Bhangra Party!

We will be leaving India in less than a month now and I am starting to reflect on my journey.
This song was one of the two that we heard at all the weddings in the Punjab.  So, if you listen you must
pump up the volume and bust out your best bhangra moves :)  I love this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiQmg8Sldu8

Our Tour Through Rajasthan

Sadly, our trip through Rajasthan is all finished :(  We had some great (and not so great) experiences while we toured through this beautiful province.  I think another picture story is in order.

Jaipur was not only the first stop on our toar but one of my favourites.  The people were very friendly- not unlike all of India but here was different.  Yes, it was a tourist stop (one of the stops in the popular Golden Triangle) but you could walk just a few blocks away from the old walled city and enter a more authentic, non tourist district.  The sights where fantastic, varied and different.  The five days that we spent here went by in the blink of an eye.  Go to Jaipur, you won't be disappointed !

One of the many instruments at Jantar Mantar, an astrological

observatory built in 1728.

Don't ask me what this particular device does as they were all very complicated.

The main bazaar in Old Jaipur.

In 1876, the old walled city was painted pink to welcome

visiting royalty and is still kept up to this day.

This was a Bazaar unlike any other as it was clean, organized and had numbered shops.

These Elephants make the hike back and forth, up a steep hill to

the Jaigarh Fort, just outside of Jaipur.

As tempted as I was to ride the elephants, I refrained.  Due to the lack of water

these elephants are suffering from overheating and stress.

Our lovely oasis just outside of the Old City.

It was a nice change to wake up to a rooster crow instead of

honking horns, dogs barking and salesman selling produce.

And who doesn't love a rooster friend?

Ah, Sawai Madhopur, what can I say, I hated this place.  I had a moment (the first one) where I questioned

how long I could handle India.  The town was overpriced and had nothing to offer other than an alarmingly large amount of mosquitos.  The resident animals here weren't cows or dogs but boar.  Freaky wild boar.  They reminded me of Princess Mononoke and it weirded me out.  Gross!!!  We saw Tigers, that was sweet

but other than that- don't go to Sawai Madhopur unless you like boar and bugs.

He He , moving on to my favourite- Udaipur.  I LOVE Udaipur.  We met some great people here and had a chance to learn a bit more about Indian culture.  We experienced a puppet show, the freedom of scooting around the coutryside and drank 'special lassi' on Shiva's Birthday.  I had the greatest, most life changing massage and a stuffed potato (Dum Aloo Masala) that should only exist in dreamland!  Chai, Chillum, Chapati anyone?

A sweet puppet museum.  Kinda creepy but super cool!

Everyone- this is the largest turban on EARTH!!  Yeah, are you jealous yet?

So random, I love it!

The view of Udaipur from the rooftop of our Guesthouse.

We heard many stories on this rooftop, made great friends and had some good times, including the hookah below.  Dan waited for a long time to have this and it was TASTY!  Mmmmm apple!

Wandering through the back alleys in the town.  Beautiful :)

After we left Udaipur, we took a long bus ride to Pushkar.  Boo!  I wasn't the hugest fan of this town.

There were too many tourists and hippies, which meant high prices and an all around shitty vibe.  This city is a great place to hang out if you want to get away form India, chill and buy souveniers.  Not a fan.

OK, it did have one thing going for it- the cows where SUPER friendly.  We pet this one like it was a pup.

Beautiful South Indian style temple.  I was so excited to see it, took off my shoes to enter and was stopped by a guard before I could enter the grounds.  Apparently, this temple is for locals only!  I was pissed!!

I was able to take a picture from the gates but left pretty angry.  That was the first time we encountered this on our trip and I was shocked.  This didn't help the Pushkar vibe much at all.

Sunset at the ghats.  Yes, this is beautiful and I enjoyed this moment.

All in all, a wonderful trip through Rajasthan. I hope you enjoyed our journey as well! As a side note, I have changed the settings on our blog to allow anyone to comment, not only 'Followers' with registered accounts... So if you have a comment or question, feel free to post!

Pushkar - Commercialism, Hippies and Stuff

Get me outta here!!
We just arrived in the sleepy town of Pushkar.  There is nothing to do here.  We had read in our Lonely Planet ( the book I am really starting to dislike) that Pushkar was a pilgrimage sight cradled around a blue- green lake, where a person could go and lose themselves in yoga and the religious songs that echoed from the many Hindu temples that dot the city.  Um, no!
The lake is brown- like mud and the town is a tourist trap.  It has lost all it’s holiness to crooked ‘priests’ and hippies, who wander around barefoot and all Zen.  Was the LP writer high? Too much Chillum?
I think my resentment comes from the fact that there isn’t much of the true India here and I have nothing to lose myself in.  The days are full of the classic, pointless chatter of the salesman – where are you from? – is this your first time in India? – where are you going next ? – and it all leads to the same sales pitch in the end.  Now, here is the real problem though.  I am a tourist and I am being sucked in by all the pretty things.  No, I don’t need them, not in the slightest.  I don’t need shoes, and pretty leather bags, bangles, stickers, perfumes, skirts and pants and tops and dresses.  I know that if I went home tomorrow, I not only would regret my purchases, I would look absolutely ridiculous wearing them.

 

Our Inukshuk

I think he has a striking resemblance to Patrick, the pink starfish.  So that is what we named him :) Our little Canadian contribution to the Indian countryside.

Scoot Scoot

Ah, today we were free! :)
Now, our trip to Udaipur hasn’t exactly been strenuous by any means and all we have been doing is relaxing and enjoying but today was different.
We decided to rent a scooter and go exploring.   We checked out our map and decided just to go where the wind took us.  Fabulous.  Now, in hindsight, I would have taken the bandana my bro had offered me back in Canada as I didn’t become famished until very late in the day and I suspect it is partly because I ingested enough flies to tie me over.  Small details.
It did take me awhile to get comfortable with Dan’s driving, not because he is a bad driver, on the contrary he is great.   It was the other Indian drivers and now that we weren’t on foot or trusting another driver with our lives, I noticed the traffic a little more.  Also, I am from a country where it is illegal to ride without a helmet and today I ran the risk of losing my brains in a awful mess on the pavement.  Alas, we made it safely home- how, I do not know as we drove and drove and drove.  There are absolutely no street signs and every village and street looks the same to me.  I have to marvel at Dan’s amazing ability to find his way home- it is almost primal :) 
So, I will finish by saying that this was a great way to see the countryside.  The people are so amazing here, that literally everyone we crossed paths with today either smiled or said hello.  Scoocum.

What An Awful Day!

Ha- just kidding, it was marvellous.  Now, because I spent the ENTIRE day basking in the glorious sunshine enjoying amazing views, beer and a refreshing dip in the pool, I don’t have much to write about.  Instead, I will tell you about yesterday but first check out some pics from my day.


If it makes you feel any better, I did get my first ever sunburn.  I look like a Rajhastani puppet, my nose is an alarming shade of crimson.  He He

 

Moving on.  My morning started on a lovely note as I got to Skype home and spend some time chatting with my family and my lady love.  Blue sky, sunshine and some family time- what a way to spend a morning!

Now another noteworthy part of my day was our visit to The City Palace.  It was a beautiful palace not unlike many we have encountered here in India but the was one thing that set it apart.  The Palace and for that matter, the entire city is under preparations for the wedding of the Maharajas niece!  The wedding itself will be held at the place in a couple of days, so painting and many other aesthetic repairs are currently underway.  Seriously, I can’t begin to think of anything more romantic than a royal wedding at a beautiful, over the top, gorgeous palace- can you?  I wasn’t kidding when I said that Udaipur is super sweet.  As I type this, music can be heard throughout the city while the visiting royalty begins the pre- wedding celebrations.  Awesome!

While Dan and I waited for the evening party to begin, we refuelled at a roof top restaurant just in time for sunset.  Now, you may notice that my dinner is noticeably  larger than Dan’s, keep in mind, I am a growing girl- my diet of over indulgence must be kept up with three solid meals a day.   I told you if you want to loose 10 pounds don’t come to India :)

Now that I was so full that I thought I would puke, I figured it was a great idea to go for dessert at a lovely French Bakery.  Sick- just sick…. is how I felt after I wolfed down my chocolate cake and ice cream.  Totally worth it.  Besides, we needed lots of energy to party!  It was after all, Lord Shiva’s Day yesterday!  Once the sun set, the celebrations began.  All the Hindu temples were decked out in colourful lights and decorations!  Music was being pumped from huge speakers at every temple- it’s India and there is literally a temple or shrine every 30 feet or so ;)  Enticed by the Lady Gaga that was being played by a neighbouring temple, we made our way over to check out the scene.  Now, every temple is a little different and we did visit a few over the course of the evening but this one was crazy.  We indulged in ‘special lassi :)  A milk, coconut and a little somethin’ extra to make you ‘ feel like you’re in heaven’.  So, being smart travellers, we didn’t drink too much as we didn’t know exactly how we would react.  Later, we were told that the ‘ special ingredient ' is plant derived and harmless.  Ah, India!  You sure know how to party :)

Dear Udaipur…..

 

There is something I have been meaning to tell you.  Please, let me explain!

I have only known you for a very short while, 8 hours to be precise but I have this feeling,  I have only felt it a handful of times in my lifetime but I know it well.  Your romance and vibe has captured my heart.  I will just come out with it- I think I’m in Love :)  Don’t laugh!  Is it too soon?  I don’t want to scare you, I want nothing more than to see more of what you have to offer me.

Your beautiful mountain ranges, lake and blue sky give me the comfort of home.  Your roof top terraces let me explore my daydreams, in tranquil peace and quiet.  Your local artisans have such talent and they tempt me to lose myself in fabrics, books, art and so much more. 

You have a glorious mix of architecture, love and a whimsical like culture, it makes me giggle- and that is a great feeling indeed.  So as I explore you further, I will try to unlock the romance that I know is just below the surface.  Be patient, let me wander and explore, get lost in you and I know you will love me too.