Priya's Eastern Odyssey

Last leg of the tour- Varanasi/Kashi/Benares

priyachande — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:27:00 GMT

So we were approaching the end of the tour and i was looking forward to getting back to my second home in Delhi. But last stop was the crumbling maze of a city that rises from the ghats (steps) on the Western banks of the Ganges, Varanasi. It is the epitome of India in many ways. With an anceitn history- Mark Twain famously described it as "older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together"- it's also one of the most sacred cities in the world. Kashi, aka "city of light" as it is also known where the eternal light of Lord Shiva intersects the Earth is seen by devotees is the holiest of Indian pilgrimages. Home of shiva, it is where the devout come to wash away their sins. It's also one of the holiest "tirthas" -meaning crossing or sacred places where mortals can cross over to the divine, or the gods and goddesses come to bathe on earth. People therefore return here to die in the hope that they'll attain moksha, the salvation of the soul from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

Varanasi is named after the confluence of two rivers, Varuna and Asi. The city is centered on the ghats that line the waterfront, each honoring Shiva in the form of a Linga- the rounded phallic-like shaft of stone found on every ghat. We cruised the waterfront in a rowing boat at both sunset and dawn. Both were surreal experiences and ones that i'll cherish for the rest of my life. At sunset, the pundits (priests) at Dasahwamedh Ghat performed a beautiful aarti (ritual) with complicated fire rituals and we lit candles to float along the sacred waters. Mine toppled as i went to set it in the river and burned out there and then- i don't know if that's a good or bad sign!?! But i choose not to think about it. I get a sinking feeling (exuse the pun) just thinking about what it may symbolise. We also watched the funeral ceremonies take place. Everywhere in India it's auspicious to be cremated in the morning, at dawn, but here in Varanasi as i already mentioned, anything goes in the name of Shiva and attaining moksha. Perhaps the downside of that is reflected in the blatant commerciality of the place. I found it to be just another Pushkar, only with far more traffic and pollution. One could literally feel the smog filling up the lungs and we'd cough and splutter everytime we took a cyclo in and out of town. The boat ride at dawn was dark and very cold but so special when we could see the devotees bathing, meditating, performing yoga and performing ancient rituals to greet the sun.

Earliest accounts of the city go back 8000years and "the city of learning and burning" as it is affectionately referred to, has attracted pilgirms from time immemorial and not only Hindus- even Buddha visited here in 500BC after he acheived enlightenment. He shared his wisdom at nearby Sarnath. There were successive raids by Muslim invaders (most of whom affected by the tyrannical Aurangzeb) which led to the destruction of many of the original Hindu templs. As a result no buildings date back further than the 18th century. Even then however, it is easy to feel the ancient history permeating through the city's walls. Got lost in the impossibly cramped labyrinth in which cows and motorbikes still managed to appear. We were continually crowded by pilgrims purchasing flowers for puja (offering or prayer), grieving relatives bearing corpses, chanting priests sounding gong, and sacred cows rifling through the rubbish. I love to hate/hate to love (delete as appropriate) the place is the best way to sum up my feelings towards it. It was a shithole and there were cockroaches crawling out of every crevice of my hotel room resulting in very few nights of sleep yet one could feel the presence of god and felt pious when walking through the city. But i think it's safe to say that i won't be returning any time soon. Except when i die maybe; to be cremated on the banks of the river Ganges.

The Taj Mahal here we come!

priyachande — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:32:00 GMT

Catch train from Jaipur to Agra on Saturday night. Arrive to Agra very very very late after a 3hr delay at Jaipur the night before. Check into a centrally located hotel with Costa Coffee and Pizza Hut right outside- great! And i'm being sarcastic let me clarify, i HATE pizza hut with a passion! Yet i gave it a go, you never know we're in India, it might have not been as bad as I remember. Oh no, it was and still is the worst excuse for Pizza i've ever tasted. So onto Agra. It is home to three generations of one of the most dynamic dynasties in the medieval world- the Mughals. Their talent and wealth is immortalised here in stone and marble through the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India, namely the Taj Mahal . We spent the first evening, watching the sun set opposite theTaj, from the banks of the Yamuna river along whose side it elegantly stands. From where we were, we could see the hoards of people, that looked like ants crawling in an orderly queue, walking around the majestically huge Taj. The birds could be seen flying across the sky and the golden glow of the sun made the little water that was actually left of the river glisten. In the distance there were burning funeral pyres dotted along the nearby ghats. The beauty of these buildings is astounding without a doubt but once one knows the history that played itself out on these stages (akin to a Shakespearean tale) one experiences Agra in a totally different, more effectual, manner. I spent the first night reading up on the history so i was prepared for my visit to the Taj, the next morning at sunrise. Here's a very compact history of the Mughal Empire and Agra, for those of you that actually care and read this "stuff" i write! - Babur= first Mughal Emperor. Was inspired by Persians' beleif that a cultured leader should recreate the islamic ideal of a "garden of paradise" here on earth and so built 3 gardens on banks of the Yamuna. BUT Agra only took shape as a city under rule of his gradnson, Akbar - Akbar= 3rd Mughal emperor, son of poet-astronomer-philosopher Humayun. moved capital here in 1566. Was also versatile like his father BUT a better statesman, executed much religious tolerance and lived a modest lifestyle, relatively understated. Took the throne at 13 and ruled for nearly 50 yrs dring which he consolidated mughal empire and wooed hindus by abolishing taxes, banning slaughter of cows, promoting Hindu warriors within his army and taking Rajput princesses as his wives. one of whom bore him his son Jahangir. So proud of the birth of the heir was he that AKbar built a brand new city, Fatehpur Sikri , southwest of Agra, in his honour. - Jahangir= a disappointment as he had a reputation as a womanizer and aquired deep affection for alcohol, opium, painting and poetry. Jahangir fell in love with Nur Jahan who had been previously married. Akbar,his father, opposed the alliance but when her first husband died Jahangir promised to give up "the pleasures of the world" and so Akbar gave his consent. Nur Jahan, during Jahangir's rule, in fact ruled the empire behing the Jali's (screens) for 16years. She built the mini-Taj for her father - Shah Jahan = Jahangir's 3rd son came to power- apparenlty after killing his two elder brothers, their 2 children, and 2male cousins. Known as "architect" of the dynasty. The magnificence of his work culminating in the Taja Mahal which he built for his beloved Mumtaz. Bored, he moved Capital back to Delhi and built entirely new city from scratch, designing modern geometric palaces and gardens within new Red Fort. Also built a new royal apartment for his favoured daughter, Jahanara Begum, but paid bitter price for it and the favourtisim he showed his son Dara Shikoh also. His pious 3rd son- Aurangzeb, aided by Roshana Begum (a younger duaghter) seized the throne by betraying and/or murdering most of their siblings. - Aurangzeb= last of mughal emperors, became most repressive North India had ever seen. destroyed Hindu temples and images throughout region, banned playing of any music or any indulgent pleasure. Allegedly poisoned Roshana and imprisoned his father in Agra Fort. He supposedly sent his father a platter upon which he garnished the head of his favourite Son, Dara. I told you it was dramatic!!!

The next morning, after literally no shut eye and having grooomed myself the most i have this trip because of the photo shoot i was prepared to undertake the whole day praticisng literally every Princess Diana pose in front the good ol' Taj, we made our way towards the beauty. This morning was off to a good start when the 3 of us Indians in the group banded together, ditched our western counterparts temporarily, and wangled Indian National entry status which meant we paid a piddly 30rupees (less than 50p) to get in, versus the 750 rps (tenner) our firangi friends got hit with. It was a daring risk we'd taken as being caught by the fierce security guards is not nice and we would have been highly embarassed but it worked out in the end! Much to the dismay of our, now poor, friends.

So onto the Taj MAhal...

it was built by Shah Jahan as an eternal symbol of his love for his favourite wife whom he called Mumtaz Mahal ("Jewel of the Palace"). Perfect symmetry, ethereal luminescence, wonderful proportions, and sheer scale aside, one cant help but gawk at the exquisite detailing covering every inch of marble that justifies it as a wonder of the world. An interesting fact for those that dont' know, while it may appear to be symmetrical from a distance, it;s not totally with the 4 pillars that surround it standing a mer 2degrees outwards. This was intentionally put in place so that if ever there was disruption, from natural causes or otherwise, the pillars would fall away from the Mahal and not onto it. What appears to be perfectly propotioned white marble magnificence is in fact a massive bejeweled box, with "pietra dura" adorning the interior and exterior. This intricately carved floral bouquests are inlaid with precious stone: agnate, jasper, malachite, turquoise, tigers eye, lapis lazuli, coral. Beautiful caligraphy, inlaid with black marble, is carefully increased in size as the eye moves higher, creating an optical illusion of perfectly balanced writing with the letters the same size from whichever angle you look. The tomb is embraced by two mosques- one the original and another a dummy built only in the interests of symmetry. At the centre of of it all lies Mumtaz Mahal's cenotaph with the words, HELP US OH LORD TO BEAR WHAT WE CANNOT BEAR.

Work started in 1641 and the structure took 20,000labourers 22 years to complete. Legend has it that `shah Jahan cut off the hands of the Persian architect who designed it so that he could never duplicate it anywhere else. The Taj changed colour throughout that morning. It appears to take on many guises, depending on the time of day, with each one being just as beauitful as the other. We hired a good guide who knew all the best photo spots and we went trigger happy for 3 hours, waiting for the sun to shower its light on the Taj. Sadly we had a misty sunrise and so didnt get any good shots of that but i've still got tonnes and tonnes, posted on facebook, of amazing ones.

Later that morning we headed back to our hotel for a rest and some lunch. We had to check out at noon but spent the rest of the day milling around as we were due to catch a train to Varanasi that evening. In the meantime, I headed to the Agra Fort. This was also built by Akbar on the West bank of the Yamuna, opposite the Taj. Each successive emperor added his imprint on the fort and today the towering red-sandstone ramparts houses a variety o palace apartments, representing the different architectural styles of Akbar and his grandson Shah Jahan. most of the exterior and almost the entire interior were clearly built by Hindu workmen, who used Hindu building styles and decorative motifs- indicative of Akbar's all embracing religous tolerance. The adjacent Grape Garden and Khas Mahal were Shah Jahan's palaces, immediately recognizable by the extensive use of white marble. There was a subtle blend of Hindu and Persian elements which resulted in a totally new style, referred to as the "Mughal Style". it was a treat to walk around. My camera battery died wchih was a blessing in disguise as well as a pain as it meant that for once, instead of being preoccupied with taking pictures, i could just stop and marvel at the beauty around me.

Soon after, we headed back to the hotel, ate some dinner and got our bags ready for the overnight train to Varanasi.

Jaipur

priyachande — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:50:00 GMT

Nov 20th-21st

So we get to Jaipur in a piddly little bus which crammed around 100 people on it and the seat upon which i was sat had become unattached to the floor so as you can imagine, at every pothole and bump in the road- of which there were many- i went flying in the air! Hilarious the first time and thereafter to my fellow travellers but bloody irritating within no time. So i squished upto another friend and we had a close ride to Jaipur.

We checked into Jaipur Inn, a family-run place set up by a retired Wing commander of the Indian Air Force. It was located in the heart of the Pink City, a stone's throw from the main City centre. It was a very reasonable and comfortable place to stay with a garden ambience, roof-top lounge and really spacious rooms. The relaxed atmosphere in the hotel was perfect as we were all beginning to get quite tired at this point of all the travelling by public transport and staying in some, not all, questionable places. I had already been to Jaipur a few years back and so was not too fussed about seeing the main attractions. I spent much of my time relaxing, taking leisurely walks, eating ice-cream and retreating from the Indian heat which we were beginning to feel having headed out of arid, desert land and being exposed to pollution, masses of people and noise again.

The first day was spent taking an orientation walk around the city. After independence, Jaipur became the administrative and commercial capital of what was known as Rajputana. Its founder, Maharaja Sawai Jai Sing II was a talented politician, mathematician and astronomer. He ascended the throne at 13 representing the Kachchwaha Rajputs, a clan who enjoyed much prosperity and power as a result of their fortunate alliance with the Mughal emperors. In fact, emperor Aurangzeb- the most radical and brutal emperor of them all- who was a fanatically pious Muslim- despite the fact that Jai singh was a Hindu prince- named him Sawai, meaning "one and a quarter", for his larger than life intellect and wit. Having proved his abilities as a military tactician for Aurangzeb, Jai Singh felt it safe to move his capital to a dry lake in the valley below. Jaipur was the first city in india to enjoy rigorous town planning accordingto the principles laid down in Shilpa Shastra- an ancient Indian philosophy on architecture. the city is thus protected by high walls, and divided into nine sectors. Each sector was named after the commodity and caste who lived and practiced their specific skills here. This was a total revolution for an Indian city. However, having walked around the city for many hours on the first night and having no luck navigating the map i was using, the overall significance of these historic divisions is today no more when one tries to negotiate the chaos of the filth strewn streets and pushy traders. This was the first city where i lost my cool on many an occasion with shopkeepers and their hard-selling workers. I understand the extent of their competition and subsequent desperation to sell, as for miles and miles people are selling the same wares, but DONT TOUCH ME. The minute anybody steps into my personal space, that. is. it. You have been warned! Thus despite the romantic nickname "pink city", Jaipur is not one of Rajasthan's more attractive cities.

Apparently it was called the pink city because pink is the traditional colour of hospitality, and the city was freshly painted and paved with pink gravel to warmly welcome Edward VII for his visit to the city in 1876 (just in case it's not blindingly obvious, this is the reason spread by the "Britishers" in the Raj era). there are many other reasons for its nickname.

So i spent the 2days I had here just exploring the city by foot, finding a mcdonalds and indulging in lots and lots of ice-cream. And i'm not ashamed in admitting this may I add- there comes a point when one gets fed up of hugely rich and badly made food, esp. when things like salad, paneer and meat aren't allowed on the menu. In my defence, McDonald's in India is like nowhere else i've been with McAlooTikis and PaneerWraps on the menu to suit the Indian palette. And it's cheap as chips- quite literally!

I had previously seen the magnanimous Amber Fort so opted out of that roadtrip. Havin received sad news that my grandmother was admitted to hospital in London, I also wasn't quite in the mood to expend much energy.

pushkar

priyachande — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:12:00 GMT

Wed Nov 18-

early morn start yet again as we headed for Pushkar/ Took one of the worst local buses of my life. Pathetic horns yet again blowing every second and very windy roads- not good for my motion sickness. Pushkar is siutated on the eastern edge of the vast Thar desert and has a beautiful backdrop in the mebracing arms of the Aravalli hills. it is one of hte most sacred and atmospheric towns in india. Legend has it that the holy lake at its center (now dried up) was created when Lord Brahma dropped the petals of a lotus flower (pushpa) from his hand (kar). In recent years the population has swollen dramatically by hippies who came for a few days and never left. A lot of Israeli's are to be found here too, from hippie marijuana smoking tiypes to Rabbi's roaming the streets. Many street stalls serve Israeli fare to cater for them. they've made themselves right at home- just like i'd seen in Thailand on the islands.

i've got nothing against Israelis let me clarify foremost BUT the hoards of tourists in Pushkar have really ruined what i once imagine was an untouched charm. the town is now steeped in commercial prospectors who thrive on making a quick buck, often at the expense of Pushkar's spiritual roots. This sleepy desert twn has now been transformed into a semi-permanent trance party with bhang (marijuana) lassis imbibed at the myriad tiny eateries, falafels on evry menu, long-bearded rabbis on bicycles, boys perfectly dressed up like Shiva posing for photographs, and world music pumping from speakers that line the street bazaar that runs along the lak'es northern edge. We spent most of our time strolling up and down this street as there's aint much else to do in Pushkar but "chill" with some help to do that, or shop for knickknacks. This street is the center of all commerical activity.

This town is akin to varanasi (where we headed later) except that the road traffic is far less. The main way to explore the town was on foot and it wasnt nearly as clautrophobic as we found varanasi to be. on the first day we visited the famous Brahma temple and some of the 52 ghats that line the holy lake. Ghats were built to represent each of the Rajput Maharajas who constructed their "holiday homes" on its banks. They are broad sets of stairs from where Hindu pilgrims take ritual baths to cleanse their souls. We'd heard of the "Pushkar passport" when we arrived but weren't too sure what it meant. We soon realised when we got to the ghats. this passsport is entirely different to what we expected: Brahmin priests bullied us left,right and centre into performing puja (prayers involving a scaterring of flowers into the water)- after which we were expected to make a hefty donaton. Typically once the ceremony is over, the priest would tie a thin red thread around your wrist which you can brandish at the next Brahmin priest who will almost certainly approach but quickly retreat upon seeing your newly acquired "passport". Being INdians, we rejected all priests offers to perform puja for us and did it ourselves. Admittedly, i had no clue what i was doing but hey, i figure that a prayer for those you love and a heartfelt and genuine one at that, is all that matters. Many priests continued to tell us we'd be punished by god and experience ill fate as a result of declining their offers - cheeky sods!- but what the hell?!! What's going to happen is going to happen. So i was granted my passport, i have been to many a temple over the past few months and so have a plethora of red threads around my wrists, it's just that i issued this one to myself, from myself!

As i mentioned above, the Brahma temple is the most famous, said to be 2000 yrs old, not least because it's one of only a handful in India dedicated to the lord of creation. the other two temples are dedicated to Brahma's consorts, Savitri and Gayatri. It is said that Brahma was cursed by his first wife, Savitri, when he briefly took up with another woman, Gayatri- and so, to this day,the temple of Savitri sits sulking on a hill overlooking the temple townm while across the lake, on another hill, no doubt nervous of retribution, the Gayatri temple keeps a lookout. We visited the Gayatri temple, situated atop a steep hill which took 2000steps to climb in the dark at sunrise one morning. It was such a tough climb- esp for me the laziest girl in the world- but was breathtaking- literally and metaphorically- when we got to the top. One could see the whole of Pushkar from a bird's eye view and far and beyong the Thar Desert.

Pushkar is most famous for its annual mela- the largest camel fair in Asia which attrats an estimated 20,000 rural traders, red-turbaned Rabari and bhil tribal folk, pilgrims and tourists but sadly we missed this and arrived only a few weeks after. Aside from experiencing the splendour of this mela, I would not return to Pushkar again. There are a wealth of boutique hotels opening up in the town which is nice (we stayed in one of them) but that's not enough of a reason for me to come back. I was so saddened to see how commercialised the place had become. One didn't feel totally safe at night, having heard many stories of how dangerous the place had become, and i felt cheated of a true Pushkar experience.

Udaipur- The home of Lake Palace

priyachande — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:03:00 GMT

Mon 16nov- took a bus to udaipur.

this was the worst bus journey ive ever experiened in my whole life. the stupid horn that played a tune everytime it was honked (which was every second) deprived me of any potential sleep. i dont have any words to describe to you how annoying it was-i cursed the whole 8hrs there.

when we finally got to udaipur, we checked into yet another cockroach infested shithole with a bathtub that had been sellotaped back together with industrial tape.ive come to the conclusion that big highrise, holiday inn-type hotels in india are the ones to avoid. the smaller, quant, family run places tend to offer the best service and more original thoughtful decor and aesthetics than anywhere else. I killed a few cockroaches and headed out for a late lunch.we had no luck and found ourselves back at the hotel eating at the restaurant. As soon as we'd eaten we ran out of there and headed for pichola lake, the famous lake where the lake palace (now a 5* star hotel) majestically stands in the middle. We watched sunset here and let me tell you it was breath-taking. It was so so so romantic and peaceful. No words describe it.It is definitely one of my top 10 sunset locations.

udaipur is known as the "city of sunrise" and one can definitely see why. it was built around four lakes, with the placid blue water reflecting ethereal white palaces and temples beyon which shimmer the distant Aravali Hills that we'd been situated in back in Pushkar the day before. Udaipur has a real sense of space and peace, and the city is luckily free of the intense capitalist that one sees so blatantly in other streets of India. Udaipur was built on the shores of lake pichola by maharaja Udai Singh II in 1559, who returned here after the thrid and final sacking of the previous Mewar stronghold, Chittaurgarh. Udai Singh's son, Pratap, kept the Mughal invaders at bay for a further 25 years and is said to have been so disgusted by the raja of Jaipur, Man Singh's relations with the Mughals that, after one historic meetting, he had the gound where Man Singh walked washed with Ganges water in orderto purify it!Much of Udaipur, particularly the old part located on the shored of Lake Pichola is where you'll find the city's most striking landmarks- the towering city palace and lake palace.

Tues Nov 17- took a day off from the group to xplore by myself. I needed alone time and to do things my way at my pace. Had a cheeky liein and made my way out on to the streets of udaipur around 11. I ate breakfast of chai and biscuits at a nearby chai stall. sat by the roadside with the locals dirnking my chai and watching india in action, passing me by. Eventually i got up and walked though the local park. i came across 3 abandoned children sitting under a tree eating itsfruit. must not have been more than 3 yrs old. sat down, played with them for half n hour. heartwrenching to see they had no-one looking after them but it was so endearing to see them laughing and smiling. really makes one put things into perspective. these kids have nothing of material value in comparison to us and yet they smile wihout a worry in the world.

headed to city palace museum after and viewed the exhibit. was fairly well preserved and huge- took over 2hrs to fully explore. lovely views fromthe towers of the haveli overlooking the lake palace. everytime i go to a fort/palace/temple, i just cant get over the brilliance and detial of the architecture. I truly am baffled at how this splendour was created, from conception to construction- it;s awe-inspiring.

met up with the other group members eventually and spent sometime on the internet, shopping and eating far too many pastries at a German bakery. Surpisingly there's been a lot of those popping up everywhere we've been.

Jodphurs and all

priyachande — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:46:00 GMT

Sat 14 Nov, Early morning we left for Jodhpur. Took a local bus- this was interesting to say the least! Luckily we had seats and so sat in relative comfort. whereas the hoards of locals that hopped on and off the bus and squeezed into the holes above us may not have had it so good. Though at 40rps a ticket, for a 7-8 hr journey, im sure they werent complaining. We arrived to Devi Bhawan hotel in Jodhpur around midday and our jaws dropped athow beautiful the hotel and its grounds were. It was very tastefully done with gorgeous individually decorated rooms. i slept on a ffour poster bed with silk sheets and felt like a queen!

We freshened up and headed to the Mehranga Fort- the main attraction in Jodhpur. We paid a hefty entrance fee but got an excellent audioguide for it. It's a fascinating place and the added commentary really helped on imaginewhat life was once like in the fort. the grandeur is mesmorizing. im sure with some TLC and help from the government, many other palacesand forts could be restored and revivied to their former glory. the current maharaja has used his position to this full advantage despite losing all his priveleges after independence. This was a tourist hotspot but a bloody good one at that.

Sun Nov 15.- Bishnui safari. paid and wasted500rps on a car ride that took us to see local tribal villages and the traditional work that they still do today i.e. pottery, handlooms etc. Sounds great but really wasn't! it was a commercial money grabbing exercise with little to do with the culture we were surrounded by- the anthropologist in me was a tad infuriated at this point! Apparently, the Bishnui tribals are special in that they live in a very eco-friendly way. They reuse and recycle and only use natural products- no electricity, plastics etc. They even use the dead bodies of animals as fertiliser upon which to grow the fruit and veg they eat. It was a very attractive prospect of going to see them go about their daily lives but sadly all i gained from it was a mouth full of dust.

Got back to the hotel and relaxed. It's customary for our group leader to take us on an orientation walk around the city in every place we visit, so we did that before dinner. He took us to a famous lassi place where i had the thickest lassi i've ever tasted. it was so sweet it was more like a desert than a drink. I could barely finish it (but of course i did!). it was very similar in taste to indian desert srikhand which i loooove.

we ate dinner at a thali place that is renowned for its quick and hot food. It was very good value for money at 125rps (under 2quid) a plate and you can eat as much as you like. One boy in our group ate a monumental 14 chapatis and took full advantage of it! i didnt eat so mcuh as tempting as it was watchjing them come off the pan hot and fresh.

Jaisalmer

priyachande — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:27:00 GMT

Wed 10th Nov

arrived at 2pm (20hrs on board train) to Jaisalmer. First impressions were very good. it was a lovely train station, one could tell it was relatively new but its decor was still in keeping with its surroundings and it was very clean which for the middle of the day is a mean feat in india! We got to the hotel and had dal and roti for lunch- the food of peasants as my tour leader called it- i dont care who it was fit for it was yummy! we sat on thwe lawns of the hotel in the sun and enjoyed rich indian food.

We went on an orientation walk late afternoon and took in the sights of the city. it has been really beautifully preserved and it the yellow stone glinted in the evenning sun making it easy to see why it's called the GOLDEN CITY. I bought a CD of folk rajasthan music- cant wait to play it. we all took rickshaws to see the sunset at the royal cenotaphs (memorials are erected to rememeber others by). THe backdrop of the wind turbines was an interesting juxtaposition of old and new. I admired them as a symbolism of india's progression towards renewable energy use. that night we ate at an outdoor rajasthani restaurant in the desert which was sadly distinctly average in its fare despite the beautiful setting and live music on offer. I paid 90 rupees for 2 poor excuses for gulab jamun (a popular indian desert) and as most of you will know, no desert makes priya a very unhappy bunny. Also it was so cold and with my bare feet i caught a cold- damn! I wasnt expecting such a stark contrast between day and night weather but in such arid country i guess that's expected.

Thurs Nov 12: jaisalmer.

roamed around and explored vity. had excellent guide to show us around. visited 2 jain temples- v v beautiful. it never fails to amaze me how people once (and still do, like at akshardam in delhi) built such stunnningly intricate buildings with their bare hands. in the early evening we jumped in 4x4s and headed out to the desert for a night under the stars. we rode camels out to the sand-dunes and watched the sun go down. there were dung beetles scurrying around in the sand. i took tonnes of pictures. got mobbed by local tribals peoples. raced camles and lost! suffered from a very sore bottom to add it to all!

that night we sat around a stage and watched local musicians play and women (one was a eunuch- yuk!) dance while we ate. It was a good effort with the food but it was cold and i wasnt ready to trust paneer or salad yet so it was didnt appeal. I headed to bed in the luxury tents we were styaying in- ensuites, lovely double beds and rajasthani furniture- gorgoeus atmosphere.

Fri 13th Nov

Awoken in the desert by chaiwallas offering tea. I've become addicted to Indian chai- need my morning fix. I had yet another average meal for breakfast (cold omlette and toast) and headed back to jaisalmer. The desert was an incredible experience- very romantic and i'd recommend it to anyone. We returned to the hotel on a sad note however as many people discovered their bags that they had left in the hotel overnight had been opened and gone through with some things stolen. This cast a cloud over the last night's fun but was a lesson learnt- never ever leave things unlocked or unattended in India. Sad as it is to say, the temptations are too great for many poor service level indians and they are guilty of sticky fingers sometimes. after this, we couldnt wait to leave the hotel but not jaisalmer- it was easily my best place in rajasthan.

Some of us ate dinner at a quaint guesthouse on their rooftop. we saw on big cushioned beds and soaked in the view and atmosphere whilst playing cards. We checked out the rooms on our way out and i was so impressed. they only have a few rooms but the decor and the views from them were top notch- at 100rps (1.50) for a double ensuite per night it was amazing! if anyone's heading that way, go there!

tour #2 begins!

priyachande — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:01:00 GMT

9th Nov- wake up and begin the day with a 3course meal! i was stuffed to ensure i had enough energy for my onward journey. There's indian hospitality for you. They offered me all sorts of food to take with me also, to ensure i never went hungry. They were particularly concerned as i was staying in a part of Delhi that is quite alien to them- very few people from the South of DElhi will ever delve into Karol Bagh, the backpacker area i was put up in.

The driver got lost en route to the hotel- even he doesn't venture into these parts of Delhi often. I think he was rather apprehensive leaving me when we eventually found it- it's known to be rather rough around the edges. The hotel wasnt the greatest but it wasnt too bad. At least i didnt have cockroaches in my room though the bedsheets werent the cleanest.

so i met the group who seemed like a good bunch but then again so did the last lot and remember what happened there!>! Anyway, we introduced ourselves and shared our initial exeperiences- it made me realise how lucky i'd been so far! one girl was explicitly groped- hands on breasts- on the street in the middler of the day. WELCOME TO INDIA! BY this time it was already evening so we headed to the first new group dinner. The tour leader, Shakti Singh from Udaipur, decided to take us to a local indo-chinese place- safer on the stomachs. I ate a good veg manchurian and rice. Im avoiding meat out here for now.

Everyone was tired at the end of the meal as well as overwhelmed and so we headed back to cockroach internationl ( Raunak Intl) for bed .

NOTE TO ALL:

ive decided for for this part o the blog to keep it short (as much as i can!) for 2 reasons:

a) judging by the speed at which i updated my last leg- i am lazy and can never keep up

b)we're touring Rajasthan which as a region is fairly same same. Therefore, I'll let my pictures on facebook do the talking for the most part, with an anecdote or special story added here for good measure.

10th Nov

Spent the day in Delhi doing the touristy things that i hadnt managed to tackle thusfar. I braved the market streets of Chandni Chowk. The main street was chaos i'll admit and crossing the main junction to see the red fort was pretty insane. Other than that, the market area and little gullies really werent so bad. I think my mini adventure to Amritsar few days ago had been good preparation. We visited the main gurudwara in DElhi (as an honorary sikh this must be done in all locations!) and jama masjid- cheeky buggers here charge 200rupees to take a camera in! Overall, I wasnt overwhelmed by Delhi as I'd already acclimatised to the hustle and bustle unlike the other awe-struck firangi's i was with!

What WAS interesting was taking the mtro from our area, Karol Bagh, to Chandni Chowk. Until now, I'd been getting from A-B in my car with a drivier taking me everywhere. I had seen the metro from my window but never considered taking it. I was pleasantly surprised- it's airconditioned, on time, clean and efficient. Very similar to Singapore's subway. It made me change my preconception of it being congested and uncomfortable. It was busy and a bit of pushing/shoving was necessary but for the most part it ticked all the boxes. It was most definitely quicker than sitting in a traffic jam for hours. They're extending the metro all over the city gradually which should encourage more people to use it and reduce fuel emissions.

That night, i took my first ovetrnight train from DElhi to Jaisalmer.

Fighting the Delhi Belly

priyachande — Mon, 9 Nov 2009 22:14:00 GMT

Nov 6th

So it turns out that NO-ONE on the train (my hosts) touched the paneer given to us on the train for dinner. EXCEPT ME! I ate the whole damn thing and deeply regretted it tht night. I wont go into the details but let me tell you it was HORRIFIC. the next day was a right off. I paid the doctor a visit that night and he said i had an acute stomach infection and prescribed some antibiotics. It was an early night for me.

Nov 7th

Back to the beauty parlour for a hairwash- i was being spoiled before i was to become a nomad again on monday! I then met up with a uni friend who lives in DElhi for lunch. it was nice and v luxurious. we indulged in good food and great company at the oberoi in delhi.

I then headed to Santushti- a community project headed by the Indian army generals of india's wive association. It is an open air shopping complex which aims to support local women;s businesses but in practice is home to very expensive and fashionable shops- more a place for the high-middle class houswives to be seen and have coffee. i followed suit and we browsed and had a coffee and wonderful tiramisu.

We then headed home for dinner and to get ready for a roof terrace birthday party of shivani's friend who had warmly extended an invitation to me. I got bitten like crazy but ate amazing food and drank a great mojito or two. Considering the age gap between myself and the other guests, they were so welcoming and we had a great night chatting and laughing till the early hours of the morning.

Sun Nov 8th- lazy day

Went to DILLI HAAT in the afternoon- another cooperative run by the govt. association for artisans of India. Here vendors gather to display their wares from all parts of India (mostly North) in one large open air compound. We strolled around- it was very busy being a Sunday- many locals were out for the day. I rememebr coming ehre 10 yr back when it was much quieter and far more enjoyable.

We left very soon after making one purchase (it had to be done!) and headed for lunch at a friend of a friend's restuarant. Once our bellies were full, we wrapped up and headed to the red fort (lal quila) for the evenin light and sound show. This was the first touristy thing i'd done in Delhi- in preparation for my tour which started tthe next day. It was great fun and outdoor. the story was well narrated and history of Delhi and the mughal empire which gave rise to much of Delhi and India's artichecture was well explained. The fort, moti mahal and the surrounding gardens were beauitfully lit also. My pictures are a must see!

However, I was shattered by the end of that. We went home for a light South Indian meal of dosas and watched a film in bed.

Amazing Amazing AMRITSAR!

priyachande — Thu, 5 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Nov 5th- one of the best days of my life!

impromptu day trip to amritsar was planned a few days before! my hosts daughter, shivani, and i decided to tag along with her cousin who is a fashion designer and had a business trip planned. i was so so lucky as i have alwys wanted to visit the Golden Temple (sikh). the train left at 7 but that meant we had an early start as just getting to the train station trhrough the traffic take ages! we got up at a godforsaken hour and caught the Shatabdi express to amrtisar! this was a long 6hr journey (each way!) but it was WELL WORTH IT!

we arrived at 2pm which meant we only got 3hrs to see Amritsar but i know i could have spent a lot longer there. i felt totally at peace and at one with the world and myself. i know it sounds cliched and corny but im having difficulty explaining just how big an impact the place had on me. Ive been to many a temple on this trip but not one made me feel at such peace as this one- and that can only be a good thing! The sounds of the kirtan and the gurbani echoing through the walls, floating across the amrit-filled lakes, the langar (food), the people- old and young- it all encapsulated me. I could swear i was a sikh in a past life. To add to that, people mistake me for a "sikhni" or a "sardarni" all the time anyway!

Sadly time came to leave and we headed back to the station. Did a fair bit in 3hrs- ate yummy (but v v v fattening, oily and sickly) food at a Dhaba, got lost in the backstreets of Amritsr, rode in a crazy rickshaw and sat on a cyclo bck to the Station. I was so gutted to leave, that i wore my special bright orange Golden Temple head scarf all the way back to DElhi- much to my hosts' embarassment! I was so proud and so happy...

UNTIL i got home and was struck down with DELHI BELLY

HOMEWARD BOUND!

priyachande — Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:20:00 GMT

Nov 2nd- After noon flight to Delhi. Had booked an airport shuttle bus to collect me from my hotel at checkout 12noon. Packed tonnes of people and their luggage into a teeny tiny bus- felt like preparation for India had already begun at this point!

Had an unfortunately VERY noisy flight to Calcutta where i then got my connecting flight to DElhi with the same noisy men! I was NOT a happy bunny. There was some interesting people sat next to me and i dont mean that in a good way. i can't be particularly bothered to describe the stupid and unbelievable conversation i shared with my neighbour but it made a change from the Thaio who barely spoke to me before! Now it had become a case of EVERYONE and anyone wanting to speak with me- it soon lost its appeal though when all i wanted was to sleep, and not to be asked pathetic questions like "vow, CAMBODIA- that is in South America no?!" errrr NO!

Got to Delhi at 11.30pm where my friends driver was waiting to collect me. Got to the house where they were all up and waiting for me- saw the size of the bed and knew id have one of the best sleeps of my life- and i did !

Nov 3rd

Woke up relatively early and ate breakfast- (3 courses- This is normal!!) wiht my host (dads friend) and his daughter. bfast here is a family affair. Most days it's eaten together round the dining table- makes a change from eating alone and was so homely. I felt a tad nostalgic! Great food and great hospitality- Delhi was off to a great start!

Plan for the day was the following\...

I was sent/semi-summoned to the beauty parlour for a "clean up"! I had all treatments under the sun for a fraction of the price id pay back home- im not complaining! And i hardly reconised the woman that emerged 3hrs later! I got back and headed to a local mall with the hosts daugther and nephew for coffee. Im happy to have avoided the starbucks and super malls for the past few months but it was great to go, just to see how far delhi's come since i was last here 10 odd years back.

Back then, i was young, impressionable and naive which explains why my sister and i initial refused to ever return, but even then, I remmeber enough of how it WAS to know that it has come a LONG WAY since. HAving studied alongside many DElhi-ites at LSE and hearing friends tlak about how great delhi is, i was keen to see what all the fuss was about. I defnitely saw it within a few days of being there! They've got a metro system- cleaner and more efficient than than the tube, skyscrapers and luxury malls, exclusive clubs and restaurants- all you couldnt want you can now get. Of course, the wealth is disproportionate and the distinction between rich and poor is still, if not more, prevalent but a middle class is definitely emerging. A country once known for its backwardness is now zipping ahead of the rest. In many ways its great for national pride and economic development. For the lower castes and classes to be surrounded by the wealth of others, it is an impetus for them to want to better thesleves and their families. No longer is caste the sole indicator of one's identity. Money and economid standing can help alleviate one's social standing and quality of life. But of course there are sgnificant drawbacks- the loss of tradition being one of them. One can quite clearly see the influence of Western consumerism on these people who were once happy to wear a pair of BATA's but now can only be seen in this season's PRADAs. for cities like DElhi though, as one politician i met and spoke with explained to me, a big problem is rural-urban migration. So many villagers on the outskirts and beyond Delhi are catching sight of the bright city lights and moving towards it in search of a better ife. Fair play to them but with so many doing it, there's not enough of the city to go around. Over population is a big issue and the city's services and utlities are increasingly pressured.The lady i spoke with worked with the COngress Party and was helping tacle the prblem by encouraging misguided an uneducated youth to undertake voational courses to gain the skills they needed to develop their traditional work back home. Despite these good deeds, the fact is you can't force people to go home. Even the wealthy elite were once mgrants in delhi and so upon that basis how can you order a new arrival to retreat??

So econo-socio-political rant over, I went to a mall, drank coffee imported from the West and then wined and dined at a plush restaurant called "zest"- oh so humanitarian of me don't you think!??!~

Nov 4th

Decided to visit the Akshardam Temple, a huge Swaminarayan mandir that has been built recently along the banks of the Yamuna river.It has become a popular tourist attraction also. A girl on my previous tour highly recommended it,and though i wasnt all that keen to go, i thought what the hell, i might as well since my host further recommended it. (i also did it for Shell, my devout swaminarayann friend back home!). I ended up thoroughly enjoying it surprisingly! the temple is absolutely beautiful, though they tend to be wit the amount of money the orgainsation has to pump into them. FYI- for those who arent' familiar with this religious chat, Swaminarayans are a religous sect of Hinduism that built the famous temple in Neasden, London- my god that is a horrifically scant explanation but you now at least know the scale on which im talking about this temple. It is HUGE, beautiful and incredibly well organised. Exclude the 15min security frisk going in and it was well worth it. My jaw dropped to the floor as i marvelled at the intricate stone and amrble carvings. how could this take only 5years to build? 100s of different elephant statues stood proudly at the foot of the temple- each carved out of one single piece of stone and weighing 5 times more than a real elephant!

I went to a great 2 hr exhibition- not your boring museum but interactive Disneyland-esque boat rides and films that were very interestng and entertaining. It was a bit cheesy of course but it was fantastcally executed and organised- a tough call in INdia!One didnt feel indoctrinated either which was nice but obviosuly their basic aim was to educaet others on their philosopphy. It was nice to see SIkhs, Muslims, all types of people, in attendance also.

It got quite late by the time i finished the exhbition and did a puja/darshan, so i grabbed a batch of fresh eggless cakes and sweets from the inhouse cafe and headed home. We spent a quite night in and watched Bridget Jones' Diary (my firt time! Shocking considering my Hugh Grant obsession i know!). Good thing we got an early night as we had to be up at 5am the next morning for our day trip to....

Last few days in Bangkok

priyachande — Mon, 2 Nov 2009 21:03:00 GMT

Sop early morning of the 31st my rickety bus dropped a truckload of us foreigners off near the Khaosan road where i was stranded once again. As it was my last few nights in Bangkok (a city I now have begun to loath), i decided to push the boat out and spend a bit more on my acccomodation. As it turns out some friends from the tour, 3 Irish boys, were also staying at the same place. One of the boys had left his passport behind in Chiang Mai and I was his courier so we were due to meet up anyway. Having them there that first day was awesome as I was dreadng the thought of being alone in Bangkok with the ladyboys again. That day I spent hours shopping in MBK and the surrounding areas (for those of you that dont know what that is, it's a mecca for shoppers looking for bargains and designer wear). Meanwhile the boys did some sightseeing. We regrouped at the end of the night and had a really nice meal together.

Nov 1st- the boys left early that morning for Phi Phi Island and I had a lie in before spending the day finishing off my sightseeing. I had yet to see Wat Pho- the HUGE reclining Buddha. I was dumbfounded when i saw the huge gold plated buddha that lay inside the temple. It is impossible to understand how such a thing is even made, let alone transported to and from places. I have taken lots of photos and videos of it just to give you some indication of its presence and size. BUt no matter how many pictures you see, let me tell you, that nothing quite beats seeing it in full with your own eyes. It was such a hot day and i walked for miles and miles to get there and back to my hotel but it was worth it.

Tht evening i had dinner at a family friends house whom i had been unable to meet previously. She and her family lived on the opposite side of town, nearer to the airport and in an area called Sukhumvit. This is wher most Expats and wealthy locals reside. And it's no wonder why. The drive in the taxi from Khaosan towards MBK and sukhumvit was like venturing through to another city. I was finally beginning to see how Bangkok can compete with big cities like london, NYC and singapore. It has a far more sophisticated and commercial area too but one that is liveable in (if that makes sense). If i was to return (with more money), i'd most def be staying there! I had a lovely meal of South Indian food which was a welcome break and a reminder of home and it helped that I had amazing company that evening too. It was a great way to end my trip.

Nov2nd- fly to Delhi!

Heading back into Thailand

priyachande — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:53:00 GMT

So our second day on the slow boat was when we headed back into Thailand. Firstly though, we ate a beautiful traditional Laos lunch that had been cooked on the bpoat by the family who ran it. One dish tasted very much like an Indian curry and was very similar to what i might eat back home- memories! there were no stop offs today at villages and the like and so it seemed much longer. all that time on a boat can get very tiring and boring as all one can do is talk (even i get fed up of that!), read- i finished my book, sleep- too much sleep isnt a good thing, and tan- obviously that doesnt apply to me!

Anyway, we got to the Thai border at around 4- just in time. Then we got a bus to the hotel. That night i saw the most mosquitos i have ever seen in my life. it was a very uncomfortable experiences but luckily i hardly got bitten. This was my last dinner with the group as I had amde the decision to stay back in Chiang Mai (nextstop) for a few days and to leave the group early. This meant going back to being a single, independent traveller- daunting after wee3ks of having all my accomodation and transport arranged for me. The farewell dinner was really nice.

Oct 28th- Drove to Chiang Mai at 5am. It was a long journey in a very small bus. We stopped off on the way to buy cashews. They are indigenous to Thailand.

Arrived in chiang mai around noon and ate lunch very quickly bfore heading to an Elephant COnservation Center. I was disappointed when i got there as it wasnt all that special. IN fact it was a rip off. The only slighlty impressive part was watching the elephants paint pictures with their trunks but even then im rather dubious ofthe whole training animals to be circus entertainment. We got back and everyone had to leave for their train back to BKK- reality hit that i was soon to be alone again and it was rather scary as well as emotional.

So it was time to find a palce to stay for the night. After finding a nice double room with fan and en suite for 4quid a night, I headed to the night market that Chiang Mai is famous for and had something to eat. .

Day 29- I spent the day sightseeing and familiarising myself with this new city. Was very annoyed to find out that the 850,000 laos kip (currency) that i'd withdrawn could not be exchanged OUTSIDE of Laos- grrrr so i was a millionaire but a usless one as i couldnt use the bloody money. Ate lunch at a local restuarnt and pottered around, visiting yet more temples and getting excited about my cooking class that i had booked for that night.

That evening I attended a cookery class and learned how to make spring rolls, green curry paste, green curry, pad thai and soup! I had the best evening and some great friends but above all, ate the best food of my life! I can't wait to cook up a feast for you all when i come back home. Dinner parties at my house that's a promise though i cant promise the food will be as good as it was that day.

As it happens, that weekend i was leaving for India from Bangkok, the biggest Thai festival of the year was taking place- Long Khrai. This is the equivalent to Hindu's Divali and signifies the end of the Thai year or begning of the new one. The whole of Chiang Mai could be seen to be preparing to celebrate by hanging lanterns everywhere. it was beauitful both during the day and night. ONe of the rituals people partke in is to light mini hot air baloons and let them float up into the sky. This signifies letting go of evil thoughts and spirits. Our cooking teacher en\couraged us to carry out the ritual in the main square and we did. It was so special.

Day 30- Visited the main temple in the city and made a trip to Doi Suthep- the hilltop temple that Chiang Mai is famous for. This was erected when a elephant supposedly died en route to Bangkok transporting the emerald buddha on its back. I had a bad case of vertigo on the way up as it was very steep and a windy route in a crazy tuk tuk but it was most defnitely worth it when i got there as the views were incredible and it was nice and cool, as opposed to the sweltering heat down below.

I returned back to the hostel at around 5 and freshend up whilst i waited for my bus to take me on a 12 hr jrny back to BKK.

LAO in a hurry!

priyachande — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:16:00 GMT

Guys, as you now know im sooo far behind on this damn blog. it's all been hand written in my diary but it appears that Laos didnt get much a mention in that either. Absolutely shameful considring it was by far the best country i visited on my trip. Im hoping my pictures will show you how beautiful it was but other than that, take the lack of time to write in my diary as an indication of just how preoccupied i was my whole time there. It was a welcome releif from the hustle and bustle of Vietnam, the people were so welcoming and friendly and it was very very quaint. Here's an overview of my time in Laos:

- Day 21 Vientiene- was the capital of Laos in 1563 before it moved to Luang Prabang. Amazing place with old vintage cars and little pollution. A very chilled out vibe, with French bakeries dotted all over the place where we sipped many a coffee and ate lovely pastries for breakfast. Enjoyed a lovely massage and indulged in a great glass of Chilean wine in a fantastic wine bar called Jazzy Brick- you must go if you're ever there. Overall, fantastically charming and peaceful place.\

-Day 22- after noon bus to Viang Vieng, home to the famous "tubing"activities that all gap year, hedonistic travellers, engage in when in this part of the world. entails spending a whole day in a rubber ring (huge!) and floating down the main river that runs through the town. Often see crazy drunks flying across the river on rope swings too and are offered shots of drink all the way down. We kindly rejected the multitude of offers and got to the end in one piece. A fun day but a shame to see how a natural beauty had been ruined by idiots.

Day 24- 9am left for Luang Prabang. Another stunning city. Spent the evening exploring the night market and buying souvenirs and silyl T-shirts. had a nice dinner at Laos Garden- a very good restaruant.

Day 25- Luang Prabang, climbed Mount Phousi (pronounced mount pussy- haha!) and was very very out of breath once at the top. Spent the day at Kuang Sii waterfalls, sunning, swimming and chilling. Pictures will show you how stunning it was! Ate a great pizza for dinner and went bowling afterwards- a fun group activity but of course i lost!

Day 26- woke up at 4.30 to watch the monks parade down the main street in front of the temples at sunrise (5AM). Every morning, people give the monks alms- rice and money usually- as their sustenance. the young boys have given up their materialistic lives at home for those of piety in the buddhist temples.7am took slow boat down the Mekong River. Visited Pak Beng a local hilltop village where Hmong Tribe live. They migrated here in mid 19th centrury from Southern China. Believe in Animism, aranged marraiges. I bought some whiskey!

Lac Sao- not a lot to say really!

priyachande — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:05:00 GMT

Day 20

Very early start- 5am wakeup for Laos. 12 hr drive up windy hills and mountains leading to Laos- did nothing for my motion sikcness. popped an anti-sickness pill and subseqwuently knocked out for rest of the journey only to be awoken at the Vietnamese and Laos border. Arrived late afternoon/early evening to Lac Sao- a sleepy town by the border which contains only one restuarant- aptly named "the only one"! We ate at this awful excuse for an eatery and had nothing else to do so headed back to the hotel to watch whatever rubbish was on TV and to sleep- as if I hadn't snoozed enough on the bus! A fact for you- too much sleep makes you more sleepy. I can say this as it's tried and tested on this whole trip with 174 hrs being spent on the road. After a while, all one can do is sleep- and you get off the bus finally but still feel tired at the end of the journey. Another very frustrating aspect of the tour. Im surprised i havnt develoepd some sort of deep vein thrombosis on this trip after all the sitting on my bum in cramped buses.

HANOI

priyachande — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:41:00 GMT

Full of history, tradition and legend, the capital city has been continuously inhabited for almost a millenium. in 1831, emperor Tu Duc (remember i visited his tomb in Hue>?) renamed the city Ha Noi city on the Bend of the River. After Tu Duc acceded to French demands much of the old city was destroyed to make way for French buildingds and it became capital of the French Indochinese Union. Street life was fascinating and chaotic. Crossing the roads was definitely an experience I will never forget! Due to exhorbitant taxes for car owners there are millions of motorbikes qwhizzing arounfd the place and to add to that, there appears to be no evident traffic system. During my whole trip, i dont think i ever figured our a safe way to cross the road! in the end, you just take a deep breath, say a quick prayer (time permitting) and just go for it. i realised "if you hear horns honking-fear not! it means they;ve seen you! keep going!"

We were staying in the old quarter and spent the first morning walking through the chaotic neighbourhood. it's full of character and commerce. it was known as the area of the 36 streets as guild names were applied to the streets according their trade- silk street,paper street, basket street, ,metalworker street etc. 3 of us took a local bus to see Ba Dinh Square. it was here that Ho Chi Minh AKA uncle Ho adressed half a million Vientamese with his declaration of indepenendence speech in 1945. Today it's a shrine and pilgrimage site. one of the main tourist attractions is the mausoleum that contains uncle ho's embalmed body. it is closely modeled on that of Lenin but as luck would have it, in october ever year his body is sent to Russia to be re-embalmed so we missed out on an opp to see him in the flesh!

We visited the Ho Chi Minh museum- a quirky kitsch place which documents the story of HCM and his quest for independence from the French. It was undoubtedly full of communist propaganda but very interesting nevertheless. We got there 15mins before closing time and were subsequently hurriedly ushered through the exhibits- one of the downsides of this tour for sure. The lack of time to explore in each destination. the price one pays for choosing to cover so much ground in such a short space of time i guess. i would have liked to have spent more time at the museum to fully understand the history of vietnam and Ho Chi Minh's influences, though on first inspection it appears to me that the French revolution and the uprising of the proletariat over the petit bourgeoisie that occured during the industrial revolution in the West had a lot to do with it.

that night we ate at a streeet stall which served traditional Vietnamese noodle soup called PHO. It was delicious and one can definitely see how asian peo9ple are so thin when all they eat is Pho for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It consists of boiled water, semi cooked green veg and rice noodles- no oil whatsoever! It was rather bland i must say- you wouldnt catch me living off it but very nice that night/ At just over $1 a bowl it was kind to the purse strings! Went to see a water puppet show after dinner but sadly, like father like daughter, i fell asleep during the performance. this was no reflection of the show, just my tiredness! from what i caught of it, it was an innovative reproduction of the water puppetry hat the Vietnamese enacted in the rice fields as entertainment and to help pass their free time.

Next day ``19th Oct

Visited temple of literature- Hanoui's best preserbed anceient site dating from C11th. it's vietnam's oldest institution of higher education. It was dedicated to Confucius, and the temple served as a national univerity for over 700 yrs. FYI- the basis of confucianism: central to the concept is the idea of a long life through attainment of wisdom, propriety and order. The founder- K'Ung Fu Tzu AKA confucius, was born in China, lived during the Zhou dynasty - a period known for its moral laxity. His philosophy emphasized formal education, structured society, tradition, ancestors and an instinctive understanding of opposites- that's where your yings and yangs come in. The responsible exercise of political power by authority is essential to wellbieng of both the state and the individual. Most people in vietnam are Taoist, Confucian or Buddhist or followers of all. There is thus a strong influence of Chinese customs and supersittions on social structure.

Ate lunch at KOTO- a social project similar to "friends" in Pnom Penh (if you can remembver that far back!)I ate an excellent falfel but moreover i ate the BEST CHOCOALTE BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING I HAVE EVER EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! It beat my homemade one hands down and that's pretty good if i say so myself! I;'ve taken a picture of it in all it's glory for you all to see and for all your mouths to water like mine did. except i got to eat it- hah!

After lunch, walked off the big lunch and made our way back to the hotel for a rest and freshen up. 3 girls were leaving us the next day so we had a farewell dinner in a nearby restaurant and a few drinks before getting an early night.

HALONG BAY

priyachande — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:10:00 GMT

DAY 17

Took an overnight train to Halong Bay and were upgraded along the way- NICE!

Bought some bottles of red wine (local of course!) for the journey and got as close as any of us will ever probably get to wining and dining on the orient express (with our takeaway sarnies!). On the matter of train food, let me take this opportunity to warn you NEVER EVER to eat on a Vietnamese train. Firstly we spent all of 5 mins in the dining cabin because the smell of deepfried meat on the meat trolley was just horrendous. god only knows how long it had been sat there, fly ridden, and stale. the deadly pair of scissors perched on top used to cut it up would have put off even the most starved of people (ok maybe not the MOST starved!!)The locals happily chomped it down but i couldnt hack the iew so i returned to my cabin. so, im back in my cabin safe and clean and away from bacterial infection/e-coli in first class darling...or so i thought. Turns out, our private porter who has been serving other passengers their food, is guilty of a bit of the ol' 3-second rule action1! for those of you that are unfamiliar with this absolutely disgusting mantra- it basically excuses filthy students from eating food off the floor- yes, the floor!- so long as it has only been in contact with the surface for 3seonds. if you pick it up within that time you're supposedly safe to eat it?!? TUrns out our Vietnamese buddy was caught by my feloow tour member to be picking up dirty sausage off the floor and kindly popping it into passengers noodle soups-- YUK! i guess it just shows, no matter how much you pay for service, you just dont know what goes on behind closed doors. Luckily we did know and happily gobbled up our cheese and salad baguettes safe in the knowledge that we wouldnt be struck down by some god forsaken illness.

Back to Halong Bay...

got in early in the morning -5am- and spent yet another morning in a hotel lobby waiting for our rrooms to be cleaned and beds made. at 11, we headed to the port to take a junk boat to the stalagtite caves and titop beach- the highlights of this destination.

HAlong Bay is Vietnam's most developed resort with a picturesque backdrop of the wooden hills. sadly, undoubtedly Vietnam';s greatest natural wonder, is ruined by the overflow of japanese and chinese tourists that visit this part of the world regularly and for whom the city has been transformed into a mickeymouse disneyland esque destination. it resembles a tacky holiday resort boasting casinos, amusement parks and the like- bleurgh!

anyway that morning we set off on a boat trip to visit the caves for which Halong bay is world renowned. more than 3000 islands and rocks rise fromm the crystal clear waters. in 1962, ha long bay was recongnised as a national protection area and you could definitely see why on the boat. we were treated to a seafood feast on board for lunch. white linen clad tables and silver service- felt like kings and queens as we savoured the local seafood delicacies- stuffed crabs, calamari, prawns and more.

The cave were gorgeous with the most incredible stalagtites dropping frm the ceilings. but they were however ruined by the cheap,coloured lighting inside. you will see this in my pictures that it's still impressive however. Just needs a revamp that's all- where's Lawrence Llewelyn bowen when you need him eh?! Even he could have done a better job! NExt stop was Titop beach on Titop island. Ho Chi Minh or "uncle Ho" as the locals call him visited here in 1962 in honour of the Russian astronomer -Titop- after whom the island is named. Here we played or attempted to play volleyball with quite enthusiastic (aka drunk) locals,swam in lovely waters and best of all, cimbed to the top of a mini mountain and admired a stunning view of the bay. my pictures just cant do it justice. after soaking in the splendour of the natural beauty surrounding us, we headed back to shore on the boat and experienced an amazing sunset. it was idyllic- you just had to be there.

that evening there was a football match on so the boys eagerly watched and the girls had a few drinks in one room and made a night of it too! THe next morning it was off to Hanoi- VIetnam's capital city

HUE

priyachande — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:17:00 GMT

Day 15- took a 4hr ride via minibus to Hue- Not so bad!

Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen emperors. It was the political center of Vietnam from 1802-1945. Emperor Gia consolidated the country after several 100yrs of civil war and constructed the citadel. This was the first time in Vietnamese history that a single court controlled the country from North to South. During the 2nd indochina war, Hue backed neither North nor South and still remains a 3rd political force.

We took a motorbike tour soon after arriving which, for 4-5 hrs, took us through the Vietnamese countryside and ended with a mountain top panoramic view of the stunning perfume river that runs through the city. This was a former US base during the Vietnam war. Along the way we saw: incense making, rice making museum and an old elephant and tiger fighting arena (see photos!). We came back, had an awful dinner and had an early night.

Day 16- We went to see the imperial tombs and citadel in the morning. Emperor Tu Duc's tomb is located to the south of Hue, modelled on the tombs of Chinese emperors. He reigned from 1847-83. The tomb is enclosed by high walls and features pine woods and a lake-side pavillion where the emperor fished, listened to music and wrote poetry. He had tombs made to represent both his life and death and for his wife and son also. I have to saythese were pleasure gardens more than they were tombs! Why one needs a tomb for life and death i do not know. To Duc used one as his 2nd residence and I could definitely se why! The delicate sounds of the Mandolin from days gone by, floating across the lilypads and lotuses, could just about be heard if one tried hard enough- anice lifestyle indeed!

Next stop, the CITADEL. This was modelled on Beijing's forbidden city while the ramparts followed the French military architecture. There were 3 walled enclosures, each within the other. The exterior moated enclosure encompassed the Yellow enclosure and within that the Forbidden purple city stood. It rained en route to the citadel so it was wet and muggy outside and not that visually pleasing either. The citadel had been destroyed during the war but forgive me for being impatient- note to Vietnam: a fair bit of time has passed since then to "do the place up"! It would do wonders for tourism if they worked on it a tad. I guess that's the downside to communism for you. Local people could be seen engaging in the odd bit of rejuvenation and maintenance work but for the most part, they looked bored and unmotivated. With no incentives, no opportunity for profit and corruption, it's little wonder this country is stuck in a rut. A real pity considering this part of the world is so beautiful and that a massive 60% of Vietnam's population is under 27- that's a lot of manpower and opportunity wasted! This is the generation that carries the force to propel the country forward- hopefully when i next visit (whenever that will be) things will have changed!

Nha Trang & Hoi An

priyachande — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:54:00 GMT

Took overnight train from Saigon to Nha Trang. We were upgraded to 1st class and yet still saw a cockroach on top of the nice sheets and plasma screens!

Nha Trang- spent the first day on Diamond Beach where I ate the most amazing seafood. We ate freshly caught clams which were barbequed with chilli salt and pepper sauce. We just popped them in our mouths one at a time whilst swigging our drinks by the sea- yum!

There was an abundance of food, drink and beach. The waves were MASSIVE though and they took my sunglasses- not a problem though I just had to buy a new pair for $1 from one of the hundreds of vendors that run to me on the street.

Nha Trang has been put on the map in recent years. Last year it was home to perhaps the most morally dubious competition on earth- Miss Universe- but hey they're proud of it! Perhpas the fact that no other country would a) like to be associated with such an event and b) like to have jerry springer (presenter) within a 50mile radious of their country, left Nha Trang as hosts by default! Pictures of Misss Venezuela (she won for those of you that dont know!?!?) are everywhere showing a bit of leg and welcoming us to Nha Trang.

It managed to rain- as usual- on the beach and we headed back early evevning to clean ourselves up and relax before our next train journey the next day.

Hoi An

We took an overnight train again- this time we werent so fortunate to be upgraded and let me tell you, the difference was noticeable! Not such a nice journey. This time we were sharing our bunks with cockroaches AND RATS! Well i didnt but the boys did- DISGUSTING!

I fell ill with flu the first few days due to erratic schedules and extreme weather changes (rain, sun, rain,sun) and so spent most of the journey nursing my cold and sneezing/coughing.

We arrived at 4am into HOI AN and checked into (well...not straight away- we dumped our bags, slept poolside till 7 when rooms were ready) and AMAZING hotel. It was perfect respite from ill health and fatigue. We undertook a morning walk- by which time the city was already buzzing- and saw street carts and vendors setting up their fruit and veg stalls for the day. Ferry boats could be seen bringing in people on their mopeds from neigbouring towns. We ate breakfast at a beautiful cafe called CARGO and ate fresh pastries and drank bloody good coffee. THe food looked good and so we came back for dinner- but more of that later.

Back to HOi An itself- it's world famous for its tailors who claim to be able to make just about anything overnight. I got a beautiful winter caot made- im very very happy. I'll be sure to catwalk for you when i getback! I just wasnt looking forward to carrying it around with me in my backpack for the next feww months- heavy!

Day 1 in Hoi An consisted of walking around the city, attending fittings at the tailors and chilling poolside with my flu getting progressively worse! That night I ate a gorgeous Mushroom risotto at Cargo but sadly retired early due to my inability to think/see straight as my sinuses became more and more blocked. I popped a lot of pills that night, drank some lemsip and slept well into the next day- the 14th Oct.

I decided to spend day 14 doing absolutely nothing and just to concentrate on getting 100% better. I slept in and mustered up the courage to be up and about after lunch to further explore the city.

Dinner was at Ganesh an indian restaurant- by this time I was craving home-esque food! It was very good and i would highly recommend it to anybody heading that way.

Ho Chi Minh City AKA Saigon

priyachande — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:15:00 GMT

Oct 9-10th 2009

Saigon is Vietnam's largest city and the economic powerhouse of the nation. In the 18th Century the area was renamed Sai Gon, after the Kapok tree. French traders and missionaries settled here. Their inflruence on the architecture in and around the city and it's organisation in parts could be seen clearly when we took a walking tour the first evening that we reached. As usual, it rained on our parade but we plodded on, taking cover wherever possible. The 1862 Treaty of Saigon declared the city the capital of French Cochin China and Saigon came to be known as the "pearl of the orient". The cruelty of French rule however, fueled the nationalist movement and the Viet Minh also mobilized against the Japanese. in 1945 the Revolution successed and VIetnamese independence was formally decalred. However, this celebration was short-lived when British interference led to the overthrow of the new Viet Minh goverment in Saigon and the French returned. Miliatary assistance to the French was added to by the US in 1945 with more French troops and so 30years of war began. The Americans gradually replaced the French as the enemy and Saigon soon became the nerve-centre of the US war effort until the final vitory of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign on 30th April 1975. After Vietnam was finally reunified, with the South and the NOrth longer being divided, Saigon was formally renamed Ho Chi Minh city, in honor of Vietnam's heroic leader. The walking tour that BEatrice and I led ourselves took us to see the sights of HCM by night, including the famous postoffice and the opera house. We walked back to the hotel via some beautifully ornate and well maintained buildings, close to the Oriental Saigon Hotel (well worth a stay in if you have the dosh!), and could imagine many an expat living a rather comfortable life out here. I don't know if it would be my preferred choice of location but it was nice to finally see some development and progression in a region that so often still seems so far behind.

Day 10 started off early with a trip to the Cuchi Tunnels.

Begun in the 1940s, this legendary tunnel network was Saigon-Gia Dinh REgional Party headquarters. It is a unique project of architecture, as an undergound system of tunnel deeply located in the ground bed with numerous floors, several devaited alleys like a cobweb over 200km long with places of sleeping, meeting, eating and so on. The undergrounds tunnel system, similar to S21 and killing fields, has been given a makeover and excavated to show tourists and locals how determined, wise and proud the CuChi people were. It serves as a symbol of the Vietnamese people's revolutionary heroism in the Anti-American resistance for saving their coutry.

We saw rough sand models, pictures, sculptures, illustrating the typical revolution campaigns and were able to go down into the tunnels. The night before, our tour leader had suspected that I would be the only one of the group that would be able to go down the smaller tunnels. I was indeed one of a few that braved it and fit through the holes leading to the tunnels. This was, quite possible, one of the most scary experiences of my life so far and i became aware of a big phobia of mine- being enclosed in small spaces. I was totally unprepared of what was to come when i lowered myslef, arms up in the air, 2m below the ground. I was warned that it was dirtier and far smaller than the other tunnels in the complex but, me being me, thought "come off it, it can't be THAT bad!" Oh how wrong i was! Nobody told me i'd be knee deep in foliage, that it would be so small i would have to crawl through on my hands and knees, that bats, YES BATS, and millions of them resided down these tunnels and that it was completely dark. I was equipped with a torch but my already panick-stricken state was tousled more by the fact that i got lost underground! I came to a junction, where i could go either straight or left. Now, when the tunnels were dug, they created a vast network with many dead ends to trick the enemy with- had they transported me back to that era as an enemy, then their plan would have worked as I was truly stumped. However, i began to panic and to bang against the walls, screaming for "Help" and where to go. After a couple minutes and having taken slightly longer than the others to come out the other end, the tourguide and group members called down to me and heard my screams. I had to take the left fork- duh! and soon saw, quite literally, the light at the end of the tunnel. This was such a frightening experience that I refused to go down the other tunnels that, albeit small, were nowhere near as dirty and undeveloped as than what i had previously experienced. one thing's for sure, you admire the lengths that the Vietnamese went to in order to protect themselves and their families. If i had to endure those living conditions, I don't know what i'd do! Later on, we drank green tea and ate boiled cassava- yum! A reminder of home- mum's staple diet food!

We arrived back from the Cuchi tunnels to the hotel around noon and spent the rest of the day wondering around the city and doing some last minute shopping/eating before boarding our first overnight train to Nha trang, later that evening.