A Work in Progress

When I was a kid, I always wanted Christmas to be exactly the same.  Eat at the same restaurant for Christmas eve, have the same Christmas morning routine, go to the same church service.  I guess I found comfort in it.  I would be very upset at the very idea of deviation from the plan.  Luckily, people can evolve and this year I had the most unusual Christmas ever.  To the first timer, every day in India can seem like the most unusual day of the year, but add a few familiar Christmastime items and things will be pushed into the realm of weird.  For Christmas, my companions and I traveled to the India state of Goa and to Palolem Beach (google and swear loudly).  We flew there on Christmas eve where I got to experience throwing up in an airport.  Good fun, let me tell you.  But all that unpleasantness subsided and I had a lovely dinner of a coke.  We arrived and were picked up and drove about two hours through the jungly (that's a word!...

As I mentioned before (about two months ago), India is a difficult place for me to blend in. I must note now, that in Jaipur, I was never happier to be a tourist.  As you do in India, we had our own car and tour guides for each day here.  This feels like a fancy way to get around for sure. At Amer fort, I did what felt like the most touristy thing ever:  rode an elephant to the palace gates.  It was uniquely Indian and cheesy and weird and I loved it.  I have a lifelong love affair with Elephants and had certainly never rode one for such a distance.  Lolling from side to side, elephant transport may be fit for kings, but is hard on the back.  These elephants were brightly decorated, well trained, and seemed happy from what (extremely little) I know about elephant behavior. Built in 1592, this expansive palace was home to many rulers and spans four km.  Each layer yielded interesting Hindu architecture, amazingly detailed paintings, and finally ...

Back in 1632ish, the third and most beloved wife of then Emperor, Shah Jahan died due to complications of childbirth.  This most profound and grief worthy death prompted the construction of her tomb, which is now one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal.  Construction lasted 22 years and called for experts in marble work, inlay, architecture, landscaping, construction, and others I'm sure are beyond my skills to see. Entering the taj campus is quite a process in itself.  Only animal drawn or electric vehicles are allowed within a certain radius of the building.  This is because white marble gets dirty. (the Taj is closed every Friday for cleaning as it is). Then, the tourist has to stand in line (or not much of one as luck would have it) for a pat down and a look in all of your bags.  From there, it's a bit of a walk to one of three towering gates.  A 90 degree turn frames the center dome so perfectly in the gate that it takes your breath away...

When I preface this entry with 'we spent a long weekend looking at caves' you may think that sounds ridiculous.  When I explain that they are ancient man made caves carved between the 400BC and the 10th century, you may think that sounds boring, but to me this was incredible. Ajanta and Ellora caves are a little off of the beaten tourist track in India, a couple of hour drive day trips from the city of Aurangabad. Ellora caves were carved out of the mountain from the top down. A feat so incredible that some believe that they caves were made by extraterrestrials. How could man be so coordinated, so organized, so artistic over what must have been decades? Well, I think we underestimate ourselves and also underestimate just how much spare time we'd have if we didn't have technology to fill it up. The crown jewel of Ellora caves is The Kailashnatha, cave 16. Construction began around 756 CE and continued for nearly a century. It served as a temple and meeting plac...

I started this post by opening the folder of pictures that correspond and I find now, like when I was there, that the entire thing is completely unbelievable.  Mumbai itself is a city, the likes of which you won't find anywhere else on earth.  I found it equal parts fascinating, scary, loud, and beautiful.  I think that what really troubles me about writing about it is that there is so much to say.  Basically, prepare to be bored.  What hit me first, travelling in December from the mid-atlantic, was the heat.  It was so lovely and warm and sunny every day.  Every. Day.  But, December is in the dry season.  It is temperate and the rain is held off for months at a time. What remains constant in Mumbai is the chaos.  I was met immediately with a cacophony of horns, as I've noted before they are just part of the soundtrack of the city, any city in India. My suitcase had been temporarily 'misplaced' somewhere in Asia, so when I found my dea...

I've waited a long time to write about India, wanting so deeply to do the country justice. There are so many negative stereotypes that I want, in my small way, to break, while showing my great affection for the country without being completely trite. That's really a tall order. Before I left, I'd watched Gandhi, Slumdog Millionaire, all of the Bollywood I could find. I'd read all the books from the library, cracked the Bhagavad Gita, and even attempted yoga (rather unsuccessfully). But I now know that India smacks you in the face no matter how you've prepared. The uninitiated will be surprised, overwhelmed, and delighted. Within the my first week, we took a tour of some markets in Mumbai. The tour guide asked me if this was my first time to India.  “Yes.” I answered without looking at him, unable to tear my eyes away from the myriad of unusual sights. “I can tell by looking at you.” he laughed, pointing at my face. I laughed and pointedly shut my mouth....

I think that one way to start with India is to talk about driving. It is the first thing you'll notice. It's unavoidable, interesting, and a definite conversation starter. I was driven there by private vehicle, rickshaw, taxi cab of various style, private tourist vehicle, and very briefly: motorcycle. When I got in the back seat of my friends car, pulled the seatbelt around me and attempted to buckle it, there was no buckle. Passengers simply don't wear seatbelts. It was from that moment, I knew I was in for an adventure. (And that was after I slept in an airport, ran through Dubai airport, struggled through immigration, and had my checked bag lost.) Stories for another time. The streets are exactly what you may expect: loud, chaotic, insane, impatient, fast, crowded, and completely bereft of rules and regulations, but secretly, I loved it. I am of a firm belief, (I know now, shared by most Indians) that if you're not going forward in a car, then what are you ...

Train handles and garlands.

Gandhi's library.

An unusual and awesome Christmas Day.

Carrots and more shoes.

The world's largest sundial.  And a motorbike.