hello world
well, i was going to start off by swearing and cursing about india and all... but right now we've just had a couple of really nice days in a small town called udaipur (known from 007 - octopussy) in rajastan, india and my anger, disgust and rage have been carried away by a light breeze while i am sitting on a pile of cushions on the rooftop of our hotel, over viewing the town and the lake while the sun is slowly moving down to hide behind the brown mountains surrounding this whole area... it is indeed bloody awesome right now!
anyhow, i have just recently regained my relaxed and mellow state of mind. until not long ago i was going bloody bonkers in this country. we landed in india mid january and from there it was just mental. i just can't (or couldn't) get over the stress and hassle you are exposed to. here in india, the rickshaw drivers, store owners, photo people and general bullshit talkers make their fellow egyptian hustlers in the old market back in sharm el sheikh look like a bunch of first grade pussies just waiting for someone to take their lunch money off them. i shiteth thou not! they leave you not even a millisecond of rest, often you have two or three people at once offering you shit no person on this planet will ever need for a "very cheap price" and just don't quit yapping on and on and on.
and the honking, the constant deafening noise everywhere you are. for fuck's sake...give me a god damn break! or a vuvuzela. and everything is dirty. people don't just spit on the ground, no, they put most effort into getting as much snot as possible in there in order to form a huge greenish-yellow puddle on the floor, anywhere, also in the trains. and we have seen people taking a shit, yes, A SHIT in front of their own house. i mean i know... sewage systems do not exist everywhere in the world. but seriously guys... dig a fucking hole and crap in there rather than on the streets. on the other hand the streets are already full of cow shit, so why not add a little human flavour.
so i ended up starting by swearing and cursing about india after all...enough of that now though. now it is better... so let me bring you up to date on the passed events.
we started off in delhi, one hell of a crazy city. that was our first encounter with india and it was heavy. we took a couple of days to look at some things and get an idea of what we want to do in india. so we made our plans and did some sightseeing.
we visited the former home of indira gandhi, a prime minister of india who was killed outside her own house. her son stepped in her place and was bombed a year later.
also we visited the place mahatma gandhi spent his last 140 or so days and was also killed. we were able to take his last walk, along side of his footprints, marking the last steps he took. that was really interesting i must say.
last we visited the big old red fort in delhi. it's an old fort. and it's red. and big. yeah... but i liked it! it was fun. i like walking around old stuff.
after that we moved on to agra, the home of the taj mahal. i guess everyone knows it. but standing in fornt of it in person blew my mind. we got up at 4.30 am to get tickets and queue to get in to see the sunrise. and it was mindboggling. this is absolutely the most beautiful building i have ever seen. the white marble lighting up as the sun slowly rises. stunning. unfortunately it was also very very cold. it was freezing. and not only the taj, but also all the other buildings and hostels are full of marble which makes it feel even colder and specially miss bonda is not amused by the cold. so that was a shame, but what can you do...
after that we moved on to khajuraho. this is a place full of temples, everywhere, all around, a thousand years old and it's the origin of the art of kamasutra. the temples are full of erotic engravings and statues. well, many parts are beyond erotic. i'd call it antique pornographic.
the temples are divided into four groups (north, east, south and west) of which the western group is the best preserved and fenced off. this is also where you pay money to get in. it's not that expensive though and totally worth it.
the other parts are scattered around, sometimes just a few temples of a group left. and khajuraho it's self is right in the middle of all these ruins. we rented bikes one day and pedalled around the old village and some ruins for a bit. that was fun too, even though bonda had a hard time riding her huge bike, being such a tiny person and all... but that on the other hand made it more fun for me.
the next stop was varanasi. this is not only a holy city on the holy river ganges, it is also one of the oldest constantly inhabited cities in the world. hindi people believe, if you die in varanasi you can escape the cycle of death and rebirth. well, you can't escape death, but you don't have to be reborn as worm or something.
but varanasi is mainly famous for cremations. the entire bank of the river is full of ghats, on after another. ghats are stairs leading into the river of ganges. you can walk along the river from one ghat to the next. the whole way you see many hindus bathing in the river, washing them selves, taking some water to bring home (people from all over india come here, some spend their life savings for a trip to varanasi) and there are so many babas. a baba is some kind of guru or something, somehow holy and they all smoke pot. so they sit there, smoke hash and beg for food and money. but they are all very nice. we had a nice chat with one and he showed us around a little.
anyhow, two of these ghats are special, which brings me back to the cremations. on two ghats combined around 300 people are cremated every day in varanasi, in plain daylight and totally public. the houses leading away from the river form an absolute maze of tiny streets, through which the family members of the deceased carry the body on a bamboo stretcher. once they arrive at their burning ghat they put the body in the river and then go to their spot. the better the place, the higher the price. they put the body down (which is wrapped in colourful cloth) and buy special wood, sold at the ghat. once again... the better the quality of the wood, the higher the price. then they stack a neat pile of wood with the body somewhere in the middle and light the whole thing. then it burns for three hours after which the remains (bones and one or two lumps of black something) are put in the river. the reason for all this is so they are clean and will have a better next life. there are also no women allowed because they cry and that is somehow not good and the soul of the dead won't be clean. for that reason you are also not allowed to take any pictures (also a reason for the more extended explanations) or give money.
all in all varanasi is pretty cool. the maze of tiny streets, full of temples, spices, gurus and cows, the river, the special vibe and all. but it is also the most stressful place. this is the home of the "rickshaw? boot? need room? what country? where you go? what you're name? want hashish, heroin?" people. but screw them! no boat, no rickshaw, no room, no hash, no one rupi, no problem.
and that brings us here... udaipur. this lovely place. the way here however was the worst ever...
we were, as i mentioned, slightly cold... constantly. also this never-seen-before-non-stop hassle just took it out of us. we spent most hours in our hotel or hostel room, just to maintain our sanity. also we have been travelling over five months and it just ain't all sugar candy. we also had spent a lot of time with different friends and family for quite a while and were all of a sudden on our own again. for all these reasons and probably many more we were just sick, physically and mentally. so we decided to go to this place here, udaipur. we read and were told it is more peaceful and it is also supposed to be one of the most romantic places in the world (true that, by the way).
we had gotten a train ticket from varanasi to jaipur. a 18 hour hell ride according to schedule, which turned out to be a 22 hour hell ride. we had the shittiest class, full of people wandering around the whole night, sleeping on the floor and never letting you rest 'cause you're shit scared about your luggage (specially after reading all the stories). and of course the spitting on the ground, shouting and so on. just before we went on the train we got a ticket for the train from jaipur, where we were leaving for, to udaipur, where we wanted to go. this train leaves almost 3 hours after our arrival in jaipur and we were told we'd get a refund if worst comes to worst. long story short: we were four hours late, missed the train and didn't get a refund. because of the previously expected full refund we had gone big and got first calss tickets to do us something good after a night in a damn train. actually we did get a refund but is was only half. we spent hours at the station talking to him and him and going here and there... and then i lost it. i cursed them all, told them to fuck them selves, told all other people around that these scumbags are not worthy of working for the indian railway and they should all be ashamed and they are thieves and repeated the part about fucking them selves several times too.
i left then, because i am the greater man and partially also because they threatened to get the cops. both of us didn't feel to good after that and also didn't feel like staying in this place. so we payed some guy some money (fuck the moneys at that point) and got him to drive us 7 hours through the night to udaipur. winning again!
the sun has set by now, it is dark and peaceful and here we are, having some good times, relaxing and feeling good. we're off to see some temple and a fort tomorrow... and horse riding the day after. awesome.
sending out hugs and love to all of you
bonda & dee
delhi streets...
...by day...
...and by night.
idrina gandhi's last walk. she came from the back and was shot and stumbled on till she fell dead where it is now covered in clear glass.
this was mahathma gandhi's last place to live...
and these are his last steps...
and this is where he was shot.
barber visit in delhi
the red fort in delhi
after successfully buying train tickets. simple things are complicated and confusing in india :-)
agra... did i say it was bloody cold??!!
guard at the taj mahal
and here it is: the taj mahal. stunning!
one of the red buidlings surrounding the taj
a window inside the taj. these "grids" are solid marble plates with little holes cut out.
this is the building you walk through when going to the taj. this it's self is a beauty, but nothing compared to the taj mahal.
our favourite spot for hanging out during the day. warmth from the sund and hell of an awesome view.
cows in the streets of khajuraho
the khajuraho temples... sexy kamasurta style. but absolutely amazing. the detail of the work is awesome.
a local market on a open field in khajuraho
a tiny girl on a big bike
one evening jonas, the waiter/cook at our hostel invited us to watch him cook and prepared a candle light dinner for us. and that was quite nice i must say.
this is a table on a platform in a tree, overviewing the temples. now this is what i call a relaxing chillout place
varanasi... so many cows and kids with kites
walking along the ghats...
...or through the maze of tiny streets
walking through the streets with our friendly baba
and to help you handle the hassle... a drink in a home made cup
well, i was going to start off by swearing and cursing about india and all... but right now we've just had a couple of really nice days in a small town called udaipur (known from 007 - octopussy) in rajastan, india and my anger, disgust and rage have been carried away by a light breeze while i am sitting on a pile of cushions on the rooftop of our hotel, over viewing the town and the lake while the sun is slowly moving down to hide behind the brown mountains surrounding this whole area... it is indeed bloody awesome right now!
anyhow, i have just recently regained my relaxed and mellow state of mind. until not long ago i was going bloody bonkers in this country. we landed in india mid january and from there it was just mental. i just can't (or couldn't) get over the stress and hassle you are exposed to. here in india, the rickshaw drivers, store owners, photo people and general bullshit talkers make their fellow egyptian hustlers in the old market back in sharm el sheikh look like a bunch of first grade pussies just waiting for someone to take their lunch money off them. i shiteth thou not! they leave you not even a millisecond of rest, often you have two or three people at once offering you shit no person on this planet will ever need for a "very cheap price" and just don't quit yapping on and on and on.
and the honking, the constant deafening noise everywhere you are. for fuck's sake...give me a god damn break! or a vuvuzela. and everything is dirty. people don't just spit on the ground, no, they put most effort into getting as much snot as possible in there in order to form a huge greenish-yellow puddle on the floor, anywhere, also in the trains. and we have seen people taking a shit, yes, A SHIT in front of their own house. i mean i know... sewage systems do not exist everywhere in the world. but seriously guys... dig a fucking hole and crap in there rather than on the streets. on the other hand the streets are already full of cow shit, so why not add a little human flavour.
so i ended up starting by swearing and cursing about india after all...enough of that now though. now it is better... so let me bring you up to date on the passed events.
we started off in delhi, one hell of a crazy city. that was our first encounter with india and it was heavy. we took a couple of days to look at some things and get an idea of what we want to do in india. so we made our plans and did some sightseeing.
we visited the former home of indira gandhi, a prime minister of india who was killed outside her own house. her son stepped in her place and was bombed a year later.
also we visited the place mahatma gandhi spent his last 140 or so days and was also killed. we were able to take his last walk, along side of his footprints, marking the last steps he took. that was really interesting i must say.
last we visited the big old red fort in delhi. it's an old fort. and it's red. and big. yeah... but i liked it! it was fun. i like walking around old stuff.
after that we moved on to agra, the home of the taj mahal. i guess everyone knows it. but standing in fornt of it in person blew my mind. we got up at 4.30 am to get tickets and queue to get in to see the sunrise. and it was mindboggling. this is absolutely the most beautiful building i have ever seen. the white marble lighting up as the sun slowly rises. stunning. unfortunately it was also very very cold. it was freezing. and not only the taj, but also all the other buildings and hostels are full of marble which makes it feel even colder and specially miss bonda is not amused by the cold. so that was a shame, but what can you do...
after that we moved on to khajuraho. this is a place full of temples, everywhere, all around, a thousand years old and it's the origin of the art of kamasutra. the temples are full of erotic engravings and statues. well, many parts are beyond erotic. i'd call it antique pornographic.
the temples are divided into four groups (north, east, south and west) of which the western group is the best preserved and fenced off. this is also where you pay money to get in. it's not that expensive though and totally worth it.
the other parts are scattered around, sometimes just a few temples of a group left. and khajuraho it's self is right in the middle of all these ruins. we rented bikes one day and pedalled around the old village and some ruins for a bit. that was fun too, even though bonda had a hard time riding her huge bike, being such a tiny person and all... but that on the other hand made it more fun for me.
the next stop was varanasi. this is not only a holy city on the holy river ganges, it is also one of the oldest constantly inhabited cities in the world. hindi people believe, if you die in varanasi you can escape the cycle of death and rebirth. well, you can't escape death, but you don't have to be reborn as worm or something.
but varanasi is mainly famous for cremations. the entire bank of the river is full of ghats, on after another. ghats are stairs leading into the river of ganges. you can walk along the river from one ghat to the next. the whole way you see many hindus bathing in the river, washing them selves, taking some water to bring home (people from all over india come here, some spend their life savings for a trip to varanasi) and there are so many babas. a baba is some kind of guru or something, somehow holy and they all smoke pot. so they sit there, smoke hash and beg for food and money. but they are all very nice. we had a nice chat with one and he showed us around a little.
anyhow, two of these ghats are special, which brings me back to the cremations. on two ghats combined around 300 people are cremated every day in varanasi, in plain daylight and totally public. the houses leading away from the river form an absolute maze of tiny streets, through which the family members of the deceased carry the body on a bamboo stretcher. once they arrive at their burning ghat they put the body in the river and then go to their spot. the better the place, the higher the price. they put the body down (which is wrapped in colourful cloth) and buy special wood, sold at the ghat. once again... the better the quality of the wood, the higher the price. then they stack a neat pile of wood with the body somewhere in the middle and light the whole thing. then it burns for three hours after which the remains (bones and one or two lumps of black something) are put in the river. the reason for all this is so they are clean and will have a better next life. there are also no women allowed because they cry and that is somehow not good and the soul of the dead won't be clean. for that reason you are also not allowed to take any pictures (also a reason for the more extended explanations) or give money.
all in all varanasi is pretty cool. the maze of tiny streets, full of temples, spices, gurus and cows, the river, the special vibe and all. but it is also the most stressful place. this is the home of the "rickshaw? boot? need room? what country? where you go? what you're name? want hashish, heroin?" people. but screw them! no boat, no rickshaw, no room, no hash, no one rupi, no problem.
and that brings us here... udaipur. this lovely place. the way here however was the worst ever...
we were, as i mentioned, slightly cold... constantly. also this never-seen-before-non-stop hassle just took it out of us. we spent most hours in our hotel or hostel room, just to maintain our sanity. also we have been travelling over five months and it just ain't all sugar candy. we also had spent a lot of time with different friends and family for quite a while and were all of a sudden on our own again. for all these reasons and probably many more we were just sick, physically and mentally. so we decided to go to this place here, udaipur. we read and were told it is more peaceful and it is also supposed to be one of the most romantic places in the world (true that, by the way).
we had gotten a train ticket from varanasi to jaipur. a 18 hour hell ride according to schedule, which turned out to be a 22 hour hell ride. we had the shittiest class, full of people wandering around the whole night, sleeping on the floor and never letting you rest 'cause you're shit scared about your luggage (specially after reading all the stories). and of course the spitting on the ground, shouting and so on. just before we went on the train we got a ticket for the train from jaipur, where we were leaving for, to udaipur, where we wanted to go. this train leaves almost 3 hours after our arrival in jaipur and we were told we'd get a refund if worst comes to worst. long story short: we were four hours late, missed the train and didn't get a refund. because of the previously expected full refund we had gone big and got first calss tickets to do us something good after a night in a damn train. actually we did get a refund but is was only half. we spent hours at the station talking to him and him and going here and there... and then i lost it. i cursed them all, told them to fuck them selves, told all other people around that these scumbags are not worthy of working for the indian railway and they should all be ashamed and they are thieves and repeated the part about fucking them selves several times too.
i left then, because i am the greater man and partially also because they threatened to get the cops. both of us didn't feel to good after that and also didn't feel like staying in this place. so we payed some guy some money (fuck the moneys at that point) and got him to drive us 7 hours through the night to udaipur. winning again!
the sun has set by now, it is dark and peaceful and here we are, having some good times, relaxing and feeling good. we're off to see some temple and a fort tomorrow... and horse riding the day after. awesome.
sending out hugs and love to all of you
bonda & dee
...by day...
...and by night.
the study of idrina gndhi (behind glass)
idrina gandhi's last walk. she came from the back and was shot and stumbled on till she fell dead where it is now covered in clear glass.
this was mahathma gandhi's last place to live...
and these are his last steps...
and this is where he was shot.
barber visit in delhi
the red fort in delhi
after successfully buying train tickets. simple things are complicated and confusing in india :-)
agra... did i say it was bloody cold??!!
guard at the taj mahal
and here it is: the taj mahal. stunning!
one of the red buidlings surrounding the taj
a window inside the taj. these "grids" are solid marble plates with little holes cut out.
this is the building you walk through when going to the taj. this it's self is a beauty, but nothing compared to the taj mahal.
our favourite spot for hanging out during the day. warmth from the sund and hell of an awesome view.
cows in the streets of khajuraho
the khajuraho temples... sexy kamasurta style. but absolutely amazing. the detail of the work is awesome.
a local market on a open field in khajuraho
a tiny girl on a big bike
one evening jonas, the waiter/cook at our hostel invited us to watch him cook and prepared a candle light dinner for us. and that was quite nice i must say.
this is a table on a platform in a tree, overviewing the temples. now this is what i call a relaxing chillout place
varanasi... so many cows and kids with kites
walking along the ghats...
...or through the maze of tiny streets
walking through the streets with our friendly baba
and to help you handle the hassle... a drink in a home made cup
