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I told everyone I'd post some thoughts and photos of the India trip and as such, here I begin. The number of photos and experiences are above a comprehensive list so I thought I'd just post a few photos each morning from a different location and add a few thought about that experience.
We begin with my favorite place, Darjeeling. Darjeeling is a town in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is full of Tibetan influences and Tibetan refugees and one of the Buddhists areas of India. It is fairly "touristy" but maintains a lot of its flavor and is amazingly beautiful and relaxing. The people are incredibly friendly and active, execising every AM and partying in the town plaza every night with their kids. I love this place.
BTW, the tall mountain in most of these pics is Kanchenjunga, the world's 3rd tallest mountain (28,169 ft)
Morning view from our hotel
Entrance to Plaza (sweeping up from last night's festivities)
Hiking in Mountains
More tomorrow
Last Edit: Nov 15, 2007 9:18:45 GMT -5 by troo - Back to Top
I'm back now but the weather in most of India was hot. In the mid 90's and very humid (kind of like Bonnaroo; hot, sticky, dirty). In Darjeeling the weather was great. Mid 60's daytime and 30's at night.
makes me want to go back - thanks for the pics! I dont think i ever made it that far north in india... i think rajastan was as far as i went. i dont remember even seeing the mountains. however, we did enjoy the "hill station" at ooty where the temp was in the 60's or cooler instead of 100. but that's in southern/middle india..
Awsome sights , Im glad you made it back ok.. How was the food ? Did you eat anything weird? .. Cant wait to see the rest of your pictures .. Two Thumbs up ..
Food was great! Though I have to admit I couldn't wait to get home and eat something with a cow in it. (Cheeseburgers,mmmmm)
Didn't eat anything weird that I know of but everything was offered in a vegetarian and non-vegetarian option. One is given no indication what's in the non-veg items so who knows what I actually ate. Taste and texture were of no help in identification. Tasted good though.
Last Edit: Nov 12, 2007 12:20:13 GMT -5 by troo - Back to Top
strumntheguitar
Bleary-Eyed Bonnawook Sir Strum, Master of Rum
No trip to India is complete without a visit to that most Indian of sites, The Taj Mahal. Built in the 1600's as a mausoleum and tribute for his queen, the Raj built what is considered one of the wonders of the world. I was surprised at how beautiful it actually is. The marble gleams and the jewels glitter at sunrise. Pictures cannot do it justice.
You will get overwhelmed by beggars and merchants at the Taj entrance but no big deal. The pollution the day we went was horrible (notice the haze) and it is damaging the Taj itself but pollution is common in all India. You end up getting something like the Bonnaroo cough.
Gate into Taj Mahal
The only thing that rivals the Taj's beauty, my wife
outstanding pics, Your wife is very pretty too.. why are you teasing us .. lay em all out .. im already drooling for your next set of pics .. How was the nightlife there ? and How much was gasoline ?
were you able to go into the Taj - as in, the basement? it was closed for renovations when i was there....grr..... the marble inlay everywhere you look was amazing. as were those other buildings - im forgetting what they were (i want to say they were guest houses) on each side of the taj. basically, anything that had the marble "screens" (for lack of a better term) in the windows impressed me. how one carves that out of a sheet of solid marble - 400+ years ago - is beyond my comprehension.
Idioteque: We went into the crypt area but all other areas were being renovated. It seems all sites we went to were under major renovation.
The detail work is incredible. That amazed me the most; the intricate carving and inlay work. I would have loved to see it before all the precious stones were removed.
Here's a shot of some inlay work (jade,coral,motherof pearl) but it does not do it justice.
Korvette: Gas was about $5 a gallon. As for nightlife, we were on a trip with the whole family and my father-in-law kept us scheduled about 16 hours a day to see everything. We did go out late once or twice on foot but the cities seem to die down early (10-11pm) and we didn't have much time to search for where the action was so no good late night stories. Though the night searches (and impromptu day excursions for beer, corn, etc.) were in themselves were pretty cool. The cultural differences were so extreme that just walking the streets or catching a taxi was exciting.
Alyroo: Thanks! My wife is pretty, ain't she? I married well above myself.
Last Edit: Nov 13, 2007 9:45:04 GMT -5 by troo - Back to Top
Killer Diller, there, Troo. What an enriching experience. Very happy for you and your wife.
Did you get much of a chance to hang with any Tibetans ? If so, what is the general feeling amongst them ? Are they harboring hope for change ? or feeling the pinch even more as of late !?
Snooch: Didn't talk much politics with Tibetans but they obviously wish to go home but hold little hope of doing so. But they do not dwell on these negatives. In true Buddhist fashion they accept what is and carry a general air of contentment. That's why there is such a peaceful air about Darjeeling. The people are active, healthy and seem to find joy in every little thing.
Now of course these are very gross generalizations but that's my overall impression of the Tibetan/Nepalese society in and around the Darjeeling area.
Idio: The whole family is collecting and posting their pics on a common website. I'll give URL when we get better organized.
Last Edit: Nov 13, 2007 10:25:15 GMT -5 by troo - Back to Top
trippin - the thing with India is that it's only expensive to get there. (or at least that was true 8 years ago). once your there, you can eat and sleep for dollars a day (you can spend a lot on a room, but dont have to). I spent a week on the beach for probably about $50 or less. and thats including hotel, food, beer and corn.
it might be more expensive now since thier economy has improved a lot since then - i dont really know...
troo: how much was a hotel / dinner in the various places you stayed?
The cost of things has risen with the near collapse of the dollar but it's still dirt cheap. I wouldn't be a good guage of costs as my father-in-law paid for EVERYTHING. And he insisted in staying in 4 and 5 star hotels. It was very nice but I did feel a bit isolated from the population at times. That's another reason for the unplanned excursion and rural hikes that some of us took when time allowed, so we could get a feel for the "real" India.
I do know air fare was about $2000 each. But that includes flights from US to Delhi, Delhi to Kolkata, roundtrip between Kolkata and Bagdora(Darjeeling) and Kolkata to US.
One of my best friends and fellow Rooer is from India. He visits every 2 years or so. It seems like a really, really cool place. He said he'd take some of us one year... I hope
M'sky: Having an insider to show you the ropes is an invaluable asset. It can save you immeasurable amounts of time, money and hassles. If you can go with your friend, do so.
