Archive for the 'India' Category

You only have a couple of hours left before your 16 hour flight home and you are in search of something, an adventure or an experience of sorts, that will “complete” your extraordinary journey through India.  A lot of the shops are closing since it is getting late and it is so hot you can barely breathe.  What do you do???

Well, I will tell you what I did. . .I got my arms henna’ed!  Not only do I think it looks stunningly beautiful, but I also thought it would be nice to have a reminder once I returned home, albeit a temporary one, of my trip.

I ended up finding an adorable 14 year old girl, who was back in Mumbai on her summer vacation from school.  She had already decided at her young age that she wanted to be an architect.  She said that her dream would cost a lot of money, so during the summers she would offer henna to tourists in order to save for her future higher education.  I recognized myself in her ambitious spirit, as I too knew at 14 what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

She asked me to tell her some of my favorite things.  I mentioned butterflies, elephants, flowers. . .and the next thing I knew I had flowers all over my arms!  She was definitely a master of her trade; not only was her work absolute perfection, but she did it in less than 15 minutes.  She only charged me $10USD, however I chose to give her more and made her promise me that she would put it towards her education.

Nearby was a pink wall, that I thought would make for a great backdrop, so that I could properly display her work of art.

In this chaotic city, it can be difficult to escape the blaring horns and careening rickshaws, not to mention the hordes of fellow pedestrians.  At sunset though you can head to the seaside promenade, with broad views of the Arabian Sea, in order to find some peace within the chaos.  My friend and I returned for one last look of the Arabian Sea before heading back to our hotel to gather our luggage.  Do you recall that I said I was at first disappointed with it?  Well, my 2nd time left me with a completely different impression.  How could I not be enchanted with a body of water being illuminated by a pink sky?  This is the exotic image that I had conjured in my mind for so many years!

Back at our hotel, while I was waiting for our table to become available in the restaurant, I befriended the owner of the gift shop.  He tried to tempt me to extend my stay in Mumbai.  It was Friday night and he wanted to show me the nightlife of Mumbai.  I needed to return home for work and I did not want to abandon my friend, so I begrudgingly declined.  I must admit, as the plane took off 6 hours late due to a delay, I experienced one of my biggest feelings of regret I have every experienced while traveling.  I should have stayed.

On my long flight back to the States, I had plenty of time to reflect on my 11 glorious days in India.  I knew that I had to return.  The planet is huge and life is short, but my time with India was not over.

Being in India is like stroking a starving tiger; as much as it tests your limits by making you move outside your comfort level, for those moments it allows you to touch it, you know you are blessed, as you have discovered the heights of achievement you are capable of attaining, and you feel immortal.

I woke up with no plan in mind of how I would explore Mumbai or how I would spend my last day in India.  I had a couple of places that I wanted to see, but other than that I was more than happy to let the Arabian Sea winds take me where they wanted to.

Mumbai is my kind of city and I knew it before I even stepped out of my hotel.  The city’s appeal to me, which I am quite certain is a turn-off for most, is the chaos.  It is hot, crowded, noisy. . .and I love it!  Now, I am not saying that I could necessarily live in a place long term that was so chaotic (besides NYC of course), but from time to time I thoroughly enjoy being in the midst of a place with such intense energy.  Mumbai is such a place, plus it has a tropical feel to it, which only adds to its allure.

My friend and I hailed a taxi and asked him to take us to the Gateway of India located on the waterfront.  I was definitely interested in seeing the famed monument, but more importantly I wanted to see the Arabian Sea, since I have a fascination with all things water.

My 1st view of the Gateway of India.

Me happy to be next to the Arabian Sea/sad to be leaving India.

The Arabian Sea used to conjure up such an exotic imagine in my mind when I would hear it being talked about, however in person it sadly did not live up to that image.  Nonetheless, I still got goosebumps staring out at it.

While I have been traveling around the world for years now, I have never, and will never, become jaded.

The Mumbai harbor.

Near to the Gateway of India is the infamous Hotel Taj Mahal.  This prestigious and luxurious hotel is over a century old, but what it is most known for is the terrorist attack it suffered in 2008.  Many people died in the bombing, yet the hotel reopened soon after to honor their lives and India’s resilience.

The Hotel Taj Mahal.

Security across from the Hotel Taj Mahal.

After some more wandering around, we decided to have lunch at Leopold’s Cafe.  Normally, I stay away from tourist traps, but this place at least has a historical significance and is quite an institution in Mumbai.  Across the street from the restaurant, and I am terribly sorry ladies that I have now forgotten the name, exists the most amazing boutique.  I stopped in on a whim and my friend had to tear me away an hour later.  When I return to Mumbai one day in the future, this will be the 1st place I visit.

The inside of Leopold's Cafe.

It was now time to explore one of the most congested and colorful parts of Mumbai: the markets.  There is where you get a real taste of what a city with 17 million people is really like.

My 1st view of the markets.

Again, we had no set plans, and were just intent to observe as much as we could.

On a 105 degree day what is better to cool you down than watermelon?

I asked someone if they knew where I could find some similar earrings to the ones I was wearing (I had purchased them in Jaipur) and instead I was brought to the fruit market.  I think of all the countries I have traveled to, I have had the most “lost in translation” moments in India!

The inside of the fruit market.

Once we had our fill of the market madness, I decided that I needed to have one last beautiful adventure before we left India. . .

When people think of India, a lot of times they instantly think overpopulation and too much pollution (though when I first think of India I think of the amazing smells, sounds, sights, etc).  While this image of India is certainly true, you will not find either along the Kerala Coast.  There you will find, in my humble opinion, probably the gentlest, most idyllic, and socially interesting corner of India.

As we continued to sail along the Alleppey backwaters, we took excitement in the constantly changing views.

Around midday we were fed the most amazingly delicious lunch.  I have been a strict vegetarian for over a decade now, but even I could not resist the fresh, organic fish that they had prepared in a coconut sauce for us.  After the meal, I found a comfortable spot next to the captain where I was able to recover from the feast.

Quite possibly one of the most beautiful Cathedral's in the world.

How could you not fall in love with a place where every single  person you pass by energetically waves to you, like you are their dearest friend!?!

As we neared the end of our boat ride, I made a silent promise to myself to return to Southern India one day.  This part of the world definitely deserved more of my time.

And before I knew it, we were back on the plane headed to the North again.  This time it would be to Mumbai, the last stop on our trip.

This day was the kind of day that makes you feel like you are the luckiest person alive to be exploring the world.  Everything about it was simply perfect.  Kochi has been nicknamed the “Venice of the East” and we were going to be finding out why on a cruise of the Alleppey backwaters.

A view of Fort Cochin on our way to the backwaters.

My 1st sighting of the backwaters.

Once we arrived at Alleppey, which was about an hours drive from Fort Cochin, we boarded a houseboat that was formerly a rice barge used for transporting goods from isolated villages to the towns.

Me, the houseboat, and the captain.

The backwaters are a series of rivers and canals along the Kerala coastline.  It is one of the very few places on earth where farming is done below sea level.  I knew that it was going to be a serene ride, but I had no idea just how stunning the scenery would be along the way.  Alleppey is a haven to migratory birds and is fringed by palms and patty fields.  Life there revolves around the water.  Children are raised to learn how to swim before they walk and how to row a boat before riding a bicycle.  My idea of Paradise!

For some reason, as we began to float down the backwaters, the following song played in my head.  I thought it would be good background music while you enjoy the picturesque ride.

And so the ride begins!

Where would the houseboat take us next. . .

The people that had told me that the South was completely different from the North were absolutely correct.  In fact, I would go as far to say that you could draw a line in the middle of India to divide the nation into 2 countries–that is how widely different they are.  The most noticeable differences were the terrain, the weather, the look and the attitude of the people, the language, and the food.  Does that really leave anything else???

I am obsessed with the tropics, so I was already in love with Kochi before really exploring it.

If I see a palm tree, I am instantly smitten with the place!

Having just spent a week racing from one monument to another, I felt it was time to relax and enjoy my surroundings and for me the best way to do that was to spend the day at the beach.  My friend and I hired a taxi to take us to Cherai Beach, which is about 35km away from Kochi.  I had been told that Cherai Beach was different from other nearby beaches, as it is very clean with calm surf, making it ideal for swimming and sunbathing.

Another bonus of going to Cherai Beach was the view during the drive.

Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted the photos I took during my time at the beach, which is a shame.  The beach itself was not the most beautiful one I had ever been to (though I did very much enjoy my time there), but there were hundreds of Indian women swimming in the ocean with their saris and it made for some stunning photos that I wish I still had.  I was definitely able to relax

After several hours it was time for some lunch and we headed to the Lonely Planet and New York Times recommended restaurant in Fort Cochin called Tea Pot.  They claimed to have the best dessert in all of India, which was named “Death by Chocolate.”  Since my friend and I are both chocoholics there was no other choice than to eat there.  Of course it was no surprise that the only people in the restaurant were tourists.  Overall it was a pleasant experience, however when in India, eat like the Indians do.

The inside of Tea Pot.

My back was starting to really hurt me from a week of sleeping in hard beds, so I decided to visit another Ayurvedic spa in hopes that a massage would help.  When I went to make an appointment I was sad to discover that they were completely booked for the rest of the day.  I then called to our hotel’s spa, which was a Western spa, and they did have an availability, although with a male massage therapist.  Normally that would have not bothered me in the least bit, since I am a medical professional, but I had seen the massage therapist at breakfast time and there was something about him that gave me the creeps.  Nonetheless, the pain I was experiencing won the battle over my intuition and I made the appointment.

The 1st 5 minutes of the massage were normal and I started to question just how good of an intuition I really had.  Then the massage therapist started to get closer and closer to places that only a lover should be touching me and before I knew it he was touching me in those places.  I asked him to stop and instead he asked me if I enjoyed it and why I was not making any noises.  He continued to touch me inappropriately and it took everything in me to not kick this guy in the face.  I quickly got off the table and started to dress.  As he was walking out the door, angry that I had ended the “massage” early, he confessed to me that he would not be able to sleep that night, as he would be thinking about my body.  I rushed back to my hotel room in order to take a shower and wash away the experience.  Even though I felt violated, I was more upset that I did not follow my initial intuition, something I had worked hard on to develop as a female traveler.

I did not want this terrible experience to ruin my fondness for Cochi, thus my friend and I went to watch the sunset along the water.  I am so delighted we did, because I was able to end the day with smile on my face.

It was time to say goodbye to Jaipur and begin the drive back to Delhi for our flight to Kochi.  I was not quite ready to leave the “Pink City” just yet, but I guess I am never ready to leave anywhere that enchants me.

A view of Jaipur from my hotel.

We drove one last time through “downtown” Jaipur and surprisingly I was able to take some nice photos from the bus window.

I was also able to capture some nice photos of Indian life along the rest of the drive as well, which took about 5 hours.

On our day and a half in Delhi, most of it was spent in Old Delhi.  As we were approaching the airport I was surprised by just how cosmopolitan part of the city was.  It had buildings that easily rivaled ones found in NYC to Hong Kong.

During our 5 days in the North of India, many Indians had told me that the South would seem like a completely different country.  I could not wait to find out if that was true!

On our way to the sari store we came across some more breathtaking scenery.  I am convinced now that no matter where you go in India you will stumble across something that is picture worthy.

Besides India oozing beauty from every corner within its border, another observation I continuously made was that as far as transportation goes, anything goes!

The man who owned the sari store that I was visiting wanted to show me how print making in India works.  I was pretty eager to try on some saris, however I obliged once I was given some chai and cookies.

When I was about 8 years old I vividly remember my father returning from his month long business trip to India for 2 reasons: 1) he was beyond sick with “Delhi Belly” and 2) he brought me back the most gorgeous pink sari.  Over the years I played dress up with it so much so that it eventually was unwearable and I believe thrown away.  It had crossed my mind from time to time and before I left for my trip I promised myself that I would look at replacing it with a new one.

As we entered the part of the store where the saris were sold I was immediately overwhelmed by the selection that I was to choose from.  There had to be over a thousand!  The man helping me quickly selected a multi-colored one for me to try on.  It took about 5 minutes to get it on just right, as putting on a sari is an incredibly intricate process.

My 1st look.

While the 1st sari I tried on was undoubtedly a work of art, I wanted to try and find the sari my father had purchased for me 2 decades ago.  I told the man exactly what it looked like and sure enough he found it!

I am in love!!!

After much consideration, I decided against purchasing it.  I knew that my days of playing dress up were long gone and that the opportunity to wear it would probably never arise.  Also, the process of putting it on was just too complicated for me.  I did, however, purchase a kurta and a blanket; 2 things I knew I would get a lot of use out of.

Me and the salesman who was convinced I was a famous actress from the US.

On our way out of the store I saw a woman spinning yarn.  She looked beautiful in her sari and it made me question whether or not I made the right decision.

But, then I thought, well now I have yet another reason to come back to India!

Yesterday, I was honored with an award by GO! Overseas for having one of the best travel blogs on India.  I am humbled with this news, though I must admit I feel like I had some help, since I think it is impossible to not write something interesting about India, as it is THAT fascinating of a country!  Nonetheless, I accept this award with deep pride and I hope that my dear readers will continue to enjoy my tales.

After exploring the Amber Fort and witnessing its splendor, I do not understand why it is not considered 1 of the 7 wonders of the world?  As we followed the signs for the exit I was just floored with these departing views.

"The Great Wall of India."

One of the last things I saw before leaving were 2 snake charmers.  Of course I had to get closer and be part of the action.  If you know me personally or have been following my blog, then you know that I have a thing about wildlife.  Besides, this cobra had nothing on the anaconda I wore around my neck in Brasil!

And I could not think of a more perfect departing shot than this:

Next we were off to try on some saris. . .

With a door as intriguing as this, does it not just beckon you to walk through it?  I mean of course something as equally intriguing must be waiting on the other side, right?

I would say my assumption was pretty accurate!

And what about this door, what could possibly be behind it?

If you guessed a myriad of mirrored mosaic walls, you would be correct!

Not only was the surrounding architecture gorgeous, but if you took a moment to look out the windows, the views easily rivaled in aesthetic appeal.

It was as if this place was pregnant with the near magical.

Imagine waking up every morning with elephants roaming just below you.

On to the 3rd part of the Amber Fort. . .