Don't know if anyone is reading this anymore, but I'm back home... yay! I'm ready to return to being a productive member of society. After 5-7 months of traveling (depends on whether or not you count domestic travel... I think that I've had my fill for now! All together the past year saw trips to Arizona/New Mexico, New York, Miami, Portland/Seattle/Vancouver, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, Qatar, India, China, and Thailand.
Just a brief rundown on Thailand (I'll keep it short, because it seems like most people have already been to Thailand)... beautiful beaches and the blueest water I've ever seen. I was hesitant to go at first, because it was monsoon season, but we found a really cheap ticket and 4 star hotel right on the beach for only $65 a night. I wasn't disappointed though... even at the end of this 1/2 year traveling saga I still managed to find something that I've never seen before. The waters of Ko Phi Phi were unbelievably blue. Almost unnaturally blue and the cliffs and the mountains crashing into the water were really impressive. I wish I was better with words so that I could describe it to everyone.
We spent most of the trip sitting on the beach of Phuket. Although Phuket was not terribly scenic, the beaches were relatively empty because of off season. We did take a canoeing trip, which was kinda fun... but the highlight was the end of the trip, when the entire boat crew put on a show for us. Not to sound like a teeny bopper... but OMG... that was crazy stuff. The first guy came out and did an entire MC hammer routine... and he completed the entire song and he was like dancing and high fivin everyone... madness. Then the next two guys came out and started break dancing, and they were GOOD. Let me tell you, they could give little kids in Central Park some good competition. Then the headliner came out... in true Thai fashion MC hammer transformed himself into a tranvestite showgirl/beachgirl and pranced around singing and blowing kisses to the crowd. The best part was that his face was painted white with that life-guard sunblock and his lips were a nice deep red... quite the sight that dude. He somehow managed to pick me to start the conga-line (spelling?) with him... and I whole-heartedly obliged... I must say he did have really REALLY REALLY nice legs...
We also managed to make a trip out to Ko PHi Phi to see the most amazing water in the world and do a little snorkeling. Unfortunately the on-again-off-again rains didn't permit for any diving. Oh well....
Well... that's it for this trip. I'll post my pix when I finally sort through them. Thanks for readin
Jeff
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Hong Kong
*** Warning... there are no horror stories or funny moments in this post... so you can just skip it if you want. Next week will be a Thailand post full of exploits and exploitation.
PICTURES:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhui_02/sets/72157606362249789/
yes... that's an octopus in my mouth.... mmmmmm
After India our next stop was China! We spent the first few days in Shanghai... recovering from our mysterious Indian stomach ailment and cooking at Steph's uncle's apartment. When we did leave the apartment, we spent most of our time wandering around the city and eating everything in sight. I think that Shanghai must have the best street food ever... Xiao Long Bao (dumplings), Sheng Jian Bao (more dumplings), and the Xinjiang style BBQ meat (see the above pix)... mmmmmmmmmm. When we weren't eating, we spent most of our time walking around the city and noticing that Shanghai has turned into a very interesting place. Having been several times over the past 10 years, I can definitely see how the city and the country is changing. There is a new shopping mall on every corner, high rises everywhere, tons of expats, and loads of non-chinese restaurants. 8 years ago when I lived in Beijing I could count the coffee shops on one hand... now there is a starbucks, illy, or costa coffee on every corner (and yes... they are American prices too). It sounds cheezy to say, but its so interesting watching a nation like China (or at least part of China) go through such a drastic economic change. My favorite scene was downtown on Nanjing Lu during a random workday when we saw a live band playing and a bunch of old couples dancing the afternoon away. One woman was particularly funny... she was soooooooo into it. Even though her husband didn't look so happy... she had this loook on her face that just said, "look at me... I'm fabulous." She kinda looked like an Chinese shirley temple... with curly bob haircut and she bounced around with a cheezy, showbiz smile tatooed on her face.
After Shanghai we went to Hangzhou and Suzhou. Hangzhou is famous for the West Lake (but not westlake soup) and the tea houses... so we spent most of our afternoon at these traditional tea houses where for $5-$10 you could get some tea and have a little buffet lunch. The tea was excellent and the vibe was really cool. Each table has a separate little booth and you just sit, relax, and drink tea all afternoon... very cool. I felt like an old chinese philosopher just sitting and drinking tea all afternoon while pondering life. The only think missing was my long wispy beard.
Suzhou is famous for the waterways (think mini Chinese Venice) and the gardens. We went to one garden called the "lingering garden" and we spent a couple of hours just lingering... even though it was like 100 degrees.
The one thing that you do notice in all Chinese cities is the Olympics and the Olympic propaganda. The entire country is mad with Olympic fever... and if you watch TV every night you would think that swimming, gymnastics, and womens volleyball are the 3 biggest olympic sports. And of course the country is in love with Yao and Yi (the other chinese NBA player) and their faces (especially Yi) are plastered all over buildings. By then end of my China stay I started thinking, "hey... that Yi guy is kinda cute". Total brainwashing...
After Suzhou we were off to Hong Kong were we spent more time.... EATING. I must have lost 5-10 pounds through heat and diarrhea in India and gained about 10-15 from fat and sugar in China. But it was mmm mmmm mmmm good.
The best part of our China trip was spending time with family. In Shanghai and Hanghzhou we spent most of our time with Steph's aunts, friend and cousin, and my cousin. In Hong Kong we were with my family the entire time. I was especially happy to see my THREE new nieces, who I nicknamed rambutan, lychee, and longan (lychee and longan are twins... but don't look the same... get it.. .almost the same but not really?).
The crazy part was that we actually had two conversations (one with Steph's aunt and one with my aunt) about the cultural revolution. Aside from meeting a holocaust survivor, I think that hearing about the cultural revolution is the most significant event a person could hear about first hand. I can't believe that we got to hear stories from two separate people... and both were just spur of the moment conversations that started as we talked about Shanghai, Hong Kong etc. What an amazing experience.
Well... like I said, I hope this post wasn't too boring. Next Stop: Thailand
PICTURES:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhui_02/sets/72157606362249789/
yes... that's an octopus in my mouth.... mmmmmm
After India our next stop was China! We spent the first few days in Shanghai... recovering from our mysterious Indian stomach ailment and cooking at Steph's uncle's apartment. When we did leave the apartment, we spent most of our time wandering around the city and eating everything in sight. I think that Shanghai must have the best street food ever... Xiao Long Bao (dumplings), Sheng Jian Bao (more dumplings), and the Xinjiang style BBQ meat (see the above pix)... mmmmmmmmmm. When we weren't eating, we spent most of our time walking around the city and noticing that Shanghai has turned into a very interesting place. Having been several times over the past 10 years, I can definitely see how the city and the country is changing. There is a new shopping mall on every corner, high rises everywhere, tons of expats, and loads of non-chinese restaurants. 8 years ago when I lived in Beijing I could count the coffee shops on one hand... now there is a starbucks, illy, or costa coffee on every corner (and yes... they are American prices too). It sounds cheezy to say, but its so interesting watching a nation like China (or at least part of China) go through such a drastic economic change. My favorite scene was downtown on Nanjing Lu during a random workday when we saw a live band playing and a bunch of old couples dancing the afternoon away. One woman was particularly funny... she was soooooooo into it. Even though her husband didn't look so happy... she had this loook on her face that just said, "look at me... I'm fabulous." She kinda looked like an Chinese shirley temple... with curly bob haircut and she bounced around with a cheezy, showbiz smile tatooed on her face.
After Shanghai we went to Hangzhou and Suzhou. Hangzhou is famous for the West Lake (but not westlake soup) and the tea houses... so we spent most of our afternoon at these traditional tea houses where for $5-$10 you could get some tea and have a little buffet lunch. The tea was excellent and the vibe was really cool. Each table has a separate little booth and you just sit, relax, and drink tea all afternoon... very cool. I felt like an old chinese philosopher just sitting and drinking tea all afternoon while pondering life. The only think missing was my long wispy beard.
Suzhou is famous for the waterways (think mini Chinese Venice) and the gardens. We went to one garden called the "lingering garden" and we spent a couple of hours just lingering... even though it was like 100 degrees.
The one thing that you do notice in all Chinese cities is the Olympics and the Olympic propaganda. The entire country is mad with Olympic fever... and if you watch TV every night you would think that swimming, gymnastics, and womens volleyball are the 3 biggest olympic sports. And of course the country is in love with Yao and Yi (the other chinese NBA player) and their faces (especially Yi) are plastered all over buildings. By then end of my China stay I started thinking, "hey... that Yi guy is kinda cute". Total brainwashing...
After Suzhou we were off to Hong Kong were we spent more time.... EATING. I must have lost 5-10 pounds through heat and diarrhea in India and gained about 10-15 from fat and sugar in China. But it was mmm mmmm mmmm good.
The best part of our China trip was spending time with family. In Shanghai and Hanghzhou we spent most of our time with Steph's aunts, friend and cousin, and my cousin. In Hong Kong we were with my family the entire time. I was especially happy to see my THREE new nieces, who I nicknamed rambutan, lychee, and longan (lychee and longan are twins... but don't look the same... get it.. .almost the same but not really?).
The crazy part was that we actually had two conversations (one with Steph's aunt and one with my aunt) about the cultural revolution. Aside from meeting a holocaust survivor, I think that hearing about the cultural revolution is the most significant event a person could hear about first hand. I can't believe that we got to hear stories from two separate people... and both were just spur of the moment conversations that started as we talked about Shanghai, Hong Kong etc. What an amazing experience.
Well... like I said, I hope this post wasn't too boring. Next Stop: Thailand
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Photos from India
Just some random pictures from the train station, bodhgaya, and varanasi!
I'm sure you will all enjoy the one of our bathroom (btw this was not the nastiest bathroom... just the only one that I photographed) and the butcher.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jhui_02/sets/72157606026157687/
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Udaipur and Varanasi
Even though I've been in China for over a week... I still have one more post for India. I thought I would end on a positive note, since my previous posts were rather negative. Once again, I would have to say that India is by far the most captivating place that I've ever been to. Just taking the train from one big city to another can be a complete adventure. The two most exciting cities for me were Udaipur and Varanasi. I won't say that they were both "nice" experiences, but definitely interesting.
For all three of us, Udaipur was the consensus "best" stop in terms of relaxation. We stayed at an awesome Havelli (renovated historical house) with a family that operated the hotel. It had a nice courtyard and three levels of rooms with a roof top deck. Since no one is stupid enough to travel through India in the summer... we got the off-season price which was basically $12/night/person. Our room had a great view of the water and a day bed and sitting area that overlooked the water. I spent hours just watching people do their laundry and bathe on the ghats (steps that lead into the water) right outside of our hotel. I was so interested in watching people bathe and do laundry side by side in horribly poluted water, and little did I know that this was just a taste of what we would see in Varanasi. During the evening we sat on the rooftop deck and watched the sun set over the water in one of those iconic kodak moments that makes you forget that the water actually smells like sewage and is filled with unknown waste and funk. After sunset we had dinner at my favorite restaurant through our entire India trip. It was a little mom and pop restaurant called Queen Cafe. The mom (actually more like grandma... or great grandma) did the cooking and the pop (grandpa) did the serving and entertaining. Seeing as how there were only two tables... his job was pretty easy and he sat and chatted with us while we ate. It definitely gave us that "home-cookin" feeling complete with that crazy relative that just wont leave you alone while you are trying to eat. The food was totally unlike anything we had anywhere else... I can still taste it weeks later... banana curry, coconut rice, stuffed eggplant curry... geez that was an amazing meal... FOODIE HEAVEN. Steph claims that they had the best mango shakes in India as well, but seeing as how I hate mango I can't confirm. The next day was a little more of the same sitting, watching, and relaxing but for dinner we took our second cooking class in India. This one was a little more structured, because it was at a spice shop instead of at home. We learned a variety of different dishes and I'm definitely stoked to go home and try them out. FYI... this is an open invitation to anyone who wants to come to NY and try out my authentic Indian cuisine (complete with 4 cups of oil... read the previous posts if you don't get that joke). Hopefully you all make it before I lose interest!!!
Varanasi was my absolute favority stop in India. I know Steph disagrees with me but I think that Ariele is leaning towards my side. I would have to say that it was a little funky with the rain. As I described earlier... many of the streets are not paved and filled with cow, pig, dog, goat, and buffalo excrement... so when it rains the streets get really funky and when it pours it just creates a brown mystery mush that you have to walk through to get anywhere. Walking just a block away was a complete "mess"... and we spent a lot of our time washing off our feet. Just thinking about the mystery mud makes me kinda shudder. In any case... the highlight of Varanasi is, of course, the Ganges River. This was very high on my list of things to see when coming to India... and it did not disappoint. First, you have to imagine this scene... people from all over India come to Varanasi to die, because its close to the Ganges river, which is holy. So they are hundreds of public funerals all day right on the water. The funeral is a long ceremony with the body colorfully wrapped and dressed and sitting next to the water while the family lines up to scoop water from the river and pour it on the dead body. Meanwhile the funeral pyre is burning a few feet away. After the ceremony the funeral conductors (is that the right word?) put the body on the pyre and do a public cremation... YES, we actually watched a body burn. I don't know about Steph and Ariele, but that was an eery experience for me. It gets crazier though... I guess the locals end up sending the bodies along the river or spreading the ashes along the water. Other backpackers told us that they saw dead, bloated bodies floating in the river. Even more crazy (yes... more crazy) is that this is all happening right next to the rest of the Ganges river action. Within 100 feet there was a herd of water buffalo (maybe like 20) swimming around. The water buffalo even came up to the dead body and started eating the flowers decorating the corpse. Can you imagine having a public funeral and having to swat away animals trying to nibble at the corpse?!?!? Of course there were also the resident bathers and laundry workers doing their business. Imagine this scene... a line for bathing standing next to a half dozen men and women doing laundry... 20 feet upstream dead body burning and another corpse waiting to be burned with buffalo nibbling at the corpse... another 20 feet upstream kids swimming and playing in the water. Could you imagine learning to swim next to dead bodies and a herd of buffalo. Whether one likes the funk or not, I think that everyone has to agree that Varanasi and the Ganges is a uniquely Indian experience that can't be found anywhere else. I had read many articles about the Ganges and I was hyped to see the action... and my traveler's curiosity was more than satisfied. No matter how hard I try to describe it... its just one of those things you have to see for yourself.
For all three of us, Udaipur was the consensus "best" stop in terms of relaxation. We stayed at an awesome Havelli (renovated historical house) with a family that operated the hotel. It had a nice courtyard and three levels of rooms with a roof top deck. Since no one is stupid enough to travel through India in the summer... we got the off-season price which was basically $12/night/person. Our room had a great view of the water and a day bed and sitting area that overlooked the water. I spent hours just watching people do their laundry and bathe on the ghats (steps that lead into the water) right outside of our hotel. I was so interested in watching people bathe and do laundry side by side in horribly poluted water, and little did I know that this was just a taste of what we would see in Varanasi. During the evening we sat on the rooftop deck and watched the sun set over the water in one of those iconic kodak moments that makes you forget that the water actually smells like sewage and is filled with unknown waste and funk. After sunset we had dinner at my favorite restaurant through our entire India trip. It was a little mom and pop restaurant called Queen Cafe. The mom (actually more like grandma... or great grandma) did the cooking and the pop (grandpa) did the serving and entertaining. Seeing as how there were only two tables... his job was pretty easy and he sat and chatted with us while we ate. It definitely gave us that "home-cookin" feeling complete with that crazy relative that just wont leave you alone while you are trying to eat. The food was totally unlike anything we had anywhere else... I can still taste it weeks later... banana curry, coconut rice, stuffed eggplant curry... geez that was an amazing meal... FOODIE HEAVEN. Steph claims that they had the best mango shakes in India as well, but seeing as how I hate mango I can't confirm. The next day was a little more of the same sitting, watching, and relaxing but for dinner we took our second cooking class in India. This one was a little more structured, because it was at a spice shop instead of at home. We learned a variety of different dishes and I'm definitely stoked to go home and try them out. FYI... this is an open invitation to anyone who wants to come to NY and try out my authentic Indian cuisine (complete with 4 cups of oil... read the previous posts if you don't get that joke). Hopefully you all make it before I lose interest!!!
Varanasi was my absolute favority stop in India. I know Steph disagrees with me but I think that Ariele is leaning towards my side. I would have to say that it was a little funky with the rain. As I described earlier... many of the streets are not paved and filled with cow, pig, dog, goat, and buffalo excrement... so when it rains the streets get really funky and when it pours it just creates a brown mystery mush that you have to walk through to get anywhere. Walking just a block away was a complete "mess"... and we spent a lot of our time washing off our feet. Just thinking about the mystery mud makes me kinda shudder. In any case... the highlight of Varanasi is, of course, the Ganges River. This was very high on my list of things to see when coming to India... and it did not disappoint. First, you have to imagine this scene... people from all over India come to Varanasi to die, because its close to the Ganges river, which is holy. So they are hundreds of public funerals all day right on the water. The funeral is a long ceremony with the body colorfully wrapped and dressed and sitting next to the water while the family lines up to scoop water from the river and pour it on the dead body. Meanwhile the funeral pyre is burning a few feet away. After the ceremony the funeral conductors (is that the right word?) put the body on the pyre and do a public cremation... YES, we actually watched a body burn. I don't know about Steph and Ariele, but that was an eery experience for me. It gets crazier though... I guess the locals end up sending the bodies along the river or spreading the ashes along the water. Other backpackers told us that they saw dead, bloated bodies floating in the river. Even more crazy (yes... more crazy) is that this is all happening right next to the rest of the Ganges river action. Within 100 feet there was a herd of water buffalo (maybe like 20) swimming around. The water buffalo even came up to the dead body and started eating the flowers decorating the corpse. Can you imagine having a public funeral and having to swat away animals trying to nibble at the corpse?!?!? Of course there were also the resident bathers and laundry workers doing their business. Imagine this scene... a line for bathing standing next to a half dozen men and women doing laundry... 20 feet upstream dead body burning and another corpse waiting to be burned with buffalo nibbling at the corpse... another 20 feet upstream kids swimming and playing in the water. Could you imagine learning to swim next to dead bodies and a herd of buffalo. Whether one likes the funk or not, I think that everyone has to agree that Varanasi and the Ganges is a uniquely Indian experience that can't be found anywhere else. I had read many articles about the Ganges and I was hyped to see the action... and my traveler's curiosity was more than satisfied. No matter how hard I try to describe it... its just one of those things you have to see for yourself.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
When travelin' goes bad
Well... it was bound to happen sooner or later. I've been bragging about how I never get sick. In the past two years, I've been to Peru, Bolivia, China, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Doha, and Israel and had zero stomach problems. Street food... no problems. Dirty dishes... no problems. Tap water in Jordan... no problems. Three weeks in India... no problems. Then... disaster hit. On the morning Steph was supposed to depart for China and I was supposed to head to the meditation stay, we both woke up with a massive case of travel sickness. Not your run of the mill runs... I'm talking fever, chills, stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomit... the works. The kind of sick when you are stuck in the bathroom and your only worry is which end the sickness is gonna come out of next... up top or down bottom... and you spend the entire day alternating between sitting on the porcelaine throne and praying on your knees to the porcelaine god. The best part was that both of us were sick and had to take turns in the bathroom. When I wasn't in the bathroom I was in the hotel room, curled into the fetal positioning, sweating, shivering, and wimpering (yes, literally wimpering) from the stomach cramps. Can't remember the last time I've had stomach cramps that bad. When I was in the bathroom, I could hear Steph waiting at the door desparately trying to hold it all in.
Damn you India...YOU WIN... I was cocky and thought my stomach was invincible, but you proved me wrong. You defeated me and left me crying like a little girl. Next time I go to India, I'm only going to eat street food... I figure if I'm gonna get sick, I might as well go out in a blaze of glory. Maybe next time I'll end up getting Giardia or some other glorious travel ailment.
So my trip has changed once again. I didn't get to do the 2 weeks in silence that I planned, because I wasn't able to leave my bathroom to get on the train. Perhaps it was a good thing. I was already having second thoughts about staying at the ashram during the summer. When the coordinator emails you to specifically remind you that the temperature is 110 during the day and 90 at night, it kinda makes one have doubts about "finding yourself" while you are battling dehydration and various other heat related ailments. So, of the three top things that I wanted to do on this trip - dive the Red Sea, meditate at an ashram, and see Tibet - only one came through.... but not for a lack of effort or good intentions. I guess I'll just have to save the spiritual stuff for another trip when Olympic protests blocking the way to Tibet and my stomach isn't exploding.
Obviously, there are no pictures for this part of the trip, but if are curious I can give you a very detailed description of what everything looked like and you can create your own in mental images.
Damn you India...YOU WIN... I was cocky and thought my stomach was invincible, but you proved me wrong. You defeated me and left me crying like a little girl. Next time I go to India, I'm only going to eat street food... I figure if I'm gonna get sick, I might as well go out in a blaze of glory. Maybe next time I'll end up getting Giardia or some other glorious travel ailment.
So my trip has changed once again. I didn't get to do the 2 weeks in silence that I planned, because I wasn't able to leave my bathroom to get on the train. Perhaps it was a good thing. I was already having second thoughts about staying at the ashram during the summer. When the coordinator emails you to specifically remind you that the temperature is 110 during the day and 90 at night, it kinda makes one have doubts about "finding yourself" while you are battling dehydration and various other heat related ailments. So, of the three top things that I wanted to do on this trip - dive the Red Sea, meditate at an ashram, and see Tibet - only one came through.... but not for a lack of effort or good intentions. I guess I'll just have to save the spiritual stuff for another trip when Olympic protests blocking the way to Tibet and my stomach isn't exploding.
Obviously, there are no pictures for this part of the trip, but if are curious I can give you a very detailed description of what everything looked like and you can create your own in mental images.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
India Travel - Text
(sorry for the lame pix on the other post... having a hard time finding USB ports around here... and the computers are annoyingly slow!!! I had better photos, but no time to search for them).
I hate to get too cliche, but the best way to describe India is "different". Its completely different from anywhere else I've ever been... including China. It can be the most vibrant and energetic place on earth... with people and action humming on every street corner for hundreds of miles. That activity, however, makes it the most chaotic place on earth as well. I guess one way to put it is that its both travel heaven and travel hell. Just some examples of what I mean...
TRANSPORTATION
Heaven: For the bargain price of $15/day, Steph, Ariele, and I were able to afford a car and driver to take us throughout Rajasthan... that is less than the cost of taking the trains, rickshaws, etc around. Our driver took us everywhere for the first 10 days, waited for us while we visited the different monuments, and gave us itinerary suggestions. It was a little bit (just a little) of luxury during our otherwise difficult trip.
Hell: After we ditched the driver for the more local experience, we had the joy of taking the train. Our first overnight train was 5 hours late, and we spent the 5 hours waiting in the train station... in the the 100+ degree heat and humidity, which created a general layer of funk over everyone. We passed the time swatting away flies, mosquitos, and crickets and watching the rats run around the tracks. I was truly amazed at the sheer quantity of rats running around the tracks... but not surprised after seeing everyone throw their trash onto the tracks and realizing that the train toilets empty out on the tracks. There were people all over the train station... a sea of humanity, flesh, and sweat. Most people brought blankets to lay down on, and the three of us shared the two seats that we could find. After 5 hours, I wasn't sure what smelled worse... the funk from all the bodies or the stink of fresh urine on the tracks. After fighting the funk, we finally got on to our sleeper train, which luckily was air conditioned!!! Unfortunately... the Japanese guy that was sharing our berth was also waiting in the heat for 5 hours... and his foot funk clogged up our compartment and I had to sleep with the curtain open for fresh air.
Conclusion: I don't think that I could travel by train for 6 months straight, but it is an experience. The sights and smells are unreal... I can't begin to describe the chaos we saw during some of the other train trips we've taken... monsoons pouring down on hundreds of people with bags and sacks strapped to their heads and necks, naked kids running around, dogs and cows everywhere, food carts running for cover, and kids and men urinating everywhere. I'm not saying that all of India is like this... the train station is definitely its own little world... and I'm glad to get a taste of it.
PEOPLE
Heaven: Everything about the people here is bold and vibrant. I am constantly amazed to see how bright the saris are. Even the poorest women in the villages have bright pink, yellow, and blue saris. We can't quite figure out how they keep the colors so bright... especially the women that wash in the river. The ganges is a nasty, funky mess with cremated bodies, water buffalos, and bathers floating everywhere... I can't understand how the women wash their clothes in there and still walk away with bright, almost fluorescent, colored outfits. That's some definite skill. My blue tshirt turns brown from the dust and sweat after being out all day... and their bright colored outfits never seem to change. The men and children are all so friendly. You can't walk down the street without someone coming up to talk to you... and the little boys are the best... they always want their picture taken and are so eager to meet the tourists. With the amount of tourists that India gets, I would think they would be tired of seeing us, but they never seem to lose interest.
Hell: That same outgoing nature leads to some of the worst touts on earth. You can't walk down the street without someone talking to you... but unfortunately that someone is usually trying to sell you something. Also the amount of people is just overwhelming... Its just people everwhere... the bazaars are absolutely packed and the streets are ALWAYS crowded. India seems like New York City Times Square on New Years Eve... but everyday and in every city.
Conclusion: I like it. The crowds and touts are frustrating and I find myself getting really feisty (Yesterday I screamed at a driver over 10 rupees, which is the equivalent of 25 cents), BUT I think that's part of the experience. It just created this energy and excitement that is different from anything else I've ever experienced.
FOOD
Heaven: India is amazing when it comes to food. This is the first place that I've visited that I really feel like I'm able to get a taste of the local food... without the locals! Even more amazing is that after two weeks, I'm still finding new dishes every meal. The variey here is incredibly... its definitely foodie heaven.
Hell: We took two cooking classes - One with a woman during a home stay (very very cool experience) and the other at a small school in Udaipur. The first thing we discovered was that our stomachs were not hurting from the "new" bacteria... but from the oil. When the recipe starts with 4 CUPS (not tablespoons) of oil, you know its gonna be pepto time baby. The Lonely Planet always has a section on travelers diarrhea... but I think they should include a section for oil diarrhea... gross but true. Side note: Daily 100 degree heat mixed with hot, heavy, spicy Indian food is the ultimate recipe for food coma.
Conclusion: I loved Indian food before I came... and I love it even more now. I can't wait to get home to try out some of the stuff I learned in cooking class. I'm still not sure how people are able to eat this style food everyday, but its tasty as hell... its probably the 4 cups of oil they use.
HOTELS
Heaven: During our first two weeks we made an effort to stay at some havelis... which are historical homes/buildings. Our most unique stay was at a private home with a woman named Bhavana. We hung out with her and her son and learned to cook... and she had the most beautiful guest rooms ever. My favorite spot was at Udaipur... where we stayed a historical haveli turned guesthouse with a beautiful view of the lake. I'll write more about that later, so I don't want to spoil it now, but we unamimously agree that was our best stop. The price for these stays... about $12.50/night/person.
Hell: We also stayed at a haveli for $2.50 per person... which probably wasn't worth the $2.50 we payed. We stayed at several places where we had to use our mosquito nets... and not just to keep mosquitos out. We've grown accustomed to picking up crickets and escorting them out, showering in stank prison-esque showers, and hoping that we can't see won't hurt us.
Conclusion: I could really do without the $2.50/night guesthouses. Its part of the adventure now... but not a positive memory.
ANIMALS
Heaven: India is just teeming with animals. I know I've mentioned this already, but it just blows my mind how many cows are out on the streets. Its crazy to be stuck in traffice behind a cow who is moo-ing at a rickshaw to "hurry up already with that left turn". Monkies can easily be spotted near any market (where they usually steal food), wild pigs near the trash pile, dogs anywhere you look, and goats are almost anywhere you see cows.
Hell: I've also said this before, but its worth mentioning again... animals make waste. Lots of animals make lots of waste. Not picking it up makes a huge mess... enough said.
Conclusion: Animals are cool, but the city governments should assign more people to picking up that crap.
I hate to get too cliche, but the best way to describe India is "different". Its completely different from anywhere else I've ever been... including China. It can be the most vibrant and energetic place on earth... with people and action humming on every street corner for hundreds of miles. That activity, however, makes it the most chaotic place on earth as well. I guess one way to put it is that its both travel heaven and travel hell. Just some examples of what I mean...
TRANSPORTATION
Heaven: For the bargain price of $15/day, Steph, Ariele, and I were able to afford a car and driver to take us throughout Rajasthan... that is less than the cost of taking the trains, rickshaws, etc around. Our driver took us everywhere for the first 10 days, waited for us while we visited the different monuments, and gave us itinerary suggestions. It was a little bit (just a little) of luxury during our otherwise difficult trip.
Hell: After we ditched the driver for the more local experience, we had the joy of taking the train. Our first overnight train was 5 hours late, and we spent the 5 hours waiting in the train station... in the the 100+ degree heat and humidity, which created a general layer of funk over everyone. We passed the time swatting away flies, mosquitos, and crickets and watching the rats run around the tracks. I was truly amazed at the sheer quantity of rats running around the tracks... but not surprised after seeing everyone throw their trash onto the tracks and realizing that the train toilets empty out on the tracks. There were people all over the train station... a sea of humanity, flesh, and sweat. Most people brought blankets to lay down on, and the three of us shared the two seats that we could find. After 5 hours, I wasn't sure what smelled worse... the funk from all the bodies or the stink of fresh urine on the tracks. After fighting the funk, we finally got on to our sleeper train, which luckily was air conditioned!!! Unfortunately... the Japanese guy that was sharing our berth was also waiting in the heat for 5 hours... and his foot funk clogged up our compartment and I had to sleep with the curtain open for fresh air.
Conclusion: I don't think that I could travel by train for 6 months straight, but it is an experience. The sights and smells are unreal... I can't begin to describe the chaos we saw during some of the other train trips we've taken... monsoons pouring down on hundreds of people with bags and sacks strapped to their heads and necks, naked kids running around, dogs and cows everywhere, food carts running for cover, and kids and men urinating everywhere. I'm not saying that all of India is like this... the train station is definitely its own little world... and I'm glad to get a taste of it.
PEOPLE
Heaven: Everything about the people here is bold and vibrant. I am constantly amazed to see how bright the saris are. Even the poorest women in the villages have bright pink, yellow, and blue saris. We can't quite figure out how they keep the colors so bright... especially the women that wash in the river. The ganges is a nasty, funky mess with cremated bodies, water buffalos, and bathers floating everywhere... I can't understand how the women wash their clothes in there and still walk away with bright, almost fluorescent, colored outfits. That's some definite skill. My blue tshirt turns brown from the dust and sweat after being out all day... and their bright colored outfits never seem to change. The men and children are all so friendly. You can't walk down the street without someone coming up to talk to you... and the little boys are the best... they always want their picture taken and are so eager to meet the tourists. With the amount of tourists that India gets, I would think they would be tired of seeing us, but they never seem to lose interest.
Hell: That same outgoing nature leads to some of the worst touts on earth. You can't walk down the street without someone talking to you... but unfortunately that someone is usually trying to sell you something. Also the amount of people is just overwhelming... Its just people everwhere... the bazaars are absolutely packed and the streets are ALWAYS crowded. India seems like New York City Times Square on New Years Eve... but everyday and in every city.
Conclusion: I like it. The crowds and touts are frustrating and I find myself getting really feisty (Yesterday I screamed at a driver over 10 rupees, which is the equivalent of 25 cents), BUT I think that's part of the experience. It just created this energy and excitement that is different from anything else I've ever experienced.
FOOD
Heaven: India is amazing when it comes to food. This is the first place that I've visited that I really feel like I'm able to get a taste of the local food... without the locals! Even more amazing is that after two weeks, I'm still finding new dishes every meal. The variey here is incredibly... its definitely foodie heaven.
Hell: We took two cooking classes - One with a woman during a home stay (very very cool experience) and the other at a small school in Udaipur. The first thing we discovered was that our stomachs were not hurting from the "new" bacteria... but from the oil. When the recipe starts with 4 CUPS (not tablespoons) of oil, you know its gonna be pepto time baby. The Lonely Planet always has a section on travelers diarrhea... but I think they should include a section for oil diarrhea... gross but true. Side note: Daily 100 degree heat mixed with hot, heavy, spicy Indian food is the ultimate recipe for food coma.
Conclusion: I loved Indian food before I came... and I love it even more now. I can't wait to get home to try out some of the stuff I learned in cooking class. I'm still not sure how people are able to eat this style food everyday, but its tasty as hell... its probably the 4 cups of oil they use.
HOTELS
Heaven: During our first two weeks we made an effort to stay at some havelis... which are historical homes/buildings. Our most unique stay was at a private home with a woman named Bhavana. We hung out with her and her son and learned to cook... and she had the most beautiful guest rooms ever. My favorite spot was at Udaipur... where we stayed a historical haveli turned guesthouse with a beautiful view of the lake. I'll write more about that later, so I don't want to spoil it now, but we unamimously agree that was our best stop. The price for these stays... about $12.50/night/person.
Hell: We also stayed at a haveli for $2.50 per person... which probably wasn't worth the $2.50 we payed. We stayed at several places where we had to use our mosquito nets... and not just to keep mosquitos out. We've grown accustomed to picking up crickets and escorting them out, showering in stank prison-esque showers, and hoping that we can't see won't hurt us.
Conclusion: I could really do without the $2.50/night guesthouses. Its part of the adventure now... but not a positive memory.
ANIMALS
Heaven: India is just teeming with animals. I know I've mentioned this already, but it just blows my mind how many cows are out on the streets. Its crazy to be stuck in traffice behind a cow who is moo-ing at a rickshaw to "hurry up already with that left turn". Monkies can easily be spotted near any market (where they usually steal food), wild pigs near the trash pile, dogs anywhere you look, and goats are almost anywhere you see cows.
Hell: I've also said this before, but its worth mentioning again... animals make waste. Lots of animals make lots of waste. Not picking it up makes a huge mess... enough said.
Conclusion: Animals are cool, but the city governments should assign more people to picking up that crap.
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