Mysterious
India
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They say if you venture to india you will always want to go back and in my case that is very true. The vibrant colour's and bustling markets, the scent of spices and helter-skelter of crowds sends your senses reeling as a first timer. We landed in Delhi airport after spending some time in Bangkok, the sheer chaos and crowds and heat were like a shockwave but admist all that our driver found us in record time.
We had no idea what to expect except the unexpected when we headed for our hotel, this was after all our first long distance trip. Our trepidation heightened as we (thankfully) passed some god awful places thinking it may be where we were staying but our fears were totally unfounded when we arrived at the Vassant Hotel, it was wonderful with hospitable staff who couldn't do enough for you. This was to be our base for the next three weeks.
As we like some comfort in our travels and are not backpackers,
accommodation and travel was pre arranged and paid for before leaving
home, for added security.
Our wanderings took us to Agra, with all the stops on the way. We had
a private car and driver who looked after us like we were his own family.
Visiting the Taj Mahal, described as the most extravagant monument ever
built for love, was like a dream come true, it was so beautiful. Agra
itself is not beautiful but the people made up for that, and I enjoyed
walking around. We were able to stay in the same hotel that Princess Di
had on her visit all those years ago.
Trip Advisor about travel in India, attractions, etiquette and the best hotel deals
Jaipur, the pink city because of the ochre-pink hue of its old buildings, was our next visit, and in particular Amber (pronounced Amer) is situated about 11 kilometres from Jaipur and was the ancient citadel of the ruling Kachhawa clan of Amber. The Amber Fort is set in picturesque and rugged hills and is a blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. An elephant ride takes you to the top and you can have a little fun on the way. The interior wall of the palace depicts expressive painting scenes with carvings. Hawa Mahal is the palace of winds 5 stories high and it is best viewed from the outside for the palace is really a facade with pink delicate sandstone windows, around 900 of them. You can climb to the top for a apparently wonderful view, as you may have guessed, we didn't. Abhaneri is a village about 95 km's from Jaipur on the Jaipur-Agra Road.
A detour to the Harshat Mata Temple is merited although it is now in
ruins but
still worth the look.
We witnessed 22 accidents on our circular trip back to Delhi and one was
a tourist bus, so the roads aren't the safest obviously. Camels, elephants,
cows and monkeys all joined us on the road at unexpected times. We chatted
to a couple of girls who had taken the train trip and sounded like a much
safer option, but we enjoyed our experience nevertheless. Many people
don't think all that much of Delhi but I guess you love or hate it and
I loved it.
Both Old and New Delhi have something to offer. We visited in October which turned out to be a near perfect time to visit, the weather was mild without being too hot or cold. Matya Mahal the great Mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, it was outside here we saw our first snake charmer with the snake in a basket. You must have your legs covered to enter the mosque. There are many restaurants to choose from but we found the food at the hotel was delicious, and ate mainly there. It had a huge variety of food on the menu and as Indian food is top of the wasser on my favourite's list, I tried something different each time.
Wandering around Delhi is fascinating, we were looking for a particular place and asked a shop keeper if he knew, he not only knew he also sent his son to take us there, which was a fair distance to walk. When we arrived we offered him a tip but he refused to take anything, true hospitality at it's best. Silk is very reasonable in Delhi and sari material can be picked up pretty cheap to use for decorating purposes.
We found our money went a long way on most things except maybe alcohol. The festival of sweets was on in late October where Hindu's light oil lamps to guide the God Rama home from exile. Taxi's were reasonable and for the most part our transport to places a little out of walking distance. We also found small tips at our hotel ensured great service. Expect some cultural shock when first arriving in India, to me this is what makes travelling, the complete diversity between countries. *We lost quite a few photos when we bought dodgy film so a few of these pictures are stock photos.Stock photos aren't available as postcards and I would appreciate it if the copyright on these photos is respected. Photo Gallery and postcards