India

Summary

2007-12-18T05:18:00.001-07:00

Because the posts are sorted newest to oldest, I've taken the time to organize them from first to last so that it reads chronologically. Each one will open up in a new window:

Nov. 14: How it all began
Nov. 15: On my own, here we go!
Nov. 17: Almost there
Nov: 18: Delhi, India
Nov 19: Last day in Delhi
Nov 20: Busy in Agra
Nov 23: Taj Mahal - it deserves it's own entry
Nov 23: Welcome to Rajasthan
Nov 23: Bika.. what?
Nov 25: Two days in Jaisalmer
Nov 26: Heading south through Jodhpur
Nov 27: Ranakpur to Udaipur
Nov 28: Relaxing in Udaipur
Nov 29: Avoid Ahmadabad
Nov 30: Two or three days in Daman?
Dec. 1: Moti Daman
Dec. 4: Changing plans in Aurangabad
Dec 5: Hyderabad with Babette, Kim and Ramon
Dec 7: Hyderabad to Hampi
Dec 7: Happy in Hampi
Dec 8: Staying in Hampi
Dec 9: At the lake near Hampi
Dec 10: Shopping and the country side
Dec 13: Moving on, almost home
Dec 14: Bangalore
Dec 15: Limping through the Bangalore Bazaar
Dec 16: The perfect circle

The perfect circle

2007-12-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I fly back to Canada and the trip has ended perfectly! As I was walking through the streets of Paharaganj I saw Emilie, the girl who I mentioned in the very first entry of this journal. What a small place, just a couple of days ago we were in two entirely different parts of India. I spent a little bit of the morning with her and her friend Satoko and then they had to take a taxi to Agra. It was nice to see her India and I'll see her again back in Calgary.

I spent most of the time in the main bazaar, talking to the locals and the tourists and bargaining for goods with the shop owners. I also got in some more sight seeing, visiting the Red Fort and the Gandhi museum. I'm a huge admirer of Gandhi and visiting the museum was quite inspiring.

anything in India it's patience. You have to learn to go with the flow and let go of the concept of time andI enjoyed Delhi more the second time around. If you learn line-ups. Having patience is the only method to get through the traffic, the dirt and the scams -- and see the many good things India has to offer. It's been really fun.

The red fort:

Gandhi's last steps before being assassinated:

Paharaganj:

Last sunrise in India:

Limping through the Bangalore Bazaar

2007-12-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

The best thing about Bangalore has to be its bazaar. It's packed from about nine in the morning to eleven at night. Everything is sold here on the street. You can find spices on one corner and brand new computers on the next. I bought some cell phone face plates that would normally cost about twenty-five dollars for about two bucks. Another bonus is that no one bothers me here. At the bazaars in other cities they see tourists as walking money bags, at this one I get an occasional look but no one is insisting that I see their store.

At the hotel I ran into a couple from Ireland who I met in Hampi just before I got on the bus. They joined me for dinner and then we went to looking for a place to finish the day in Irish style -- drinking. This place has a heavy Muslim influence and finding a place that serves alcohol was a little bit of a challenge.

It's interesting to note that for every twenty people here there seems to be a temple. Mostly Hindu temples with unique rooftop carvings and a few mosques and churches. I walked around for a few blocks but eventually my sprained ankle started to feel sore and a little painful so I decided to head back to the hotel. It's now turned a nice blue and red colour. I was going to post some photos of it but it's pretty gross so I decided not to. It's been really frustrating not being able to go at the pace that I'm used to.

Pictures from the Bangalore bazaar:

Bangalore

2007-12-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

I'm in Bangalore and it's a bit of a boring place. It's big and I'm not fond of big places. There's lots to do in terms of shopping, but not much for sight seeing. It's been difficult to get a rickshaw without getting ripped off, but I found one guy who was willing to give me a good deal and he's been driving me around all day. I arranged that he pick me up tomorrow for the airport.

I started the day with the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, which was perfect way to ease into a busy city. Then I went to the Bull and Krishna temple, followed by the Tipu Sultan's Palace. After that I went to do some shopping. I won't be doing much else before I fly to Delhi. Maybe check out the local bazaar, buy some presents and find a restaurant with some tourists who might be up for a game of chess.

On the streets of Bangalore:

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens:

Temple decorations and carvings:

Moving on, almost home

2007-12-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is my last day in Hampi. I never imagined I would spend so much time in one place! It was a new experience for me; I generally get very impatient staying in one place for too long. It was good to learn how to relax on your vacation and for that Babette and Kim were good teachers.

Sitting on a giant rock next to the river while a friend played the guitar and the sun started to set, I said goodbye to the friends I traveled with for the last nine days. It was more difficult than I expected.

I spent most of my time here being pretty active, but yesterday I sprained my ankle. So today I took it easy. There’s not much more to say about Hampi that I haven’t said already, the last few days I will show in pictures. My next stop is Banglore, where I’ll have a day of exploring before I fly to Delhi and from there back home.

An elephant walks down to the river for a bath:

The best way to see the area around Hampi:

Farmers near the town:

On top of the monkey temple:

Ramon and the monkeys enjoying the view:

Being blessed by Lakshmi:

Shopping and the country side

2007-12-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Spent the whole morning talking to the locals and looking for things to buy. I've found many interesting people in Hampi. It seems that people from all over India come here. Different cities of India specialize in different things. You can usually tell where someone is from just by the crafts they're selling. I'm not sure that I'll be buying much here. The best crafts Hampi has to offer are made of stone and I don't really feel like carrying rocks around in my backpack. Does anyone really like stone carvings?

In the afternoon I rented a motorcycle and rode around the countryside on my own. It was a nice experience in that I was able to pull over everywhere, take photos, talk to people and see how they live. I also visited one of the nearby monuments known as the "monkey temple". It didn't have much to offer in terms of architecture, but it had a great view of the surrounding area and friendly monkeys.

I went back to the lake to see if I could get some good sunset photos. The photos didn't really do the place justice.

Sunrise in Hampi:

View from the monkey temple:

A woman watches over buffalo:

A boy from a nearby village:

Sunset over the lake:

At the lake near Hampi

2007-12-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

We are now on the other side of the river that separates Hampi. The half that we left is where all the temples, tourists and amenities are. The side we're at now is only bungalows with hammocks, a couple of internet cafes and a whole lot of hippies. The boat to the main part of Hampi stops at 6:00 pm. so if anyone wants something from India, let me know now.

I spent the whole day relaxing by a nearby lake. It's about five kilometers so we rented motorcycles and rode there. Ramon and I shared the tiny motorcycle you see in the photo. I wish I had a photo of us trying to go up a hill. At the lake I climbed among the rocks and took in the sun while my friends swam and sun bathed. After the sun went down we went to the restaurant, had drinks and played cards.

Sunrise over Hampi bazaar:

Streets on the other side of the river:

The lake:

Last boat to cross the river:

Staying in Hampi

2007-12-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

I’m tempted to stay here for the remainder of my journey. I feel so guilty saying that, but I’m really not sure that I’m interested in taking the trains and buses through the rest of south India. It’s so draining to lose a day just to traveling. It’s been really nice to have company and here there are many people to meet and talk to. Not only tourists, but the Indian people too.

While exploring the ruins of Hampi, I made friends with two Indian students, Chandru and Ashok. They passed by me on a small motorcycle and stopped to offer me a ride – at no charge. Three people on a tiny scooter, why not? Well it wasn’t the best idea. As we drove over some sand the motorcycle started to wobble and we lost control. My two new friends fell to the ground with the motorcycle on top of them. I hopped off as soon as I noticed it was going down. Chandru seemed to be slightly hurt and the motorcycle was a little damaged, but these guys took it in stride. They didn’t complain, they didn’t ask for help and they assured me that it wasn’t my fault. They then continued to show me other ruins, but this time we parked the motorcycle and walked around. When we went our separate ways we exchanged e-mail and I promised to send them some of the pictures I took.

On my way to other ruins I ran into Babette and Kim (they slept in), who were going by on a rickshaw. It’s pretty hot here and I was quite relieved to hop in and join them. Staying here for the rest of my trip will mean a lot of sun. I expect to come back with a good tan.

We’re planning to move to the other side of the river tomorrow. This means that Babette and Kim can stay in the hammocks near the river, while Ramon and I boulder or hike. They say they might join us, but I’m skeptical.

Streets of Hampi in the morning:

Ashok and Chandru

Ruins in the distance:

Chandru at the stone gate ruins:

Happy in Hampi

2007-12-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Parry strongly recommended visiting Hampi and I'm really glad I took his advice. It's a really interesting place, many ruins, and it's a smaller town with a slower pace. It seems there are more tourists here than locals, though sadhus still wander the streets. It might be a good place to spend a few days.

Ramon has already been to Hampi, so today we had a guide for free. On his suggestion, we rented bicycles and rode from ruin to ruin. There's hardly any traffic here so we had no problems getting used to staying on the left side of the road. Even better was that most of the ruins (and there are many) don't require any entrance fees. We are planning to spend a few days here, so we didn't feel rushed to see everything.

After an easy morning of sight seeing, we went for lunch and drinks. Ramon took us to a nice little restaurant perched on the bank of a river. Aside from all the mosquitoes (they're so vicious here), it was quite enjoyable.

My first day in Hampi ended with a river float in a funny round boat with my traveling companions. On the nearby cliffs a Bollywood movie was being made and it created some amusement as we took in the sun. This pace is starting to feel more like a vacation.

P.S. Did I mention I hate mosquitoes?

A monkey runs across the path of some local students:

Kim and Babette at their favorite sight:

Some intricate carvings on a ruined temple:

Columns made of black stone:

The gang, relaxing by the river:

Floating on the river in a strange raft:

Hyderabad to Hampi

2007-12-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

Day two in Hyderabad was easier than the first. While Ramon played on the internet, Babette, Kim and I went to see the Golkonda fort. This fort is on a hill top and it was a hot day, so we (and by we I mean Babette) took many rests on the way up.

The fort was not as good as the many others I've seen already. Much of it was gated off. However, it did provide a nice view of the city.

The rest of the day we spent at the train station. Traveling by train seems to cost a day of sight seeing. I'm really starting to miss travel by private taxi.

To friends of Kim and Babette who may have received this link by e-mail: They want me to say only good things. I guess I won't mention how grumpy they are in the morning! Both Kim and Babette are really wonderful (really they're not making me say that). They've made my trip much more enjoyable.

To friends of Ramon: He complains that I only take pictures of the girls. It's true -- they're cuter.

Babette and Kim make their way up to the fort:

A mosque at the top of the fort:

The view from the top:

Hyderabad with Babette, Kim and Ramon

2007-12-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

Traveling with these three has been pretty easy! Ramon and Babette do all the work while Kim and I just sit back and enjoy the show. It's been a much more casual pace and while I'm not seeing as many sights, I'm experiencing more of the culture.

It's interesting how people (mostly men) react to Kim and Babette. At the train station at Aurangabad crowds of men started to form around us with every pair of eyes locked onto the two girls. Here women don't wear very revealing clothes and I think that explains the staring. Later some girls approached and asked Babette for her photo and (believe it or not) autographs. Because I was with her they wanted mine too. We even signed their soccer ball. Of course all this attention, if flattering at first, wore thin quickly. We soon found ourselves overwhelmed and started feeling claustrophobic. People here don't know the meaning of personal space and we were literally pushed up against each other as a huge circle formed around us. Luckily the train came and we were able to get away.

The train to Hyderabad was very long and it makes me glad I took a taxi through Rajasthan. It's really not the most efficient way to travel -- or the most comfortable. There are no announcements when the train stops so you always have to ask if this is the right stop. Sometimes the station is labeled and sometimes not. Sometimes it's labeled incorrectly. The train was an hour late departing and two hours late arriving. It took about twelve hours. It was a new experience for me and it was nice to have others to experience it with.

In Hyderabad we found a hotel quickly and set out to do some exploring. This city has a big Muslim population which means that the women are even more covered up. Most women here wear a burqa, and my two lady friends were getting even more attention. They were not feeling very comfortable walking the streets and a number of times said they were glad Ramon and I were with them.

After visiting the Charminar, we went to a nearby park where we felt there would be less people. There we took a ferry to see the world's biggest free standing Buddha statue in the middle of the Hussain Sagar. The rest of the day we spent at an expensive restaurant (for Indian standards) enjoying food, drinks and sharing stories.

Kim, Babette and Ramon figuring out where to go:

Charminar:

Buddha statue at Hussain Sagar:

Changing plans in Aurangabad

2007-12-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Aurangabad two days ago. My arrival time was late so really I had one full day here. It's a fun city and the hotel I'm staying at has many travelers. It's a great place to take it easy.

Yesterday I spent sight seeing and the sights were good. The first place I went to was the Ellora caves. Caves with carved out columns, statues and thousands of rooms that date back to 600 A.D. It was an interesting sight for me because I love history.

After the caves my rickshaw driver convinced me to go to the nearby Daulatabad fort. I really didn't feel like it because I've seen so many forts already, but this one was different. The fort encompassed a huge area and had a palace perched right on top of a hill. Getting there was really fun, many flights of stairs and many levels with towers and canons. There was even a secret passageway that guides offered to take you through but I preferred to stay outside and take pictures than mingle with the rats in the dark passages. This was the first time I felt like I was getting any exercise in India. At the very top there was a platform, which had a 360-degree view of the surrounding area.

My rickshaw driver then took me to the Bibi ka Maqbara, also known as "the poor man's Taj Mahal" because the entry fee is only 2 dollars ($20 for the Taj). You can see the resemblance, but it really doesn't compare it's quite run down. They are in the process of restoring it and it might be really nice in a few years.

Back at the hotel I mingled with other travelers and made friends with Ramon from Spain and Babette and Kim from Belgium. Really friendly girls, though Kim is a little intimidating at first. I changed my plans to travel with them and I may not go to Goa as I originally intended. We'll be traveling together to Hyderabad and I'm excited to finally have some company along the way.

Some locals at the caves:

The caves on the outside:

Inside the caves:

Example of the carvings:

Heading to the fort:

Many levels with a moat:

At the top of the fort:

Moti Daman

2007-12-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

I thought Nani Daman and Moti Daman were names of the two Portugese forts in the town of Daman, but I've come to realize that this is actually a distinction between two areas of the town. I think "Nani" means little and "Moti" means big.

I woke up early and went to the fort of Nani Daman, where I watched the sun rise over the Daman Ganga, kids exercising in the courtyard of the fort and the fishermen prepping their boats for the day. As the sun rose I made my way to Moti Daman and explored the larger of the two forts. This was quite a treat.

The fort of Moti Daman contains three or four churches (one a ruined monastary), a light house and a whole bunch of little Portugese influenced houses. I thourougly explored it and was able to find a number of places where I could climb up to the walls and bastions to have a better look at the town and ocean (or rather the Arabian Sea).

It's an inhabited fort and the people that live in it seem to be really well off. The traffic seems restricted to motorcycles and cars with a permit and the streets are lush, lined with trees and shrubs. There are jungle-like gardens everywhere and they're full of animals, bugs and flowers that were all new to me. The place is well taken care of and I noticed people sweeping the streets, racking leaves, etc. There are no locked gates, guards, guides or admission fees. You go where you please and only once in a while do you see a sign that warns of fines if any ruins or the fort is damaged. This was a first for me in India and I think it's because not many tourists visit here. I haven't ran into any foreign tourists, even at the internet cafes.

Tomorrow I leave Daman. It was quite peaceful and definitely one of my highlights on this trip. I made arrangements to take a train to Mumbai (Bombay) where I'll hop on a domestic airplane and make my way to Aurangabad.

The bridge over the Daman Ganga, heading to Moti Daman:

Inside the Moti Daman fort:

Inside one of the wall fortifications:

Dominican monastery ruins, used by the local boys for
cricket:

Two or three days in Daman?

2007-11-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

It was a very long day. I went from Ahmadabad to Daman, a distance of 354 kms and it took me the entire day to get here! The speed we traveled at probably averaged 25-30 kms. Even on a major highway the traffic is insane.

In India most goods are delivered via medium sized trucks that are usually packed way beyond intended capacity. They rule the roads and if they don't move, you don't move. To add to the traffic problem, throughout Gujarat the highway is being widened and the construction made for some very long stops on a very hot day.

But the long trip was worth it, what a change! I went from a busy, polluted and overpopulated Ahmadabad to a scenic oceanside resort town of only thirty five thousand. There's no foreign tourists here (it's difficult to get here by train or bus) and I seem to be the town attraction. I've been told that I remind them of Salman Kahn, a Bollywood movie star. I don't see it, but I don't mind the attention. :)

Daman is an old port town where the Portugese built a couple of 500 year old forts. It's really beautiful and I've got a nice hotel room for a fair price. I expected to pay a lot more because the population here seems to be mostly middle class. I've decided to stay here for at least a couple of days.

The sun was setting when I got here and I didn't really have time to do much. I went to the nearby Nani Daman (Fort of St. Jerome) and tomorrow I'll try to explore some of the other sights.

Crows resting on the ruins of the Nani Daman:

Fishing boats in the harbour:

Avoid Ahmadabad

2007-11-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

It's really like I've entered another country! Everything from the alphabet to the language is different. Not only do people not speak English, they don't even speak Hindi -- which is supposed to be widely spoken in India. Each state here seems to have it's own language.

People here have been pretty unwilling to help and finding a hotel was quite hectic. The hotel I did find I had to haggle for to get down to 200 rupees, which is roughly five dollars per night. It's easily the dirtiest hotel I've stayed at so far and yet not the cheapest.

The only place I've seen any tourists is in what seems to be the ONLY internet cafe in a city. I find this really unusual for a city of 4.5 million! I had to wait an hour to get to a computer. Walking the streets I could immidately feel the pollution in my nose and throat. It's not a pleasant city to explore. The traffic is insane! I'll be leaving tomorrow and it's not soon enough.

Relaxing in Udaipur

2007-11-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

I got up early in the morning and went to see the Sajjangarh Fort, the City Palace and the Jagdish Temple. I didn't take many photos and the sights didn't really offer much that I haven't already seen in other parts of Rajasthan. There were a number of other sights to see, but all I really wanted to do was get an idea of where I wanted to be for the rest of my trip and spend the remainder of the day relaxing. I did just that.

I booked a domestic flight from Bangalore to Delhi for December 15 which means that the rest of my trip will be spent exploring south India. I also arranged for transportation to my next stop, Ahmadabad, Gujarat. I went to a nearby restaurant where I spent the rest of the day playing chess with David and Marie (the couple from France) and sharing stories with other travellers.

The view from the fort:

A sadhu in front of the Jagdish Temple:

Ranakpur to Udaipur

2007-11-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

I woke up early in Jodhpur and met up with Bhuwan outside of my hotel at 6:30 am. The sun started to rise shortly after we left the city. Immediately the scenery started to change. We left the desert for lush hillsides. It was a quick drive to Ranakpur and right away we went to the Jain temples. What a sight! The architecture is amazing and each column (over a hundred columns) is decorated with unique carvings. I could have spent hours in there and I easily took over a 100 photos.

My original plan had been to stay a night in Ranakpur, but I heard accomodation in nearby Udaipur was cheaper and it's known for being one of the favorites for tourists. I thought it would be better to keep driving and spend a couple of nights in one place -- for a change.

We reached Udaipur before sunset and this was the last stop on my taxi tour. This tour was worth every penny. It really helped ease me into my trip and I highly recommend it as a way to travel through India. I was really lucky to get Bhuwan as my driver and saying goodbye was surprisingly difficult. Over the last few days I've gotten to know him well. During the long drives we talked and joked about everything from politics to religion to girls. He had as many questions about Canada as I did about India. I may see him again in Delhi before I fly out. We made plans to get together for "momo," a type of dumpling and one of his favorite foods to eat.

I spent the evening playing chess with David from France and watching the sun set over Lake Pichola, the lake Udaipur is built around.

Jain temples:

Bhuwan and me with the taxi:

Sunset over Lake Pichola in Udaipur:

Heading south through Jodhpur

2007-11-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

I'm at an internet cafe in Jodhpur, the second biggest city in Rajasthan. A wedding procession just passed by and all I can say is "Wow!" Indian people really know how to have a wedding. The whole city seems to get involved and everyone joins in on the parade. The more people that come the better. Right now seems to be a good month to get married.

I really like Jodhpur. I find it quite fun to explore, there are markets everywhere and the streets are too narrow for buses and big cars. Mehrangarh (a giant fort) overlooks the city. In some places its walls are 400 feet high. It's impressive! I spent the morning and afternoon walking around the fort looking down on the city. The palace can be seen in the distance and it too looks impressive. It's not that much of a tourist attraction, it's still used by the royal family and part of it is used as a hotel. I don't want to know how much a night there costs!

Near the fort I saw the Jaswant Thada, an impressive marble monument marking the royal cremation ground. I think the temperature today reached 35 degrees and I decided that was enough sight seeing for me.

I found a nice little guest house ran by a very friendly family. From the rooftop I can see the city and the fort. There I ate dinner, something that can best be described as an egg and cheese pizza. It was quite tastey.

If I weren't trying to see as much as possible in one month, Jodphur is a place where I wouldn't mind spending a few days.

Inside the fort:

One of the many canon's still guarding the fort:

Jaswant Thada:

The fort and city as seen from the Jaswant Thada:

The streets of Jodhpur:

Two days in Jaisalmer

2007-11-25T02:39:00.000-07:00

My first night here was spent in the desert, with nothing more than a blanket, camels, beetles, scorpions and sand dunes. It was part of the 'camel safari' experience. After three hours on the back of the camel I'll be quite happy if I never have to ride a camel again. I'm still having troubles sitting. It seems most safaris here involve some ruin visit, mine didn't. It was just the ride, dinner, night and breakfast in the desert. There was no tent and most people slept right on the sand. With scorpions running around I'm glad I chose to sleep on a raised platform.

In Jaisalmer the only interesting thing to see was the fort. It's one of few (if not the only) forts that people still work, build and live in. I spent a good part of the day exploring the narrow streets and saying no to the many things people tried to sell me. In terms of architecture, there's not a lot to see but it does provide some insight in how life would have been here 700 years ago. I don't think it's changed much.

The desert is not to my liking. Tomorrow I'm off to Jodhpur.

Inside the fort:

Bika.. what?

2007-11-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Bikaner -- an alternative to Pushkar, on my way to Jaisalmer. There is a camel festival in Pushkar, making it difficult and quite expensive to get a place to stay. With prices going up five times the norm, I decided not to even bother and settled for visiting Bikaner instead.

It's a quiet place compared to the places I've been to thus far. There's not much in terms of sight seeing, I went to the Junagarh Fort and the Lalgarh palace. They pale in comparison to what I've seen so far, but it was something to do for the afternoon.

Right now I'm in a VERY dusty computer cafe finishing up all my updates and I can't wait to get back to the hotel. It's one of my cheapest stays and it's incredibly clean -- it even has fully functional western toilets. The restaurant at the hotel is supposed to be really good, the food up to this point has been delicious!

Junagarh fort:

The street my hotel is on:

Welcome to Rajasthan

2007-11-23T04:55:00.000-07:00

Entering Rajasthan is like entering a different country. The people seem fierce and have a proud history. The landscape is mostly desert with imposing forts on every hill and palaces around every lake.

Like most who come to Rajasthan, my first stop was Jaipur. It's a busy city with a lot to see! I woke up early, met up Bhuwan and set out to see the Amber palace, just a few minutes outside of Jaipur. It's a beautiful palace overlooking a lake, built for concubines. Part of the taxi tour package included an elephant ride through the palace gate but a long line up of tourists suggested a two hour wait and I opted to go through the back entrance. Even in its run-down state it's impressive and one can't help wonder how it would have looked during its golden age.

Walking through the palace I met Pedro, a fellow from Portugal, running around and taking photos with the same enthusiasm and camera model as me and Tim and Christine, a couple from Australia who were eager to talk about Nikola Tesla. We were trying to figure out the easiest way to get up to the fort overlooking the palace and Tim and Pedro figured out a way through a palace window followed by a climb down one of the palace walls. It was like being in the game "Prince of Persia" and it made for a fun adventure -- making up for lackluster fort.

I returned to the city where I checked out various other sights such as the Hawa Mahal, the Jaipur City Palace and the Jantar Mantar. My driver also took me to the nearby Galtaji temple though instead of going to it I decided to hike up the hill to an abandoned and secluded fort. I had it all to myself and was also rewarded to a great view of the entire city.

While checking out these sights I ran Nick and Maggie (who I met in Delhi) and we talked about meeting up later for chess -- I don't think Maggie was too keen on that idea. I also met up with Manu (from Agra) and walked around searching for an internet cafe. We didn't find one but we did end up having a great dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Couldn't ask for a better day!

The walls of Amber fort:

Amber palace:

Amber from the walls of the palace:

Camel riders inside the fort:

This is who the fort belongs to now:

Cow road block while hiking to abandoned fort:

The city of Jaipur as seen from abandoned fort:

Taj Mahal - it deserves it's own entry

2007-11-23T04:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's impressive and quite inspiring. I spent all morning walking around and inside the Taj Mahal and its garden. The gates open at 6:00 am and I got there quarter to. They did not allow me to take my tripod inside and I was asked to check it in at the nearby lockers. On my way there I met one of the hundred Taj Mahal keepers who promised me the best Taj photos for 350 rupees (that's just under 10 USD). I told him if I can get an amazing shot, I'd be happy to give him the money. The photos were medicore, but he really tried his best to get me a good photo and took me to dozens of spots, even to a rooftop of his friends' place. After he invited me over to his place for tea, a tiny place where he lives with his wife, five sons and a daughter. I couldn't give him any less and I didn't feel ripped off.

Inside the gates of the Taj Mahal it's quite busy. Thousands of people and it's very difficult to get a photo without someone in it. I did my best waiting for people to get behind trees or pillars before taking the shot. It's really an amazing structure from all angles.

The reason it was built hits you as soon as you enter the tomb. It's beautiful inside and photos are not allowed. It's difficult to describe the emotions that hit you -- it's one of those things that everyone needs to experience for themselves.

(I hope these photos are not as crappy as they look on this ten year old computer, using Windows 98)

The classic shot:

From the side:

Inside one of the side structures:

Busy in Agra

2007-11-20T05:37:00.000-07:00

My night in Delhi ended in the company of Nick and Maggie, a friendly couple from Holland. Nick had a chess board and we played a couple of games. He's a very good player and the game was quite enjoyable. We tied at two games a piece and it got pretty late so we left it as a draw. We are traveling in the same direction so should we happen to run into each other again we may play one last time.

The next day I met up with my taxi driver and we drove straight to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. It's unbelievably busy here, the traffic is much worse than in Delhi. It made sight seeing much slower and I only got two sights in; Agra Fort and Itmad-ul-Daulah's Tomb.

The fort was fantastic. It took a good chunk of the day to take in and it seemed to be quite popular with the locals too. The tomb was not worth the entry fee still it provided some good photos.

I made friends with a girl that's staying at the same hotel, I believe she said her name was Manu (as in Manuela). We explored the fort together and then she went to the Taj Mahal. She should be getting back soon and I'm looking forward to seeing her photos. I'll be going there tomorrow with the hope of getting a good sunrise shot.

Manu taking photos at the fort:

One of the many rooms in the fort:

Itmad ul Daulah's Tomb:

Last day in Delhi

2007-11-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

An almost perfect day spent in Delhi today. I visited the India Gate, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb and the Jama Masjid. Just about all the sights that I wanted to see. The only one I'm sorry I missed is the Lal Qila (The Red Fort), which I might check out when I return to Delhi.

I booked a taxi driver until Nov. 28 and if everything works out as they promised it will be hassle free traveling up to Udaipur. I'm not sure that it's the best way to "experience" India or that I got a very good deal, but it sure is great for photos. This allows me to pull over and take photos at any point along the way, unlike with a train.

My Taxi driver's name is Bhuwan, a fellow from Nepal. We talked a lot about mountains and hiking. I guess I'll be getting to know him quite well for the next several days. Tomorrow morning we're off to Agra.

India Gate:

Qutub Minar:

Humayun's Tomb:

Jama Masjid:

Delhi, India

2007-11-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in a little backpacker haven in Delhi called Paharganj. It's a neat little maze of narrow streets loaded with travelers and locals looking to take advantage of them.

I dodged a few a couple of scams right off the bat and got myself to the hotel I booked over the internet in a reasonable time. My taxi driver did tried to tell me that he couldn't find my hotel and did try to take me to other places (where he'd get commission) but I didn't fall for it and eventually got where I needed to. The hotel I booked wasn't to my liking so I walked around until I found a better/cleaner one for $7/night.

I thought about going to do some sight seeing right away but decided instead to just stroll around and get a feel for the streets and the people. There wasn't any culture shock and really the street life here is not much different than that of Vietnam and Cambodia. Just like in Vietnam and Cambodia every local I talk to compliments me on the style of my beard. They wonder if this look is popular in Canada.

Most people that approach me look to make money in some form or another but I did make friends with one guy named Kumar, who spent a good chunk of the day showing me around. The only thing he asked for in return was a chance to practice his English. Walking around with him I got no hassle from other locals. I gave him my e-mail and this website -- so Kumar, if you're reading this and I spelled your name wrong let me know and thanks again for your help.

I was in Connaught Place booking trips to Rajasthan and it got dark pretty quickly. I ended up having to find my way back through dark narrow streets. It was a little difficult but interesting at the same. As soon as I started seeing white people, I knew I was back near Paharganj. Eventually I found my way.

There are a lot of nice looking backpacker girls here, wow! Time to go make some friends!

My hotel in Paharganj:

A maze of narrow streets:

A girl with a baby begging for money on a busy street:

Almost there

2007-11-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

I'm in Taipei, Taiwan and waiting for my transfer flight to Delhi. It's 6:05a.m. on Sunday, local time -- I'm blogging from the future!

It was a super long flight from Vancouver and next to me was a guy that didn't have any concept of personal space. If there wasn't an arm rest between us, he'd be spooning me. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep. Hopefully the flight to Delhi will be better.

At this airport internet access is free. Wish more places would do that.

On my own, here we go!

2007-11-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

I fly out tomorrow! I was to meet up with Emilie in Delhi and travel with her for a few days. The latest update is that she didn't get her visa and will not be able to join me as planned. It may be that I'll be on my own for the entire trip -- and that's fine. There is a possibility that we may meet up in Delhi on the day that I fly out.

How it all began

2007-11-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

Last year I caught the travel bug, during a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. It hasn't gone away, and all this year I've been thinking of places to go to. It's been difficult to decide, all I knew was that I wanted to take my vacation in the winter. The summer in the Rockies is just too beautiful to pass up and that meant I had to go somewhere warm.

The obvious choice was Mexico and I was quite close to buying a ticket. Combined with Guatemala and Belize I thought it would be fun -- but I just couldn't get excited about it.

A friend (Blanka) had just come back from India and brought with her some great photos and stories. Though the idea to go there still didn't occur to me. It wasn't until in early September, while I was talking with Emilie (a friend who's been teaching English in Japan and is now touring Asia) that I decided on India. We were discussing Blanka's trip and Emilie's desire to go, when she jokingly invited me to join her. I thought "why not" and within the next week had booked a flight.

India was pretty easy to get excited about. It seems that no where in the world do people find as much diversity, in every sense of the word. And no matter where you point the camera, an interesting photo presents itself. I'm very much looking forward to it.