The flight home was uneventful – except for the fact that there was no one in the seat next to me, which is always like getting an early Christmas gift. They did misplace one of my checked luggage pieces – but it was delivered to my house 4-5 hours later.
Thanks for joining this journey with me. Visiting India was a wonderful experience. So many of you stayed in touch via comments to the blog and emails to let me know you were reading. It certainly kept me focused on a “project” while I was away – and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the experiences of a very different culture with you.
Many have expressed interest in my photos. I have posted all of them to Picasa. If you’d like to see the entire portfolio, they’re available via the following link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/TonyaJLong
Thanks again for all your support. Until my next big adventure… ciao!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Last Day in Delhi
With Agra and Jaipur behind me, Monday the 22nd was to be my last day in India. I spent the day in Delhi – both New and Old – taking snaps of the various sites. We began the day heading to Old Delhi. Wow… this was like something out of a movie. I started at the Jama Masjid – the largest mosque in all of India.
My driver had originally wanted me to take a rickshaw (a bicycle-powered one) around Old Delhi. By the time I returned from my trek through the mosque, he decided he’d drive me. He was really uptight – I could tell that the “seedy side” of Delhi made him nervous and he wanted to be protective of his passenger.
My driver had originally wanted me to take a rickshaw (a bicycle-powered one) around Old Delhi. By the time I returned from my trek through the mosque, he decided he’d drive me. He was really uptight – I could tell that the “seedy side” of Delhi made him nervous and he wanted to be protective of his passenger.
From the mosque, we drove around Old Delhi and saw the Red Fort (which is designed exactly like Agra Fort), the Mahatma Ghandi Gardens, the shops/stalls of Chandni Chowk, and I visited the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Sikh temple.
The visit to the Sikh temple was most interesting – as many of the temple visits were. Like all temples and mosques, you’re expected to enter barefoot. This temple had running water over a marble entrance that you walked through before climbing the stairs into the temple. It’s interesting to me – as a PGRIT (protestant girl raised in the south) – that people are worshipping at temples and mosques in India all the time. There appears to be no “Sunday morning” schedule. Middle of the day on a Thursday… and you’ll find dozens of the devout.
After leaving Old Delhi, we proceeded to India Gate and the “Capitol Hill” area of New Delhi. New Delhi is the country’s capital city – and Parliament, the legislative buildings, and the Presidential Palace are all in the same area. The driver proudly informed me that India had just elected a female president. Below are pictures of the capitol building rotunda, the presidential palace and gates, and the view from the presidential residence down the mall to India Gate.
After leaving Old Delhi, we proceeded to India Gate and the “Capitol Hill” area of New Delhi. New Delhi is the country’s capital city – and Parliament, the legislative buildings, and the Presidential Palace are all in the same area. The driver proudly informed me that India had just elected a female president. Below are pictures of the capitol building rotunda, the presidential palace and gates, and the view from the presidential residence down the mall to India Gate.
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After visiting the government district, we drove by the Laxmi Narayan Birla Hindu temple which was built in 1622 to honor Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. The temple is often called "Birla Temple" because of support from the Birla family. We also stopped for snaps at the Mahatma Ghandi memorial.
Last stop of the day before headed to the airport was absolutely a great way to end stay in Delhi. We stopped at Humayun’s Tomb. The tomb is the exact same style as the Taj Mahal – just made of red sandstone. The grounds around the tomb were filled with mosques and other structures from the days when a fort occupied the grounds.
Next stop: Mahatma Ghandi International Airport. 27hrs later, I’ll be home.
Last stop of the day before headed to the airport was absolutely a great way to end stay in Delhi. We stopped at Humayun’s Tomb. The tomb is the exact same style as the Taj Mahal – just made of red sandstone. The grounds around the tomb were filled with mosques and other structures from the days when a fort occupied the grounds.
Next stop: Mahatma Ghandi International Airport. 27hrs later, I’ll be home.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Jaipur - The Pink City
I fly out tonight at midnight, so I won't be posting again until I wrap this up when I'm back in Tennessee. Hope you have enjoyed.
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Oh, my goodness. After a terribly long drive back from Agra last night, I woke at 3:30am this morning to prepare for my flight to Jaipur. I think I snored on the plane. :-)
Although Jaipur is known as the “Pink City” – it is a beautiful city with lots of “green”… I started off at a strking Hindu temple while we waited for the guide to arrive.
From there, we spent the 
next three hours covering large amounts of land (and steps) for three prominent forts that sit atop a hill just outside the city limits. Once again – I can’t imagine living during that time… These places – they’re huge! They have mosques attached that can hold thousands in prayer at the same time. (And here I thought a dining room table for 8 was “livin’ large”!)
Jaipur is unlike Bangalore, Mysore, Delhi, or Agra. Jaipur has HILLS! In fact, driving through the hills to get to the forts reminded me of driving through the Western Carolinas – down near the North Carolina and South Carolina border. There are three primary forts in Jaipur – Amber Fort, Jaigarth Fort, and Nahargarh Fort – and all are very different. And they’re all NEIGHBORS built by the same family of maharajas (over centuries). I asked my guide why in the world would any family build three of these compounds side-by-side-by-side. The answer: they’re like a guest house or a bonus room. Guests stayed in some of the forts. The maharaja used some of the forts as his “men only” gathering place for debauchery. Oh my goodness! A 35,000sf guest house. Like I said – can’t imagine living during this time period.
The Amber Fort was by far the most opulent – made of white marble and red sandstone. Most folks enter that tour by riding elephants 
up the ramp to the Sun Gate (the front gate to the fort). I was a wimp and passed on the elephant ride – took the Moon Entrance (rear) by car.
The fort was beautiful, including a lovely temple fully-decorated for Dasara. Apparently the maharaja takes prayer there each morning during festival season and then the temple is opened for the rest of the devout. 
You’ll recall that the Dasara festival kicked off last weekend when I was in Mysore – and it ends tonight… so all the locals are keyed-up about the parties that end this festival that signals the beginning of their holiday season. Even the elephants got into the spirit of the evening!
It’s good to see that India values equity in pay.
The forts are under the control of the government and the people who maintain and tend to the needs of the fort are paid equally, whether male or female. Both earn 100 rupees per day for their work – men work 8 hrs and women work 7 hrs. 100 rupees = $2.50 USD.
Jaipur is known as the Pink City because all the buildings in “Old Jaipur” are a terra-cotta shade of pink. It was the whim of one of the maharaja – and in those days, what the king said was law. From the walls surrounding the old city to the storefronts to the temples and other public structures – everything is bathed in a terra-cotta shade of pink. In addition to the forts, we saw major monuments of Hawa Mahal, the Lake Palace (another men-only venue where the maharaja and prince entertained guests), and City Palace. (And yes, there was shopping... but we won't discuss that here.
My last observation: I have never seen a city where camels, elephants, autos, rickshaws, bicycles, and scooters co-existed so effectively on major streets and thoroughfares. At any given time, I could spot all six modes of transport from the front of my car. What a city!
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Oh, my goodness. After a terribly long drive back from Agra last night, I woke at 3:30am this morning to prepare for my flight to Jaipur. I think I snored on the plane. :-)
Although Jaipur is known as the “Pink City” – it is a beautiful city with lots of “green”… I started off at a strking Hindu temple while we waited for the guide to arrive.
From there, we spent the 
next three hours covering large amounts of land (and steps) for three prominent forts that sit atop a hill just outside the city limits. Once again – I can’t imagine living during that time… These places – they’re huge! They have mosques attached that can hold thousands in prayer at the same time. (And here I thought a dining room table for 8 was “livin’ large”!)Jaipur is unlike Bangalore, Mysore, Delhi, or Agra. Jaipur has HILLS! In fact, driving through the hills to get to the forts reminded me of driving through the Western Carolinas – down near the North Carolina and South Carolina border. There are three primary forts in Jaipur – Amber Fort, Jaigarth Fort, and Nahargarh Fort – and all are very different. And they’re all NEIGHBORS built by the same family of maharajas (over centuries). I asked my guide why in the world would any family build three of these compounds side-by-side-by-side. The answer: they’re like a guest house or a bonus room. Guests stayed in some of the forts. The maharaja used some of the forts as his “men only” gathering place for debauchery. Oh my goodness! A 35,000sf guest house. Like I said – can’t imagine living during this time period.
The Amber Fort was by far the most opulent – made of white marble and red sandstone. Most folks enter that tour by riding elephants 
up the ramp to the Sun Gate (the front gate to the fort). I was a wimp and passed on the elephant ride – took the Moon Entrance (rear) by car.
The fort was beautiful, including a lovely temple fully-decorated for Dasara. Apparently the maharaja takes prayer there each morning during festival season and then the temple is opened for the rest of the devout. 
You’ll recall that the Dasara festival kicked off last weekend when I was in Mysore – and it ends tonight… so all the locals are keyed-up about the parties that end this festival that signals the beginning of their holiday season. Even the elephants got into the spirit of the evening!It’s good to see that India values equity in pay.
The forts are under the control of the government and the people who maintain and tend to the needs of the fort are paid equally, whether male or female. Both earn 100 rupees per day for their work – men work 8 hrs and women work 7 hrs. 100 rupees = $2.50 USD.
Jaipur is known as the Pink City because all the buildings in “Old Jaipur” are a terra-cotta shade of pink. It was the whim of one of the maharaja – and in those days, what the king said was law. From the walls surrounding the old city to the storefronts to the temples and other public structures – everything is bathed in a terra-cotta shade of pink. In addition to the forts, we saw major monuments of Hawa Mahal, the Lake Palace (another men-only venue where the maharaja and prince entertained guests), and City Palace. (And yes, there was shopping... but we won't discuss that here. My last observation: I have never seen a city where camels, elephants, autos, rickshaws, bicycles, and scooters co-existed so effectively on major streets and thoroughfares. At any given time, I could spot all six modes of transport from the front of my car. What a city!
"I want to make big hug with you"
Best proposition I've had in a couple of years... :-) I continued my worldwide tour today from Jaipur, with this newfound "celebrity status" still intact. I took a picture of a 14-15 year old boy atop a camel. An hour or so later, I was visiting a different fort and a family was climbing the hill to the main structure. My guide pointed out that the youngster had been the "handsome man atop the camel" earlier. I reached out to shake his hand and thank him for the snap, when he responded with the title line. I obliged. I still don't know why - but his entire family thanked me (in Hindi) for my generosity. A hug from an American is apparently something of value. I still don't understand, and find the whole "attention" thing very funny. Perhaps I should pack up all my western (i.e., Talbot's) clothes and head over here for a few months of "appreciation"... (Just kidding, Mom.)
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Agra - Home of the Taj Mahal
Had to lead out with this. It may be one of my most interesting snaps yet. (And I know the nephews will love it…) No worries – I was safely tucked inside my car and thankful for a reasonably powerful zoom lens.
The morning began too early after sleeping on a wooden plank with a blanket wrapped around it. We left out at 6am and the dawn light was beautiful. After a quick stop at India Gate, we were on our way for the 3+ hour drive to Agra.There were several toll gates along the way, some of them requiring the driver to exit the car and enter a building to “make application” to cross state lines. It was at these stops – where the passenger was a captive audience – that the animal trainers make their living. There’s definitely inflation once you leave the city. Last night I was taking interesting snaps for 5 and 20 rupees… these guys today wanted 500 rupees (roughly $12.50). Of course, they never disclosed the “cost” until you were finished taking pictures. So as not to disappoint, I bartered for a millisecond… offering them 100 rupees or nothing, their choice… I’m not cheating these guys – it’s 5x what I paid last night for good shots. You tell me – are these worth 5x more? :-)
Finally, after several stalled monkey and cobra attempts… we arrived in Agra. Agra is a city of 2 million people – and at least as many cows. My driver said they were worthless – “they don’t give milk, we can’t eat them, they are a waste of space”… We finally arrived at the Taj Mahal. Absolutely stunning! Words and pictures cannot do it justice. As you may know, the Taj was built after the Mughal emperor’s wife (one of three wives + 95 concubines) died giving birth to their 14th child. While in mourning he commissioned the Taj as her final resting place – and it took 22 years to build it, with crews numbering near 20,000 men over the decades working around the clock to complete the construction. It really is just beautiful – enjoy the pix.
The Taj is undergoing some restorative efforts – and the process for rebuilding the pieces is the same as when the original pieces were delivered centuries ago.
The Taj also has several major structures around it – including the major entrance gates (North, East, West) and the mosque. The structure is bordered on the south by a large river.
Travelling alone has its challenges, but I believe I prefer it. When you travel with others (or when I do), you tend to focus on the people you’re with and you don't have the same opportunities for other people to just approach you. When you travel alone you’re exposed to anyone who feels like opening up a conversation. I don’t know why – but it seems my celebrity status has gone global… I had three different groups of people approach me and ask to have their picture made with me (I even signed autograph books!)… I couldn’t even put my shoes on after leaving the mosque without a couple plopping their five-year old down on the step next to me and asking “Snap? Snap?” Funny thing was, their five year old spoke better English than her parents… (Education is a wonderful thing.) I'm not sure about this newfound celebrity status… given the inflated market rate of snake charmers, I’m evaluating what I should charge my fans. ;-)Oh - and I had another interesting comment from a local. I carried around my shoe covers (thankfully you can get those, for those of us who don't particularly care for going barefoot in public areas) and empty water bottle until I made my way to the restroom. When I ditched the used shoe covers and the water bottle in the trash, a man looked at me and stated "You American." It wasn't a question - it was definitely a statement. I affirmed that in fact I was from the U.S. He nodded and said - "Americans always throw away their trash in the bins."
After the Taj, we went to the Agra Fort… which ironically served as a prison for the last eight years of the emperor’s life who had commissioned the Taj Mahal. His son has him imprisoned there, but in the end allowed him to be entombed in the Taj near his beloved wife. The fort was really very interesting… with beautiful architectural design throughout. I just can’t imagine what a “glorious time” this must have been for India when structures like this were occupied by nobility and entire cities revolved around keeping and protecting the structure.
It’s late, the drive back included major traffic delays and took a full five hours, and my flight to Jaipur has me up tomorrow morning at 3:30. I’m going to cut this one short tonight. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. I’ll leave off where I began… with India Gate – but this shot was tonight as we arrived home. Sweet dreams.
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