AFTER VISITING THE TEMPLE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE SOMETHING I HAD NOT YET FACED IN INDIA -- SOMETHING I HAD MANAGED TO AVOID FOR 5 LONG WEEKS -- SUNBURN! I WAS FRIED! I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE AS HOT AS IT WAS, AND I THOUGHT AFTER BEING HERE FIVE WEEKS, THAT I'D BUILT UP SOME BIT OF TOLERANCE TO THE SUN - WRONG! WE TOOK A HILARIOUS PIC. OF MY BURNT, SAD FACE - BUT I LEFT THE CAMERA AT THE APARTMENT, SO I CAN'T INSERT IT HERE. IT'S A SHAME TOO - HANK SAID THE PICTURE WAS THE SADDEST FACE HE'D EVER SEEN - PERFECTLY CAPTURING MY FEELING ABOUT THE BURN.
ON MONDAY, WE WERE OFF TO AGRA - THE CITY OF THE TAJ MAHAL. MY FIRM HAD HELPED ME BOOK TRAIN TICKETS, AND WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE TRAIN. (APPROXIMATELY $20 ROUND-TRIP PER PERSON - A.C. TRAIN CARS AND THE PRICE INCLUDED BREAKFAST, DINNER, A COUPLE CUPS OF HOT TEA, AND BOTTLED WATER FOR EACH OF US.) WHEN WE GOT TO AGRA WE WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE PRE-PAY TAXI BOOTH (A MUST FOR VISITORS, AS IT IS RUN BY THE GOVERNMENT, AND YOU ARE BEING ACCOSTED FROM THE MOMENT YOU EXIT THE TRAIN DOOR!). A MAN WAS MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP US GET A RICKSHAW TICKET FOR A RIDE TO THE TAJ MAHAL -- 50 RUPEES (ABOUT $1.20) -- AND THEN PUT US IN HIS RICKSHAW. I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD SERVICE -- WHEN, ONLY ABOUT 100 METERS DOWN THE ROAD HE PULLED THE RICKSHAW OVER AND GAVE US A MAP, A COMMENTS BOOK, AND A SPEECH ABOUT HOW FOR 600 RUPEES HE WOULD BE OUR GUIDE ALL DAY -- SHOWING US 5 TO 6 SITES, TAKING US TO A SAFE RESTAURANT FOR LUNCH, ETC. ALTHOUGH I WAS TAKEN ABACK BY THE BAIT-AND-SWITCH, $30 WAS NOT BAD, THE COMMENT BOOK WAS FULL OF "ALI WAS THE GREATEST! SHOWED US MORE THINGS THAN WE EVER WOULD HAVE FOUND ON OUR OWN!" TYPE COMMENTS, AND WE WERE ALREADY IN HIS RICKSHAW, SO WE AGREED. WELL, HE DID LIVE UP TO HIS PART OF THE DEAL (MOSTLY)- WE GOT TO SEE ALL THE MAJOR LANDMARKS IN AGRA - HE TOOK SHORT-CUTS BETWEEN THEM - AND HE TOOK US TO A VERY NICE HOTEL RESTAURANT FOR LUNCH (WHERE MANY OTHER WESTERNERS WERE DINING.) THERE WAS ONLY A BIT OF A PROBLEM WHEN WE WANTED TO END OUR "TOUR" EARLY -- AFTER SEEING ALL THE SITES, WE WANTED TO SKIP THE MARKETS (I.E. THE PLACES WERE HE GETS COMMISSION FOR BRINGING WESTERNERS!). I WAS FEELING REALLY ILL FROM ALL THE SUN - I MEAN, REALLY ILL -- AND ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS GET BACK TO THE TRAIN STATION AND WAIT ON THE TRAIN. I DID NOT CARE THAT WE WERE 2 1/2 HRS. EARLY -- I WANTED TO GO TO THE TRAIN STATION. WELL, WE HUMORED THE DRIVER BY GOING TO ONE MARKET - A CARPET MAKING PLACE (IT WAS ACTUALLY AMAZING SEEING THEM MAKE SUCH BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS - BY HAND!) - BUT AFTER THAT - I WAS READY TO GO! WELL, OUR GUIDE WAS NOT HAPPY. HIS FRIENDLY SMILE IMMEDIATELY TURNED INTO A VERY UNFRIENDLY FROWN, AND I WAS NERVOUS! HOWEVER - I WAS NOT ABOUT TO BACK DOWN! HE TRIED TO PUSH US ON THE IDEA OF THE MARKETS - SAYING "THEY ARE INSIDE, NO MORE SUN." AND "BEAUTIFUL THINGS." I TOOK CHARGE AND JUST SAID "WE WOULD LIKE TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE TRAIN STATION, NOW PLEASE. WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANYTHING ELSE. WE ARE VERY TIRED. WE ARE STILL GOING TO PAY YOU THE FULL AMOUNT - 600 RUPEES - IF YOU TAKE US BACK NOW." AFTER SEVERAL BACK AND FORTH EXCHANGES, HE GRUMBLED TO HIMSELF IN HINDI AND FINALLY TOOK US TO THE TRAIN STATION (THANKFULLY!). AGRA WAS A HARD TRIP - BETWEEN THE ARGUING WITH THE DRIVER AND THE HEAT EXHAUSTION - WHICH I NOW KNOW I HAD AS I WAS SICK FOR DAYS AFTERWARDS! (THANK GOD I DID NOT LET THAT DRIVER PUSH US ANY FARTHER IN THE JOURNEY -- I MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY DIED!) IT WAS TOUGH - BUT IT WAS GREAT TO GET TO SEE THE TAJ MAHAL AND OTHER LANDMARKS. HERE ARE A FEW OF THE BEST PICS.
CLASSIC TAJ MAHAL PIC:
(YES, THE PICS. YOU ALWAYS SEE ARE EXACTLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!)
CLASSIC TAJ MAHAL PIC:
(YES, THE PICS. YOU ALWAYS SEE ARE EXACTLY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!)
HERE IS A SHOT OF ONE OF THE SIDES OF THE TAJ UP CLOSE:
AWESOME LAWNMOWER AT THE TAJ!:
(DON'T WORRY DADS - WE ARE GETTING ONE FOR EACH OF YOU NEXT FATHER'S DAY!)
AWESOME LAWNMOWER AT THE TAJ!:
(DON'T WORRY DADS - WE ARE GETTING ONE FOR EACH OF YOU NEXT FATHER'S DAY!)
AGRA FORT:
(NEAT, AS FAR AS FORTS GO - BUT I WAS TOO SICK FROM THE HEAT TO CARE AT THIS POINT.)
(NEAT, AS FAR AS FORTS GO - BUT I WAS TOO SICK FROM THE HEAT TO CARE AT THIS POINT.)
HANK REALLY LOVED THE FORT THOUGH:
(I GUESS I WAS RIGHT - FORTS ARE FOR BOYS!)
(I GUESS I WAS RIGHT - FORTS ARE FOR BOYS!)
AFTER TAKING THE TRAIN BACK TO DELHI, WE GOT A FEW HOURS SLEEP THAT NIGHT (A VERY FEW) AND WERE UP AGAIN AT 5AM TO GET READY FOR ANOTHER LONG DAY-TRIP - THIS TIME TO RISHIKESH. RISHIKESH IS A CITY WHERE YOU CAN VISIT THE HOLY GANGA (THE GANGES RIVER) AND IT IS ACTUALLY WHERE THE RIVER IS THE CLEANEST - AS IS HAS JUST RUN OUT OF THE HIMALAYAS. WE WERE TOLD THAT RISHIKESH WOULD BE GREEN AND LUSH, AND THAT WE SHOULD ENJOY IT, BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT SEE "GREENERY" IN LEH (LEH IS BARREN MOUNTAIN LAND - NOT A TREE FOR MILES!). WELL, THEY WERE RIGHT - IT WAS VERY GREEN, AND WE REALLY ENJOYED SEEING ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN INDIA - THE GANGES. (I'M GLAD WE DECIDED TO GO - EVEN AFTER THE HARD, HOT DAY IN AGRA - BUT WE SURE PAID FOR IT THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS WHEN WE WERE STILL VERY SICK FROM THE SUN OVER-EXPOSURE!) HERE ARE A FEW PICS. FROM OUR TRIP TO RISHIKESH:
FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS (ON THE RIDE TO RISHIKESH):
LAKSHMAN JHULA BRIDGE (FAMOUS SUSPENSION BRIDGE OVER THE GANGES):
ONE OF THE MANY MONKEYS IN RISHIKESH:
(ACTUALLY THEY ARE ALL OVER INDIA)
YOU MIGHT BE THINKING "OH CUTE, THERE ARE MONKEYS THERE" - BUT NOT ME. I KEPT MY EYE ON EVERY MONKEY AROUND! WE'D BEEN WARNED THAT THEY ARE MEAN, AND CAN BITE OR JUMP ON YOU (FROM ABOVE) AT ANY MOMENT. IN FACT, ONE OF THE INTERNS ACROSS TOWN WAS BITTEN BY A BABY MONKEY WHILE VISITING A TEMPLE AND HAD TO GET MANY, MANY PAINFUL SHOTS IN THE PALM OF HER HAND. OUCH! I MADE SURE TO GIVE THEM WIDE BERTH AND NOT TO SMILE AT THEM! (APPARENTLY, THEY CAN GET "CRAZED" AT THE SIGHT OF TEETH -- DON'T ASK ME WHY.)
HERE ARE A COUPLE PICS. OF HANK AND ME DIPPING INTO THE GANGES
(OK, SO OUR "DIP" WAS ONLY OUR TOES - BUT WE CONTEND THAT IT STILL COUNTS):
ALTHOUGH WE ONLY HAD A FEW HOURS IN RISHIKESH, IT WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME - WE WERE EXHAUSTED!!! WE COULDN'T WAIT TO GET HOME. WE WENT BACK TO THE TRAIN STATION EARLY, AND THE WAIT ON THE PLATFORM HAD TO BE THE LONGEST HOUR OF MY LIFE - BUT WE FINALLY MADE IT. WE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE GETTING A RIDE FROM THE DELHI TRAIN STATION TO OUR APARTMENT -- A COUPLE OF JERK RICKSHAW DRIVERS WERE FOLLOWING US AROUND TELLING EACH DRIVER NOT TO TAKE US BECAUSE THERE WAS A RICKSHAW "STRIKE." (THERE WAS NO SUCH THING - THEY WERE JUST PLAYING GAMES WITH US BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T PAY THE REDICULOUS 350 RUPEES THEY REQUESTED. NOTE: WE PAID 40 TO GET TO THE STATION THAT MORNING. THESE GUYS WANTED 350!!!! BUTT-HEADS!) I ENDED UP GETTING REALLY SCARED AND FRUSTRATED AND WAS ALMOST IN TEARS WHEN A BICYCLE RICKSHAW OFFERED US A RIDE HOME. THERE YOU HAVE THE STORY OF HOW WE TRIED SOMETHING WE'D NEVER PLANNED TO TRY: A BICYCLE RICKSHAW. IT WAS NOT AS BAD AS I THOUGH -- ALTHOUGH IT WAS PAINFULLY SLOW. (I MEAN, HOW FAST CAN ONE LITTLE 5' TALL MAN PEDAL A BIKE WITH 2 ADULTS AND BAGGAGE ON THE BACK!) ANYWAY, WE FINALLY GOT HOME, AND FOR ONCE, I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK TO WORK! (AT LEAST THERE IS CONSTANT A.C. IN THE OFFICE AND I GET TO SIT DOWN ALL DAY -- NO WALKING/HIKING IN OUTRAGEOUS HEAT, GETTING HEAT STROKE!)
TOMORROW MORNING WE ARE FLYING OFF TO LEH. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TRIP AND HOPE THAT EVERYTHING GOES WELL DURING OUR 4 DAYS THERE. KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT WE ADJUST TO THE ALTITUDE QUICKLY, SO THAT WE CAN GET OUT AND SEE SOME OF THE MOUNTAINS AND BUDDIST MONESTARIES. I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE WILL BE ANY MORE BLOGS OR PICTURES UNTIL WE ARE BACK IN THE U.S. TODAY IS MY LAST DAY IN THE OFFICE (WHERE I USUALLY HAVE INTERNET) AND THE APARTMENT'S "SOMETIMES THERE" SIGNAL IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO BLOG OR UPLOAD PICS. I WILL BE SURE TO PUT UP SOME PICTURES OF LEH AFTER WE GET BACK. WE FLY BACK TO THE U.S. ON JULY 10TH. SEE YOU SOON!
No comments:
Post a Comment