Incredible India
Trip Start
Oct 20, 2008
1
18
29
Trip End
Feb 02, 2009
Delhi,
India
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The first couple days (before our group tour started) we ended up holing up in our hotel room, wandering out for just a couple hours before we had to hide from the crowds again
Once they saw the Leap everyone had to join
. Even after we were on tour, every time we stepped off the tour bus we were swamped by hawkers selling everything. To give you a sense of their attitude, we were told by our tour guide "Don't talk to them at all. If you say 'No' that just gives them an opening that may lead to 'Yes'". Someone should explain that if they weren't so aggressive, actually blocking your path and grabbing you, there would be a much better chance of us buying things. There were things we were interested in that we decided not to buy because we were just sick of dealing with the hawkers.Our path covered much of the state of Rajasthan in northern India. We visited a couple of smaller villages, Mandawa and Karauli, to get a taste of "real India", saw the Pink City of Jaipur, Delhi, and of course the Taj Mahal in Agra -- easily the high point of our trip. Maybe living here a while would get easier, but our last train trip back from Agra to Delhi made us realize that we weren't any more adapted to the unique overwhelmingness (is that a word?) of India than we were on Day One.
We are about to run out for a last day of site seeing in Delhi before we catch our flight. Hopefully another update later, and maybe pictures once we get to Delhi. Until then, yes we are still alive and swimming in a sea of Indian culture
Classic Taj Mahal photo
.Merry Christmas everyone! We will be spending Christmas Eve evening and Christmas morning on an airplane to Bangkok.
A-- The food:
I love Indian food and being here has not diminished that. My quest for excellent curry has been fruitful. BUT I will say that eating curry everyday for 2 meals/day takes a toll on one's indigestion. I have had my fill of palak paneer, fresh onions, mint sauce, mango chutney, pickled onions (all yummy condiments). Mutton has been a favorite for me here. I have tried several kinds; I found my favorite (so far) yesterday in Agra. It is called Saag Ghoush, mutton cooked with spinach curry. The best part is that they serve it to you on the bone, with all the yummy chewy, fatty bits. I think one of the hard parts is that I cannot eat salad with my meals as the curries are great with cucumbers, which I got to have finally yesterday. Ernie has discovered that he absolutely loves fresh lime soda (fresh lime, soda water, sugar water). I have tried the salty version. Interesting, but as I was told, it is better for warm weather drinking. The drink got progressively saltier as my meal went on, but it was fun to try.
We ate at one of the fanciest restaurants here, for tandori. It was really good, but a bit overpriced for what it was.. They are famous for their Dal. It was really good, but tasted alot like our version of chili, just vegetarian.
Overall my food experience has been positive and yummy, especially the warm butter naans...I have yet to try the stuffed naans. I hear that the spinach stuffed naans are excellent.
Oh man! The street food looks so good too!!! I wish I could try it, but alas, I do not have the proper bacteria/organisms in me to digest it.
India, for me, has been challenging, but definitely an experience that I have grown and been enriched from.
