Still Jaipur (01.03.08)

Jantar Mantar. We’ve been looking for it for a couple of minutes. It shouldn’t be far away from Hawa Mahal, according to the map. We’re asking a guide of Canadian trip to show us the way. Ok. Everything is clear. Now we’re passing few vendors and reaching Tripolia Gate. In this part of city is much calmer as in the centre. Well, instead of Jantar Mantar we’ve reached first City Palace Complex. 100 rupees. We’re watching it only from the outside: yellow walls, mosaics, a small cannon next to the main door. A lot of white tourists. We’re resting in the shade, near the entrance and the guard is keeping an eye on us all the time.
Finally, Jantar Mantar. We’re on the way. The Indian Kingdom of astronomy. The biggest and the best preserved among the other 4 Jantars. Wow. Strange buildings, yellow, pink, brown. A lot of information boards. First, we’re going by some yellow round „buildings” – Ram Yantra, which is used to calculate the azimuth. Then we’re noticing zodiac signs in form of triangle constructions, a sundial, measuring the time exact to 2 seconds, complicated tools to calculate the time of solar eclipse and the movements of planets. Stone, marble, the play of colours, crowds of people.
We’re hiding from the sun in the shade, on the grass, near the sundial. Yeah, it is amazing. So it seems that Jaipur can show its nicer face…
I’m wondering if its true, I mean the thing with the sunset. The pink city looks then extremely attractive. Well, let’s check it! We’re going to the main gate of the old city, sitting on a wall near a building opposite of the gate and watching, and waiting. And nothing happens. The sun sets and the colours are still more less the same. Where are all these tones of pink praised in a guidebook?! Or maybe we’ve chosen the wrong place? And we were supposed to see elephants and monkeys… Well, I’ve seen some monkeys but not as much to agree that Jaipur is the city of monkeys. And I still haven’t seen any elephant here.
!!! And here it comes! The elephant! Treading proudly down the main street, carrying 2 Indians on its back. They’re happy that we’re taking photos of them.
Maybe we really haven’t reached the most attractive, over-monkeyed, and over-elephanted and over-pinked parts of the city. Maybe. But anyway we spared a lot of time to let the city show us its overrated image.
We have a train after 10 p.m.. Finally we’ll get some rest and sleep. But at night there’s a real snoring concert. Each of the surrounding Indians is snoring in a different way, making various sounds. A huge dirty sleeping room, rushing through sleepy Rajasthan.

Jaipur, day two (01.03.08)

It's Friday, 15.02.08. At 9 the hotel owner knocks to our door. He says we need to leave, because he wants to clean the room. Ha! No way! Check in is at 10 – that's what says the writing on the wall near the entrance. And he said so yesterday, as well. Several times. Ok, all we can do is to hurry up.

Soon we leave the hotel with our luggage. In the way towards the Old City we pop in... McDonald's. To use the normal toilet. At this time there are tourists only. The Indians usually visit McD in evenings.

It's time to discover the hidden charm of Jaipur! It might be difficult as I'm still ill, the sun is spreading its arms even further and the backpack is getting heavier with every step. Doesn't matter. Fortunately, the traffic is not so bad as last night. Although the air is still full of dust. That's normal.
We enter the gate of the Pink City and walk towards Nehru Bazaar, which is connected with Bapu Bazaar. Small shops are situated in old buildings with orange walls. Neglected. Damaged. Everywhere similar products are sold – jewelery, scarfs, saris, punjabis, bags, spices and “European” clothes. Almost each shop keeper presents us their goods, block our way with scarfs and push them in front of our eyes.
„Look madam! Just look! Looking is not buying!”
Yeah, right. I've heard thousands times. Well, I think I should buy some gifts for my family and friends. But there's really nothing that would be appropriate. All right, there are few things. But the worst thing is, that even a few-second-stay in front of a shop window means that you'll probalby be pushed inside the shop. And now the ceremony starts. The shop keeper make us sit down, shows us a variety of colours and patterns. When Paulina buys tiny hindu clothes for his god-child, the seller persuades me to try sari on. Well, all right. Trying on is all I can do. In fact, I thought I would leace India with beautiful new sari. But now I changed my mind. Where would I wear it back in Poland? Anyway, I just try it on. Wow. The long blue piece of clothe is being wrapped around me. Cool. It costs 600 rupees. It's not about the price. I just don't want to. Although it look gorgeous.
Next shops, persuasion, and pestering to buy next goods again. We were supposed to go sightseeing. But before I reach the first monument I'm already equipped with new scarf, tunic an masala... Paulina's also bought many things. Maybe even more. I think I'm already fed up with this city. Maybe it's because of the fever. I need to escape this colorful labirynth, this mazy street full of stalls, see something more attractive. But it's not that easy. hawa Mahal - the place we want to reach - is situated near the bazaars.

It's the next time that I'm completely astonished by the Indian pavements. If they do appear - they're completely blocked by motorcycles, baggers, full of
rubbish, damaged or being modernised/built. And the next thing - the pissing Indians. I notice them in every city. They're squirting on the streets, everywhere, always, in any time of the day. I know, I have written about it already.
Finally, having lost our way in the labyrynth of streets (the map was useless again), we reach Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Wind. The entrance costs 50 rupees. On the way to the building we met an Israeli couple. The man comes from Poland, he had two Polish wives, now he's married to an Israeli woman. He speaks Polish a little bit. Nice. We talk with them shortly and then we split, quite accidentally. Each of us visits the Palace in a different way.
The building has 5 levels, the walls are pink, orange, white or pink, and it's full of cosy nooks. The Palace was built by Maharaja Sawaj Pratap Singh. He did for the ladies-in-waiting, so that they could watch the city life through the beautiful windows. Oh, so generous it was.

We climb to the last floor. There's a tiny terrace and a wonderful view of the whole city. I've found it! The charm of Jaipur is right here! Far away from noisy streets, annoying sellers, pestering rikshaw-men. I don't mind the sun anymore, either. There are mountain hills far away in the distance, tiny bicycle underneath, little shops, orange-pink walls of the buildings. And everything would be just fantastic if the group of Indian boys stopped gathering around us. Anyway. We ignore them and continue our trip around the Palace, walking through the white arches and up to the next terrace. This time without the view. It's time to relax. Stuff myself with plenty of medicines. The fever doesn't make the sightseeing easier at all...

Jaipur (28.02.08)

From Ajmer to Jaipur it's only 2 hours by train.
The very first thing we do after the arrival is the long search for some decent accommodation. Well, in fact we've already found it in the guidebook. Now we need to get there, which is not so easy. The map really sucks. We ask a policeman about the way. He tries to help us, but in vain. Crowds of people on the streets, noise, dust... The pure India.

Finally we get to the hotel. Evergreen Guest House. But there's something wrong. It's 300 rupees for a room. No, thank you. It's not worth it. So we walk along narrow streets, asking for another rooms. 400 rupees – they must be kidding!
Ashiyana Hotel. Phew, we're back to the decent prices. 200 without bathroom, 250 – with it. We haggle with the owner and he lets us stay in the room with a bathroom for 200 r. It's not as good as in Pushkar (well, nothing will be as good as Pushkar to be honest), but it's not too lousy. The walls are dirty, there's no hot water. But we have 2 beds, a chair, table... Do we need anything more?
Well, maybe a bit of calm. But there's no time to relax. We set off to discover the charms of Jaipur.

First the Old City, called also the Pink City. We get there after 15 minutes, struggling through the dusty and crowded streets, trying not to get angry at annoying vendors.
Finally, the gate. Should be pink. Everything should be pink here. Am I blind or is it really orange? Or orange-ish. The walls of the Old City are decorated with white ornaments.
There are some fruit stalls next to the gate, so we buy some mandarins and something like plums. Few beggars are preparing their mobile beds near the gate. We head towards the main street, walking along narrow streets, towards the famous bazaars. Well, either it's too late or we're too tired... but it seems that this city is really overrated. The bazaars are not impressive at all – there are just usual products, saris, scarfs, nothing special. Maybe we've got to the wrong place. We''ll come back here tomorrow to find the real charm of the city. It must be somewhere, we must have missed it.
Streets in Jaipur make me feel extremely exhausted. Especially in the evening. Horns are on all the time, dust pushes into my tired eyes. Now we're looking for a restaurant. But the main street offers only the posh ones. There's also a lot of jewellery shops, fashion shops, luxurious hotels. No place for typical cheap Indian bars. Finally we find one. But there's lassi only. Well, it seems there's only McDonald with veg meals left. Yes, I'm not a fan of McDonald (to be honest I dislike it strongly) but... seems I have no choice. At least it offers plenty vegetarian items. And a normal toilet. And a shelter from ever-watching Indians.
At the end of the day we visit an Internet Café. Quite expensive but at least the connection is not as slow as in Delhi.
Back in hotel I try to relax and forget about the noise, get rid of the dust. Plans for tonight? Sure: cure my cough and fever. And get ready for the cold night...

Ajmer (27.02.08)

It's 14.02.08, Pushkar.
We're leaving our hotel in the morning, say goodbye to our Czech and Slovakian friends and we're heading towards the bus stop. It's already waiting. So we get in. But suddenly Paula finds out she left her glasses in the hotel. So she goes back. I'm seating in the bus, unsure when it leaves. Should I get off and wait for her outside or will she manage to come back soon?
Suddenly, the driver starts the engine. The ticket controller gets off. I'm quickly leaving the board. Everyone's staring at me. I drop several things on the floor. Manage to jump out in the last second. Nice.
Paula's back soon. Her glasses wasn't there. Anyway. We get on the next bus and we cast a last look on Pushkar, the white temple, dirty cows, staring Indians. It's getting tighter and tighter on the bus. We're leaving.
Ajmer. Again the annoying sound of horns. Vendors, dirty streets, surprised people. As usual. We're walking bravely ahead. It's getting hot. And I think I'm ill. Never mind. We saw a little lake from the bus window, so now we want to reach it. It seems to be far away, there are no tourists around, everyone's staring at us. As usual.
Finally. Of course we did miss the way and we did have some problems with the stupid map. Anyway. We're walking in a park. It's peaceful, clean. Marble pavilions stretch along the shore. Arches, columns, marble tiles. Some rubbish here and there. A small red boat floats on the lake surface. Ana Sagar. That's the name of the lake. It's not natural. It was created in XII century. When we sit down to relax, a lot Indians are gathering around us. Yes, I already got used to that. There's no way to relax in India.
We're walking along the shore, taking some pics. Finally, completely weak because of the sun (both of us) and fever (me), we sit down on the grass. Indians arrive again, asking for a photo with us.
After few minutes we're heading towards Nasiana Temple that illustrates the Jain interpretation of the world. It's red. We have to take off the shoes and pay 5 rupees for the entrance. Taking pictures – 25 rupees. No, thanks.
Narrow and dark stairs lead us upstairs. First floor. Floral motives on the walls, in the middle, behind the glass is the most important part of the temple. Gold, gold, gold. Golden boats, golden temples... It's an illustration of Jain mythology. Well, I would like it more, if I felt better... but anyway. I'm looking through the window – next to the temple grey, there are neglected buildings, laundry hanging on the roof... I cast a look inside again and I'm dazzled with ubiquitous gold. The golden boats moving across the sky.

There's a Christian Church opposite the temple. Finally. Peace, silence... It's time to think about our own religion.
After few minutes we say goodbye to friendly guards and we're heading towards Fort Akbar's Palace. Accidentally, we're walking into a very narrow street. It's a bike repairing area. All the Indian men are watching us carefully. I don't care. Finally, we get to the fort. But no. It's not impressing at all. So we visit it from outside only. I really don't feel like spending several dozens rupees, although it's not much. Ajmer is not a nice town. I want to run away from here. As soon as possible. Of course, there are some nice places here, like the lake for example. But moving around the town is extremely tiring, paralysing.
So we're coming back to the railway station. But we miss the way again. A narrow street is completely blocked. Too many cars, too many people, too many cows. No one wants to give the way. Horns are not enough now. The dust is getting into my weak body.
Finally, the station. In few minutes there's a train to Jaipur. We buy something to eat and get on the train. It's calm, no sun. Time to relax. In two hours we'll be in Jaipur.

Bangla Sahib (29.02.08)

Still Saturday, 9th February.

When we finally met with Varun (Gaetton's friend), we headed of towards Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, a Sikh Temple. It's really impressing. The atmosphere - full of respect and honour.
To get inside, we have to take our shoes off and cover our heads. So it gets colder. There's a red carpet on the stairs. We enter the Temple in silence.
Wow. Soft carpet on the floor, religious Sikhs sitting in the corners... There's something like an altar in the middle – a square platform, decorated with gold. 2 men are sitting on it, singing holy texts from a Sikh's holy book, Guru Granth Sahib. Varun tells us that the book is of great importance, it's highly respected and has it's own richly decorated “room” in the other corner of the Temple.

Now, at the end of the day, the book is transported to its room. So, the procession starts. All the Sikhs gather in front of the altar, there are some strange rituals – the book is covered in golden cloth, the sound of drums and bells spreads throughout the temple. When a man dressed in white is carrying a book towards the room, the rest of Sikhs are throwing flowers towards it, singing songs, bowing down. Soon the book disappears behind golden doors, on the colourful bed. Now it's time to clean the temple. All the ritual dishes and the altar are washed in water mixed with milk, the carpets and floor are swept with a little brush and many Sikhs go upstairs, to a kind of inner balcony. That's a meditation and reading room. There are small books with Sikh texts on a cupboard, everyone can take it and read it.

Varun, who is a very religious man, explains us everything, tells about his religion. He claims it doesn't confine its followers – it's not compulsory to visit the temple, there's no particular day that you should celebrate, everyone can come here at any time.

When we leave the building, we get the blessing in form of a sweet delicacy made of semolina. It's distributed by a small stall – a man uses his hands only and put the pulp on our hands. Well, I'm not sure whether I should eat it... hygienic reasons...? oh, doesn't matter! I risk and I don't regret it, because it's really tasty

There's a holy water, like a small lake, near the Temple. It's said it has a healing power and a lot of Sikhs from around the world come here to take a sample with them and bring it home. Many Sikhs also bathe in the lake. Women can do the same but in a small basin, separated by high walls.

We're walking around the lake, passing many Sikhs in turbans. Varun explains that the head cover isn't compulsory either. The colour and shape of it says a lot about the social status. Young boys usually wear a kind of cup with a pompom and then, when their hair is cut, then can change it to a real turbans.

Red Fort (25.02.08)

Red Fort (25.02.08)
We visited Red Fort on Saturday, 9th February. So here's what I experienced:
After a short visit to New Dehli Railway station (crowds everywhere, people laying on the ground, on a piece of cardboard or a blanket, waiting for a train for hours) we head towards Red Ford. Our French friend is coming with us. Although he's been living here for 6 months, he has never been here before. Well, better too late than never. Because the Fort really is amazing.
It's the first huge building we visit in Dehli. Wow. I'm shivering and I don't know why. Maybe I'm so excited to discover India. The monument gradually shows its dignity. First the red, solid walls. There's the Indian flag on the top of the roof. And a lot of vendors around. They're selling postcards, hookahs, toys. We take plenty pics, before it gets dark. When we approach the main gate, the gourds ask us for a ticket. Well, we didn't even have time to think about it, but their quicker. They take money from us, run to the ticket office and come back with the tickets. Meanwhile I notice that he lied about the price. It's not 100 rupees, but 80. Well, seems we let them earn a bit. Anyway.
We're coming inside.
First we go through Chatta Chowk, full of shops with souvenirs. Finally, we get to the main part of the Fort. White and rich red walls, huge gardens... Damn it! We have only 15 minutes before they close the gate. Cool. So we hurry around the building. Some Indians want pics with us. Well ok, but quickly. Then we continue our hasty trip. A lot of columns, a lot of building, each served a different purpose. There's a separate room for complaints and arguments, called Diwan-i-Am. Concerts were played in the Drum House was Shah Jahan, Diwan-i-Khas was a room for private meetings, there is also a room with Shah Jahan's bathrooms, mosque... Everything decorated with marble and precious stones.
The gourd men start to whistle, that't how they announce that visit time is over. Well, we have no choice but to leave this magnificent building...
We take a bike-rickshaw and go through one of the poorest district in Dehli. Everyone is staring at us, only I seat on the back, Paula and Gaetton in a front, by the driver. Well, in fact it's a vehicle for two passengers, but nothing is impossible in India. So I watch the traffic, all the cars coming towards me, people pointing at me, horns, bikes everywhere...
We pass slums full of dirty kids, smelly air, shabby tents, small fires surrounded by several men. It's overwhelming, poverty in pure form...
Finally we get to Connaught Place. I'm neither hungry nor tired. I try to absorb the Indian contrasts, these huge discrepancies. We're passing a luxurious hotel, nearby a poor man is preparing his mobile bed – a blanket on a pavement.
We're looking for a good restaurant, no too expensive. Gaetton wants to meet his Indian friends, so finally we get to Banana Leaf, a pleasant restaurant.
There's a scent of sticks in the air and pictures of Indian gods on the walls. I order vegetable utappatam. All the meals are served on a silver tray covered with banana leaf, nice. The dish is really tasty.
Then we finally meet Gaetton's friend and he takes us to the Sikh Temple.

Pics (25.02.08)

I've uploaded pics from India. Slowly I'm getting used to the Polish reality. It's not easy, India is still inside me...

The end (22.02.08)

And this is it... It's over now. I've just come back from India. All I'm left with are my memories, pics, diary, new friends and... updating the Indian part of my blog. Oh, and of course – planning the next journey!!!

Double joy (19.02.08)

From Varanasi to Dehli (19.02.08)

We have just come back from Varanasi, after 13 hours on a train. It was full of snoring, spitting, staring and dirty Indians. Never mind. It's nothing extraordinary, it's standard. The most important is, that I've seen the holy river, holy rituals, incredible sunrise on the river Ganges and Sarnath – the most serene Indian town I've visited so far. Buddha gave his first sermon there and now a lot of pilgrims visit Sarnath each day.
On Thursday we're going back to Poland, such a pity, I really don't want to. I'd better go out now and absorb all the Indian peculiarities with all my senses to have some topics to write about. When I come back, I'll post more fascinating accounts of our unbelievable experiences:) My big dream has been coming true for a second week now, I can't waste my time sitting by the computer.

So happy to see Taj Mahal (16.02.08)

next journey (16.02.08)

Tonight we are going to Varanasi, then to Sarnath. I didn't have time today to describe Jaipur and Ajmer, but I'll do it soon. Seems that there's an Indian chaos on my blog now, but I can't help it.
Oh, and a few words about Sarosh, the cleaning lady. Few days ago she stole quite a lot of money from me. I know it was she, because she was sitting near my bag, behaving quite suspiciously. I was terribly angry and I asked Gaetton to talk to her in Hindi before we left to Pushkar. And when I've already accepted the great loss, she came back, very confused and embarrassed, holding my dollars in her hand. Said it was her son, not her and that she found it in a rubbish bin (!). Sure. Anyway, it's good I have my money back.

About Pushkar (16.02.08)

We're back in Dehli. Finally, there's warm water and time to rest.
So, as I promised, here's the account of our visit to Pushkar:

12.02.08
We had a train at 22.40 and met 2 Czechs guys and a Slovakian girl in our compartment, so we joined them and now we're together in the same hotel.
Few words about the guys: they're amazing. Jan and Ladik are travelling around the whole world! They've already been to Mongolia and Mexico, Jan spent 2 years in Moscow as well. Now they're waiting for a visa to Pakistan. What really impressed me, is that Jan worked only for 4 years in UK and then half an year on a ship and, as he says, he earned enough to travel for 12 years! Wow! The Slovakian girl joined boys few days ago. They're so funny and nice.
We arrived at 7 am in Ajmer, then we took a bus to Pushkar. Wow. Our first time. It was crummy, walls made of metal, all the Indians staring at us. The view outside the window was amazing! Mountains everywhere! And few temples on the hills.

Pushkar is a little town, famous of unique fashion shops and the Brahma Temple. There are plenty of stalls and shops everywhere, many cows and their dungs here and there. We got a double room for 100 rupees, our friends live opposite us. The hotel is quite shabby and modest but all in all it's not so bad.

Firstly, we visit the holy lake, called Pushkar. Indians come here to cleanse their sins and perform some spiritual rituals. There are plenty of pigeons around and the stairs that lead to the lake are completely covered with birds droppings, there are some dogs, as well.

The town is devoted to Brahma, as it was him who dropped here his lotus and then the lake was created. The area near the ghats (stairs that lead to the water) is full of temples and yoga schools. Of course, we can't walk in shoes and it is forbidden to take pics on the ghats. But I partly break these both rules.
Almost all the streets have united to create one big market. I can't resist, I completely give up to the abundance of Indian specialties. I mean clothes now. We buy a lot of them. Because they're nice and extremely cheap. The only disadvantage of the market is the constant presence of hucksters. Well, we have no choice but to ignore them, although they tend to be very annoying.

But shopping is not all we do here. We visit the Brahma Temple, as well. It's quite large and white. Visited by crowds of faithful Hindus. A young boy guides me through the building. There's a main ceremony now, the Brahma's image is being revealed. It's silver, all the Hindus are throwing flowers and petals towards it.
Then we go downstairs. There's a place devoted to Shiva. The boy says I need to say a mantra three times, put the flower in a kind of bowl and ring the bell three times. Quite confused I follow his words. Now he says I should throw the rest of flowers to the lake. So we leave, but suddenly a guard tells me I need to pay for the flowers I was given near the entrance.
What? You must be kidding?
So we're arguing. Because that's unfair. I'd pay for it, if he had said that before, now it's too late.
They give up and we're going towards another temple, Pop Mochani. On the hill. It's getting hotter and it's quite difficult to climb the mountain. When we get there, it turns out that there are ruins only. And a lot of Indian boys watching us. Some of them are running behind us when we're walking down. And they're quite irritating.

Finally, we get to Om Shiva, a marvelous restaurant. You can eat as much as you want to paying 50 rupees only! A real feast. So I take a bit of all 8 dishes offered by the waiter. Chapati, rice, dhal, pasta, vegetables... And then a dessert. Bananas in vanilla pudding and something that looks and tastes like little donuts. Delicious!

Each evening there's a big ceremony by the lake. Many people gather here to watch the sunset, listen to the drums and some strange instruments. The colorful show attracts my eyes and enchants completely. Pushkar in an amazing place. And I don't want to leave it so quickly...

Jaipur (14.02.08)

We've found an internet cafe in terrible Jaipur. It seems that visit to Ajmer + Jaipur on the same day is much too much. I think these two cities are more tiring than Dehli. Horns, annoying rickshaw driver, noise, dust, heat. Or maybe our organisms rebel against leaving peaceful Pushkar. Maybe we've already got used to the calm and holy atmosphere of this little town and now we are very exhausted.

Anyway, we're both ill. It's nothing serious, just a cough and fever. Apart from that everything's fine, although I do feel it would be much safer and easier to travel with a male company. But we're very brave:)
I'll write more about Pushkar, Jaipur and Ajmer next time. We've just popped in here for couple of minutes.

Indian expedition (12.02.08)

I forgot to describe what happened two days ago.
When we finally got all the tickets for all our journeys, we met with our Indian friend, Varun. He's Gaetton workmate, a very nice guy. And we spend almost the whole day with him and visited many interesting places.

Firstly, Parliament and President's house. The whole area is extremely clean and tidy. As if it wasn't India anymore. I'm impressed. A completely different world. Streets are empty and the drivers do follow the traffic rulers. The buildings seem to represent a power of land, proud and great, tremendous. At the end of the lane there's a President's residence. The gate is closed, guarded by serious looking guys. We shoot some pics and go towards a nearby park. Crowds everywhere. Indians are staring at us again, family with kids came here to do a picnic, playing, eating, watching us. Again some people want to have a photo with us. Well, ok. We should be more assertive.
Wow, and now Indian Gate. Looks a bit like the French triumphal arch. But just a bit.
I'm happy Varun is with us. At least it's safer, men are not so aggressive, I mean the way they observe us. Everything is easier, even haggling goes smoothly.
We visit Dehli Heart as well. It's a huge market. The entry costs 15 r. but it's worth it. All typical Indian products are sold here. The colours and scents create a different world. Joyful, quite peaceful. So we let them guide us and order few Indian dishes in an outdoor restaurant. No idea what their names are, but it's delicious. And spicy. Varun says it's what he eats every day and he admits he has never eaten pizza. Wow. Well, in fact there's nothing to regret. Indian food is so much better:)

Then we go to Shatur Bur. It's a complex of Indian temples. As Varun says – it's a Hinduism in a nutshell.
Woooooow! It's huge. Unbelievable. Many shrines, large statues, the largest one portrays the god Hanuman. Suddenly a woman stops us and says she's from Indian TV and would like to interview us. Ok. Sounds cool. She asks us about our impressions, what we think and feel when we're in such a holy place, whether we believe in God/gods and if we have any wishes to God. If yes, we should touch the holy tree, just behind us and say the prayer. Well, I tell her what I think and feel and I admit I do like it here. Then I follow her words. Turn around and touch the strange tree. This is weird. I do have “wishes” to God but now my head is empty...

There's a Shiva temple in the middle. People gather inside and honour him. They do some strange rituals involving flowers and gestures.
We visit another temples, too. There are plenty of Ganesha's images. Vishnu and Lakshmi are also popular. Some people bring offerings (fruit or milk) to gods and pray to them in silence. The air is full of holy and respectful atmosphere. I feel like an intruder...
We receive an Indian blessing, a red dot on the forehead and a white “cookie”. I do feel the presence of some major forces here.
And the Hanuman. It's at least 100 m high. Huge. We walk around the statue, taking some pics. Unfortunately, my battery goes flat. Varun laughs that it's the only way to keep me from taking photos. Well, maybe.
Soon we need to get back. Varun wants to go to his Sikh Temple as it's Sunday. And he usaully spends the whole day there. So we say goodbye and go back to Mahilpapur.

Continuation (12.02.08)

We're going to Ajmer tonight. I heard it would be very cold as it is a night train. Well, good to know. I'll take more warm clothes with me. From Ajmer we'll go to Pushkar, then we plan to visit Jaipur and back to Delhi on Saturday morning. So I won't be able to post anything new here. It seems it's our first long journey outside Delhi, I'm so excited. Oh, and then on Sunday we're going to Varanasi, yupeee! My next dream-city:) And then to Sarnath.

Finally, we made a huge shopping. Bought so much food, cheaply. Now we're gonna eat, eat and eat... :)
I tried to upload new pics, but the dvd drive isn't working in the cafe. So I'll do it later.
So this is it for now.

Taj Mahal (11.02.08)

Wow! I´ve found an internet cafe in our shabby district! I'm already used to ubiquitous untidiness. Shops, streets, buildings... everything's in poor conditions... So, I'm not surprised with the cafe neither.

Now, the msot important:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!

Most-most important: I've visited TAJ MAHAL today!!!!!!! Amazing.

The whole day was full of emotions, new experiences, unexpected events. We travelled by train frist time. Wow, that was... undescribable. Our Taj Express was about 800 m long or maybe even more. How do I know that? Well, we have an unique possibility to walk past it several time, looking for the proper class and coach. We asked several times, everyone showed different direction... Finally, it turned out that Paula took the wrong ticket. To Varanasi. Thankfully, she also took the proper one, so we checked the class once more and everything was clear.
There's one funny thing about the trains. Before you get on, you should check your name on the list hang on the coach with your seat. If it's not there - you have a problem.

We travelled in the second class: tripple seats, opposite us another tripple seat, next - another. And so on. It was quite crummy, windows weren't tight and it got quite cold. Nice.
There was plenty of food salers on the train. Walking through the coaches, shouting the names of their products, spreading tempting scents.
Samosa! Tea! Coffee! Bread! - that's what I heard the whole way long.
Beggers were there, too. Wiping the floor beneath your foot, aksing for many...
Cripples tried the same tactics. Well, they didn't clean the floor, just walked near your seat and looking at you desperately.
And the most annoying thing - all the Indians watching us all the time... I'm getting used to it.. Opposite us there was a man with a turban on his head, old lady covered with large piece of clothe and a man with a cup. Looking at us curiously, asking plenty quetions, offering help...
Finally we arrived to Agra. The railway station was extremely crowded. We met two Canadian girls and decided to hire one rickshaw. After few metres the driver stopes. Says he would take us on a tour around the city only. We don't want it, so we get off. There will be another rickshaw passing the street soon. This time the man agrees to take us to Taj Mahal for 40 rupees.
On the way we'retalking with our new friends. They've just come back from Thailand, live here with their diplomat friend in New Delhi. In one month they're leaving India to continue studies in Canada.
Ok, finally Taj. My next dream is coming true. NExt surprise - the entry costs 750 rupees. Indians pay 20 only.
We need to leave our luggage and cover shoes with special bags.
Oh, yeah, and there's security controll as well. Seperate gate for men, seperate for women. A female guard chekcs my bag, checks my body and lets me through.
We're going along South and East Gate. Picture time! Again and again! Good that Canadians enjoy taking pics as well.

AAAAAA!!! First look on T.M. AMAZING!!! A lot of tourists everywhere, mainly Indians. Everyone's taking pics here, near the entrance with the view on the TM and beautiful fountaine in the middle. We're approaching this miracle slowly, taking hundreds of pics. Clear white walls, floral decorations made of precious stones, ideally symetric.
I come up with an idea to show our joy on the pics. So we start jumping, holding our hands. And so we're like hovering in the air on the pics:) The Canadian do the same. Other people wathing us with a smile. And then they follow us...

Coming closer and closer. I'm speachless. It really IS amazing, wonderfull, breathtaking...Absolutely perfect, power of love that creates miracles and brings pain. All the people that were hired to build Taj Mahal had their hands cut off when the work was finished. Thus Shah Jahan wanted to prevent the construction of similar building in the future.

We're gettin inside. Quite dark. Photos forbidden. A lot of guards around. White bars surrounding the grave of Mumtaz, Shah Jahan's wife. Well, the building looks better from outside...

We meet a lot of people, a lot of Indians want pictures with us. So the photo sessions start. Quite exciting at the beginnig, but then we get tired. The Indians very annoying. I feel like a celebrity hiding from paparazzis...

Oh, and the river Jamuna. There's a great view on it from TM. Pity it lacks water at this time of year, but there are still a lot of cows and birds in it.
We're walking around the building, watching all that's happenning around... I still can't believe my big dream has just come true... Well, in fact I already have another one - to come back to India for the whole month, to travel around the country...

When we're leaving after 3 hours, we meet a Polish couple. Buddists. Nice. We're going together to Red Fort and then we have to split. They're going to get ticket to the southern part of India. We'd rather eat something before going back to the railway station.

So we end up in an empty outdoor restaurant. Crummy. As usual. But the food is more then delicious. I order Thal, which consists of 3 souces, 2 chapatis, rice, a bit of cabbage ans something terribly spicy. And it's 40 rupees only, twice as cheap as in Delhi in Banana Cafe. Cool.

We get lost looking for the way towards railway station. Some rickshaw men stop and offer us a lift. No, thank you. We want to walk.
And it pays off. Wedding! Famous Indian wedding just opposite us! So we stop, take plenty of pics, mix in the crowd of guests, greet the groom. He has a string of flowers and money on his neck, a turban, smart clothes. A young woman stands in frotn of him and holds a tray with white "cookies". That's a blessing. She gives us a piece of it and an Indian guy takes a photo of us and the groom. Everyone is so nice, they're more interested in us than in the wedding itself. It would be foolish to spoil this great celebration so we leave soon. I hope I'll have a possibility to attend an Indian wedding one day... Heard so many interesting things about it...

This city is strange. Taj Mahal somehow doesn't suit here. It's too beautiful, the city so grimy and unfriendly. The huge contrast. India in an nutshell.

On the way back, on the train, we meet a very friendly couple. She's from Ukraine, he's from Argentina. They work in Mumbai as models. Wow. We talk about things we know about our countries, the guy is surprised that we know what Yerba Mate is. And he knows quite a lot about Poland as well.

Three hours pass extremely quickly and our journey ends soon. Well, that was an amazing day. So intensive, full of adventures...


P.S. I love the Internet in India. Terribly slow. Especially in a cafe.
During one hour I managed to read three mails only answer one and... the electricity went off. Standard. It happens at least 3 times a day. Quite dissapointed, we left the cafe and didn't even have to pay the 10 rupees.

P.S.2. I know it's all quite chaotic. The whole India is! So it's becoming a part of me:):)

In an Indian home (09.02.08)

Today Sarosh (the cleaning lady) invited me to her home. Well, “home” is too much to call it. It's simply a kind of unfinished building. There's no door – just a gate with small lock and a lot of cardboard. There's no rooms inside – just one big space. There's no kitchen – just a little corner with aluminum dishes, few glasses with spices, small gas cooker on the floor. There's one big bed, three little ones, TV, video, plenty of well-known cosmetics on a windowsill. And multitude of religious pictures with Hindi gods.
Funny thing – we used gestures and single English or Hindi word to communicate. She doesn't understand English, I can't speak Hindi. But we managed. Oh, and the most important thing. Sarosh made some chapati with spicy spinach filling for me. Wow, I liked the way she prepared it. It had nth to do with hygiene but doesn't really matter. It was delicious and Sarosh is nice indeed.
I'm amazed at how they can cope with these severe condition, how they survive having so little, being so smart...



Today is the first sunny day. Finally, there was hot water under the shower and I'm not shivering anymore. The night was very cold, as usual. But now it's fine. I'm full of energy and I'm setting of to find some nice places in this chaotic and noisy city.

Delhi (08.02.08)

Delhi is everything...
It's enough to take a few minutes walk to get a rather clear image of the city. Chaos, noise, dirt, annoying salesmen, overwhelming size, multitude of questions. Why, where, what, when, how...?!

After a long story about his life in Delhi, Gaetton gets us into a rickshaw. He haggles about the price and tells the driver to take us to Canaught Place. City center. Then he lives us and goes to work.
Disorientation, consternation, destabilization.
From now on we're gonna discover the city alone. No problem.
The streets are: “oh my God, how come I'm still alive...”. Everyone could drive here. It seems there are no rules, at least no one follows them. Winkers, right of way, lights - what for?! A horn replaces everything. If you want to drive in India you need to learn to use your horn properly.

We're sitting on the back seat in the rickshaw and ... we're still amazed. The driver rushes stubbornly, drives through little spaces between large lorries, almost crashes with cars and motorbikes. There's no safety belt, no window, just a piece of cloth between my face and the street. Wind is blowing strongly, whenever we turn I feel like falling out.
Phew.
Over.
Conaught Place.
Crowds, horns, similar buildings, no map, no orientation.
We're looking for an exchange office.
Rule nr 1: never talk to hucksters, never show your interest, never let somebody guide you.
My fault.
We break this rule as soon as we make our first steps in the city center.
A young Hindu approaches us.
What are you looking for?
Silence.
I'm not working here!
He shows us a little market. We want an exchange office! So he guides us in a mysterious place. We try to escape but in vain. Then we cross a street. Wow! That's a pure extreme sport. Meanwhile a Turkish guy approaches us. Says he would show us the office. But he guides us to a tourist office. Well, yes, no they're gonna try to sell us something. Already annoyed we just ask for a map and escape quickly. But we can't go alone. Again and again some man offer us to be our guide. No thank you. We'll manage. Finally, a guard (there's plenty of them here, near every shop) shows us a strange exchange office. Looks suspicious. Shabby. Whatever. I'm coming first, Paula keeps on saying it can't be a safe place. Finally, we reach the second floor. Two men look at us with big smile. There's plenty of cigarette smoke inside. The man says we'll get the receipt. Ok, so let's risk. There are 2 computers, but they don't use them. Counting money on a paper sheet. They take our passports and say they need to copy it. Hm, cool. Should I be worried?
We check the money several times, ok. Seems, they haven't cheated us. And after a while we have our passports back. Phew.
Ok, now we need some rest, some food. Need to look around, discover the city.
No way.
Hucksters everywhere. Watching us all the time. When we sit down on a bench, to look peacefully at the map, a guard approaches us and says we shouldn't stay here. Asks what are we looking for. But can't help us. Keeps on saying we should go somewhere else. Ok, no problem. Arrivederci.
So we end up wandering around the Canaught Place. It's awful. Extremely chaotic, all the streets look similar, we give up.

Polluted air makes me feel week, noise makes me feel dizzy, my mind stops working. Food! That's what I need. But there are mainly Chinese restaurants around and Indian food in a little kiosks on a street. I'm still not brave enough to try it. Finally we end up in a place that I hate strongly. McDonalds. With Indian menu. Not bad.
There are plenty of people here, mainly those rich ones. We meet two Polish girls that are finishing their 3 weeks journay today. Talk for a while and get back to Mahilpapur. All I need is some rest...

Day one (08.02.08)

I'm fine and happy. Our French friend picked us up from the airport. After few steps – first shock. Wow. It's so small. The arrival hall, I mean. Then – splash! Hot, dirty air blew in my face. Got into my eyes, mouth and nose. It wasn't easy to breathe.

We got on a taxi and soon arrived in Mahilpapur. That's a district in Delhi, close to the airport. One of the poorest. Our French friend lives here. There's no pavement, only one proper road, the main one. All the people kept staring at us. Watched our every move.

The place where we're staying is quite shabby but nice. Gaetton (our friend) lives with a Dutch guy. There's a cleaning lady, too. Lives about 30 meters from their house. She comes everyday. When she saw us, she took our luggage and carried it into the room. That made me feel awkward.

The boys said she earns about 7 Euro a month. And this is quite a good money. Strange.

Her husband doesn't work, she barely speaks English. Gaetton talks with her in Hindi. I know only several words so it may be difficult to communicate with her.

Finally, we could take a shower. Water is dirty but I don't really care. I heard that a lot of people visiting India use special pills that disinfect water. Well, I took it, too. But I don't feel like using it every time I wash. We'll use it only to brush our teeth. Gaetton says he doesn't care about the water, it never made him feel sick and he's been living here for six months now.

Few minutes ago the cleaning lady prepared a traditional Indian tea for us. Wow, that was sweet. Too sweet. There's more milk than tee in it, but it's quite good.

Soon we're going to the city center. I'm still shivering. And I'm not cold. Maybe I'm too excited. My big dream is coming true...