The Taj Mahal

I have to be honest, I didn't really want to go to the Taj Mahal. I thought the crowds around the most well known tourist destination in all of India would be enough to make me dislike the entire place. I'd heard from friends and on the internet about the craziness surrounding it and was even kind of dreading going see it! Of course we still went. You can't go to India and skip the Taj. You just can't.

And you know what? It wasn't bad at all!! Yes, it was crowded, but not any more than any other place in India. It was definitely worth the trip out to Agra. The entire place is absolutely beautiful, especially at sunset. I loved how it shimmered in the golden hour before sunset. The gardens were beautiful, the walkways were clean, and everyone was kind to us. We sat around chatting, people watching, and taking a zillion photos! Here are a few of my faves. 

The Taj Mahal at sunset

taking pictures with strangers' babies--one of my favorite activities while traveling!

monkeys monkeying

New Dehli with Katie and Jeremy

After months of traveling with just us two, we finally met up with Spencer's sister Katie and our friend Jeremy. It was so good to see them and be able to travel through India together. There's nothing quite like sharing three twin beds pushed together to bring four people closer together. That, and suffering through a 42 hour train ride. Yes, forty two hours!

But first, we were in New Dehli, the huge sprawling city with the Red Fort. We didn't do much besides wander the streets window shopping, eat on rooftop restaurants, and see the epically grand Red Fort. Here's the proof.

Camel Safari in Rajastan

Bopping along on a camel out in India's desert state of Rajastan, the first thing I noticed was the silence. India is normally a mash up of noises and chaos: tuk-tuks, cows, salesmen, horns honking, and people shouting. But in the desert, all you hear is the sound of the breeze against your head scarf and the sounds of the camels. It was so refreshing.

We chose a three day/two night safari and I'm so glad we did. The first day and night, we only saw our guide and one other person, an old lady who was cutting brush to make a broom and stopped to have some chai tea with us. That night we saw one the most spectacular sunsets I've ever seen while standing all alone on sand dunes. It was like we were the only people in the world....us, Bengali (our guide), and the three camels.

We spent each morning riding the camels for a few hours and then took a break for lunch and relaxing time during the hottest part of the day. We didn't have a lot to do since our guide did all the cooking and cleaning  up and wouldn't let us help. We asked Bengali all about life in the desert and how he learned to speak English and take care of camels. We laid under the shade of a tree on the saddle blankets or wandered around the surrounding area looking for interesting stuff or good pee spots. At around 3:00pm, we would ride for a bit longer to some sand dunes to set up camp, watch the sunset, jump on the dunes, and eat dinner.  Then we would crawl in our blankets and watch the stars come out until we fell asleep.

I don't know what it is exactly about India that makes we want to say the word "magical" all the time. I've never loved or hated a place so much as India and yet I still feel like it was fairy tale.

A Magic Moment in a Desert Fortress Town

The desert in India's state of Rajastan is a wide expanse of shrubs, sand, bushes, more sand and a few trees scattered about. It's not as barren as I thought it would be, but there's really not a lot out there either. Coming in on a bus we saw scattered villages, road side tea shops, shepherds with their animals, and lots and lots of land. Then the was the fortress, perched up on a hill in Jaisalmer.

It was a great time of year to visit the town as the weather was great with a breeze that cooled us all down in the late afternoons. We spent the night in a 800 year old building in one of the least maintained, and therefore cheapest rooms. Even with the crumbling walls and lack of hot water, I felt like Princess Jasmine in my castle-like fortress room.

The streets of the fortress in Jaisalmer are made for tourists. The slanting light is beautiful, the architecture is ornate, the people are kind, and you can buy some of the best souvenirs in India on the narrow streets. Plus, there are public trash cans so the streets are clean and well cared for. Public trash cans are a rarity in India and I was more than glad to see them!

One of my favorite moments while wandering around was around sunset when the light was golden and the air was cool. Everyone seemed to be out and visiting friends and family. We were working on getting good and lost when we saw an old man walking slowly and carefully with his hands behind his back. As we scooted around him, two little girls paused their tea party to come running up to him and slammed him with big bear hugs. The girls were smiling from ear to ear and so was he. It was so darling to see the love they shared in that magical light. It's moments like this that remind me how sweet life is and how much we should cherish it. 

The Golden State

Well friends, it’s been a while since I’ve posted and I’m going to catch up. I promise! I had so much fun in India and then we got home and things have been very busy with wedding celebrations, visiting with family and friends, and eating all the food I was craving for the past two years (tacos are my favorite!). I love living abroad, I love traveling, and I love coming home. It’s all been so great! I love California and I’m so happy to be back here in this magnificent Golden State. 

print from this gorgeous Etsy shop

Adventuring in Amritsar

We made our way to the Punjab state to visit a very famous Sikh temple in Amritsar called the Golden Temple. It's a huge tourist destination for Indians so it was cool to see so many locals on vacation or pilgrimages.

Walking around, people were just as interested in us as we were in them!! Lots of people asked us to take a photo with them, which they call "a snap." "Hello sir," they said shyly, sticking out their hands for a handshake. "May I have one snap?" they said, as they held up their cameras. We always said yes. Once one person plucked up the courage to ask, others joined in and we once had a bit of a line to take a picture with us! One mother handed me her baby to hold for a picture, which I loved. If they give me a baby to play with, I'll take as many pictures as they want! 

We visited a couple parks in the city, including one where over 1500 unarmed Indians were shot down by the British military in 1919 in Jallianwala Bagh public garden. There is a tiny museum with pictures and paragraphs about what happened there and in the rear of the garden, walls with the original bullet holes. It was clearly stated that this was a place to respect what had happened there and the people who had lost their lives. It was the cleanest place we've seen in India (with public trash cans!) and the gardens and monuments were very beautiful. 

We also went to a Hindu temple called Mata Temple which has been compared to a fun house by many. There are idols in every direction, mosaics of every color and with mirrors, places you have to crawl through, and even a pool of water to splash through. The walkway through all this seemed like more of a tourist pleaser than an actual temple, as there were men sitting at tables asking for donations. The more serious (but no less vibrant) temple was downstairs. 

Lastly, we went to see the famous and highly elaborate closing of the Indian/Pakistan boarder at Wagha. It is a huge show with screaming fans, military marching with high kicks, music, and heaps and tons of patriotism. It was quite a show and well worth the trip to the border. 

  

India: First Stop, Varanasi

We came in to Varanasi on a overnight train from Kolkata (where we had flown in the day before). Almost as soon as our feet touched the ground, a tuk tuk driver was chatting to us. He showed us where to buy tickets for our trip out of town and then 30 minutes later we saw him again, chatting up some other people trying to get them to take his tuk tuk over the many other ones available. "Do you remember me??" he said almost desperate for us to say yes. We did and he took us to Varanasi's old town.

alleyway in Varanasi

The old town of Varanasi is comprised of tiny, crooked alleyways lined with shops, restaurants, and colorfully painted weather beaten doors.The ground is lined with trash, dust, cow dung, water, and more trash. I wished I had about forty more eyes so I could see everything going on around me and still be able to watch my step. 

It's true what they say, cows really can go wherever they want, which also means they can sh*t wherever they want. It's was a challenge just to walk down the streets navigating around the people, cows, dogs, bikes, and motorbikes (which honk their startling horns right behind you to make you move quicker) all while making sure you aren't stepping in poo. 

sunrise over the Ganges River in Varanasi

Even with the mess and the smell and the crowds, it was magical. The people are so kind and a smile will always get you a smile in return. The devotion to the filthy Ganges is unfaltering. The colors are phenomenal and completely everywhere. Every woman is wearing at least four colors at one time and usually in bright patterns. The boats are colorfully painted. The temples are racked with so much detail and color it's overwhelming. It was intense and we loved it.

naked priest man sitting next to the Ganges River in Varanasi

boat ride in Varanasi

monkeys!!

morning baths in the Ganges River in Varanasi