After several days in Delhi our batteries were flat. We had high expectations that our rendezvous with compatriot, Kerry McCallum would lead to better things.
Things didn’t start well with Kerry showing up a day late. We’d gone to the airport to meet him and spent three hours at the terminal looking for him, to no avail. After checking with the incredibly helpful (note strong sarcasm) Thai Airways staff we were informed that Dan is an idiot and that we were a day early.
After that experience it was decided that Kerry should come to us, and come to us he did, catching us at our worst as we were both enduring the infamous Delhi belly. After not enough sleep and several rehydration sachets we set off for Agra at the crack of dawn.
The next morning we went to see Agra’s main draw card – the Taj Mahal. Being eager beavers and romantics at heart we were up early to see the Taj at sunrise. The Taj met and surpassed our expectations. Angkor Wat is more impressive in scale and grandeur but pales in comparison to the refined elegance of the Taj.
Next stop was Lal Qila aka Agra Fort. We were expecting big things as a friend from NZ had raved about the place. The fort was good and we spent a quiet afternoon wondering around taking in the sites.
India is divided into 28 states. After much deliberation we put it to the vote and decided to explore Rajasthan (three people means we can now vote on things…). The big pro for Rajasthan is that it’s popular with the tourists so we can get our Indian legs and experience a wealth of variety in a relatively compact area.
First stop in Rajasthan was Jaipur – or the ‘pink city’ as it’s known. Like most cities in India it is famous for its forts and palaces. We arrived in the late afternoon and set off to see the Monkey Temple. Situated on the hills just outside of the city it is the perfect place to watch the sunset. We bought some peanuts and trekked up to the temple at the top of the hill. The posse of monkey’s that followed us was ever increasing and only the temple provided refuge.
The next morning we hightailed it to the holy city of Pushkar. Being a holy city there’s not suppose to be any meat, alcohol or drugs. A quick walk around the bazaar saw us being offered numerous drugs and plenty of alcohol but unfortunately we couldn’t complete the trifector with no one offering meat!
Everybody that visits Pushkar mentions how beautiful the lake is so we went down to see it. Locals were on us in a flash giving us flowers. They then separated us and performed individual karma ceremonies to benefit us and our loved ones. Unfortunately the amount of benefit on offer was proportional to the amount of money we were prepared to part with. A small donation later and we were sporting bracelets – or Pushkar passports. Next time we went to the lake the locals came at us again but we quickly flashed our passports and sent them packing. The photo below is of Kerry earning some good karma.
The best thing we did in Pushkar was climb the hill to the temple to watch the sunset. Dan and Clint helped the locals out with a load they were carrying. We thought it might contain beer and that we might get free ones... but it was actually something for the temple - heavy as well!
Random Fact: Shah Jahan built the Taj as a tomb for his wife. Popular legend has it that Shah Jahan spent his last years steering whimsically at the Taj before dying of grief. Reality begs to differ as he bit the bullet (at 74) after a massive overdose of opium and aphrodisiacs.
Highlights:
- Watching people take photo’s at the Taj. There are about 3 key vantage points in high demand, the most popular being the 'Princess Diana' seat
- Hero Honda adverts. A motorbike is the product but these adverts focus on three things all related with looking cool. Who cares about performance stats if you look good?
- The restaurant in Pushkar that served buffet meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). All you can eat for 60 Rupees (just over $2 NZD)
Lessons Learned:
- It was disappointing to see that the Taj may not be as impressive in the future. There was no evidence that any of the hefty entrance fee is being put back into its upkeep and development. In the future pollution, weather and manmade river diversions will be even more significant threats than they currently are
- We are already getting sick of forts. Essentially they are all the same; they serve to keep enemies out and preserve the inhabitants. The Indians assure us they are all unique and that there are many different kinds; jungle, hill, moat and, desert…
- Monkeys know that tourists throw peanuts whilst locals throw rocks, this was thoroughly tested
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