If you step down in India in your life sooner or later you will be back to discover new places and live unique experiences with local people. I thought it was right time to come back to dig in my self and live an amazing experience along all North-East India. Thats just my first week in this incredible country..
Namaste India
May is best season to visit Himalaya area but if you don't like having tourists all around well choose may to have a look at Rajasthan, Delhi and more... Due to hot weather, I planned short stay in every place as my main dream was to visit Himalaya.After almost 24hrs of trip you just dream to reach your friend and relax, on the way I had a stop in Mumbai where I discovered my indian sim card was expired but luckily I found a free internet access to tell family i'm alive and wait for new local sim card. This long journey took me to my first stop: Jaipur
First tip: even if you're tired ask many people around to see if there's a cheap way to reach the city and not just rickshaw where you need to bargain or prepaid taxi. Without local number and my friend not reachable I decided to use a prepaid taxi, only this trip and it was a lesson to be more motivated.. He took me to a village near Jaipur, amazing place to visit later called Amer . Small place so I just asked first person and he was cousin of my friend so few mintues my friend came and my adventure started.. I had a yummy lunch together then he was back working I decided to discover this village.
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| Jagat seromani temple |
I just sneaked inside a temple and indian atmosphere came around me: a temple dedicated to Krishna and it was nice hearing the history of it thanks to a friend of my friend. I'm pretty curious about different religion and customs so I got more knowledge about hinduism. I will tell more about it later when I had a chance to talk with hindu priest :)...From there I started my uphill walk to the entrance of famous Amber Fort sneaking in small streets and feeling how hot Rajasthan is on may.
The fort is amazing and I got soon my first experience: people asked me a picture together and as it's low season they were curious about my presence there. Even if it's hot, I decided to go to visit Jaipur as my time was short here. On the main road I got an ac local bus for just 15rps. The main attractions of Jaipur are very close each other and I started from the most famous: Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds. From there I wandered around and I started to live the chaotic atmosphere with traffic and people asking every minute but I liked. I kept visiting the city going to the city palace and the Unesco site of Jantar Mantar that is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments. It was so hot and it was time to start first bargain to come back. On the way I noticed a palace in the water so I asked to go there, wait for me and then go back home. I got very good fare just because we agreed to stop at shop of this friend on the way.
We went straight to this famous water palace aka Jal Mahal : The palace is a five storied building out of which four floors remain under water when the lake is full and the top floor is exposed and a great place to spend some time around. Luckily my friend called me as he works nearby and I skipped the shop visit and I had great time with him and his family, visiting another temple and got some more news about hinduism.
Jodhpur
Time was short but I really enjoyed to stay with Ankit's family and thanks to jet lag I woke up so early to get an early morning bus to Jodhpur. Bus was a part of this trip and I discovered the different idea of distance. 320k how much time do you think? Well 8 hrs :) but time goes by easily: you meet people, stop in incredible places and live real local atmosphere. In this trip ticket-man was my companion and when you're in the bus you get cheap prices about food and water. You can get a bottle of water for just 10rps when in the shop prices are between 15-20rps sometimes more. But watching life along the way, kids playing cricket, people selling on the streets and tuc tuc, cars so crazy and awesome..
I just got off from the bus and I got my welcome to Jodhpur: I was the only foreign around so like flies they came around me asking if I need a taxi, auto or else but my eyes were caught from a smile: tourist policeman :). He welcomed me and gave me the info I needed: bus stop as I know I could go to my friends by bus for 8-10rps. For locals it seems weird traveling like this: alone, by bus but even in Europe do you get a taxi or bus to move around? I got off in front of hospital then finding an address is a nice quest. Luckily locals knew this address so i got there easily and after a chai (tea) I relaxed a bit in my room with ac and private toilet ;). I spent rest of day with them: we went to choose wedding cards for his son and after a yummy dinner, I and my friend sit and talk about life, religion and more till late night. He gave me some info about Caste system in India and i learnt about Fasting : abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day (24 hours), or several days and its an important part in Hinduism and certain days of the week are also set aside for fasting depending on
personal belief and favorite deity. For example, devotees of Shiva tend to fast on Mondays.
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| Mehrangarh Fort |
The morning I woke very early to visit the famous Mehrangarh Fort: life is so different early morning, few people, not so hot and less traffic. It was nice walking up these small streets and reach the top in time to the opening. They gave you an audio-guide included in the ticket and you just need to leave an id to get it. From the fort you can view the famous blue city, a part of Jodhpur where most of building are painted in blue. I was so fast that I didn't find anyone to give back my id card at the end hehehe so a poor guy run to me as I needed to hurry up cause lunch with my friends then airport to my next destination: New Delhi
New Delhi
It was a strike day in airport so they rescheduled my trip: first Mumbai then New Delhi arriving late afternoon. Time went by and a guy from flight company came to me and offered me to change flight and go straight to New Delhi :) Great change cause a surprise was waiting for me in New Delhi. In this trip I supposed to meet the sister of my friend Asia in Amritsar. So I don't know I sent an sms to her telling how she is and that I was just landed in New Delhi. She called me back and surprise was she was here too so wow I spent first hours in this crazy metropolis with her.
Airport is freaking new with a great airport express with just 80rps you are at New Delhi Railway Station. You can live the contrast in a country that is growing up fast but they still have lots of poor people so when I stepped outside this small dream I was back to reality: chaos, pollution and freaking hot but that's India love or hate it. NDRS is a huge place so to meet my friend was a little adventure: I needed to cross all railway station and finally we met in front of the main bazar. This place is full of foreigners and shops and small restaurants, we walked bit around before moving to Old Delhi to have dinner.
To reach Old Delhi we got an auto-rickshaw but traffic was so crazy it took a lot to reach this famous restaurant where i could eat my first meat of this trip: yummy mutton and chicken thanks to Kamila ;). The place is Karim that now foreigners discovered too thanks to some tourist guides. The day ended with last bargain to get a cheap auto to reach my friend's place. I met Ashutosh and after some relax, we had another dinner lol before moving for a night ride in Delhi. Can you imagine? After 11pm, no traffic no more chaos it doesn't seem such a metropolis. We went to a very local place: India Gate where people relax on the grass and enjoy an indian ice-cream. We got stopped by police too but everything was fine, just incredible after midnight you can't find a place where to buy a drink, incredible India.
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| Yummy food at Karim |
Second day was to discover the city and meet some locals. Delhi has a great metro system where you can reach all main spots in walking distance. Morning started to learn different kinds of bread in India: Chapati, Naan my favorite one and Paratha kind of fried bread that we had for breakfast with some sagzi (veggies).
I walked to my metro stop like 10-15mins away and I started to visit the Akshardham an Hindu Temple opened in 2005. There's alway a long line and you need to leave in cloak room all electronic stuff mobiles too.
On the way back I wanted to visit a small village called Hauz Khas where I could visit some old tombs and a mosque. To get there I asked a local to help me to find a cheap tuc-tuc but to come back i walked as it was just 10mins. I could move very easily by metro so next stop was Safdarjung's Tomb that is a garden tomb with a marble mausoleum. From there I had a stop for lunch at Connaught Place, one of the largest financial, commercial and business centers in Delhi.
I spent rest of the afternoon discovering Old Delhi, first I had a look at a sikh temple, I couldn't get in cause you need to have your head covered and no cap with me. It was so crowdy and it took me long time to reach Red Fort, very touristic spot so I skipped away fast as I wanted to visit the famous mosque of Jama Masjid, In the mosque you need to be dressed in proper way so they gave me something to cover my legs as I was wearing shorts, too hot. Very friendly people, they showed me around and I got some info about muslim religion too.
During sunset I moved to Central Secretariat where ministries and offices are located and nearby you have the Parliament and India Gate. Just some time to meet a local and we had a typical drink called Lassi. I spent last hours with my friend and host Ashu to have a bit of western style life. We went to a roof-top restaurant to have some chicken as snack and first beers :) then we came back and we listened to some punjabi music like Honey Singh
Amritsar
First week was close to finish and I had a flight booked to visit the holy city for sikh people: Amritsar. I left Delhi early morning and when I arrived at airport I discovered they delayed it one hour. Sadly no free internet, just wifi if you have laptop. There's a small supermarket inside so you can get food and drink at reasonable prices. When I landed, I went straight to find free shuttle to the city but you have to fight with tuc-tuc drivers that they will tell you it doesn't exist. After asking around, I discovered this free shuttle will be here in 3 hrs so instead to pay a lot by taxi or auto-rickshaw, I decided to walk to main road where I got a local bus for 9rps. I supposed to meet my friend near a famous temple but bit far from bus station. So i got cycle rickshaw to reach them.
Finally I met again Kamila and her friend Emilio. After a fast welcome, we went straight to visit the main attraction of the city: Harmandir Sahib aka Golden temple. It is the most important Sikh gurdwara and it is always full of pilgrims so be ready to wait in long queue. Charity is very important for them so you have free lockers for bags, shoes and free food and drink and you can also sleep here: unbelievable!!!! Temple is amazing but more interesting to see all this people praying and taking purifying bath. I had my bath too and as you can see you can hold a chain: reason is most indians can't swim so chain is for their safety.
After visiting the temple, it was time to eat some good punjabi food of course vegetarian. We walked around for some shopping and so weird when you got in a western coffee chain. It was like living in a bubble. Inside just foreigners and from the window you can see the real chaotic life, so weird sensations for us. Worth thiung is to go to visit Wagah border where there is a daily flag raising and lowering ceremony done
with fascinating pomp and ceremony that involves lots of tall soldiers
in massive turbans goose-stepping about and slamming gates.
Last hrs we had another snack in an indian fast food. Weird thing is they straight ask you for a tip even if it is not a common custom here. It was time to go to bus station and decide when I could go to my dream: Himalaya ... that's another story you should wait a bit for hearing about it.. Namaste ;)
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