From Barbara and Rachel's Ipad
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Varanassi and Bhutan
Varanassi was the most amazing experience. Varanassi is one of the oldest living cities (it is approximately 5000 years old). Being there felt like magic. We happened to have been there at the time of a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, and so we saw many pilgrims who had traveled barefoot to the Ganges River, which is believed to have been adopted by Lord Shiva. There were far more pilgrims than tourists. In fact, we met no Americans the entire time! We were able to witness ceremonies of cleansing and cremations. Additionally, we watched a Hindu ceremony preformed by five Brahmans giving thanks to the Mother Ganges.
Our tour guide's father just so happened to be good friends with one of Barbara's friends in NYC. He is a professor of Indian literature and philosophy. We were invited back to his father's house for breakfast, where he gave us signed copies of a book which he had written about the history of Varanassi as a holy city. What a small world it can be!
We landed in Bhutan yesterday afternoon. We were able to see Mount Everest from the airplane. It is so gigantic that it literally stuck up from above the clouds.
Bhutan surpasses any expectations that we could have had. The people are so genuinely open and happy. Everybody wants to have their photograph taken, and they laugh when we show them the result. We've encountered a number of monks, including one who lived at a temple we visited. We trekked in high altitudes over difficult terrain for hours.
Needless to say, this trip has been quite the experience! We have so much more to say and wish that we could show you the photos, but the Internet here in Bhutan is quite slow (and the electricity in this part of the world has the tendency to go out without any notice).
Our tour guide's father just so happened to be good friends with one of Barbara's friends in NYC. He is a professor of Indian literature and philosophy. We were invited back to his father's house for breakfast, where he gave us signed copies of a book which he had written about the history of Varanassi as a holy city. What a small world it can be!
We landed in Bhutan yesterday afternoon. We were able to see Mount Everest from the airplane. It is so gigantic that it literally stuck up from above the clouds.
Bhutan surpasses any expectations that we could have had. The people are so genuinely open and happy. Everybody wants to have their photograph taken, and they laugh when we show them the result. We've encountered a number of monks, including one who lived at a temple we visited. We trekked in high altitudes over difficult terrain for hours.
Needless to say, this trip has been quite the experience! We have so much more to say and wish that we could show you the photos, but the Internet here in Bhutan is quite slow (and the electricity in this part of the world has the tendency to go out without any notice).
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Agra (the city of the Taj Mahal)
Yesterday, we drove five hours from Jaipur (known as the "Pink City") to Agra, thus completing our visit of the "golden triangle." The "golden triangle" consists of three cities which are major tourist attractions - Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra.
We arrived in Agra early enough last night that we were able to experience the Taj Mahal at sunset. We woke up early again this morning to witness the Taj before all the tourists got there. Both times were majestic. The Taj changes colors depending on what time of day it is. It is more magnificent than anything we could have imagined. Photographs cannot do it justice (still, we will be including photos on a later post.....)
Today, after returning from the Taj Mahal and taking a much needed rest at our hotel's pool, we visited the fort where the king who built the Taj Mahal was imprisoned by his son in a coup d'etat. Our tour guide seemed to have his own plans for the rest of the day - to take us shopping us thus keep us from witnessing the poverty is the city. Everytime we suggested going into a market, or just simply getting out of the car and walking around the city, we wound up at another speciality boutique. Fortunately, we were cheap and refused to shop just for the sake of it.
When we got back to the hotel, we were told that the overnight train that we will be taking to Varanassi later this evening is delayed by four hours. This gave us the opportunity to explore on our own. The poverty here is intense! It's much more blanant here than in the other cities we visited. This might be, however, because our tour guide have been careful to shelter us. We are a little bit relucant about having to spend so much time at monements and in the car, but we also felt how dangerous it was us as American women to be walking through many of these areas. Whenever we get out of the car (or even, at times, when our driver stops at an intersection) we are assaulted by beggers tapping on our windows, pulling on our clothes, or grabbing our arms.
The temperature here is excruciatingly hot. When asked, tour guide nonchalantly remarked that it must be about 40 degrees centigrade (aka about 111 degrees Fahrenheit). Unbelievably, everybody in the city continues to wear long shirts and pants without complaining. We are wondering what's up with this non-existent monsoon season. Thus far, we have only gotten caught in one short rainstorm.
There is much more to say, but not enough time on the Internet. We cannot wait to talk to all of you back in the states.
With love,
Barbara and Rachel
We arrived in Agra early enough last night that we were able to experience the Taj Mahal at sunset. We woke up early again this morning to witness the Taj before all the tourists got there. Both times were majestic. The Taj changes colors depending on what time of day it is. It is more magnificent than anything we could have imagined. Photographs cannot do it justice (still, we will be including photos on a later post.....)
Today, after returning from the Taj Mahal and taking a much needed rest at our hotel's pool, we visited the fort where the king who built the Taj Mahal was imprisoned by his son in a coup d'etat. Our tour guide seemed to have his own plans for the rest of the day - to take us shopping us thus keep us from witnessing the poverty is the city. Everytime we suggested going into a market, or just simply getting out of the car and walking around the city, we wound up at another speciality boutique. Fortunately, we were cheap and refused to shop just for the sake of it.
When we got back to the hotel, we were told that the overnight train that we will be taking to Varanassi later this evening is delayed by four hours. This gave us the opportunity to explore on our own. The poverty here is intense! It's much more blanant here than in the other cities we visited. This might be, however, because our tour guide have been careful to shelter us. We are a little bit relucant about having to spend so much time at monements and in the car, but we also felt how dangerous it was us as American women to be walking through many of these areas. Whenever we get out of the car (or even, at times, when our driver stops at an intersection) we are assaulted by beggers tapping on our windows, pulling on our clothes, or grabbing our arms.
The temperature here is excruciatingly hot. When asked, tour guide nonchalantly remarked that it must be about 40 degrees centigrade (aka about 111 degrees Fahrenheit). Unbelievably, everybody in the city continues to wear long shirts and pants without complaining. We are wondering what's up with this non-existent monsoon season. Thus far, we have only gotten caught in one short rainstorm.
There is much more to say, but not enough time on the Internet. We cannot wait to talk to all of you back in the states.
With love,
Barbara and Rachel
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Contrasts
Written by Barbara: What do you do in the middle of a monsoon? Get a massage.Where? At the castle where we were staying.
On Friday,we stayed at a heritage hotel called Chomru Palace.We were lodged in the women's quarter of what was formerly a royal palace.
The chomru palace was only a block away from the main road of the village of chromo. Chromo is a town that is extremely impoverished. Staying in a palace, right next to the center
Of this struggling town, was an assault on my senses values and identity. The village was sheer filth. The streets wre so noisy it was difficult to distinguish what the sounds were : horns honking ,horns calling Muslims to prayer ,the soundof humanity in motion. But the sounds were rhythmic but too loud to hear a pattern it was an assault on my senses. And the filter was needed for the people too I had to filter out the beggars pulling at by clothes and the poverty the fifty streets.
We turned down a roaad in Chomru into a different world .It was a heritage hotel right off the main market street. It was a step back in time and equally a step out of time the palace maintained the structure and the feelings of the originals residents marharagas and their women and servants. Our quarter had private gardens and pools was indeed magnificent but we were troubled by social consciousnessd screaming no no no.
The town streets it was scary beggars touched us and would not let us alone.We tried to avoid being hit by a car bus donkey or camel walking into cow or cow dung and the stares of people
We awoke early for a jeep ride to see suns rise over the sand dunes. We met a man at the tip if the dunes who invited us to hi s house to see his art in NYC it would have been stupid to go but it was an adventure to enter his studio and home and buy some magnificent works of art. We went back to the hotel where a big party was being planned. The hotel was being rented to BMW for the lauchungof a new sound system and the heritage hotel was up for the job of making this place a . Trouble was right outside were beggars and folks who wake to work in ragged conditions and could care less about the new BMW
Our driver picked us us and drove us to Jaipur.f what a city. We said we wanted to walk around and walk we did the noise was louder the the subway system on high volume. Crossing the street was taking your life in your hands.We planned to shop but were led to Americanized stores that didn't turn us on.
Our sever and guides have taught us a lot about Hinduism and Muslim
We are learning a huge amount about Hinduism and Islam. I am by the similaeites to Judaism. They are enormous.
Yesterday we rode elephants visited forts and wandered and shopped in Jaipur. We boy think it is a amazing live city full of contrasts held together by Hindu beliefs.
We have just finished breakfast and are off to the Taj Mahal
From Barbara and Rachel's Ipad
On Friday,we stayed at a heritage hotel called Chomru Palace.We were lodged in the women's quarter of what was formerly a royal palace.
The chomru palace was only a block away from the main road of the village of chromo. Chromo is a town that is extremely impoverished. Staying in a palace, right next to the center
Of this struggling town, was an assault on my senses values and identity. The village was sheer filth. The streets wre so noisy it was difficult to distinguish what the sounds were : horns honking ,horns calling Muslims to prayer ,the soundof humanity in motion. But the sounds were rhythmic but too loud to hear a pattern it was an assault on my senses. And the filter was needed for the people too I had to filter out the beggars pulling at by clothes and the poverty the fifty streets.
We turned down a roaad in Chomru into a different world .It was a heritage hotel right off the main market street. It was a step back in time and equally a step out of time the palace maintained the structure and the feelings of the originals residents marharagas and their women and servants. Our quarter had private gardens and pools was indeed magnificent but we were troubled by social consciousnessd screaming no no no.
The town streets it was scary beggars touched us and would not let us alone.We tried to avoid being hit by a car bus donkey or camel walking into cow or cow dung and the stares of people
We awoke early for a jeep ride to see suns rise over the sand dunes. We met a man at the tip if the dunes who invited us to hi s house to see his art in NYC it would have been stupid to go but it was an adventure to enter his studio and home and buy some magnificent works of art. We went back to the hotel where a big party was being planned. The hotel was being rented to BMW for the lauchungof a new sound system and the heritage hotel was up for the job of making this place a . Trouble was right outside were beggars and folks who wake to work in ragged conditions and could care less about the new BMW
Our driver picked us us and drove us to Jaipur.f what a city. We said we wanted to walk around and walk we did the noise was louder the the subway system on high volume. Crossing the street was taking your life in your hands.We planned to shop but were led to Americanized stores that didn't turn us on.
Our sever and guides have taught us a lot about Hinduism and Muslim
We are learning a huge amount about Hinduism and Islam. I am by the similaeites to Judaism. They are enormous.
Yesterday we rode elephants visited forts and wandered and shopped in Jaipur. We boy think it is a amazing live city full of contrasts held together by Hindu beliefs.
We have just finished breakfast and are off to the Taj Mahal
From Barbara and Rachel's Ipad
Location:Chomru
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