Month: February 2016

It was about 11:15pm on Monday, February 1 when we arrived at the Jaipur Junction, just in time for our first overnight train in India.  I had been on one other overnight train in my life and that was in Spain with my dear friend of twenty nine years, Lindsey.  Hiiiiiiii Lindsey.  Vinny sure has a lot to live up to as a bunk mate.

As we entered the station, it was like Best Buy on Black Friday.  Hundreds of people all of over the place, all with their own agenda.  Some were rushing to get their bags through security, some were running to make their train, some were laying on the ground wrapped in blankets, some were frantically lost.  Everywhere you looked, it was mayhem.  But all this craziness made us feel safe.  The platforms were brightly lit and people were so consumed in themselves, they didn’t even notice two white people with backpacks.

Our train was perfectly on time.  Amazing.  What positive luck we’ve had on our side for all three railroad adventures.

I booked these tickets two and a half months ago and first class was already filled.  Seriously?  That is insane.  We had to settle for second class which is obviously a step down but looking at the glass half full, it was still better than third class or sleeper class or no class at all.  As we boarded our cabin and slowly walked to our beds, we noticed there were already people sleeping in them.  Oh geez.  Were we double booked?  Did we get the wrong seat locations?  No and no.  Instead, a woman and her daughter decided they liked our beds better and set up shop with our blankets, our pillows and our space.  They boarded the train at an earlier location so they probably where there for at least thirty minutes already.  They even had the nerve to close the curtain as if they were going to get away with it.  There were four beds in total – two upper and two lower.  Vinny and I had the two lower ones.  Luckily, a very nice gentleman, who was a local Indian but spoke perfect English, came to our rescue because he had one of the four beds.  He was explaining to them that these were our seats yet they still weren’t getting up.  It was almost as if we were the rude ones for disturbing their peaceful sleep.  At this point it was around 12:15am and this was the last thing we wanted to deal with.  After about ten minutes of going back and forth (but what felt like an hour), they finally got up, gathered their stuff and transitioned to their actual beds.  Phewwww.

Now that we were able to settle in, we did.  We made our bed which consisted of a sheet on the bottom, a sheet on top (we didn’t use the blankets because we had no idea when they were last washed) and pillows.  I laid my pillow against my backpack and Vinny put his stuff to the side of him so we could feel if anyone tried to take anything.  To be overly protective, we put our money wallets with our passports around our neck just in case someone decided to be shady in the middle of the night.  We didn’t really think we would have an issue, especially in second class, but you never know what someones intentions are and we would rather air on the safe side than the naive side.

Since we both didn’t have very high expectations of getting any rest, we were very pleased when we slept for a few consecutive hours.  At around 6am, I woke up to pee (sorry for the over sharing of information).  Oh no.  Please go away.  Did I really have to walk to the bathroom, in the dark, at 6am while the train is moving to pee in a hole?  Ugh, yes.  Come to find out later in the morning though that there was an actual toilet right next door.  Epic failure.

Everyone on the train started to walk up, open the blinds and make lots of noise around 8am so good morning to us.  Then, some of the workers started walking up and down the aisles selling Chai Tea or breakfast omelettes.  And they don’t walk in silence.  They start singing and making the world know they are present.  It’s extremely entertaining.  Here’s me looking like a trash bag.

For the next four hours, we listened to music, enjoyed the people around us and eagerly got excited for our sixth city on this wild journey, Jaisalmer.  We were in the home stretch as we nearly survived our third train ride and our first overnight experience.  I patted myself on the back because only the strong survive and we sure have become strong.

At around 12pm, we gathered our stuff, jumped off the train and was greeted by a Tuk Tuk driver from our next hotel, Pleasant Haveli.  We look forward to sharing our golden moments from the Golden City!

 

Today was our last day in the beautiful Pink City of Jaipur.  It sure went by fast.  Tonight at 11:45pm, we are taking our first and only overnight train from here to Jaisalmer.  Since check out time is usually 11am, it dawned on me a few days ago that we would have to carry our backpacks around town for nearly twelve hours.  Ugh, that sounds miserable.  So I emailed Tarpan and Saskia to see if we could keep the apartment (obviously pay for it too) for the night (even though we would only need it till 11pm) so we would have somewhere to store our bags, shower and brush our teeth (we sure wanted to avoid the train bathroom as much as possible).  The current place we are in was already booked (not surprising) but they had another place about twenty five feet down the street that was available so we took it.  Going, going, gone!  Adding an extra $57 to our budget wasn’t ideal but we knew the convenience was going to be well worth it.

As we were moving our bags from one apartment to the next, we met the people who were actually in the other apartment and now moving to our apartment.  It’s a mini game of house swap.  They were a thirty something year old couple from Belgium with their four month year old son.  We started talking in the middle of the street, bags in hand, couldn’t stop talking and decided to go grab breakfast together.  All 4.5 of us hopped in an Uber and went to On The House, which was a lovely little cafe.  I know this will sound weird, but I’m pretty sure I had the best scrambled eggs ever here.  Before this, I thought The Tasting Kitchen in Venice had the best but they have now been replaced.  You are probably thinking, “what makes scrambled eggs so good”?  Well, they were incredibly fresh, fluffy and perfectly cooked (not too runny and not too over done – now I sound like Goldilocks).  It’s the little things in life that make me feel complete.

Celine and Bob, our new friends, lived in Jaipur for a year back in 2008, started a jewelry company (Jaipur is known for their jewelry) and now come to check in on their manufacturing factory four times a year for a month at a time.  This visit, however, was quite different because they had Jake, their newborn son.  I couldn’t imagine having to worry about an infant while in this country (so loud, so chaotic, so dirty) but I guess you do what you have to.  We sat at On The House for nearly two hours with them talking about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Jake was getting fussy so they headed back to the apartment while Vinny and I went to do some more exploring.  How cool is this portable bed they brought?

We took a thirty minute Uber to the Govind Dev Ji Temple only to realize it was closed until 5:30pm.  Poor planning on our end.  Oh well, I think we are somewhat temple’d out anyways.  While we were standing outside the temple, trying to figure out what to do next, we noticed yet another man sleeping in public.  With all the continuous noise, it boggles my mind how so many people can just tune it out and close their eyes – all day, everyday, anywhere.

And another woman using her head for strength and balance…

As a Plan B, we ended up getting in another Uber (happened to be the same driver even though it was fifteen minutes apart) and went to The Rambagh Palace, which is now a five star hotel owned by the Taj Group.  We had tea and coffee in the Polo Room and felt like the Beverly Hillbillies because we definitely didn’t belong.  The hotel was exquisite though.  So much history.  The royal family of Jaipur used to live here.  Jackie Kennedy once stayed here.  And they restored an original steam train and turned it into a restaurant – so Carney’s of them.  There were radiant, colorful gardens filled with flowers as well as gorgeous peacocks wandering freely.  Peacocks are actually the National Bird of India and a symbol of grace, joy, beauty and love (no I’m not describing myself).  I hope you enjoyed my random fact of the day.

After scoping out the grounds of The Rambagh Palace, we went back to our new AirBnB for a little then walked to dinner at a place called Four Seasons (not the hotel chain, I promise).  All five nights, we have walked to dinner.  Do you know how good that feels?  To have the weather warm enough, to have us feel safe enough and to have our place close enough.  Positive energy is on our side and I like it.

While at dinner, we were reflecting on our overall Jaipur experience.  We definitely loved this city way more than Delhi.  Maybe because the sun was shining, maybe because we were more acclimated to the Indian lifestyle, maybe because there was more charm or maybe because it tended to be more laid back.  Maybe a combination of all those reasons.  Either way, it won us over.  Good job, Jaipur.

As our reflection grew deeper and spiraled into a conversation about the past nineteen days in India, we brushed upon a few random observations.  The first is that we have not seen one car seat, one stroller or one baby Bjorne.  In America, most people own three of each since they need one at their house, their parents house, their vacation house, etc.  In America, our kids are in car seats until they get their high school diploma it feels.  However, in India, kids are on mopeds from the day they take their first breath or are sitting in the front seats of cars with no seat belt, just on a lap.  Somehow, it works and somehow they make it to the next year (or so it seems).  Are we overly sheltered or are they just more daring?

The next observation was men showing affection for each other either by holding hands, wrapping their arm around the others shoulder/waist or intertwined pinkies.  We’ve noticed this quite frequently in all five cities we’ve been to.  Our first thought was they were gay since this is what we are used to as Westerners (and which I 167% support).  However, after doing some research, we learned it’s just a sign of friendship and respect.  And ironically, Indians sometimes find it offensive to show affection for the opposite sex in public so you rarely, if ever, see a man and a women holding hands, kissing, etc.  This is the complete opposite of America and I believe Europe as well.  I couldn’t imagine two guys holding hands openly and willingly while walking down the beach if they were straight.  Different cultures, different habits, different beliefs.  If we were all the same, wouldn’t life be boring?

The night was escaping us so we walked back to the apartment, took showers, brushed our teeth and around 11pm, headed to the station for our twelve hour overnight train.  Here goes nothing.

Until next time Jaipur, stay pretty in pink!

The nice part to being in a city longer than some might suggest is that you get to take it slowly.  We are so used to waking up at 6am, being out all day and all night then not going to bed until 1am.  Well, that’s how it’s been on other trips in the past (talk about a dictatorship).  But here in Jaipur, we have time.  Time to sightsee, time to relax, time to wander, time to eat (always time to eat), time to do it all.  This morning we lounged around our AirBnB until 11:30ish.  I know, how lazy of us.  We walked to a place called Cafe Coffee Day, which is a local coffee chain throughout India.  Very modern look and feel inside.

After we sipped our cappuccino’s and ate our interesting sandwiches, we took a 76 rupee ($1.13) Uber ride to the Old City, otherwise known as the Pink City.  We drove through it yesterday with Mr. Bahadur but didn’t actually stop.  When you officially enter the Pink City, it warmly welcomes you with a large, very pink archway.  From there on out, everything is pink.  The library is pink, the buildings are pink, the apartments are pink.

First on our list was the Hawa Mahal, meaning “Palace of the Winds”.  This beautiful five-story palace was constructed in 1799 and built of red and pink sandstone.  Considered as an embodiment of Rajputana architecture, the main highlight of Hawa Mahal is its pyramid shape and its 953 windows or ‘Jharokhas’ which are decorated with intricate designs. The intention behind the construction of the Mahal was to facilitate the royal women and provide them a view of everyday life through the windows, as they never appeared in public.  This was one of the coolest structures I’ve ever seen.  It is what truly makes Jaipur the Pink City.  From a frontal view, it appears to be a massive complex.  However, from a side view, you realize it’s almost one dimensional.

We wanted to go inside as well so we walked around the corner to the entrance (which was actually the backside).  Find what doesn’t belong in this line…

Second on our list was Jantar Mantar, which is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century and supposedly the biggest stone observatory in the world. It includes a set of some 20 main fixed instruments, including one of the largest sun dials. They are monumental examples in masonry of known instruments but which in many cases have specific characteristics of their own. Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, they embody several architectural and instrumental innovations. This is the most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India’s historic observatories. It is an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period.  Most of it, to be honest, went over our heads but it was still fascinating to read about each instrument and see them in person.  Especially the instruments that were dedicated to our signs, Taurus and Virgo.

The last place was the City Palace, which is a complex comprising of courtyards, gardens and buildings right in the center of the Old City.  As the name suggests, this place was occupied by the royal queen. Presently, it’s serving the purpose of a museum, housing arms and weapons of the royal clan.

Here is a view from the Hawa Mahal…

One thing that stood out to me was the Pitam Niwas Chowk, an inner courtyard, that has four entry points; each having its own beauty and significance. The four gateways symbolize the four seasons and are dedicated to Hindu deities. Northeast Peacock Gate: Adorned with colorful designs of peacocks, the gate stands for autumn and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.  Southwest Lotus Gate: This doorway with running floral designs indicates summer season and is dedicated to Lord Shiva-Parvati.  Northwest Green Gate: Also called as the Leheriya, this green colored gate paints a picture of spring season and is dedicated to Lord Ganesha.  Rose Gate: Having beautiful flowers inscribed on it, the multihued doorway represents winter season and is dedicated to Goddess Devi.

Time for lunch.  We had read about a street food place in the book that Tarpan and Saskia had lent us so we decided to put our brave hats on and try it.  It was called Jagannath Sharma Pakodi Wale in Tripolia Bazaar. A hole-in-the-wall stall whose family has been feeding Jaipur for over a century with a blackened coal stove and traditional passed down recipes.  For 20 rupees, or $.30, we got a few handfuls (literally, the guy put his hand in the pot and scooped it up) of pakora, which is basically Indian fritters made with gram flour and fried with different veggies.  It was actually quite tasty.  More like a snack then a meal but it did the job.  What’s so fascinating to me is that I would have never tried something like this back in LA.  I was so set in my ways that I didn’t feel the need to branch out.  If ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  But here, I am willing to try anything and everything (well, to a certain extent).  I am no longer judging a book by its cover but welcoming it all with open arms.

From there, we walked about fifteen minutes to Lassilawa because Vinny was eager to see what the hype was all about. Lassiwala is a simple place that whips up fabulous, creamy lassis in clay cups. They started in Jaipur around 1944 and have spread like wildfire into multiple locations throughout India.  A lassi is a popular, traditional drink that is a blend of yogurt, water, spices and sometimes, fruit. Traditional lassi is a savory drink, sometimes flavored with ground and roasted cumin.  Sweet lassi, however, contains sugar or fruits, instead of spices.  He was in heaven.  I don’t know if he was more enamored with the drink itself or the disposable clay cup it came in.  Either way, he was happy.  Gotta love a man who is so easy to please.

That night, we decided to attend a super duper touristy spectacular called Winds of Music at Hawa Mahal.  We knew it was going to be cheesy but we were still interested in seeing what it was all about.  And we were right.  Cheesier than cheesy bread yet entertaining.   It lasted about an hour and had five main acts.  The first was a Rajasthani woman singing a traditional song, which was awful.  Each act got better and better though.  The next one was a group of men each playing a different Rajasthani instrument.  The next were a group of women dancing a Rajasthani routine while the men played music in the background.  There were a few more like this but the last one was what really caught my attention.  It was a man who balanced a good size clay pot on his head with one, then two, then three, then four glass cups.  Not only did he balance them, he danced and graciously moved around the stage.  I mean, wow.  Next, he did a fire act where he lit some sticks, drank some water, swallowed some fire, spit out some fire balls then eventually put out the fire with his mouth.  I mean, wow again.  Very impressive.  I didn’t get the best photos to showcase these acts but I hope these will do.

After the show, we walked to dinner at a place called Handi, which is the proud winner of the ”Best North Indian Food Restaurant” award. It definitely lived up to its tantalizing food and mouth watering spices description.  We actually got a chicken dish which was very enjoyable.  Nice to have some meat again in my belly.  Speaking of which, what day of the week do chickens hate most? Fry-day.  HA!

That wraps up our naan-chalant day three in Jaipur.  Hope you are enjoying yourself as much as we are!

Today, January 30, we had a full day of sightseeing ahead of us.  Mr. Bahadur was our main man from 8:45am until around 4:45pm.  He sure was jolly and eager to please.  Quite a funny guy in fact.

It’s always been known to me that Jaipur is referred to as the Pink City but I never knew why, until today.  In 1876, the Prince of Wales visited India on a tour.  Since pink denotes the color of hospitality (did you know that? I sure didn’t), Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur painted the whole city pink to welcome his royal guest. The tradition has been sincerely followed by the residents who are now, by law, compelled to maintain the pink color.  And pretty in pink it sure was.

To begin our day was the Amber Fort, which is located high on a hill in Amer, a town with an area of four square kilometers.  Establishment of this fort started in the 16th century but wasn’t completed until the 18th century with the efforts of three consecutive Kings.  It was originally the capital of Rajasthan before moving to Jaipur in 1727. The magnificent fort is made up of a royal palace, built from red sandstone (although some say yellow sandstone and it definitely looks more yellow than red), white marble and divided into four main sections, each with its own courtyard.  With its large ramparts, series of gates and cobbled paths, the fort overlooks the Maota Lake at its forefront.

In order to get to the top, you can walk for free, take a jeep for 300 rupees or ride an elephant for 900 rupees.  We decided to walk.  Taking an elephant seemed a bit inhumane and a jeep just seemed lazy.  The fort was beautiful.  After about 45 minutes of exploring, we ran into a few “security guards” that were dressed in the whole shebang – hat, pants, shirt, shoes.  One of the “security guards” asked us where we were from and of course we happily engaged in conversation.  He wanted to take us to the top for a photo opportunity so we followed.  How touristy of us.  He then started giving us the history on Amber Fort, even though we didn’t really want it nor did we ask (thanks to Google, we’ve got it covered).  We eventually caught on and he wasn’t really a “security guard” but he was a guide in disguise.  Now say that ten times.  Guide in disguise, guide in disguise, guide in disguise – okay, I’ll stop.  How very very sneaky of him.  We thanked him and walked away because we sure weren’t going to pay for his services when they weren’t genuine to begin with.  It’s little acts like this that we have become all too familiar with.  As my pops always said, you can’t bullshit a bullshitter.  Besides that encounter, it was a lovely two hours roaming the grounds and admiring all the extensive walls that were built for protection throughout the small city of Amer.

All over India, especially inside the various forts, palaces and other historical sites, women are always gardening…

And men are always trying to get you to buy something…

And monkeys are always looking out for one another…

Next up was Jaigarh Fort.  This almost-intact fort is surrounded by huge battlements and is connected to the Amber Fort, with subterranean passages. Originally built to secure Jaipur City and the Amber Fort from warlords and rivals, the Jaigarh Fort is architecturally similar, and offers a panoramic view of the city of Jaipur.  The fort houses the world’s largest cannon on wheels (which was pretty cool), a majestic palace complex and the assembly hall of the warriors known as ‘Shubhat Niwas’ along with a museum and an armory.

Here is a view of the Jaigarh Fort from the Amber Fort…

We bought our tickets like good civilians, wandered around, enjoyed the views and went to see the “world’s largest cannon on wheels”.  There was a “security guard” there too who checked our tickets and then started walking around with us.  From the very beginning, I said “no thank you, we don’t want a guide.  We prefer to see on our own”.  I was very sweet, don’t worry.  I puckered my lips and batted my eyelashes so I didn’t come across as a rude American.  He said “I’m no guide, I just like to help”.  It didn’t matter how many times we said no thank you or in how many different languages, they still insist.  I ignored him but of course Vinny wouldn’t hurt a fly so he kept indulging in conversation.  About ten minutes later, the “security guard” literally said “tip as you like”.  Our mouths dropped.  This whole time we’ve said no thank you, you then willing give us information that isn’t wanted and then have the nerve to say “tip as you like”.  Nope sorry.  To us its seems disrespectful and rude but I truly believe it’s just how they are and for that, we can’t really judge.  Everyone is hustling to put food on the table and a roof over their head.

The last of the three main forts was Nahargarh Fort.  Nahargarh Fort was built in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, founder of Jaipur, on the Aravalli hills, as a retreat place. Nahargarh Fort is connected to the Jaigarh Fort through its fortifications. It is believed that the construction of this fort was obstructed by the spirit of a Rathore prince, Nahar Singh Bhomia. However, the spirit was pacified when a temple dedicated to him was built inside the fort. Sawai Ram Singh renovated this fort in 1868.  The views here were incredible.  You basically had a 360 degree look at Jaipur.

After Nahargarh Fort, we quickly stopped by Jal Mahal.  Literally meaning ‘Water Palace’, Jal Mahal is located amidst the Man Sagar Lake and was constructed in 1799. The beauty of the palace lies in its location as it is standing in the center of the lake.  The palace architecture boasts of a typical Rajput and Mughal style which is quite similar to that of Amber Fort. Made in red sandstone, Jal Mahal is actually five-stories where only the top story is visible (the rest are submerged under water).  You can’t visit the palace inside but the views from the outside were enough for us.  Mr. Bahadur told us that Jal Mahal was built first then they added the manmade lake (in case you were wondering how this palace came about).

It was about 2pm by this point and we were starving.  Mr. Bahadur took us to a nice restaurant for lunch where there was a father and son performing local Rajasthani song and dance.  They were also dressed in traditional Rajasthani outfits.  I wanted to take a photo but didn’t want to tip so I passed.  Sorry guys.

The last two sights on our list were temples.  However, temples are generally closed in India from 12pm-4pm, give or take a few.  It was about 3pm so Mr. Bahadur was trying to convince us to go to the textile factory first for a demonstration since we had time to kill. We are pretty sure he receives a commission on anything we buy so we politely said no thank you – mainly because we really didn’t have a desire not because we didn’t want to help a friend out. This also happened in Varanasi with Shukla when he took us to the silk factory but we were young infants at that point and didn’t understand the Indian culture.  Now we know.  Muahahahahaha.  We decided to take our chances on the temples and head that way anyways. Good thing we did because they were both open.

First was the Ganesh Temple.  This was your typical Hindu temple.  Not so aesthetically appealing on the outside yet extremely holy in it’s spiritual importance on the inside.  Lord Ganesh is an elephant headed deity in Hinduism and is worshipped among all deities because he is considered as the God of auspiciousness in Hinduism as well as God of wisdom, knowledge and wealth. Lord Ganesh is believed to be the older son of Lord Shiva.  Throughout India, you will notice a Lord Ganesh, or elephant like image, everywhere – at the entrance of temples, on walls of restaurants, randomly throughout the city, etc.  Hindus believe that if Lord Ganesh is present they will have good luck, good wealth and good health.  For a lack of a better comparison, it reminds me of a mezuzah in the Jewish religion.

Second was the Birla Mandir Temple.  The Birla Temple, originally known as Lakshmi Narayan Temple, is situated below the Moti Dungri Fort in Jaipur (and a short three minute walk from the Ganesh Temple).  Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, this temple is a proud architectural landmark of Jaipur. Built in pure white marble, the Birla Temple is unlike the traditional ancient Hindu temples, and is built with a modern approach. Inside this magnificent shrine, beautifully sculpted idols of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, as well as other Hindu Gods and Goddesses, can be seen. Delicate carvings of Hindu symbols, and ancient quotes from the Geeta and the Upanishads ornament the walls of this fascinating temple. One can also recognize the mythological events engraved on the walls. Apart from the religious idols, pictures and figures of several religious saints, philosophers and historical achievers, like Socrates, Buddha, Zarathustra and Confucius, are also included in the temple. A work of art, this temple truly represents architectural beauty.

Birla Mandir was the first temple we have seen in the seventeen days we’ve been in India that made our mouth drop.  It was stunning.  The way the sun hit the white marble was captivating.  What made this even better was a local Indian family of about six who wanted to take a photo with us.  Of course we willingly said yes.  One photo turned into five photos which turned into roughly twenty photos.  Everyone wanted a selfie with just them, then they wanted a group photo, then the boys wanted one, then the girls wanted one, then the parents wanted one.  It was hilarious.  I’m used to smiling but boy did my mouth hurt after.  I, in turn, asked to take a selfie with them.

What a fulfilling eight hours of sightseeing we had.  We met some shady people and we met some lovely people.  I still wasn’t feeling 100% so we went back to our AirBnB and chilled for a few hours before walking to dinner at another rooftop restaurant called Kalyan.  It was good but not as satisfying as our last two dinners.  You win some and you lose some, that’s life.

Jaipur sure has tremendous charm to it. I think I’m falling in love…

When we arrived at our new home around 4:30pm on Thursday, January 28, we were immediately greeted by Tarpan Patel, whose family owns the complex.  Tarpan is thirty years old and a total Indian hipster.  Scruffy beard, longer hair, tighter jeans and a sculptor.  Him and his wife, Saskia, who is a photographer from France, met at the University of the Arts in London.  What a neat couple.  How many people do you know have such a serendipitous story like that?  I’m from India, I’m from France but let’s meet in London.

This AirBnB was so appealing.  It had a common area in the front, a bedroom in the middle, a fairly large bathroom at the end and a wonderful semi-outdoor balcony on the side.  It was a pretty big size and relatively modern apartment for $63 a night.  Plus, Tarpan’s father, Ankit Patel, is a renowned sculptor and a lot of his artwork is sporadically displayed throughout the place which acts as great decor.  As a way to welcome us to Jaipur, Tarpan had Chai Tea, toast, an omelette and a delicious rice dish (that had a surprising kick to it) sent up to us since he knew we hadn’t eaten lunch yet.  It definitely hit the spot.  We could tell this was going to be an enjoyable next four nights.

Tarpan and Saskia created a folder for all their guests that had restaurant recommendations, sightseeing options, wifi details and other miscellaneous information.  To make this even better, it was all laminated.  They had me at hello.  I love lists, I love itineraries and I absolutely love when they are laminated.  Yes, I am a nerd but at least I embrace it.

After we settled in and took some time to chill out, it was around 8pm.  We decided to walk about ten minutes to Peacock Rooftop Restaurant for dinner, which was one of their recommendations (and of course cross referenced it with TripAdvisor, our travel bible).  The ambience was adorable. It had lights all over and an impeccable view of Jaipur City.  Not to mention, the food was superb.  We asked for Indian spicy and they sure delivered.  It was so lovely to sit outside and not be freezing.  Days here seem to be warm and sunny and nights seem to cool down a little but nothing like what we were experiencing in the previous cities.  It sure was a fun little date night.

The next morning, January 29, I woke up feeling like the smiling pile of poo emoji.  I had been up all night with what I am self diagnosing myself as a fever – sweating then freezing and let the cycle repeat itself for eight hours.  Not fun.  It sucks to be sick regardless of where you are but it sucks even more when you are halfway across the world, without your mom (some things you never grow out of).  So I called her via FaceTime and that helped comfort me a little.  I laid in bed for another hour and once I could feel the drugs slowly kicking in, I showered to help wake me up.

Since we were in Jaipur for 4.5 days and I wasn’t feeling great, we decided to have no agenda and save the sightseeing for the next day.  Instead, we walked to a charming little cafe that was recommended in a few different places called Anokhi.  It was a very Westernized looking cafe but it was perfect for what I needed.  We got a french press coffee, a banana chocolate biscuit and a bagel – all organic.  How unauthentic of us but sometimes you just can’t have Indian all day everyday.

After breakfast, we stumbled upon a super duper wonderful store that was attached to Anokhi – imagine an Indian version of Anthropology.  All locally made clothes but not your traditional styles.  They put a cool, hip, trendy twist to them.  I bought my first scarf and Vinny bought a headband to help keep his hair tamed because without gel, it’s like a lion’s mane after running freely in the wind, all over the place.

When you’re not feeling good and your energy level is low, all you want to do is sit at home, watch a movie or stream Netflix and rest up.  Unfortunately (but really fortunately), our AirBnB doesn’t have a TV and we can’t stream Netflix here.  So instead, I was hoping to go see a Bollywood movie at the famous Raj Mandir Cinema but the only film playing was a war theme (my Dad would have been all over this).  Not exactly what I had in mind though.  I was envisioning rich colors, endless singing and dancing and a heartfelt romantic love story.  Not Airlift.  Maybe we’ll have better luck in Mumbai.

Today is our sixteenth day in India and the limited amount of toiletries we brought with us were starting to diminish. We had read about The Country Store and decided to check it out hoping we could find a few things we needed (well not really needed but would like to have – the word needed has a whole new meaning since being in India).  What a neat experience.  I think this is the closest they have to a Target yet a tenth of the size.  There was food (fresh, frozen and packaged), toiletries, drinks, electronics, medicine, household cleaning supplies, etc.  Vinny wanted to get a few snacks for the apartment and as he did his price analysis (once a finance guy, always a finance guy) comparing local products to brand names (Lays, Pringles, etc.), he realized that the brand names were not only skyrocketed for India terms but for American terms as well.  It was almost three times what we would pay back at home.  So we decided to try out the local goods (which wasn’t really a question to begin with, just more curious to understand the pricing structure clearer).  To top this off, I found a small section of products called Organic Harvest.  They had face products, skin products, hair products – all organic (apparently).  This made me so happy because I probably had four drops left of my toner and those that know me, my facial routine is crucial.  So I went with the Green Cucumber, Alcohol Free, Paraben Free one.  This was better than getting money from the tooth fairy.  And, it came to about 365 rupees, which is around $5.36.  I was used to paying $25 so even if it’s not as good, it will do.  We also bought more Dove body soap and more Colgate toothpaste.  I mean how exciting are we today?  Either way, mission accomplished.

The Country Store was located in a cute little area so we just wandered for a while and took in all the sights, smells and sounds (as you can tell from previous posts, this is our favorite thing to do).  The weather was perfect so we didn’t want to go back inside (and the drugs were helping so I didn’t feel as sick, although being in the dusty air can’t help my situation).  While aimlessly roaming the streets, we saw:

A local fruit and vegetable stand…

A little boy with no pants (which we’ve found to be very typical)…

A man sleeping on the job, literally…

Curious cows…

A non-alcoholic Tuk Tuk…

A fancy horse (which I believe was for an Indian wedding that night)…

A “school bus” with young boys in uniforms…

And we added another animal to our already extensive Noah’s Arc list, a camel…

That night, we walked to a well rated restaurant called Jaipur Modern.  The nice thing about where we are staying is that it seems to be very central so we’ve been able to walk almost everywhere so far. Jaipur Modern is an Italian place.  I know, today is so not cultural of us with dinner and the cafe this morning but we felt like switching things up a bit.  We were told an Italian family that lives in Italy (go figure – just didn’t want you to think it was an Indian Italian family.  Does those even exist?) consulted with the chefs for a year and a half on how to make authentic food. We ordered Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino (spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and chili pepper), which is a traditional Napoli dish and a margarita pizza.  Both were tasty, even to Vinny’s very particular Italian palette.

What a wonderful day we had.  I’m definitely liking Jaipur more than Delhi but then again, it’s only been 24 hours.

Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the cow flies bite 🙂

Thursday, January 28 we left Ranthambore National Park after a very impressive and fulfilling three nights.  What an incredible time we had.  Thank you to the entire Khem Villas staff for being so gracious and hospitable.  So sad to leave but always excited for the next adventure.  Ranthambore, or Sawai Madhopur, is the first of five cities in the state of Rajasthan we are visiting.  Next up is Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, then Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur.  Lots of pur’s.  Sounds kind of sexy huh?  Purrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Today was our second train excursion.  It was scheduled to depart Sawai Madhopur at 1:40pm and arrive in Jaipur at 3:50pm.  A nice, short two hour and ten minute ride.  We were anxious to see how this one would go knowing our first experience was surprisingly positive, especially with all the horror stories we had previously heard.  Did our luck run out?  Were we going to be stranded at the train station with no cell service and nowhere to go?  When you are in such foreign territory, it’s hard not to think dramatically, hoping for the best yet preparing for the worst.  But none of that negative energy was needed because everything went smoothly.  Danesh dropped us off just in the perfect amount of time to find our platform, do some people watching, line up for our cabin and board the train (which was only fifteen minutes late, hallelujah).  I don’t know if we have an abundance of good karma stored up in our bank but traveling throughout this extensive country has gone exactly according to plan so far.  Then again, we are only fifteen days into our trip and still have thirty five to go so maybe we shouldn’t get too confident quite yet.  Hopefully I didn’t just jinx it.

Our seats were 23 and 24, which was an upper bed and a lower bed.  We just love each other so much that we didn’t want to be on separate levels so we both sat on the lower bed.  And this wasn’t a California King size of a bed.  It was small and real intimate.

Across from us was a local Indian family (a grandma, a grandpa and a grandson) who had been traveling for nearly twenty four hours on the same train, in the same location, most likely wearing the same clothes.  Their final destination, just like us, was Jaipur but their occasion was for a wedding.  Have you ever traveled forty eight hours roundtrip to attend a wedding for forty eight hours?  That is deep, unconditional love right there.  They were so nice too.  The grandma offered us home cooked food but we politely declined.  She spoke decent English and was asking us all sorts of questions.  I like when people are interested in us because I’m always interested in them.  Makes me feel a little less creepy I guess.  And the grandson was in such awe to see white people.  It was comforting to have them near.  I wanted to crash the wedding they were going to because I’v heard Indian’s can party.  How fun would that be?

The first train ride from Bharatpur to Sawai Madhopur was at night so it was nice to be in daylight to see our surroundings.  We both just gazed out the window and listened to music.  The scenery was very rural with beautiful green gardens filled with bright, cheery, yellow flowers, herds of goats and cows and water buffalo and open fields of nothing. And yes, this photo was somewhat staged.  Don’t judge.

I had to use the bathroom for the first time, which I was trying to avoid but it was inevitable.  It was smaller than an airplane bathroom, with just a hole.  For men, this probably isn’t a problem.  Just aim and shoot. For women, it can definitely cause challenges, especially since the train tracks aren’t the smoothest so you’re continuously trying to hold your stance.  The last thing you want to do is slip and fall.  And trust me – it’s slippery when wet because of everyone before you somehow missed.  Eeewwwwwww.  Cheers to my shoes for being such a good sport and not disowning me after that.

For two people that were so clean and germaphobic before this trip, we’ve had to leave all of those OCD habits back in the States. If we didn’t, we would have never made it past the Delhi airport.  It’s so easy to be closed minded when it comes to change, but when you are forced for survival, you make it work.  And luckily, we’ve made it work.  Everything we we used to have convenientally at our fingertips and every routine we diligently performed each and every day has no existence anymore.  But that’s the beauty of traveling.  Stepping out of your comfort zone, learning new things about yourself and each other, and adapting to the unfamiliar ways that soon become the familiar.

Around 4pm, we arrived at Jaipur Junction, walked a few minutes to the front of the station, ordered an Uber (which came to $.84, cha ching) and seven minutes later, we were at our “Central Location for Art Lovers” AirBnB.  Two trains successfully down in the books.  Easy breezy, Cover Girl.  We are starting to feel like we’ve got the hang of this (somewhat).  Go us.

Welcome to the Pink City!

It was about 9:45pm on January 25 when we arrived at the Sawai Madhopur train station to the warm welcome of Danesh from Khem Villas.  From there, it was about a 15 minute drive to the hotel.  About halfway, Danesh pulled over on the side of the road and flashed his brights to show us a Hyena that was just chilling in an open field.  Does that make you laugh?  Hahahaha (get it, a laughing hyena – okay moving on).  Next, we saw an Antelope.  Not only were there exotic animals all around but there was no traffic, no honking, no homeless.  It was dark but it sure looked like a cute little rural area, so different than what we were used to for the past twelve days.  We could tell this place was going to be exactly what we needed – a retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the chaotic cities to hit the restart button.

As we approached Khem Villas, which is located at the end of a long dirt road, fairly remote from the rest of the town (in a good way), we immediately felt relaxed.  They say first impressions are lasting impressions and from the minute we reached the entrance, we were in love.  The air smelled of fresh lavender and we were greeted with warm towels to freshen up (after an Indian train ride, this was heaven sent).   Khem Villas has three different accommodation options – rooms, villas and tents.  The villas and tents looked like such a unique experience but they were double the price, so we stuck with the rooms.  And we were not disappointed.  When we were graciously escorted into our home for the next three nights, it was already heated (if anyone knows us well, you know we are always cold so this was beyond appreciated).  Little things like this go such a long way.

To top it off, they had a five course dinner waiting for us, even though it was past 10pm. And boy was the food delicious. The set up was equally as cool.  Each dish was in an individual iron like pot with a fire at the bottom to keep it warm.  Plus, there was rice, three different kinds of bread (naan, chapati, papadum) and dessert.

Since the main dining area is predominately in the open air, they gave us each our own individual mini heater, fueled by coal.  Does it get any better than this?  Without us even having to ask for things, they just appear.  Absolutely amazing.  We can definitely get used to this level of service and attention to detail (but we can’t because our budget needs to last months, not days or weeks, ugh).

Once we stuffed our faces to the point of not being able to breathe, we headed back to our room for a very nice, long, hot, steamy shower.  Woohoo! Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we pulled the comforter down on the bed and found what looked like two hot water bags that heated the sheets on each side as well as our bodies.  I mean wow.  Yes, please.

The next morning, we were woken up at 5:45am by one of the staff, with a tray of coffee and cookies, for our sunrise safari. We were so excited to be one with nature today.  As we walked downstairs, they handed us two water bottles, some sandwiches (mind you its 6:30am at this point), two massive wool blankets and two more hot water bags to keep us warm as the mornings were quite chilly.   We were in an open air jeep with four other people – a mom and daughter from Spain and a husband and wife from Australia.  Seeing the tigers is the main attraction but it’s not guaranteed.  Some people go on multiple safaris and don’t see any while others have more luck.  I’m sure hoping luck is on our side today. There are eight zones within the national park and it’s basically a lottery each time.  You never know what you are going to get.  Imagine the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.  You can go on that ride five times and get a different door each time.  That was exactly like this but this was real.  We were in zone six, which was about a 15 minute drive from our hotel.  It was such an incredible feeling to be in this jeep, with the sun rising over the mountains in front of you and the wind making you feel like a bird soaring through the sky.  You just felt so free.  So happy.

When we entered our zone, it was perfectly picturesque.  Untouched from human life.

Within minutes, we saw a variety of animals.

Spotted deer…

Antelope…

Nilgai (sometimes referred to as the “blue bull” (or horse), it is the largest of all Asian antelopes and is one of the most commonly seen wild animals in all of India)…

Beautiful, colorful birds (some petit, some pretty plump)…

I was already satisfied.  The driver and the guide, however, were looking at the dirt path for fresh tiger paw prints and listening for various sounds/noises in the background.

Apparently, deers, monkeys and other animals all protect each other and when they see a tiger, they warn everyone.  All of this tracking, about 20 minutes into the safari, led us to our very own sighting of a young, what they believed to be eighteen month year old, male tiger.   He was quite a distance away and after about three minutes, he wandered out of our eye sight.  Although I’m the typical greedy American and always want more, I was extremely thankful that I at least got to see one.

After about three hours on this excursion, we headed back to our hotel with a sense of calmness surrounding us.  It was just so peaceful being outside and watching the animals in their natural habitat.  No zoo keeper, no gate keeper, no animal trainer – just a massive open park for them to roam freely (of course, trying to avoid the tiger at all times for survival).

It was around 10am and time for breakfast.  At Khem Villas, all three meals are included in the overall cost you pay to stay there.  But from the look of dinner last night and breakfast this morning, it’s not just a piece of toast with one runny egg or a piece of naan with a few soggy vegetables.  It’s hardcore eating.  So much food, so many options and all of it is endless.  Just keep eating and eating and eating until you can’t see straight.  Some dishes are local, some are more Westernized yet all were yummy in our tummy. We felt like the fat bastard from Austin Powers when he says “get in ma belllyyyy”.

After breakfast, we roamed the hotel grounds aimlessly since we hadn’t really seen it in daylight.  When we arrived last night it was dark and when we left for our safari this morning it was dark.  The grounds were stunning.  Plants, trees, flowers, gardens and ponds surrounded you everywhere you looked.  It was quiet and tranquil.  There were various areas to sit outside and just enjoy life.  And we did that for a few hours until it was time for lunch around 2pm.  I’m telling you, all they do is feed us.

We have been in India now for almost two weeks and were in need of some clean clothes.  Given this was a more upscale hotel from what we’ve been staying at and will be staying at, we decided to have them do our laundry.  Since we are living out of backpacks, we don’t have that much to begin with but it sure added up when you take each sock with each pair of underwear with each pair of pants and each top.  The total came to 1600 rupees, which is equivalent to $23.56.  I’ve always been fortunate to have a washer and dryer nearby so I don’t know how much it should cost but we definitely thought that was a little steep.  However, our clothes were like new again so in the long run, no worries here.  It felt good to be so fresh and so clean.

The vibe of this hotel reminds me of an adult summer camp. Because you eat all three meals in the same area as the rest of the guests around the same time, you start to see familiar faces and indulge in deeper conversations – including the staff.  It slowly becomes like Cheers where everyone knows your name.  So far, Vinny and I have been the youngest people here by about twenty years.

Something we’ve noticed is that they clean our room three times a day.  Yes, three times.  Once in the morning when you are at breakfast, once in the afternoon when you are at lunch and once in the evening when you are at dinner.  It’s as if they wait for you to eat then they hurry upstairs.  Each time, our bed is made differently.  The service has been so out of this world since we arrived.  We don’t stay at fancy hotels all the time (and to be honest, this really isn’t considered a “fancy” hotel, just impeccable service) so maybe this is standard but for us, we are simply not used to it so we are sure loving it.

Around sunset time, we walked back to an area of the hotel that had a couch swing overlooking one of the little lakes and just sat there.  Didn’t really say a word to each other, just held hands.  It’s moments like these that I truly treasure.  I am so lucky to have Vinny in my life and so lucky that he was willing to take this adventure with me.  Not many people would be open to leaving their jobs, their homes, their friends and their families for an extended period but he was just on board as I was.  Traveling throughout India for seven weeks took a little more convincing, but he knew how much I wanted to visit this country in honor of my Grandma, so for this, I am forever grateful.  My partner in crime, my companion for life.

That wraps up our first full day in Ranthambore.  We sure are going to bed well fed, carefree and eager to see what day two brings us.

The next morning was typical.  We woke up, had breakfast, chatted with some of our new friends and enjoyed the outdoors.  There was a women’s crafts store up the road that sold scarves, clothing, bedding, etc. so we decided to take a leisurely stroll to check it out.  And I’m so happy we did.  Not so much for the actual store but for its surroundings.  This isn’t your typical stroll along Rodeo Drive or Main Street or Hollywood Blvd (although Hollywood Blvd sure has a lot of fascinating things to see as well).   In order to get there, we had to walk down the dirt road that Khem Villas is located at the end of.  But it was so lovely and covered with a lush canopy of trees.  Along the way we saw a man herding his goats, a young boy walking his water buffalo (as if it’s a dog), tiny villages made up of huts, acres of greenery (which we later found out was the wheat they use for the chapati bread), a baby sitting on a handmade bench by himself with no parents in sight and then birds flirting with cows. Every minute is a photo opportunity.  I’m just loving it.

Lastly, everything that Khem Villas cooks is vegetarian, quite like most of India, but with the array of flavors, you don’t really even crave meat.  You are beyond satisfied as is.  We came across a field where they grow a lot of their own produce and wash them with pure water so the guests can eat them.  Most of the fruits and vegetables elsewhere you can’t eat because they are usually washed with faucet water, which can definitely make you sick.  So to have the freedom to eat these again was nice.

It was getting close to 1:30pm, which means lunch.  We weren’t even hungry because we were still full from breakfast but hey, when it’s there why not eat it.  After lunch, we were to embark on our second safari.  No one from our hotel saw any tigers on the morning safari so our expectations were quite low, especially when morning safaris have a higher chance than afternoon safaris.  Oh well.  I actually did a tiger dance (made up one of course) in our room before we left just in case (Vinny could’t stop laughing at the lack of rhythm I had).  This time around, we were in zone four, which we had heard through the grapevine had gorgeous scenery.  And they were right.  It was quite different than our first zone – neither one better or worse – just different.  This zone had a reddish orange look to it with endless trees and a huge lake in the middle where many animals gathered for water.

Sambar (large deer native to the Indian subcontinent, southern China and Southeast Asia)…

As we approached the lake, we saw two other jeeps stopped in the middle of the road.  That’s always a good sign our guide said.  Someone in another jeep made some kind of signal which meant TIGER.  Oh my god.  Were we really going to see two tigers on two safaris?  Is this tiger going to be closer than the other?  Will this tiger stay visible to the eye longer than the other?  Yes, yes, yes.  In a nutshell, we sat and watched this two year old female tiger for nearly two hours.  And I hardly blinked an eye.  At times, she was fifty feet away.  And although she would eat me for dinner (well maybe an appetizer), she looked like the sweetest, cutest, most cuddley animal I’ve ever seen.  Tigers are stunning.  Their eyes, their coloring, their paws.  I took almost 100 photos (obsessive, I know – I’ll spare showing you all of them).  She started out sitting in some grass, pretty well camouflaged.  Then she was eyeing the deer and wild boar from across the field.  Then she got up and starting yawning (which is supposedly a sign of hunger) and licking the grass.  And then, the most intense moment of all, she began the movement as if she was going in for a kill.  Her back legs were bent and she was ready to take off.  Tigers can run fast but they can’t run distances so their food needs to be fairly close in order to make it a successful mission.  Luckily, it didn’t end up happening.  I’m not quite sure if I could recover after seeing a tiger eat a boar or a deer.  That’s pretty traumatizing, although I am fully aware that’s the circle of life.

As the sun was beginning to set around 5pm, we headed back to the hotel.  What a phenomenal day.  We couldn’t have asked for anything better.

That night, we had dinner and sat in the common area with our new friends – David and Jenny from Australia and Melanie and Amy from Chicago.  Wonderful people with wonderful stories.  Amy is now living in Delhi as her husband got transferred for three years so Melanie is just visiting.  The intriguing part about these two is how they met.  Ironically, both are caucasian from Chicago, both had one biological son, then both decided to adopt baby girls from China instead of having more biological children.  Amy adopted first, then worked at the adoption agency part time and that’s when she met Melanie.  Fourteen years later, they are best friends.

And I can’t forget the new animal we added to our list – elephants.

If anyone reading this is planning a trip to India, you absolutely have to add Ranthambore National Park and Khem Villas to your itinerary.  What a priceless experience and such a fabulous way to see a whole new side to this massive country that most people don’t even know about.  Even if you aren’t planning a trip or weren’t ever thinking of visiting India, this is a pretty legit excuse to change your mind.

That’s it for this chapter.

Good night and farewell from the land of the tigers!