Agra, Jan 27--29

detail of carving

Fatehpur Sikri--a stop on our way to Agra

Taj from across river

It's probably some sort of optical illlusion, but the farther away from the Taj Mahal, the larger it appears, and it is impressive at any distance. We see it just casually when we arrive in Agra, driving by and then taking a little hike to a spot across the river from it. We take some photos before the military shoos us away. We bring to his attention that others are also there whom he isn't shooing away, but I guess we look more radical than the normal Indians. We make arrangements, after driving around for quite some time to find the correct office, to visit the Taj at full moon the next night.

our treat for a long drive to Agra

Meanwhile, we do a little shopping and try to find a shop with a little replica of the Taj in marble as well as some other items. We also find a nice coffee shop and enjoy the chance to regroup again while we plan the day tomorrow. Nice Italian coffee is always a treat, although we've had some fine coffee here in India.

it's really amazing to be here

pretty mysterious looking, huh?

We enter the gate a few minutes after 7 am and proceed through the garden area to the inside gate and get a glimpse of the famous building through the Gothic arch. It is swirled in mysterious fog. I use the word mysterious to assuage our disappointment that we won't be seeing it in bright sun light. But it does give an aura of mystery. We spend 2 hours walking around this lovely and romantic building. The marble gleams and little specks of stone glimmer even without direct sun. Inside the dome in the center lies the emperor Shah Jahan's favorite wife; his crypt lies to the side of her. Actually, the real bodies lie in the basement of the Taj and nobody can go down there. Everything is white marble with inlay of carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise and malachite in intricate flower patterns and designs. Stunning! We wander for a couple of hours, look at each section (it's smaller up close) take a few more photos and depart back to our hotel for breakfast. We are looking forward to seeing this gorgeous structure in the moonlight.

entering the Agra Fort

Meanwhile, we visit Agra Fort which was built by Akbar in 1565, transformed into a palace, and finished by his grandson Shah Jahan who built the Taj. It had been covered in rich paintings and gold leaf, with Persian rugs and silk curtains. All this opulence was seized by mogul kings as they invaded and finished off by the British.  It is a very large area and is incredible to envision all the rich dressings that adorned the now-plain walls and floors. Still, there are beautiful carvings and jalis, which is a screen carved out of one piece of marble. That, in itself, is pretty unbelievable.

carved from single piece of marble

Some dinner, and then it is almost time for the evening viewing of the Taj. This takes place only 5 days out of a month, the night of the full moon and 2 days before and after it. The moon is rising as we eat dinner, but there is a fog/smog that is forming. Actually, there has been quite a lot of smog, and no wonder; every little group of people make a fire with the trash they sweep up. It's the case in every town and village that we have seen. But since we had to buy our tickets yesterday, and this is our last night in Agra, we must go, smog or no.

the Taj at night--kind of dark but visible

It's a very secure and somewhat complicated way that the Indians have this night visit set up. First, you must buy your tickets ahead of time at a special office; you need a copy of your passports to sign up. Then you must show up an hour ahead of schedule, go through airline quality security and get on a special bus that carries rifle-toting military personnel. They drive you to the east entry gate, you get out of the bus and walk through the gate, but not before your identity is checked again. So, we do all this and finally get in the grounds of the Taj. Just as I suspected, we aren't allowed to go up to the building at all. The Taj is not lit at night, so we are depending on the moonlight which, unfortunately, is not forthcoming because of the smog. Still, there's a very faint glow, and I can get a photo which is visible but barely.

an Indian classic--riding on top of the train

As we leave Agra, we come across a classic Indian scene--a local train with about 300 people on the top.  We've heard about this and we've also seen it in movies, but I never expected to see it in real lifet.  We are so lucky!  

Ranthambore and Keoladeo National Parks, Jan 24--27

coming back from seeing our tiger--we're happy

The sole reason for going to Ranthambore is to see a tiger, but since the chances are only at 22% of spotting one during this season, I do not have high hopes. We arrive at 1 in the afternoon, have a lunch and are off on a safari at 3.

There are 2 kind of vehicles possivble to take on a safari: a 20 person open truck or a jeep for 5. The less expensive is the 20 person vehicle, of course, so we first opt for that one. It's sunny but chilly as we drive out to the national park and enter amid touts selling all kind of souvenirs, especially jackets, hats and t shirts. The roads are 2 wheel tracks and the woods are mostly trees with little underbrush. We see many animals—sambar deer, spotted deer, two types of owls, wild boar, monkeys, gazelles, Indian magpie and about 6 other species of birds. Alas, no tigers. After 3 hours, we turn back and deliver everyone to their own hotel. Tomorrow we'll try again, this time in the morning.

T34

So, at 7 am we again board (this time a jeep) and head to another area with an even narrower track that can't accommodate large trucks. The driver and guide spot some tiger tracks, but the woods, this time, are very dense. There are trees but with tall grass covering the area beneath them. I take a photo of the tiger print just in case it's the closest we get to the real thing. I also take a photo of the narrow lane that we are about to turn on. As soon as we turn, however, our driver comes to a quick halt. "Tiger," our guide says and all heads snap to the left. Sure enough, the tiger that must have been coming toward us, before we turned the corner, has just stepped off the road and into the tall grass. He looks back, and neatly disappears into the camouflage, but I get a quick camera shot off and Terry, who is sitting behind me, takes the camera with the telephoitself to and gets another. The beast is very very big, and as we learn later, he is T34, the largest tiger in the park. What a magnificent specimen! He's about 400 pounds, his back is 4 ft high and he's about 6 ft long plus his tail which is about 4 feet.

With that, our quest has ended, and we make plans to leave tomorrow, happy about it since the hotel is freezing. They're expperiencing an unexpected cold spell and have no heat. Brrr. Maybe Bharatpur and Kaladeo Bird Sanctuary will be warmer.

yours truly there behind the speaker

a 12-year-old dancer

darling school children--and well-behaved

The trip to Bharatpur and Keoladeo National Park starts off calmly enough. It's January 26, India's Republic Day and people are gathered in every town mostly at the school grounds. I ask our driver what they do there, and he says that they mostly pray. But when we pass by in some villages, it looks like there is music, too. I keep questioning him about it, so he finally stops and suggests that I peek into one, which I think is a good idea. So, I walk up to the tall fence that surrounds the school yard, and look inside. At that, some boys see me and motion for me to come in. Thinking I could stand at the back of the small crowd and take a few photos, I go in. But, to my surprise, the speaker at the front of the gathering acknowledges me and announces my visit. All heads turn and a murmur rises. Should I cut and run? No, I go to the front of the assembly, sit down, watch singers and dancers, make a little speech, smile, and wonder to myself how in the world I am going to get away without hurting any feelings. After about an hour and Terry's entry and introduction, shaking hands with everyone who passes by, I whisper to the master of ceremonies that we really need to carry on with our trip. We slip out.

one of the school boys

4 lanes of traffic going every which-way

Pretty soon, however, we run into miles of trucks parked on one side of the road in the left hand lane of traffic.  Jaq finds it very difficult for us to proceed, and we weave in and out, along with the usual road warriors.  Now, however, we have to contend with a one lane road and lots of holiday traffic that includes about 500 trucks.  Venicles are passing on all sides; it looks like a free-for-all.  We need some tranquilizers.  Just another wild and crazy day of traffic in India.

an overloaded truck, too

male blue bull

We arrive in Bharatpur just in time to go to Keoladeo National Park where we take a three mile hike with our guide who points out about 20 different species of birds, many migrating from Mongolia, Siberia and Afghanistan. My favorite is the citron wagtill (he calls it) which is a beautiful bright yellow, but the pink-footed stork is Terry's favorite. The marshland, which is an old raj hunting ground, is quiet and peaceful, a welcome respite from the drive.  It is a world famous bird sanctuary and one of the most important bird breeding and feeding grounds.  We also spot a blue bull, the largest species in the gazelle family; it's about the size of an elk.  A jackal watches us then slips away; we hear him howling a sound like a baby's cry a few minutes later.  As darkness closes in, we make our way out of the park and walk back to the hotel.

some of the goodies at the wedding party

On the way, we pass the preparation for a wedding celebration, and we stick our heads in the fenced in area, decorated with awnings, cloth, and blinking lights.  It is the size of a football field, and all around the edge are booths filled with people who are cooking and serving food.  What an array of goodies!  Indians traditionally spend millions of rupees for wedding ceremonies and receptions, and this one is typical, we are told.  It's pretty amazing.  No wonder parents start saving the minute a daughter is born.  We are shown around, given a sample of something delicious, then we make our way to our own hotel next door for dinner.  The party goes full tilt until midnight.  We sleep peacefully after that, ready to hit the road tomorrow, bound for Agra and the Taj Mahal.

 coming at us from all directions. Just another day of driving in India!

Bundi, Jan 23

Jaq, our driver, feeding the sacred cows

The road to Bundi is dotted with small villages with lots of interesting activity and keeps my mind off the constant bouncing.  The roads are terrible.  Life must be pretty simple in these villages. We see lots of men standing around or sitting and visiting. Some are cooking or making fires. Women are also cooking or taking care of children, shopping at the small outdoor wagon markets or selling what looks like home grown vegetables. Some people are hauling water or milk, making bricks or cow patties, or cutting tree branches. Our driver tells us they sell the branches very cheaply so people can buy them to give to the cows, a gesture that is sure to please the gods since cows are considered sacred. People, especially children, wave to us.

bats in fort in Bundi

We reach Bundi in the afternoon. It is a small town with not much to do. However, see (still another) palace, this one, at one time, was probably pretty significant; the road going through the walls and up toward the castle entrance is wide with stones that are set sideways and worn to a shine. Bats inhabit the now empty rooms, and walls are falling in. It's yet another example of historical structure that, sadly, has not been maintained.

marriage ceremony---parade

After dinner and blog writing, we prepare for bed, and I am actually in bed when we hear drums coming down the road in front of our hotel. We jump up, get our clothes back on and run outside to a parade. At first we aren't sure what the occasion is, but we wind our way through motorcycles, revelers, and past a man and small boy riding on a horse to the front of the parade where the band members, dressed in white uniforms, are playing drums and some kind of horns. People are dancing and walking with chandeliers, held with long sticks, and a generator following to keep them lit. It suddenly occurs to me that this is possibly a wedding, but where is the bride? We are told that she is waiting for the groom on horseback at the marriage ceremony place. Lucky us, we get to see a real part of Indian life.

downtown Bundi

selling greens for sacred cows

Udaipur, Jan 20--23

After driving hard almost the whole day, we arrive in Udaipur right after dark and hit the commuter traffic. Now all the cows, pigs, horses, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, trucks, buses, cars and pedestrians are trying to negotiate the street, but, just as I had heard, some of them don't use their lights! Bedlam turns into nightmare. A motorcycle that is turning in front of us goes down and the bike skids past our car, sparks flying out from all sides. The driver comes running after it, apparently not badly injured . We finally get to our hotel, and we collapse for only a few minutes since we need to eat dinner so we can really go to bed! But before we do, we glance outside to a lake surrounded by forts, palaces, fancy hotels, and restaurants all outlined with sparkling white lights.

sparkly view

first view of Udaipur skyline

Next morning we awake to a misty light over the lake. The part we can see is a fairy tale city, containing, the largest Rajistani palace where the maharana still lives with his family. Part of it has been turned into a Taj Hotel—very posh. And a small part of it is a museum housing early paintings, a room of early armaments, several courtyards, and public and private halls where commoners and then court ministers and other noblemen would inform the king of their complaints. Several rooms were covered in colored glass and mirrors, and some with precious jewels adhered to the walls. Quite a sumptuous way of life!

cupola ceiling, city palace

Udaipur city palace

city palace

lots of rubble and trash

The part of the city leading to the palace is an entirely different story, however. There are many poor families who are struggling to keep alive, some beggars, earnest store keepers, service oriented shops, vegetable sellers, 2-table cafes, rolling cart owners selling candy and chips, little shrines, and everywhere gaping holes in the sidewalks, rubble and trash and putrid water running through town or in creeks. Not everything is sparkly and bright, and all cities are plagued with this, some more than others.

Jagdish temple

The Jagdish Temple, built in 1651, is among the most interesting places we visit. It is there that we witness a Hindu ceremony with drums, cymbals, singing, and raising and clapping of hands. I'm not allowed to take photos, but it's all I can do to refrain myself.

disallowed photo of jagdish

little girl begging at Jagdish

We take a boat ride out onto the lake, get off at the island of the king's summer palace, walk around, get back on the boat, and go to dinner. We are, in all honesty, getting tired of Indian food, and I see that there are Italian dishes on the menu. I take a chance and order spaghetti, but it's definitely not up to Italian standards. Still, it's one night without curry. The setting is beautiful, right across the canal from the palace.

Add caption

The next day we visit Princesses' Garden of the Maids of Honor (Saheliyon-ki-bary) which has many of the plants that we find in Florida. A couple of young ladies ask to have their photo with me, and , of course, I'm happy to do it because I can have mine with them at the same time. One in particular is so sweet and after we take the photo with the 3 of us, she reaches over and hugs me. I hug her back, and her family takes the photo, but sadly, we had given the camera to our guide, and he didn't take the photo, so I miss it. One of several that I would like to have taken but missed.

monkeys at Moonsoon Palace

The Monsoon Palace, that we can see at night, looms high above the city on a hill. So, we are eager to drive up and see it. Unfortunately, no one takes care of it, and it is showing its age. Still, it has a beautiful view, and the hunting towers, where the raj would sit and shoot game that the servants would scare up, are visible, along with the viewing towers occupied by the ladies of the court. The movie “Octopussy”with Sean Connery was filmed here, as well as the city palace. Tomorrow we are scheduled to drive to Bundi, a city about which we know nothing.

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Jodhpur to Udaipur (Bishnoi Villages) Jan 20

1953 Land Rover

The sun is a golden ball as we head out to our jeep safari to visit the Bishnoi villages south of Jodhpur. It rained the same day and night that it did when we were in Jaipur, but because of the clay soil, the rainwater is still puddled on the unpaved roads. Deepak's 1953 Land Rover bounces us off our seats as he makes a stop at a potter's village. It's still pretty early, but the children are already playing on the clay and sawdust piles that they use to make the clay pots that women employ to carry water and that also keep the water cool in the heat of the summer.

making a pot

I expected the potter to have a kick wheel, but he didn't even have that. His wheel, typical of the potters in this and probably other villages, is perfectly balanced on the point of a piece of wood and turned with a stick. Remarkably, the wheel revolves for a long period of time while the potter makes a small pot with a lid. Again, he turns the wheel with the stick and makes a bigger pot. The results are rough but very pragmatic. We see the big piles of pots they have already made in the small kiln that is surprisingly sufficient for their products. Of course, we buy a few items and get back in the jeep for the second stop.

piles of clay pots

wild peacocks

fixing lunch in her kitchen

On the way we spot half a dozen gazelles, some peacocks and the ever-present Brahma bull. We were hoping to see some more animals, but then it's not a wildlife safari, so we are satisfied. We come to the second stop, not an artisan but a family who lives in a typical country house. It is rustic, for sure. The wife is very gracious and offers us a masala tea (chai). We accept, and she shows us her miniscule kitchen, sleeping rooms, and the animals' shelter.

fixing opium ceremony

The man of the house, her father-in-law, prepares an opium ceremony, much to our surprise. Deepak explains that the villagers have, for a long time, celebrated "opium ceremonies" not by smoking it but by making it into a tea. They grind the poppy seeds and mix with water, then they filter it, and, because it's bitter, add sugar and make it into a tar type of substance. For the ceremony they break off a piece of the opium mixture, add water. filter it, and pour it into their hands. The leader then offers a drink from his hand. Needless to say, we decline with big smiles, assuring him that the whole thing was most interesting.

our rug in progress

The third stop is at the hut of a dhurrie rug weaver (hooray). I've always enjoyed dhurries and hoped that I'd be able to see how they are made. We watch him weave and explain the pattern and how he goes about deciding which one he wants to do. He shows us a big stack and we decide that we actually like the one he is presently working on the best. He'll send it as soon as he's done.

bank card machine run on solar

Jain Temple

With that, our tour is over, and we head back to our driver, Jaq. From there we proceed to the Jain temple a few hours down the road. It is the largest and .most ornate in India and is quite an architectural wonder, besides. It's hard to describe, so I'll just put some photos of it on the blog.

close up of roofline Jain temple

Jain temple close up

me with guard (right) and little girl who wanted to be in photo
man with red turban??? I have no idea who he is
Now we are a bit behind schedule because we've stopped in extra places, so we set our compass south and head for Udaipur.

Jodhpur, Jan 18--20

whole family on scooter

It's still raining as we leave Jaipur on our westward jaunt to Jodhpur, but the road at present is pretty free of puddles, and remains so for about half the way.  Well, if it's going to rain, today is not a bad day to have it.  The trip takes 8 hours, and we stop periodically for tea breaks and lunch.  There are about 3 times as many trucks as there are cars.  Some trucks are hauling railroad cars.  The road turns into a small,  barely paved street with cars and trucks weaving around, through, and passing on both sides at once!  I really am surprised we haven't seen an accident besides the small one we had in Goa, and that one was just a motorcycle that hit us from behind.  No harm done except some flaring tempers.

on the road to Jodhpur

As we pass by, people are huddled on the ground to keep warm, and we see many small fires beside the road where they gather from the villages.  It's obvious these village people are very poor.  We spot shepherds with their sheep; pigs, dogs and cows wander at will.  The lush agricultural fields turn to rocky terrain where not much will grow.  Shrines are plentiful.

Pal Haveli's courtyard

We arrive in the afternoon at Jodhpur and find our hotel the Pal Haveli.  An haveli in earlier times was a traditional, ornately decorated residence with courtyards, etc.  It's not quite a palace, but it could be considered a villa in other parts of the world.  The Pal Haveli is yellow with a beautiful courtyard and a wide covered terrace lined with trees.

Towering over the city is the Mehrangarh Fort, its massive structure even more imposing because it's not only enormous itself, it's built on a 360 foot rock, to boot. That's 480 feet of deterrent to any invading army. I can't even imagine what any would-be conqueror must have thought at the sight of it. It was under siege for 6 months and held out. In fact, it was never conquered by force. The ruling family of Jodhpur still live in and manage this behemoth that overlooks the "blue city" named for the blue houses that used to be only for the Brahmin class..

Jodhpur--the blue city

Mehrangarh Fort at night

The fort atop the cliffs

massive doors--to keep war elephants from pushing them down

one of the many courtyards inside the fort

elephant howdah

wrought iron staircase in fort

the raj's chair--12 men carry it

white palace close-up

On our way out of the area, we stop in to see Jaswant Thada, the white palace. The grounds are beautiful with bougainvillea and ixora in lovely clumps. The palace itself is open only on the bottom floor, and we stroll through, taking in especially the marble floors, walls, ceilings, and carvings. Everything is beautiful and gleaming white.

Back at Pal Haveli, we take a few minutes to rest, have dinner, and enjoy the city and fort view from the rooftop terrace . I decide to call Mom on Skype, and while I am talking with her, I think it would be interesting for her to see the street activity if the signal allows me to take the computer outside the Haveli walls--fun if she can actually see the people walking in their colorful clothing and see the traffic, and hear the horns blowing. And at the same time, the people on the street can see her! Many people stop to say hello and ask where she is from. They ask her if she likes President Obama. We find the Indians to be a very inquisitive people, seemingly patient (except when behind the wheel of a car, tuk-tuk or motorbike and even then not raising their voices) and ready to smile even if at first a frown is on their faces.

clock tower in Jodhpur

turban-tying lesson--10 meters of cloth

Bill Clinton stayed here

Jodhpur is a big city (close to 1 million) and there are many shops, but almost all the same as Jaipur, and I have shopped there aplenty! So we prepare to leave the next day. We have added an extra stop on the way to Udaipur. This jeep safari is a new enterprise set up by a man who wants people to have more to see than forts and palaces. He wants visitors to see how crafts are made in the outlying villages, so we schedule him to take us in his 1953 Land Rover. Should be fun and educational.