partypoet

Overseas Adventure Travels – 12/23/05-1/21/06

Our trip to India and Bhutan began with a frustrating 35 hour flight from JFK to Delhi. Our Air India plane was delayed four hours, then we sat on the runway while they repaired an engine. When we got to Heathrow, we had missed our connecting flight, so we waited another 7 hours only to hear that there was a “minor problem.” We arrived in Delhi the next day and discovered that 5 people in our tour group were missing their luggage which was left at JFK! But the adventure was about to begin. Especially in a land of karma, it was time to think positively. We stayed in Delhi overnight at The Claridges Hotel and embarked on the first lap of our journey – beautiful Bhutan! We flew into Katmandu, then over the awe inspiring Himalayas, viewing Mount Everest and some of the other highest mountains in the world.

Our plane arrived at Paro airport, which is nestled in a valley. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the buildings, decorated inside and out by artists. We checked into our Hotel Jumalhari and had lunch in the Ulgen Pelri Restaurant. We had seen the Bhutanese architecture in pictures, but they cannot describe actually experiencing this art which is ubiquitous in this serene country.

We visited dzongs (forts) and monasteries, met many people and learned about Buddhism. We hiked the Tiger’s Nest, climbing from 8500 to 9000 feet and enjoying the panorama. We walked across rice fields. We saw prayer flags and prayer wheels which bring good luck. We learned about Bhutan’s culture. Their king, a benevolent monarch with 4 wives, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, preaches GNH (Gross National Happiness.) School is free from ages 6-20 and everyone studies English. The literacy rate is soaring and teachers are respected and well paid. In l979, the king established a national language and decreed that the people maintain their cultural heritage by dressing in native costume. (The men wear ghos and the women wear kiras). There is no poverty, no begging. Everyone seems happy, healthy and friendly. The children are beautiful. Young monks (ages 6 and up) cavort in the monasteries, playing ball and just being children. The religion allows no killing of animals, so friendly stray dogs fed by the townspeople wander the streets and keep you awake all night. The country is a photographer’s paradise. As our new clean Drukair plane (Druk means dragon, which is the symbol of Bhutan) took off, we were grateful for having discovered this unspoiled paradise.

We arrived back in Delhi and checked into The Claridges. We visited the Jama Mosque and the Raj Ghat where Gandhi was cremated and now contains his cenotaph. We visited the place where he was assassinated, now a modern and well-presented museum. We learned his history. We watched services at the Sikh Temple and had an informative conversation with its representative. We took a rickshaw ride through Old Delhi. We drove to the Qutab Minar, built over l000 years ago, now in ruins, and we took pictures of the Bahai Lotus Temple. We walked to the l5th century Mughal Lodi Gardens, only a few feet away from our hotel and viewed the India Gate in memory of the soldiers who died in World War I. We spoke with our guide of religion, politics, the Indian economy and other items of interest whenever we rode on the bus. Our group of eleven was intelligent, informed and we enjoyed our delightful conversations together.

One evening, we attended a dinner at the home of a lady who was in the catering business and who taught cooking. Again, conversation was lively. It was fun being in her beautifully furnished home and sharing our opinions with her.

Delhi is a city of contrasts. While our hotel was located in an exclusive area of ten million dollar homes, government buildings and parks, the sidewalks were broken. Old Delhi was filled with beggars, tent cities and extremely aggressive hawkers. Wherever we went, people fruitlessly swept dust from the broken cement while the cows, pigs and dogs roamed free.

Jaipur is another crowded city of many millions, but its buildings are painted pink. The market lines the main street. A cow settled in the middle of the square, oblivious to the traffic circling around her. We joined hands with PK who bravely led us through the chaos. No street lights, no police to assist this symphony of confusion. We viewed the Palace of the Winds where ladies gazed on the street from behind the windowed façade, visited the Observatory with its astronomical instruments, and approached the City Palace on elephant. We visited the l6th century Amber Fort, home of former maharajahs and ate in the gorgeous Samode Palace with its inlaid mirrors and stones that belonged to the Maharajah of Rajasthan. We saw a Bollywood movie at glitzy pink Raj Mandir Theatre. We alternately saw grandeur and squalor. We attended another home hosted dinner in a l725 palace which is approached through a crumbling alley. The family once ranked high in the nobility and fell from grace during Indira Gandhi’s administration. The house was furnished with priceless antiques, yet its walls were desperately in need of a paint job. The family now hosts OAT tourists 20-25 times per month to generate extra income.

We spoke in the tour bus of the caste system and Indira Gandhi as we drove through the yellow mustard flowered countryside, past rice paddies and fields of drying red chiles. Every big hill was crowned with a fort – a memory of the past when maharajahs ruled the land.

We checked into the Sawai Mahopur Lodge and wondered if we would be lucky enough to spot one of Rathanbore’s elusive tigers. We rose on a frosty cold morning, joined hands, pooled our karma and, lo and behold, three tigers appeared and posed for our gleeful group for l0 minutes, climbing up and down the rocks. We also saw many other animals and beautiful birds. Success!!

While in Rathanbore we hiked to the thousand year old Hindu fort and viewed the beautiful panorama.

It is a long road from Rathanbore to Agra, so OAT cleverly planned a stop in between at the Lakeside Camp outside of Kalakho. On the way, we stopped at a little village, and as per PK’s instructions, shopped for vegetables and spices for our dinner. We were aided by hundreds of curious villagers, all eager to help us and to shake hands and have their pictures taken. It was fun trying to speak some other Hindi than “namaste” and “shukriya”. We learned the words for “do you have” and “how much” and bought carrots and cumin. Later the cook gave a cooking demonstration before dinner.

The next day, we rode camels to a little village and visited more natives. One of the best parts of traveling is seeing how the people live, and we certainly saw it. We also saw lots of cow and camel dung!!

On the way to Agra, we learned about the Mughals and the history of the Taj Mahal, built in l653 by Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved fourth wife who died in childbirth. We visited the l000 year old Abhaneri Stepwell and then visited a school where we were impressed by the excellent behavior of the children. We stopped off to watch artisans cutting sandstone and saw goats being sold for a Muslim festival where they would be sacrificed. We saw Fatehpur Sikri, a city abandoned by Akbar, grandfather of Shah Jahan and one of the greatest maharajahs.

We left the Taj View Hotel before sunrise to catch the Taj Mahal in the changing light. We were the only ones there and were able to view the beauty of the world’s most famous monument to love without any crowds to impair the perfection of the scene. The sun glittered on the inlaid malachite, coral, lapis, turquoise and jasper and the symmetry of the building was reflected in the pond. We marveled at how huge, yet how delicate it was and viewed the two gate houses, perfectly matched, one in sunlight and one in mist. We took photos outside from every angle and vowed to buy postcards of the beautiful inside marble, cut into lacy patterns. We left as thousands of Muslims began to arrive for their festival. Then we headed for the Red Fort where Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son for l0 years, gazing out on his beloved Taj Mahal from his cell. We visited a factory to see how the artisans still practice the art of inlaying the stones.

As if the beauty of the Taj Mahal weren’t enough for one day, PK took us to the Radha Swami Temple, still in the process of construction after l00 years. I thought of Michelangelo as we watched the men cut intricate flowers into the marble.

The next morning, we boarded a train for a two hour ride to Jhansi, where we picked up a bus for our long, bumpy ride to Khajuraho. We took bets to see who could predict how many times our driver would beep the horn as he passed donkey carts, camels and other animals blocking the road, aside from other buses and trucks. We checked into the Hotel Chandela and headed for Khajuraho, which was built by the Chandela dynasty from the 8th to the 12th century and was abandoned in the 13th century. It was covered by dense foliage and was rediscovered by an Englishman in l864. Of the original 85 temples, 25 have been excavated. The Tentrice sect of Hinduism believed in sex and liquor and in living life to its fullest. It is possible that those in power at the time, known for their promiscuity, encouraged their priests to sanction their actions. Whatever their reasons, the temples are decorated with thousands of beautifully detailed sandstone sculptures celebrating every phase of life. The temples are built in Indo-Aryan style – perfect like a “mountain peak of the Himalayas”. Nearby are the Jain Temples with sculptures of their many gods. Some of these temples are only l00 years old while others date back to the l0th century. One of the most famous sculptures is the “Divine Loving Couple”, Darma and Deva.

We took a Jet Air flight to India’s holiest city, Varanasi, checked in to the Taj Ganges and climbed into our rickshaws to go down to the river. We were very fortunate to have arrived during a Hindu festival. About 40,000 people were immersing themselves in the river. Priests led prayers as the sun set and we added our lit candles to the others twinkling in the water. The darkness was peppered with the candles and the flames of the cremations taking place. The next morning we watched the sun rise as the pilgrims prayed. 99% of Hindus visit Varanasi once in their life and many come from all over the world to be cremated there and to have their ashes thrown into the Ganges.

We then visited the Benares Museum which contains the great sculpture of the Four Headed Lion which is the symbol of India, the first statue of Buddha, and many other important archeological finds.

Our next stop was Sarnath where Buddha found enlightenment under a ficus tree and where he gave his first sermon.

We lunched at the Hotel Suriya. Everything is so artistic in India. What initially looked like a placemat turned out to be an arrangement of tiny grains of rice and beans. Our Hotel Taj Ganges has a beautiful garden, and we marveled at the size and color of its various flowers.

The Parat Mata Temple means “Mother India” and contains a huge relief map of the country. PK gave us a geography lesson while its caretaker asked me to take his photo. He gave me his address and several postcards as a gift.

Five OAT members now had a totally different experience – first Bombay and then Kerala and Cochin in Southern India.

Bombay is more westernized than the other large cities that we visited. The Taj Lands End is beautiful and well run and we felt as if we were in Europe. We took a tour of the city and visited its Victorian buildings such as the Mayor’s house, the Railroad Station and the world renowned Taj Mahal Hotel. We watched men pound clothes clean against the stone walls of the world’s largest outdoor laundry, we visited the lovely Hanging Gardens Park, with its topiary, surrounded by luxury apartment buildings. We saw the Tower of Silence where Jains leave the bodies of their dead to be devoured by vultures as part of the circle of life. We saw no animals in the streets. There were traffic lights and sidewalks. However, Bombay is not perfect – it does have the largest tent city in India.

The province of Kerala was originally Portuguese, then Dutch, then British and was home to Jews since the destruction of the second temple. In Cochin, we visited India’s first church where Vasco de Gama was originally interred, India’s first synagogue, the home of a rich Jewish Merchant, Samuel Koder, which is now a hotel containing original furnishings. This was very special to me because I had read “Flowers in the Blood”, a historical novel about Dina Sassoon. The daughter of a prosperous opium merchant, she married a tea merchant from Cochin and moved from her palatial home in Calcutta to his smaller home. She spoke of the narrow alleys outside her windows. I could picture her in Samuel Koder’s house.

We saw the Chinese fishing nets which work on a system of pulleys and watched the fisherman hoist in their catch. Then we took a sunset cruise on Lake Vembanad. We attended a Kathakali dance performance. What a spectacle! We watched the dancers apply their makeup, then demonstrate their eye and body movements. Finally they proceeded with the ballet which was part yoga, part kabuki and all clever and comical.

We spent the next two days slowly floating on the backwaters of Kerala in a houseboat made of bamboo and coconut leaves. Kerala is a quickly developing resort and the houseboats have become very popular. There are now 250 of them, each different. We had a large bed, air conditioning, a great crew, delicious food prepared to our specifications, but no hot water. We observed the lives of farmers and fishermen who live on the banks. We saw palm trees, many birds, tropical foliage, rice paddies and people washing their clothes and selves in the river. People here speak Malayalam and very little English. The children are beautiful and friendly and love to have their picture taken as they ask for a “pen”.

This bucolic area was the perfect end to our trip. It added a new dimension to our understanding of this fascinating country. We have seen the true contrasts of India – the clutter and the open air, people in tents and people in palaces, brilliant scholars and illiterate beggars, great art and crumbling walls, a country stuck in the past yet racing towards the future. We have learned and experienced and will never quite be the same.

sposkitt

How did you handle the luggage weight limitation of 44 pounds?

waynehazle

AAAAh

what great satisfaction I feel after reading this!

You are sooooo LUCKY with those tigers!

Please tell me you have pictures

jacketwatch

Very good report. Having been to India 5 times I think you sum it up very well. BTW and FYI it is interesting to note that Queen Mum Taz did indeed die during childbirth. It was her 14th child and she was 39 yrs. old!
Also one question: I would luv to go to Bhutan and would like to know how one gets into the country. I have heard there are restrictions. Thanks for any help.

bhutanguide

Hi Jack....if you are an intrepid traveler then try do some google search there you will see list of operators or else do some research in your country i m sure there will be lots of operator selling Bhutan!

jacketwatch

Thank you. I'll keep that in mind.

ms_joyce

I loved reading your report. We're thinking about doing the OAT trip to India. If you had to choose between doing the pre-trip to Bhutan or the post-trip to South India, which would you pick? Thanks