Month: January 2016

Today, January 25, we left Agra and drove about 40km to a UNESCO World Heritage site known as Fatehpur Sikri.  This magnificent fortified ancient city was the short-lived capital of the Mughal empire between 1571 and 1585, during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Akbar visited the village of Sikri to consult the Sufi saint Shaikh Salim Chishti, who predicted the birth of an heir to the Mughal throne. When the prophecy came true, Akbar built his new capital here, including a stunning mosque – still in use today – and three palaces for each of his favourite wives, one a Hindu, one a Muslim and one a Christian (though Hindu villagers in Sikri dispute these claims). The city was an Indo-Islamic masterpiece, but erected in an area that supposedly suffered from water shortages and so it was abandoned shortly after Akbar’s death.

We were looking forward to entering the walls of the palace because right outside the entrance, it’s extremely overwhelming.  There are various men claiming they are the best guides – not taking no for an answer, kids are trying to sell you knick knacks – not taking no for an answer and the best of all, was the bathroom attendant trying to get me to pay 50 rupees to use their hole in the wall toilet (literally, a hole).  I laughed, gave him 5 rupees, did my business and walked away.  Don’t mess with me.

Once we entered, we felt free.  Free to wander at our pace.  It was all quite impressive.  The palace’s grounds were extensive with gardens, kitchens, living quarters, temples, offices, doctor’s house, turkish baths, camel stables, girls school, hospital, tombs, elephant gates and so much more.  It’s crazy to think that this used to be an inhabited city with hundreds, if not thousands, of people living here but now it’s just ruins. How does an entire town let that happen?

 

We then visited the Mosque, which was only a two minute walk away.  This was incredible as well.  The amount of detail that goes into the architecture and design is mind blowing.  So many little intricate symbols on each wall, whether it’s a word, a prayer, a picture or merely just a pattern.

Something I’ve noticed since I’m constantly observing the locals is that women tend to not smile in photos, especially the older ones.  I don’t know if it’s just part of their culture or it’s just who they are but you all know how much I love to smile 🙂  I decided to test out my theory and asked a few women sitting on a bench if I could take a picture of them.  Looks like my observation is right…

After Fatehpur Sikri, our driver took us to the Bharatpur Train Station, which is where we were to embark on our very first Indian train adventure.  Our departure time wasn’t until 6:38pm but we arrived at the station around 4pm.  There wasn’t much to do but sit on a bench and people watch (which is always my favorite).  As we were walking to our platform, we noticed a printed out list behind some bars.  It had all the names of the people on the train and we were like kids in a candy store when we saw ours.  You would have thought we had been drafted to the major leagues or got into an Ivy League University.  Instead, it just confirmed that we were in the right place, which is equally as rewarding.

Over the past 10 days as well as in articles I read before the trip, Indian trains seem to be fairly unreliable.  They show up hours late, they randomly get cancelled, they break down halfway there.  Luckily, our train was only thirty minutes delayed – we thought better late than never in this situation so we weren’t complaining.  We didn’t have very high expectations, or any expectations at all for that matter, but we certainly weren’t disappointed either.  Our tickets were in 2AC, which on this specific train, was the highest class you could get.  Most trains have 1AC but for some reason, this one didn’t.  Either way, it’s wasn’t that bad (except for the rat that Vinny saw running away – good thing I didn’t see it with my own two eyes, ahhhhhhhh).  Of course it was pretty dirty and run down but what trains aren’t?  Although we were only on the train for two and a half hours, I think the train was continuing overnight because we had beds as our chairs.  And ironically, my seat was 31 (and I’m 31 years old) and Vinny’s seat was 33 (and he’s 33 years old) – weird, huh?  I thought so when our seat location could have been any number from 15-45.  Overall, I was happy.  There weren’t very many people in our cabin so it was nice and quiet.  Vinny watched the Dark Knight on his iPhone and I listened to Shantaram on my iPad.  So first world of us.

And here is us taking our very first selfie with our very first selfie stick on our very first Indian train ride…

As the train approached our final stop, Sawai Madhopur, we gathered our backpacks and patiently waited to get off.  We knew someone from our next hotel, Khem Villas, was going to be picking us up but we had no idea who or where or when or how.  It was 9:45pm and we had no cell service so we thought, this is going to be interesting.  But, as the train doors opened and we hopped off, a man was running towards us with a sign that said Kimberly Cantor – boy that was a relief!  Thanks, Danesh, for taking us under your wing and getting us to our room for the next three nights efficiently, smoothly and safely.

Welcome to Ranthambore National Park, a Tiger Reserve!  I am looking forward to a grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat experience here (the famous words of Tony the Tiger, Frosted Flakes – love em).

Friday, January 22 was a travel day.  We had a flight out of Varanasi back to Delhi and then we were driving down to Agra straight from the airport.  When you make planes, trains or automobile reservations (especially in India), you always know in the back of your mind something might go wrong (or at least not in your favor) but deep down inside you are hoping and praying it all works out.  In the long run, it all worked out; however, we had a few minor (what seemed like major at the time) road bumps.

I booked our flight almost two months ago.  Who knew, that the very day we were to leave Varanasi, the Prime Minister of India was to arrive.  Yes, the Prime Minister.  An equivalent would be if you decided to fly into a relatively smaller US town on the same exact day and the same exact time as President Obama.  I mean, I know he has Air Force One but imagine if he didn’t.  Imagine if he landed on the same runway you did.  The security was so intense, our cab was searched four times before we even got into the airport.  Our flight was delayed thirty minutes then forty five minutes then one hour, when we eventually took off two hours later.  Totally not a big deal, I know, except we had a driver waiting for us at the airport.

The journey down to Agra from Delhi is apparently notorious for being extremely foggy at night (wish I would have known that earlier).  We landed at 6:15pm and didn’t get on the road until closer to 7pm.  Our driver, Mr. Mekesh, mentioned he had done this route “many, many, many times” so we were in good hands.  Hearing that made me feel at ease.  I can put my feet up, continue listening to Shantaram on audio and just enjoy the drive.  That was until the fog started to roll in.  And I mean roll in.  As if there were a thousand Casper the friendly ghosts, all holding hands, hip to hip, cheek to cheek, surrounding our vehicle.  We looked out the window to the left, nothing but white.  We looked out of the window to the right, nothing but white.  We looked out the back, nothing but white.  And the scariest of all, was when we looked out the front, nothing but white.  How are we ever going to make it 5+ hours in this weather?  Might as well be driving blindfolded since you can’t see what’s coming straight at you. I was scared out of my mind (a Xanax would have been much appreciated at this point), especially since the fog didn’t stop the drivers from passing each other every other minute.  To top it off, Mr. Mekesh had to keep his window half way down to avoid the inside fogging up so it was freezing.  Probably 40 degrees freezing. We were tired, cold, and full of anxiety.  What a joyful combination of feelings.

All of the intensity went away though when we finally arrived at Aman Homestay around 12:30am, in one piece (minus a little less enamel on my teeth from shivering and clinching).  And I know he’s not reading this, but major props to Mr. Mekesh – you go boy.  If I was in control (which you all know I love to be), I would have pulled over 15 minutes into the drive and waited till morning.  But this is what they are used to.  It’s like riding a bike to them with their eyes closed.  Either way, we survived.  Hip hip hooray!

The next day was a day that I had been dreaming about for many years.  The day we were to see the infamous Taj Mahal in person.  A lot of blogs I read prior to coming to Agra suggested you should visit during three different points – sunrise, 9am and sunset – and we were prepared to do just that. But when we woke up, it was so beyond foggy still.  Vinny could see it on my face how sad I was.  I’m sure the Taj Mahal is stunning, night or day, sunshine or clouds, but did I really just travel all this way and might not have the chance to see it in the majestic light I had always envisioned?  I know, poor Kim.  For the next few hours, I was sending myself positive vibes.  I was singing to the sun gods (and you all know what a soothing voice I have) hoping to catch some rays.  Around noon, I found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  The fog went bye bye and the sun came out to play.  The smile on my face stretched from ear to ear and my heart was dancing to the local Indian music blasting from down the street.

Our homestay was located a short ten minute walk from the Eastern Gate.  We bought our tickets, which were 750 rupees each, and set forth to catch a free bus that took us about five minutes up the road to the main entrance.  It turned out to be such a beautiful day, quite perfect in fact.  The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and the Taj was waiting to welcome us with open arms.  It was the first time since we arrived in India that we saw the sun.  Yay for us! Thanks Grandma for making that happen.  As we made our way through the archway, inching closer and closer with each step, we finally made it to the enormous grounds that surround the Taj.  It was the AHHHAA moment I was expecting.   The sun was perfectly hitting the white marble and it was mesmerizing.  Absolutely exquisite. You couldn’t help but stare, with your mouth open, drooling in awe.  Not only is this monument breathtaking in a visual aspect but it’s a love story, which makes it that much more special.

It was so nice to just sit down, stare at the Taj Mahal, enjoy the landscape of multiple gardens and flowers, people watch and truly soak in where we were.  We are just so lucky to be here, at this very moment, together.

After a handful of hours, we decided it was time to move on so we stopped at The Oberoi hotel to catch the sunset and grab some tea (pinkies up of course).  What a magnificent hotel this was.  From the moment we entered their gates, it smelled of money.  Beautiful fountains, traditionally dressed employees, stunning design and a very welcoming approach.  I’ve been hearing about this specific Oberoi for a handful of years now because my dear friend Ashley, who lived in India for four months, was certain she was going to get engaged here.  It’s quite a funny story and I now know why she was under that impression.  It doesn’t get any more romantic than sitting on the balcony, watching the sun go down with the Taj as the main attraction in the background.

We sure felt complete after this day.  The Taj was truly a wonder to see and I highly recommend adding this to your bucket list.  It won’t disappoint, I promise.

Later that night for dinner at Aman Homestay, we met an adorable girl named Tia who is from San Francisco.  She was traveling alone for six weeks (2 weeks in Sri Lanka, 2 weeks in India then 2 weeks in Nepal). She had impeccable style and charm.  I think I have a crush (don’t worry Vinny, my heart still belongs to you).

The Taj Mahal is the main attraction in Agra so most people come for a day or maybe a night but we stayed for three nights simply because we don’t want to get burned out too quickly. It was nice to go at a slower pace.

The next day was pretty uneventful, which was fine with us.  We visited the Agra Fort, walked around town a little, I talked to my friends Melissa and Kari as well as my sister via FaceTime (gotta love technology!) and hung with the family who owns Aman’s Homestay.  Always so lovely to learn about how people get to where there are today.

Oh, and we added more animals to our already incredible list – water buffalo, donkeys and horses (but you’ve seen horses so I’m going to skip showing you what they look like if that’s okay).  Animals are just everywhere.  Instead of going to your local zoo, buy a ticket to India and see them in their natural habitat (assuming money does grow on trees).

And I just love monkeys so I wanted to share a few more photos.

That’s it from Agra, cheerios!

Thursday, January 21 was our third and final full day in Varanasi.  Today we had Shukla take us on a city tour with his tuk-tuk.  There are over 2,000 temples throughout Varanasi but we only visited a few (I know, how pathetic). To keep the temples pure, we had to take our shoes off and leave them outside (which is always a gamble to see if they are still there when we return).  And we weren’t allowed to take photos of the inside so I only have ones from the outside.  However, from our viewpoint, the importance, history and sacredness of these temples definitely outweighs the aesthetics as they were pretty run down and dirty.  But it was still incredible to see the Hindus in everyday form, entering the temples, praying to the various gods, being blessed, etc.

The first temple we visited insisted on giving Vinny and I a “third eye” for protection. I have always been curious what the significance of the “third eye” was but never actually researched it until now.  Also known as the inner eye or chakra, it’s a mystical and esoteric concept referring to a speculative invisible eye which provides perception beyond ordinary sight.  It is also a symbolism of enlightenment.  Almost everyone in Varanasi has one.

Next, we went to a temple that was quite entertaining because they had an entire floor dedicated to explaining the various Gods within the Hindu religion through different scenes (Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Surya, etc.).  Imagine an all Indian version of It’s A Small World ride at Disneyland (with all the moving, electronic characters) but from 1930.  It was a little creepy but it certainly helped us learn in a fun fashion.

Then, we went to the tallest temple in Varanasi, the Shree Vishwanath Madir, which is actually located on the Banaras Hindu University – the largest Hindu University in all of Asia.

Lastly, we went to what they call the Monkey Temple because there are hundreds of feisty monkeys all around – some fight with each other, some steal your food and some just stare at you (which can be quite intimidating).  The temple is all outside but you can’t take your stuff with you past a certain point because the monkeys might rip it right out of your hands.  How bananas of them.

After all the temple visits, Shulka took us to a delicious lunch spot that was the most ethnic, local Indian meal we have had yet.  They cook all the food in clay pots outside.  We had no idea what he ordered but we trusted him (I think).  It was delicious.  I had a pepper that was by far the hottest thing I’ve ever eaten – I felt like a cartoon character whose face turned bright red, my palms were sweating and I swear flames were coming out of my ears and nose.  What an adrenaline rush.  One thing that has been consistent at most meals is a ton of dipping sauces.  Shukla had us put about four different sauces on each bite.  Three thumbs up.

The final stop of Shukla’s Varanasi City Tour was checking out a factory where Sarees and silk scarves are made.  Pretty cool to see them start with a cardboard piece of material, punch out holes for various designs, then add it to a machine that makes the most god awful noise.  The people working in these areas must either wear ear plugs or are so used to it because my ear drums were ringing for a good 20 minutes afterwards.  We saw a few kids working as well – not sure if that’s legal but I guess if they don’t care, why should we.  The next time you put on a pashmina or silk scarf, think of these people who are making them for you 🙂

At night, we attended the Aarti ceremony down at the main ghat, which occurs every evening (rain, hail, or shine), as dusk descends.  It’s a very powerful and uplifting spiritual event that hundreds of people attend daily.  Some were from up the road, some were from other parts of India, some were from Europe or America or Asia – different countries, different states, different religions, different castes, different colors.  Sarees to jeans, Dhoti to suits, it was a confluence of faith, cultures and traditions which was mesmerizing in itself.  The main attraction takes place on seven wooden platforms placed on the edge of the steps of the ghat.  On each wooden platform, there are small tables covered with saffron color silk clothes with prayer items, that include a conch shell, incense sticks, praying bells, handkerchiefs, large brass lamps with snake hood, flowers, water pot, yak-tail fan, peacock feathers, etc.  Each of these items are considered to be very sacred in Hindu mythology.   The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes.  Quite magical to be there and witness this in person.

This pretty much wraps up our three and a half days in Varanasi.  What a mind blowing, unimaginable, indescribable, powerful experience.  I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world like this city.  And how fortunate are we to be able to see it.

We sure will miss the Granny’s, Mayur and Kashi.  Thank you for making us feel so welcome and at home.  Your hosting, teaching, cooking and over all demeanor is what made Varanasi such a memorable experience.

Tomorrow we fly back to Delhi (about one hour and twenty minutes) then drive down to Agra (about five hours), home to the Taj Mahal.  Can’t wait to see this beauty in person.

Until next time, keep smiling 🙂

Wednesday, January 20 was our second full day in Varanasi.  Luckily it stopped raining so we were able to wander outside to the famous Ghats.  All the must see’s and must do’s are always great but for me, it’s observing the local people in their everyday ways that really wins my heart over.  No matter how rich or poor, skinny or fat, pretty or ugly, nice or mean one might be, seeing them in their zone is what helps me understand a culture on a whole new level.

As we were walking around, I did just that (obviously in a way that didn’t get me hit by a car, trip over a goat, step in cow poop, etc.).  I tried to capture a few images that might help you envision what we are seeing:

A shoe repair man…

Just two buddies watching people people watch…

A true balancing act…

Prayer circle…

A man focused on everything and nothing…

The infamous Cobra music player…

And my favorite of all, just chillaxin…

Once we approached the main Ghat, Dashashwamedh, we stood at the top of the stairs and just watched as this is the main artery to the heavily beating heart.  Some people were getting their heads shaved on a random step, some were getting their beards trimmed, some were begging for money, some were performing morning Hindu rituals, some were asking “want boat ride, very very cheap”, some were minding their own business (always love these kind of people).

We took about an hour or so walk along the Ghats and as mentioned before, there are hundreds of them, all having steps that lead down the Ganges River.  The Ghat that touched us the most was the cremation ghat, as you can imagine.  This was an extremely powerful, out of body, surreal, eerie experience.  There are only two in total, Harishchandra and Manikamika, and both operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, rain or shine, cold or hot.   It is a true moment of where you’re willingly face to face with death.  Piles of firewood line the shore and the fires continually burn one body at a time. The process that we witnessed is as follows:

They bring the body down on what looked like a handmade wood stretcher.  The deceased is dressed in new clothes and covered with flowers and garlands, which I’m sure have all been blessed.  While the family members start to build the pile of wood, the body lies partially in the Ganges River, waiting for their final step in reaching Moksha.  Once the pile of wood is perfectly formed, they put the body on top then add more wood, eventually covering everything except for the feet and head. The chief mourner, who is usually the oldest son (not sure what they do if there are no sons), walks five times around the body to represent the five elements of life – fire, earth, water, air and ether.  He sprinkles Ganga water across the body, puts some sandalwood on it and then lights the fire.  To burn a body, about 360 kg of wood is needed and the cremation lasts for three hours, give or take a few.  This isn’t for everyone to see as it definitely gives you the chills but we thought, when in Varanasi…

Something we noticed was that only men were down by the body during the cremation ceremony.  We later asked Mayur why this was and learned that women are too sensitive (say whatttt? that can’t be true) and when one cries, the soul of the deceased will cling on to them and it could interrupt their reincarnation process.  Wow.  Families don’t view dying as a sad thing here.  Instead they view it as a positive and hope their relatives make it to Nirvana.  I’m still trying to comprehend it all.  I have a few photos, which I later learned was not allowed, but to be respectful to the family and the deceased, I will not post.

Wherever you go in Varanasi, whether it’s the main street or random back alleys or the Ghats, there are animals everywhere.  Eating, sleeping, chilling, trying to survive.  Since this is such a holy city, killing the animals for food isn’t an option so they multiple by the minute and there’s really no where for them to go.

Goats all over the place…

Cows all over the place…

And even some pigs…

At night, we walked to a restaurant called Shree Cafe, which was back towards the main Ghat and had yummy food for only 350 rupees (a little over $5).  Can’t go wrong.  Well, I take that back.  You can go wrong since this is India and food sickness is quite common.  But I think we are good for now.

After dinner, we went to the International Music Centre Ashram and listened to live music.  This was a recommendation from Mayur, the Granny’s Inn host, and it was a great one indeed.  It was a small room, probably no more than 20 people, some sitting on a few benches and some sitting on the white blanketed floor (had to remove your shoes to sit there).  There were two men on stage, one playing the Sitar and one playing the bongos.  They performed for about an hour and a half, with a 5 minute intermission where they served the audience black lemon tea. Nice little touches to say “Namaste, we care about you”.  It sure was a peaceful break from all the noise outside to just sit down, listen to fabulous music and think about whatever you wanted, even if it was nothing at all.  This was Vinny’s jam (no pun intended, well maybe intended).  Going here really brought a smile to his face, which in turn, brought a smile to my face 🙂

Tuesday, January 19 was our first full day in Varanasi.  We woke up at 5am to take a boat ride along the Ganges River and see the Ghats at sunrise.  Unfortunately, it was raining so there was no rising of the sun but it was still fascinating.  There are hundreds of different Ghats throughout Varanasi, all serving a different purpose.  This was the first time we’ve seen them so it was great to get one perspective on the water then hopefully go back later and get a different perspective on the ground.

Hindus bath in the river (although it is beyond dirty from a non Hindu viewpoint) to wash away all of their sins.  Some just wash their bodies with soap and others have a spiritual ritual that they perform each and every time. I noticed a few people plug their nose and dip quickly about 3 or 4 times chanting a prayer at the same time.  Talk about multi-tasking.  Religion has always been so interesting to me even though I wasn’t raised religious.  The fact that people believe so much in something and devote their whole lives to honoring that higher power is impressive.  And no other place in the world is more holy than Varanasi for the Hindus so to see it first hand is indescribable.

Around 12pm, a man name Shukla (people call him Chocolate since most can’t pronounce his name correctly), who is the Granny’s Inn tuk-tuk driver, took us to a town about 10 kilometers from Varanasi called Sarnath.  Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon after he attained enlightenment. It is where Buddhism was founded.  I mean, it doesn’t get any cooler than that. On the day before his death, Buddha included four places he thought to be sacred to his followers and three of the four are right here in India:

1. Lumbini, Nepal – his birthplace
2. Bodh Gaya, India – where he attained enlightenment
3. Sarnath, India – where he delivered his first teaching
4. Kushinagar, India – where he died

We visited a few different Buddhist Temples from around the world in Sarnath since the whole town is dedicated to Buddhism.

Thai Buddhist Temple…

Japanese Buddhist Temple…

Chinese Buddhist Temple…

Tibetan Buddhist Temple…

And here is the stupa that Buddha delivered his first sermon to his five disciples…

The rain started to come down pretty hard so we decided to call it a day and head back to Varanasi.  Our power went in and out all night long which meant no heat and no hot shower – not ideal when it’s in the low 50’s.  Burrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Fingers crossed we don’t freeze over!

Varanasi, otherwise known as Benaras or Banaras, is like no other city in the world, I’m sure of it. According to legend, it was founded by the Hindu deity Lord Shiva 5,000 years ago, though modern scholars view it to be around 3,000 years old.  Either way, it is one of the oldest cities in the world.  Situated on the west bank of the River Ganges, it is believed to have the power of washing away all of one’s sins simply because in the Hindu mythology, water is the source of life and creation.  It is the most popular pilgrimage point for the Hindus as those who die and are cremated here get an instant gateway to liberation from the cycle of births and re-births.  The city has been a symbol of spiritualism, philosophy and mysticism for thousands of years and has produced great saints and personalities including the one and only, Guatama Buddha.  Yes, Buddha. The actual person who started Buddhism.  Not like Santa Claus who doesn’t exist, Buddha did exist.

In 1896, Mark Twain put it perfectly when he said “Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together”.

We arrived in Varanasi on Monday, January 18 around 2:30pm from Delhi.  It was a super easy, smooth flight which was very much appreciated as I heard traveling throughout India can be a headache in itself.  Our homestay arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport which relieved any stress of finding a cab, negotiating a price, trying to communicate where we are going, etc.  It cost us around 800 rupees with tip, or about $12, for a 40 minute drive and was worth every penny.  We were staying at a place called Granny’s Inn, which is run by two Indian Granny’s.  The nightly rate was 3,000 Rupees, or around $44.

And just as an FYI, you will see a swastika like symbol in a lot of these photos (temples, buses, taxis, buildings, books, etc.) but please know it does not have the same negative meaning that we are used to.  For the Hindus and Buddhists in India and other Asian countries, it is an ancient symbol meaning good fortune, good luck and well-being, deriving from the Sanskrit word svasktika. It is disheartening that a symbol of life and eternity that was considered sacred for thousands of years in some parts of the world has become a symbol of such hatred in other parts of the world.

Mayur, the homestay’s host, greeted us at the door.  Such a lovely young man who speaks very good English.  He checked us in, showed us to our room, brought us Masala tea and gave us a handful of recommendations to do throughout the city.  So very helpful and insightful.

It was starting to rain a little, which was unfortunate since it’s predominately a walking city.  Oh well, sunshine and rainbows can’t follow us everywhere I guess (wahhhhhh). After about 5 minutes of settling into our new room for the next four nights, our lights went out.  We figured the bulbs needed to be changed so we asked Mayur if he had any spares.  He said the bulbs didn’t go out but when it rains, the city shuts down the power.  Want to know why?  Wait for it, wait for it.  They shut down the power so the monkeys that jump from building to building don’t get electrocuted.  Yes, you heard that right.  We are in a city that is being controlled by monkeys?  Where are we?  I asked when we could expect power again and his response was “This is Varanasi, there are no answers to anything”.  I took a deep breath and reminded myself, this is all part of the experience.  Enjoy it, laugh with it, appreciate it, reflect on it.

Later, we saw the monkeys for ourselves…

After about 20 minutes, the power went back on and we decided to take a stroll around town.  Keep in mind this isn’t like strolling the streets of Paris or Rome or even New York.  This in India, this is Varanasi.  Not peaceful, not clean, not beautiful – yet absolutely incredible in its own way.  Right when we walked outside, we saw a baby cow literally getting milk straight from its mom’s utters. Doesn’t get any fresher than that. “I’ve got nipples Focker, can you milk me?” – Meet The Parents.

And a Mamma dog with her pups…

It was starting to get dark since its was close to 5pm and drizzling so we really only wanted to be out for a little.  As we continuously looked around, we couldn’t help but think we were on the backlot of Sony Pictures or Universal Studios.  Everything about this place seems fake but it’s obviously not (duh, Kim).  There are 2 lanes only and cars are having to swerve around cows that decided to take a nap in the middle of the road or trying to eat whatever vegetables might have fallen from someones cart.  It’s all just so surreal.

Our homestay offers a home cooked dinner for 200 rupees each, which equals to about $3 per person (yes please!).  We definitely took them up on that offer and the food was delicious.  Kashi is the cook and he sure knows how to add spice and flavor to every dish.  My taste buds were dancing as if it was an Indian wedding inside my mouth.  While at the dinner table, we were able to meet a wonderful young couple from Russia (Alex and Maria) and a jolly woman from Ireland (Jackie).  Both were lovely.  One of the greatest things about traveling is meeting people from all over the world.  Luckily for us, English is always the common language so communicating makes it easy.  I couldn’t imagine being from China or Germany or Argentina and not being able to understand the words around me.

It’s a bit noisy in our room (horns honking, cows mooing, people chanting, rain falling) and it’s around 11:30pm so let’s hope we can get some sleep tonight.  Good night!

Sunday, January 17 was our last full day in Delhi so we tried to visit all the remaining “must sees” that we could.

We took an Uber to Qutub Minar, which is the highest tower in India.  It was built in 1193 immediately after the defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom.  Some believe it was erected as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the Muslim rule in India while others say it served as a minaret to the muezzins to call the faithful to prayer.

From Qutub Minar, we took a rickshaw to the Garden of Five Senses.  On our way, at a stop sign, a woman came out of nowhere and was begging for money.  You want to help them but there are just too many…

The Garden of Five Senses was a nice break in the chaos.  We called this lovers lane because there had to have been well over 20 young couples throughout the garden making out in every corner.  It was quite funny.  And we also came across an area that was being used to what looked like cooking for a big event or something.  Tons of food being prepared right there in the open outdoors.  Can’t be sanitary but maybe it adds to the flavor.

We then took the Metro (go us!) to the Lodi Gardens and had lunch at the Lodi Garden Restaurant which was definitely a tourist location because we saw more white people in one hour than we had in 72 hours previously.

Lastly, we took an Uber to the Lotus Temple which was pretty awesome.  It was built in 1986 and is a house of worship for the Baha’i faith.  The expressionist architecture was breathtaking. Styled after a lotus flower, with 27 immaculate white-marble petals.  Everyone has to take off their shoes off before entering the Temple so you can imagine the array of smells that you can’t help but breath in.

Based on the recommendation of Michele Kajiwara and Stewart Armstrong (thanks again!), we treated ourselves to a very nice dinner at Bukhara.  Bukhara has actually been rated a top restaurant in the world, not just in India.  On our drive there, one of the observations I noticed was starting about a mile or so out – there was no traffic, there was no trash, there were no homeless; instead, there were paved streets, greenery and quietness.  As we arrived in our Uber, the security measures to get in were impressive.  It’s located inside a hotel and our car had to open all four doors, the hood of the car and the trunk for the guards to search.  Plus, we had to put our bags through the x-ray machine.  It seems intense at first but definitely makes you feel real safe afterwards.  Dinner was delicious.  It’s quite a unique experience because it’s fine dining but you eat with your hands.  And the food isn’t like sushi where it’s meant for that.  We ordered a super moist (I know, everyone hates that words) chicken kabob (but not on a stick), a butter naan and an amazing lentil dish that marinates overnight for 10 hours.  They give you aprons to put on so you can get as down and dirty as you want.  Vinny reminded me of the Nutty Professor at dinner time (Hercules, Hercules).  It sure was refreshing to live like the rich and famous for a few hours.

After 3 full days in India now, there have been a couple of challenging adjustments to get used to:

Clean water.  It’s been advised over and over again not to brush our teeth with the faucet water or drink the tap water so we are constantly buying bottles of water wherever we go. Do you know how hard it is to get all the toothpaste off your toothbrush with just pouring bottle water on it?  Try it tonight and let me know how it goes. It’s a minor inconvenience but one thats worth it to hopefully save a trip to the hospital.

Hot water.  Vinny and I are used to taking long, hot, steamy showers twice a day (no, we are not the reason California is in a drought) and now we can’t even get more than 2 minutes of hot water once a day.

It’s little things like this that make you truly appreciate where you come from and what you once took for granted now seems like such a luxury.

Lastly, one of the most intriguing things we’ve noticed is that locals love to take photos with us.  Although I have no makeup on, no hair dryer in sight to fluff up my hair or fashionable clothes to feel important (not that I was ever fashionable but better than I am here at least), the locals still make us feel like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (sans an army of kids).

This wraps up our three full days in Delhi.  What a ride so far.  We are taking a flight tomorrow morning to Varanasi, which is one the oldest and holiest inhabited cities in the world.  If Delhi was such a culture shock, I can only imagine what Varanasi will be like.

Stay tuned to see 🙂

Saturday, January 16 was our second full day in Delhi.  Today we had our own private driver from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Sounds fancy, huh? We so fancy (not really though).  In India, you can’t rent a car from your local Enterprise and trust me, you don’t want to.  Instead, you hire a driver that takes you wherever you want to go.  This was around 1,500 rupees or $22 for the entire day which isn’t bad when you start to breakdown how far things are from each other and how much it would cost to take various metros, cabs, rickshaws, tuk-tuks, etc.

Our first stop of the day was the India Gate, which is a 42 meter high archway that commemorates the 70,000-90,000 (every article is different with their facts, gotta love the consistency in history) Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during World War I.

Our second stop of the day was the Red Fort, which is located in Old Delhi. It was constructed in 1648 and acted as the residence of the Mughal emperor of India for nearly 200 years.  It is named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone.  Being inside the Red Fort was a nice break from the craziness outside as there were multiple gardens, mosques and various grassy patches.

Our third stop of the day was Jama Masjid, also located in Old Delhi and across the street basically from the Red Fort.  It is the largest mosque in India.  We didn’t actually go inside because we didnt’ feel safe at all.  This was an extremely chaotic area with numerous beggars and hundreds of homeless.  We promised ourselves that once we felt uncomfortable somewhere, we wouldn’t take the risk so we saw the outside and turned around.  It was a bummer but probably the smart choice.

Our fourth stop of the day was Chandni Chowk, also located in Old Delhi and next to the Red Fort and Jama Masjid.  Chandni Chowk is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi and the home to book stores, spice markets, clothing factories, textile warehouses, etc. The word busy is an understatement.  We couldn’t even walk it was so crowded so we got a rickshaw to take us around.  This was probably one of the top 3 craziest most exhilarating experiences of our lives.  Vinny got an epic video so if you are curious to see it, just text us and we’ll happily send it to you (thanks to TMobile I can – and no I’m not sponsored by them).  I promise you’ve never seen anything like this (even though the video doesn’t do it justice).

The fifth and final stop of the day was Humayun’s Tomb.  Humayun was a Mughal Emperor who died in 1556.  His widow commenced the construction of his tomb in 1569, fourteen years after his death.  How romantic.  This monument was stunning.  So much detail went into every inch of it.

Over the past 2 days, we’ve noticed a few specific aspects of poverty throughout Delhi:

Stray dogs.  They are everywhere and come in all different shapes, sizes and colors.  Some are extremely thin, some look like they just gave birth with nipples drooping down, some are limping and some are missing limbs.  It absolutely breaks my heart to see animals suffer like this.  Melissa and Becca, if you are reading this, you should start a doggy rehab facility here – they could use your special animal touch here in India (no pressure though).

Children working for Rupees. We have witnessed at least 10 different occasions of children, ages probably 3-13, begging for tips.  One girl was doing flips in traffic in between cars while it was a red light.  A young boy, no older than 4, was trying to sell me flowers (not because he thought I was pretty but because he needed to eat).  Another kid put a bracelet on a women in front of me without her knowing then demanded money.  She aggressively and not necessarily appropriately shook the bracelet off and walked away.  This too breaks my heart as we are used to kids at that age being in school learning or playing on a sports team or building with legos or dressing their barbies – not trying to make every Rupee they can to survive.

All of these occurrences made me realize that some things in life happen based on how you play your cards while other things in life, unfortunately, happen all because of the hand you were dealt.

Friday, January 15 was our first full day in Delhi.  Since our body clocks were all off with the twenty four hour travel day and the thirteen and a half hour time difference (weird that it’s a half, never heard of that) we decided to get an early start on sightseeing.

Per our AirBnB host’s recommendation, we walked about 10 minutes to the Defense Colony Market and had breakfast at Sagar’s.  Being from America, we are so used to our traditional Western breakfast whether that’s cereal, eggs, toast, fruit, waffles, etc. so I knew that coming half way across the world I would need to adapt to something new (which you all know is quite hard for me, especially when it comes to food).  We really didn’t know what 95% of the menu items were and it was too hard to ask with the language barrier, so we took a chance (not a crazy chance but a chance) and ordered one Mysore Masala Dosa, which is spicy with a red chutney as the base and stuffed with potato and onion mixture and one butter dosa, which doesn’t need much explanation (hopefully).  Both were delicious.  It also came with a tray of spicy vegetable soup (soup for breakfast?) and an array of different dipping sauces.  Everything was super duper flavorful; however, it wasn’t as cheap as we expected.  The meal came to about $16 (LA terms that’s nothing but in India we felt it was a lot) but you live and you learn.

From breakfast, we took a 20 minute cab to Dilli Haat, which is their version of a swap meet.  The cab we took reminded me of something that would be in Cuba, although I’ve never been to Cuba but one can only imagine.

Dilli Haat is a sprawling outdoor market offering a colorful array of handmade goods and regional food specialities.  There were clothes, pottery, shoes, artifacts and much more being sold by local vendors.  It’s a good thing we are on such a tight budget and only have one backpack because I could have spent an entire paycheck (which doesn’t even exist anymore) in that one hour we were there.

Following Dilli Haat, we decided to put our brave, adventurous hats on and take the Metro to the Hauz Khas Village.  Yes, the Metro.  Otherwise known as public transportation.  Something we don’t even do in LA, let alone in one of the most populated countries in the world.  We figured we would try it once, and if it fails, so be it. If it is a success, we can save a lot of money and time.  Knowing us, which do you think it was?  I’m assuming you guessed a failure? I’m sorry to break it to you gently but you’re wrong.  It was a success.  Tokens one way per person range from $0.15 to $0.30.  Plus, it’s a break on the eardrums from all the honking that goes on throughout the streets.  We felt safe too because we had to go through metal detectors before going down.  And there were different lines for men and women, which was a little scary to separate, but it all worked out.  Find what doesn’t belong in the image below…

P.S. We have been wearing our bags in front because it makes us feel safer.  This way we can see it versus being in the back and risking the chance that someone might open it without us even realizing it.  Overly cautious maybe, but it puts us at ease.

Once we got out of the station, it was about a 20 minute walk to the Hauz Khas Village.  Walking in India, quite like doing anything in India, is never a dull moment.  Pedestrians definitely do not have the right away so every move you make, you better make it wisely.  It’s almost as though you are playing a video game, like duck hunt (for those born after 1990 you probably don’t know what that is) and you are the duck.  Your destiny is in your hands.  And, as I’ve mentioned previously, driving in India is the most surreal concept since there is absolutely no flow to it.  Cars, bikes, rickshaws, cows, goats, mopeds, tuk-tuks, people, stray dogs, etc. are all on the same road, which usually has no lanes so everyone is on top of everyone trying to get through as quickly as possible.  But all of this mayhem is such a thrill to witness.  It just blows my mind how something so far from what we know is the only thing they really know.

As we soaked in all the smells, sights and sounds around us, I felt as though I was constantly saying “Vinny, oh my god, look over there or “Vinny, wow, can you believe that”.  It was like I was a baby fresh out of the womb seeing life for the first time.  It’s just all so incredible to me.  For example, instead of men shaving in the shower (since most don’t even have showers here) or going to your local barber shop (which usually consists of four walls, a door and a roof), locals set up a nonchalant station on the street and groom each other, the old school way…

Or they iron their clothes, the old school way…

Or they make cotton candy, the old school way…

Maybe it’s old school to us but maybe it’s keeping it simple to them.  It’s all relative I guess.

When we finally made it to Hauz Khas, we aimlessly strolled the Village, soaking it all in.  There were shops, restaurants and street food vendors as well as a mosque and a tomb, all built around an urbanized village with medieval history traced to the 13th century.  Oh and  of course, a Starbucks.  As we got lost (in a good way), we came across a back alley that was the most poverty stricken we have seen yet – kids running around with no shoes or even some without pants, trash in the streets, bodies full of dirt – but they were laughing, playing, and entertaining themselves.  It was quite refreshing as we are so used to seeing kids with iPhones, iPads, iPods, i this and i that.  One of the comments I read over and over again in various blogs is not to feel sorry or sad for the natives because they are so poor – they are happy with what they have as they don’t really know any different.  I hope this is true.

It was time for lunch so we made our way back to the main area and dared ourselves to eat street food.  We have been told to avoid meat if possible so we did just that.  We shared a veggie wrap, which was $1.30 (now that’s more like it), and so yummy.  My mouth was watering from the different flavors in each bite.

After the Hauz Khas Village, we took the Metro again, yes again, to the Khan Market.  More shops, more restaurants, more people watching.  Nothing too exciting but always nice to check out new sites.  We had dinner and decided it was time to go home since we had a full day out and about and were quite tired.  Instead of hailing down a cab or taking the Metro, we attempted to use Uber.  Yep, Uber is in India.  Crazy I know but genius.  First attempt failed, second attempt failed, third attempt failed – strike three you’re out.  Better luck next time, I hope.

That’s it for today, see you tomorrow!

Wow.  That is the only word that came to mind when we officially landed in India.  As the airport doors opened and we walked outside around 10pm local time, it felt as though we were willingly feeding ourselves to an ocean full of hungry sharks.  It was colder than we expected, extremely foggy and of course we were super disoriented from traveling for almost 24 hours. Not to mention, we stuck out like a sore thumb screaming TOURIST.  From every which direction, there was someone offering their transportation services.  Our AirBnB host recommended we get a pre-paid taxi, which should cost around 500 Rupees.  Knowing this, you could imagine my face when a man told us it would be 1500 Rupees.  He obviously didn’t think I did my homework way in advance.  Once we finally got in our cab, it hit us – we don’t speak the same language.  He spoke Hindi, we spoke English so as we slowly left the airport, our fear of not making it to our AirBnB safely began to increase.  Not only were our spoken words different but our written alphabet is also different which adds a whole new level of confusion.  We are staying in an area called Defense Colony which is known to be a nice, safe neighborhood but quite difficult to find as there are many different lanes, numbers, complexes, etc.  We have no idea where we are going, he has no idea where he is going so all we could do is rub our lucky crystals (thanks, Carole!) and have faith it would all work out.

In the short yet long 30 minute ride, I noticed the streets of India put New York, San Francisco, Beijing, Rome, LA and any other city in the world to shame.  There is no organization to the way they drive.  Plus, they honk nonstop.  Not in an aggressive fashion but in a “hey, i’m here, don’t hit me” kind of way.  It’s almost as though honking is it’s own language here.  As we are in the midst of chaos, I tried to take a breath and look around to see what my surroundings were.  In that very moment, I noticed cows on the sides of the road just chilling, locals having bonfires in the street to stay warm, infants being held by their mothers on the back of a moped with no support but the strength of her arms and street food being cooked on every corner which I’m pretty sure wouldn’t pass the health code in the US.  It was mind blowing.  We felt as though we were on a movie set and were waiting for the Director to yell “cut”.  Welcome to India we thought.

Our cab driver asked about 6 people along the way how to get to our AirBnB.  Everyone was actually super helpful and willing to point him in the right direction.  We could tell he was getting frustrated since our ride lasted longer than any of us expected so we decided to just get out and walk.  This might not have been the smartest idea at first, but eventually, we made it to our home for the next 4 nights,  in one piece.  And it sure was a breath of fresh air to be greeted by our warm and fuzzy hosts in front of their beautiful, what they call, Tranquil place.