Pilgrimage and ginger donkeys

12th – 14th January

It would be nice to think that after 5 or 6 train journeys, we would have the system down to a fine art. Truth is, every time we step into a train station, we feel lost and bewildered. Trains in India appear to run on their own timetable, which rarely corresponds to that of the stations. Getting the right platform is almost purely guess work, but, as we’re rapidly learning, that’s ‘just the way it is’ – a common phrase we use out here! However, with all these struggles, comes a great sense of achievement and relief when you realise you’ve made the right choice. We have been traveling everywhere using the sleeper class – the cheapest option above general admission. In these carriages, there are different compartments, split into 3 tiers (each one acts as a single bed at night) with a further 2 ‘beds’ on the opposite side of the corridor (see photo for a clearer picture). With no A/C, these carriages can get a little warm, but its the people we meet and the changing countryside that keep us occupied on these long journeys. For example, leaving the Punjab (north) and its green fields of rice and wheat and a bitter 6 degrees, Malene and I slept and woke up in Rajasthan with it’s rocky, harsh landscape full of cacti, camels and 20 degrees. We would never experience these fascinating changes or meet India’s fine people or drink fresh chai on a 2 hour flight, so for those reasons, we choose the train, the world’s 3rd largest rail system with 20 million people using it every day, plus 2 confused yet excited travelers.

Entering Vadodara (known as Baroda to the locals), we knew or journey was far from over. It was 5am and a little dazed and confused from a bumpy night, we stumbled out of the station and searched for the bus stop. We knew there were 2 stations – local and district, we just had to find the right one for our bus to Halol, 2 hours away. Of course the first bus stop we found was wrong – too easy we thought. Luckily the rickshaws, were already buzzing around and not unlike vultures, they smelt our fresh, inexperienced, tourist blood and honed in on us. Finally at the right bus stop we found someone who pointed us in the right direction for our bus and by 7am we were on our way, not entirely sure if it was the right direction, but going somewhere, not an uncommon feeling in India.

As the sun rose, it lit the sole mountain in the region in a glorious bath of golden light. We knew we were getting closer to our destination – Champaner and Pavagadh. With the addition of the beautiful sun, we could also see that with this new state: Gujarat, the countryside had changed. It was green once again, similar to the northern state of Punjab where we started this adventure. We reached the final stop of Halol where we took a rickshaw to the base of the mountain. It was the first proper mountain we had seen since being here and were excited as it grew taller and taller the closer we got. After a 15 minute ride, we reached the bottom of the mountain and knew we needed to go up to find our hotel – Hotel Champaner, the only hotel in the area. But the rickshaw driver wouldn’t go any further, instead we had to clamber inside the back of a truck, and with no less than 18 of us inside (plus our 2 giant packs) we begun the ascent. Winding our way up the mountain, we were engulfed by forest and strange sounds. All the way up, signs depicting various neighboring animals gave us more information as to what we we listening to – donkeys, eagles, monkeys, strange coloured birds and cobra snakes, although we probably wouldn’t hear them until it was too late!

Half way up, the truck stopped and luckily the hotel was now well within walking distance. As we stumbled into the reception, a rather none charismatic guy, with a big collared shirt and matching gold jewelry, explained that our room wasn’t ready, but have some breakfast instead. Enjoying our morning coffee and desperate for some sleep we admired the spectacular view of the mountain.

Camel Jockies.

7th – 11th January

A mere 6 hours by train from Jodhpur and we arrived at the sandy, red stone town of Jaisalmer, a large city in the far west of Rajasthan. We arrived at 11am and the sun was already searing hot. As soon as we stepped off the train, we were immediately greeted by a rickshaw driver, not unusual. He also claimed to know where our guest house was: equally unusual. After asking him how much to take us there (standard Indian practice) he replied “20 rupees” (20p) which rang a few alarm bells. Although I wasn’t sure how far it was to our guest house, this seemed a little too cheap, or a little too good to be true. But things were about to get better. Upon exiting the beautiful little station, there were 9 or 10 guys waving banners on the opposite curb, each with a different hotel name. The whole situation was a cross between an international airport with private taxi drivers signaling their clients and a protest on a busy street. Sure enough, our hotel representative was there and after collecting my bag back from the rather deflated rickshaw driver, Malene and I headed to his truck; a stripped out, doorless jeep, the best way of getting around the desert!

We arrived at hotel Ganesh, quickly deposited our bags in our room and sprang to roof to enjoy the afternoon sun. After a couple of weeks of the Punjab winter, we didn’t want to miss a second of this sun, which was by now well into the 20’s. After meeting the cook and owner, we were then introduced to the itinerary of our camel safari – our 3 days / 2 nights camel safari. This had always been a life-long dream of mine, ever since reading Tintin books as a child and wondering what it must be like to loose myself in the desert. The next morning, this dream would come true.

Starting early the next morning, Malene and I were joined by another girl (who was traveling alone!) and then headed into the centre of the city to pick up a further 6 girls. We then headed straight out into the open desert. With mini sand dunes, cacti and eagles above, we raced down the only strip of tarmac for miles around. After a half hour dash, we reached an opening and behind the cacti lay 9 majestic, yet rather cumbersome camels. Excitement levels rose as everyone’s cameras came out. We had one problem, our camera battery had to last the whole 3 days, as we were pretty sure there wouldn’t be a plug out here! Still, after a couple of photos, we hopped on our eager beasts, seconds before they started their awkward ascent, first back legs then front legs, as we tried desperately to hold on. With bags and passengers all loaded up, we headed out into the unknown. The first day and night, we would all be together, the 9 of us, then the remaining 2 days, Malene and I would be alone…with a guide of course.

After visiting local villages, and stopping to give water to our camels, we eventually found a large sand dune area which would be our base for the evening and night. After collecting wood and making a fire, we all sat around trying to stretch out our aching legs. One days riding had taking its toll on muscles I didn’t know even existed, I wasn’t sure if my legs would feel good again, the only thing that was certain, was we had a further 2 days of this! Our first night was magical. We watched the sun set over dunes and then ate around the camp fire. With our beds made on the sand, we gazed at the stars. There were plenty of shooting stars, but I felt this dream had already come true.

Early the next morning, we had breakfast; toast, jam, and hard boiled eggs, and then repacked all the bedding and our bags ready for the second day. With the 7 girls returning home this morning, it left Malene, myself and our guide to head back into the unknown. Before long, the sun was out and keeping us comfortably warm. Of course, sun cream and silly hats were keeping us safe from too much sun and at midday, we stopped for lunch and a siesta. The combination of the heat and the strange motion of camel riding made us really tired and the midday sleep was always a welcome one. Plus by this time, the scorching sun was too much, regardless of our silly hats.

Riding a camel is a slow, uncomfortable, belly shaking experience. But it also makes you feel like a nomad, searching for food and water, evaluating the land and dangers around you. You also sit far higher up than on a horse which is good if you don’t want to step on snakes, but we needed to remain aware of the cactus bushes which the camels loved to rub against.

Our second night was equally as peaceful as the first. In fact, we believed we would never find this peace, this quietness again in India. In a country that is so loud and busy at all hours of the day, this solitude was a welcome find on our travels. It was really wonderful sleeping under the stars again, with the cool air trickling over our faces and pillows made from sand under our heads, we quickly fell asleep in each others arms.

The third day would have been a good time to stop. Our legs were like useless lumps of jelly, barely able stretch over our camels and our stomachs were being shaken so much that internal organs were beginning to be dislodged. Still, stubborn as we are, we decided to opt for another long day in the saddle, this time stopping for lunch in an opening with some grazing sheep and goats. Of course, this meant fresh milk for our chai, much better than the powdered stuff!

We will never forget our camel safari, as I’m sure our legs won’t either. We’ve both been horse riding before, but the combination of no stirrups and a bone shaking ride, really leaves its toll. As you can imagine, the hot shower and soft bed back at the hotel were a very welcome sight. We just hope that we’re not walking like John Wayne for too long.

Our next destination: south, to the state of Gujarat and Champaner, the ancient walled city at the base of Pavagadh, our first real Indian trekking experience.

Catching up…

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
― Mother Teresa

However, for those that are interested in ‘yesterday’s catch up’, I have put 4 posts up of our travels so far. It’s just a beginning, but boy, what a start! Make sure you keep up as things are getting hot!

My apologies for the lateness of these, but the internet has been hit and miss recently. My hands are tied sometimes…

Feeling blue and loving it.

4th – 6th January

16 hours on a sleeper train is an ordeal in any country. Surprisingly, here in India, it was a very cold, yet smooth journey. Frozen to the core, we stepped off the train at 7 in the morning, with the sun beginning to show. Instantly confronted by a rickshaw driver we were eager to get to our accommodation – Gopal guest house, in the heart of the old city. It didn’t take long to reach guest house as we bumped our way through narrow, quiet streets. Checking in was fast too, which was lucky as we really wanted to get to bed for a quick power nap after our disturbed night previously.

When we awoke, we stumbled our way up the 2 flights of stairs until we reacher the large roof space. We were instantly struck by the great sight of the Mehrangarh, a large fort constructed in the stone on the side of a mountain. It overshadows the little blue houses that are Jodhpur. What took us even more by surprise was the introduction of sunshine. For the past 2 weeks we have slowly gotten used to the Punjab winter. With foggy days that don’t get much warmer than 7 or 8 degrees, we often wore our thermals and took plenty of layers on. And this was exactly what we were wearing today, at 9am on the roof as the temperature soared beyond 20 degrees. It was so nice to find the sun, we hope you never leave us again!

That day we crawled our way up the side of the mountain to the fort. We passed goats and cows, but the real surprise was white people…lots of them! We had spent so long away from tourists that we were beginning to think that we had India all to ourselves, the reality was, the Punjab doesn’t see much tourism, but we quite liked that. At the top of the hill, the views were spectacular, little blue box-shaped houses, different sizes and shapes sprawled across the desert-like hills. The blue city, was definitely blue, and very much alive! The fort was beautiful and caught our imaginations. It was lovely to imagine how people must have lived here hundreds of years ago, the battles they had, the royalty, the rich, the poor. The Indian history is certainly a rich and powerful story and fascinating to learn.

The remainder of our first day was spent searching the old bazaars and markets. Hundreds of textile shops and antique stalls selling everything from rugs to incense. With constant bargaining we were able to buy some lovely items, unfortunately, our bags are almost full. The hardest decision will be ‘what to leave behind?’ The common belief of Jodhpur is that everyone is trying to sell you something. This is definitely true. However, they are still lovely people, who genuinely love to talk and share their experiences with you…even if they are slightly disappointed when you leave the shop empty handed.

Jodhpur really captured our vision. The decorative balconies and finely detailed carved archways are incredible. It’s attention to detail, but in an old rustic type manner. It allows you to loose yourself as you gaze across rooftops and peer into a different world. A world of organised chaos, bright colours and sweet incense. We left the flat green rice fields of the Punjab and over-night entered a different land. The green lushness has been replaced by hard, warm red rock, but the people remain the same: loving, hospitable and curious.

We could have stayed much longer in Jodhpur. Getting lost in the labyrinth of streets that seem to take you in circles and browsing through the beautiful shops was so much fun. But, it’s time to move on…further west to Jaisalmer, home of the dessert and of course, camels!

A golden start…

30th December – 3rd January

Our first excursion would take us to the home of the Sikhs and the Golden Temple: Amritsar. Located about 200km north west of our little village, it wasn’t a huge trip, but a good introduction for our travels. We took 2 trains, both of which by general class. The train system in India is…complicated. Frustrating most of the time. Confusing and occasionally rewarding. Trains don’t appear to have much rhyme or reason, numbers are wrong, platform information incorrect and as for booking them, I could probability write a post dedicated to the mammoth task of that in itself!

There are many different classes on each train. Much like we have first class on ours in England, here there is first class, second class, 3rd, sleeper class, A/C and non-A/C classes and then general seating (GS). For all the classes other than GS you need to book in advance, well in advance. but i shall go into more detail of the system later. With GS, you simply buy the ticket on the day and hope, pray even that you can squeeze yourself and your 20kg bag on. It is always rammed full, with people sat in luggage compartments, on people’s shoulders, under the chairs, everywhere. But it’s fun, the people are kind and eager to talk with us and of course want the obligatory photo – we will start charging for these photos! This is how we got to Amritsar.

We stayed at Hotel Grand which was a pure delight. The room we booked wasn’t available and so they ‘bumped’ us up to a better one. With a huge bed, tv and the best shower we have had in nearly 4 months, this was turning out to be a fantastic start to our trip. The food in the restaurant was brilliant, just like its name: Bottoms Up Restaurant.

New Year’s Eve approached us quickly. We spent the day wondering though the busy streets and admiring the Indian way of life. We visited the ‘Attari-Wagah’ boarder in which 25/30,000 people came to see the elaborate and passionate standoff display between the Indian and Pakistan boarder patrols. With some sharp suits, funky headwear and high kicks, we all felt that India won the battle this time.

Upon returning to the city, we visited a strange little temple called Mata. This temple is visited by people who want good luck especially with having children. With dark walkways, sometimes on our hands and knees and after wading through ankle deep warm water, we were given offerings and prayed for. It was quite a surreal place, but beautiful all the same.

By the evening, we reached the much talked about Golden Temple. After a long, bare-footed walk down the cold street, we reached the main entrance and slowly entered. We were greeted by the most beautiful spectacle: a glowing gold temple, floating in the middle of a dark lake. It was pitch-black by this time, and the aura of the shinning temple struck us deep within. Many people prayed in silence and some even braved the icy cold waters as they cleansed themselves. We felt so privileged and honored that they should invite us into such a sacred part of their lives. As we took photos from all around the temple, it’s beauty was clear, here lay a magnificent spectacle in the middle of a very busy, dirty and raw city. Like the struggle and the reward or the fight and the peace.

The evening was topped off at the extravagant Crystal restaurant, a way of us to say ‘well done’ to each other for our hard work, and a good way to kick-off this next chapter of our story. As we feasted on lemon fish and sizzling hot chocolate brownies, we took time to reflect on this crazy year of ours. Living in England, Denmark and India, all the time very much in love, thankful for our opportunities and eager to explore more. More in this case will be the blue city of Jodhpur, a mere 16 hours away by sleeper train.

Rose gardens Vs. Rock gardens

14th, 15th and 16th of December.

Our trip to Chandigarh, would be our first test of traveling since our journey from Delhi over 3 months ago. It is a place that everybody talks about, a place that is quite different from anywhere in the Punjab, if not all of India. We were both excited to go and had planned it a few weeks earlier. The only problem was my Christmas nativity drama. I had, foolishly, given myself 2 weeks to organise, write and direct the children’s first ever Christmas play, and then translate it all into Punjabi for the audience to understand. Still, slightly stressed, it was a good idea to go ahead and visit Chandigarh.

Luckily, we managed to hitch a ride with someone from school who was on their way out there. The journey took 2 hours, or just around the corner as the locals would say. Finding ‘Hotel Silver Bell’ took a little while as we all peered through the jeep’s steamed windows and searched the densely packed buildings for clues. But things were going well, and before long, we were checking in and were quick to evaluate our room which was basic, but clean and even had a little balcony that overlooked the Himalayas. After so long being ‘apart’ from Malene whilst at school (and sleeping in separate rooms with our ‘Indian’ family), it was lovely to be together again.

The first day was spent exploring the western styled shops in the big, central shopping area. Unfortunately, the prices matched the elaborate window displays and we didn’t find too many bargains. One thing we did find however, was the school girls Christmas presents: necklaces with a single letter for their names. Buying anything over here is a challenge, there is no fixed price on anything, very few price tags and if there are, then they are normally wrong, or ‘altered’ by the seller. It’s all about haggling. All the time, trying to speak as much Punjabi in order to make the seller think that you’re not a tourist, and in fact, you’re totally clued up on prices; how ever far that might be from the truth!

We explored a 40 acre rose garden and felt like Cupid’s young lovers again and spent the evening in a very expensive restaurant with silver service waitering, posh drinks and some very tasty food. The following day, Malene and I took a rickshaw out to the famous rock garden – Nek Chand’s collection of waste products, along with beautiful waterfalls and mysterious walkways through dark tunnels. Apart from the constant photo taking by the locals (something we will eventually get used to), we enjoyed an undisturbed, fascinating walk through the imagination of a collectors mind.

Chandigarh proved to be as beautiful and ‘different’ as people had claimed. It was still very Indian by nature, but the hustle and bustle was not as obvious. It was a lovely break away from our routine at school, and lovely to be ‘in love’ with each other again. So thank you Chandigarh, although a bit pricey, a beautiful, green and somewhat unusual city, that we’ll never forget.