Last Days :-(

Monday:

What does one do during the last few days of a holiday? Shopping of course! I had decided that I wouldn't buy anything this trip but........ everything is sooooo cheap! So Tarun had a wonderful day taking me from shop to shop while I bought a whole lot of stuff I didn't really need. Actually he was very good natured about it and even pretended that he was enjoying it.

After shopping there was another new experience for me. We had brought a bag of wheat back from the village with us and Tarun took it to a place for grinding. It was all done while we waited.

Tuesday:

Tiredness starting to set it so today was a very lazy day hanging out in Delhi and quite a bit of driving round. Sometimes when driving on these roads I'm not sure whether I should be laughing or screaming. I did see something different today though... the traffic police pulled someone over for going through a red light. Given that most people completely ignore red lights I'd say that this poor guy was pretty unlucky.

The suburbs of Delhi are somewhat different than ours at home with much higher density housing . There are so many people on the streets till late, and of course there's the motorbikes! At 6 pm Tarun and went to a mall. At home the malls would be busy and the streets deserted but here it's the opposite. After sitting outside by a kids playground area listening to "If You're Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands," " ABCD" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and watching kids for a while we went back to Tarun's, picked up his sister and wandered down the road for dinner. Still can't get used to this late eating thing here. It's an interesting time to be out watching people going about their everyday lives.

Wednesday:

My last day!

I have just had breakfast. My stomach is revolting and complaining about the very nice but very heavy breakfasts I've been having so today I gave in to it and fed it fruit. I had bought quite a bit of this at a stall on the road last night ... all for about $2. There were bananas, oranges, watermelon and papaya....all good . Tarun is still having eggs ... He needs to cook some for the dog anyway :-)

It was a day of being a tourist... temples, temples, Old Delhi and lunch at the restaurant  we ate at the first night here. Tarun is pretty clued up on all these Hindu Gods so was able to give me an interesting commentary as we went round the two temples... both very impressive but very different with one having a real commercial feel. 

Back to Tarun's house with a shopping stop on the way ... all the ingredients for the chicken curry he's going to cook tonight. If it's as good as the last one he cooked for me it'll be fantastic. This time I'm going to be standing beside him watching how much of each spice he puts in and writing it down . Recipes don't seem to be used ....they just know!

Hopefully I can repeat it at home.

I have to leave here about 5.30 am tomorrow to catch my plane home....arriving about lunchtime Friday. I have very mixed feelings . I'm pretty keen to see family and my dog, and to sleep in my own bed and eat salad and beef. However it's also the sad end to what has been an amazing 5 1/2 weeks. When I told Tarun I wanted to see the non- tourist side of India I had no idea as to what I'd get or where I'd go. Tarun I can't thank you enough. You have given me the sort of insight into your country that few tourists ever get and you have been open and honest about it all so I've been able to appreciate the good and the bad. In the time we've had together I've learned to like, enjoy, trust and respect you.  To everyone else reading this .... If you ever come to India contact Tarun ... he will  give you the best time possible. He has a level of integrity and responsibility way beyond his years and is a thoroughly likeable young man who can relate to people of any age. I have already arranged a repeat trip with him next March .

There are several reviews about his company on Trip Advisor...have a look.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g304551-d4992274-Reviews-or10-Adventure_Holiday_Private_Day_Tours-New_Delhi_National_Capital_Territory_of_.html#REVIEWS

If you have any questions please feel free to email me  nazusw@gmail.com

Covering Old Ground

I

Another day in Rishikesh. This really is an interesting town with so much to see. The people here are fascinating ... Not just the Indians but the non-Indian tourists as well. They are often yoga types as this place is known as the Yoga Capital of the World and people from everywhere seem to come for it . You can usually tell them by their hair and clothes and I also got a good whiff of marihuana at one point.

We went for a drive along one of Tarun's famous back roads ... always interesting and always beautiful. 

Thanks to him I'm seeing some pretty special places that I'm really enjoying.... this drive followed the Ganges but at a height so we looked down on it. He tells me that there are a lot of Israelis in this area so I guess that was why we ended up having falafels and humus for lunch . 

An afternoon walk led us to the Beatles old Ashram... very derelict now but obviously beautiful in it's day. I was very happy not to go inside when Tarun told me there were snakes in it. 

We sat outside for a while watching the monkeys playing but that didn't last long either as people came with food and the monkeys went berserk, leaping around everywhere with no regard for anyone . We left after a couple threw themselves against me. I wasn't hurt but it did make me realise that they could actually be quite dangerous. Tarun thought they were after my bag thinking perhaps it had food in it.

Then my last night on a hotel as today it was back to Delhi via the village for the third time. I always seem to end up there at interesting times as today the people who harvested the rice the last time we were there arrived to take there cut of it. They cleaned it by hand waving a sack back and forth to blow the lighter debris away. Many hands make light work.... It was soon packed in bags as a result of some pretty good team work.

When an Indian describes the traffic as crazy you can rest assured that it's really bad. Our trip back to Delhi was beyond imagination. It seems that there was some Muslim event on and  I think everyone of them was on the road this afternoon. Most of the vehicles were overloaded according to our standards and I can never get used to seeing people travelling on a bus or truck roof. The drive took 4 to 5 hours and in that time we saw two truck accidents, which was considerably less than I would have expected given the conditions. When I get home I think I'll buy a TShirt saying 'I survived the roads of India (thanks to Tarun).' 

We are now safely back in Delhi at Tarun's house. I have three full days in Delhi then it's back home.

Kiwi fruit Mousse by the Ganges

I Back to Rishikesh today. This was a place I really enjoyed in the early days of my trip and I was keen to come back and spend longer here. This time we are staying in a different part of town with a view of the mountains ... I never get tired of them!

India has many sides and today we had a taste of a side we haven't seen very much of... the luxury side! We splurged out on a buffet lunch at one of the luxury hotels up-river from Rishikesh . It was wonderful sitting under the verandah overlooking the Ganges .... one of the nicest parts of the river before it arrives at the towns where the pollution and rubbish spoil it. The food was beautiful and it was especially nice to be able to start with a salad. When I told Tarun that was probably all I'd have for lunch at home he looked at me in horror and I could imagine him thinking that he'd best not visit NZ because he'd probably starve. To my surprise there was kiwifruit mousse for dessert.... hmmmm.... it looked like kiwifruit but it tasted like something entirely different. 

After lunch we wandered through the hotel grounds to the river where we watched a few rafters. There are many camps along the river where people can stay in tents. Some are in small groups in beautiful spots but a couple looked like some sort of military camp with the tents in rows. 

We left 5* India , probably for the rest of the trip, and explored some lesser known roads, but first there was a return to a particularly lovely spot in the Ganges where Tarun swam last time we were there. I would have been in too but stripping off isn't the done thing here, especially in the Ganges, and I had nothing to wear. 

As we walked back up the track from the river Tarun pointed out some particularly pretty large yellow spiders. A man walking past told us they were very poisonous. What with poisonous spiders and  leopards India seems a dangerous place but I'm still most scared of slipping on the bathroom floors which seem to get very wet every time the shower is used.

The road we explored next was pretty scary but absolutely beautiful. I think it could just about compete with Skippers near Queenstown. I reckon that if you went over the side you'd never ever be seen again. However the roller coaster road was well worth it and we had the added bonus of watching yet another sunset from up very high. Every one of them has been spectacular but this one would have been the best so far. I am so going to miss them when I go home.

Back to the hotel where Tarun and I did what we do so well... nothing!  But then tomorrow is always another day.

Lazy Days

I've been travelling in India for a month now and today it hit me that this time next week I'll be on a plane going home. It's so tempting to extend my time here and the only reason that I'm not is my family. However, yesterday, after so much travelling the day before, seemed like a good day to lax out and do nothing. 

The hotel Tarun found late at night on the outskirts of Dehradun has turned out to be very nice so we are staying here for three nights. We have found out how easy it is to wile away a day with a bit of walking, a bit of sitting watching the world and a lot of eating. This area is really nice and even a stroll from the hotel  is interesting. We found a little cafe with a wonderful mountain view, we pass monkeys raiding the rubbish bin, and the sunset is nothing less than spectacular. The hotel restaurant is outside and it's so easy to just spend time sitting there. 

Today has been pretty relaxed too. After a leisurely start we went for a drive to visit a waterfall. Equally interesting were the restaurants perched along the edge of the road and the cable car that took people to the bottom.

Once again the mountain scenery was stunning and this time we even got a glimpse of snow in the distance.

Going past stalls selling roasted corn cobs was a bit of a temptation and of course there was the usual stop for chai.

On the return trip we explored a little side road which led to a very beautiful smaller waterfall. I have really appreciated the spontenaity of this trip and the ability to stop where ever I like and do what ever I like. I have managed to see so much more than I ever could have travelling a different way. Tarun has gone out of his way to explore back roads and make my trip as interesting as possible.

The Himalayan sunsets are spectacular so this evening we drove to a place where we got an uninterrupted view. I could see a million of these and never get sick if them.

An evening shopping expedidition in the city to buy Tarun a backpack was interesting to say the least. I find shopping really hard here as it's so difficult to actually see what some shops sell from the road. Walking down the road and looking in the windows is not a pleasant option because the idea of a footpath just doesn't  seem to exist and I seem to spend all of my time looking at my feet to stop myself tripping. Anyway we eventually found the right shop and Tarun bought himself a very nice pack. There were people, cars and motorbikes everywhere and once again I was very happy not to be the driver.

Then it was food time ...... again!  I had a craving for something that wasn't Indian so it was Dominos for pizza.... no meat lovers here!

Tomorrow it's back to Rishikesh for a couple more days. This was a place I really liked and I'm keen to see more of it.

Things I've Learnt Since Being in India

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•  how to drink chai... I used to loathe tea
•. how to have a bucket shower

•  how to avoid a cold shower ... Turn the hot water on!
•. how to extend the capacity of my bladder so I don't need to make frequent toilet stops
•. the advantages of having a welfare system
•  the disadvantages of having a welfare system that is way too generous

• that a bed makes a very good ironing board and you get smooth sheets at the same time
•. how to pray to the Gods of every world religion while driving on the roads....especially at night
•. how  little you really need to live
•. that India is an incredibly varied country
•. that eating in food stalls doesn't mean you're going to get sick
•. that we take preventative health very much for granted
•. that I was lucky to find such a nice young guy as Tarun to show me India
•. that I really love being in India and I want to keep coming back
•. that the sheer size of the Himalayas is beyond imagination
•. how to tune out noise
•. that some military areas in India don't allow foreigners in them
•. you don't need malaria protection in the cooler weather
•. In parts of the world people still live as they did hundreds of years ago
•. that I'm not really addicted to coffee... I haven't had a problem going without it

• Indian Dominoes don't have a meat lovers pizza

• that I can be very lazy

• that it pays to keep the bedroom window closed in case a monkey decides to come in

• the sunsets are stunning

• Indians can't cook pasta

• sleeping between the sheets feels better than sleeping under the blanket

• that just because you hear cows mooing it doesn't mean that you are in the country

• just how culturally different we are

• we wear too much black

• Indian women don't hang their underwear on the line to dry

• Indian kids learn all the same nursery rhymes as ours do

• there are many quite healthy looking dogs here that never see meat or dog biscuits. They live on roti and rice

• 

Adventure Holiday Tours

Tarun's company is called Adventure Holiday Tours and yesterday they sure lived up to their name!
We left Solan just before 8 am with the aim of heading to a small but beautiful town less than 250 km away. It was breakfast on the way... The usual paranthas , curry, curd and chai for some ridiculous amount to money... Usually less than $3 for both of us. We were taking a back road so envisaged  the drive taking most of the day as travel is very slow. The road was variable, but in most cases little more than a track so it was shake, rattle and roll for most of the day. Every day we drive in the mountains I remind myself how lucky I am that I don't get carsick as it's very common to see people with their head out of the window and a stream of vomit following the bus. Maybe the rough road had something to do with the puncture we got.

A long trip never  means a boring trip as there is always plenty to see. I have been surprised at the number of people who live in these mountains - sometimes in cities or towns but most often in villages and small settlements. You can drive along seeing no sign of habitation for a long way then all of a sudden you see a school in the middle of nowhere... Or sometimes even a university. There was a lot of work going on on the roads, very occasionally with a digger but more often it was manual labour.... always in slow motion!  I was amazed at the piles of rocks that were heaped beside the road, all broken up by hand.

The people you see are always interesting. Depending on the time you see groups of school children going to or coming from school, always neatly dressed in uniform, the girls with their very long hair plaited. These kids in uniform contrast with the other people. The women are always in traditional dress. Seeing a woman in western dress in rural India or out of places like Delhi and Mumbai is very unusual. It certainly adds to the colour. You also see the people going about their daily tasks like washing the clothes by the hand pump on the side of the road, carrying stuff on their head or on their back, herding the goats along the road, drinking chai and talking with friends or working in the fields. Their homes vary but most are simple and it's easy to see inside from the road.

In one village we passed we were lucky enough to see a group of men dancing to a drummer.... Something religious Tarun thought. Tarun has explained to me just how superstitious the people of Indian still are, and this is not just village people but city people too. Yesterday I sneezed just before I left the hotel room and he told me that after doing that many people would make me wait for a while before going out.

The scenery we saw throughout the day was stunning. The early morning in the mountains is a little misty and soft and beautiful. The sky often tends to be clearer at this time so it's good to start early. We passed many different types of vegetation during our journey, often pines and other trees (some starting to change colour and lose their leaves), sometimes areas similar to the NZ bush,sometimes rocky   areas and sometimes grasslands. Often we looked down into river valleys which were beautifully terraced as there is much subsidence agriculture. Sometimes the river valleys looked similar to our South Island rivers but 100 times the size. The vastness of this mountain area is incomprehensible . I can't believe that when we were near Rishikesh I felt like I was on top of the world... It was nothing!  The sunsets are spectacular and nothing can describe them.

About 6 pm we arrived at what we thought was going to be our hotel for the night... A beautiful place in the mountains with an amazing view. It had all been booked for two nights after we both looked at the website . But not to be. It turns out that we were in a military area and no foreigners were allowed there. The man at the hotel gave us chai and toast
but was quite keen to send us on our way as it could have easily resulted in big trouble. Evidently there is a case going on in the Supreme Court at the moment about some similar incident. So I wrapped my head up and we left the place with me pretending to be Tarun's Muslim wife.... Or grandmother perhaps! We got out alive even though we passed a large group of armed soldiers on some army exercise. I know I have government connections but I'd never considered myself a threat to Indian national security before.

We drove on.... Not on the back road this time so progress was faster. I am now comfortably lying on a bed in quite a nice hotel on the edge of a big city ... Dehradun or something like that.

Out of Delhi Again

After a few days in Delhi it was time to
move on again. Delhi had been a necessary stop as there were a few things that needed to be done like a few car maintenance issues  and a visit to the dentist for me. No, not for toothache but for a consultation regarding the restoration of an implant I'd had a couple of months ago. Because it required bone grafting it couldn't be done straight away so I did a bit of research into having it done here. I easily found out that the savings I'd make in having it done here would more than cover the cost of a return airfare next March so it was a bit of a no- brainier . I looked at many dentists before coming and after a visit have decided that I'm more than happy with my choice. Tarun kindly took me and so finding him in the chaos that is Delhi was no problem. However, Tarun did tell me that I was probably paying too much and that there's a guy that operates on the side of the road in  Old Delhi who would most likely be a much cheaper option. No thanks Tarun, this time I'll go with my gut feeling!

So chores done and it was off up northwest to Yamuna Nagar where we were going to stay with his extended family. Tarun described this as a small town but I suspect there were 400,000
 or more people living there. ..... some small town! In so many countries I've looked at houses and wondered what they were like inside and how the people
 lived in them . So far on this trip I've stayed with four different families and had the opportunity to see how they all live. This has been a wonderful experience do thanks to Tarun and the various members if his family for giving me this experience.

I did several things while in this town but one of the best was going to the vegetable market with Tarun and his cousin. This was huge. I so wish I could buy so many vegetables for so little money at home. Of course when staying in a home the added bonus is that you see how some of these vegetables are cooked. 

Another highlight was driving to visit and have lunch with another of Tarun's cousins in the town where he was born. A late afternoon walk served to show me just how similar people are all over the world  when we stopped to let the children play on a mini Ferris wheel thing and roundabout. Here the mums were all watching their kids and chatting to each other as they would in any playground at home. Then there are the sunsets which are absolutely stunning here ... Probably because of the pollution but who really cares. We hadn't intended to stay at this place but there was considerable pressure to do so . We were off again early in the morning so the fact that all I had with me was a comb didn't really matter.

The next day we had planned a day trip to Chandigarh with two of the cousins. Once again we had to deal with the roads! It was a bit sobering to witness a truck crash on the way and to realise just how easily we could have been involved in this through no fault of our own. Basically as far as I'm concerned all Indian drivers are totally crazy but the roads are unavoidable and I'm very happy that Tarun is very capable and very sensible.

My understanding is that Chandigarh is a sort of model Indian city. It is very different to any other I've been in because the traffic is less chaotic, it's clean and well planned. Strangely enough  this was the only time I've been disappointed in India as to me it didn't feel Indian. We did a couple of touristy things like walking by a lake and visiting quite an impressive arty type rock garden before A McDonald's lunch and NZ Natural ice cream in the mall. I had wanted to go to an Indian mall and Tarun as usual obliged, we both thought that a trip to the mall with his female cousin would be a nice experience but it proved not to be so. It was actually quite funny as she seemed to say 'no' to everything I looked at. Turned out that she was trying to be very helpful by telling me that the things were too expensive and she could get them cheaper for me elsewhere. :-) I didn't buy much!

The next day we had planned to go and see the Golden Temple at Amritsar but I developed quite a hankering for more of the Himalayas. When I said to Tarun  'let's flag Amritsar' his response was his usual 'no problem' .  Actually I suspect he was quite pleased as he loves the mountains as much as I do so  Himalayas here we come!

Meeting Arslan

Yet another interesting day in India!
After my visit to India last year I decided to sponsor a child through the Indian organisation Deepalaya. He is a 12 year old boy called Arslan who is one of 5 children in a very poor farming family in a rural area a couple of hours out of Delhi. I had pre-arranged  to meet him and today was the day. Tarun and I had an interesting drive down to the area where the school is. The building stands alone in the middle of several fields that had recently been ploughed. The area grows wheat, mustard and a range of fruit and vegetables. The complex included two school buildings (junior and senior), a girls home and a boys home, and a small hospital ... all run by Deepalaya. There are 800 children who are brought in by bus from neighbouring villages.

When we arrived we were given the customary chai before being taken over to the senior building. We popped into several classes... The only difference between them being the age of the kids. It was like visiting a classroom even earlier than my time at school, with the children seated in rows facing a blackboard. There was nothing at all on the walls and no sign of children's work anywhere. The behaviour was also rather reminiscent of my time at school as every child rose as we entered the room and chanted the usual greeting, quietly remaining standing until told to sit. They were all neatly dressed in uniform and very well behaved.

After visiting a few classroom we finally made it to Arslans class. He is a very cute little boy who was rather overwhelmed by all the attention he was getting. It was like we were being followed by the paparazzi as there were several of the school staff, including the rather strange principal, who accompanied us with cameras. ....  not the first time I've felt like a movie star while in India  as I get plenty of stares..... something to do with the colour of my skin I presume, although I'd prefer to think it was because of my stunning looks.

Arslan, Tarun and I, followed by the paparazzi of course, went outside where we gave Arslan some clothes for him and his family, a few other things, and chocolates and pens for his classmates. Then back to the classroom where Arslan handed out the loot to his friends.

Meeting this boy was quite an experience. It was like something unreal became real as before this he was just a name and a photograph. I came away feeling that the money I was spending here was money well spent and appreciated. I also got to meet his 15 year old sister who was quite beautiful.

We were given lunch at the school before leaving for another school which was on the way back to Delhi. This school was different again. Tarun knew it because a friend of his had recently been volunteering at it. I gather that it is run by a wealthy English couple in conjunction with a guest house . We met up with some young English people who were apparently doing their gap year here. We walked up a hill to see a wonderful view of the area as Tarun recounted the stories of the leopard that hangs out in the area......I actually think that this story was more reL than some of the others he's been trying to scare me with.

It appears that the estate run by this English couple has the very Indian name of Tickley Bottom! We all went there for chai and had the added bonus of watching some Indian film crew shooting something... were still not exactly sure what.

The drive back to Delhi was one of the most scary things I've ever done in my life. Imagine a dodgem car rink with an additional 50 cars added to it and
the lights out! Tarun did offer to let me drive but I knew he was enjoying every minute of the chaos and didn't want to deprive him of the pleasure. I did contemplate ringing the kids to say goodbye before I died but fortunately it proved to be unnecessary as we got back to Tarun's home in one piece.

It had been a fantastic day

Village Life

Well I certainly didn't expect internet issues to be the biggest frustration in India but they have created the only real issue that I've had since arriving. I am now back in Delhi for a few days so hopefully I can do some catching up. I have done so much since my last entry that it's going to be hard to remember and everything is going to be out of order, so just ignore the dates and sequence and read on.

My time in the village was one of the most interesting times of my life... So far removed from my normal life in Auckland that it felt like I was living in another time and place. We arrived back in the village just after the rice had been harvested and it was sitting in a huge pile right in front of the house. Unfortunately we had missed the actual harvesting of it but I had seen others cutting it in other places... All by hand!

My first complete day in the village started early as the children start school at 7 am. I was sleeping outside, under a veranda on a bed frame with a woven hammock-like sleeping surface.... Surprisingly comfortable. There were 4 beds outside but I'm not sure exactly how many people were actually sleeping in them... Certainly some beds had more than one person in them but I got one to myself. :-)

Chai came pretty early and Jyoti, Tarun's cousin, showed me how to make it: half a teaspoon of tea and one teaspoon of sugar ( actually I suspect it was often much much more) per cup, a handful of herbs from outside the house, and grated ginger. This was boiled up with water and milk (always full cream) and I was told that it was better with more milk and less water. Evidently one day the chai wasn't so good as the buffalo was pregnant and the milk was salty. Quite honestly I couldn't tell the difference so obviously I'm not an expert on Indian chai. However, I do know what I like and the chai Tarun made me was the best so far and he tells me he uses lots of ginger and black pepper. I'd like to experiment at home but I think I'll have to cut out all of this Indian sugar when I return.

After chai Tarun and I went for an early morning walk around the fields, passing sugar cane, rice fields and poplar trees which are sold off for furniture making wood.  I ended up supervising Tarun and his cousin  in the clearing of weeds along side the now bare rice field. This was all done by hand and when I told Tarun that we'd probably use weed killer for it he looked at me blankly and I had to describe what it was.

Then it was back to the house for breakfast. Nothing happens quickly in the village but there is a lot of talking. I am managing to get the gist of what the talk is about but here I was finding  myself a bit lost... It appears that much of it was in Punjabi! Well at least the kids spoke some English ! Most of the conversation was about rice... Probably the main topic of conversation the both times I've been in the village.  I gather that the family were trying to get a large fan and tractor for the cleaning of the rice but all the available ones were in use. There were several expeditions out of the village trying to find this equipment. As usual these trips were never boring as we passed by the usual range of sights. It was a rather bizarre experience driving through the back roads with a carload of young Indians, with Hindi music coming from the stereo and passing rice fields where people were harvesting by hand, oxen drawn carts, people walking carrying stuff on their heads and motorbikes were passing carrying several people at a time... Five people on one bike was a very common sight.

Sometimes I was never completely sure whether I really knew what was happening in the village or not so I was quite surprised when the fan eventually arrived, followed a bit later by a tractor. As I watched the scene develop I learnt much more
about how it was actually done. The tractor power a huge fan  and the people collected containers of the rice which they slowly tipped out in front of the fan which blew all the leaves, sticks and any other rubbish out, leaving a pile of nice clean rice grains. Everyone worked on this with the addition of a couple of workers who Tarun said were getting 250 rupees for the work (several hours). There was a bonus of some whiskey as well and it was a funny sight as one of the guys got more and more talkative as the one who didn't drink watched very very patiently with a smile on his face.

As you can imagine this was very dusty work ... No hot showers but a dousing under the water pump.
As it got dark a couple of kids from the village joined me. They are learning English at school and although most were reluctant to use it they were quite proficient. One little girl the same age as Kate my granddaughter (12) was very keen to communicate though and we had some paper she was drawing on. It was interesting that when she drew flowers and fruit she drew lotus flowers and mangoes. She proudly showed me the loom band she was wearing which I'd introduced to them on my last visit . This was somewhere where the craze hadn't quite reached.

Village life is slow and relaxed and time means very little but thanks to Tarun I got an inkling of the tensions that underlie all of this. There are worries about the price of rice, the availability of equipment and all the stuff that any other community would be concerned about. Life is so different but also so similar. When I told Tarun that I wanted to see a non- tourist side of India he certainly obliged.

20 Questions

Well it's great that so many of you are reading this blog... I know you are because I'm getting so many questions :-).   I thought it may be best to answer them all here as so many of you are asking the same things

Have I got sick?  NO! I think this getting sick in India thing is overemphasised ! I have been eating all sorts of food in all sorts of places. Lunch today was in little more than a shack on the side of the road. It cost less than $3 for the two of us and included chai... What's more it was really good. I must admit I am fairly careful about the water but bottles are very cheap and we buy a whole carton for what we'd pay for one at home

Are you scared on the roads? NO! The roads up here are pretty bad but there's next to no traffic on them and everything goes slowly ... :-) not too much choice about that . Tarun is sensible .

What is the accommodation like?  Good! Cheap!  Only problem is the plumbing. I can't believe how these people are so clever at many things... but so hopeless at designing showers .... And making coffee :-)

Isn't it boring just driving through the mountains? NO! The scenery is stunning and there is so much to see on the way. I have seen animals ( a fox today), different birds, amazing little towns and farms , interesting people and most of all  a glimpse into the lives of the people. I've seen men getting haircuts on the side of the road, kids bathing, people  working in the fields and cooking their food... It's never ending and never boring.

Isn't it hard spending so much time with one person? NO. I did wonder if it would be but it hasn't been. Tarun is very easy to be with and we haven't had any problems.

Isn't it expensive travelling this way? NO!

Is this going to be  my last  trip to India?  NO!

Hope this helps:-)

Everest Here We Come

As we drove up into the mountains just out of Rishikesh  I remember telling Tarun that I felt like I was on the top of the world... little did I know just how far away the top of the world was, and I'm still not there yet!

These mountains are huge! The landscape in many places is a bit similar to what we'd find in parts of New Zealand but scaled up 100 or more times. Now it really does feel like I'm on top of the world but I know just how wrong I am as we haven't even seen any glimpse of snow yet... not even in the distance.

When I had a last minute change of plans and Tarun asked me where I wanted to go I said something like 'you choose as I don't have any real preference' and I also told him I was happy to go somewhere he hadn't been before. He chose well. These are places that I'm very lucky to be seeing and very far off the usual tourist route. It's now about three days since I've seen another white face and I don't anticipate seeing another for a while yet. However I still feel perfectly comfortable in this area but also realise how much easier it is having him with me. I told him I wanted to see 'the real India' and that's what I'm getting. His honest commentary on life in this country is also revealing and very interesting. Thanks again Tarun, it's a great way to travel.

Last night after dinner ( less than $2 a dish) we walked up the hill in the dark to watch the  Diwali fireworks in the nearby town. It sounded a bit like a war zone with the bangs echoing among the mountains and the lights were pretty. Unfortunately the walk lost a little of it's appeal when Tarun said  ' I hope there won't be any leopards around this part.' Given that earlier in the day, quite soon after an 'in the bushes toilet stop' we saw a fairly large snake slither across the road in front of us, I wasn't quite so keen to walk all that much further in the dark. 

At the moment I am sitting watching the sun come up over the mountains. I can hear birds and the occasional vehicle. This is  a very beautiful part of India that I'm enjoying very much ... And each day is getting better.

A Free Zoo Pass and a Day at the Carnival

India is big and driving anywhere takes a long time but it's never boring. Driving out of Rishikesh yesterday was like driving through a big cage less zoo. We were still very close to the town when Tarun pointed out the piles of elephant poo on the road. It was hard for me to imagine that there were actually elephants living in that area...along   with the monkeys, peacocks  and who knows what else. My first animal encounter that morning had been with the cow who had been trying to eat the bag of apples that I was holding as we got into the car... of course I gave him one.

There was no real division between the zoo and the carnival where I spent much of the day riding on the dodgem cars. Tarun, like most Indian drivers seems to have a well developed sense of timing and distance and has an uncanny sense of just how much room and time he needs to pass another vehicle. My worst nightmare would be having to drive a car on these roads. The star circus act was at the train crossing. When the train passed there was no orderly queuing as we would do at home, the cars, bikes, carts and whatever just pushed as close to the barriers as possible...on both sides of the roads! You can image the chaos when the barrier arms finally went up but everyone seemed to sort themselves out reasonably quickly.

We are now in Nainitel ... a rather lovely place in the Himalayan foothills. The drive up the mountains was beautiful and we were right up in the clouds. It is a bit cooler here but not really cold .... Yet! As we arrived late in the afternoon I haven't had much of a chance to see the place yet but after dinner last night we went for a walk. The houses are all lit up for Diwali and there were some fireworks being let off....nothing to what will happen tomorrow I'm told.

A week of travelling hadn't done much for my fingernails so last night Tarun was clever enough to find me a beauty salon. After his attempt at finding a hairdresser for Rebecca I should have known better perhaps :-) .  However I guess my nails do look slightly better and I did have an interesting experience... all for about the equivalent of 50 cents. The choice of colours was fantastic... All the primary colours and not much else, and the drying process equally impressive with the woman holding my hand at what seemed an almost impossible angle and rhythmically blowing. It was also a community event with what seemed to be every little girl in the town coming to watch.. ..and probably marvel at the whiteness of my skin. Each had to tell me their name and ask mine and believe it or not they understood my attempt at Hindi.... I bet that surprises you Abhishek!

I never cease to be amazed at the diversity of this country. There's the 'good , the bad and the ugly, 'but there's also the beautiful and this area is one of those places. I am looking forward to every day!

Rishikesh

 When Tarun first suggested Rishikesh as a place I might want to go to the name rang a bell... I knew I'd heard that name before...a long time ago. Yes, for all of you who were Beatles fans in the 60's it's where they found their Guru. I can't say that I've found my Guru here but I am having an interesting time.
We arrived yesterday in time for lunch... in a non- meat eating city ! No problem there though as if you're going vegetarian India is the place to do it. We went for a long walk, crossing the Ganges and walking beside it. There was plenty to see on the way- the rafters and kayaker a on the river, lots of monkeys, and this must be one of he best places in the world for people watching. Tarun and I have established a good pace now...everything is done slowly with lots of stops to look, watch, talk and just be. No rushing to keep up with the group or having to be somewhere at a certain time... I'm enjoying this private travel thing.

The evenings in India at the moment are lovely and Rishikesh is a particularly lovely place to be as the sun goes down. We attended the Ganga aarti on the banks of the river... quite moving and lovely but very very difficult to describe... I guess experienced differently by each person.

Dinner was at a little restaurant overlooking the Ganges with an old friend of Tarun's who happened to be in Rishikesh at this time. The river at night was beautiful with the lights of the town reflected in the waters.

I am writing this in bed early morning. The town is quiet apart from the odd motorbike passing and a very noisy cow that seems to be hanging out beneath the window. No need to go to a zoo in India... the animals are all around.

Finding a Quiet Spot in India

When I said I was going to write a blog I had no idea at all just how hard it would be. There are the issues with wifi connection but that's actually not the hardest part,...the real issue is how to put an overwhelming amount of experiences into a few words.

Tarun and I left Delhi for his family village about 7.30 .am yesterday morning and even at that time the roads were crazy. We stopped for breakfast along the way....the background noise from the traffic perhaps 100 times louder than the radio breakfast session I listen to at home....but  always with something interesting to watch.  

Tarun treated me to the back road...several hours following the Ganges on a fairly narrow bumpy road,successfully dodging everything coming towards us . .you've seen the pictures of what travels on Indian roads....we saw it all. Although we were travelling on quiet roads and there didn't seem to be obvious signs of habitation the river was full of people getting sand from the river....all obtained and transported by hand.

Although it was a very long time ago I can recall learning about life in an Indian village, and I've often seen them from the road....a few people working in the field, the odd dwelling and the people walking or driving down the road, but actually going into one...no, never. When Tarun first suggested visiting his village of maybe 16 houses I jumped at the chance....anything for a new experience. So here I am, not just a half hour visit but staying for a few days.

So what have I found? A lifestyle that is probably much the same as it was very many years ago with perhaps the addition of power and wifi (even if not very good). The people are welcoming, the day relaxed and quiet. I have discovered that not all of India is chaotic...some parts are.  the exact opposite.

It's a long time since I've slept outside. Yes, there are even stars in the sky out here. How you describe the two days there I don't know but it was certainly something that you never get on a big bus tour. We did very little in our time there, and what we did we did very slowly. The odd walk out among the fields watching people going about their day and often just sitting and marvelling at how there could be do much peace in a country of so many people. Tarun was able to give me a real insight into the village life... The different people (all either his cousin, uncle or aunt), the way the village operated, the price of rice... He knew it all well.

More than once I sat in the village thinking how much I'd love all of my grandchildren to spend a week or so there... What an eye opener that would be for them, and so much fun. For me it made me realise how little of what we have in our lives is actually necessary . Thanks  Tarun!

Next stop Rishikesh !

Delhi

 Some times things are hard to write about....the words exist but how do you put them together to convey what you actually want to say and where do you start. I have spent the last couple of days living in what seems to be some sort of alternative universe that is so far removed from my normal day life that it feels quite unreal and absolutely undescribable.

The trip from Auckland to Delhi was uneventful. I had a long stopover in Singapore airport so was delighted to find that on the Singapore to Delhi flight I had three seats to myself....a five hour flight with the ability to lie down was great.
It took a while to get out of the airport but all good things come to those who wait and I eventually made it. My original expectation was to have a driver from Adventure Holiday Tours waiting for me, but instead there was Tarun with a big welcoming smile. Mostly when I arrive at an airport it's a matter of finding my own way out so it was rather nice to have such a friendly face greet me.

I remember my first airport to Delhi trip. Nothing had prepared me for that and I can still remember the 'OMG what have I come to' feeling. Funny how humans adapt as this time it all seemed perfectly normal and I even managed to sit back in the car and relax..At home a car within a metre maybe considered a near miss but here its probably down to about 1millimetre .  However, this time sitting back in the car and relaxing just seemed to be easy.


Tarun had a friend staying with him so the next couple of days showed me a side of Delhi that I wouldn't have ever experienced on any tour. There was the haircut experience!  Ainsley will remember the time we had when she decided to get her  haircut in a small Italian  town. Believe me, that was nothing compared to yesterdays performance....Rebecca with her fine , curly English hair wanted 'just a little bit' off.. We all thought the hairdresser understood completely what she meant but obviously his English wasn't quite as good as we thought and we were all quite helpless as the hair got shorter and Rebecca's face got longer. Tarun has exceeded my expectations in every way but in all honesty there is no way I could ever recommend him when it comes to organising women's haircuts. Be warned!

Delhi,  as you will all know is full of very interesting tourist attractions but this afternoon I got to see a very special one... the local mechanic! I had told Tarun I wanted to see the 'real India' and he has gone out of his way to oblige....thanks Tarun, I've enjoyed every minute of it. 

Tomorrow we leave for a road trip....I'm not sure where we will end up but I'm sure there will be lots of interesting things along the way.

The best laid plans of mice and men.......

Today at this time I should have been at Auckland Airport but instead, here I am, sitting at home writing this.
Yes, I am still going to India .... but not today. Unfortunately Diana, my travel companion became ill and had to pull out. The good news is that she will recover but it may take a little while and flying to India was not a good idea at all. I can't imagine how she must feel, because not only is she sick, she has the disappointment of her cancelled holiday as well.

I had choices..... cancel out myself, continue with the  planned trip without Diana, or plan a different trip. No 3 sounded best to me so I got to work... funny how things come together so easily when time is short .... I guess you just get on and do it without too much thought.

So for Plan B.

I now leave NZ on Sunday night..... much better actually as it means that I get to go to my grandsons 6 year old birthday party. We had an "unbirthday" last week but that's not quite the same. When I arrive in Delhi I have  absolutely no idea what's going to happen or where I'm going. I've arranged for  Tarun to plan for me, take care of me and entertain me, till I leave on the 20 November . I'm enjoying the feeling of entering the 'unknown' and having the freedom to do whatever.

After patiently helping us with all the plans for the original trip Tarun very calmly accepted that they were all cancelled and has been flexible enough to accommodate me in doing things this way. If I could have seen his face when I told him I suspect he may have been smiling as it's probably the way he'd prefer to travel too.However, it is rather a long time, so hopefully he'll last the distance and not drive me to the airport after a few days and tell me to 'Go Home!'
I did tell him there were some rules;  no tiger hunting, no camel riding (I have had past experiences that I don't want to repeat) and no mountain climbing. My daughter added one and I'm quite happy to go along with that...no motorbike riding. Actually, if she knew what the roads in India were like she'd probably add ' no riding in cars, buses, taxi's or anything else that goes on the road.' Fortunately my kids have been more accepting of this trip than many of my friends who look at me, shake their heads and tell me I'm crazy. For those of you that think that, the probability of me getting home alive and well is very high....I will be in good hands.

When Tarun asked me what I wanted to do I had no real idea as there's nothing on the 'must do' list . India is so big and so diverse that there are lots and lots of possibilities and basically I'm happy with whatever. I did email Tarun last night to ask if I'd need warm clothes and the answer was 'yes' so it's looking like Nepal is on the agenda. Just as well I asked as my mind was  pretty much set  on 'hot.'

So whatever will be will be, and no matter what, I think it'll be interesting. The original trip would have been good too, and I'm really sad that Diana is not going to experience India as I'm sure she would have loved it.  Diana, I know exactly what you'd like me to bring you back and I'll do my very best to find you a couple !

BACK TO INDIA

The Anticipation

13 September 2014

 

A year ago I was planning my first trip to India, a place I realize now, that I knew very little about. When people said to me 'Why on earth would you want to go there?" I had no real answer. Now, less than a year later,  I am planning my second trip to India and I have lots of answers. I'm sure you will hear these answers over the next few weeks.

Trip Advisor calculates that I have been to 37 different countries and covered 27% of the world so I have  quite a bit of travel experience. I have also traveled in many different ways; alone, with friends and family and with small group tours. I have stayed in family homes, tents, hostels, small inexpensive hotels, and luxury hotels and resorts. All of my experiences have been good, some fantastic, but there has only ever been one country that returning to has become an obsession....India!

Last December I remember sitting in a beach shack in Goa eating an unbelievable Prawn Marsala and thinking that I never wanted to leave this amazing country. I had been in India for a month, starting in Delhi, moving through Rajasthan then down to Mumbai and Goa. Within the first few days I knew that I'd be back...it was just a matter of how soon I could arrange it, where I would go and how I would travel. Now the date has been set...10th October....less than 4 weeks away, and plans have been finalized.

I will be traveling with my friend Diana who has never been to India before. We plan to spend the first two weeks traveling with Intrepid on their Rajasthan Adventure. I have traveled with Intrepid before and know that this will be a good way to introduce Diana to India. However, for the second two weeks we are doing a private tour with Tarun Sharma of the New Delhi based 'Adventure Holiday Tours.' http://www.adventureholidaytours.com/     Tarun has been a real find. I contacted him as a result of seeing some excellent reviews on Trip Adviser    http://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g304551-d4992274-Reviews-or10-Adventure_Holiday_Private_Day_Tours-New_Delhi_National_Capital_Territory_of_.html#REVIEWS     and have been very impressed with his followup. He has been incredibly patient, answering my many, often trivial, questions with good humor, honesty and excellent knowledge. While maintaining a very professional approach he has also established an easy relationship with me which makes me feel like I will be traveling with a friend. I am especially looking forward to this part of the trip as I know that Tarun's personalized approach is going to show us a side of India that even a small group tour never could. This part of our trip will take us to the areas around Rishikesh, down to Varanasi and includes a stay in Tarun's very small family village.

Got the tickets, got the visa.....countdown time now. Watch this space !



If you have any questions please feel free to email me  nazusw@gmail.com