The Ride Home

Well, after 25 hours in transit including stopovers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Taipei, Taiwan in a state of exhaustion with a stomach ailment from the food, sweaty and smelly, cramped seating, sleep deprivation and timeline confusion, we finally arrived home.

Going through Customs, was easy compared to waiting for our luggage. After 250 passengers managed to pick up their luggage and 3 of our 4 bags, mine was nowhere to be seen. After all we had just been through and overhearing 2 women say they had a friend whose luggage was lost, and still having insurance, only got $50 for her lost bag, I was panicked.

Tired and upset, I practically collapsed into the Malaysian airport representative's arms when I couldn't find the I.D. tags for our luggage. I wanted, I NEEDED my luggage. I think he thought I was a hysterical maniac, because he kept reassuring me that it was all under control. He was notified that my luggage missed a stopover conversion in Kuala Lumpur and was put on the next Singapore Airlines and would be delivered by day's end.

Smile, he kept insisting as I crumpled away in total disarray. Was he kidding?

But it was delivered by the following day on Christmas Eve. I was finally relieved and could now believe that we were finally home as I kissed my suitcase and unravelled my belongings and gifts I bought and packed away.

We hardly moved for the next three days and still are somewhat jet lagged and now in our own time zone, but very happy to be back at home and anxious to drive the streets of Los Angeles, a joy to behold and really appreciated.

Just so you can also complain a little less about our traffic here, I have attached a short video of our final car ride in Varanasi to the airport. So, you too can also appreciate that L.A. congestion has a whole new meaning. --Linda

P.S. And as an added feature, I have included a short video of our pedal rickshaw ride in New Delhi, another way to get around.

P.S.S. A short video of our morning boatride along the Ganges River has also been posted at the end of the previous blog on Varanasi.

The Holy City of Varanasi

Our last stop - the City of Varanasi. We’re here for a short stopover, but what a stop it was. This is the oldest and holiest city in India and is bursting with energy. We thought we’d seen crowds before, but Varanasi is as chaotic as anything you can imagine.

This city on the banks of the Ganges River is inhabited by about 3 million residents, not including cows and monkeys everywhere you look. In fact we were walking down an alley and passed by a cow on the way to devour his meal on trash that lies in the street awaiting pickup. This holy city doesn’t stop. It is hectic, but purposeful. Attached is a short video of our experience on the Ganges River.

The Ganges River is sacred to this community. People make a pilgrimage to bathe and purify themselves twice a day, everyday beginning at dawn and again at sunset in the river. It is one of the few cities in the world that has outdoor cremations, which we observed on our early morning boat ride in the river along the waterfront. Of course, this creates a polluted waterway, but this Hindu spiritual city thrives on this river.

Our guide showed us the Sarnath Museum which houses the artifacts of the holiest of locations for all Buddhists. It was here that Buddha found his inspiration and gave his first sermon. Buddhists from all over the world come here to pray to this site. We walked through the museum/park and absorbed the peaceful ambiance and the Buddha relics that were excavated, some over 2,000 years ago. It is where the Indians and the British discovered the buried remains that displayed some of the main teachings of Buddism and the original column with the statue of the 4 headed lion and the wheel of Buddhist knowledge on the top. Today this symbol represents the National emblem of India and is displayed in many capacities, including their paper currency.

The hotel here was a complete conundrum to the life in the city. It was one of the most elegant hotels we’ve stayed at. It really didn’t make sense considering the people here live on the barest of necessities. But the entire hotel staff is so proud of their jobs and work diligently to please tourists that they beam with pride being able to help you in any way they can.

As I said before, the most pleasant experience has been interacting with the Indian people, even the shop owners and workers in the bazaars and stores who say anything to try to convince you to buy their goods, but this is the pulse of the city and its life force. We have now completed our wonderful journey in the ancient and holy city of Varanasi, the spiritual center to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. This has been a high point of our trip and something we have looked forward to. We have only to return to New Delhi and fly home.

Lauren's Guide to Bargaining

During my time in India, I have found there are a few tricks to bargaining. Personally, I absolutely love to haggle, and I am that much more satisfied when I have bought something knowing that I got it at a discount. These are a few of my tips on how to bargain. First, always assume that something is marked up because you are a tourist. Never buy anything at the first price. Personally I casually suggest a little less then half and act like I don’t want whatever it is they are selling. Even if you absolutely have to have whatever it is, remain nonchalant. It will be extremely difficult to get the best price if they know you love/have to have the object. However do not start haggling for something you don’t intend to buy, it is bad luck. I was once cursed and yelled at by an old lady for doing that…I wouldn’t recommend it.

My second bargaining tip is don’t fall for a cute little kid who is trying to sell you stuff. First they should be in school! However, that cute little boy who you think you’re going to help by buying whatever it is he is selling, is actually working for some old guy behind the scene who knows that you are more likely to buy a book of postcards from a kid than them. He is the one who is making the money while the kid gets very little. My dad fell for this trap numerous times.

My third tip is…and I mean it… DON’T LOOK! In India many of the popular tourist destinations are lined with street carts and people trying to sell you stuff. If you even so much as glance in the direction of someone selling something you will instantly invite them to follow you, where they will repeatedly shout a random price at you. If you are seen even paying attention to the first person you will become a magnet for every merchant in a 10 mile radius. If you do find yourself being followed by 30+ people shouting prices at you, the best defense is to just get in your car and shut the door. You will probably have to endure people tapping on the windows and sometimes if you really seem like a hot target, they will chase the car, but that will only last mile or so. Otherwise just be firm. Look the salesperson in the eye and just say no.

Here is my last and final tip. If you find that the people you are with are making a large purchase (in this case my parents) at any sort of specialty shop, never hesitate to ask for the salesperson to throw in a small item that you want for free. There are different variations of this technique, but they are all about the same. They consist of acting annoyed and uninterested. Sometimes I even walk out of the room (note: this can also be done with tour guides who like the sound of their own voice a little too much). Only slowly do I open up and offer my opinion which encourages my parents to purchase more from the shop thus making the sales person very happy with you. Finally, when they have decided to purchase more stuff in the shop, you are free to ask the salesperson to throw that item in for free (or at a large discount!) in which case they are more obliged to give you what you want.

Bargaining can be a positive and fun experience. Merchants expect you to haggle and they enjoy it as well. It is best to use humor and stay calm and do not rest until you have gotten the price that you want. Sometimes just walking away is the best haggling tool of them all. After following all these tips, be careful not to become too good of a bargainer, in which case you find yourself haggling for a better price without knowing what it is your are bargaining for. This usually happens at the end of a trip after one has had many successful bargaining attempts and you find you have no more room in your suitcase for all the stuff you have bought.

P.S. The video below captures some of the essence of bargaining.

The Rest of the Day in Darjeeling

After we returned from our sunrise visit to Tiger Hill, elated and thankful that we had experienced a very rare, clear day to see Khangchendzonga, we spent the rest of the day touring other parts of Darjeeling. We then went to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the premier center in India for training to conquer the Himalayan peaks.

It was awe inspiring to see old photographs of those who climbed Mt. Everest, from the first ascent by Sir Edward Hillary and Tensing Norgay – both icons of mountaineering – to other ascents by Indian, American, British and a host of teams from other countries. I can only dream about making it to the summit – a trek to base camp maybe – but the summit is a dream for another reincarnation.

We then visited the Zoological Park which is dedicated to the conservation of endangered eastern Himalayan animals including tigers, snow leopards, pandas, mountain goats and others that are rare to see in the wild. They work hard to study ways the endangered animals can thrive in the Himalayas as expanding population and development eat into their habitat.

Our next stop was the Tibetan Refugee Center where exiled Buddhist followers of the Dalai Lama live and work. The center was donated by benefactors in India that allows the Tibetan refugees to create their skilled crafts, which are sold at the center to support themselves.

On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at a tea tasting shop and sampled many varieties of Darjeeling tea – and, oh yes, purchased several for ourselves and for gifts. It was similar to a wine tasting back home.

On our return to Bagdogra the next day for our flight to Varanasi, we saw several political demonstrations for a separate State of Gorkhaland. Our guide told us that a major gathering at their town auditorium would occur the next day where the question of creating the new State of Gorkhaland out of the current State of West Bengal would be debated. It seems that several parts of India are pressing for breaking away as separate states for political, ethnic and economic reasons. Whether this will make their lives better is still an open question in the Indian political arena, but it is a movement that is sweeping the country.

Sunrise at Tiger Hill

The next day we awoke at 4:40 am to begin our journey to Tiger Hill, the highest point in Darjeeling. From here we could watch the sunrise over 28,169 foot Khangchendzonga. It was breathtaking. The pictures say it all!

The Trip to Darjeeling

The Trip to Darjeeling
Guess what? Another unique road experience – on the road to Darjeeling -- as if we hadn’t had enough already.

We landed in Bagdogra after our flight from Mumbai with a short stopover in Kolkata. Bagdogra is a small agricultural town at an elevation of about 500 feet above sea level, situated in the plains below the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains where Darjeeling tea is grown. We were met by our local tour representative, and our driver Basant – of Nepali descent – who would drive us up to Darjeeling at an average elevation of 7,000 feet. Darjeeling tea is the major crop that is grown on steep hillside plantations all the way up to Darjeeling.

As we started up the one-lane, winding road for a 3 ½ hour ride over about 90 kilometers, little did we know that we were in for another “exciting” ride. We were travelling in a small Chevrolet SUV passing an assortment of vans, scaled down buses, trucks and cars that looked liked the Indian version of the tiny Smart car. Passing is an art in India where you have to slow down and either move close to the hillside or the steep drop below to squeeze by. Sometimes, there were turnouts of a few feet that made it seem like a “piece of cake.”

Our multi-lingual driver Basant who lived in Darjeeling, was a soft spoken, patient man of few words. He deftly navigated the challenging mountain road to get us safely to our destination – the New Elgin Hotel in Darjeeling. After our first moments of fear, we gained confidence with his driving to get us where we needed to go. It seems like the Indian drivers certainly know how to negotiate their terrain, but we were not ready to give-it-a-go.

On the way up, we passed the “Toy Train” – one of the highest, small-gage railroads ever built. It is a popular tourist attraction to ride the railway to the top, but it takes twice as long as a motor vehicle so we opted for the latter. As we passed the train, we saw a cameraman filming out of an open doorway as the train ascended to Darjeeling. It turns out, we met the camera crew the next morning and learned they were part of a Japanese film crew making a documentary for the Japanese TV station WOWOW about the train ride, Darjeeling and the spectacular view of Khangchendzonga, India’s highest peak soaring at 8598 meters or 28,169 feet, and the third highest peak in the Himalayas.

After settling in at our comfortable hotel, the New Elgin, we ventured out to the Chowrasta, the town square that had an array of shops and restaurants with the City’s main public auditorium nearby. Lauren did some successful jewelry shopping again and we then had dinner at the Glenery – one of the restaurants recommended in our guidebook. We then headed back to the hotel to get some rest before our 4:40 am rise for our trip to Tiger Hill, the highest point in Darjeeling for the sunrise view of Khangchendzonga.

P.S. Check out the short video of the trip down from Darjeeling below.

Bombay, aka Mumbai

Mumbai (Bombay)
I am so glad we came to Mumbai; what a great experience. I always wondered what this City was like and we had that opportunity with our terrific guide, Sudha, who gave us an exceptional tour. Mumbai is just as crowded as the rest of the cities we have seen, but as Bravish described it, it is "controlled chaos." Mumbai is much more cosmopolitan than Delhi. Most of the women wear saris, but the 20 somethings are dressed casually in jeans. Women work in professional fields and are more respected as workers than in Delhi.

I have to say that the best part of our trip has been through our interactions with the Indian people. Our female guide here in Mumbai was smart, informative, warm and accommodating. She demonstrated and explained what makes Mumbai beat. Interestingly, we learned that the beggars who bother you constantly are not respected at all. They are deemed lazy and are only teaching their children the same way of life. In fact, begging is the only education their children get, and unfortunately that is all they can do and become. She encouraged us not to engage with them and, in fact, contributing in that manner only encourages them to beg more. I felt relieved that I didn't have to feel guilty for not responding to their constant pleas and tapping on the car windows as we sat in traffic.

A most fascinating aspect about the Indian people is their tenacity. Everyone works very hard as was demonstrated by Dhobi Ghat, the main laundry service which is a respected and historical outdoor business where hundreds of Indian workers -- men only -- wash and clean thousands of garments by hand everyday as its citizens are all busy and many travel hours everyday just getting to their jobs. The clothing is washed and dried naturally in tubs and carefully dried on rooftops or rope lines, and returned wrapped the same day. It is a respected and honored tradition that has carried on through generations.

She next showed us a Gandhi museum dedicated to the man who taught people to be self reliant, primarily through cottage industries, and preached equality for all and opportunities for woman. Gandhi was a man who clearly espoused all that the Indians deemed important. We then saw another example of Mumbai's life blood, the thriving outdoor Crawford market, selling everything you could think of. We then visited Victoria Station, a hubbub of activity as trains are the major transport for getting people about. In fact, India is a country in constant motion. By whatever means possible, they move about and in astounding numbers. It really is quite remarkable.

We then visited a Jewish Synagogue, Keneseth Eliyahoo. A beautiful building which was very similar to the Orthodox synagogue we saw in Israel. It had three Torahs in the ark that you can see in the attached picture.

Perched at the port on the Arabian Sea, the Gateway of India represents the entrance to the Country and was built to commemorate the 1911 visit of King George V. Across the street was the Taj Majal Hotel that was bombed by terrorists in November 2008 along with several other Indian landmarks and a Jewish center. That event is still very much on their minds and represents their version of our 9/11.

Our last stop was at the Colaba Market, the pulse of the city with blocks and blocks of vendors selling their trinkets, clothing and food. If you haggle hard, you get some very good bargains, just ask Lauren who was ecstatic to be in her element. We watched and admired her determination and Sudha was quite impressed with Lauren's bargaining skills.

I would say that Sudha helped us appreciate Mumbai and India for all it is.

Here we are: "All Decked Out"

Oh yes, and here are posing for some pictures of us donning the festive Rajasthanian garb in Udaipur. Of the three photos, let us know which one is your favorite.

Udaipur, the White City

Udaipur -- the "White City"

The next day we set out for Udaipur, the last of the three cities we visited in our palace tours in Rajasthan -- also known as the White City. Our first stop outside the city was at a textile manufacturing facility that sold to visitors as as well as merchants throughout the world. We did buy some beautiful items.

Halfway to Udaipur, we passed by a 600 year old Jain Temple at Ranakpur. The temple was beautifully carved in marble with representations of their deities throughout. As we toured the temple with one of their resident monks, he pointed out that one out of 1,444 columns was tilted -- sort of like the Leaning Tower of Piza. He said that it was tilted intentionally to symbolize man's imperfection.

Of three palaces in the city, we arrived at the City Palace in Udaipur that is divided into three parts – the first section is where the reigning King and his family live, another section has being turned into a hotel, and a third section is now a museum and can be toured. The main palace is stunningly situated alongside Lake Pichola, aka the "Summer Palace." The Winter Palace is located in the middle of the lake and the Monsoon Palace was built high upon a hill. As a point of interest, our guide told us that "one claim to fame" of this setting is that the James Bond movie "Octopussy” had several scenes shot here and on the lake.

The palace had the typical arrangement of meeting, sleeping, eating and entertaining rooms and courtyards, as well as photographs of elephant fighting bouts. The elephants gripped each other by their trunks and attempted – in a tug of war game -- to pull the other elephant over a low wall that divided them. This type of "sport" is now outlawed as it was very hurtful to the elephants, particularly their trunks.

We were told that one of the recent emperors was paralyzed from a polo horse match fall and spent the remainder of his life in a wheelchair. It was the first Palace to be made handicap accessible with an elevator lift and special living and bathroom designs. Also, the disabled king did not hesitate to meet the public and officials, and there were many pictures of him going about his Kingly duties.

We then drove to some lovely gardens in Udaipur that were used exclusively for the women of the royal court. They were designed around 5 fountains which inspired Lauren to burst into a moment of dance and frivolity.

Lauren wanted to take advantage of a photo opportunity being offered, so we dressed up in festive Rajasthanian garb and posed for the pictures shown in our next blog. Everyone got a big kick out of it and some of the young Indian girls came up and wanted their picture taken with us. It was a lot of fun.

We ended the day driving to our hotel in the dark, although we could tell that it was situated among gorgeous terrain in a remote area from the downtown. We had a delicious dinner and then took a well needed sleep, only to arise at 5 am for our morning flight to Mumbai – still in the dark. So it ended up that we never saw this hotel in full daylight. Now onward to Mumbai.

Wedding Reception Pictures

We neglected to include a few pictures from Bravish and Madhavi's wedding reception that was attended by over 700 guests. The evening capped the 5 days of many events and was very elegant and served with an incredible array of Indian foods. Bravish looked very handsome in his tuxedo and Madhavi was gorgeous in her sari. By the end of the evening, the happy couple was very tired, but glowing.

Jodhpur, the Blue City

After another 6 hour harrowing ride -- passing slow trucks and buses on a narrow 2-lane road, we arrived in Jodhpur just in time to meet our guide for our next palace tour. In this case, we were taken to the 16th century Jodhpur Palace and fort high up on a hilltop on multiple levels that was built for another Maharaja King. It looked down on a courtyard where many events were staged and the women could look down to see what the men were doing without being seen through a lattice work of windows. Much of the history of these palaces and forts had rooms exclusively for their harems of wives.

We could see that most of the town homes and buildings were painted blue. That was how you could tell the Brahmins from other castes and the Muslims. This ritual apparently occurs once a year to maintain the tradition.

We then went into the old city village centered around a clocktower that was built by the British. This area brimming with hundreds of bazaars was crowded and dirty, but had an energy that made Lauren very excited to shop as well as many bargains. We got several shawls from one vendor who told us his brother had a store in Santa Monica called Indian Textiles and Crafts that sold for more than three times what we paid. We'll have to check that out when we get home.

Horn Please

Lauren Here

So other then the blog being our number 1 topic of conversation on this trip, traffic is a close second. As I am sure you have read, the traffic here is unlike any other traffic we have experienced and needs to be discussed every time we get in a car. One of the things that is second nature to the drivers here is using the horn. Being in the car so many times I have begun to decipher what the different horns mean as they are used to annouce almost anything and everything:
1 honk - I'm behind you
2 honks - You're going to slow for me
3 honks - You better look out I'm passing you
4 honks - I am passing you in what little space there is between the car and the side of the road, so you better move over because I have decided I have the right of way
5 honks - Hey, How ya doing?
6 honks - Have a nice day
7 honks - I think I'm a little hungry
8 honks - Look at that cow over there
9 honks - Uh Oh, it's crossing the road!
And if you dont hear any honks, look around and make sure everyone has their seatbelt on or you might have been ejected from the vehicle.

We've never been ejected, but have come close to it many times. Oh India!

Jaipur, the "Pink City":

After travelling about 6 hours from New Delhi - mostly on divided tolls roads - we finally arrived in Jaipur, the City of Victory founded in 1693. This is the first of the three Palace cities that we visited over three days in the state of Rajasthan, a predominantly Hindu region. Of the three, each had many buildings in the Old City painted a specific color. For Jaipur, it was pink for The Welcoming City.

Our day guide took us to an outdoor observatory constructed in 1728 by the warrior-astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh. It had sundials and other exhibits that precisely measured time by the course of the sun's shadow and charted the annual progress through the zodiac. This was a fascinating look at what scientists were able to accomplish without modern technology and how they understood the relationship between time based on the earth's movement around the sun.

The City Palace tour was a step back to the 1800's, built by the Maharaja who housed 108 wives and scores of military and weapons. In addition to being the capital of the State, Jaipur is also known as the the location to purchase gems and jewelry. And they don't miss an opportunity to try to sell them to tourists. We were then taken to a local jewerly center and did manage to succumb to the hype get a few attractive items for Lauren and I.

Before we left the next day, Stan and Lauren got up at 6:30 am and took a trek up to the Amber Fort which was perched high upon a hill with protective walls extending beyond the fort along the ridges of the adjacent hills. The walls looked like a small version of the Great Wall of China. For those willing to pay the fare, elephants were used to transport visitors to the top. However, they used this opportunity to climb a hill, so they hiked up to the Fort and took some interesting pictures that are attached.

As connecting highway construction isn't completed for several years, traveling to these cities on the local roads was our only option. The living conditions of the people in these small towns are very run down, crowded and dirty. The women seem to have a tough time as many were carrying goods and tilling fields in very poor conditions. There are many animals living amongst the villaeges including an abundance of dogs, all of the same breed.

The next City stop was Jodhpur, the "Blue City."