India & Nepal

Well our long day has begun. Up at 5:30 am to catch our 8 am flight. The weather is cold and raining. This trip we planned well (we hope) and are traveling much lighter than usual. I can pick up my bag! Hugh gave me the new John Gresham book for Valentine's day and I can't wait to start it. Time to head for the gate. The flight to NYC JFK was easy. I slept and so did Hugh. We had lunch at a nice restaurant in the international terminal and then we had 31/2 hrs. to kill. When we arrived at Air India we were told our flight would not leave until 3 am and they sent us to a hotel and served us a nice dinner. We met all our travelling companions at dinner and then everyone went upstairs for a 5-hour nap. Then it was back to the airport. What a day! We finally boarded the plane and took off at 5 am--10 hours late. The reason sited was for fog in Delhi. Our group was Bud & Betsy, Arlee & Jay, Diane, Mary Linda & Lee, Ginny, Carol & Richard, Ron & Cheryl, Frank & Twig, Alice & Steve, Solomon & Fatima, John & Linda, Hugh & I, and our guide was Ruth Ann. We had not seen many of our friends since going to China with them last spring. We had decided in Shanghai to get Ruth Ann to take us to India. We had been waiting with anticipation for almost a year.

We have been flying for what seems like forever. Hugh has an upset stomach and I think they just served our fourth meal. I have no idea what time it is or when we will land. The destination screen has us at 37,000 ft with 2 hours to go. ETA 7:09 Delhi time. India has only one time zone, its 11 1/2 hrs ahead of our EST. It's time for me to make another trek around the plane before another body part goes numb.

We arrived at last. The hotel is lovely and we re treated to the breakfast café while our rooms were readied. Up in the room Hugh opened his suitcase to find that his clothes were all wet. He had to throw some away. Probably they sat outside in New York or Charlotte where we changed planes because its beautiful here in New Deli! We sent them to the laundry, took a 45-min nap and then showered. Then it was off to our tour preview and lunch. Then we were off for an afternoon of sightseeing. First we went to the President's house, Parliament house, and the Secretariat Buildings. These were along a wide boulevard called the King's Way or Raj Path. We then went to the India Gate, a WWI memorial to the British and Indian soldiers. Beggars met us, beggars with trained monkeys, snake charmers, and the usual postcard and junk hawkers. We then traveled to Humayan's tomb (the first domed Islamic structure in India and the inspiration for the Taj Mahal). Next we went to Quitub Minar which is the first minaret in India and the highest structure in India. It was built of many colors of sandstone and white marble taken from many destroyed Hindu temples. We were so tired we ended the tour early so we could go to bed.

After 11 hours sleep we packed and went to breakfast with Alice. The bus pulled out at 9:30 and we were off to Jama Masjid one of the largest mosque in India. It is a very active mosque. We then went across the street to the Red Fort, built in 1648 by Shajehan. This was used as a palace and a fortification. The buildings are beautiful. The Peacock Throne was here before the Persians stole it. We will return here tonight for a sound and light show. From here we visited Shanti Varna, the cremation sight of Gandhi and Nehru. We then made a brief stop at Lakshminarayan Temple, a modern Hindu temple. We had a buffet lunch at our hotel and then the group split, with a large group going to visit a hospital and the rest going shopping at Connaught Place. My shopping companions were Cheryl, Arlee, and Mary Linda. My group had quite an adventure starting with a cab driver that would not take us where we wanted to go. When we finally convinced him, he followed us for blocks wanting to wait for us. We had constant companionship form overly helpful guys wanting to take us to their friends businesses. We were offered massages, taxi rides etc. We looked in some government stores but mostly decided to shop in some of the smaller more specialized shops. Our cab got us back just in time to dress and go to dinner. We ate at a lovely Chinese restaurant in another 5 star hotel. We then went to the Red Fort for the light and sound show. We checked out, packed and were in bed by 11. Tomorrow its up at 6 am bags out by 6:30, breakfast at 6:45, and the bus leaves at 7:30. We will be off to Jaipur. Click here to see Delhi Pictures

After a hearty breakfast we boarded the bus for a 61/2-hr. trip to Jaipur (166 miles). The major road was unbelievable. We shared it with cows, buses, camel carts, pigs, and women with water jugs on their head, etc. The trucks are beautiful and are highly decorated. They do not seem to be very sturdy and many fall apart going down the road. We now know why it takes so long to travel such a short distance. We also stopped at a street market. The trip to Jaipur was unlike anything we could imagine. Jaipur is called the Pink City because it was painted for the visit of Prince Albert. We checked into the Sheraton Palace Hotel and had an Indian buffet lunch. The bus then dropped us at the Palace of the Winds, which was built so the ladies of the palace could look out since they were not allowed out in public. We walked around the market. This is a walled city of 2 million with the City Palace and a lake in the middle. There are people and animals everywhere. We took a pedal rickshaw around the city. The streets are very wide with a median and many traffic circles. Vendors, scooters, motorcycles, animals and rickshaws, motorized and peddled, take up a lot of the street. There are no large stores just room sized stalls and sidewalk vendors. There is everything for sale from sinks, pots, food, etc. Almost all the goods were made in India with the exception of Coke, Pepsi, Fuji and Sony products. People here urinate on the sides of the road, especially men. Hawkers are in your face trying to sale their wares. Gypsies were camped on the corners. The hustle and bustle will wear you out. We took our pedi-cab back to the hotel and walked around the shops here. We were in bed by 8 p.m.

We had a hearty breakfast and boarded the bus for the Amber Fort which guards one of the two entrances into the valley. We visited a place to view the Palace of the Lake before reaching the fort. We boarded an elephant with Alice and Steve and up the mountain we went. Our elephant was slow biut Ginny, Diane, Rick, and Carole had a nervous elephant that scared even the shopkeepers at the top. The view from the top was spectacular. There were monkeys everywhere. The fort had beautiful Persian gardens and the palace of the Maharajah. We toured many rooms and marveled at their beauty. The paintings on the marble ceilings and walls and the embedded semi-precious stones and mirrors were beautiful. The view of the valley was incredible. High stone walls similar to the Great Wall of China lines the ridges. We took a crazy jeep ride down and back to the bus we went. We then went to a Carpet and Textile miall and saw the carpets being made. Everyone was amazed by how the workers squatted for hours knotting and designing these rugs. We also saw them block printing tablecloths. It was a multi step process. We were amazed at the beautiful designs they made. They were glad to see our bus because they sold many rugs including the one we bought. We went back to the hotel for lunch. This afternoon we went to the City Palace. We were able to see paintings, weapons, and antique clothes from the maharajahs and their courts. We also went to an observatory with many astrologic instruments from the sixteenth century. The bus went back to the hotel but Ginny, Diane, Alice and I went to the textile miall and to check out the blue pottery of Jaipur. We took a motorized rickshaw (yes all four of us in one, my legs were hanging out). It was a crazy ride dodging cows, cars, elephants, camels, bikes, and people. We were stopped by the police, not for too many people, but because our little taxi had no lights. After talking to the police, we traveled on, no lights, to the hotel. We cleaned up a bit, ate dessert, and went to a SHORT puppet show, and back to the room to pack and rest. A 6:30 am wake-up call. Click here to see Jaipur Pictures

Wake up at 6:30 and breakfast with Diane and Ginny, its going to be another traveling day. At breakfast Ginny told us about her trip to Antartica. The bus left at 0800. The bus ride is very tiring. The trip of less than 170 miles is taking over 6 hours. Along the way we see beggars that surround the bus each time we stop, elephants carrying wood, lots of broken down trucks and even men with trained bears. One vista follows another and each is hard to describe. There are people living in tents, straw huts, brick hovels, etc. There are piles of cow dung shaped into disc for fuel in every yard. Some people have been very decorative with their dung and have made fences, cones, and spirals. There are animals and children everywhere. Neither seemed to be confined to any area. Men stand on the roadside and urinate or bathe at the wells. Women are working in the fields. Broken down trucks and scoters litter the roadside as well as garbage and pigs. There is also a tremendous amount of beauty. The colorful sari's on the women and the green fields, the temples, palaces and shrines. I hope our pictures do a better job in describing this than my mere words. Our only stop today is at Fatehpur Sikri. This is a beautiful fort and palace from the sixteenth century. It is so amazing to see these structures. The Maharajah had 4 wives and he had a house on the grounds for each one. One was Moslem, one Hindu, one Christian and the other ?. There was a school for the children and a home for the astrologer. This fort was abandoned because of lack of water. Behind the fort we see a school that is in operation today. From here we traveled to Agra and checked into our hotel. We had a late lunch and then went downtown for shopping. We went to a jeweler who had museum quality jewels and tapestries written about in April, 1985 National Geographic. I bought an aquamarine and diamond ring in a mogul design with my money form mom. Hugh bought me a most beautiful emerald and diamond ring; suddenly turning 50 doesn't seem so bad. We shopped some more and Hugh purchased a new camera as the Elph decided not to work while we were in Jaipur. He & Ravi went all over Agra at night in a motor rickshaw looking for a decent camera to take pics of the Taj Mahal. Tonight we will have dinner in the hotel and rest from our journey.

We were up for breakfast and out to the bus for the Taj Mahal. We transfer from our bus to an electric one for the final blocks to the Taj. The Indians seem to be trying to preserve this national treasure. When we walk through the gates it takes your breath away. The weather is warm and sunny, just the right backdrop for this exquisite structure. The Taj looks to be white but when we get close, it is inlaid and carved. The grounds are beautifully kept and the flowers are healthy and bright.

The love story is beautiful although it shows great extravagance at the expense of the people. We have a group picture made and they had it ready by the time we left. From the Taj we went to a marble factory where artisans hand cut into marble & then inlaid semiprecious stones. Then to a marble factory where craftsmen cut into the marble so semiprecious stones could be inlaid. Then we went to a Kashmir Crafts &shop, then back to the hotel for lunch. Not wanting to face another Indian buffet, Hugh and I walked downtown to a Pizza Hut. It was delicious and only 140 rupees (very cheap). In the afternoon we visited the Agra Fort. It was a palace and a fortification. The view of the Taj from here is magnificent. The fort was of the same period but the marble, mirrored halls and fountains have not been kept like the Taj Mahal. I walked around Agra in the afternoon while Hugh napped. We went to a magic show in the evening that was very funny and then we had dinner with the Wardlaws. We slept well in preparation for our flight to Khajuraho.

We slept in this morning and had a big breakfast. I called Trey and he had a bad cold. He had not heard form Lori and I suppose no news is good news. At 11 am we left for the airport. It was truly a zoo and many from our group were detained to have bags checked more thoroughly. We were told often during our delay that there was a problem with the plane, But "NO PROBLEM!" After an extended delay we took off. The flight was uneventful. We landed and immediately went to the hotel for a late lunch. After lunch we toured the erotic temples of Khajuraho. Our guide was a real comedian, making many jokes about Clinton's upcoming visit to India. He explained the history behind the carvings and how they were used for premarital and post marital education. The carvings were very detailed (see pictures). It was late when the tour finished so we went immediately to the Folk Show. It was colorful and well-done showcasing songs and dances from all the states in India. We then had a late dinner at the hotel then off to bed. Click here to see Khajuraho pictures

This was a morning to sleep in but we decided to go to a local village with Ruth Ann's friend Pappu--he is 15 years old, tall and handsome. He is quite the Ambassador and speaks Hindi, English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. He and his brother showed us their village with all the separate areas for the different levels of caste. We saw a house painted for a wedding, public government school, and a private school that Pappu attended. When you see the conditions in these villages it amazes you how intelligent these children are. The primitive structures, the animals, etc., truly keep you wondering how these people can live so peacefully and how they can be so happy and friendly. We saw cow dung drying in the sun for use as a fuel. Arlee has a young man escorting her with questions such as What is your name, where are you from, you have a pen for me, you want me for your friend? The children are sweet looking but can make you feel uncomfortable when they surround you all talking at once. They speak some English and want to practice. Hugh and I walked downtown after the village tour and then took a pedi-cab to the hotel in time to check out and board the bus to the airport. Our flight to Varanasi is delayed which seems to be normal for Indian Air. I am writing this as we sit and wait for the plane-none of our bags were searched here but they do a body search on everyone. The flight was easy and we went straight to the hotel for lunch. I was expecting fewer people in Varanasi but it looks as crowded and poverty ridden as Delhi. Our guide is Lalook and his English is good. We are touring temples. We toured the temple at Banaras Hindu University and we were surprised to see animals, beggars, etc. on the campus. The temples are interesting but are starting to all look alike. At one temple an elephant walked by and drew quite a crowd. We stopped at a silk factory and watched the people weaving the delicate silks with the golden threads. Only a centimeter or so is done each day. The silks were beautiful but still expensive. We went back to the hotel for dinner and a good nights sleep. Ravi & his daughter were visiting us at the hotel.

The alarm sounded at 5:15 am and we are up and out quickly. This morning we are going on a pilgrimage to the Ganges River. When we arrive at the river the sun is just beginning to rise but people are already bathing as part of their spiritual cleansing. We board a long man -powered boat and begin our journey. There are people of all ages bathing in the river. We also see two cremation sites being prepared, the family is taking off the clothes the body at one and the second one is finished and the ashes are being removed. This was not as overwhelming as I thought it would be. We saw many women washing clothes in the river as we made our way up stream. We wandered through the narrow streets of old Varanasi and visited 2 temples that were pretty but in very dirty areas. On our way back to the hotel we saw a pedi-cab school bus picking up children for school. At the hotel we had breakfast, showered and packed. As we were leaving for the airport, Ravi brought his daughter to see us. She was adorable and Ravi was the proud Papa. Our Sahara flight was only 20 min late taking off and it was a smooth flight to Delhi. Unfortunately our Royal Nepalese flight is now posted 1 hour late. We are all reading, snacking, stretching and attempting to pass the time. The plane arrives and we are off to Nepal. We land in Kathmandu and we head straight for the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Soaltee. This hotel is beautiful and the staff is waiting for us even though it is midnight. They serve us a steak dinner complete with french fries, McDonald's eat your heart out. Finally to bed at 1 am. Click here to see Varanasi pictures

Wake up call at 0700, breakfast and on the bus at 0800. This is truly a busy schedule. We first drove to a Buddhist temple situated on a hilltop. It was hung with prayer flags. Monkeys were playing everywhere. There were lots of vendors and I bought Lori a string of prayer flags and Hugh bought some silk purses. We then traveled to Durbar Square and the ancient royal residential quarter. We saw several temples including Temple House of the Kumari, the vestal virgin or the living goddess. When a new goddess is needed she is chosen out of a certain number of girls of the right caste, the right astrologic sign, ages 4-5 years. The girl that is chosen is tested. She has to find her way from temple to temple in the dark without being told until she comes to the right temple and the right room. She must go to sleep there and while she is asleep people put freshly slaughtered buffalo heads in the room so they are the first thing that she sees when she awakes. When she wakes up the people beat on drums and make loud noises. If she doesn't cry it is taken as a sign that she is the living goddess. She stays in this temple cared for by two families. She never leaves this temple, never smiles and is seen at an open window periodically. When she reaches puberty and first sheds blood she is sent back to her family to live as a mortal.

After lunch we walk around a bazaar and then back to the hotel for lunch. Even in Kathmandu men pee at the side of the road. After lunch we visit Bhagadn, an ancient city founded in the ninth century. We visit several temples and walk in a Tibetan Bazaar. We then travel to the Golden Temple, the 5 storied Bhupartindra Malla and visit a Buddhist Stupa, a holy place for Buddhist pilgrims. We see a cremation ground on the riverbanks and 3 bodies are being cremated. We then saw a leper colony. We then dropped the Ddoctors at the Hhospital and went to the hotel to shower and relax. This evening we had a lovely Middle Eastern dinner at a Bukktar restaurant. We ate with Linda, Joehn, Ron, and Cheryl. The food was good and was eaten without utensils. The company was great! We celebrated Cheryl & Arlee's birthday. Off to bed for 5:15 am wakeup call.

Up at 5:15am and after a quick shower we leave for the airport. Today we get to take a small plane and fly over the Himalayans. The plane seats 17 and there are 17 of us going. The air is very cool and the sun is just coming up. We arrive at the airport just as the sky lightens. We are processed through and board the plane. The plane is Dornier propjet. We have a stewardess to help us and everyone has a window seat. We only have to wait 20 minutes before a smooth take off. The air is clear and the mountains are silhouetted against a blue sky. The flight is smooth and we have a map to identify peaks. We are slowly getting closer to the peaks and are starting to see snowcaps. All of a sudden Mt. Everest is right outside my window, covered with snow. It is an awesome sight. We continue to get closer till Everest is all we see. Everyone is photographing as quickly as possible. The plane is getting colder the longer we stay at 20,000 feet. The sight is so beautiful and as we move away from Everest each person is called to the cockpit for a straight on view. As we retrace our flight we see the Everest base camps. Many massive mountains were fully terraced and in crops. Se saw an arial view of Kathmandu. It was so beautiful that everyone was quiet on our return trip. We arrived back at our hotel @ 9:15am and had breakfast with Alice & Steve. Then we boarded the hotel shuttle and headed for a market downtown. Hugh & I shopped with Mary Linda, Lee, Dianne, Alice, & Steve. We picked up a few trinkets and caught the 1pm shuttle back to the Hotel. I put out our suitcases as Hugh checked out of the hotel. We then joined the whole group for a lovely 3 course Italian lunch. Then it was off to the airport for our flight back to Delhi. We we arrived at the departure building we were met with a hoard of beggar children trying to take our carts and our parcels from us. It was total chaos but by 4:15pm we were checked, searched and X-rayed and waiting to board. We board for a 1 1/2-hour flight to Dehli. We arrive back at the Meridien at 9:35pm and have a late dinner. Then it's time to turn in. Boy, we were tied! Click here to see Nepal pictures

It was a late wakeup call at 8:30am today. After a good breakfast we board the bus for a trip to the Lotus Temple. This is a grand structure in the form of an opening lotus flower. It looks very much like the Sydney Opera House. The temple was serene and quiet. The grounds and reflecting pools were clean and lovely. Flowers were everywhere. We spent about an hour here and then we traveled across town to the Delhi Haat market. This is a bazaar with craftspeople from all of the states of India. It was great and the weather was perfect. We purchased some gifts & a duhrrie rug for Lori. From here we traveled to the Ghandi Museum. This was old & not modern but was extremely touching. The bullets that killed him were on display as were his clothes and personal effects, letters, and things. Of special interest was his walking stick used on his famous march to the sea to protest The Salt Acts. This brought a quiet reverence to the whole group. We then went back to hotel. Hugh & I napped and skipped lunch. We woke at 5:45am, showered, and went to the AIMS cocktail party. Everyone was making pictures and planning our next trip. We went to bed early at 9:30pm and were up at 2am to shower and head for the airport. As usual Air India had a crisis. They had cancelled another flight & added 250 people to our flight. SITA & Ruthann got us on this massively overbooked flight. We were the only group to get on the flight. We took off 1 1/2-hours late. The plane was filled and noisy. The flight time to London was 9 1/2 hours. Hugh got to go up into the cockpit & talk to the 747 pilot. He had just finished a tour in the reserves flying a Russian SU-27 in Kashmir. We saw a lot of Bollywood movies in Hindi. We laid over for 1 1/2 hours in London & shopped in duty-free shops. We were again late taking off. We couldn't land in New York at JFK and had to go to Newark. Mary Linda, Lee, Hugh, & I took a limo to our hotels at LaGuardia. By this time I had gastroenteritis & was miserable. Lee gave me phenergan & saltines that really helped me & I was just weak the next morning. The next morning we had an uneventful trip back to Spartanburg and the twentyfirst century. From our Indian point of view everything here was so clean and modern. We had pizza on the way home and actually drank some tap water and ate salad. The pictures came back that afternoon and were overall disappointing from the camera & film Hugh bought in India. Very grainy film! We hope everyone else got back as easily as we did and that everyone enjoys our story! We couldn't have traveled with finer people or better travelers! We couldn't have seen happier or more colorful people. Bless their beautiful children & the hard work they always seem to be doing! We hope friends we made in India will come see us!

/susan