As we continue our adventure thru Rajastan we are getting very educated about the moguls and past empires of Maraja. Now, the driver that we have speaks english, just not the english that either Jamie or I can really understand. So you ask him a question and he does one of two things. 1) Goes on and on for 15 minutes about a religious cow, caste system or dream that one of the religious gurus had 2) Laughs and says, "no no no, very bad".
Today we are in Udipur, which has 2 giants underfilled lakes and was the setting for the middle of the lake palace in Bond's Octopussy film. Now that I've been to a Bond set as well as an Indiana Jones set my travels are complete and I'm ready to come home.
Still trying to post pictures...
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
India's national hobby
I thought was cricket, that complex game that lasts for 5 days with guys standing around in white outfits. Turns out the favored hobby is honking the car horn. The sound of the horn is everywhere, all the time and with different pitches, tones and melodies has become an almost after thought. Driving along on the roads often bumpy and unmaintained roads many things pass you by.
The giant trucks with ornately painted letters "HONK PLEASE" encouraging this honking, camels pulling loads carts filled with propane tanks, peacocks, dogs, women in brightly colored sari's...doing heavy road work. Everything is something to look at. Sitting anywhere, big city, little roadside tea stand there is amazing stuff to look at and in return the Indians love to stare...Mostly at Jamie.
Right now we are in Jodhupur and we are going to another batch of cities with difficult to pronounce names and we will end up in a week at the Taj Mahal.
I'm bitten and can't type anymore because I need both hands to itch.
Pics coming soon.
The giant trucks with ornately painted letters "HONK PLEASE" encouraging this honking, camels pulling loads carts filled with propane tanks, peacocks, dogs, women in brightly colored sari's...doing heavy road work. Everything is something to look at. Sitting anywhere, big city, little roadside tea stand there is amazing stuff to look at and in return the Indians love to stare...Mostly at Jamie.
Right now we are in Jodhupur and we are going to another batch of cities with difficult to pronounce names and we will end up in a week at the Taj Mahal.
I'm bitten and can't type anymore because I need both hands to itch.
Pics coming soon.
I'm here, India.
After, shots, malaria pills, buying stupid stuff that I'll never need (of course i didn't buy the one thing I needed, a power adaptor) and would have been cheaper in India. I have arrived.
Arrived at 3am and took a taxi into Delhi, the cab driver asked us if it was our first time in India and then proceeded to drive like it would be our last.
Delhi at night is a scary place to get into, it's hot, raining and the narrow alleyways were blocked by giant city cows. The city cow is a friendly cow and loves to be photographed and given attention and milkings.
After sleeping the night and the instant culture shock away, Jamie and I were overwhelmed with India and headed to the government tourism office where we found out that all the trains were booked up and got sold on taking a car with a driver to travel around the North Western state of Rajastan.
So now we are in Rajastan with a driver and going from one temple, palace and fort to the next. It's mighty different out here and it's taking some time to get used to the way things work.
Already we are balking when an Indian vendor tries to charge us the tourist rate for a bottle of water from 40 US cents compared to the local 20 cents
Arrived at 3am and took a taxi into Delhi, the cab driver asked us if it was our first time in India and then proceeded to drive like it would be our last.
Delhi at night is a scary place to get into, it's hot, raining and the narrow alleyways were blocked by giant city cows. The city cow is a friendly cow and loves to be photographed and given attention and milkings.
After sleeping the night and the instant culture shock away, Jamie and I were overwhelmed with India and headed to the government tourism office where we found out that all the trains were booked up and got sold on taking a car with a driver to travel around the North Western state of Rajastan.
So now we are in Rajastan with a driver and going from one temple, palace and fort to the next. It's mighty different out here and it's taking some time to get used to the way things work.
Already we are balking when an Indian vendor tries to charge us the tourist rate for a bottle of water from 40 US cents compared to the local 20 cents
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Mosques & Malls
This about sums up Amman. We went on one of those super touristy City Bus Tours which claims to take you to all the sites and has something like 30 stops. Basically all the stops were at the fancy new malls in Amman, which there are 3 within a mile of each other and lots of Mosques. The Mosques are beautiful but it's like Asia and temples. Once you've seen 3 you've really seen them all.
The Jordan people have all been super nice, minus the glaring at Jamie because her ankles are showing or me because i am so good looking. just kidding.
Went back to the chicken place and ate another big meal and took pictures with all the staff. I think if I don't go back to Hollywood I'm at least assured a job in the al jihad chicken restaurant here in picturesque Amman.
About to make the trek to the Queen Aliya (King Hussien's wife) airport to catch a flight to India via Qatar.
Everything in this country is named after the King, Hussein and his wife or daughter. It's kinda annoying that everything is King Hussein Hospital, King Hussein Highway, King Hussein Bridge, etc, etc.
Upward and onward to India...
The Jordan people have all been super nice, minus the glaring at Jamie because her ankles are showing or me because i am so good looking. just kidding.
Went back to the chicken place and ate another big meal and took pictures with all the staff. I think if I don't go back to Hollywood I'm at least assured a job in the al jihad chicken restaurant here in picturesque Amman.
About to make the trek to the Queen Aliya (King Hussien's wife) airport to catch a flight to India via Qatar.
Everything in this country is named after the King, Hussein and his wife or daughter. It's kinda annoying that everything is King Hussein Hospital, King Hussein Highway, King Hussein Bridge, etc, etc.
Upward and onward to India...
Monday, August 4, 2008
Aman
I have found the next great chicken restaurant. Forget about California Chicken Cafe, Zankou, Koo Koo Roo, Kenny Rogers Roasters etc. Next to the hotel in Aman we discovered an amazing restaurant (i have no idea the name as my Arabic is rusty). Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite things and I'm definitely going back to this place at least once more while I'm in town (Jamie doesn't think so but little does she know...HAHAHAHA)
Took the public bus from Petra to Aman and here there is no bus schedule. The bus leaves once it is filled up. So after sitting for an hour the driver got in and left. He left without honking or anything and there were people who got left with their stuff on board. Luckily or crazily whichever you prefer the bus driver went in a circle around the town Petra and went back to pick up the stragglers.
The ride was awful, hot air blowing at us thru open windows for 3 hours and cramped confines. The truck stop we went to was depressing but had cheap sodas and a 2 giant coolers filled with nothing but red bull.
Took the public bus from Petra to Aman and here there is no bus schedule. The bus leaves once it is filled up. So after sitting for an hour the driver got in and left. He left without honking or anything and there were people who got left with their stuff on board. Luckily or crazily whichever you prefer the bus driver went in a circle around the town Petra and went back to pick up the stragglers.
The ride was awful, hot air blowing at us thru open windows for 3 hours and cramped confines. The truck stop we went to was depressing but had cheap sodas and a 2 giant coolers filled with nothing but red bull.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Petra and donkey BMW
I'm glad to say that my nose itch has gone away and even more happy that the hotel worker who fell down the stairs came back to work a few hours later and is just fine minus the 2 black eyes.
Hiked inside the Petra monument park today and learned that it is considered by some to be the 8th wonder of the world. I think this is just blowing smoke up the tourists ass but the park was very beautiful and great weather. What the other 7 wonders are?
Petra is a huge national park type place with miles and miles of hiking trails with gorgeous caves and elaborate temples carved into the side of rock mountains. This is where some parts of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed. Up until a couple years back native Jordanian wanderer types called Bedouins lived in the caves full time. The Jordanian King kicked them out and resettled them to nearby villages. Now they walk in every day and try to sell you stuff such as Donkey Taxi rides, bracelets and bottles of water. Young kids are the ones trying to sell you on the donkey rides with promises of "air conditioning", "Donkey BMW", "Donkey Ferrari". I was holding out for Donkey Honda Civic so no rides were had.
Petra was amazing and we had a great day hiking from 9am till 4pm. Sweating in the sun and taking in the beauty.
Tomorrow depart for Aman, the capital of Jordan and our cab driver told us that there is plenty to do there including lots of American restaurants, TGI Friday's, Chili's etc. I'm really hoping that there is a Taco Bell as I've been craving a Nacho Supreme for the last couple of months.
Hiked inside the Petra monument park today and learned that it is considered by some to be the 8th wonder of the world. I think this is just blowing smoke up the tourists ass but the park was very beautiful and great weather. What the other 7 wonders are?
Petra is a huge national park type place with miles and miles of hiking trails with gorgeous caves and elaborate temples carved into the side of rock mountains. This is where some parts of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was filmed. Up until a couple years back native Jordanian wanderer types called Bedouins lived in the caves full time. The Jordanian King kicked them out and resettled them to nearby villages. Now they walk in every day and try to sell you stuff such as Donkey Taxi rides, bracelets and bottles of water. Young kids are the ones trying to sell you on the donkey rides with promises of "air conditioning", "Donkey BMW", "Donkey Ferrari". I was holding out for Donkey Honda Civic so no rides were had.
Petra was amazing and we had a great day hiking from 9am till 4pm. Sweating in the sun and taking in the beauty.
Tomorrow depart for Aman, the capital of Jordan and our cab driver told us that there is plenty to do there including lots of American restaurants, TGI Friday's, Chili's etc. I'm really hoping that there is a Taco Bell as I've been craving a Nacho Supreme for the last couple of months.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
pain in my...
after buses borders and israeli's i've arrived in Jordan. everything went smooth, spent the night in the southern most part of israel, Eilat and arrived early today in Petra.
For the last 2 days i've been having a crazy annoying itch in my nose. no matter what i do, no matter how much i pick, scratch, dig, flex or flick whatever it is there is something stuck in the right part of my nostril. I think i'm starting to develop a tick. or maybe that's whats stuck up there?
checked into a hotel and the comotion of this 20 room place has been quite interesting. the burly jordanian man who runs the front desk keeps calling jamie "baby" and he groped me or i think he did. he was very excited that we were checking into a first floor room and after a successful bargaining session he grabbed my flank and was giggling. this was all very creepy coming from a 300 pound arab man. then while napping in the room started to hear a wailing sound from the hallway. i assumed a goat wandered into the hotel or some child was crying. well, i was wrong. turns out that one of the hotel staff, an egyptian who seemed 'challanged' had fallen down the stairs. he looked alright, no blood, maybe a concussion and the ambulance came and took him away. besides the theatrics the hotel is decent and looking forward to hiking the ancient ruins / city of petra early tomorrow.
For the last 2 days i've been having a crazy annoying itch in my nose. no matter what i do, no matter how much i pick, scratch, dig, flex or flick whatever it is there is something stuck in the right part of my nostril. I think i'm starting to develop a tick. or maybe that's whats stuck up there?
checked into a hotel and the comotion of this 20 room place has been quite interesting. the burly jordanian man who runs the front desk keeps calling jamie "baby" and he groped me or i think he did. he was very excited that we were checking into a first floor room and after a successful bargaining session he grabbed my flank and was giggling. this was all very creepy coming from a 300 pound arab man. then while napping in the room started to hear a wailing sound from the hallway. i assumed a goat wandered into the hotel or some child was crying. well, i was wrong. turns out that one of the hotel staff, an egyptian who seemed 'challanged' had fallen down the stairs. he looked alright, no blood, maybe a concussion and the ambulance came and took him away. besides the theatrics the hotel is decent and looking forward to hiking the ancient ruins / city of petra early tomorrow.
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