India Tuesday 2/8/11

My last full day in India was a chance to do something some may think is crazy. Clearly they forgot who I am. :-) Ziplining in Neemrana would put the finishing touches on a spectacular vacation in India. The three hour drive from Delhi to Neemrana started early enough that the fog had not yet dissipated. I slept most of the way because I was up late the previous night. When I arrived at the Neemrana Fort, I was was instructed to make my way to the top of the fort. Once I got there this is what I saw:




I met up with my guides CK and Raji, and signed the usual paperwork. You know, the "your family can't sue us if you die" paperwork. So once that was done, I was fitted for my gear. We then started the 30-45 min hike up the hill that would lead me to the first of 5 ziplines. My first thought was, "So this is was it feels like to be Spiderman or (TGD) Batman! AWESOME!" All the ziplines were totally fun! I would so do it again! I'll post a video of some footage my guides and I took while having a blast. Meanwhile, here's a picture of me chillin' like a villian above Neemrana Fort:



After I finished zipping around, *snort*, I enjoyed a buffet that's making my mouth water now just thinking about it. :-) My last full day in India was over. I returned to Delhi and flew back to The Kingdom early the next day.




Click here to see more pictures.

India Monday 2/7/11

See? The Taj Mahal isn't really all that. Sike. It really is all that... AND a bag of chips. The idea of symmetry was evident everywhere. From the flowers that were planted, to the identical music galleries, to the identical mosque and guest house that sandwich the famous mausoleum. My tour guide then took me to meet the descendants of the builders of the Taj Mahal. Any color that your see on the Taj, is from semiprecious stone being cut and glued into the marble. The secrets of the Stone Cutters of the Taj Mahal are passed down from father to son.



My next stop was Agra Fort, which is about a mile down river from the Taj. I think this is where Steven Spielburg and George Lucas got the idea of of the Boulder for "Raiders of the Lost Ark". (I couldn't find a decent clip of the scene but check out the Lego version) This fort actually had a large boulder that would roll down the incline in case their enemies got past the moat, lions and brake open a gate so strong an elephant could not break it down. 0_o Man, you can have that fort. LOL



Next, was the Baby Taj. Because so many of its characteristics are mimicked in the Taj Mahal, it is often considered a draft to the larger Taj.



Akbar's Tomb, located about an hour outside of Agra, was the last of my tourist destinations for that day. I don't know why, but I had an eerie feeling while walking down the corridor that leads to the tomb...



One of my favorite parts of India, the food! So good... *drool*

Click here and here for more pictures.

My final Indian adventure is next...

India Saturday and Sunday 2/5-6/11

Saturday morning I took a 6 hr train ride to Amritsar. For the most part, the scenery was beautiful, tanks notwithstanding. However, not long after we left the train station, I was "greeted" with a public, when I say public, I mean PUBLIC, bathroom. Near the railroad tracks was an area used by some people from the city as facility. Men, women, and children all in a squatted stance, most facing the train and with enough personal space to take care of business. I immediately thought about complaints of water pressure and temperature. While those are legitimate complaints in my world, seeing those people makes the complaints seem insignificant at best.

The fog, at least I hope it was fog and not pollution, we passed through reminded me of the Stephen King novel, “The Mist.” That book was a trip. The train pulled into the Amritsar Station and my tour guide, Nomnom, welcomed me. That’s the phonetic spelling of his name, I think. We dropped my things off at the Ista Hotel. For the most part, the hotel was OK. It was beautiful inside and out, but I was unable to make international calls and the lack of response to my requests left me frustrated. Anyway, back to the tour. My tour guide picked me up and we went to The Wagah Border where Pakistani and Indian soldiers put on a show. While they did not actually fight, the show was quite entertaining. It was filled with hi-kicking, theatrics, and chanting from the Indian crowd and also the Pakistani crowd on the other side of the border. There was even a “pre-crunk” session which consisted of girls dancing before “battle.” They actually open ceremonial gates on both sides. The Indian and Pakistani crowds really get into it. Once they finished “fighting”, they lowered their flags simultaneously.

The holiest shrine in Sikhism, Harmandir Sahib, also known as The Golden Temple, was next. It was unbelievably beautiful. Words, in my mind, would not do it justice. Before entering, we had to take our shoes and socks off, cover our forehead, and wash our hands and feet. Outside the temple are sinks for washing your hands, and several small pools of water to wash your feet. There are four entrances to see The Golden Temple. We entered through the East Entrance. The Golden Temple is situated in the middle of a pool that is filled with various fish. The water is believed to have healed a man from leprosy. You will see several men strip to their underwear and submerse themselves up to their neck. They are not allowed to have their beard or hair in the water. Women are also allowed to submerse themselves. There is a covered area that gives them the privacy they need. During the day, the Golden Temple holds the Volume of Sacred Law for Sikhism. At night, they secure it in a building next to the pool. The temple was truly a magnificent sight. I was fortunate enough to see it at night and during the day. To read more about it, click here.

The next day, I decided to eat breakfast at The Golden Temple. According to my tour guide, The Golden Temple feeds about 30,000 people...a day! We walked through the East entrance again and walked around the Temple to where the kitchen is located just outside the southern entrance. The food was really good! Actually, the food was great the entire trip. No, I did not have any stomach problems afterward. I ate bread, a kind of rice pudding, curry and lentils. There was even enough for seconds, but I only had extra bread. In order to eat, you must sit crisscross "apple sauce."



Finally, I visited the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial. It's a memorial dedicated the innocent Indians that were murdered while celebrating the Punjabi New Year on April 13, 1919. After spending several somber minutes at the memorial, I departed for the train station where I then returned to Delhi. Next, among other things, The Taj Mahal. Here's a link to my Amritsar Facebook album.

India Friday 2/4/11

My plane landed in Deli around 4:40am. I then took a 30 min. tuk-tuk ride for 270 Rupees (R) (about $5.92) to my friend’s house to drop off my bags. No matter what country you’re in (What ain’t no country I ever heard of. They speak English in What?) cabbies drive like they own the road. Depending on how you look at it, cabbies are either the best drivers in the world or the worst. My cabbie decided that a red light means to go faster. In India, they drive on the "other side” of the road, not the "wrong side." I took a nap then took a met with my travel agent to discuss specific details about trip. After that, I took a tour around Delhi by myself. Having a tour set up for you is a great, organized way to see a new city, but I like some chaos and randomness as well. I was dropped off at the natural history museum and toured there for 600R (altogether, about $13.16).

Deciding that I wanted to see the Lotus Temple at dusk, I took a tuk-tuk to a metro stop. A crowded car stopped in front of me. Attached to that car was a one with plenty of space. Logically, I moved to enter the second car. As I entered, beautiful women were all over the place. No, this wasn’t a dream. I quickly realized that the car I was in was for women only. The crowded car was full of men. I walked past one elderly woman who shook her head in disgust, as if to say, “Shame on you. You should have known better than to think you’d be the only man in this car.” I just mouthed the words “Sorry” and moved to the juncture between the two cars. One man, in a thick Indian accent, said “Sorry buddy.” I shrugged my shoulders and laughed. Some young women were still looking back at me and whispering things to each other. No doubt the gist of their conversation was, “Silly tourist, but he’s still cute though.”

The Lotus Temple was clearly visible from the train and was only a short walk from the station. By the way, the 15 min train cost 15R (about 33 cents). Once I entered the gates, it was just serene. Beautiful plants, grass and flowers lined the walkway. There were signs posted throughout the area asking people to not walk on the grass. Before you can enter the temple, there is a small room that people are asked to place their shoes. As I continued to walk to the temple I noticed several pools that surrounded the temple. I read that the pools were used as part of the natural cooling system of the temple. Entering into the temple, you immediately feel a sense of peace and tranquility. Posted around the temple are various quotes about believing in one God and oneness with God. I meditated and thought about just how far I’ve come in my life. I’m appreciative of my family, friends and those who have come into my life, stayed and to those who are no longer a part of my life. Actually, that statement isn’t true. Even though we may no longer communicate, our interactions have had hand in developing me into the man I am today. Anyone and everyone I've interacted with is a part of my life. Though I believe I greater than the sum of my parts, my experiences do make up a great deal of my synergistic self. To find out more about the temple click here.

A short tuk-tuk ride later, I was in front of The India Gate. The following picture does not do it justice. It is a very powerful and imposing monument in person. I then returned to my friend's house and went to bed, ready for The Wagah Border near Amritsar.

Here's a link to my Delhi Facebook album.