setecientas cincuenta lenguas. Donde se adora a veinte millones de divinidades. ¡La India! La promesa de un perpetuo asombro, de un maravillarse a cada momento, de un auténtico sinfín de espectáculos en los que lo sublime a veces se mezcla con lo atroz, pero donde voy a descubrir que la belleza se impone siempre y en todo lugar. Un país que a menudo me sublevará, pero que jamás dejará de hechizarme, de trastornarme, de revelarme nuevos tesoros, de colmarme con nuevas alegrías. Un país que demandaría diez vidas para penetrar en todos sus misterios. 

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India! A country-continent, a vast mosaic of peoples, races, castes, religions, cultures. A country of 1.2 billion people living in six hundred and fifty thousand towns and cities, where more than seven hundred fifty languages are spoken​​. Where twenty million deities are worshiped. India! The promise of a perpetual astonishment, a marvel at every moment, of a veritable litany of shows in which the sublime is sometimes mixed with the outrageous, but where I will discover that beauty is always imposed, anywhere. A country that often will revolt me, but never ceases to haunt me, to upset me, to reveal new treasures, to fill me with new joys. A country that would require ten lives to penetrate all its mysteries.

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Itinerary

Deciding which country  to visit wasn’t difficult, we had two in mind: Thailand or India. But then, deciding where in India to go took us more than a month: South or North? North and South?

We asked for recommendations to our friends (thanks to everyone that shared some advice with us!), we had two Lonely Planet guidebooks, we watched videos… and finally we agreed on a plan.

We are going to visit 6 cities: New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.