Incredible India!
Trip Start
Jun 27, 2009
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43
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Trip End
Jun 25, 2011
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Delhi,
India
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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Incredible India is such a perfect slogan for promoting tourism in India--as it really is an incredible place. Throughout my travels and watching TV in different countries there have only been 2 other catchy ones I've come across (that I have somehow stuck in my head):Malaysia Truly Asia and Soul of Seoul. ok back to my trip...
Anyways, Lily and I wanted to take one last big trip before our time on the JET program ends and decided to go to India!! We thought about backpacking on our own like we've done in many other countries, but because of various things we've heard about India, and just generally not wanting to put in the extra effort of planning everything out....we decided to book a package trip with the travel company Intrepid (if you don't know about them, check out their website--they offer different types of tours to almost every country in the world! http://www.intrepidtravel.com/)
Our trip was titled 'Unforgettable India' and was a 15-day whirlwind tour around Northern India. The blurb about the trip on the website says: Wander the streets of Delhi, Experience rural life in tiny Chanderi, Explore the peaceful countryside of Orchha, Marvel at Kama Sutra carvings, Track tigers in Panna National Park, Witness pilgrim traditions in Chitrakoot, Uncover the secrets of freedom fighters in Allahabad, Soak up the spiritual atmosphere of Varanasi
And they forgot a huge one--Visit the Taj Mahal in Agra!!
Something I liked about Intrepid was that they keep the groups small (we had 12 people in our group) and your guide is always a young person who is native to the country you are visiting.
exchanging money at the airport
Our guides name was Rohan and he was born and raised in Mumbai. He had been leading tours with Intrepid for over a year and said our tour was his favorite India one! Our group consisted of 9 Brits and 3 Americans most of whom were in their early-mid 20's. We all got along great and enjoyed each others company!Here's our itinerary. My pictures will follow in this order:
Days 1-2 Delhi The labyrinth of streets and lively markets of Old Delhi are a perfect introduction to India.
Day 3 Agra The former capital of the Mughals is home to the 16th century Red Fort and the beautiful Taj Mahal. Watch its mood change with the light through the day.
Days 4-5 Chanderi Get the celebrity treatment in the relatively tourist-free Chanderi. Explore ancient rock paintings, Jain temples and peaceful mosques before sitting down to a traditional family dinner at our local friends' home.
Days 6-7 Orchha Enjoy a guided walk around the many temples and palaces that dot the peaceful and picturesque countryside of Orchha.
Day 8 Khajuraho The intricate carvings of the exquisite 1,000 year old temples of Khajuraho celebrate Hindu legends, epic battles and the Kama Sutra.
Day 9 Panna National Park Head deep into the park in search of the elusive tiger, spending the night in natural hut-style accommodation by the banks of the Ken River.
Day 10 Chitrakoot Sprawling along the banks of the Mandakini River, Chitrakoot's temples, bazaars, and bathing ghats are awash with pilgrims.
putting the python around my neck, "friend"
Witness rituals and traditions taking place as they have done for hundreds of years.Day 11 Allahabad East of Allahabad is where the rivers Yamuna, Ganges and the mythical Saraswati meet. In town, call into the Anand Bhawan Museum, the boyhood home of the first prime minister of independent India.
Days 12-14 Varanasi Magical Varanasi is India's spiritual heart. Take a boat out on the Ganges to see devotees partaking in morning worship and enjoy a sunset flower ceremony.
Day 15 Delhi Return to the mad streets of Delhi.
The food in India was great, not too spicy (unless you ask for it to be that way) but I did get very sick of having curry and rice and chapati (another type of bread, not naan) for literally 3 meals a day. However since many Indians are vegetarians for religious reasons it was the perfect country for me to visit! Everything has a red circle or a green circle on it, indicating its not safe or safe for vegetarians to consume - even toothpaste!! Throughout our trip most of the cities we went to were Holy Cities so they do not have any meat, eggs or alcohol. By the end of the trip I was really craving eggs and cheese and BREAD!
Another interesting thing I learned in India was that you eat your food with your right hand only. They rarely use forks or knives and curry and vegetables are scooped up into a bread, all with your right hand. It can be messy so there are always napkins on the tables. Your left hand/wrist is used only to keep the plate from sliding around the table.
so many rupees!
Why do Indians only use their right hand? I never heard this while in India but read on-line that Indians usually give the following explanation for the practice of eating with hands: "Food is divine and needs to be enjoyed with touch, smell and taste. There is no joy in using a knife and thorns to eat it."
That may be true but it's also because the left hand is considered unclean and to use the left hand when eating is considered obsolete. The reason for this is because the left hand is associated with wiping one's bottom when in the bathroom. Since Indian tradition also dictates that only a clean hand should be used to transfer food from the serving dish to your plate, it is acceptable to use the left hand if there are any spoons/cutlery for taking food from the dish onto your plate.
I had a great time in India, the people were generally very friendly and seemed to love foreigners. I didn't really get sick (thank god) and don't think I have contracted malaria yet - so I'd say the trip was a success.
Other than that I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I'm months behind on this blog plus I'm too hot to write anymore right now.
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Lately I've just been trying to enjoy my last few months in Japan, do things I haven't done before and generally just enjoy my friends and beautiful surroundings. Speaking of things I haven't done before here's a big one: I am playing in a Western Japan ALT (Assisntant Language Teacher) men's soccer tournament this weekend (those of you who know me know that I don't play soccer). Why you ask? Well the Wakayama guys team didn't have enough players to field a team of 12 so 4 girls including me decided to help out and play with them. We have maybe 1 sub and are going to get slaughtered...but hey, should be fun! I had my first 'practice' yesterday and I think I did okay. It's not as hard as I remember it being in middle school, the only thing is going to be the guys will be so much faster than us!
35 more days of teaching left until I'm DONE.
Can you tell I'm excited or what!?
OK I'm off to teach...
xxx,
Kate
Comments
India
wow seems you surly had a wonderful time in India.
check out this link to know a bit more about backpacking in India.
http://www.indianbackpacker.com