Month: February 2016

On Wednesday, February 17, we arrived at Greenwoods Resort in Thekkady around 12:30pm.  It was a very short yet safe drive from Munnar thanks to Mr. Tomy.  Beautiful scenery played a leading role the whole way.  The south has this mesmerizing visual appeal everywhere you turn, almost makes you dizzy trying to capture it all.  Greenwoods was one of those few “splurges” for us.  It cost $120 a night so we obviously had fairly high expectations.  And in the past, those high expectations have often lead us to disappointment so we’ll see how this one goes.

When we got out of the car, we were warmly greeted by employees waiting at the top of the stairs.  One was holding a candle like figure that was burning, which was supposed to release positive vibes, and the second was holding necklaces made out of cardamom spices, which were gracefully put on us.  Almost like getting lei’d in Hawaii.  Check in time is usually 2pm so we were a bit early and our room wasn’t ready yet.  While sitting in the lobby waiting, we were brought dry ginger coffee, which was surprisingly tasty, and cold wash cloths to clean our face, which was very refreshing.  So far, we were loving this place.  The little touches they provided to make us feel special were appreciated.  And to top it off, we met a couple from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  At my last job with AEG and the LA Kings, my largest and most favorite partner was the tourism board of Alberta, Travel Alberta, so I had the privilege of visiting their province over a handful of times.  What a beautiful place it is, summer or winter.  Talking to this lovely couple made me miss my co-worker Therese and my friends over at in Canada.  We sure did create a lot of wonderful memories over a four year period.

Around 2pm our room was finally ready.  We dropped our bags off, settled in, enjoyed our balcony for a while (you know, the normal routine) then we decided to walk around the property to get a lay of the land.  Our first impression was that the grounds were nice but not $120 nice.  Jade Munnar had way better eye candy in our opinion.  Before this trip, I was kind of a hotel snob.  I always wanted a brand name (not necessarily a Ritz Carlton level but maybe a Westin level), new sheets and towels everyday, a fancy restaurant and top notch service.  However, that has changed and for the better.  The bigger hotels just don’t tickle my fancy anymore, at least not in India.  They are kind of stale and the rooms have no personality to them. Homestays, AirBnBs and boutique lodging are definitely the way to go.  I find they provide a more intimate, personalized, memorable experience (unless you are Khem Villas, then its worth the money).

While walking around Greenwoods, we came across an area that housed rabbits, chickens, ducks, cows, turkeys and other animals.

But the best thing about this hotel hands down was that their coffee shop was a tree house high above the ground.  It was about 4pm at this point so we decided to carefully walk up the twenty steps made out of bamboo, slowly make our way across the bridge suspended in mid-air only being supported by thick rope and eventually enter the rustic cafe sitting comfortably in a tree.  Very unique.  It was here and then, that Vinny sparked yet another admirer.  I don’t know if it’s because he’s white or because of his all over the place hair or because of his natural good looks but men love him in India.  They stare and they smile.  At first, I couldn’t tell if they were laughing at him but I am pretty certain now they are in awe of him.  And I don’t blame them.  He obviously caught my eye five years ago as well.  The treehouse coffee guys name was Shaji.  He was so sweet and so gentle.  Although he paid absolutely no attention to me and only had interest for Vinny, I still really liked him.  Instantaneously, we all became friends.

Later in the evening, we watched a documentary the Periyar National Park put together to inform tourists about the various activities we can do while in Thekkady and some of the wildlife that exists all around.  Followed by that, a young girl studying local dance at the University performed a traditional routine for about thirty minutes.  Her elaborate makeup, clothing, jewelry and exotic moves were super captivating and entertaining.  We ended with dinner at the hotel.  Very low-key, which is what the south is all about.  Go slow my friends, go slow.

The next morning I woke up as sour as a Lemonhead.  When we first checked in, they said we could make activity reservations anytime we wanted with very little notice.  So we took their advice and attempted to book a bamboo rafting and trekking excursion last night for this morning.  They said it shouldn’t be a problem but they would call us around 7am to confirm.  At 7:15am, I still hadn’t heard from them so I was proactive and rang them, only to learn there was no availability.  I acted like a spoiled brat not getting the toy I wanted for a few minutes and then got over it.  We quickly realized that unless you are going into the Periyar National Park, which costs 450 rupees per person each visit, there really isn’t much else to do in Thekkady.  And we didn’t want to pay that fee twice.  Super disappointing but we decided to look at the glass half full and took advantage of being in a city that really forced us to do nothing for the first time in five weeks.  And the rest of the day we did just that, nothing.

However, it wasn’t as relaxing nor as productive as we would have hoped.  The power literally went out every ten minutes for a few seconds at a time and the front desk couldn’t even give us a good reason for it.  Each time the power went out, the air conditioning shut down, the lights turned off and we were signed out of WiFi.  Then it would all turn back on again.  Then it would all turn back off again.  I know it sounds minor and annoyingly nitpicky but I’m sure it would get on anyones nerves after about fifteen times.  We fully understand and support a resort being eco-friendly and wanting to conserve a lot of energy, but this made absolutely no sense.  Turn off the power for a handful of consecutive hours or during a certain peak time in the day, but don’t turn it off so frequently.  I feel like that actually uses more energy than not.  Oh well, moving on.  After a handful of hours, we were both going crazy having not left the room so we decided to get some fresh air and say hi to Shaji in the treehouse. Coffee around 4pm has become part of our routine when possible. But Shaji makes it extra special.

That night we attended a Kalaripayattu performance, which is the oldest form of martial arts and has its roots in the prehistoric ages.  Kalaripayattu is just another major contribution that India has gifted the world.  Per the legend, this 3,000 year old art form was created by Sage Parasurama, the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea.  Kalaripayattu originated in ancient South India and is not only about learning self-defense, but also helps you gain a sense of discipline in your daily routine. It helps you get fitter, and be stronger both mentally and physically.  And these guys sure were fit.

Our second and last full day in Thekkady, we were able to do the five hour trekking and bamboo rafting adventure we attempted the day before.  At 8:45am, we took a tuk-tuk to purchase our tickets into the National Park, then we drove over to Bamboo Grove where we were to meet for our excursion, which cost 1500 rupees each.  These kids were on a school field trip and begged me to take a photo of them.  So cute.

There were eight people total in our group – me and Vinny, three young twenty year olds from Australia, a young Indian couple and a solo young Indian guy.  A very classic, almost hard to explain in words kind of moment, happened in the very beginning.  Our guide started walking, didn’t tell anyone to follow him and never looked back.  We all just assumed it was time to go so we trailed behind.  About five minutes in, he randomly veered off to the left, entering a home.  Didn’t say anything like wait here or I’ll be a minute.  Gotta love the communication.  Definitely made the experience more suspenseful.  When he finally came out of the house, he was holding a shotgun.  Yes, a shotgun.   Ummmmm what kind of animals were we planning to see that we needed a shotgun for protection?  Again, no explanation.  This should be interesting.  Keep on moving.

For the next hour and a half, we walked through the National Park, surrounded by nothing but nature.  Taller than tall trees, lush greenery, exotic birds, and a few endemic creatures to Periyar.  It was a very soothing atmosphere.

Every now and then we had to cross these manmade bridges to get to the other side and it was always a gamble whether you would make it or not.  But luckily, it was just a fear and never became a reality.

When we finally arrived at the water, we boarded our bamboo boat.  This was pretty neat and extremely relaxing since all we had to do was sit back, stretch out our legs and enjoy the ride.  It was so quiet that you could vividly hear the water splash against the bamboo, as if it was a light drizzle on a tin roof.  Or the birds chatting up a storm hundreds of feet away.

After about twenty minutes, we got off the raft and walked around a little island where elephants usually roam solo or in packs, towards the water for drinking and bathing.  But unfortunately, we didn’t see any up close.

We did however find a ton of their footprints that would put Shaq’s shoe to sham.  They were massive.  I think I could fit at least three of my feet in their one.

The guides slowly lost faith so we headed back to the main land we originated on.  I kept singing the song in my head from Pocahontas, “just around the river bend”.  And of course, when we touched down, they started freaking out because in the very far distance, on the same small island we just came from, they saw a wild elephant.  It was hard to see with your own two eyes so I took my camera, zoomed in as much as I could and randomly starting firing off photo after photo.  If you look deep enough in the image below, you can see it miles away on the left.  You might have to put your glasses on for this one.  Kind of cool but not as cool as if we were face to face.

On the walk back, we saw some big bison and some little bison chilling out and grazing the fields.  What did the father say to his oldest boy when he left for college?  Bye-son. HA!  Sorry, I love cornier than corn nuts jokes.

And we saw a bird that only exists in the Park…

And a squirrel that looks very different than all the others…

And our guide talking on his cell phone, in the middle of the park, next to his shotgun…

And the friendly workers who help keep the path safe and clean…

It was around 3pm when we returned and you know what that means – it’s almost coffee with Shaji time!  While walking over to the treehouse, we randomly stumbled upon an elephant in front of our hotel.  Totally normal.  No big deal.  So of course we had to grab a photo with her and she sure was a funny character.  Right as we went to touch her trunk, she folded it up as her way of smiling for the camera.  And it got me to smile real big as well (although I do look a little special).  Seeing an animal of this size walk freely on your hotel grounds just seems odd but we’ll take it.

The turkey was out for a mid-day stroll as well…

Quite possibly the best thing about our Thekkady experience happened late this afternoon while sipping our coffees and talking to Shaji.  Since he loved Vinny so much I figured I would get a photo of them together so we can always remember him.  He happily and willingly said no problem.  He then asked if we could send him a copy of the photo.  How cute is that?  He too wants to remember Vinny (keep in mind, I don’t really exist).  So we told him to write down his email address but when he handed Vinny a small, ripped off piece of paper, it had his mailing address on it.  His mailing address in Thekkady, with four parenthesis, five lines, no zip code and no numbers.  You could imagine how confused we were when we saw this.  It turns out, he has no email to forward it to and no phone to text it to.  One has to appreciate his simplicity.  Vinny now has a pen pal for life, assuming this address is written correctly and the post office actually deliveries the letter.

In a nutshell, we were not overly impressed with Thekkady or Greenwoods.  Neither were awful but neither were outstanding.  Maybe it’s because we just came from Jade Munnar for nearly half the price, or maybe because we already saw a stunning National Park in Ranthambore, or maybe because we were there for too many days, or maybe because we felt based on our own personal preferences it was overpriced.  However you spin it, we were ready to move on to our next city.  As with everything, there were a handful of positives still.  Fresh pressed juices at every meal (pineapple, watermelon, mixed fruit, etc.), our late afternoon coffee dates with Shaji in the treehouse, an excuse to be extremely lazy for a day, the martial arts performance and the bamboo rafting were all pros that somewhat outweighed the various cons.

Tomorrow morning we are driving to Alleppey, which is our fourth and final city in the gorgeous state of Kerala.

Since Mahatma Gandhi was one of the most preeminent Indian leaders, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes by him.  “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”.

Now go practice happiness!

On Sunday, February 14, after a six and a half hour drive from Kochi (with a few stops along the way), we arrived in Munnar around 4:30pm.  Our homestay was called Jade Munnar, the sister to Jade Kochi (where we just came from).  Anoop and Dorrie, a fabulous couple that I will talk about in greater detail later, own both places.  They live at the Munnar location while Josey and Elsie manage their Kochi location.  We loved Jade Kochi so we sure were excited for the next three nights here.

Towards the end of our drive, our initial thought was where in the world are we?  For a good twenty minutes, we kept making turn after turn, winding around and around, driving higher and higher up tiny unpaved roads that frequently required first gear.  We were wondering if Josey’s car was going to make it but then again, he does this commute at least twice a week.  When we finally arrived, we couldn’t help but automatically feel our posture get straighter and our weight become lighter.  Surrounded by nothing but greenery, a cool breeze and fresh air, it was absolutely beautiful.  The weather difference was fairly drastic, going from 95 degrees with 80% humidity to about 78 degrees with very little humidity.  Amen.  Anoop, Dorrie and their precious dog, Ginger, were there to greet to us.  We said goodbye to Josey, thanked him for his hospitality and followed Dorrie to our room, which sure did have a wonderful balcony with a wonderful view.

The land in which their home sits on is quite massive and basically consists of two different houses, a natural swimming pond, a fabulous outdoor patio and a few common areas.  The word Jade refers to the thousand shades of green that surround the place and the color that is associated with balance and relaxation.  Most of the area is agricultural with the main crops being tea, pepper, cardamom and coffee.  Cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg and tapioca are also commonly cultivated.  Frequently seen trees are Rose Wood, Teak, Jackfruit, African Tulip, Jacaranda and a wide variety of fruit trees.  Regarding animals, it is filled with a variety of  birds, butterflies, small lizards, snakes, dragonflies, crickets (who are partiers at night), and other interesting bugs.  All of this was told to us on a sheet of paper that they laid on our bed.  And just like the laminated information from our AirBnB in Jaipur that had me jumping like a Mexican jumping bean, this had clipart images all over it.  Love it.  I mean, things just keep getting better.

Munnar is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams – Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. 1,600 meters above sea level, this hill station was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British Government in South India. It boasts of tea-plantations, spice-plantations, tiny towns, astonishing scenery and majestic waterfalls.  A nature lovers heaven.

Now let me tell you a little bit about Anoop and Dorrie, who are both so generous, accommodating, happy, entertaining and so it seemed, incredibly in love still.  Their story is fascinating as well (I sure hope I am telling it correctly).  Dorrie was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, USA while Anoop was born and raised in Fort Kochi, Kerala, India.  When Dorrie was thirty years old and tired of being in the Corporate America advertising/marketing world, she packed up her belongings and traveled the world (ummm, sounds a little too familiar).  Her first stop was India where I believe she lived for six months and where for the first time, she laid eyes on Anoop.  However, Dorrie at the time was a free spirit, wanting to spread her wings wherever and whenever she could.  After India, she lived in Japan for a year and then roamed from country to country for another year.  Her and Anoop kept in touch with letters.  Yes, letters.  How amazing is that?  No email, no cell phones, no FaceTime.  Simple letters.  When she returned to India after a few years, she attended what sounded like a hippie festival in the very north where Anoop went to find her.  A few days later, they were married.  Now, they have a nineteen year old son, a sixteen year old son and a lovable twelve year old dog, Ginger who without even trying, puts a smile on your face.  Up until about four years ago, they lived in Fort Kochi at the house we stayed in.  But the weather and humidity got to them so they decided to move up to the mountains in Munnar, where it’s much cooler, go through two years of renovation and then two years later open a homestay.  I am so glad they did.  And, we later found out, that they opened Kashi Art Cafe in Kochi where we ate twice but sold it a handful of years ago.  Everything they seem to do becomes a success and that’s because great people deserve great things.

Our lodging here was 4500 rupees (or about $66) a night, which included breakfast and dinner.  But this wasn’t your typical hotel or homestay cooking.  There was so much thought and creativity that went into the menu each and every day.  It was always different.  The breakfast rotated from Western to Kerala and the dinner always included one non-vegetarian dish accompanied by about a handful of vegetarian dishes.  All were fresh, flavorful and beyond fulfilling.  They buy their own produce daily and wash it with their filtering system so it was nice to have vegetables and not worry whether or not we would be sick afterwards.  The best part about the meals though were the people.  The first night, it was Anoop and Dorrie, me and Vinny, a local guy from Mumbai named Abbas, his friend Barbara from Germany and then a quiet yet sweet older couple from France.  It still fascinates me that with eight people at the dinner table, there were five different first languages yet everyone spoke English.  The other four were German, French, Hindi and Malayalam, which is the official language in the state of Kerala.  We sat at the dinner table for hours talking about life, where we’ve been, where we want to go and everything in between.  We laughed about the pharmaceutical epidemic in America and how everyone over the age of forty has a pill container filled to the brim for every day of the week.  And how Germany’s food isn’t any less processed and fake than ours is.  And how the French go to Italy every year for a holiday because it’s so close (tough life).  It’s always nice to meet other American’s but it is equally, if not more as important, to branch out and meet others from around the world to truly appreciate where you come from yet learn what to strive for next.

Here was one of our Kerala breakfasts (those bananas literally melted in your mouth)…

Here was one of our fusion dinners…

At dinner, I noticed that Dorrie and Anoop were eating with their hands.  Kind of like what we had to do at Bukhara in Delhi.  And again, it wasn’t sushi or pizza or chicken tenders that are meant as finger foods.  It was rice, curry, chopped vegetables, water buffalo and other wet foods.  But watching them was as captivating as watching a Cirque du Soleil performance.  There was a real method to their process.  They would take the rice and mold them into the less firm items and then with their finger tips, pick it up and place it not so daintily in their mouth.  But they would only use one hand (their right hand) and kept their left hand clean.  This is a state wide characteristic.

Something I learned tonight is that I have been unintentionally disrespectful to the Indian culture for the past five weeks without even knowing it simply because I am left handed and of course, eat with my left hand. In India and supposedly all across Asia, rule one is eat with your right hand only.  The left hand is for wiping your bottom, cleaning your feet and other unsavory functions (you also put on and take off your shoes with the left hand), while the right hand is for eating, shaking hands and so on. Sorry to the millions of people I have offended.  Blame my parents 🙂

The next morning, Vinny and I woke up to the sound of a hundred different birds chirping.  They were all in perfect harmony as if I bought a sound machine from Bed, Bath and Beyond and put it on the nature channel.  So peaceful.  One of the birds was called the whistling school boy.  After breakfast, we headed out on a self guided nature walk.  Dorrie put together a hilarious map that she drew with fun images and very clearly mentioned it wasn’t to scale.  We took the map and figured how lost can we really get?  Well, really lost.  What should have taken us twenty minutes to get to a specific place ended up taking us three hours.  But that was totally a-okay because we weren’t lost in the Bronx or in Compton, we were lost in a town that had incredible visuals every direction you looked.  Getting lost was part of the fun.  And the people were just so friendly and willing to help guide us as much as they could.

Along the way, we saw a man picking peppercorn from a tree…

An awesome makeshift bus stop…

Some banana trees…

A man trying to camouflage himself…

Lots of roosters and chickens…

A curious woman…

A family of goats…

A few good men asking me to take their photo…

You could imagine the sigh of relief we let out when we finally made it to Modern Bakery, a local spot Dorrie recommended for some snacks.  She warned us it wasn’t a “modern bakery” but that was just their name.  And she was right.  But it was perfect for what we needed.  We ordered pineapple juice and we literally got juice from a pineapple…

And then we got three local treats including a Pazham Pori (fried banana or plantain), all for 130 rupees or $1.90.  I’ll take it.

That night at dinner, it was just Anoop and Dorrie, me and Vinny, Abbas and Barbara.  Abbas is a co-founder of a company called India Someday that offers assistance to anyone from 18 years old to 80 years old wanting to travel to India.  The bottom of the Titanic to the upper class of the Titanic, they help you plan your trip as much or as little as you want.  Ironically, our family friends who are coming to India in October, Mark and Dorith are working with him and his partner.  I mean, come on. What are the odds?!?  And when Abbas told me I did a great job planning our seven week trip, on my own with no travel agent, I gave myself a pat on the back (okay, a few pats on the back).  He was impressed with the accommodations I chose and the activities I booked and recognized how much effort and research I put into this journey. Of course I did, it was my full time job for two months.  I went to bed that night feeling confident and accomplished.

Our last day in Munnar we did a tuk-tuk tour with Bijou for about five hours.  I didn’t even need to stop at any “must see” sights, I just loved being in the open air vehicle and enjoying every inch of the beauty Munnar possesses. Bijou pointed out some ginger fields, black coffee trees, waterfalls, cardamom trees and every other spice that grows here. You never have to go to the market, just pick it all yourself.  About twenty minutes into our drive, I saw a sign that said “Accidents bring tears, safety brings cheers”.  That says it all about this town.

Next we walked through a tea plantation…

At the end of the tea plantation, Vinny and Bijou went rock climbing (well sort of)…

Then we drove through the actual town of Munnar, which is pretty run down and underwhelming.  I’m glad we weren’t staying in the city center.

One of my favorite and most heartfelt stops of the day was the Srishti Center, which runs various programs for the education, training and rehabilitation of “differently-abeled” people of Munnar’s tea plantation workers.  They make a variety of products from fruit preserves to handmade paper and confectionery to all natural dyes for clothing.  Their stuff was really impressive. I couldn’t take any photos inside but there were a few quotes written on the walls that really stuck out to me.  “Rough Seas Create Tough Captains” and ”Impossible is possible because impossible itself says I M Possible”.  Leaves you warm and fuzzy to see these people, working through their challenges, striving to get better and creating a life of their own.

The last stop was the Tea Museum.  Very neat to see the process of how tea is made from start to finish, especially after visiting the tea plantations, but nothing overly exciting.

After a hard day of sightseeing, Bijou took us to a much deserved lunch at Guru’s.  Let’s talk about this place for a second.  Wow.  What a thrilling experience.  It was as crowded as the Grand Central Station in New York City and if you even dared to move an inch off your chair, someone would try and swoop in.  Plus, all the locals order the same thing and to watch well over thirty people eat with their hands the way they do was incredible.  It’s a real science.  I could have sat there for hours.

The views the entire way back were just breathtaking…

For the remainder of the evening, we hung around the property, enjoyed the natural swimming pond from above and of course, stuffed our faces with delicious food.

When you leave a place, it’s very easy (especially for Americans) to reference the positives but outweigh them with the negatives.  Their peanuts weren’t salty enough, their mattress was too firm, the mints they left at night wasn’t real mint.  But there is absolutely nothing bad we can say about Jade Munnar.  It wasn’t a five star hotel, they didn’t clean your room everyday and room service wasn’t an option but that’s what made it so special.  It was as if we were staying with our Aunt and Uncle.  It felt like a home.  A far away home.

We sure are going to miss our breakfast and dinner talks on their patio, our own personal french press coffees in the morning and late afternoon, the sound of nature at your doorstep and Anoop gently reprimanding Ginger to go to bed. She never wanted to be the first to leave the party.  Oh Ginger.  This was truly a memorable experience.

The next morning, sad to say goodbye, we were picked up by Mr. Tomy at 9:30am and headed to Thekkady, which is about a three hour drive.

From the land of the tea, I will leave you with this. “If you are cold, tea will warm you.  If you are hot, it will cool you.  If you are depressed, it will cheer you.  If you are excited, it will calm you.  Tea is a cup of life”.

After a stressful yet successful travel day, we finally arrived at Jade Kochi, our homestay for the next two nights, around 1:15pm on Friday, February 12.  This was such an adorable house on such an adorable little street managed by such an adorable couple, Josey and Elsie.  They have been married for twenty six years and have a gorgeous twenty four year old daughter (who happened to be visiting from five hours away).  Elsie doesn’t look a day over twenty four herself.

It was about 2:30pm when we were all settled in and ready to grab some lunch.  We asked Elsie if she had any recommendations but her English wasn’t the best.  Josey, her husband, is semi-fluent but he wasn’t home at the time.  In the famous words of Bob Marley, “don’t worry, about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright”.  Bob’s music is very fitting for this part of India. Since Fort Kochi is relatively small, we decided to walk outside without a plan and figured at some point soon, we would find something.  But that wasn’t the case.  We walked for about thirty minutes with not one restaurant in sight.  We were hot, sweaty, hungry, tired, frustrated and lost.  The complete opposite emotions we felt on our drive from Delhi to Agra.  We are such dramatic extremists, I know. The only time I get in a bad mood (I think) is when I’m hungry and hot (Vinny might beg to differ) so this was not a good combination. Since we didn’t have any cell service and had absolutely no idea where we were, we decided to go back to Jade Kochi and check out TripAdvisor, which lead us to a perfect spot called Kashi Art Cafe.  From the moment we walked in, we already felt better.  The fans were aggressively turning, the atmosphere was calming and the menu looked like something straight out of Santa Monica.  It was very Westernized from the people eating there to the organic food options but sometimes it’s nice to get a taste of home.  There was a young French couple sitting across from us playing chess, a German woman next to us working on her computer and two Australian girls on the other side sipping coffee and chowing down on some granola and yogurt.  I ordered pesto fusilli and Vinny ordered eggplant lasagna.  Both were the perfect remedy for what we needed to feel whole again.  Doesn’t take much.

Once we were done with lunch, we walked around a little then headed back to Jade Kochi around 5:30pm.  Another couple, Suzanna and Andy, were also staying there.  They were from London and on a two week holiday, only in the South.  A nine day surf camp is what convinced them to come.  I would never put surfing and India in the same sentence but after hearing about their experience, I would have been on the next flight out as well.  That night we hung out with them, chatted up a storm and enjoyed a flavorful dinner cooked by Josey and Elsie.  It sure was a wonderful way to end what seemed like a very long day.

The next morning I woke up to sixteen mosquito bites, ouch!  They ate me for breakfast, lunch and dinner when I was least expecting it.  But my frown was quickly turned upside down when I got an email that my pseudo cousin/family friend/friend, Jennifer, is officially meeting us in Nepal in March.  Her ticket is booked.  This made me so happy.  The timing couldn’t be more perfect for her and for us.  Familiar faces are always appreciated so if anyone else wants to pick a country, we’ll welcome you with open arms.

Today was our only full day in Kochi so we wanted to make the most of it.  We had breakfast on their patio then headed out.  The first thing on our list were the Chinese Fishing Nets, which are made of teak wood and bamboo poles and work on the principle of balance. Each structure, about ten meters high, is fixed on the beach and has a cantilever with an attached net that is spread over an area of about twenty meters.  Counterweights, usually stones about thirty centimeters in diameter, tied to ropes of different lengths, facilitate the working of the nets. Often, lights, attached to the teak posts are suspended above the net to attract fish. Each fishing net is operated by more than four fishermen and is made in such a way that the weight of a man walking on the main plank is enough to cause the equipment to be pulled down into the sea. The net is descended into the water for a short time and then raised delicately by pulling on the ropes. The slow rhythm and balancing of the net is spellbinding.  It is believed that Chinese Fishing Nets were introduced to Kochi by Chinese explorer Zheng He, from the court of the Kubla Khan, between 1350 and 1450 AD.  Vinny and I watched these men at work for well over an hour as the fishing nets lined the coastline from top to bottom. It was mind boggling not only how ancient the process was but how efficient it was too. All man made and operated, no machinery or factories.

Whatever they would catch, they would then sell right then and there.  But the million dollar question to us was how clean are the fish?  There is a massive oil ship in the background, trash all over the ground and the water looked fairly polluted.  I’m sure it’s fine though if they’ve been doing this for over six hundred years. Who I am to even ask.

Next up we took a stroll along the “boardwalk”.  It was nice to see a beach (although it wasn’t super duper clean) and feel the breeze because I was dripping sweat in places I didn’t even know I could sweat.  There were tons of locals sitting around, having picnics, enjoying life with friends and of course, sleeping.

Oh well, better luck next time…

Ouch, that doesn’t look comfortable…

One thing I’ve noticed in the past few hours we’ve been outside, is the majority of young girls, probably two years to twelve years, all have short hair cuts and their ears pierced.  I’m not certain if this is a mandated thing from their schools or if it’s because of the weather or if it’s just a coincidence.  Either way, it reminded me of when I cut my hair like a boy in third grade.  Never ever will I do that again.

And the men all wear Mundus, which is a piece of fabric wrapped around the waist and can either be long enough to flow down to the feet or can be folded up to resemble that of a shorter skirt, which is how most wear it in Kerala given the weather.

As the “boardwalk” came to an end, we allowed ourselves to wander freely around Fort Kochi.  We walked past a Dutch cemetery that was built in 1724, which my Dad would have loved.  Do you know why they had this gate in the front?  Because people were dying to get in.  HAHAHA!

Then we came across a darling area called Princess Street.  It reminded me of something that would be in Catalina or some small beach town with boutique hotels, ice cream parlors, clothing shops and so much more.

And at the end of the street, near the coastline and the Chinese Fishing Nets, we saw a playground for the first time.  It’s always so wonderful to see kids playing outside with smiles on their faces and laughter in their souls.  And the canopy of trees provided such welcoming shade.

That night, we watched a traditional Kathakali performance, which is the most well known dance drama from the state of Kerala, dating back to the 17th century.  The word Kathakali literally means “Story-Play”.  It is known for its large, elaborate makeup and costumes.  The themes of the Kathakali are religious in nature and typically deal with the Mahabarat, the Ramayana and the ancient scriptures known as the Puranas.  A Kathakali performance is a major social event, generally starting at dusk and going throughout the night.  We only saw a cliff notes version (no way could I sit through something that long).  Kathakali is usually performed only by men, even if it’s a female character and rely very heavily on hand gestures to convey the story.  These hand gestures, known as mudra, are common throughout much of classical Indian dance.  We got there an hour early to watch them put on their makeup, which is a performance in itself.  The makeup materials are comprised of all natural, local products.  The white is made from rice flour, the red is made from Vermilion (a red earth such as cinnabar), the black is made from soot and so on.

Then they acted out a small chunk of a larger story for the next hour.  Very entertaining.

A for effort when it comes to spelling…

We completed our evening with dinner at Dal Roti.

Fort Kochi, Kochi, Cochin, Ernakulam and any other name it is commonly referred to as is a lovely little coastal town.  Two nights was the perfect amount of time to enjoy all the little intricacies it has to offer.   The weather is hot and humid, the scenery is filled with palm trees and it’s location is situated along the Arabian Sea.  It has been a port since 1341, when a flood carved out its harbor and opened it to Arab, Chinese and European merchants.  A lot of history has happened here.

Sunday, February 14 we were leaving Kochi for Munnar, our second stop in the state of Kerala.  It just so happens to also be Valentine’s Day but we are in India and I don’t think that really means anything to them.  Or at least not to the level it does in America.  And I am totally okay with that because I think it’s become such a Hallmark holiday anyways. Plus, this whole trip we are on is like a Valentine’s Day date everyday so there’s nothing more I need.  However, Vinny did catch a few mosquitos in the car for me, which was the best way he could say “I love you”.  So chivalrous of him, especially knowing I currently have twenty six mosquito bites including three on my face (eewwww).

How cool is Josey’s car?

Midway through our five hour drive, we stopped at some pineapple fields…

And had some fresh squeezed pineapple juice, no ice and no sugar. Just the pure, wholesome fruit that grows from the ground…

Lastly, we stopped at Deepa Spice World, which is a plantation that grows their own spices and Ayurveda products. They basically have something natural for everything including Alzheimer’s, arthritis, losing weight, migraines, teeth cleaning, eczema and many other conditions/ailments.  They also grew nutmeg, coca, aloe vera, black pepper and the list could go on and on and on.  I ended up buying a lemon grass oil because they promised it would help take down the inflammation and itching of my mosquito bites.  I sure hope they are right because I’m desperate at this point.

The south, from the short time we’ve been here so far, seems like a whole new country.  The vibe is laid back and easy going, the surroundings are tropical and beautiful.  The people speak a different language, believe in different religions, practice different cultures, carry out different eating habits and wear different clothes.  They smile at you and are eager to say hello back.  They ask to take photos with you and of you versus asking for rupees to have their photo taken.  There is a Catholic Church next to a Hindu Temple next to a Jewish Synagogue.  I had read about how vastly opposite the North and South of India are from each other but I didn’t realize it was so drastic. But this is a very very very positive thing. I feel like I’m back in Hawaii and that makes me as happy as a clam.

Aloha and Mahalo until Munnar!

 

On Friday, February 12 we left Udaipur at 5am to catch a 7am flight down to Kochi, Kerala. The city felt like a ghost town.  No one was awake, it was pitch black outside, all the tiny shops that line the narrow, windy streets were closed and there was not a single car on the road.  Interesting how something so peaceful could be so eerie at the same time.

For the most part, our travels were very smooth.  We had an hour and ten minute flight from Udaipur to Mumbai, an hour and ten minute layover, then an hour and twenty minute flight from Mumbai to Kochi – all on Jet Airways.  Everything looked to be right on schedule which is always nice. Plus, our bags passed as carry-on’s.  Hip hip hooray!  It makes life so much easier when we can just walk on and off the plane without having to anxiously wait as everyone else’s luggage goes around and around and yours seems to have chosen a different destination.

When we landed in Mumbai, we had to hop on a bus that took us for a fifteen minute joy ride around the airport.  However, it felt like an hour because we were cutting it so close to our next flight’s boarding time.  In America, when you fly domestically with a layover, you depart one flight, walk a few hundred feet to the next gate and then board.  However, in India, for some reason that doesn’t make sense to me (not that it has to), we had to basically exit the airport, re-enter and go through security all over again.  And if you’ve ever been to India, you will know that forming lines isn’t really their thing.  You would have thought they were giving away a million rupees a minute for how long and disorganized the formation was.  I panicked.  There was no way we were making it through all of this in the next fifteen minutes.  As my frustration grew deeper and deeper, I grabbed Vinny’s hand and stormed to the front, politely asking if we could skip ahead given our flight was in the process of boarding.  They happily let us go through.  Ugh, what a sign of relief.  That relief lasted about thirty five seconds until I saw the next line for security that was mind blowing.  At airports, train stations, metro hubs, etc. women and men have to go separately.  I totally respect that.  But please answer me this.  Why are there six lines for men but only one for women?  Oh geez, this is going to make my blood pressure skyrocket quicker than even NASA can handle.  I don’t like to rush, I don’t like to stress and I don’t like to be under pressure when it’s out of my control so all of this tension is a recipe for disaster.  The whole time I have felt like the family from Home Alone (but I’m not leaving a child behind like they did – KEVIN!).  The cherry on top, is that Indians have no awareness for personal space.  Our first week here, I found it so inconsiderate.  But now, I realize it’s just their culture and have fully accepted it (not like I really had a choice though).  They are not doing it on purpose nor are they doing it out of ill will.  Nevertheless, when I am full of anxiety and needing to catch a flight, the last thing I want is a bunch of women putting their breasts on my back or breathing heavily on my neck or using their elbows to push me out of the way.  Two can play that game so watch out because this tiny yet mighty bulldog can be just as aggressive.  Although my bark is much worse than my bite, I promise.

As the loud speaker assertively announced “last call for any passengers flying to Kochi on Jet Airways”, I darted to the front of the line yet again, didn’t ask anyone for permission (I saw a few other women do this so I just followed), went through the manual scanning area and grabbed my bag after it past inspection.  But when I was finally ready to sprint to the gate, I noticed Vinny was patiently standing by for his bag still.  It was just sitting on a table for the guards to do a further inspection.  Are you kidding me?  I was honestly waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop out of and yell “you’ve been punked”.  We told them over and over again that our flight was about to take off but it didn’t phase them.  At this point, I was determined to take things into my own hands so I rushed to our gate, told them that Vinny’s bag was being held hostage and asked kindly for their help, which they willingly agreed to.  What was the hold up you ask?  Vinny had a ninja wallet that was TSA approved but not foreign country approved.  What should have taken two minutes to discover took them nearly twenty minutes.  Gotta love their sense of urgency.  In the long run, we made our flight (thankfully) but I could tell Vinny was so sad they took his toy from him.  For those of you that know him well, you know that he doesn’t get overly excited about a lot of things but the ninja wallet sure was special to him.  Oh well, don’t fight a battle you know you can’t win.

Around 11:15am, we arrived in Kochi (otherwise known as Cochin).  As we walked off the plane, the heat and humidity hit you as hard as a defensive tackle in the NFL.  We felt like a turkey roasting in the oven on Thanksgiving day.  Wowzers.  The weather app said it was 90 degrees but “felt like 103 degrees”.

Welcome to the South, ladies and gentlemen!

We sure had a busy morning with FaceTime.  Starting at 7:30am, we talked to Vinny’s entire immediate family including his parents, Vinny Senior and Bernie, his older sister Ashra, her two kids Savannah and Shiloh, his younger sister Toni and her husband Doug. They were all together to celebrate Toni’s birthday so we figured it would be a perfect excuse to crash the party.  Second up, at around 8:30am, was my sister, my mom and our family friends Aimee, Carole, Mae, Chris and Kate.  Last but certainly not least, at around 9:15am, was my friend Lindsey and her husband, Clement.  All three FaceTime dates were our morning but their evening so we watched them eat dinner.   They just plopped us on the table and continued on.  It was pretty funny.

Today was our last full day in Udaipur but it sure was a low key one.  We hung around our AirBnB for most of the morning and early afternoon catching up on life.  I know, how boring is that.  But at least we were doing it together, with a view of Lake Pichola. Since we were quickly approaching the one month mark (which is so crazy!), our main mission was to update our expenses and cross reference our spending with this amazing app we’ve been obsessively using called Trail Wallet.  If you travel, have to keep a budget and are super nerds like us, you need to start using it pronto.  Our family friend, Mark Weinbaum, told us about Trail Wallet before we left in January and we have become kids in a candy store every time we get to log another item.  Everything is tracked from the biggest of accommodations and transportation to the smallest of water and tips.  I could go on for days about how cool this app is but I’ll spare those that have absolutely no interest.  Which is probably the majority of you.  However, as of today, we are trending $13.67 under our per day budget, which is heavenly.  Some days we’ve been way under and some days we’ve been way over but it seems to average itself out. Go us.

After we were done with our private math club (I felt like one of the Denominators in Never Been Kissed with Josie Grossy), we went for a leisurely walk throughout town, over the bridge and to the other side of the lake.  We had lunch at Upre, inside Lake Pichola Hotel, which like most places in Udaipur, are right on the water with fabulous views.

What would be a complete day without watching the sunset?  We felt the same way so we headed to Monsoon Palace which sits on the edge of an enormous mountain with three hundred and sixty degree panoramic views of the entire city.  To give you some perspective, here is the Palace, far away in the distance, from Fateh Sagar Lake yesterday.

It was a windy, somewhat nauseating hill you have to drive up to get to the top.  But when you get there and take a deep breathe, letting the wind slap you in the face, it was all worth it.  You are on top of the world.  One way you look offers cities, lakes and houses.  The other way you look offers mountains, hill tops and dry terrain.  As you can imagine, this isn’t a well kept secret so there were tons of people.  And everyone was from somewhere different.  You could tell the way they dressed, the way they looked, the way they talked and for some, the way they smelled (ewww).  I felt like we were having our very own Olympics with all the various countries being represented in one place, with one goal in mind – to see the sunset (not as competitive, I know).  Even the monkeys wanted join.

And here we are.  It looks like a fake backdrop or a green screen but it’s not, I promise…

For nearly two hours, we sat and watched as this big ball of fire dropped, minute by minute, second by second, until it completely vanished behind the mountain peaks.  The countdown was like the iconic ball drop in Times Square on New Years Eve.  But way more beautiful, a lot warmer and no Ryan Seacrest.

Check out the sky after the sun went down…

I have two random thoughts to share with you if that’s alright.  One is that we tend to see some of the same people over and over again.  While in Udaipur, we saw the same two young German girls on four different occasions on three different days.  When we were in Jodhpur, we saw the same British family on three different occasions on two different days.  We are all tourists wanting to see the same things, I get that, but I still think it’s odd that we decide to go on the same day and at the same time.  However, the weirdest of them all was when we saw the British lady from the rooftop in Jaisalmer (the one with extreme plastic surgery) in Udaipur.  This was two cities and eight days later for us.  I guess the world just isn’t that big after all.

The second is that the James Bond movie, Octopussy, was filmed throughout Udaipur, including the Monsoon Palace and the Taj Lake Palace Hotel (which, just like the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, doesn’t let outside guests in.  In the famous words of Stephanie Tanner, “how rude”).  The city of Udaipur still has a lot of pride that a Hollywood blockbuster film was shot there, even though it was in 1983.  A majority of the hotels show Octopussy on a projection screen every night.

This completes our four nights in Udaipur.  I’m leaving a very relaxed, happy girl.  The picturesque surroundings, breathtaking views, royal past, various historical monuments, white marble palaces, architectural temples, beautiful lakes and colorful gardens are what made me fall in love this enchanting city.

After an incredible past four weeks, our North India chapter has officially come to an end.   From deserts to lakes, cities to villages, planes-trains-and-automobiles, it’s been an unbelievable journey with highs and lows but we’ll ride that rollercoaster any day.  The experiences we’ve encountered, together, will be forever remembered.  Some were eye opening and heartbreaking while others were magical and endearing.  Nevertheless, we will embrace them all and hope to never forget what the locals have unknowingly taught us about life and survival.

Tomorrow morning we are waking up at 4am, getting picked up at 5am and flying to the South at 7am.  I’m eager to see what Kerala, otherwise known as “God’s Own Country”, has in store for us.  Their marketing slogan is “Slow Down” so I think I’ll like it a lot.

See you down there soon!

 

 

This morning I woke up super early thanks to the obnoxious family that lives pretty much on top of our place.  Indian’s don’t know how to whisper so once they are ready to get their day started, everyone else should be ready too.  From what I could see, I think there was a grandma, her son who was probably in his early forties and then his son who was no older than five.  The three of them made more noise than the Rolling Stones on New Years Eve.  Vinny was still peacefully sleeping so I went outside to our little patio to enjoy the morning air.  As you sit at the table, you can’t help but stare right into their place.  The little boy was being very creative and entertaining himself while making sounds with anything he could get his hands on.  Two plastic like containers became the drums to his hammer, then drinking glasses made from metal became his cymbals.  I was pulling my hair out at this point when I looked at him and gestured to be quiet.  I was very sweet and sincere, I promise.  I know he is only a child and has the right to do what he wants but come on, it’s 7am.  When he went back inside for a few minutes, I thought I would finally get some peace and quiet.  But when he returned with a plastic toy gun and pretended to shoot me, I figured it was time to go back into my safe haven room and put my earplugs in.  Final score – little boy: 1, Kim: 0.

Regardless of my morning starting off on the wrong side, I was so excited for 9am because I had a FaceTime date with a couple of my girlfriends, Sarah and Ashley.  I knew they would put a smile back on my face. They sat me on the dinner table as they ate.  It was as if I was there. No matter how much time passes, we always pick up right where we left off.  That’s the beauty of a nineteen year friendship.

Around 10am every morning, Rosie’s cleaning lady, Ajju, comes to the apartment to clean the bathroom and make the bed (not necessary but definitely appreciated).  Let me tell you about Ajju.  She is probably four feet and maybe nine inches (makes me feel like a giant) and is the cutest, littlest, sweetest ball of energy I’ve ever met.  I want to put her in my pocket.  She knows about five words in English (which is far more than I know in Hindi) so communicating is a bit challenging but that doesn’t stop her.  She still talks and talks as if we fully understand each other.  She is just a wonderful human being who loves to hug and kiss.  When we were first introduced, she said “hi, I’m Ajju.  Ajju. Ajju. Ajju”.  So I followed and said, “hi, I’m Kim. Kim. Kim. Kim”.  Doesn’t have the same ring to it but we both still laughed.

Today we were going on a tuk-tuk tour of Udaipur.  We’ve really enjoyed doing this in a few other cities because it’s a great way to see a lot and it’s easy to hop in and out.  Plus, the tuk-tuk drivers are trained to provide a little history and if we want to visit some “non-tourist” attractions they tend to have some suggestions.

First up, we walked around the spice and vegetable markets.  The produce in India is so much smaller than the produce in America.  It seems as though three eggplants here equal the size of one eggplant there.  And the same goes for garlic and onions.  Not sure what that means but I can’t imagine it’s a good thing.

And I love how they display everything.  Spices, coffees and local snacks are usually piled up in massive mountains in the wide open air, fruits and vegetables are either on a cart or on the ground and peppers seem to be in life size straw bags filled to the brim.  Nothing is in a pre-packaged container like we are used to at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods or Ralphs.  Neither one I am saying is better or worse, just different.

And these three friends are just watching it all…

Next up was super random.  We went to the Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal, which is a cultural institution engaged in studying folk art, culture, songs and festivals of Rajasthan.  It was set up in 1952 (and I don’t think it’s been updated since) and has a museum that exhibits collections of folk articles like rural-dresses, ornaments, puppets, masks, dolls, folk musical instruments, folk deities and paintings. There was a fifteen minute puppet show that was hilarious. A little creepy in fact.  But it sure provided us with a few unexpected laughs.  No one clapped afterwards which was awkward but maybe that’s a cultural thing.  Who knows.

After the puppet show, we went to Sahelion Ki Bari, otherwise known as the Princess Gardens (although the English translation is “Garden of Maids”).  This small, splendid, quaint garden, which was built in 1710, was laid out for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. It is filled with beautiful, well-maintained fountains (water shortages permitting), kiosks, marble elephants and a delightful lotus pool.

Following the gardens, we headed to Fateh Sagar Lake, which is the second artificial lake of Udaipur, the first being Jaisamand. Fateh Sagar Lake was built in 1678 and is embellished by three small islands that can all be reached by taking a boat ride.  It was extremely quiet so Vinny and I took a nice stroll up and down along the water to soak in the tranquility that this pear-shaped lake had to offer.

Last and definitely least on our tuk-tuk tour was a boat ride to Nehru Park, which is in the middle of Fateh Sagar Lake.  It is a garden that comprises of a boat-shaped restaurant and a small zoo for children. However, it seemed to be during their off season since everything was under renovation.  The fountains weren’t filled with water, a lot of the gardens were being worked on and the sculptures all had construction tape around them.  There were still a few pretty areas but that’s about it.  Our tuk-tuk driver had to pick up some kids from school so I think he needed somewhere to drop us off for an hour.  Although the park wasn’t ideal, he could have definitely picked a much worse location.  At least we got a nice boat ride in and some tourists who wanted Vinny to take their photo as well as a photo with him.

It was about 4:30pm when we arrived back at our AirBnB.  We had two things we wanted to accomplish in the next hour. One, get cappuccino’s from our favorite new spot, Jaiwana Bistro Lounge and two, buy tickets to take a sunset boat ride along Lake Pichola.  I know, we are such overachievers sometimes.  When we got to the little rundown kiosk to pre-pay for the boat ride around 4:45pm, they said we would have to board around 5pm if we wanted a good seat.  But wait, this means we don’t have time for cappuccinos.  Oh no, what do we do?  Do we forego the coffee or do we forego the one experience that everyone says we have to do while in Udaipur?  I wish someone could have somehow captured this moment.  We were so flustered that we might not be able to do both.  Seriously Kim and Vinny?  After about three minutes we realized how foolish we were being.  Of course we can do both.  If that’s our biggest issue on this trip, hallelujah. It’s funny how when you have very little worries the smallest things become unbearable.  Pathetic, we know.

Good thing we didn’t have to choose in the long run because the sunset ride sure was magnificent.   The weather was perfect.  This doesn’t need much of an explanation as our photos say it all.

However, we did meet a fascinating couple.  She’s from New Zealand, he’s from Iceland, her parents live in Australia, they’ve been to all fifty US states and are now traveling throughout Rajasthan for fifteen days.  One city per day.  To make this even more intense, they are with their eight month year old son.  And they are driving themselves.  Excuse my French but hell no.  You couldn’t pay me enough money to get behind a wheel in this country.  Good for them.  They are much cooler than we are.  Very motivating too that they don’t let their child weigh them down.  He goes wherever they go.  I love random encounters like this.  Plus, they speak five languages between the two of them.  Which reminds me of a joke someone I used to work with told me.  What do you call a person who speaks three language?  Trilingual.  What do you call a person who speaks two language?  Bilingual.  What do you call a person who speaks one language?  American.  HA!

That night, we went to a wonderful restaurant for dinner called Charcoal.  It had stunning views of the lake, tasty food and most importantly, delicious dessert.  Thanks to my friend Ashley’s recommendation, I tried Gulab Jamun, which is a soft, spongy, drenched in syrup, melt in your mouth, traditional homemade Indian sweet.  We complimented this with vanilla ice cream and Charcoal’s very own caramel sauce.  Bullseye.  Hit the spot.

I sure will be having sweet dreams tonight knowing my sweet tooth has been satisfied 🙂

On Tuesday, February 8 around 3pm, we arrived in Udaipur, the last city on our northern India tour.  We were joyfully greeted by Rosie, whose AirBnB we were staying at and Aditya, who helped us with ninety percent of our transportation needs throughout this seven week journey.  It was so nice to finally meet him as we’ve exchanged multiple emails over the past two months (multiple is an understatement actually). He was heaven sent.  Although we paid a bit of a premium, he made everything flow seamlessly.  Can’t thank him enough.

Rosie is originally from London but moved to Udaipur fifteen years ago when she first visited and never left.  She has since bought an adorable three story complex in a prime location.  The first floor is her studio where she lives part time and rents out part time, the second floor is the apartment we were renting for the next four nights and the third floor was a chic patio that overlooked Lake Pichola.  Only we had access to this which was nice.  The layout was a bit different than pictures lead us to believe but it was still perfect.  She sure was a spunky funky monkey and her interior design resembled that spunky funkiness.  It was great.  Very homey.

This squirrel was looking for you, he thought you were nuts…

After we settled in and enjoyed the views for awhile, we wandered over to a little cafe a few minutes away called Jaiwana Bistro Lounge.  We got two cappuccino’s which were actually pretty decent compared to the rest of the coffee we’ve had in India thus far.

Now that we were as energized as the Energizer Bunny (and could keep going and going and going), we roamed the tiny streets of Udaipur.  Udaipur has been referred as many different names such as the “City of Lakes”, “Venice of the East”, “White City” and “Most Romantic City of India”.  Those are some high expectations I sure hope it lives up to.

It was about 5:30pm by this point so the sun was close to setting (I know, all we do is watch the sun set.  We live such hard lives these days).  After a few right turns, a few left turns,  a few uphills and a few downhills, we randomly stumbled upon a perfect look out area where we sat on the edge of the water.  There was a combination of locals and tourists but the one thing we all had in common was the appreciation for what’s in front of us.  The picturesque lake was glistening thanks to the brightly shining sun.

As it slowly became dark, we made our way to Rainbow Restaurant where Rosie eats every night.  They have a table reserved for her at what she calls beer o’clock.  There’s four o’clock, five o’clock and then beer o’clock.  You go girl.  Rainbow had impeccable views (food was eh).  All the hotels light up, which provides a mirror like reflection on the water.  It was pretty romantic if I might say.

The next morning, we had a FaceTime date with Vinny’s parents.  It was so nice to catch up with them on our patio overlooking the lake.  It was as if they were there with us.  Technology never ceases to amaze me.  Vinny is such a family man and I know how much he misses everyone back home so being able to see them somewhat live and in person made him overwhelming happy.

Later in the day, we took a walk to the City Palace, which boasts a wonderful blend of Medieval, European and Chinese Architecture.  City Palace is a marvelous assortment of courtyards, pavilions, terraces, corridors, rooms and hanging gardens. Encircled by fortifications, this imposing Palace is wholly built in granite and marble.  It comprises eleven wonderful palaces, which were constructed by different rulers, yet they still resemble one another. With the sheer glimpse of unique paintings, antique furniture, exquisite glass mirror and ornamental tiles, there is something incredible every direction you look.   Here is the exterior…

And some beautiful stained glass…

And fabulous views…

And the assumption they must have been fairly short back then…

This display made me laugh because it is showcasing a variety of awards and tributes, including a TripAdvisor certificate…

We realized it was 3pm and hadn’t had lunch yet (such first world problems) so we grabbed a quick bite from O-Zen Cafe which was just average.  However, our waiter was ridiculously funny.  Very peppy and so excited to have us as his customers.  When he asked where we were from, we said USA.  He asked what state so we said California.  Then he asked what city and when we answered with Los Angeles, he yelled “from Hollywood to Bollywood”.  I laughed for a good two minutes.  He sounded like he was in a Broadway show with so much emotion in face, depth to his voice and expression in his hand gestures.  It was amazing.  He was actually the first person we’ve met that was genuinely excited we were from LA.  No one else seemed to care which is refreshing.  Pop culture, celebrities and the latest diet fads are of no interest over here.

That night, we took Shashi’s Cooking Class. What a neat, authentic experience this was.  There were five of us in total which gave it a more intimate feeling.  Me and Vinny, a somewhat older couple and a solo male traveler (named Kim as well), who all happened to be Australian.

Shashi began the evening by telling us a little bit about herself.  At around 45 years old (give or take a few) she’s had a hell of a life already.  Born in rural Rajasthan, Shashi grew up like most girls in her area, training for marriage. Under her mother’s watchful eye, she started cooking at thirteen so she was well-prepared when, in her early twenties, she married a man she had never spoken to, a man whose photo she hadn’t even seen. It was an arranged marriage like most Hindu unions.  Years later, her husband suddenly died when she was only thirty one years old.  That’s my age.  Wow.  Shashi was left with two small sons and the status of widow. As a Brahmin (the highest ranking of the four social classes) she is not allowed to remarry.  Ever.  For a year, she was forbidden from leaving her home at all, a rule that can’t make it any easier to support two children. She struggled to make ends meet and eventually started doing laundry, making one rupee per piece.  Since this was completely against her religion and a disrespect to her caste, she had to work in secret.  Manual labor was forbidden.

However, Shashi is the perfect example of a strong woman who could not be held down. About six years ago, she was coaxed into starting a cooking class for tourists by a guest who appreciated her value as a chef. She didn’t speak a word of English and during her first session with an Australian couple, her hands shook so badly that she broke enough dishes to consume the day’s earnings.  Plus, she spilled tea all over herself.  One day, after class, one of her students told her he was from Lonely Planet and he was going to cover her in his guidebook. She had no idea what Lonely Planet was until she started getting phone call after phone call and her business sparked like a firework on the fourth of July.  One thing lead to the next, and now years later, she is number one on TripAdvisor with over two hundred and fifty reviews.  Crazy how quickly a good thing spreads thanks to the worldwide web and word of mouth.  And how inspiring is she that with absolutely nothing, she created something wonderful.

Today, Shashi’s English is fantastic, her hand is steady, her wit is razor-sharp and her cooking class was easily one of the highlights of our trip so far.  What was supposed to be four hours turned into five and hours and cost only 800 rupees each (about $11.76).  I honestly think she can charge double, if not triple, and it would still be worth it.

We started the evening with learning how to make real, homemade masala chai tea.  Then we made three different kinds of Pakora – onion, potato and mixed veggies.  To compliment the Pakora’s, we whipped up a coriander chutney and a mango chutney.  Did you know that coriander is cilantro?  I sure didn’t but then again I’m not in the kitchen all that often (okay ever).  Apparently most countries refer to it as coriander except for America.  Go figure.

First chop the vegetables into the batter and mix…

Then the frying…

Then the eating…

Next up was what Shashi referred to as her “magic sauce” which is basically an aubergine (aka eggplant) and tomato masala.  This one “magic sauce” can be used on multiple dishes including but not limited to aloo ghobi (potatoes and cauliflower), aloo mater (potatoes and peas), aloo tamater (potatoes and tomatoes), sabgi/shag (mixed vegetable) and chicken curry (no English explanation needed).  We chose the aloo ghobi for tonight, which made me happy because it’s one of my favorite dishes.  While the sauce was brewing, we made paneer butter masala, fresh chapati, fresh naan and fresh Indian cheese (oil, salt, black peppercorns and greek yogurt).  Talk about food overload.  They were going to have to roll me out of there.

Halfway through our lesson, the power went out in the entire neighborhood.  Uh oh.  This can’t be good.  Shashi and her son weren’t phased at all though.  They got a lantern, lit it and continued on with their demonstrations.  Really?  How are we going to cook the food?  Don’t you have a local LADWP you can call?  About fifteen minutes later, the power went back on.  I guess this happens frequently, which isn’t surprising.

Shashi is a machine in the kitchen although the only machine she employs is a blender.  Everything else is done by hand and by eye.  No measuring cups either.  A pinch of this, a fist full of that.  “Make more flat”, “add flour”, “now flip” were common phrases for the naan and chapati.  “You stir”, “you mix” and “you chop” were common demands for the sauces and vegetables dishes.

Here is Vinny kneading the chapati dough…

Next you roll out the dough to be perfectly flat and round…

Then you put the dough on a frying pan and lightly spin it until it starts to bubble…

And lastly, once it looks like a fluffy pillow, you take it off to cool down…

Around 9:30pm, it was time eat.  I’ve never worked so hard for my food.  So much preparation and focus goes into every little detail.  But it sure was worth it.  My belly was smiling from rib to rib in pure happiness.  This was a semi-pizza naan that might look like a mess but tasted like a million dollars.

It wasn’t the tang of the onion that made my eyes water but the simplicity of Shashi and her acceptance of the trials and tribulations that life has dealt her. On the wall hung a poster that was titled “What Is Life”.  If I can live the majority of my days to these standards, I will be satisfied and fulfilled.

She left us that evening by saying “My family has been a disappointment to me, my brother-in-law has a small heart, my friends are jealous and I have felt very much alone, but now through my cooking classes I have a brand new family, as big as the whole world.” As she finished, she tied each of us with a red thread signifying our forever relationship.

Thanks, Shashi, for providing us with such a memorable evening on so many levels.  Your humor, life lessons and ability to make ridiculously mouth watering food was beyond appreciated.

One of the positives of being upgraded to this beautiful room is that we didn’t want to leave it. But that’s also a negative because we were in a foreign city and should be out exploring.

After lounging around the hotel until about 2:30pm, we finally got our lazy butts in gear.  We had planned to have a romantic date night so today was the first time in three weeks that I put a little makeup on while Vinny did his hair.  As good as it feels to be all natural, it feels equally as good to put yourself together and feel like a woman again.  Pretty woman, walking down the street, pretty woman, the kind I like to meet.  That’s what I felt like although I am not necessarily saying that’s what I looked like.  But Vinny sure was handsome.  Such a fine Italian stallion.  The hotel staff even noticed our slight transformation and said “wow, looking fresh”.  HA!  I guess we looked like road kill all the other days.

A few weeks ago, Vinny’s brother-in-law, Ron, texted us about Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur because it was recently voted the number one hotel in the world according to TripAdvisor.  Yes, the world.  Not just India, not just Asia but the entire world.  It literally doesn’t get much better than that.  As phase one of our date night, we wanted to grab drinks and snacks there to see what exactly makes something the best above all the rest.  There is a museum part and then the hotel part.  After we checked out the museum and learned a little about the history, we made our way over to the hotel.  There were guards in front of the very lavish gates who asked us what we were doing.  So noisy of them.  When we mentioned we wanted to spend money in their restaurant (and not in those exact words), they called the manager whom then told me on the phone they are not allowing outside guests to enter.  Say what?  I am American, I want to give you money and you won’t let me?  Ouch, that stings.  We were straight up rejected. Without even a strike one or strike two, we managed to strike out looking.  Little did they know we got all dressed up for them and it still wasn’t good enough.  We were pretty bitter for about ten minutes until we realized it was probably for the best.  If they did let us in, they would have expected us to spend a fortune, which we don’t have.  Always looking for the silver lining.  At least we snuck a photo in.

Phase two of our date night was to watch the sunset and eat dinner at Indique restaurant, which we heard had spectacular views of the Mehrangarh Fort.  Ratan Vilas made us a reservation on the rooftop for 6:30pm.  However, thanks to Umaid Bhawan Palace for hanging us out to dry, we had nothing to do for an hour and a half so we slowly made our way over there earlier than expected.  It actually worked out for the better as we were able to sit, enjoy our surroundings, in no rush, with nowhere to be but right here.  As the sun began to set, the fort lit up.  What a perfect little Indian style date night we had.

One thing I’ve noticed since we’ve been in the state of Rajasthan is how strong their mustache game is.  I mean, three thumbs up to these guys.  But first, I mustache you all a question (ha, not really, just wanted to add that in there).  Namastache. Okay, I’m done, I promise.

Another thing we’ve noticed throughout of all India are people sleeping everywhere.  I know I’ve mentioned this in a few previous posts, so my apologies, but it doesn’t get old.  They can be sleeping on the job, on the ground, on a bench, in a chair and we’ve even seen someone sleeping on their moped in the middle of traffic – it doesn’t matter.  They just like to sleep.

The last thing I’ve noticed, specifically in Jodhpur and more specifically at Ratan Vilas is the attention to detail they give Vinny.  Everything is “how are you sir”, “was the food spicy enough for you sir”, “is there anything I can get you sir”.  I am nearly invisible.  They won’t clear my plates until he is done (and I always finish before him).  Very intriguing.

That wraps up our three nights in Jodhpur.  If it wasn’t for Ratan Vilas or the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodphur would be just another city on my list.  It was great to see what we saw but I felt no emotional attachment the way I felt in some of the other places.  But that’s okay, my heart is only so big and I’m not ready to fill it quite yet.

Around 7:45am on February 8, our driver picked us up and we were headed for Udaipur.  This was going to be our fifth and final city in the state of Rajasthan and our eight and final city in the north of India.  The drive was similar to the one from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur with tiny villages and animals controlling the roads yet again.  We probably saw well over one hundred cows in five hours.  No exaggeration either.  But this time we had dogs, pigs, birds, and monkeys in addition to the standard goats, donkeys, sheep and camels.

About 3.5 hours into our drive, we stopped at Ranakpur Jain Temple. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go inside because it was 11am and non-Jains were only allowed between 12pm-5pm. That’s okay though.  We’ve seen a lot of temples in the last few weeks.

One interesting thing about this temple were the “mandatory rules”.  Some of them were standard such as photography is prohibited, no food or drinks and leave your shoes outside.  But some of the rules were quite unique such as “to maintain sacredness of Temple entry of ladies during menstruation period is prohibited”.  Obviously not the best English but you get the point.  Women, during that time of the month, aren’t allowed inside.  Fascinating.  I’ve never heard of that but then again I don’t frequent Temples all that often either.

After the temple, the drive was beautiful.  For a lack of a better comparison, the road was like a mini Las Virgenes with wild monkeys, gigantic mountains and wonderful terrain.  Definitely didn’t resemble the rest of India.  There were hills, trees and an abundance of greenery.  We stopped at a restaurant that had great views but average food.  We found a red thread and multiple hairs in a dish that obviously didn’t call for that as the ingredients.  Yummy.

It was about 2:45pm when we arrived in Udaipur, which is considered the Venice of the East.  Until then, Arrivederci…

On Friday, February 5, our driver picked us up at Hotel Pleasant Haveli around 10am. As we were leaving, Bhawani (aka Al Pacino) was coming back from his latest overnight camel safari and stopped us. Ironically, our driver was his uncle.  What a small town.  The best part was when Al Pacino went in for a bro-hug, Vinny patted him on the back only to have loads of dirt fly off of his shirt.  He was wearing the same collared flannel he wore with us, which I’m assuming he wore the day before that and the day before that and the day before that.  I guess that’s what desert life is all about.

We had roughly a five hour drive ahead of us before arriving in our next city, Jodhpur.  One thing we have noticed with almost all of our drivers is that they pick you up first and then stop to get gas second.  In America, although “a driver” has a whole different meaning, they usually get the gas first then pick you up second.  I’m not sure if they want to comfort you knowing that their tank is full or if they just prefer to do it while on the clock but either way, it happened to us in Delhi, Varanasi, Agra and now Jaisalmer.  We don’t mind at all since all of our rides were prepaid but figured I would share yet another random observation with you.  Thanks for listening.  You’ve been a superb audience so far.

The first few hours of our drive were as smooth as a baby’s bottom.  Newly paved highways, no traffic and very few animal sightings.  Some might think it’s odd, but none of us said a word pretty much the entire time.  It was nice to just be.  No sightseeing, no talking, no listening, no photo taking, no people watching.  As amazingly wonderful as it is to constantly be on the go and always have something phenomenal to experience, it’s equally as incredible to have some down time and alone time.  This drive provided both of us with exactly that.  Although we weren’t physically on our own, mentally we were.   It felt good to hit the restart button.  Plus, our driver was playing soothing local music that really put me in a calm state of mind. I fell asleep a few times until I caught myself drooling.  Must have been a good dream.

About three hours in, we came across some railroad tracks that we had to stop at for the train passing by.  The coolest part about this was that the crossing arms were dropped manually vs. automatically like we are used to.  There was a man on the side of the road that literally winds them down to stop traffic and then winds them back up to allow traffic through. So old school yet so fascinating.

The last hour of our drive was quite entertaining and the complete opposite of our first four hours.  We went from having nothing and no one around us to being inundated with all sorts of mind stimulating surroundings.  We passed through some of the littlest villages where women were seamlessly gardening on the side of the road, graciously balancing bags filled with soil on their heads and vigorously pumping water from water wells.  There were animals galore for miles and miles and miles including cows, goats, sheep, donkey and camels.  It felt like we were living in an Old MacDonald Had a Farm video game (not that it really exists but use your imagination).  Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O and on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O.  With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo.  We were constantly swerving around the animals, stopping for them to cross and honking to warn them to move out of the way.  In the States, our traffic is caused from construction at the least opportune time, careless accidents, a few drizzles of rain or everyone attempting to get to the next place as quickly as possible.  Here, traffic is caused by animals.  So cool.

Around 3pm, we arrived at Ratan Vilas, our home for the next three nights.  Built in 1921 by Maharaj Ratan Singhji of Raoti, a royal from Jodhpur and one of the finest horsemen and polo players of his time, it was originally his mansion but has now been converted into a hotel by his grandson and great-grandson, who still live there.  It was beautiful.  You are greeted by colorful flowers, lush trees, flowing water fountains and a warm, welcoming staff.

This hotel was considered a semi-splurge for us being 5000 rupees or $74 a night.  Not a Khem Villas splurge but still more than we have been spending on average.  Ratan Vilas was number two on TripAdvisor out of ninety so we figured the price was worthy of it.  But what we’ve realized is, the higher the rate, the higher our expectations.  When we spend $35 a night, we have very low expectations so we are usually impressed.  But when we spend over $70 a night, specifically in India, we have very high expectations which could possibly let us down.  When we checked into our room, we were content.  The room itself was nice but the bathroom kind of sucked.  There was no door or curtain to the shower so it seemed all the water would just spray everywhere.  Oh well, at least we have a shower.  Sometimes we have to remind ourselves to be satisfied with what we have and not dwell on being unsatisfied with what we don’t have.  As my mom frequently told me growing up, there will always be someone better off than you and someone worse off than you so appreciate what you have. This was one of those moments.

After we settled in, we grabbed a super late lunch from the hotel’s restaurant.  They have an adorable little outdoor seating area that makes you not want to ever leave.  And we didn’t really leave.  We sat there for awhile, especially because WiFi only worked in a few places and our rooms weren’t one of them.  Once we inhaled our food like it was our job, we walked around the hotel grounds.  There was a bright blue pool and quaint little courtyards.

That night, management told us that there was a plumbing issue with the room below ours. They weren’t sure if it was stemming from our room so they asked if we would be willing to switch in the morning.  We didn’t mind at all, especially knowing they were going to upgrade us.  A few hours later, we proved that there was an issue after all.  When we showered, the entire bathroom flooded.  All the water from the shower drain went through the clogged pipes, eventually being released through the other drain near the toilet.  Everything was soaked.  Not fun.

The next morning they moved us right away and were beyond apologetic.  We were extremely impressed with their service and attentiveness.  The new room was recently completed in October of 2015 and it was gorgeous.  Twice the size as our first room and the bathroom was thirteen times better.  Very modern with a stunning glass and marble shower.  Plus, there was a lovely little seating area right outside that overlooked the pool.  We scored big time.  I truly believe everything works out for a reason.  Whatever the reason is for this, I won’t question it.  I will just enjoy it.  Every minute of it for the next two nights.

It was about 11:30am and we were ready to go explore.  Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan, is known as the Blue City because of all the bright blue houses beautifully juxtaposed by the dry browns of the desert around the Mehrangarh Fort.  We’ve now visited Jaipur the Pink City, Jaisalmer the Golden City, Jodhpur the Blue City and next up is Udaipur the White City.  Following along?  There will be a color test at the end.

First on our list was Jaswant Thada.  Constructed in 1899, this milky-white marble memorial was built in honor of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II (the thirty third ruler of Jodhpur) by his son and sits above a small lake with an array of whimsical domes.  It’s a quiet, peaceful spot with magnificent views of the fort and the city proper.

Second on our list was the crown jewel to Jodhpur, the Mehrangarh Fort, founded in 1459.  Here is a view from Jaswant Thada.

Considered the best preserved fort in India, it is located on a rocky hill that rises hundreds of feet above the surrounding plain.  Seven gates have to be crossed to reach the main entrance and some of them still bear the marks of the various battles fought in the bygone era.  It’s second gate still stands witness to canon ball hits by attacking armies of Jaipur during wars.  This was definitely the most impressive fort we’ve seen so far.  There were palaces, temples, courtyards and million dollar views.  One the newest additions is ziplining.  Yes, you read that correctly.  People can now zipline their way through the fort from tower to tower.  Seemed liked a unique experience but we decided against it. Furthermore, the movie Dark Knight Rises filmed a few scenes inside the fort.  Everything always relates back to Hollywood I guess.

My Grandma was a travel agent so when I was growing up, she would visit country after country after country.  Each time, she would always bring me and my sister back a doll that represented the culture of that country.  I had well over thirty of them at one point.  Seeing this woman inside the fort making handmade dolls made me think of my Grandma and how much I truly miss her everyday.  It really sucks not being able to pick up the phone and call her because no one would appreciate this journey I am on as much as her.  When I was fifteen she took me to Bangkok, Thailand and that’s what sparked my travel bug.  From there on out, I was determined to see the world.  Thanks for opening my eyes, Grams.  I love you always and forever.

As we were in the fort, we saw three young school kids, all in matching uniforms.   The two girls were both in pigtails yet all three of them had red socks, red sweaters and white bottoms.  They were so adorable. It seemed as though the state of Rajasthan had a lot more children in school vs. out of school.  Makes your heart smile to know that they are being educating on some level or another.

After we were forted out, we took a tuk tuk down to the Sardar Market, which lies directly in the city center.  Narrow alleys suddenly dart into exotic bazaars selling anything from textiles, antiques and silverware to handicrafts, vegetables, spices and clothes. In the middle of the market is the Clock Tower, which is a century old landmark surrounded by the vibrant sounds, sights and smells of the various merchants.

Don’t you just love this old school weight?

Or this young boy selling fruits and vegetables without shoes and fairly dirty feet?

Or this pasta filled with flies?

Or this woman’s nose ring (literally a ring)?

We had read about the Mishrilal Hotel which is supposedly known for its “world famous” lassis.  And of course, Vinny was eager to taste for himself.  So he got two.  One wasn’t enough.  I think he wanted to make sure they were consistent.  Good thing he took one for the team.

We ended our six hours of sightseeing with a visit to Janta Sweet Home.  When I first heard about this place, I envisioned it being a bakery.  For those of you from the San Fernando Valley, I was secretly hoping it was Bea’s Bakery’s Indian cousin with Indian style cookies, doughnuts, pastries, etc.  The one thing I miss most about home are the sweets (obviously second to my family and friends but we are talking edibles here – although I’m sure my loved ones taste like a warm chocolate soufflé cafe with vanilla bean ice cream on top).  Anyways, back to my story.  Janta Sweet Home wasn’t like Bea’s Bakery in any way.  I was mildly disappointment but got over it real quick.  We ordered a Jodhpuri Mirchi Vada, which is a breaded and fried green pepper stuffed with potatoes and a Pyaaz ki Kachori, which is a crisp pastry with a spicy onion stuffing.  Both were tasty.

For the rest of the evening, we laid low at Ratan Vilas – ate dinner outside by the campfire, met some wonderful people from around the world and enjoyed the peace and quiet our hotel offers after a long, tiresome day out in the city.

Until tomorrow, I hope your dreams are so dreamy they make you drool like I did…

 

On Tuesday, February 2, we were picked up at the Jaisalmer train station by Hotel Pleasant Haveli, after a successful overnight journey.  I can’t even begin to tell you how comforting it is to have someone waiting for you on the other end.  It eliminates the stress of finding a Tuk Tuk driver, negotiating the price, worrying about getting lost and struggling with the language barrier.  I know when push comes to shove we would always manage but little acts of kindness like this are beyond appreciated.

Pleasant Haveli has a funny personal story behind it.  When you book lodging in the US, throughout Europe or even Mexico, you usually go through Hotels.com or Booking.com or the hotel’s actual website reservation link and in some fashion or another receive a confirmation that says “hey, you are good to go”.  In India, it is very common to book directly with the hotel via email, not receive formal documentation with a reference number or have your credit card charged beforehand.  So being the obsessive compulsive human being that I am, I followed up a few times leading up to our stay.  I just wanted to make sure we would have a place to lay our heads at night.  Yes, I am borderline crazy.  It was either the second or third time I popped in with the manager, Krishna, when he replied with the following: “Thank you Ms. Kimberly for checking in yet again.  You can rest assure that your reservation is 210% confirmed.  We look forward to seeing you in February”.  Okay, I feel better.  We are not just 100% confirmed but we are 210% confirmed.  When I finally met Krishna in person that day, we both started laughing.  I apologized for being so neurotic but I think he kind of enjoyed it in a weird way.

Pleasant Haveli was such an adorable little boutique hotel with an elaborate carved exterior.  Our room, which was 2950 rupees or $43 a night, was very chic with a lot more warmth and personality than your standard lodging.  This was our seventh city and so far, we’ve truly enjoyed all of our accommodations.  Some have been better than others, of course, but then again some we’ve paid a lot more for than others.

After we dropped our bags off, we headed up to the rooftop restaurant since it was around 1pm and we hadn’t had breakfast or lunch.  Oh my god, this rooftop was delightful.  So colorful and cheery with phenomenal views of the quaint city and ginormous fort.  It had only been an hour but I was already in love with Jaisalmer.  The small town vibe was endearing.

Jaisalmer is known as the Golden City because almost all of the buildings are made out of yellow sandstone.  It’s quite magical in fact.  The city still retains a medieval charm, which is evident in its narrow streets, splendid forts and palaces, opulent havelis and bazaars.

Now that we refueled our bodies with coffee and food, we were eager to explore.  No agenda, no to do list, just wander around and get lost.  There were endless alleys that always led to something.

Women selling vegetables on the ground…

Men playing an intense game of cards…

Puppies play wrestling…

Eventually we found our way to the Jaisalmer Fort.  The fort here is located on the Meru Hill and has faced many battles in the past.  It’s giant sandstone walls are a yellowish-brown color but as the sun sets, it turns into a majestic honey-gold.  Absolutely stunning.  We have seen three Forts already including the Red Fort in Delhi, the Agra Fort in Agra and the Amber Fort in Jaipur.  This was our fourth.  The main difference with the Jaisalmer Fort is that it is still inhabited, supposedly housing about a quarter of the city’s population.  People live there, tourists stay there, shop owners work there, cows party there.  All of the other forts were just sites to see while this one still holds an actual purpose.

As we roamed the twisting lanes of the fort, we decided to grab some Masala Chai Tea from a random rooftop hotel.  The views were impeccable.  Everywhere you looked, it was golden.  Yellow is my favorite color because it reminds me of happiness so you could imagine how happy I was at this moment.  I could have sung Pharrell’s “Because I’m Happy” song over and over and over again but didn’t want the entire town to evacuate all at once. We sat on this rooftop for over an hour, taking in the views, enjoying the perfect weather and genuinely loving life as cliche as that sounds.  We were the only two people up there for awhile until a woman from London joined us.  She was probably in her mid to late forties (although the plastic surgery might have been deceiving) and she was on her twelfth solo trip to India in the past ten years.  Talk about being brave.

The sun was about to set so we decided to slowly make our way back to our hotel when we ended up stumbling upon another area of the fort that provided remarkable panoramic views.  It was perfect timing because as the sun shined on the yellow sandstone buildings, the entire city looked like an endless glistening pot of gold (which means we were the rainbow I guess).

That night we decided to try the #1 restaurant on TripAdvisor in Jaisalmer.  Usually the ratings stand accurate but unfortunately tonight, they were so wrong.  We went to a place called Gagi.  The description of Indian, Korean, Chinese should have been a warning sign but we looked past that and it was a huge failure. This was the first bad meal we’ve had in our twenty days in India.  Oh well, moving on.

The next morning we headed back upstairs to our hotel’s rooftop restaurant for breakfast since its included in the room fee.  We eat often and we eat a lot if that’s what you’re thinking.  But don’t judge.  We enjoyed a very delicious Western meal with eggs, fruit, toast, coffee and best of all, mango juice.  For some reason, my entire thirty one years of existence, I didn’t think I liked mango juice until I tried some of Vinny’s and I was so wrong.  It’s deliciously refreshing.  This whole branching out and trying new things is really working out for me lately.

After breakfast, I was able to talk to my dad via FaceTime.  With the thirteen and a half hour time difference and inconstant WiFi strength, it gets difficult to plan these dates but luckily I caught him right before he was going to bed.  And boy did that feel good to see his face, hear his voice and catch up.

Around 2pm, we were picked up by Bhawani, our camel safari guru, in his four wheel drive Jeep.  He later told us his nickname was Al Pacino, although we are still not quite sure the correlation. Nevertheless, it is much easier to pronounce so we’ll take it.  Bhawani is a twenty seven year old guy who is born and raised in Jaisalmer.  From the moment we met him, we knew he was going to be awesome.

Before we headed out to the Thar Desert, we stopped at an abandoned ghost village called Kuldhara, which is about seventeen kilometers west of Jaisalmer. Three centuries ago it was a prosperous town, but today it is shrouded in mystery. The village was established in 1291 by the Paliwal Brahmins, and was a rather prosperous community thanks to their ability to grow bumper crops in the arid desert. But one night, in 1825, all the people in Kuldhara and the nearby 83 villages vanished in the dark of the night. Legend says that Salim Singh, the evil prime minister, set his eyes upon the daughter of the village head and declared he would marry her, with or without her consent. He threatened the villagers with dire consequences if they did not comply with his wishes. Rather than give in to his demands, the council of the villagers decided to leave their ancestral homes overnight. But before leaving, they cursed Kuldhara so that no one would ever be able to settle there. True to the curse, the village remains abandoned. Nobody has been able to spend even a night there. Today, the village is a protected monument under the authority of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).  Talk about a bond thicker than blood.

After Kuldhara, we stopped at a nearby lake and took a nice leisurely walk around it.

Then we had a traffic jam of goats…

Next up, we made our way to the main attraction, our camels.  Meet Simon and Ferrari.

I don’t know if you’ve ever stared at a camel long enough or studied their movements, but for some odd reason, they reminded me of a giraffe, dinosaur, horse mixture.  Random I know.  After we hopped on, strapped in and became adjusted, we were off.  Vinny was on Simon and I was on Ferrari.  Ferrari was much taller than Simon but Simon was much cooler.  He was lighter in color and had a fantastic afro as if he was straight out of the 70’s. So groovy of him. He seemed to smile more often as well.

Lilu, who was our twenty two year old “camel driver”, steered us in the right direction the entire time.  No words or photos can accurately describe how truly incredible this adventure was.  Although an overnight camel safari is a very touristy activity in Jaisalmer, the way Hotel Pleasant Haveli conducted it was the complete opposite.  From the moment we said hello to the camels to the moment we said goodbye, it was just me, Vinny, Lilu, Al Pacino, Simon and Ferrari for miles and miles and miles. We weren’t in a massive group and we weren’t on an overcrowded trail.  We were so isolated from the rest of reality with nothing but sand dunes and vegetation ahead of us.  It was beyond calming to the soul to not hear horns honking, pigeons mating, dogs barking, people yelling, cows mooing, children crying, wedding fireworks exploding, etc.  The only noise that surrounded us was the camel’s toes grazing the sand one step at a time.  It was that quiet.  The phrase “one with nature” was created for this very moment.  For about an hour, we rode our camels in the middle of nowhere directly into the sunset.  Literally.  Imagine a wide open desert, with the sun beaming in front of you and your only mission is to catch the rays before they disappear.  That is what we did.  No screenwriter could write a better script than what we were improvising on.  It was magical, majestic and every other unbelievably magnificent word you can think of.

Around 6pm, we made it to what they call Camel Point, which is where we said “see you later” to Simon and Ferrari and headed down to our home for the next fifteen hours.  The walk was quite challenging because it was all sand, downhill and we were in our running shoes but let’s be real, I will take this commute any day over the 10 freeway at rush hour.

Al Pacino and Lilu did a phenomenal job at setting up a makeshift area for where they would cook us dinner.  There were no Viking appliances, no stove top or oven – just two piles of sand, a handful of pots and pans, a man made fire, and all the ingredients they needed to whip up a delicious five course meal.  So freakin cool.  The sanitary aspect wasn’t necessarily the cleanest but when you are in the middle of the Thar Dessert, one can’t have their naan and eat it too.

First, they made us some Masala Chai tea to enjoy while we watched the sun drop behind the mountain peaks and they began prepping for dinner.

Next they chopped up all the veggies, poured in the spices and starting cooking.

Last but not least, Lilu made fresh chapati from dough in the desert in the dark as if it was no big deal.  Thanks to my camera flash we were able to capture this moment.

Then around 8pm, it was time to shove our faces.  We had mixed veggies with potatoes, Dal (which is a common lentil dish), spicy chutney, rice and hot off the fire chapati.  It was pitch black at this point so it was fairly difficult to eat but when it comes to food vs. (wo)man, (wo)man always finds a way to win.

I’ve been camping a handful of times before but in the past, I’ve always had a tent or a tarp or a tepee to walk into.  Tonight, however, we wouldn’t have anything but a few blankets and a million twinkling stars.  It was a bit chilly at night but with the warmth of the campfire and the perfect little bed they made for us, we had not a care in the world.  Hakuna Matata, it means no worries for the rest of your days, it’s our problem-free philosophy, Hakuna Matata.  And although we couldn’t really brush our teeth after dinner or take a hot shower, it sure was one of the most romantic things we’ve done together.  As we got into “bed” around 10pm, we laid there, staring at the stars, listening to the wind, pinching ourselves that we were awake and not dreaming.

The next morning we woke up around 6am, watched the sunrise over the sand dunes, had more Masala Chai Tea and ate some breakfast.  It’s impressive how much Al Pacino and Lilu can cook with such a simple fire and a few utensils.  Less is more sometimes.  At night, they let Simon and Ferrari roam the desert and then in the morning, they find them and bring them back to Camel Point.  Feels good to know that the camels have some freedom to do what they want.

After breakfast, duty called.  If you catch my drift, this wasn’t ideal given there was not a bathroom in sight and very few hidden pockets of privacy.  For some reason, my body always knows when the timing is the least opportune and that’s when it becomes active.  Thanks a lot digestive system.  As I went on a little walk to find some seclusion, I discovered a few bushes that would most likely cover me.  As I was performing, I started hearing bells.  Not bells like in school or on a bike but bells on a farm.  As I looked up, there was a herd of sheep, goats and cows passing by, right in front of me.  Not your typical bathroom view but sure, I’ll take it.  Sorry for the overload of information but I am like an open book.  For good or for bad, you get to hear it all.

It was about 9am and time to sadly turn the page on this unforgettable experience.  We walked up the sand dunes, hopped onto Simon and Ferrari and had one last thirty minute ride until we met up with Al Pacino and his jeep. Everything about the last twenty hours was insanely memorable. The ride itself, dinner, sleeping in the desert, watching the most pure sunrise and sunset and of course, the best part of it all, sharing these moments with Vinny.  Here’s one last photo.  Since we were holding hands, it looks like Ferrari wanted to give Simon some affection as well.  No one should ever be left out.

When we got back to Hotel Pleasant Haveli, we showered, brushed our teeth, shook the endless dust and sand off of our clothes and headed outside to enjoy our last day in Jaisalmer.  Of course there were animals involved.

A mamma dog with her three hungry pups and one curious pup…

A cow that decided to stop moooooo-ving in the middle of the street…

A pig that was enjoying some papaya…

We walked to a place called 1st Gate, which was right next to the fort, and enjoyed some lunch with a million dollar view.

Then we visited Patwa Havelis, which were constructed out of yellow sandstone in the beginning of the 19th century for residential purposes.  Patwa Havelis are a cluster of five havelis aligned in a narrow lane in the heart of the city. Of the five havelis, the first haveli in the lane is not only extraordinarily preserved and restored but is also open to visitors to experience the lifestyle of the erstwhile patwas. It is one of the finest, oldest and largest havelis in Jaisalmer.  It was full of artistic work in each corner, be it gracefully carved pillars, façade or the balconies (Jharokhas).  Keeping in mind the climate of Jaisalmer, the floors are made of mud and the roof is made of wood so that it would remain cool in summers and warm in winters.

Afterwards, as we aimlessly roamed the alleys of the Golden City for one last time, I saw the unconditional love of a grandfather for his granddaughter…

And a man who was just so intriguing to me…

Vinny came across a tiny shop where he bought a Kurta for 250 rupees.  Now he’s really looking like a local.  Once he wears it, I will be sure to share a photo.

That wraps up our last three days. Jaisalmer was a city that I will forever remember.  Small, quiet (relative to the rest of India), charming, welcoming and spectacularly stunning with its golden shine.  Until the next time, you will always have a piece of my heart.