Rajastan...this is long overdue

ok, so I stopped updating this thing for a couple of weeks. My bad. I will do my best to capture 2 weeks in a giant post. However, I lament that I will certainly loose a ton of detail.

I got off the bus in Jaipur to me these two nice guys from Barcelona. After talking for a few moments we figured out that we had almost identical schedules planned out for the next two weeks, so I tagged along with them. They were two brothers. The oldest one was Andres, and the younger was Herman. I honestly got along with them really well, and was disappointed when we had to split up.

After just walking around Jaipur for a few hours, we found ourselves a little bored and not digging the city, so we grabbed a bus and headed to Pushkar (well, Ajmer...).

When we arrived in Ajmer, we found that it was impossible to get to Pushkar that night, and we would have to spend the night there. So, we got ourselves a room at the worst hotel I have ever seen, and then headed for a lovely dinner of vegetarian burgers and fake cheese pizza. Obviously,. we had to have fake ice cream for desert, as nothing else would suffice as a proper conclusion to our vegan meal.

The next day we saw the giant mosc in Ajmer, and headed to Pushkar for the camel festival. There we found thousands of camels that have been brought to both compete in different events as well as be sold and traded among camel enthusiasts. The whole scene was ridiculous, and very funny. On day 2 it rained, so we really did nothing except read and eat, but had a nice time regardless. The following day we watched the mustache competition (my favorite), and headed out to Jodhpur.

I think we all really liked Jodhpur, but the highlight was clearly when the three of us broke down and headed to McDonald's. It was so great to eat a familiar food, even if it was beefless, I enjoyed the fish sandwich and the fries. We also saw the palace, and what I think is the most impressive fort in the country. Overall it was a really nice city, and I regret that we headed out so soon, but our schedule demanded it.

So, we found ourselves in Jaisalmer after two short days in Jodhpur. It is this incredible fort built in the middle of a sand desert. What makes it even cooler is the fact that it is still being used, and is currently occupied by thousands of residents. We decided that we should take a tour of some near by villages, and the best way to do so was to do it on camel back. So, we hired a guide and he took us out the next day. We visited a couple of different villages, all of varying cleanliness and modernity, and spent two nights in the sand. It was way better than the camel riding in Morocco, because I felt we were accomplishing something, and not just having a ride for tourists. However, on the mourning of the third day Andres got a little sick, and we asked to be taken back early. SO we road to the nearest village where a jeep picked us up. We at a little, and then went shopping, which seemed to cheer up Andres. I bought a few Camel skin laptop bags, and the fellas bought some other camel skin fair. Later that night, we headed on a bus for Udaipur.

Again, in Udaipur it was raining, which really ruins a city known for it's beauty. So, we stayed inside and really did nothing. We went to the mostly indoors city palace museum, but found ourselves unimpressed after seeing the one in Johdpur. The next day we rented bikes and biked around the lake. It would have been great and very beautiful had my bike not broken and forced me to walk the last 3ish miles back to town. Oh well, it was cool.

Me and the fellas bought a beer, and had a really nice good last meal together and then said our goodbyes. I really had a lot of fun with them in Rajastan, and wish we could have continued together longer, but we were heading different directions.

Now I head south!

Amritsar & the Golden Temple

So, I arrived very late at night, and found myself wondering the streets, because I couldn't get a tuck-tuck for a reasonable price. I finally found the Golden Temple (in hindsight it shouldn't have been that hard). Well, I found it and was shown to my absolutely free dorm. It is really cool, they just put up anyone who comes. They feed you as well, but as I fear to get sick, I obtained from the food. The temple it's self was magnificent. It really is everything it is made out to be, and more. To add to that, all the people are overly friendly. Each one asks me if there is anything they can do for me or anything I need. I have never been to a more hospitable place.

The rest of the city is just fair. There is a nice park and memorial from a British massacre that is quite nice. There is also a nice area of somewhat high end shops and restaurants.

The second attraction of the area is the India/Pakistan boarder. Each night they have a boarder closing ceremony, and each side is full with thousands of people who come to cheer on their nation. There are grand stands built, and a lot of flags, its almost like a giant pep rally side by side with your rival's pep rally. Really just odd.

Other than that, nothing much to say. I had a headache yesterday, which probably kept me from enjoying some of the city, but overall the temple is all that's going on here.

Rishekesh

Nice town. Full of hippies, and pot heads, but I enjoyed it. I met up with this German guy for a few days, and we just walked around and ate and enjoyed the relative cleanliness of the city.

It was a peaceful uneventful 4 days. Good food, nice company, and nice scenery but not much else. I think a big pot head would love it here, but as I have quit smoking a while ago I was less impressed with it all.

Agra

Well, I did it. I saw the Taj Mahala. It was pretty cool. I think it is one of the most impressive buildings I have ever seen. I got up for sunrise and watched it come across the building. Just a majestic site. I saw some of the other sights in Agra as well, which were pretty cool, like the baby taj, a mausoleum, and the Agra Fort. All of these were impressive.

I think the best part of Agra was just riding around on a rickshaw with this guy and getting a view of the city as a whole. It was really nice, however I had two confrontations during the day.

The first occurred when I went to pick up my bus ticket, only to find that the travel agent had sold my sleeper ticket to someone else, and wanted to give me a seat. Well, I got very angry, and was yelling at him. I insulted his Karma ( a huge deal here), and made it known that I was considering contacting the police. Obviously he was nervous and wanted to make it ok. So, we agreed that I would take the sitting seat, but he would refund all of my money, essentially giving my ticket to me for free.

The second was while I waited in line at the ATM. A small guy started to cut in front of everyone. Well, I wouldn't have that. So, I stuck my arm out to stop him. Well, he didn't like this and was pushing me. I was getting irritated but did nothing except tel him to wait in line. Then, he punched me in the back. Well, I was clearly angered by this. I was not about to get into a fight, but couldn't stand for that. So, I turned around and told him to stop. He replied by asking what I would do about it, and then shoved me again. So, I pushed him back. At this point everyone in line had backed away. I didn't really understand what was going on, and was fearful he had a knife or something. Why else was he so confident? However, I decided to just laugh him off. Well, he continues to try to push in front of me, and I insisted that I wouldn't allow it. So, eventually he hit me again. I hit him back (maybe a mistake, but enough was enough), and he then tried to kick me in the balls. He thankfully missed and now I was angered. So I tackled him to the ground. It's good to be a former linebacker, I slammed him down with all of my weight and power driving into the cement ground. I was about to get up, assuming I had made my point, when he all of a sudden spit at my face and yelled something I didn't quite understand, but I assume it was insulting. So, I flipped him around, and was about to break his arm off (something we were thought not to do in wrestling, but shown how to do it in order to avoid it). Well, he started top yell and scream, and I began to think I was taking this too far. Although I was really pissed, and had enough of this dude. It was at this point the other Indian men were ganging up on me, so I thought it best to just run! Later my rickshaw driver (who watched the whole thing but didn't intervene) told me I was in the right, and that this man was crazy. The only reason the other Indians interjected was that they thought I would really hurt the man. However, no one was of the opinion that I had done anything wrong.

Well, that was Agra

Khajuraho

My time in Khajuraho was anything but typical. Yes, I went to the temples, and yes they were awesome! I think the most impressive archeological site I've ever seen. However, it was the rest of my experience that was noteworthy.

I made friends with a few local guys, who invited me to their home for their Diwali party. This was pretty much them eating and lighting fireworks. It was fun, a little dangerous, but overall great. The following day they took me to the real party.... the temples! Not the historic ones, but the ones in use. There we found hundreds of people dancing and having a great time! It was really a spectacle.

We ended by them inviting me to a family wedding in 2 1/2 weeks, which I told them I would think about. while it would be cool, I don't know if I want to give up a bunch of other cities to visit just to go to a wedding.

We'll see

Varnasi

WOW! Incredible! Other superlatives are needed to best describe this fabled city. I arrived late at night, and took a boat trip on the Ganges, which was very nice. The next day I was taken on motorcycle to all the temples, followed by strolling the gants and seeing a concert at night. The following day I woke up to watch the sunrise rituals, following this I went to Sarnath (where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon). Finally on my last day I went to the local Fort, which was a huge let down.

Overall I loved the city! Watching the crematoriums was mind blowing, and the whole scene in the morning was incredible. There was just a magic and a mastic in the air, and I was digging it. I think the only negative was the amount of people hounding me at all times. Please, leave me alone! But really, the city was a pleasure.

Interesting note, I have begun to get tiered of Indian food way too early...I will do anything to eat Pizza, and I don't like it!

Darjeeling

It was nice. Well the city was fine, but it was nice to not be in Kalkutta anymore. I liked everything, but honestly didn't do the city well. My stomach was still hurting me (finally it felt better the morning I left), and I didn't feel like doing much. I was sleeping 12 hours a day those 3 days and just getting myself together.

The views from the city are fine, and it is nice to be on the mountains. A little to cold at night, but it was fine.

That's really all I have for Darjeeling. It's just good to not be sick anymore.