Goa and Gratitude--the Day Before Thanksgiving

Our dear friend Steve S, who loves everything and thinks that everything in the world is the best, sent us an email after reading the blog. He noted that it seemed that we are having a great time. I told him it was true, but that there are also parts to this trip that were sucky and that I would blog about that. But not today, as today is Thanksgiving Eve in the tropical and lush state of Goa. Today it is more fitting to write about gratitude than to grumble.

Things we have been grateful for on this trip:

Incredibly kind people. Indian people are curious, want to talk, want to help, want you to get what  you need. There are a few exceptions, but that is true anywhere. I believe that we get much kinder treatment here than a tourist couple from India wandering around in the US.

Mosaic from palace in Rajasthan

Our senses of humor. MT cracks me up.

Food food food. Every place we eat is wonderful. Even scary places that don't adhere to the germ theory. Today we went to this fancier place in a hotel restaurant for lunch--thali style-- little amounts of lots of things. It was less than $10 for the whole bill. They were like Jewish grandmothers and kept trying to give us more food even though we could barely breathe (like after Thanksgiving dinner).

Bosses who let me take this trip. Not having to read drafts of policy.  : )

Amazing ancient stuff to see everywhere. There are ruins and temples everywhere. Now we are kind of picky about  what we will go see, as it is overwhelming.

And of course, our family and friends who are back home. 

We hope you all have good Thanksgivings in the cold weather.

--FF

Udaipur

We are now in lovely Udaipur. Udai-pour is more descriptive--it rained like a monsoon today for several hours, which is unheard of in November. It should be dry and in the 80's. We have this fantastic hotel room that is right on the lake which is in the center of the small city. Our room has this sweet little terrace that over looks the lake. We can see a beautiful white palace built on an island. MT went to get an Ayurvecdic massage and I sat on the terrace and stared at the sunset last night.Our room has three walls with window views. I was woken at 5:30 AM by women and children jumping in the lake for their baths. This was from a bathing ghat that was at the base of two Hindu shrines. It sounded like any group of kids jumping into cold water--shrieks, then laughing and splashing and moms scolding their kids to not splash their siblings.

At that same ghat the night before, during my sunset viewing, big bats--bigger than crows--flapped and glided  from the tree next to the hotel. The tree shelters bats as well as the Hindu temples below.  Through the tree, I could see women doing their rituals with candles at the shrines. A little later, men practiced their ritual of drumming and chanting. Incense smoke rose through the tree and the flying bats to my terrace perch. Across the water the castle lights and the lights of the hotels and mansions came on. MT came back from his massage like a noodle. He said that it was completely different than any massage he had had before and it included an herb in the oil that warmed his skin. His brain was noodle-like, too, for a while.

We had delicious dinner on the rooftop cafe and then went for a little stroll. The town is laid out like the tiny medieval towns of  Italy on the sea--rambling streets, some streets too small for cars, steep walkways, arches, and bits of ruined buildings.

The power went out and came on again--caused by the rain according to the internet cafe guy. I lost a bit of the draft. Mental note to save drafts.  I even read about the need to save drafts for this very reason.

Anyway, last night we heard overly amplified, obnoxious and distorted loud music. We sought it out, thinking it was some sort of live music venue. It was a groom being led in a procession--think Monsoon Wedding or any Indian wedding scene in a movie with a scene with a red-turbaned groom sitting on a decorated horse. The first part of the procession was a small car with musicians going very slowly while other musicians
walked along side the car. Next came women (female relatives of the groom) in red and pink saris, then the groom on the horse, looking a bit self-conscious, then more relatives, then a small truck with a portable diesel generator. Around this whole scene approximately 10 boys and men held light fixtures made of several bulbs to light the scene. The lights and music were powered by the generator.  The group went to different intersections where the women danced and the groom looked more self-conscious.

Done for tonight. 

Pushkar Camel Fair

Pushkar Camel Mela

We are on our third day in Pushkar, which is a very small town around a holy lake. It has 52 bathing ghats (wide stone steps for dipping into the holy water) and 400 temples and shrines. It is holy to the Hindus because Brahma created it by dropping flower petals from his hand. The petals turned into a lovely lake in a parched area. We got what are called Pushkar passports--red threads put around our wrists by priests with petals to toss into the lake. World peace and happiness for you all!  If we have the threads, the priests leave us alone. But left alone we are not by the pushy touts and sadhus--wandering holy men in orange, who are gathering here for the major holy day coming up. They are very persistent with their indications that they want donations, including blocking our way and shaking their tins at us.

Pushkar at night with oil lamps for Hindu ceremony 

People are gathering for the Pushkar Camel Fair, which officially started today with a really long introduction  in a stadium similar to one in a county fair ground.  The fair itself is like the Oregon Country Fair, but with 200,000 camel and horse traders and their animals in a setting from 200 years ago. Yesterday we wandered around the area where the livestock are kept, fields of camels and horses staked to the ground. I (FF) loved looking at the Merwar horses, which are the sturdy, lively, beautiful horses of the Rajasthan. Some of them were obviously well kept and fine.  They have endearing ears set high on their heads. The points of the ears curl and are even more curled on the foals. Many of the horses are from the royal families of Rajasthan. And the camels were already decked in colorful halters and saddles and anklets. One could ride a camel for "a very special price."

Last night we had the sort of funny travel experience that one does not plan. We went to a music store that blasted good Indian music. We asked the store guy, Ravi, with a pony tail and a red line on his forehead and a cool as a cucumber look, for music recommendations. He is also a social worker and local music promoter. He played various CDs for us and we had a little pile to buy when a huge downpour began. Our eyes got big, even for Oregon, that was mega rain. And then our eyes got bigger--the streets began to flood.  You cannot imagine all of the gross things that are in the sewers and in the street-- just to give a hint, dogs and cows wander freely. We watched the water rise rapidly to knee level in the narrow lane as merchants pulled displays from the lower levels of their shops away from the rising water. We listened to more CDs, Ravi added a Pushkar album to our stack with a little wink. We were grateful that the electricity stayed on and that we were stuck in the best shop possible. He said that this is the first time in his life that it has rained during camel fair. People climbed up the steps of the shops that rise above the street and waited, but the waters did not go down. Ravi served tea. People got tired of waiting, so crowds came by, men with their pants rolled up and women holding their saris above their knees. They were smiling and laughing (not thinking of cholera and typhoid like I was). People in the shops and people in the streets waved and laughed at each other. Sometimes motorcycles went through, as well as people on bikes and rickshaws and even some guys posing as surfers on a cart. It was a joie-de-vive mood. I think Ravi did good business with the people stranded in his shop. We waited quite some time, but the water only went down an inch or two. The rickshaws were doing good business, so we hailed one and went to our hotel that had better drainage, fortunately. We were not hideous and exploitative, as we paid the driver well.

Today in the stadium we watched camel races (!) and a traditional dance by hundreds of school girls in red, pink, burgundy and orange saris and pounds of jewelry and bling. India does bling better than anywhere.

Walking in the streets is a challenge, given the crowds, but there is a happy vibe, the sun is shining again and people have money to spend because the harvests are in. We stimulated the economy again, as this is a good place for silver jewelry. Items to buy are shoved in our faces every 15 seconds--I do not exaggerate.  I (FF) do not feel very skilled at bargaining and think they are always getting the best of me.

Food. Drugs, eggs, alcohol and meat are forbidden in this city because it is sacred to Brahma. Everything we've eaten has been delicious--we order things we've never heard of, exotic sounding dishes, or food that sounds simple, but because of the utter mastery of using spices, everything is fantastic. Pushkar has many rooftop cafes, so we have views of the temples and ghats as we drink sweet and hot masala tea (black tea with milk/cream, spices and ginger) and remind ourselves that we go on vacation to relax and not just to do stuff. We are so American with this drive to feel like we should be doing something or planning to do something and we have to remind ourselves that it is OK to just be here now.

(MT here). Cliche no doubt, but seeing the standard of living here really puts things into perspective. Walk past a small 10 X 10 foot encampment, makeshift lean-to over a single mattress and tiny low table, small open fire with iron cookpot boiling, family of mother and three young children hanging out....all this located two feet away from heavy traffic on highway off-ramp, kids playing in dirt literally two feet away from truck wheels constantly going by. Hard for me to bargain with much energy to get price of shirt reduced from $3 to $2.50 (that's 135 rupees down to110). Remarkably happy or "up" vibe, though, almost everywhere. Extremely nice people overall, a culture of hospitality. But that's in Rajasthan state. We've been warned repeatedly that in Utter Pradesh state (where Taj Mahal is) it's not safe to go out at night. (We already have moved on from there.)

It smells like masala almost everywhere all the time, nice spicy aroma. Driving style is unbelievably insane, scary until you realize they're going about 25 mph max. Sightseeing sounds easy in the guidebook, "lovely temple only 7 kilometers from Agra," which turns out to be a two hour drive at 7 kilometers per hour including massive traffic jam because there are zero driving rules, at intersections (even major highway crossings) it's everybody pushing ahead from every direction into the intersection, total chaos/gridlock. But still seeming mostly not unhappy while sitting two inches behind diesel truck exhaust for 45 minutes not moving. I see why "acceptance of things as they are" became a big deal here.

Jaipur, Obama and Economic Stimulus by Americans

We took the 5:20 AM train from Agra, site of the Taj Mahal to Jaipur in the NW state of Rajasthan. We saw stars from India for the first time tonight. Before, the pollution was so terrible in Agra and Delhi that we could not see stars.

We have not seen many westerners in Jaipur. People are genuinely interested in where we are from and when we tell them, they almost always say something about Obama's visit to India this same week. One guy told us many details about the secruity measures and the cost. A mega billionaire is hosting him in his prime hotel. I do hope that the distribution of the income to India is beneficial to those of the lower socio-economic layers and does not stay in the upper reaches as often seems to be the case here. I read a very interesting newspaper article about money routinely being siphoned off that was for education, roads and other important needs that benefit people.

Anyway, Jaipur is a major shopping area in Asia. When in Rome...... So we bought a few things and stimulated the economy. Mary told me of Rajathali, a huge place that features the different crafts of Rajasthan. We went and it had irresistable treasures. Then the Americans stimulated the economy in the bazaars within the old walls of the Pink City.

We visually stick out and attract attention. We (ha ha) are tall and pale and dress differently. Most women wear vibrant saris or tunics with tight pants. We keep encountering children and even adults who want to say hello and ask us where we are from and our names. We get into little discussions with them. And we have to not reinforce the children who are begging. Inside my head I repeat, "Remember Slumdog--they don't get to keep the money." In case you need a refresher or have not seen Slumdog Millionaire, it accurately depicts the sad fact that the kids who beg are put on the streets by adults who benefit from the children's efforts.  We have caved a few times and given candy.

Rajasthan is packed with forts and palaces. This is the outside of one palace and for complex. It is from their foyer--an official welcoming area.

The next photo is the same complex over looking the pleasure garden for the ladies who only see the emperor, eunuchs and other women. There was a display of chairs that the women rode in for ceremonies because they couldn't walk due to the weight of their heavily adorned clothes. After that we have a photo of the summer palace on the lake so they could be cooler surrounded by water.

While we've been out and about, this vacation is different than what we usually do. Normally, either in a city or in a rural area, we walk lots. But here, the walking is not something that you do easily and get exercise. It takes some work--don't step in this, don't fall in the sewer, don't go too close to the dog laying in the sidewalk, don't trip over stuff, walk around the cow, don't get run over buy multiple types of vehicles, don't lose each other, don't go by those people who will be obnoxious (touts), don't run into people, don't respond to the zillion people who want you to buy something, and don't get ripped off. So far, no nice strolls or pep walks except in a little deer park at a mausoleum for the emperor, Akbar the Great.

We are staying in a beautiful Heritage House (government supported) called Madhuban that is in an old wooden mansion. The price is surprisingly low for what you get. It has a lovely walled garden where we had tea when we arrived. I love tea as an important part of life.Our room has a little terrace for hanging out. I am glad that we are here for four days. The Gateway in Agra was really grand, but this is  more to our comfort level.

The food has been delicious at every single meal. Fortunately, we both love spicy and exotic food. We don't always know what we are ordering, but the suprise is always yummy and we've had things that are entirely new. I think they put a stick of butter or a cup of cream in every dish, though.

Yesterday, we went to Vrindahvin (sp?), birth place of Krishna. He was raised by foster parents, just like Superman. We thought it was going to be a drive up the National Highway, something like 1 1/2 hours, but noooo, there was an accident and it became really long. But it was still worth it because we say this huge step well and the temple complex for Krishna, the blue god of love. He is blue because he was bit by a snake. We were thoroughly searched (gents in one line, ladies in another). Out came the camera, battery, ipod shuffle, alarm, flashlight, and cell phones which were baby sat by our good natured driver who did not want to come in. The temple complex was an amazing scene filled with Indian pilgrims and we were the only non-Indians. One woman asked me if I was happy. I grinned and said I was very happy.There were different temples and shrines and a life-sized kodachrome diarama of Krishna. No camera made us be here now.

You may recall your earlier introduction to step wells, which are huge stone lined wells built primarily in the 14th through 16th centuries that fill with monsoon rains. As the water level decreases, the steps take people deeper into the big wells, through Escher-like stair cases. They were for washing, drinking, worship, cooling off, and social gathering places. (There will not be a quiz.) The effort and architecture are astounding. It was a treat to unexpectedly come upon this one in the very funky village on the way to the Krishna temple. It is still being used.  On the far steps of the last photo you can see saris laid out to dry.

The Taj Mahal Experience

Today we went to the Taj Mahal for the first time in our lives.  Blown away by the fantastically beautiful architecture and gardens. It is better in real life than we imagined. Even with the crowds and the terrible pollution that made seeing from the Taj Mahal to the entry gate rather difficult. The TM was so incredible to see. 

To the right we have the TM in pollution and in reflection. And below there is a photo in the TM of onyx inlay of verses from the Koran above semi-precious stones creating beautiful symmetrical flower patterns.

We saw a family of five pigs run acrosss the road downtown on the way to the marble mausoleum.

Driving here is worse than we imagined. Fortunately, we pay to have someone else do it for us. I (FF) can see why people are so religious here. OMG!   OMG!! OMG!!! for the pedestrians, cows, buses, mangy dogs, rickshaws, cars, camel and horse carts, that weave in and out at various speeds and directions with no lines on the road.  It is the most crazy thing I have ever seen in my travels, ever.

The food is wonderful and we have been eating all sorts of great things we've never heard of. ( No bad symptoms so far : )   (MT). I (FF) could eat Indian food every day.

We keep remarking about how sweet and kind people are.

We are staying in this hotel that is really fancy--the travel agent arranged it in a package, so we had no idea--we feel really strange with the room service popping in and out turning down the bed and replenishing things and begging to do things for us. They re-fold the points on the t.p. It does not seem like the sort of place that people who are egalitarian patronize. But we are adjusting, knowing it is temporary and this is what they do here. We try very hard to be respectful guests.

Last night's mega holiday celebrating the return of light, Diwali, was wild--fireworks bursting all over the place; the electricity going off and on because of the drain on the power grid due to all the lights strung in markets and on buildings; and marigolds and decorations strung all over.

Two days ago we were in the old area of Delhi and we were going down this very narrow alley (no cars can get through) and there was a major jam--people were crowded around to see the filming of a scene of a Bollywood movie with two famous actors, KK and I can't remember the guy's name. We had just driven by the theater school where many famous actors are trained, including the famous Shahruh Kahn (sp?) SRK.

These two photos are of a step well in the middle of the city of Delhi. They were generally built 400-600 years ago in northern India to capture monsoon rains. The water level is high at the time of the monsoons and as the water is consumed or evaporated, people used the steps that lead to any level of water in the well.  There would be times of day when men would go to the wells and separate times that women and children would go. Hindu women bathed directly in the water and Muslim women would bathe in the alcoves along the sides, as they did not bathe in their drinking water. I went down to the bottom of this dry well and there were pigeons and bats. The wells are really beautiful and ingenious for the geology and environment. Most are no longer in use.