Well, we've been in India now for four days and are starting to get into the swing of things. This place is a land of extremes, and we've experienced more here in the first four days than we did during our entire time in China. We spent two days in Delhi, where the forecast typically calls for "smoke" each day. The other day, the smoke was actually rolling into the reception of our hotel in waves. I've never been in a place so hazy, and we're told that some days, visibility is down to a few feet.
At the same time, we've seen some absolutely spectacular sights. The Jami Masjid or "Friday Mosque" visit was incredible (please see attached photo where Nadia and I acquired a new friend)…We had special treatment courtesy of our guides and managed to meet one of the descendants of Shah Jahan (the 16th century ruler who built the mosque). He was able to show us the most incredible artefacts including a footprint from the prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him) as well as his sandals and a single hair. We all touched the footprint, which was a pretty emotional experience for many in our group.
We also took a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, which you have to see to believe. It's a crazy maze of super narrow market streets lined with stalls specializing in everything from bridal wear to spices to car parts. We've added a short video as well as a shot inside Chandni Chowk for your viewing enjoyment...
We've been to the Nizamuddin mosque where we participated in a Sufi Muslim Juma (or Friday) ceremony as well as Humayun's Tomb (see attached photo of Nadia and her dad) India Gate, and many other sites.
Here in Jaipur, the air is clear, and we've seen some amazing sights. We took an elephant ride up to the Amber Fort (please see attached photo of Nadia's parents), which is like one part middle Eastern, one part great wall of China, and one part Indiana Jones. We also hit the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar, an old astronomical/astrological observatory.
India is not the easiest place in the world. The conditions for many of its people are rather shocking for first timers, but being that Nadia and I have both been to South Africa before, it wasn't a complete shocker. However, things are much more in your face here - we typically make a bee-line for our "tourist" van when we're leaving a sight as we're usually followed by a small throng of salesmen and beggars. In just a few days, it's amazing how desnsetized you become to it all. Typically in a day, we'll see some combination of the following: People living in absolute filth, cows on the road, giant pigs snacking on piles of garbage, camels and/or donkeys towing primitive carts, people bathing outside, monkeys climbing on rooftops…and that's just in our hotel room! Seriously though, despite some of the challenges here, the things we've seen and witnessed so far have been extraordinay. Part of that we owe to having hooked up with a great travel outfit that have taken us for many experiences that some of the larger tour companies would never offer.
Anyways, we'll be leaving Jaipur on Wednesday and will try to post again in Agra after we see the Taj Mahal. Bye for now…
Mike and Nadia
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