Day 26 (Saturday 14th) - Delhi
Our train from Varanasi deposited us at a different station in Delhi to where we had been expecting to arrive, so after a little adventure on the new metro system we eventually made it back to the Paharganj area of the city, where we stayed the first night. We met up with the others, just in from Jodhpur, in Old Delhi for lunch, before visiting the Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque. We climbed up the minaret, to a tiny gallery at the top from where we got a slightly hazy view of the bustling streets of the city, the Red Fort and the Yamuna river. In the evening, we had dinner at a restaurant in Connaught Place, before going to a bar just around the corner, where the entertainment was provided by a live jukebox!
Day 27 (Sunday 15th) - Delhi
Sunday marked the 63rd anniversary of Indian independence, and so a lot of the main sights were shut for this national holiday. After a late start, I took the metro down to New Delhi and walked around the outside of the Indian Houses of Parliament and President's residency (the former Viceroy's palace). I then walked down the long avenue from here leading to the India Gate, a huge archway engraved with the names of Indian soldiers fallen in the First World War and the Indo-Afghan war of 1919. After wending my way back to the hotel, I met up with Callum for a light supper and then with the others as well for drinks in a rooftop bar.
Day 28 (Monday 16th) - Delhi
For our last day, we visited the Qutb Minar complex, a collection of archaeological ruins to the south of the city, including a giant minaret, and the remains of a mosque constructed from intricately carved stonework. We also visited Hamyuman's tomb, a mausoleum built in a similar style to the Taj Mahal.
Tonight, we are having our last meal in the rotating restaurant in Connaught Place, which will hopefully have some nice views of the city by night. Our flight leaves Indira Gandhi International Airport at 6.30am tomorrow, so we have a very early start! We should touch down at Heathrow around midday! The holiday has been a fantastic experience, and we've been able to see an amazingly diverse collection of places including cities, mountains, deserts, forts, palaces, and Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, and Christian temples!
See you all soon!
View of Barcelona from Montjuïc Castle
Monday, 16 August 2010
Friday, 13 August 2010
India (Day 23 to Day 25)
Day 23 (Wednesday 11th) - Varanasi
Our train from Agra didn't arrive in Varanasi until midday, and just after checking into our hotel a torrential downpour started which didn't ease off until late in the afternoon. We had a late lunch on the hotel's (covered) rooftop restaurant, which had a bit of a view over the Ganges, and then relaxed for a few hours with our books. When the rain eased off, Callum and I took a short stroll to the nearby Shivala and Hanuman ghats, steps descending from the twisting streets of the mediaeval city to the water. The west bank of the Ganges in Varanasi is lined by set after set of these ghats, which are primarily used for pilgrims to bathe in the holy water, as well as for washing clothes. Two of the ghats, Harishchandra ghat and Manikaranika ghat, are so-called 'burning ghats', where many Hindus bring their dead to be cremated since it is believed that cremation by the Ganges will allow escape from the cycle of death and rebirth. With the sun starting to set, we didn't explore much more, except to have dinner in a restaurant by the riverside at Assi ghat.
Day 24 (Thursday 12th) - Varanasi
After a lie in and breakfast, me, Issy and Callum took a rickshaw the 45 minute journey out of the city to the peaceful village of Sarnath, an important destination on the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit. It was to Sarnath that Gautama Buddha came to preach his first sermon after achieving enlightenment in Bodhgaya. Today, the village is largely a collection of archeological ruins, with various stallholders lining the main street flogging tacky clay Buddha figurines. We first looked around the fascinating archeological museum, which contained many stone statues of figures of the Buddha, as well as some giant carved umbrellas, and perhaps most interestingly a giant stone capital of four lions, which is now the national emblem of India. We then went into a park containing the ruins of the old Buddhist temples and monasteries, which we wandered around in the sweltering sunshine. The park also contained a giant stone pillar, with some interesting carved patterns, supposedly marking the site of the Buddha's first sermon. After a light lunch, we also visited a couple of contemporary Buddhist temples in Sarnath, one of which had a Bodhi tree planted from the sapling of another Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka, which in turn was thought to have been planted from a sapling of the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. These temples were rather grander than the tackier examples in McLeod Ganj, and notably contained far fewer bizarre offerings of buscuits and washing powder! It was quite an exciting experience to come to what was essentially the birthplace of an entire religious order. After returning in the rickshaw to town, Callum, Hannah and myself walked along some more of the ghats, pausing to chat to an elderly undertaker who explained the cremation proceedure to us, before arriving eventually at Dasashvamedh ghat. Here, we watched the daily evening river ceremony, where seven monks standing on plinths in the water performed a careful ritual first involving the blowing of a loud bugle-like fanfare through sea shells, followed by extensive bell ringing, scattering of lotus flower leaves, and the wielding of firey lanterns around their heads. By the time the ceremony had concluded it was dark, so we retired to a nearby restaurant for supper (accompanied by some classical Indian music), before getting an early night...
Day 25 (Friday 13th) - Varanasi
We arose at 5am in order to take a dawn rowing boat ride from Shivala ghat along the river. Lights glistened along the Ganges as we set off, and as we passed the ghats with the dawn breaking, it was a magical experience to see the pilgrims bathing in the holy water. We also passed the two burning ghats, and saw the dying embers of a number of cremation fires surrounded by the families (only men are allowed to watch the cremation, since crying is not allowed at Hindu funerals). Our rowers had to work hard against the strong current of the monsoon-filled Ganges on the way back! After showers and breakfast, we were taken by an elderly man from the hotel on a tour of three grand Hindu temples, one of which had the entire text of one of the Hindu holy books, the Ramayana, written around the walls. After this, we explored some of the ghats and the winding alleyways of the old city by daylight, which gave us a chance to take some pictures. We also visited a small Nepali temple, adorned with erotic carvings of positions from the Karma Sutra!
Tonight, we're getting our final overnight train back to Delhi, where we're spending our final three nights! I'm hoping to check in again from Delhi before I leave, so stay tuned!
Our train from Agra didn't arrive in Varanasi until midday, and just after checking into our hotel a torrential downpour started which didn't ease off until late in the afternoon. We had a late lunch on the hotel's (covered) rooftop restaurant, which had a bit of a view over the Ganges, and then relaxed for a few hours with our books. When the rain eased off, Callum and I took a short stroll to the nearby Shivala and Hanuman ghats, steps descending from the twisting streets of the mediaeval city to the water. The west bank of the Ganges in Varanasi is lined by set after set of these ghats, which are primarily used for pilgrims to bathe in the holy water, as well as for washing clothes. Two of the ghats, Harishchandra ghat and Manikaranika ghat, are so-called 'burning ghats', where many Hindus bring their dead to be cremated since it is believed that cremation by the Ganges will allow escape from the cycle of death and rebirth. With the sun starting to set, we didn't explore much more, except to have dinner in a restaurant by the riverside at Assi ghat.
Day 24 (Thursday 12th) - Varanasi
After a lie in and breakfast, me, Issy and Callum took a rickshaw the 45 minute journey out of the city to the peaceful village of Sarnath, an important destination on the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit. It was to Sarnath that Gautama Buddha came to preach his first sermon after achieving enlightenment in Bodhgaya. Today, the village is largely a collection of archeological ruins, with various stallholders lining the main street flogging tacky clay Buddha figurines. We first looked around the fascinating archeological museum, which contained many stone statues of figures of the Buddha, as well as some giant carved umbrellas, and perhaps most interestingly a giant stone capital of four lions, which is now the national emblem of India. We then went into a park containing the ruins of the old Buddhist temples and monasteries, which we wandered around in the sweltering sunshine. The park also contained a giant stone pillar, with some interesting carved patterns, supposedly marking the site of the Buddha's first sermon. After a light lunch, we also visited a couple of contemporary Buddhist temples in Sarnath, one of which had a Bodhi tree planted from the sapling of another Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka, which in turn was thought to have been planted from a sapling of the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment. These temples were rather grander than the tackier examples in McLeod Ganj, and notably contained far fewer bizarre offerings of buscuits and washing powder! It was quite an exciting experience to come to what was essentially the birthplace of an entire religious order. After returning in the rickshaw to town, Callum, Hannah and myself walked along some more of the ghats, pausing to chat to an elderly undertaker who explained the cremation proceedure to us, before arriving eventually at Dasashvamedh ghat. Here, we watched the daily evening river ceremony, where seven monks standing on plinths in the water performed a careful ritual first involving the blowing of a loud bugle-like fanfare through sea shells, followed by extensive bell ringing, scattering of lotus flower leaves, and the wielding of firey lanterns around their heads. By the time the ceremony had concluded it was dark, so we retired to a nearby restaurant for supper (accompanied by some classical Indian music), before getting an early night...
Day 25 (Friday 13th) - Varanasi
We arose at 5am in order to take a dawn rowing boat ride from Shivala ghat along the river. Lights glistened along the Ganges as we set off, and as we passed the ghats with the dawn breaking, it was a magical experience to see the pilgrims bathing in the holy water. We also passed the two burning ghats, and saw the dying embers of a number of cremation fires surrounded by the families (only men are allowed to watch the cremation, since crying is not allowed at Hindu funerals). Our rowers had to work hard against the strong current of the monsoon-filled Ganges on the way back! After showers and breakfast, we were taken by an elderly man from the hotel on a tour of three grand Hindu temples, one of which had the entire text of one of the Hindu holy books, the Ramayana, written around the walls. After this, we explored some of the ghats and the winding alleyways of the old city by daylight, which gave us a chance to take some pictures. We also visited a small Nepali temple, adorned with erotic carvings of positions from the Karma Sutra!
Tonight, we're getting our final overnight train back to Delhi, where we're spending our final three nights! I'm hoping to check in again from Delhi before I leave, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
India (Day 20 to Day 22)
Hello! Just arrived in Varanasi this afternoon.
Our meal at the restaurant on the lake in Udaipur on Saturday evening was really nice: we took the boat out to the island and watched the sun go down over drinks on the terrace, before enjoying a delicious meal and taking the boat back. The palaces around the lake were all beautifully lit up and the weather was really clear, so it was a very relaxing evening!
Here's an update of the last three days...
Day 20 (Sunday 8th) - Udaipur
For our second day in Udaipur, Issy and I went to a cooking class run by an elderly widow from her home (complete with two pet tortoises!). We learnt how to make an array of Indian dishes, including various chutneys, curries, naan breads and chappatis... and chai (containing a disturbingly large quantity of sugar!). It was really interesting learning about all the different spices that go into the foods and seeing the traditional Indian cooking techniques, which we'll hopefully be able to try out back in the UK! We got to eat everything we cooked, so we returned completely stuffed to the hotel to meet up with the others again. Hannah, Callum and myself then walked down the hill out of the main town centre to visit the Maharana's Vintage Car collection, which included the Rolls Royce Phantom used in the James Bond movie Octopussy, as well as an assortment of other classic cars, plus some jeeps and an old school bus. We then wandered around a park just across the road, before returning to the hotel. Over dinner, we watched Octopussy in the hotel, looking out for the bits filmed in the palaces we'd visited in Udaipur!
Day 21 (Monday 9th) - Agra
We caught the overnight sleeper train to Agra on Sunday night, arriving to the hottest weather we've had so far in India! We checked into our hotel, and had a drink in the rooftop cafe which had a fantastic view of the Taj Mahal. Me, Issy and Callum then walked along the banks of the Yamuna river to Agra Fort, a magnificent red sandstone Mughal fort. Inside the fort, we saw the impressive Hall of Public Audience, and the white marble tower where Shah Jahan (the king who constructed the Taj Mahal) was imprisoned by his son, which also had a wonderful view of the Taj Mahal with the holy river beneath it. We explored Agra on foot a little more, before returning to the hotel by a rickshaw and watching the sun go down over the Taj Mahal from the roof.
Day 22 (Tuesday 10th) - Agra
For our second day in Agra, the weather remained scorching, so me and Callum took leave of the sweltering midday sun in the bar of another posh (and, importantly, air-conditioned) hotel, which was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the town. After that, we went and visited the Taj Mahal itself. The monument was incredibly busy, but I found a shady bench to sit on in the gardens and read a book. As dusk drew in, the brilliant white sunlight on the Taj softened to a beautiful pink-orange, which I managed to catch on camera. Inside the Taj Mahal itself was very simple, with two blocks of marble representing the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife. The white marble mausoleum was flanked by two red sandstone stuctures, one a mosque and the other a jawab, which one could also walk around. Returning to the hotel, we had a quick supper before departing to catch the long overnight train to Varanasi.
We arrived in Varanasi at about midday today (Wednesday 11th), and after several attempts found a hotel with some vacancies. There is currently a Shiva festival in Varanasi, so it's quite busy with pilgrims and tourists. Tomorrow we hope to do a trip along the Ganges in a boat and visit some temples - more to follow soon!
Our meal at the restaurant on the lake in Udaipur on Saturday evening was really nice: we took the boat out to the island and watched the sun go down over drinks on the terrace, before enjoying a delicious meal and taking the boat back. The palaces around the lake were all beautifully lit up and the weather was really clear, so it was a very relaxing evening!
Here's an update of the last three days...
Day 20 (Sunday 8th) - Udaipur
For our second day in Udaipur, Issy and I went to a cooking class run by an elderly widow from her home (complete with two pet tortoises!). We learnt how to make an array of Indian dishes, including various chutneys, curries, naan breads and chappatis... and chai (containing a disturbingly large quantity of sugar!). It was really interesting learning about all the different spices that go into the foods and seeing the traditional Indian cooking techniques, which we'll hopefully be able to try out back in the UK! We got to eat everything we cooked, so we returned completely stuffed to the hotel to meet up with the others again. Hannah, Callum and myself then walked down the hill out of the main town centre to visit the Maharana's Vintage Car collection, which included the Rolls Royce Phantom used in the James Bond movie Octopussy, as well as an assortment of other classic cars, plus some jeeps and an old school bus. We then wandered around a park just across the road, before returning to the hotel. Over dinner, we watched Octopussy in the hotel, looking out for the bits filmed in the palaces we'd visited in Udaipur!
Day 21 (Monday 9th) - Agra
We caught the overnight sleeper train to Agra on Sunday night, arriving to the hottest weather we've had so far in India! We checked into our hotel, and had a drink in the rooftop cafe which had a fantastic view of the Taj Mahal. Me, Issy and Callum then walked along the banks of the Yamuna river to Agra Fort, a magnificent red sandstone Mughal fort. Inside the fort, we saw the impressive Hall of Public Audience, and the white marble tower where Shah Jahan (the king who constructed the Taj Mahal) was imprisoned by his son, which also had a wonderful view of the Taj Mahal with the holy river beneath it. We explored Agra on foot a little more, before returning to the hotel by a rickshaw and watching the sun go down over the Taj Mahal from the roof.
Day 22 (Tuesday 10th) - Agra
For our second day in Agra, the weather remained scorching, so me and Callum took leave of the sweltering midday sun in the bar of another posh (and, importantly, air-conditioned) hotel, which was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the town. After that, we went and visited the Taj Mahal itself. The monument was incredibly busy, but I found a shady bench to sit on in the gardens and read a book. As dusk drew in, the brilliant white sunlight on the Taj softened to a beautiful pink-orange, which I managed to catch on camera. Inside the Taj Mahal itself was very simple, with two blocks of marble representing the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife. The white marble mausoleum was flanked by two red sandstone stuctures, one a mosque and the other a jawab, which one could also walk around. Returning to the hotel, we had a quick supper before departing to catch the long overnight train to Varanasi.
We arrived in Varanasi at about midday today (Wednesday 11th), and after several attempts found a hotel with some vacancies. There is currently a Shiva festival in Varanasi, so it's quite busy with pilgrims and tourists. Tomorrow we hope to do a trip along the Ganges in a boat and visit some temples - more to follow soon!
Saturday, 7 August 2010
India (Day 17 to Day 19)
Hi everyone. Today we arrived in Udaipur from Jodhpur...
Day 17 (Thursday 5th) - Jodhpur
We arrived into Jodhpur by the overnight train from Jaisalmer at 5am, which was considerably less dusty this time as we were in 3AC class. We checked in to a hotel near the station and slept in until midday, which was nice after the previous night in the leaky desert shelter! The girls caught an overday bus to Udaipur ahead of us, as they wanted to spend a few more days there. After brunch on the roof of our hotel, me and Callum walked through the city centre, past the clock tower and the surrounding market, up to the Mehrangarh Fort. The streets were incredibly busy and noisy, which was quite a shock after the more-touristy Jaisalmer. The fort was at the top of a steep hill - an exhausting climb in the heat of the afternoon. Inside the fort, we saw some truly fantastic Indo-Islamic architecture, with more impressive stone carving and a number of brilliantly well-preserved, colourful rooms, coated all over in wall paintings, stained glass and mirrors. There were stunning views over the city in all directions from the fort. Jodhpur is known as The Blue City, and the houses below really did create a sea of blue, with their indigo walls and rooftops.
Day 18 (Friday 6th) - Jodhpur
We got up a little earlier on Friday, and spent the morning visiting the bizarres and shops in the tangle of mediaeval streets in Jodhpur's old city, just west of the clock tower. We first visited a spice stall, where the owner gave us cups of loads of different types of teas, and let us smell and taste various different spices, both familiar and some completely unknown to us! After this, we wandered round the corner to a small art school. The owner told us that he teaches all the students for free - firstly in his village from five in the morning, and then later on in Jodhpur - before running the shop in the afternoon and doing his own painting in the evening. It sounded like a rather gruelling work schedule! We looked at a huge range of the Rajasthani miniatures, painted on silk, paper, camel bone, and marble, which were wonderfully intricate. Each picture takes many days to paint, and he showed us how each picture is produced from a pencil outline to the final product. Armed with various purchases, we decidied to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, and hiked back up the hill to the city's other landmark, the Jaswant Thada, just across from the fort. The Jaswant Thada is a white marble memorial to one of the Jodhpur Maharajahs, and we spent an hour or so sitting in the cool gardens. We walked back down the hill, sampling some Jodhpur speciaility sweets and saffron flavoured lassis, before returning for a cup of chai with the proprieter of the spice emporium. We also popped back into the art school, where we chatted with the over a beer! With the rain threatening to start for the first time all day, we returned to the hotel to pick up our stuff, before jumping on the overnight bus to Udaipur.
Day 19 (Saturday 7th) - Udaipur
We arrived to pouring rain in Udaipur - India's answer to Venice - at 6am this morning. We grabbed a rickshaw to the hotel the girls were staying in, and caught a couple more hours sleep before going to breakfast in a curious 'French bakery', serving an array of cakes which were arguably some sort of croissant derivatives. We then took a boat ride around picturesque Pichola lake, surrounded by palaces and bathing ghats. The lake has a mysterious floating palace (The Lake Palace), which was one of the principle sets of the James Bond movie Octopussy. The boat took us to the Jag Mandir island, which has another palace (now converted to a luxury hotel) on it, and we spent a little while wandering round the grounds in the glorious sunshine. After returning to the mainland, the girls went off for a spot of shopping, whilst Callum and I visited the City Palace museum. The City Palace was the former residence of the Maharana, and had some nice views over the lake, although inside it was a little more run down than the forts in Amber and Jodhpur which were much more spectacular. There were a few decorative rooms, and a courtyard with some beautiful peacock artwork, but much of the museum comprised galleries of rather strange art in the style of the Mewar, a school which seemed to have been completely bypassed by the Renaissance, displaying little regard for the concepts of perspective.
Tonight, we are all going to dinner in the fancy hotel restaurant on Jag Mandir, so hoping the weather will stay nice (there was a short downpour whilst we were in the museum, but other than that it has been really sunny all day), so that we can enjoy the views of the illuminated palaces on the lake by night. We have another full day here tomorrow, before catching the sleeper train to Agra.
Day 17 (Thursday 5th) - Jodhpur
We arrived into Jodhpur by the overnight train from Jaisalmer at 5am, which was considerably less dusty this time as we were in 3AC class. We checked in to a hotel near the station and slept in until midday, which was nice after the previous night in the leaky desert shelter! The girls caught an overday bus to Udaipur ahead of us, as they wanted to spend a few more days there. After brunch on the roof of our hotel, me and Callum walked through the city centre, past the clock tower and the surrounding market, up to the Mehrangarh Fort. The streets were incredibly busy and noisy, which was quite a shock after the more-touristy Jaisalmer. The fort was at the top of a steep hill - an exhausting climb in the heat of the afternoon. Inside the fort, we saw some truly fantastic Indo-Islamic architecture, with more impressive stone carving and a number of brilliantly well-preserved, colourful rooms, coated all over in wall paintings, stained glass and mirrors. There were stunning views over the city in all directions from the fort. Jodhpur is known as The Blue City, and the houses below really did create a sea of blue, with their indigo walls and rooftops.
Day 18 (Friday 6th) - Jodhpur
We got up a little earlier on Friday, and spent the morning visiting the bizarres and shops in the tangle of mediaeval streets in Jodhpur's old city, just west of the clock tower. We first visited a spice stall, where the owner gave us cups of loads of different types of teas, and let us smell and taste various different spices, both familiar and some completely unknown to us! After this, we wandered round the corner to a small art school. The owner told us that he teaches all the students for free - firstly in his village from five in the morning, and then later on in Jodhpur - before running the shop in the afternoon and doing his own painting in the evening. It sounded like a rather gruelling work schedule! We looked at a huge range of the Rajasthani miniatures, painted on silk, paper, camel bone, and marble, which were wonderfully intricate. Each picture takes many days to paint, and he showed us how each picture is produced from a pencil outline to the final product. Armed with various purchases, we decidied to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, and hiked back up the hill to the city's other landmark, the Jaswant Thada, just across from the fort. The Jaswant Thada is a white marble memorial to one of the Jodhpur Maharajahs, and we spent an hour or so sitting in the cool gardens. We walked back down the hill, sampling some Jodhpur speciaility sweets and saffron flavoured lassis, before returning for a cup of chai with the proprieter of the spice emporium. We also popped back into the art school, where we chatted with the over a beer! With the rain threatening to start for the first time all day, we returned to the hotel to pick up our stuff, before jumping on the overnight bus to Udaipur.
Day 19 (Saturday 7th) - Udaipur
We arrived to pouring rain in Udaipur - India's answer to Venice - at 6am this morning. We grabbed a rickshaw to the hotel the girls were staying in, and caught a couple more hours sleep before going to breakfast in a curious 'French bakery', serving an array of cakes which were arguably some sort of croissant derivatives. We then took a boat ride around picturesque Pichola lake, surrounded by palaces and bathing ghats. The lake has a mysterious floating palace (The Lake Palace), which was one of the principle sets of the James Bond movie Octopussy. The boat took us to the Jag Mandir island, which has another palace (now converted to a luxury hotel) on it, and we spent a little while wandering round the grounds in the glorious sunshine. After returning to the mainland, the girls went off for a spot of shopping, whilst Callum and I visited the City Palace museum. The City Palace was the former residence of the Maharana, and had some nice views over the lake, although inside it was a little more run down than the forts in Amber and Jodhpur which were much more spectacular. There were a few decorative rooms, and a courtyard with some beautiful peacock artwork, but much of the museum comprised galleries of rather strange art in the style of the Mewar, a school which seemed to have been completely bypassed by the Renaissance, displaying little regard for the concepts of perspective.
Tonight, we are all going to dinner in the fancy hotel restaurant on Jag Mandir, so hoping the weather will stay nice (there was a short downpour whilst we were in the museum, but other than that it has been really sunny all day), so that we can enjoy the views of the illuminated palaces on the lake by night. We have another full day here tomorrow, before catching the sleeper train to Agra.
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
India (Day 14 to Day 16)
Hi everyone - checking in from Jaisalmer now!
Day 14 (Monday 2nd) - Jaisalmer
We caught the overnight train to Jaisalmer early on Monday morning, arriving in time for lunch. We awoke on the train to find the landscape dramatically different, with arid scrubland punctuated by small green bushes as far as the eye can see. We were booked into sleeper class and as we drew closer to Jaisalmer, sand and dust accumulated to rather uncomfortable levels in in carriages through the open windows, so we were glad to be able to get off! The girls had arrived earlier on and we met them at the hotel for brunch. We then booked a camel safari for the next 2 days with the rather persistent hotel manager, before setting off to look around the city. We walked up to the great fort in the centre of the city, a maze of alleyways, buildings and temples built from golden sandstone, all enclosed in walls studded with no less than 99 bastions - a very impressive fortification. We visited the city palace, and enjoyed panoramic views over the city and desert. In the evening, we ate on a rooftop restaurant in the lower town, overlooked by the beautifully illuminated fort. I tried a delicious local speciality - mutton cooked in the style of the desert - my first taste of meat since coming to India. We packed our bags for the camel trek, before getting an early night.
Day 15 (Tuesday 3rd) - Camel safari
We awoke early to board a jeep which took us an hour or so away from the city into the desert, via various small settlements and a Jain temple. We arrived just before 10am, with the heat starting to pick up for the day, and mounted our steeds. We rode for a couple of hours before stopping for lunch, thighs aching somewhat from straddling the camel! At this point, unbelievably, it started to rain (apparantly this was the first rain in the region for 3 years!). We sheltered under a black tarpaulin, emerging to eat a delicious stew of spicy potatos, lentels and cabbage with bread, before getting back on the camels to continue our journey in the rain! We arrived at some sanddunes where we stopped for the night. Traditionally, one would cook supper on an open fire outdoors and sleep under a blanket of stars after watching the dramatic sunset over the dunes. However, the weather meant we were forced to huddle in a leaky shelter with a roofing of twigs. Dinner was much the same as lunch, and afterwards we squashed together on two small matresses, with the black plastic sheet drapsed over us in the pitch black, getting slightly damp as water trickled through the roof - arguably our most uncomfortable night in India thus far! We sang songs for our guides, and in return were rewarded with some traditional Rajastani folk singing, and eerily beautiful sound in the dark desert. We had three guides, all of whom spoke excellbsient English. One was a boy of just 11 years old - "How long have you been doing camel safaris for?". "Since 3 years now". "Are are the other guides relatives?". "No, just friends. They are Muslim, I am Hindu".
Day 16 (Wednesday 4th) - Camel safari
We awoke at first light this morning, the rain having subsided. We arose, slightly stiff and damp, and had a breakfast of fruit and bread, before continuing on our trek. The dunes subsided after a short way, to be replaced by scrubland age again. The rain started again, and we made a bizarre scene trekking through the desert with our bright orange turbans and wrapped in overcoats! Just before lunch, we were taken via a gypsy village, where after a short performance of gypsy song and dance we were bombarded for money and food. We swiftly got back on our camels and rode a short distance further, where we got off for lunch. The rain finally stopped, and the sun even put in an appearance, so that it was quite hot by the time we had to leave. A jeep returned us to Jaisalmer. Callum and I took a short stroll around the town and fort again, and visited one of the small palaces in the lower city (a haveli), which was an exceptionally colourful example of Indo-Islamic architecture, adorned with stained glass, mirrors and fantastically intricate stone carving.
Tonight, we are having a quick dinner, before getting an overnight train to Jodhpur. Another update to follow soon!
Day 14 (Monday 2nd) - Jaisalmer
We caught the overnight train to Jaisalmer early on Monday morning, arriving in time for lunch. We awoke on the train to find the landscape dramatically different, with arid scrubland punctuated by small green bushes as far as the eye can see. We were booked into sleeper class and as we drew closer to Jaisalmer, sand and dust accumulated to rather uncomfortable levels in in carriages through the open windows, so we were glad to be able to get off! The girls had arrived earlier on and we met them at the hotel for brunch. We then booked a camel safari for the next 2 days with the rather persistent hotel manager, before setting off to look around the city. We walked up to the great fort in the centre of the city, a maze of alleyways, buildings and temples built from golden sandstone, all enclosed in walls studded with no less than 99 bastions - a very impressive fortification. We visited the city palace, and enjoyed panoramic views over the city and desert. In the evening, we ate on a rooftop restaurant in the lower town, overlooked by the beautifully illuminated fort. I tried a delicious local speciality - mutton cooked in the style of the desert - my first taste of meat since coming to India. We packed our bags for the camel trek, before getting an early night.
Day 15 (Tuesday 3rd) - Camel safari
We awoke early to board a jeep which took us an hour or so away from the city into the desert, via various small settlements and a Jain temple. We arrived just before 10am, with the heat starting to pick up for the day, and mounted our steeds. We rode for a couple of hours before stopping for lunch, thighs aching somewhat from straddling the camel! At this point, unbelievably, it started to rain (apparantly this was the first rain in the region for 3 years!). We sheltered under a black tarpaulin, emerging to eat a delicious stew of spicy potatos, lentels and cabbage with bread, before getting back on the camels to continue our journey in the rain! We arrived at some sanddunes where we stopped for the night. Traditionally, one would cook supper on an open fire outdoors and sleep under a blanket of stars after watching the dramatic sunset over the dunes. However, the weather meant we were forced to huddle in a leaky shelter with a roofing of twigs. Dinner was much the same as lunch, and afterwards we squashed together on two small matresses, with the black plastic sheet drapsed over us in the pitch black, getting slightly damp as water trickled through the roof - arguably our most uncomfortable night in India thus far! We sang songs for our guides, and in return were rewarded with some traditional Rajastani folk singing, and eerily beautiful sound in the dark desert. We had three guides, all of whom spoke excellbsient English. One was a boy of just 11 years old - "How long have you been doing camel safaris for?". "Since 3 years now". "Are are the other guides relatives?". "No, just friends. They are Muslim, I am Hindu".
Day 16 (Wednesday 4th) - Camel safari
We awoke at first light this morning, the rain having subsided. We arose, slightly stiff and damp, and had a breakfast of fruit and bread, before continuing on our trek. The dunes subsided after a short way, to be replaced by scrubland age again. The rain started again, and we made a bizarre scene trekking through the desert with our bright orange turbans and wrapped in overcoats! Just before lunch, we were taken via a gypsy village, where after a short performance of gypsy song and dance we were bombarded for money and food. We swiftly got back on our camels and rode a short distance further, where we got off for lunch. The rain finally stopped, and the sun even put in an appearance, so that it was quite hot by the time we had to leave. A jeep returned us to Jaisalmer. Callum and I took a short stroll around the town and fort again, and visited one of the small palaces in the lower city (a haveli), which was an exceptionally colourful example of Indo-Islamic architecture, adorned with stained glass, mirrors and fantastically intricate stone carving.
Tonight, we are having a quick dinner, before getting an overnight train to Jodhpur. Another update to follow soon!
Sunday, 1 August 2010
India (Day 5 to Day 13)
Hi everyone! Here's my second update from India!
Day 5 (Saturday 24th) - Manali
Following a bumpy, windy overnight bus journey, we arrived (having had very little sleep!) in Manali at 6am. We were quickly accosted by a rickshaw driver who took us to a guesthouse up the hill in the village of Old Manali. After showering and breakfast in a cafe overlooking the fast-flowing river, we walked down to the town to organise the trek which would occupy us for the next week. We settled on a 4 day hike up and over the Hampta pass, followed by a jeep ride up to Chandertal lake in the Spiti valley. This job completed, we took an autorickshaw to a nearby village where we went on a short walk up to a pretty waterfall, frequented by hippies and tourists. We then packed our day sacks in preparation for the trek and got an early night before our first day of walking.
Day 6 (Sunday 25th) - Trek
A jeep took us a short distance outside of Manali where we began our trek, ascending up steep steps through the cloud up to the top of the ridge overlooking Manali, nestled on the Beas river. We paused for a while when the clouds cleared to take in the view, including the summer residence of the Indian Prime Minister. More climbing brought us to lunch time, after which the path flattened out through woodland, passing by an impressive hydroelectric facility. A short while after crossing a rickety bridge over a mountain stream, we reached our campsite for the evening the base of a rocky outcrop, and with a largish river below us, all overlooked by a tall mountain. Our guides cooked noodles and soup to start, followed by rice, dahl and vegetables, and an unidentifiable dessert, which we ate sitting on rocks outside our tents.
Day 7 (Monday 26th) - Trek
Tired from the previous day's of exertion, we slept well even though it rained throughout the night. Breakfast comprised chai, porridge and bread and marmalade. The weather cleared up in time for us to be on our way. First, a short descent through woodland lead us to the fast-flowing river in the bottom of the valley. Our guide was somewhat perturbed to discover the bridge crossing the river had been washed away! After discussing with some other guides, and observing just how cold and wet a German couple became following an attempt to cross with ropes, it was decided that we would adopt a different route. We followed the river a short distance along the near bank, before climbing steeply up the valley side, crossing over a number of smaller tributaries. At one point, the path disappeared and we had to beat our way through rhododendron bushes and other fauna, until we came to a steep rocky descent back to the river side. At this point, the weather became misty and rainy, and we clambered our way over more rocks along the river bank for another hour or so, when we reached a place where the river divided into three prongs. We removed our shoes, rolled up our trousers, and waded through the icy cold, knee-deep water to the other side, where we collapsed into our tents.
Day 8 (Tuesday 27th) - Trek
The weather remained wet throughout Tuesday, which started with a clamber over a slippery, rocky path along the river. We came to another place where the river flowed into a mountain lake, where we were forced to remove our shoes again and walk across. With our feet cold and numb, we continued our ascent up the valley, the path becoming more and more difficult. Eventually, we reached an ice sheet which we climbed up slowly, bringing us up to the Hampta pass. Here, around 4500m above sea level, we paused to savour our achievement, but our view of all but the nearest peaks was obscured by the terrible weather. We climbed down into the next valley, where we set up camp and sat in our tents listening the rain and playing word games.
Day 9 (Wednesday 28th) - Trek
The weather finally cleared up just before we set off for the day on Wednesday. We walked a short way down the river along a boggy path, before coming to yet another point where we were forced to cross the river sans bridge. This crossing was the most difficult, the fast-flowing freezing water reaching far up our thighs. We paused to dry ourselves on the far bank, and watched a team of horses make light work of the same crossing! The rest of the day, we followed the river down the valley, walking through meadows of mountain flowers littered with boulders. This river joined a far mightier one at the end of the valley, which we followed for a short way over a distinctly unstable-looking bridge crossing a tributary, and an ice sheet until we reached our camp site for the evening.
Day 10 (Thursday 29th) - Trek
Our campsite was located opposite the tiny settlement of Chandru. On Thursday morning, we crossed the river and boarded a jeep, which took us along a terrible road which was frequently flooded and covered in boulders up the Spiti valley following the river the whole way. After two hours, we emerged stiffly at our campsite. That afternoon, we hiked up a steep climb to the serene Chandertal lake, where we relaxed and enjoyed the mountain sun. The scenery here above the tree line remained stunning but was much more barren, abundant with screes.
Day 11 (Friday 30th) - Trek
The final day of the trek was spent entirely in the jeep, with a long journey returning to Manali via Chandru and the Rohtang pass, where considerable congestion delayed us significantly. Nevertheless, the scenery was stunning in the glorious sunshine. Callum and I had to make a speedy getaway to catch our 4pm bus to Delhi, leaving Elgon, Bronwen and Ralph to make their way to Shimla later that evening. The bus also took a scenic route down the Beas river, the river getting gradually wider and the hills slowly diminishing away until night fall.
Day 12 (Saturday 31st) - Traveling
Our bus arrived 3 hours late in Delhi, and we staggered off into a rickshaw which took us to the station. We waited several hours before boarding a train to Jaipur, where we arrived at 9pm. We were met at the station by a representative from our hotel. It was wonderfully therapeutic to have a shower for the first time in several days! We ate a light supper on the rooftop restaurant, and then fell straight asleep.
Day 13 (Sunday 1st August) - Jaipur
Callum and I have spent today in Jaipur, which has been one of my favourite cities so far, despite the amazingly persistent rickshaw drivers offering us city tours! We first caught a bus out to the nearby town of Amber, where we spent the morning looking around the amazing fort. In the afternoon, we returned to Jaipur's old city and visited the Jantar Manta, a phenomenal collection of astrological instruments, including the world's largest sundial (accurate to 2 seconds!). We took a rickshaw to the Rambagh Palace hotel (the former Maharajah's palace), where we enjoyed some cocktails in an amazingly swanky bar adorned with polo memorabilia and a tinkling fountain whilst writing our postcards. Whilst we were there, there was a terrific rainstorm, and we emerged to find the city completely flooded! We returned via a turbulent rickshaw ride to our hotel for dinner, and it is here that I am writing this blog entry!
Tonight, we are traveling to Jaisalmer by the overnight train, hoping to arrive just before midday! More to come soon!
Day 5 (Saturday 24th) - Manali
Following a bumpy, windy overnight bus journey, we arrived (having had very little sleep!) in Manali at 6am. We were quickly accosted by a rickshaw driver who took us to a guesthouse up the hill in the village of Old Manali. After showering and breakfast in a cafe overlooking the fast-flowing river, we walked down to the town to organise the trek which would occupy us for the next week. We settled on a 4 day hike up and over the Hampta pass, followed by a jeep ride up to Chandertal lake in the Spiti valley. This job completed, we took an autorickshaw to a nearby village where we went on a short walk up to a pretty waterfall, frequented by hippies and tourists. We then packed our day sacks in preparation for the trek and got an early night before our first day of walking.
Day 6 (Sunday 25th) - Trek
A jeep took us a short distance outside of Manali where we began our trek, ascending up steep steps through the cloud up to the top of the ridge overlooking Manali, nestled on the Beas river. We paused for a while when the clouds cleared to take in the view, including the summer residence of the Indian Prime Minister. More climbing brought us to lunch time, after which the path flattened out through woodland, passing by an impressive hydroelectric facility. A short while after crossing a rickety bridge over a mountain stream, we reached our campsite for the evening the base of a rocky outcrop, and with a largish river below us, all overlooked by a tall mountain. Our guides cooked noodles and soup to start, followed by rice, dahl and vegetables, and an unidentifiable dessert, which we ate sitting on rocks outside our tents.
Day 7 (Monday 26th) - Trek
Tired from the previous day's of exertion, we slept well even though it rained throughout the night. Breakfast comprised chai, porridge and bread and marmalade. The weather cleared up in time for us to be on our way. First, a short descent through woodland lead us to the fast-flowing river in the bottom of the valley. Our guide was somewhat perturbed to discover the bridge crossing the river had been washed away! After discussing with some other guides, and observing just how cold and wet a German couple became following an attempt to cross with ropes, it was decided that we would adopt a different route. We followed the river a short distance along the near bank, before climbing steeply up the valley side, crossing over a number of smaller tributaries. At one point, the path disappeared and we had to beat our way through rhododendron bushes and other fauna, until we came to a steep rocky descent back to the river side. At this point, the weather became misty and rainy, and we clambered our way over more rocks along the river bank for another hour or so, when we reached a place where the river divided into three prongs. We removed our shoes, rolled up our trousers, and waded through the icy cold, knee-deep water to the other side, where we collapsed into our tents.
Day 8 (Tuesday 27th) - Trek
The weather remained wet throughout Tuesday, which started with a clamber over a slippery, rocky path along the river. We came to another place where the river flowed into a mountain lake, where we were forced to remove our shoes again and walk across. With our feet cold and numb, we continued our ascent up the valley, the path becoming more and more difficult. Eventually, we reached an ice sheet which we climbed up slowly, bringing us up to the Hampta pass. Here, around 4500m above sea level, we paused to savour our achievement, but our view of all but the nearest peaks was obscured by the terrible weather. We climbed down into the next valley, where we set up camp and sat in our tents listening the rain and playing word games.
Day 9 (Wednesday 28th) - Trek
The weather finally cleared up just before we set off for the day on Wednesday. We walked a short way down the river along a boggy path, before coming to yet another point where we were forced to cross the river sans bridge. This crossing was the most difficult, the fast-flowing freezing water reaching far up our thighs. We paused to dry ourselves on the far bank, and watched a team of horses make light work of the same crossing! The rest of the day, we followed the river down the valley, walking through meadows of mountain flowers littered with boulders. This river joined a far mightier one at the end of the valley, which we followed for a short way over a distinctly unstable-looking bridge crossing a tributary, and an ice sheet until we reached our camp site for the evening.
Day 10 (Thursday 29th) - Trek
Our campsite was located opposite the tiny settlement of Chandru. On Thursday morning, we crossed the river and boarded a jeep, which took us along a terrible road which was frequently flooded and covered in boulders up the Spiti valley following the river the whole way. After two hours, we emerged stiffly at our campsite. That afternoon, we hiked up a steep climb to the serene Chandertal lake, where we relaxed and enjoyed the mountain sun. The scenery here above the tree line remained stunning but was much more barren, abundant with screes.
Day 11 (Friday 30th) - Trek
The final day of the trek was spent entirely in the jeep, with a long journey returning to Manali via Chandru and the Rohtang pass, where considerable congestion delayed us significantly. Nevertheless, the scenery was stunning in the glorious sunshine. Callum and I had to make a speedy getaway to catch our 4pm bus to Delhi, leaving Elgon, Bronwen and Ralph to make their way to Shimla later that evening. The bus also took a scenic route down the Beas river, the river getting gradually wider and the hills slowly diminishing away until night fall.
Day 12 (Saturday 31st) - Traveling
Our bus arrived 3 hours late in Delhi, and we staggered off into a rickshaw which took us to the station. We waited several hours before boarding a train to Jaipur, where we arrived at 9pm. We were met at the station by a representative from our hotel. It was wonderfully therapeutic to have a shower for the first time in several days! We ate a light supper on the rooftop restaurant, and then fell straight asleep.
Day 13 (Sunday 1st August) - Jaipur
Callum and I have spent today in Jaipur, which has been one of my favourite cities so far, despite the amazingly persistent rickshaw drivers offering us city tours! We first caught a bus out to the nearby town of Amber, where we spent the morning looking around the amazing fort. In the afternoon, we returned to Jaipur's old city and visited the Jantar Manta, a phenomenal collection of astrological instruments, including the world's largest sundial (accurate to 2 seconds!). We took a rickshaw to the Rambagh Palace hotel (the former Maharajah's palace), where we enjoyed some cocktails in an amazingly swanky bar adorned with polo memorabilia and a tinkling fountain whilst writing our postcards. Whilst we were there, there was a terrific rainstorm, and we emerged to find the city completely flooded! We returned via a turbulent rickshaw ride to our hotel for dinner, and it is here that I am writing this blog entry!
Tonight, we are traveling to Jaisalmer by the overnight train, hoping to arrive just before midday! More to come soon!
Friday, 23 July 2010
India (Day 1 to Day 4)
Hello everyone!
We arrived safely in Delhi early on Tuesday morning! A taxi picked us up and took us to our hostel in Delhi, which we got to at around half past our in the morning in the pouring rain! One of my first impressions was quite how terrible the driving on the streets of India is, but I've got used to it after a few days!
Day 1 (Tuesday 20th) - Delhi
We had a lie in after our late arrival, and spent a bit of time just exploring the area where our hostel was located on foot. The roads were very muddy and bustling with people, cyclists, rickshaw drivers, taxis, cows and dogs! I bought a phone and signed on to the Indian phone network (so if anyone wants to text me, I can now be contacted on 00919560645249). We had booked an overnight train to Amritsar at 8.15pm, so later on in the afternoon we walked to Connaught Place in New Delhi and sat in the gardens there for a while, before getting the metro back to our hostel.
Day 2 (Wednesday 21st) - Amritsar
After a terrible night of sleep on an overnight train, we arrived into Amritsar at around 9.30am. We caught a taxi into town and found a hotel to stay in, and then went to the Sikh Golden Temple where we had lunch sitting cross-legged in their great dining hall. The weather was horrendous and we got completely drenched as we walked around the gigantic holy bathing pool and visited the Golden Temple itself, at the heart of the complex, where Sikh priests read from the Sikh holy book and sing prayers 24/7.
By this point the weather had started to clear up, and we took a taxi the hour ride to the India-Pakistani border at Wagah. The border ceremony itself was really cool, with lots of shouting, dancing, flag waving and weird marching. The flags were lowered at the sun set over the stadium, to tumultuous cheering on both sides.
Day 3 (Thursday 22nd) - McLeod Ganj
We spent a substational part of Thursday traveling from Amritsar to McLeod Ganj, a town in the foothills of the Himalayas, first by train then by a (rather cramped!) taxi. Hannah, Cat and Issy left us early that morning to travel to Shimla.
We arrived in McLeod Ganj just as the weather was starting to improve, and enjoyed a short walk up to a waterfall just outside the town, with amazing views. The town is the base of many Tibetan refugees, so there are lots of Buddhist monks wandering the streets in their maroon robes and umbrellas, and the streets and surrounding countryside are decorated with hundreds of little bunting flags.
In the evening, we went to a concert of hypnotic Indian classical music performed on sitar and tabla drums, and had a taste of Tibetan cuisine in a little rooftop restaurant. The weather was a lot cooler than in Delhi but it was still warm enough to sit out.
Day 4 (Friday 23rd) - McLeod Ganj
This morning, we visited the complex where the Dalai Lama runs the Tibetan Government in Exile, and the main temple of the Buddhist monks based here. We also went around a museum exhibiting photos, cuttings, and artefacts telling the story of Tibetan exile and asylum in India.
I'm writing this from a small internet cafe in McLeod Ganj (it's around 3.30pm local time), and we're hoping to take another short hike in the surrounding mountains this afternoon. After that, we're heading on the overnight bus to Manali, where we'll probably be starting our trek from, so my next entry will probably be after that!
Hope all is well back in the UK!
We arrived safely in Delhi early on Tuesday morning! A taxi picked us up and took us to our hostel in Delhi, which we got to at around half past our in the morning in the pouring rain! One of my first impressions was quite how terrible the driving on the streets of India is, but I've got used to it after a few days!
Day 1 (Tuesday 20th) - Delhi
We had a lie in after our late arrival, and spent a bit of time just exploring the area where our hostel was located on foot. The roads were very muddy and bustling with people, cyclists, rickshaw drivers, taxis, cows and dogs! I bought a phone and signed on to the Indian phone network (so if anyone wants to text me, I can now be contacted on 00919560645249). We had booked an overnight train to Amritsar at 8.15pm, so later on in the afternoon we walked to Connaught Place in New Delhi and sat in the gardens there for a while, before getting the metro back to our hostel.
Day 2 (Wednesday 21st) - Amritsar
After a terrible night of sleep on an overnight train, we arrived into Amritsar at around 9.30am. We caught a taxi into town and found a hotel to stay in, and then went to the Sikh Golden Temple where we had lunch sitting cross-legged in their great dining hall. The weather was horrendous and we got completely drenched as we walked around the gigantic holy bathing pool and visited the Golden Temple itself, at the heart of the complex, where Sikh priests read from the Sikh holy book and sing prayers 24/7.
By this point the weather had started to clear up, and we took a taxi the hour ride to the India-Pakistani border at Wagah. The border ceremony itself was really cool, with lots of shouting, dancing, flag waving and weird marching. The flags were lowered at the sun set over the stadium, to tumultuous cheering on both sides.
Day 3 (Thursday 22nd) - McLeod Ganj
We spent a substational part of Thursday traveling from Amritsar to McLeod Ganj, a town in the foothills of the Himalayas, first by train then by a (rather cramped!) taxi. Hannah, Cat and Issy left us early that morning to travel to Shimla.
We arrived in McLeod Ganj just as the weather was starting to improve, and enjoyed a short walk up to a waterfall just outside the town, with amazing views. The town is the base of many Tibetan refugees, so there are lots of Buddhist monks wandering the streets in their maroon robes and umbrellas, and the streets and surrounding countryside are decorated with hundreds of little bunting flags.
In the evening, we went to a concert of hypnotic Indian classical music performed on sitar and tabla drums, and had a taste of Tibetan cuisine in a little rooftop restaurant. The weather was a lot cooler than in Delhi but it was still warm enough to sit out.
Day 4 (Friday 23rd) - McLeod Ganj
This morning, we visited the complex where the Dalai Lama runs the Tibetan Government in Exile, and the main temple of the Buddhist monks based here. We also went around a museum exhibiting photos, cuttings, and artefacts telling the story of Tibetan exile and asylum in India.
I'm writing this from a small internet cafe in McLeod Ganj (it's around 3.30pm local time), and we're hoping to take another short hike in the surrounding mountains this afternoon. After that, we're heading on the overnight bus to Manali, where we'll probably be starting our trek from, so my next entry will probably be after that!
Hope all is well back in the UK!
Friday, 16 July 2010
India Preparations
The main reason I set up this blog was to record my travels in northern India over the next month with Elgon, Ralph, Callum, Hannah, Bronwen, Catrin and Isabel.
On Sunday morning I'm travelling up to London to stay overnight at Hannah's before heading off to Heathrow on Monday morning. The flight departs at around midday on Monday 19th July and arrives into Delhi just before 2am local time on Tuesday 20th. The plan is then to head straight to Amritsar for a few nights to take in the Golden Temple and India/Pakistan border ceremony. Elgon, Ralph, Callum, Bronwen and myself then hope to go trekking for 4 or 5 days in the Indian Himalaya in Himachal Pradesh. After that, Callum and I plan to join Hannah, Cat and Issy to tour round Rajasthan, hopefully visiting the desert fort at Jaisalmer and doing a bit of camel trekking, followed by the lakeside city of Udaipur, and then the 'Pink City' of Jaipur. We shall then head to Agra, of Taj Mahal fame, and hopefully the great Hindu pilgrimage city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, before returning to Delhi. We fly back on Tuesday 17th August.
I've now managed to accumulate all the bits and pieces of kit I need for the trip, which are awaiting packing into my backpack - tomorrow's job! I'm starting to feel excited, and a little nervous about the culture shock, particularly the poverty, weather, food, haggling, noise, and general hustle and bustle of life in India which is so different to western Europe.
I plan to keep a record of my trip by regular updates to this blog over the course of the four weeks (hopefully with photos, though these may have to wait until I return!), so check back every so often to track our progress! I'd love to hear from people whilst I'm out there, so if you want to get in touch with me, leave a comment or email me (martin.r.g.taylor@gmail.com)!
On Sunday morning I'm travelling up to London to stay overnight at Hannah's before heading off to Heathrow on Monday morning. The flight departs at around midday on Monday 19th July and arrives into Delhi just before 2am local time on Tuesday 20th. The plan is then to head straight to Amritsar for a few nights to take in the Golden Temple and India/Pakistan border ceremony. Elgon, Ralph, Callum, Bronwen and myself then hope to go trekking for 4 or 5 days in the Indian Himalaya in Himachal Pradesh. After that, Callum and I plan to join Hannah, Cat and Issy to tour round Rajasthan, hopefully visiting the desert fort at Jaisalmer and doing a bit of camel trekking, followed by the lakeside city of Udaipur, and then the 'Pink City' of Jaipur. We shall then head to Agra, of Taj Mahal fame, and hopefully the great Hindu pilgrimage city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, before returning to Delhi. We fly back on Tuesday 17th August.
I've now managed to accumulate all the bits and pieces of kit I need for the trip, which are awaiting packing into my backpack - tomorrow's job! I'm starting to feel excited, and a little nervous about the culture shock, particularly the poverty, weather, food, haggling, noise, and general hustle and bustle of life in India which is so different to western Europe.
I plan to keep a record of my trip by regular updates to this blog over the course of the four weeks (hopefully with photos, though these may have to wait until I return!), so check back every so often to track our progress! I'd love to hear from people whilst I'm out there, so if you want to get in touch with me, leave a comment or email me (martin.r.g.taylor@gmail.com)!
Barcelona (1st to 3rd June 2010)
As a post-finals treat, seven of us (Meer, Michael, Rhianna, Scott, Hannah, Luke and myself) enjoyed a short but fun-filled break in Barcelona.
Day 1
We caught a train at quarter to five in the morning(!) on Tuesday 1st June and flew into Girona airport, where we took a coach into Barcelona. We checked into our hostel in the Plaça Reial, just off La Rambla around midday, and enjoyed a delicious lunch of paella outside in the square.
Wasting no time, we ascended Montjuïc by the funicular railway and then on foot, taking in the stunning views of the city (see panorama at the top of this blog).
We took the cross harbour cable car down from Montjuïc and meandered our way back to the Barri Gòtic, where we paid a short visit to the Gothic cathedral. In the evening, we had cocktails in a small bar and ate in a restaurant near our hostel.
Day 2
We took the metro to the other side of the city on Wednesday morning, and climbed up to Gaudi's beautiful Parc Güell.
We then headed back into the city centre, via Casa Milà, to the great, unfinished, Sagrada Família church where we climbed one of the towers.
After a quick ice cream stop, our next port of call was Casa Batlló. We then wandered back into the Barri Gòtic and had drinks in a cafe on the Avinguda de la Catedral whilst writing our postcards.
That evening, we donned our gladrags and had drinks at a number of Barcelona's trendy bars, nestled in the alleyways of the old city.
Day 3
On Thursday morning, we first visited the Mercado de San José, a short walk from our hostel along La Rambla. We then spent the rest of the day at the beach.
We had a late tapas lunch in a restaurant near the beach, and had time for a flying visit to the Arc de Triomf, before catching the bus back to Girona airport for our flight home. We arrived back in Cambridge at 2am, tired but having had a fantastic three days!
Day 1
We caught a train at quarter to five in the morning(!) on Tuesday 1st June and flew into Girona airport, where we took a coach into Barcelona. We checked into our hostel in the Plaça Reial, just off La Rambla around midday, and enjoyed a delicious lunch of paella outside in the square.
Wasting no time, we ascended Montjuïc by the funicular railway and then on foot, taking in the stunning views of the city (see panorama at the top of this blog).
We took the cross harbour cable car down from Montjuïc and meandered our way back to the Barri Gòtic, where we paid a short visit to the Gothic cathedral. In the evening, we had cocktails in a small bar and ate in a restaurant near our hostel.
Day 2
We took the metro to the other side of the city on Wednesday morning, and climbed up to Gaudi's beautiful Parc Güell.
We then headed back into the city centre, via Casa Milà, to the great, unfinished, Sagrada Família church where we climbed one of the towers.
After a quick ice cream stop, our next port of call was Casa Batlló. We then wandered back into the Barri Gòtic and had drinks in a cafe on the Avinguda de la Catedral whilst writing our postcards.
That evening, we donned our gladrags and had drinks at a number of Barcelona's trendy bars, nestled in the alleyways of the old city.
Day 3
On Thursday morning, we first visited the Mercado de San José, a short walk from our hostel along La Rambla. We then spent the rest of the day at the beach.
We had a late tapas lunch in a restaurant near the beach, and had time for a flying visit to the Arc de Triomf, before catching the bus back to Girona airport for our flight home. We arrived back in Cambridge at 2am, tired but having had a fantastic three days!
Monday, 12 July 2010
Andalucía (21st to 29th September 2009)
Ralph, Michael, Callum and myself decided to visit southern Spain in September 2009. We flew from Stansted to Málaga on Monday 21st September, where we spent 2 nights, followed by 2 nights in Jerez de la Frontera, 2 nights in Cádiz, and 2 nights in Seville.
Málaga
We arrived quite late in the evening of Monday 21st September and, after a bit of a hike from the train station, checked into our hostel, nestled in a side street off the Plaza de la Merced. We spent Tuesday in Málaga, visiting the Roman amphitheatre, Moorish Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, the Museo Picasso, and the harbour, before having dinner in a restaurant overlooked by the huge Renaissance cathedral.
Jerez de la Frontera
The next morning we took a train to Jerez de la Frontera (of sherry fame). We went on a tour of the Tío Pepe sherry bodega (including road train ride!), where we observed the sherry cellars, containing barrels signed by celebrities past and present, and sampled various sweet and fino sherries (plus some grape brandy for good measure!).
We spent the first part of Thursday exploring Jerez's fine Alcazar, which included a fascinating olive press, mosque, and traditional Moorish gardens.
In the afternoon, we caught a bus to the hill town of Arcos de la Frontera, where we wandered around the winding streets of the old town, whose white buildings perched precipitously on the cliff overlooking the Andalucían plains below.
Cádiz
A short train ride on Thursday morning brought us into the harbour town of Cádiz, best known as the place where the Armada sailed from to battle Drake's fleet in the late 16th century. We found a small pension to stay at in the old town, and then caught a bus to Conil de la Frontera on the Costa de la Luz, where we spent the afternoon on the beach. We returned to Cádiz for dinner in a square in the old town.
Thunderstorms throughout Saturday scuppered our plan to take a boat trip across the harbour to El Puerto de Santa Maria. Instead, we wandered round Cádiz, spending the morning in a museum, and then walking along the great sea battlements.
Seville
On Sunday morning we caught a train to Seville. We spent the afternoon visiting the great Alcázar, enjoying the stunning, intricate Moorish architecture and peaceful, sprawling gardens, including an amazing musical fountain which burst into life every hour (see video)!
In the evening, we enjoyed a traditional Andalucían supper of tapas, before going on to a packed flamenco bar (see video) tucked away in a side street of the old city.
On Monday we first took a stroll through the old city down to the bank of the river Guadalquivir. We went on a tour of the city bullring, before walking back into the city centre past the Torre del Oro.
In the afternoon, we visited the gigantic Gothic cathedral, and climbed the Giralda, a Moorish minaret turned bell-tower following the Reconquista, where we were rewarded with fantastic views over Seville.
We then wandered out of the city centre, through the university, to the grand Plaza de España. We had tapas and sherry for our final dinner in Spain, and flew back to Stansted early on Tuesday morning.
Málaga
We arrived quite late in the evening of Monday 21st September and, after a bit of a hike from the train station, checked into our hostel, nestled in a side street off the Plaza de la Merced. We spent Tuesday in Málaga, visiting the Roman amphitheatre, Moorish Alcazaba and Gibralfaro, the Museo Picasso, and the harbour, before having dinner in a restaurant overlooked by the huge Renaissance cathedral.
Jerez de la Frontera
The next morning we took a train to Jerez de la Frontera (of sherry fame). We went on a tour of the Tío Pepe sherry bodega (including road train ride!), where we observed the sherry cellars, containing barrels signed by celebrities past and present, and sampled various sweet and fino sherries (plus some grape brandy for good measure!).
We spent the first part of Thursday exploring Jerez's fine Alcazar, which included a fascinating olive press, mosque, and traditional Moorish gardens.
In the afternoon, we caught a bus to the hill town of Arcos de la Frontera, where we wandered around the winding streets of the old town, whose white buildings perched precipitously on the cliff overlooking the Andalucían plains below.
Cádiz
A short train ride on Thursday morning brought us into the harbour town of Cádiz, best known as the place where the Armada sailed from to battle Drake's fleet in the late 16th century. We found a small pension to stay at in the old town, and then caught a bus to Conil de la Frontera on the Costa de la Luz, where we spent the afternoon on the beach. We returned to Cádiz for dinner in a square in the old town.
Thunderstorms throughout Saturday scuppered our plan to take a boat trip across the harbour to El Puerto de Santa Maria. Instead, we wandered round Cádiz, spending the morning in a museum, and then walking along the great sea battlements.
Seville
On Sunday morning we caught a train to Seville. We spent the afternoon visiting the great Alcázar, enjoying the stunning, intricate Moorish architecture and peaceful, sprawling gardens, including an amazing musical fountain which burst into life every hour (see video)!
In the evening, we enjoyed a traditional Andalucían supper of tapas, before going on to a packed flamenco bar (see video) tucked away in a side street of the old city.
On Monday we first took a stroll through the old city down to the bank of the river Guadalquivir. We went on a tour of the city bullring, before walking back into the city centre past the Torre del Oro.
In the afternoon, we visited the gigantic Gothic cathedral, and climbed the Giralda, a Moorish minaret turned bell-tower following the Reconquista, where we were rewarded with fantastic views over Seville.
We then wandered out of the city centre, through the university, to the grand Plaza de España. We had tapas and sherry for our final dinner in Spain, and flew back to Stansted early on Tuesday morning.
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