We were almost tempted to simply put up pictures for this port because we didn't think we could begin to adequately describe our time in India. A few days before we arrived in Kochi, we had dinner with a few people, including Lee Grossman, who spent much of her childhood in India (she is incredible and we paid attention when she recommended that we hire a houseboat on the one day we had free). She hooked us up with someone who got us a houseboat on short notice and the next thing you know, we were heading to the river joined by Krista, Casey, Andrew, Nick and Sara.
We were in no way prepared for the roads of India. Yes, Vietnam has its scooters and few rules, yes, they often dont stop at lights in China (or most of the countries after Japan on our itinerary). We could go on and on about the challenges that all of us have faced as pedestrians in each country, but driving for 1 1/2 hours from port to the riverboat was CRAZY. We would spend hours on the roads of India during our trip, but in a HUGE bus (translation: everything on the road moved out of our way--with the horn blaring for added incentive), but on this drive we were not in a huge vehicle and only the driver had a seatbelt. Most of the route consisted of 2 lane roads and it seemed like half of the time there were two vehicles of one type or another heading straight for us and then, miraculously, with inches to spare, the cars would pass each other and us and then we would take a breath and it would be repeated. The largest car or truck on the road has the most power to push others around---and they do! Added into the mix were, of course, goats, cows, dogs, scooters, monkeys, horses, camels, and the occasional elephant. We weren't sure whether to keep our eyes fixed on the road in order to give in to magical thinking and WILL ourselves through spots where there were not inches between us and other vehicle or if we should throw up our hands (as we have wisely learned to do in many situations on this trip!), pray, and make sure Emma and Alden were at least in the safest seats we could find.
Below are pictures of the crazy streets!
We were in no way prepared for the roads of India. Yes, Vietnam has its scooters and few rules, yes, they often dont stop at lights in China (or most of the countries after Japan on our itinerary). We could go on and on about the challenges that all of us have faced as pedestrians in each country, but driving for 1 1/2 hours from port to the riverboat was CRAZY. We would spend hours on the roads of India during our trip, but in a HUGE bus (translation: everything on the road moved out of our way--with the horn blaring for added incentive), but on this drive we were not in a huge vehicle and only the driver had a seatbelt. Most of the route consisted of 2 lane roads and it seemed like half of the time there were two vehicles of one type or another heading straight for us and then, miraculously, with inches to spare, the cars would pass each other and us and then we would take a breath and it would be repeated. The largest car or truck on the road has the most power to push others around---and they do! Added into the mix were, of course, goats, cows, dogs, scooters, monkeys, horses, camels, and the occasional elephant. We weren't sure whether to keep our eyes fixed on the road in order to give in to magical thinking and WILL ourselves through spots where there were not inches between us and other vehicle or if we should throw up our hands (as we have wisely learned to do in many situations on this trip!), pray, and make sure Emma and Alden were at least in the safest seats we could find.
Below are pictures of the crazy streets!
The day and evening on the houseboat were lazy and really enjoyable---a great way to ease into India. We had stopped for beer which, straight from the cooler, was perfect combined with huge platters of fried fish, prawns, veggies, rice, naan, and pineapple that the tiny cook carried on large platters from the kitchen. Cushions lined the front of the boat along with 2 sofas and a dining table. In the middle of the boat was a bedroom and bathroom, and in the rear was the kitchen.
The next morning we got up early and met our group--no more lounging around now--we were gearing up for some serious miles ahead. We were traveling with 10 other people--Professor Janice Stockton who is an anthropologist and author, and 9 students. It turned out to be a great group---small enough in size that it was manageable and we able to get to know one another and large enough that we had quite an array of personalities, which always keeps things interesting!
From Kochi, we would make our way to Bharatpur, Agra, and Jaipur. The first day we flew from Kochi to Jaipur via Mumbai. We had been following the story of the missing jet that had taken off from Malaya ---we received news from SIngapore on the television on the ship and the story of the missing jet was, of course, a huge story. When we left the ship, there was very little information, and we would keep eye on the story throughout our stay in India. Our trip liaison had lived in CHina had lived in Asia for several years and mentioned the fact that the plane disappeared shortly after the stabbings in the train station in China--maybe there was a connection, but we had no idea.
Shortly after our arrival in Jaipur, we went to the Royal Observatory which was incredibly cool. It was built in the first half of the 18th century and is a collection of astronomical instruments--most of which are enormous. The giant sundial, known as the Samrat Yanta, stands 27 meters tall and is the largest in the world. The various devices are made of marble and stone and can track time, predict eclipses, track star locations, determine celestial altitudes among other things. It was built in the first half of the eighteenth century. We looked it up on the internet after returning to the ship because we had been so taken with the place and a description read "An excursion through Jai Singh's Jantar is a unique experience of walking through solid geometry and encountering a collective astronomical system designed to probe the heavens." Astronomers still use the observatory today to calculate auspicious dates for weddings and students of astronomy and Vedic astrology are required to take lessons there. Afterwards, we were taken on a bicycle rickshaw around the marketplace--if you read our earlier description of traffic, we wont repeat it, but insert here!
The picture below is of a sundial at the Royal Observatory and some women sitting on the side of the bustling streets:
As we were driving to the hotel, many on the bus thought we were lost and were getting out their phones to "help" the bus driver. We were slowly making our way along a very narrow, rutted dirt road lined with all sorts of animals, people, food stands, small fires, trash...and it all seemed to be in the middle of nowhere! Add to that the fact that our driver kept stopping and starting making a turn only to turn around, and we were wondering what was going on. It had been a really long day---2 flights, a bus ride, the Royal Observatory, the City Palace, a crazy bicycle rickshaw ride in traffic ( beneath "monkey gangs" hanging out on the roofs), a guy with his head completely wrapped except for an opening for his eyes filming us with his camera as we walked along, guys walking beside us offering all sorts of items for sale or simply asking for money...on top of the sensory overload of daily noises, odors, and activity of streets with which we were entirely unfamiliar. We were ready to get to quiet rooms for a few minutes before dinner.
All of the sudden, in the midst of the chaos, the bus pulled up to a huge gate with uniformed men standing behind it. The gate slowly swung open, our bus pulled into the drive and you can cue the theme song for the Beverly Hillbillies. We hopped out of the bus with our backpacks and were suddenly looking at a row of hotel employees greeting us. Beautiful pools and fountains led to the hotel entrance. Rose petals were floating in the water and as we crossed the threshold, we were handed a cool cloth, a spot painted on our foreheads, and we were offered a cool drink before collecting our keys. Once again, it was almost too much for our fatigued minds to process---one minute monkeys, piles of trash, and tremendous noise and then in the space of a few minutes we were holding a cool drink, in scented rooms and then being led along quiet paths to our villas where our slippers were lined up beside the bed, candles were ready to be lit, and fresh roses sat on each bedside table.
I guess its hard for most tourists to see the Amber Fort without riding an elephant up the winding path and through the Sun Gate--so ride an elephant we did. Two people per elephant went up the hill in a long line and we weren't sure quite how we felt about it; Emma and Chris' elephant handler was very loud and pretty abusive with the elephant and it was astonishing, in a way, that the massive creatures remained under the control of the small men who rode on them just ahead of our "seats". Still, we didn't want an elephant "uprising" while we were on their backs on the narrow path! if offered another elephant ride up to the Amber Fort, Alden would decline and would sooner try to carry an elephant on his back then repeat it.
The fort was massive and the architecture was quite interesting and by studying the design we could easily get a basic idea of the manner in which the Maharaja's functioned there. Looking down from the latticed walls as the women used to do to see , the breezes were cool and it was easy to wonder how many women's hands had touched this same stone ---beginning in the 16th century? Crazy. Its hard to believe that as late as the 1980's buffalo were still being sacrificed in the Silva Devi Temple there.
Below are a few pictures at the fort and some pictures with the elephants!
All of the sudden, in the midst of the chaos, the bus pulled up to a huge gate with uniformed men standing behind it. The gate slowly swung open, our bus pulled into the drive and you can cue the theme song for the Beverly Hillbillies. We hopped out of the bus with our backpacks and were suddenly looking at a row of hotel employees greeting us. Beautiful pools and fountains led to the hotel entrance. Rose petals were floating in the water and as we crossed the threshold, we were handed a cool cloth, a spot painted on our foreheads, and we were offered a cool drink before collecting our keys. Once again, it was almost too much for our fatigued minds to process---one minute monkeys, piles of trash, and tremendous noise and then in the space of a few minutes we were holding a cool drink, in scented rooms and then being led along quiet paths to our villas where our slippers were lined up beside the bed, candles were ready to be lit, and fresh roses sat on each bedside table.
I guess its hard for most tourists to see the Amber Fort without riding an elephant up the winding path and through the Sun Gate--so ride an elephant we did. Two people per elephant went up the hill in a long line and we weren't sure quite how we felt about it; Emma and Chris' elephant handler was very loud and pretty abusive with the elephant and it was astonishing, in a way, that the massive creatures remained under the control of the small men who rode on them just ahead of our "seats". Still, we didn't want an elephant "uprising" while we were on their backs on the narrow path! if offered another elephant ride up to the Amber Fort, Alden would decline and would sooner try to carry an elephant on his back then repeat it.
The fort was massive and the architecture was quite interesting and by studying the design we could easily get a basic idea of the manner in which the Maharaja's functioned there. Looking down from the latticed walls as the women used to do to see , the breezes were cool and it was easy to wonder how many women's hands had touched this same stone ---beginning in the 16th century? Crazy. Its hard to believe that as late as the 1980's buffalo were still being sacrificed in the Silva Devi Temple there.
Below are a few pictures at the fort and some pictures with the elephants!
We had a four hour bus ride to Bharatpur and it was a chance to see a bit of the countryside. As we drove beside fields, we could see women gathering wheat. They stood out in their saris that were made from cloth in such beautiful colors--pinks, melons, saffron, pale green... creating images that stay with you. No matter how bleak some of the surroundings were, color could always be seen in profusion. Somehow, we expected India to be one of the most difficult countries to grapple with mentally, but after Burma, India seemed to many of us to have more vibrancy, color, hope...we'll see how things play out, but Burma was still with us as we made our way through India. Everyone we spoke with readily admitted that the government was corrupt on every level in India, but in Burma, the silence concerning the government spoke volumes.
We arrived in Bharatpur in the early evening and checked into an old hotel swarming with mosquitoes, but it was also charming with its old mahogany furniture and huge rooms designed to provide breezes with cross ventilation. We were scheduled to visit the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary early in the morning and our guide was not enthusiastic about it, so we had pretty low expectations. We were guided by the "Barefoot Naturalists"--nature guides who ride rickshaws. The morning was quite cool as we made our way through wetlands. OUr guides dropped us off and we continued on foot and were amazed by the variety and beauty of the birds all around us--also, larger animals, such as deer, stared at us as we walked past. Spotted eagle, kingfisher, herons, painted stork,hundreds of parakeets...it was such a welcome break from the craziness and constant activity outside of the gates. The Sanctuary is a World Heritage sight and one of the richest bird areas in the world. We were amazed and also watching a group of British birdwatchers with massive amounts of equipment as they made their way through the park (probably trying to stay away from us!). They were staying there for days, and in a few hours, we began to understand why.
We arrived in Bharatpur in the early evening and checked into an old hotel swarming with mosquitoes, but it was also charming with its old mahogany furniture and huge rooms designed to provide breezes with cross ventilation. We were scheduled to visit the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary early in the morning and our guide was not enthusiastic about it, so we had pretty low expectations. We were guided by the "Barefoot Naturalists"--nature guides who ride rickshaws. The morning was quite cool as we made our way through wetlands. OUr guides dropped us off and we continued on foot and were amazed by the variety and beauty of the birds all around us--also, larger animals, such as deer, stared at us as we walked past. Spotted eagle, kingfisher, herons, painted stork,hundreds of parakeets...it was such a welcome break from the craziness and constant activity outside of the gates. The Sanctuary is a World Heritage sight and one of the richest bird areas in the world. We were amazed and also watching a group of British birdwatchers with massive amounts of equipment as they made their way through the park (probably trying to stay away from us!). They were staying there for days, and in a few hours, we began to understand why.
After the bird sanctuary, we went to what was to become, for many of us, one of the highlights of the trip. We visited a local village far off the main road. The "head" of the village is a woman, but we did not meet her. We were shown the clinic--met the doctor and a group of male nurses who showed us around---a pharmacy with basic supplies, a several small rooms for outpatients, a room with old iron single beds for more serious cases, and a room where women give birth. One of the nurses stepped forward and spoke about the clinic and then we slowly made our way through the village in the direction of the school. On the way, we passed a room where an elderly man was making clay cups and many others who were grinding and sifting wheat because wheat is the main source of income for the village.
As we walked along, faces peeked out of doorways and stood outside of their homes watching us. Chris passed out toothbrushes from Global Grins and the kids and older people were swarming around him trying to get one. We proceeded to the school that children from a number of villages attend. We walked through a doorway and past a desk and then we were in an open courtyard surrounded by small classrooms with dirt floors and chalkboards on the walls. There was a second level with a few classrooms as well. Each classroom contained many students who turned to watch us---not good for studying! We said goodbye and began walking to the house of an older gentleman for chai. We sat in his courtyard drinking chai and talked to his family for a bit, and before long, there was a commotion and all of the school children were in the street and poking their heads into the courtyard. A few of the braver kids stepped forward giggling and making silly faces. Eventually, we made our way to the bus after the doctor made us promise to send copies of photographs we had taken with him and his family. The kids all wanted to be in pictures with the students and everyone was laughing by the time we left, not to mention that the kids surrounded our cars in the streets as we were leaving.
As we walked along, faces peeked out of doorways and stood outside of their homes watching us. Chris passed out toothbrushes from Global Grins and the kids and older people were swarming around him trying to get one. We proceeded to the school that children from a number of villages attend. We walked through a doorway and past a desk and then we were in an open courtyard surrounded by small classrooms with dirt floors and chalkboards on the walls. There was a second level with a few classrooms as well. Each classroom contained many students who turned to watch us---not good for studying! We said goodbye and began walking to the house of an older gentleman for chai. We sat in his courtyard drinking chai and talked to his family for a bit, and before long, there was a commotion and all of the school children were in the street and poking their heads into the courtyard. A few of the braver kids stepped forward giggling and making silly faces. Eventually, we made our way to the bus after the doctor made us promise to send copies of photographs we had taken with him and his family. The kids all wanted to be in pictures with the students and everyone was laughing by the time we left, not to mention that the kids surrounded our cars in the streets as we were leaving.
We stopped by a "factory" (men at long wooden tables, outside with fabrics, wooden blocks and dye) because the group had asked the guide if we could buy textiles. we watched as they layered dye on the fabric after stamping on a design. A few girls purchased saris and many in the group bought bed linens and tablecloths. Emma purchased a bedspread and Alden wasn't interested. at all! She tried on a sari(that looked beautiful), but wouldn't hear of taking it home because she said she would never wear it.
Another bus ride and then we were on the outskirts of Delhi. Chris was amazed at the amount of development outside of the city. Huge apartment buildings as far as you could see and our guide told us that before the buildings were even completed, the units were spoken for. We went to our hotel which was just down the street from the Taj. Outside of our windows we had a view of the Taj Mahal and it was impressive. The following morning we woke early and made our way to the Taj in golf carts from our hotel. A line was forming, but we didn't have to wait long and then we were looking over the gardens toward the enormous building as the sun rose. It is flanked on either side by two buildings for symmetry and the white marble reflected the pinks and mauves of the sky and seemed to absorb them. Frankly, the Taj had not been at the top of our list when we thought of what we would see (and eat!) in India, but we must admit that we now understand why it is such a celebrated sight. The story behind it doesn't hurt, but it really is something to behold. Emma went to the local market with a group of students and came back with a hand covered in Henna and a colorful wrap in her hair--she had a great time. Alden was content with a little time at the pool.
Another bus ride and then we were on the outskirts of Delhi. Chris was amazed at the amount of development outside of the city. Huge apartment buildings as far as you could see and our guide told us that before the buildings were even completed, the units were spoken for. We went to our hotel which was just down the street from the Taj. Outside of our windows we had a view of the Taj Mahal and it was impressive. The following morning we woke early and made our way to the Taj in golf carts from our hotel. A line was forming, but we didn't have to wait long and then we were looking over the gardens toward the enormous building as the sun rose. It is flanked on either side by two buildings for symmetry and the white marble reflected the pinks and mauves of the sky and seemed to absorb them. Frankly, the Taj had not been at the top of our list when we thought of what we would see (and eat!) in India, but we must admit that we now understand why it is such a celebrated sight. The story behind it doesn't hurt, but it really is something to behold. Emma went to the local market with a group of students and came back with a hand covered in Henna and a colorful wrap in her hair--she had a great time. Alden was content with a little time at the pool.
The following day, we took two flights back to Kochi and boarded the ship to leave. We ran into Brennan and a group of kids who had travelled on their own at the airport and they rode back with us to the ship.
India is, without a doubt, one of our favorite countries. We loved it so much that we even accepted the price that had to paid---we made it all the way through India without a single upset stomach--eating everything (not street food though) and then Emma and Laura got food poisoning that really hit when they returned to the ship. A few days of misery were in store, but even that couldn't touch how much we loved it.
India is, without a doubt, one of our favorite countries. We loved it so much that we even accepted the price that had to paid---we made it all the way through India without a single upset stomach--eating everything (not street food though) and then Emma and Laura got food poisoning that really hit when they returned to the ship. A few days of misery were in store, but even that couldn't touch how much we loved it.