This morning we arrived in Agra – the city of the world famous Taj Mahal and a number of other breathtaking monuments.

The first thing that strikes me about this place is the atmosphere: We were told Agra was a really filthy and ennerving place, but I found the opposite to be true:
It seems much cleaner than the other big cities we’ve visited so far, the air is breathable and the skies are blue – not grey and brown with smog.
O yeah, and the people!
I don’t know why it is, but the people here seem blown away by the sight of us!

Especially the young ones – children and teenager – get totally excitet at our sight.
We drove through the city in one of the mororised rickshaws (2 wheels in the back, one in the front, a roof and open sides), and whenever a child saw us their eyes would light up, a huge excited smile parted their faces and they waved happily and called out their Hello.
All of them! And it’s not like we’re such a rare sight, being the city of the Taj Mahal there must be thousands of westeners, but they react as if they just saw Santa Clause.
And the teenagers! Mostly students, quite educated, coming up and asking for photos with us!

A group of young guys couldn’t get enough of it, all 7 of them needed a photo with the western girl, and another one, and another one… And the smiles on their faces! So proud!! I feel a bit like a movie star…

Hotel Maya where we’re staying is the nicest one so far: About 10 min walk from the Taj Mahal, and, incredibly: CLEAN!!!!!
Clean floors, clean smell, clean SHEETS (!), it’s like heaven!

Oh, and: Thick matrasses!! About 15 cm thick! And dooners!
I can’t believe how wonderful it is.

So amazing: In Australia this would be a pretty average, almost lower class place, but here it feels like pure luxury.

It’s fascinating to observe how grateful we become for the little things that seem so granted back home: The other day Mark performed a genuine dance of joy over a piece of toast and some water (we were starving on the train). Before that Ivon was in heaven thanks to a hot water bottle, absolutely making his day.

I love how the small things become so big and important here.
It reminds me of how blessed I am, it makes me appreciate little details a lot more, and it gives me something to celebrate every day.

Oh, and then there’s one more interesting new thing for me: The sqatting toilets.
As you might know people in India (like China) do not use our westener thrones for their business; their system is a hole in the ground that you squad over.

Because there are so many tourists in the country most hotels have our style of toilets; not this one.
So we’re all getting used to squatting now.
At first it felt quite odd, but I’m starting to actually appreciate it, somehow it feels much more natural than sitting up on a throne to do it.

But enough now about the toilet business, let’s talk about the palaces.
We went on a bit of a sightseeing tour today, with the highlight being the the baby taj (like a smaller version of the Taj Mahal) and the red fort:

It is a huge fort made out of red stone, the walls about 50 meters high (I’m guessing here, that might not be accurate), and within it the most beautiful buildings. They are palaces build about 4 or 5 hundred years ago by the moghuls who conquered India at the time, they are huge and elegant and simply beautiful.

I’m noticing that I’m finding it really hard to describe, so I will put in some pictures for you instead (including one of some excited teenagers in photo mood).

That will still not give you the whole experience and essence of course, to get that you simply have to come and experience it, but at least you’ll get an idea.
Enjoy! Posted by Jenny

         

 

Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world. And it is also considered a holy city. It is where the buddha first preached his message of buddhism.

Â	After spending time in the mountains the buddha came down to where the city of varanasi now is and sat under a tree and taught his message to five students. These five stsudents where then given the responsibility to spread his message all over the world. This is the very same tree. Â

At this same spot a temple and school was built. Over thousands of years the school and temple came to ruin and were covered up laying hidden from view. In the mid 1800’s they were rediscovered, and archeological works began on the site.

Here are some of the remains of these ancient buildings.

 

 

Another early start today. We were up at 4:30 am and hurrying down to the gaghis river, one of the larget rivers in the world.

We are in the city Varanasi, a city which at 6,000 years old is said to be the worlds oldest living city.

We arranged for a boat to take us down the river before sunrise and I was surprised to see a small, rickety old timber boat pull up for the trip. Nevertheless we piled 8 of our companions in and set of down river.

We passed towering stone buildings rising up out of the river like giant mountains, greyed with age and pollution. In the distance we could see fires burning on the stone steps that led down into the grey waters of the ganghis.

We discovered that these fires are the immortal fires of shiva, burning for over 2,000 years. They are the ceremonial fires used to burn the dead.

As we approached in the dim light of early morning we saw groups of people around the fires buring their dead. With more bodies wrapped in white linen lying on the steps next to the fires waiting for their turn to go from this world to the next.

We spent 28 hours travelling across india.

The station was fascinating. We were sharing the platform with not only people but dogs, cows and rats as well.

I’ll post some pictures in the next day or two.

The train ride was suprisingly comfortable. Jenny and I shared a cabin with two of our friends Andrew and Julie. We had a 4 bed airconditioned cabin which made the long journey quite a pleasure to be on.

We arrived in Varanassi at around 8 pm and hoped into our taxis to be taken to a wonderfully restored hotel which used to be one of the residences of the king of nepal.

We’ve got an early start tommorrow to watch the sunrise of the ganghis river.

It’s news years eve and I’m stuck in bed, sick as a dog after getting a decent dose of food poisoning, fever and everything else that comes with it.

Jenny is enjoying new years with our companions. Not much else happening.

We were up at 3:30am this morning getting ready for a 11km trek up the mountains in a 4wd to watch the sunrise over himalyas at 9,000 feet

It was freeeeeezing (below 0) but definately worthwhile. Watchin the sun rise over the mountain peaks, in a brialliant display of deep reds, orange and gold, then casting a pure white light over the snow topped mountain peaks rising 9,000 feet from the earth below.

We took over 60 photos some of which I’ll be posting over the next few days. (First I have to figure out how to get them from the camera to the blog) I’ll update you when I figure it out.

Posted by: Jenny

Good morning India!

We wake up at 7am in the morning, feeling nice and rested. So cosy and warm under the blankets, sun shines through the curtains… but… what is that… something uncomfortable… something… smells!

Aha, it smells.. like… like something is rotting in our room! Not good.

I get up to open the window, carpet feels nice and crusty under my bare feet. Have a quick look: Yup, the floor is covered with old dried stains of what seems to be a multitude of spilled liquids, crushed cockroaches an plain old dirt. Yum.

Open the window for some fresh air, not a good idea: the odour becomes unbearable!

Ok, welcome to Calcutta.

The plan for today is to fly out of the city to Bagdogra and then get a ride to Darjeeling, the famous tea region, 7000 feet high up in the mountains.

Until our plane leaves Calcutta in the early afternoon we go exploring the city.

My god, what an overload of impressions!!

Cars, people and animals everywhere, constantly beeping and yelling, the air is rich with smog, the stinge of rotting rubbish, spices and people.

They’re camping on the foot paths, sleeping, cooking, washing, playing – we’re practically walking through their lounge rooms!

Food and chai tea are cooked and sold everywhere, but VJ (guide and friend) and Mitch (mentor and friend) advise us not to buy any of it.

The beggars aren’t as intense as I expected, only one child actually follows us, tucking our sleeves and asking for money.

I’m finding it really hard to simply ignore, not to smile and talk to the kid, not to be friendly and help. If I did we’d be surrounded by a begging crowd in no time.

Interesting challenge in self control for me.Â

We get the pleasure of one more adventurous taxi ride to the airport, and that’s it for Calcutta.

I’m looking forwards to going to Darjeeling, for some reason I picture it a bit cleaner and more pleasant than Calcutta, and I’m hoping for less traffic!

Last night on our ride to the hotel Irish-man Mitch turned around to us: “By the way guys, I forgot to tell you, but I think now is a good time: If we ever get into an accident, get out of thr car and RUN, as far as you can.”Â

 “Ok. Why?”

I thought that maybe the risk of an explosion was particulary high with these old cars, but wrong:

“Well, because whenever there is an accident, it instantly attracts a mob, and these people pull everyone out of the cars and bash them up.”Â

“They… What? Why?!!”

He shrugged: “Don’t know. That’s just how they deal with it here.”

Great…

A plane from the seventies takes us to Badgogra and from there we hire a 4 wheel drive.

We’ll at least that’s what we’re told, what actually comes to pick us up is a tiny mini bus that fits 4 people plus driver. For the nine of us. Hmm…

“No no no! We paid for a 4 WHEEL DRIVE!!” (MItch is not impressed) –

“But is 4 wheel! Look: 4 wheels!”

The other drivers happily form a crowd and watch interested, everyone has their comments, and they look and sound a bit like a bunch of clucking chickens.

After about 20 minutes they have figured out to get a second mini bus, we manage to squeeze all of us inside, and off we go to a 85 kilometer ride up the mountains that takes us 3 hours.

How beautiful it is around here! My hopes came true. Although people are still poor, no one is sleeping on the streets, it’s cleaner, less cars, and the air does not smell as though you were trying to gas yourself.

The views on the way are like in one of these documentaries you watch on TV:

Narrow roads winding up the mountains, sometimes you have a little wall of about one foot hight between you and the edge, but quite often we look straight down the mountain:

There is NOTHING next to the road, just the straight drop of 100 meters.

That of course is no reason for our driver to slow down even a little bit:

He shoots around the winding corners, wildly beeping his horn to let everyone know that we’re coming.

We listen to his collection of Indian audio cassettes; for some reason they yodel an aweful lot, and he even digs out an old tape of the Venga Boys, which he proudly pops in for us.

Thw mountains are covered with jungle- like vegetation, we admire endless views of exotic forests, seemingly untouched, and so beautiful!

It’s getting colder, our breath forms white clouds in the air.

After 3 hours we finally arrive in Darjeeling. Our hotel belongs to a friend of the Dalai Lama (Wow!), and the rooms have the greatest view ever: We’re on top of the mountain, overlooking the city, the mountains and endless skies from 2 panorama windows.

It’s still dirty and very basic, and there’s no heating (at all), but for Indian standards it’s a pretty good hotel.

We rug up in thick socks and 3 blankets and enjoy our first night on top of the world.

We’ve been in Inda for 4 hrs and we’ve already had more adventure than we usually have in a month at home.

We landed in Calcutta airport at 8:30pm to be greeted with a warm 20 degree’s celcius. We stepped out of the the airport into an entirely different world.

People approached us from everywhere offering to carry our luggage and transportation. Vijay our guide had everything arranged for us so we squeezed 9 of us into 2 small taxis.

The ride through Calcutta to the hotel is one I’ll prbably never forget. There were cars, bikes, motorbikes, buses, people and even cows heading in all directions. The air was thick with the screech of beeping cars as every vehicle sounded it’s horn as it passed other vehicles.

Cars and buses where driving down the wrong side of the road heading directly for us, only pulling away at the last moment. People were overtaking each other leaving little more than 1 or 2 inches between vehicles.

At one point we encountered road works on what I can only describe as a low tech freeway, it was a 3 lane divided road, so our driver crossed over at an opening and started driving in the wrong direction on the opposite side of the road.

Others did the same and at first it seemed to work. 2 lanes squeezed together heading in one direction and 2 lanes heading in the other direction.

But this orderly system didn’t last for long, impatient drivers quickly started overtaking each other, and 2 lanes became 3 and 3 became 4.

Before we knew it the road was gridlocked. With four lanes of opposing traffic heading head to head in opposite directions on 3 lane road. We had come to a complete standstill.

After sitting in the grid lock for what seemed hours, police finally ordered 2 lanes to reverse back to clear the road. We joined them doing a 15 point turn in the little space we had and started heading in a new direction.

We were back on the move, making our way over to our hotel. The sun had set and few hours earlier and our eyes strained to make out shapes in the dimly lit streets.

In the shadows we could make out groups of what seemed to be makeshift shelters, single roomed shacks made from bamboo, cloth and shopping bags, these were the homes of the poor in the slums of calcutta.

We were surprised to see people hudled around little fires everywhere in the streets. It took us a few minutes to realise they were cooking food on mini fires in the gutters of this large city of 13,000,000 million inhabitants.

As we continued further away from the city centre the traffic began to ease and return to what I would call a bit more normal, and our attention turned away from the chaotic driving and towards the streets we were driving through. We noticed people sleepingon the side of the roads and on the footpaths, not just one or two but hundreds of them. They were covered with little more than a blanket and using a shopping bag filled clothes as a pillow.

Finally we got to our hotel and collapsed in bed exhausted from the days travel. Sleep was hard to find, as loud music from the bar below pounded through our paper thin door and slightly open window. Finally at around 3 am the music stopped and we drifted of to broken sleep.