Monday, March 21, 2005
India
Our driver, Giri, called Bill The Boss until he heard he was a university professor. After that, Giri confided to me that a professor was like being a god. I should therefore not have been surpised that the Boss god received preferential treatment from all Indian men. Bill was served first, consulted exclusively and if he was not with me, the tour guides did not recognize me. Driving in India takes good brakes, good horn and good luck. The streets are packed with people, cows, pigs, camels, elephants, rickshaws, three-wheelers, cars and buses. The smaller the gap, the more likely Giri was to go for it. The record I saw was ten people in an auto rickshaw which is a three-wheel scooter with a car body.
Udai Bilas Palace Hotel
Our hotels have been unbelievable - many were palaces or hunting lodges of the maharajas, maharavas or maharanas. Sometimes the royal family was still living in one wing and staying there was like being in a private home. We often had five servants waiting on the two of us. The palace in Jodhpur, belonging to the maharaja's brother, had been expanded with rondavels and tents. We stayed in a tent there and felt like desert sheiks - it was air-conditioned, the bathroom was marble and the roof lined in silk. Most of the palaces were furnished with period pieces and guests were met on arrival with a glass of fruit juice and garlands. Giri came short at Udai Bilas, our first stop, as he wanted to make sure we had found our room but was ordered off the grounds, called a donkey and told by the king that he would kill him if he did not leave. Drivers do not rank as highly as Boss gods.
Camel
We rode camels at Sam near Jaisalmer to climb the sand dunes and see the sunset and then perched on an elephant to climb up to the fort at Jaipur. An experience worth doing but I felt for the animals as I doubt it is really what they wanted. Unfortunately, the elephant for the three of us had to be "encouraged" up the hill by a lethal looking metal goad. Poor chap was hot and kept putting his trunk in his mouth to suck up his previous drink of water and then spraying himself to keep cool. Most of it hit Bill, so I am afraid he may have been sending a subtle message.
We have seen many opulent palaces and even more temples so I am a dab hand at whipping off my shoes. The erotica at Khajuraho was all it was advertized to be. But after a horrendous four hour drive on a single track and the hottest day yet, we did not appreciate the temples as much as some of the European tourists seemed to. My favorite hindu temple was built above two enormous granite boulders at Narlai. To reach it, we climbed steep steps up a narrow passage with hundreds of tons of granite six inches above our heads. Worship is not taken lightly. The largest temple was the Jain temple at Ranakpur - some 40,000 square feet, all of which is intricately carved.
The markets have been a sight. With a population of over a billion, the competition for your custom is fierce. In Jodhpur, the ninth best market in the world, the barbers were sitting on the steps of a monument. If the barber had to move round while cutting your hair, he charged 20 rupees but if you were willing to move yourself, it only cost 10. The dentist had his instruments set up on the steps on the other side - some fiendish-looking items of torture and the poorer classes have their teeth extracted right there on the spot. I understand alcohol is offered before the proceedure.
Jodhpur Market
This morning we rose before dawn to go down to the Ganges in Varanasi to watch the faithful on the ghats bathing, washing their clothes and making offerings in the holiest of waters. Our guide bought an offering (marigolds and a candle in a foil saucer) for us to launch as an insurance of good health on our trip. I am sure we were very grateful. We were rowed out in a boat and then down the river until we came to a cremation in progress.
Internet service has not been as readily available as I expected in India. The picture taken from our hotel, Fort Chanwa in Luni, may explain why.
Indian Internet
LS
Udai Bilas Palace Hotel
Our hotels have been unbelievable - many were palaces or hunting lodges of the maharajas, maharavas or maharanas. Sometimes the royal family was still living in one wing and staying there was like being in a private home. We often had five servants waiting on the two of us. The palace in Jodhpur, belonging to the maharaja's brother, had been expanded with rondavels and tents. We stayed in a tent there and felt like desert sheiks - it was air-conditioned, the bathroom was marble and the roof lined in silk. Most of the palaces were furnished with period pieces and guests were met on arrival with a glass of fruit juice and garlands. Giri came short at Udai Bilas, our first stop, as he wanted to make sure we had found our room but was ordered off the grounds, called a donkey and told by the king that he would kill him if he did not leave. Drivers do not rank as highly as Boss gods.
Camel
We rode camels at Sam near Jaisalmer to climb the sand dunes and see the sunset and then perched on an elephant to climb up to the fort at Jaipur. An experience worth doing but I felt for the animals as I doubt it is really what they wanted. Unfortunately, the elephant for the three of us had to be "encouraged" up the hill by a lethal looking metal goad. Poor chap was hot and kept putting his trunk in his mouth to suck up his previous drink of water and then spraying himself to keep cool. Most of it hit Bill, so I am afraid he may have been sending a subtle message.
We have seen many opulent palaces and even more temples so I am a dab hand at whipping off my shoes. The erotica at Khajuraho was all it was advertized to be. But after a horrendous four hour drive on a single track and the hottest day yet, we did not appreciate the temples as much as some of the European tourists seemed to. My favorite hindu temple was built above two enormous granite boulders at Narlai. To reach it, we climbed steep steps up a narrow passage with hundreds of tons of granite six inches above our heads. Worship is not taken lightly. The largest temple was the Jain temple at Ranakpur - some 40,000 square feet, all of which is intricately carved.
The markets have been a sight. With a population of over a billion, the competition for your custom is fierce. In Jodhpur, the ninth best market in the world, the barbers were sitting on the steps of a monument. If the barber had to move round while cutting your hair, he charged 20 rupees but if you were willing to move yourself, it only cost 10. The dentist had his instruments set up on the steps on the other side - some fiendish-looking items of torture and the poorer classes have their teeth extracted right there on the spot. I understand alcohol is offered before the proceedure.
Jodhpur Market
This morning we rose before dawn to go down to the Ganges in Varanasi to watch the faithful on the ghats bathing, washing their clothes and making offerings in the holiest of waters. Our guide bought an offering (marigolds and a candle in a foil saucer) for us to launch as an insurance of good health on our trip. I am sure we were very grateful. We were rowed out in a boat and then down the river until we came to a cremation in progress.
Internet service has not been as readily available as I expected in India. The picture taken from our hotel, Fort Chanwa in Luni, may explain why.
Indian Internet
LS
# posted by Bill and Lynne @ 7:18 PM 
Saturday, March 05, 2005
French Polynesia
Life is very easy on a Pacific Island. We had a break doing very little except lounge on the beach reading or periodically diving into luke warm water and watching some very exotic fish and coral life. I did not even need a snorkel to see the sea life. While sitting on the deck at lunch we could toss bread into the lagoon and watch the fish-feeding frenzy and an occasional ray swim by. The hotel on Moorea had an outrigger that took us out to an island which was a snorkellers paradise.
Papeete in Tahiti is a bustling tropical town where the hub is the local market. We bought our food there and could be seen most days with a baguette under one arm and chicken, cheese and fruit in the
other. They have a wonderful pearl museum giving the history and how-to of the pearl industry.
Beach Bungalow
We took the 30 minute ferry ride across to Moorea where we spent five days in a bungalow on the beach. It was pretty hot and humid but when you can take ten steps and fall into the water, it is no hardship. On Sunday we took part in the traditional Polynesian feast.
the Polynesian Feast
A pit had been dug and a fire lit under a pile of rocks and then all the delectable food laid on the hot rocks, covered with banana leaves, canvas and sand and then left to cook for four hours. There was a ceremony to uncover everything and we dined on pig, bread fruit, poi and taro doused in a choice of coconut milk or fermented coconut milk. Bill got into the poisson crui which is raw fish marinated in lemon juice. I had many glasses of wine and was glad the huge tuna head with eye intact did not appear at our table. The taro (looked like spinach) was cooked in coconut milk with cashew nuts and simmered in a large pot in the pit. Being from the South, I could recognize a "mess of greens" immediately but it was surprisingly tasty.
Polynesian Dance
Moorea
We left Moorea and began the long haul to India, via Auckland where I was thrilled to reach my niece and first god daughter on the phone during our lay-over, then Sydney, then Bangkok and finally to Delhi. We left Moorea on Wednesday and made it to Delhi Saturday evening. Something happened to Thursday at the International dateline and we dodged Roratongo because of Cyclone Percy but I do still know my name is Lynne and I am on firm ground again.
We had time in Bangkok to drive around for a couple of hours between planes and saw the very impressive palace and beautiful temples and many, many huge photos of the king.
LS
Papeete in Tahiti is a bustling tropical town where the hub is the local market. We bought our food there and could be seen most days with a baguette under one arm and chicken, cheese and fruit in the
other. They have a wonderful pearl museum giving the history and how-to of the pearl industry.
Beach Bungalow
We took the 30 minute ferry ride across to Moorea where we spent five days in a bungalow on the beach. It was pretty hot and humid but when you can take ten steps and fall into the water, it is no hardship. On Sunday we took part in the traditional Polynesian feast.
the Polynesian Feast
A pit had been dug and a fire lit under a pile of rocks and then all the delectable food laid on the hot rocks, covered with banana leaves, canvas and sand and then left to cook for four hours. There was a ceremony to uncover everything and we dined on pig, bread fruit, poi and taro doused in a choice of coconut milk or fermented coconut milk. Bill got into the poisson crui which is raw fish marinated in lemon juice. I had many glasses of wine and was glad the huge tuna head with eye intact did not appear at our table. The taro (looked like spinach) was cooked in coconut milk with cashew nuts and simmered in a large pot in the pit. Being from the South, I could recognize a "mess of greens" immediately but it was surprisingly tasty.
Polynesian Dance
Moorea
We left Moorea and began the long haul to India, via Auckland where I was thrilled to reach my niece and first god daughter on the phone during our lay-over, then Sydney, then Bangkok and finally to Delhi. We left Moorea on Wednesday and made it to Delhi Saturday evening. Something happened to Thursday at the International dateline and we dodged Roratongo because of Cyclone Percy but I do still know my name is Lynne and I am on firm ground again.
We had time in Bangkok to drive around for a couple of hours between planes and saw the very impressive palace and beautiful temples and many, many huge photos of the king.
LS
# posted by Bill and Lynne @ 4:12 PM
