Posts
Two, Three and Four
After leaving Delhi a bit dazed and confused (understatement), we hit the road, left the chaotic city and headed for open roads. For hours we saw very few cars, the roadsides offered vista point after vista point of Indian countryside, the occasional settlement of wooden huts and half built complexes but on the whole, as the sun came down it was a tranquil road trip out of the madness and into a new adventure. I fell asleep.
Horns, bangs, shouting, I woke up. Agra, it seems is even more mental than Delhi upon arrival. I credit it being dark to some of my feelings but not all. As I have mentioned the road system here is something of chaos, beautiful chaos and that doesn't calm with the setting of the sun.
The same illogical cluster of cars, people and live stock fill the roads in all directions but what was blowing my mind was the use of lights. Unlike at home where we turn our lights on when driving at night, here they leave them off and only turn them on (full beam flashes) when approaching another vehicle or object or if that vehicle or object is in your way. The driver undertook a lorry only to be met by a motorbike (no lights) coming the other way which had just overtaken a tractor with a trailer full of people standing inside, so all four vehicles passed alongside each other on a stretch of road designed for two. Another example revealed itself after having done a series of overtakes, most on the inside and around corners. We were travelling at a good speed, say around 65 mph over very rough ground when something caught the drivers eye, screaming on the breaks to a point where we were all standing up the car came to a standstill, less than a foot in front of us was a truck, no lights, open backed and carrying a load of scaffolding poles which were overhanging by some distance and sitting conveniently at eye level I had not signed up to be in the latest Final Destination movie, thankfully nor had the driver.
We navigated more madness for around half an hour before arriving at the hotel. That was the best nights sleep I'd ever had.
In the morning we went to the Taj Mahal, it was so foggy we had to basically feel our way inside. Once there I really started to understand why it is one of the great wonders of the world. The story behind it being built and the craftsmanship is astonishing. There are inscriptions and what look like paintings covering the inside but no ink or dye was used, instead every swirl, flower and letter was painstakingly created by digging out the desired shapes from the slabs of marble and filling them with handcut pieces of precious stones. We watched a man make a table top decoration using the traditional methods and this really put into perspective the scale of the building I had just visited.
We hit some more hotspots in Agra before hitting the road again, this time for Ranthombhor, this city and the arrival into are much quieter, poorer and colder. Having packed my bags for South East Asian beaches I was not ready for the minus degrees. I shivered myself to sleep, in the morning I saw that the hotel doesn't actually have a front door, we were in the first room off the reception area so never stood a chance of a warm night.
A half five start was necessary, we were told so we could have breakfast and then set off for the safari for 6:30 am. That time came, as did, 7 and 7:30. Indian time keeping is not a strong point, a five hour journey is often sold as "a couple". Anyway, 7.45am and the truck pulls up outside, I'm in shorts and a light hoodie, the temperature outside is, at most three degrees and my ride for the next few hours is an open top truck, for fear or turning into Harry and Lloyd when they drive to Aspen on a motorbike in Dumb and Dumber I asked if the hotel had any blankets we could use. Thankfully that was a yes. We wrapped and jumped on board.
We entered Ranthombhor Tiger Reserve and drove a good few km into the park with only the landscape to entertain us, a little while later we saw some Indian magpie, which livened everyone up as they flew about and landed on unsuspecting peoples heads. Another five minutes drive and there was a small group of deer, Hyena Deer apparently, they were beautiful and completely unaware of us. We drove on and the guide explained that last night there had been a sighting of a tiger and three cubs, I never expected to see one given the park was over 1,500km squared and there were only 25 tigers left. But what I expected even less than that was what we saw next. Digging in the soil no more than 50m away was a fully grown male Sloth Bear, a wild, shaggy black coat. He had not a care in the world, blissfully unaware if his audience he just carried on being himself, that being a bear, I saw a bear in the wild, an actual bear! I like tigers, they are majestic, powerful and beautiful but I like bears a lot more. There were other animals such as eagles and crocodiles which was cool to see, but A BEAR. WOW.
We left Ranthombhore after that and drove another 3 or so hours to Jaipur, or as it is also known; The Pink City.
As I write this, I am coming to the end of my second day in Jaipur and it is this city that has got me hooked on India, I love this place. Down in the city centre its got all the chaos, hustle and bustle you could ever want, car horn 24-7, cows, goats and dog everywhere, food stalls, people, people, people galore. But a short car ride to one of the many Forts up in the mountains and the peacefulness and tranquillity of India can be experienced ten-fold. From the cold of Ranthombhore only a few hours away I am now basking in the sun, temperatures in the high 20's, maybe more, no humidity, light winds and not a fly in sight. Mountains and lakes as far as the eye can see in every direction. I'm not a spiritual man but this was heavenly. Below, 600 odd feet below is the city of Jaipur, overcrowded and lively. The wind carries the faint sound of car horns and calls to prayer this mixes with the chatter or a tree full of parrots behind me, I could stand there all day. I've walked and climbed miles and miles today and taken in so much information, I should be tired but this place has left me so chilled. Coming back down to the city chaos was easy, the mountains have cleared my head and I'm truly ready to take on the rest of this country.
Time constraints been I'm on the move again, tomorrows destination is Jodhpur, or as it is also known, The Blue City.
Happy reading.
After leaving Delhi a bit dazed and confused (understatement), we hit the road, left the chaotic city and headed for open roads. For hours we saw very few cars, the roadsides offered vista point after vista point of Indian countryside, the occasional settlement of wooden huts and half built complexes but on the whole, as the sun came down it was a tranquil road trip out of the madness and into a new adventure. I fell asleep.
Horns, bangs, shouting, I woke up. Agra, it seems is even more mental than Delhi upon arrival. I credit it being dark to some of my feelings but not all. As I have mentioned the road system here is something of chaos, beautiful chaos and that doesn't calm with the setting of the sun.
The same illogical cluster of cars, people and live stock fill the roads in all directions but what was blowing my mind was the use of lights. Unlike at home where we turn our lights on when driving at night, here they leave them off and only turn them on (full beam flashes) when approaching another vehicle or object or if that vehicle or object is in your way. The driver undertook a lorry only to be met by a motorbike (no lights) coming the other way which had just overtaken a tractor with a trailer full of people standing inside, so all four vehicles passed alongside each other on a stretch of road designed for two. Another example revealed itself after having done a series of overtakes, most on the inside and around corners. We were travelling at a good speed, say around 65 mph over very rough ground when something caught the drivers eye, screaming on the breaks to a point where we were all standing up the car came to a standstill, less than a foot in front of us was a truck, no lights, open backed and carrying a load of scaffolding poles which were overhanging by some distance and sitting conveniently at eye level I had not signed up to be in the latest Final Destination movie, thankfully nor had the driver.
We navigated more madness for around half an hour before arriving at the hotel. That was the best nights sleep I'd ever had.
In the morning we went to the Taj Mahal, it was so foggy we had to basically feel our way inside. Once there I really started to understand why it is one of the great wonders of the world. The story behind it being built and the craftsmanship is astonishing. There are inscriptions and what look like paintings covering the inside but no ink or dye was used, instead every swirl, flower and letter was painstakingly created by digging out the desired shapes from the slabs of marble and filling them with handcut pieces of precious stones. We watched a man make a table top decoration using the traditional methods and this really put into perspective the scale of the building I had just visited.
We hit some more hotspots in Agra before hitting the road again, this time for Ranthombhor, this city and the arrival into are much quieter, poorer and colder. Having packed my bags for South East Asian beaches I was not ready for the minus degrees. I shivered myself to sleep, in the morning I saw that the hotel doesn't actually have a front door, we were in the first room off the reception area so never stood a chance of a warm night.
A half five start was necessary, we were told so we could have breakfast and then set off for the safari for 6:30 am. That time came, as did, 7 and 7:30. Indian time keeping is not a strong point, a five hour journey is often sold as "a couple". Anyway, 7.45am and the truck pulls up outside, I'm in shorts and a light hoodie, the temperature outside is, at most three degrees and my ride for the next few hours is an open top truck, for fear or turning into Harry and Lloyd when they drive to Aspen on a motorbike in Dumb and Dumber I asked if the hotel had any blankets we could use. Thankfully that was a yes. We wrapped and jumped on board.
We entered Ranthombhor Tiger Reserve and drove a good few km into the park with only the landscape to entertain us, a little while later we saw some Indian magpie, which livened everyone up as they flew about and landed on unsuspecting peoples heads. Another five minutes drive and there was a small group of deer, Hyena Deer apparently, they were beautiful and completely unaware of us. We drove on and the guide explained that last night there had been a sighting of a tiger and three cubs, I never expected to see one given the park was over 1,500km squared and there were only 25 tigers left. But what I expected even less than that was what we saw next. Digging in the soil no more than 50m away was a fully grown male Sloth Bear, a wild, shaggy black coat. He had not a care in the world, blissfully unaware if his audience he just carried on being himself, that being a bear, I saw a bear in the wild, an actual bear! I like tigers, they are majestic, powerful and beautiful but I like bears a lot more. There were other animals such as eagles and crocodiles which was cool to see, but A BEAR. WOW.
We left Ranthombhore after that and drove another 3 or so hours to Jaipur, or as it is also known; The Pink City.
As I write this, I am coming to the end of my second day in Jaipur and it is this city that has got me hooked on India, I love this place. Down in the city centre its got all the chaos, hustle and bustle you could ever want, car horn 24-7, cows, goats and dog everywhere, food stalls, people, people, people galore. But a short car ride to one of the many Forts up in the mountains and the peacefulness and tranquillity of India can be experienced ten-fold. From the cold of Ranthombhore only a few hours away I am now basking in the sun, temperatures in the high 20's, maybe more, no humidity, light winds and not a fly in sight. Mountains and lakes as far as the eye can see in every direction. I'm not a spiritual man but this was heavenly. Below, 600 odd feet below is the city of Jaipur, overcrowded and lively. The wind carries the faint sound of car horns and calls to prayer this mixes with the chatter or a tree full of parrots behind me, I could stand there all day. I've walked and climbed miles and miles today and taken in so much information, I should be tired but this place has left me so chilled. Coming back down to the city chaos was easy, the mountains have cleared my head and I'm truly ready to take on the rest of this country.
Time constraints been I'm on the move again, tomorrows destination is Jodhpur, or as it is also known, The Blue City.
Happy reading.
Sounds like your'e having a great time and getting use to that travelling thing. Great Blog, brings back many memories already. Enjoy
ReplyDeleteThanks Tim, it's been a long time coming, I enjoyed listening to the stories you had of your time away and am so glad I am now able to create my own. Hope you're well. All the best mate.
ReplyDelete