Here is a summary of what has happened since then:
1) Delhi/Gurgaon (in Haryana state)
I am staying with my very gracious and hospitable friend Austin. He works for Google and has an apartment in Gurgaon along with other "Googlers." This first leg of my trip has been an education not only in Indian culture, but also in Google culture! It seems like a wonderful company to work for.
I spend my first days seeing the major sights in Delhi with the help of Austin's driver. I try to absorb all the Hindi I can from him. Here are the most important phrases I have been using:
ab kesa he?=how are you doing?
me achi ho=I am well.
kitney rupie?=how many rupees does it cost?
ba hood ja da he=too expensive
nahee chaiei=I don't want itshubratrie=good night
ache, do, teen, char, panche, che, sat, ot, no, dos=numbers 1-10
uska nam kie he=what is it called?
apka nam kie he=what is your name?
mera nam Jenni=my name is jenni.
One of my favorite sites in Delhi is the Gandhi National Museum. I learned a lot about the life of the Mahatma here. I cannot believe such an incredible man was alive just decades ago!
Another of my favorite sites is the Jamma Masjid, a major mosque. Another is Lodi Gardens, a huge park and escape from the city. In the middle of the park are old tombs. It feels like I have seen almost every tomb in Delhi by now!
2) Leh (in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir state)
I travel by plane with Austin and some of his coworkers to this northern region of India, in Jammu and Kashmir. Don't worry-this is not the section of Kashmir that has seen so much political chaos as of late. Leh is very safe. One of the options to reach Leh is to travel by land, which I had thought about, but I thought for my first trip in India, better to go with Austin, who must fly due to time constraints because he has to work!
This might end up being my favorite place in India. It reminds me of the mountains of Northern Pakistan. They feel oppressive and isolating they are so huge, but I do love them. You can imagine the thrill of flying over the mountains and the plane landing.
Our trip to Leh is only 3 days, so we must pack a lot into each day. The first day we walk around the old city and see the markets, a mosque, a palace and gompa (Tibettan buddhist monestary). The second day we drive to the Nubra Valley. The drive is long, but beautiful through the mountains. We cross the "worlds highest motorable pass" (and later find out that this is not true--that there are higher ones in Tibet). But still, it is high and the air is thin. We do a short camel (two humps!) ride in the Nubra valley and visit a Tibetan monastery and sample local Tibetan food before heading back along the mountainous journey to Leh. Signs along the road creatively warn drivers to be careful. They read:
If married, divorce speed
Love thy neighbor, but not while driving
Don't gossip-let him drive
Driving and day dreaming do not go togetherSpeed is a knife that cuts life
Be gentle on my curve
Life is short. Don't make it shorter.
There are also some that testify to the beauty of Ladakh and the wonder of the mountainous road:
God made Ladakh, we connect it to the rest of the world.
Sky is the limit-we take you there.
The third day in Leh we try to go into the mountains to a lake that stretches into Tibet. But there is a little snow on the road and we turn back. Instead, we visit some more wonderful gompas. The highlight is witnessing a group of monks of all ages reading sacred text, and an army officer tithing while they read and sound their instruments. There is a child monk in the corner whose voice can be heard above all the others-very cute.
3) Agra (Uttar Pradesh state)
A few days after returning to Delhi from Leh, I go for a day trip to Agra (in Uttar Pradesh) with two of Austin's co-workers. We go to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.
We also drive down some rough roads (ubiquitous in India) to Fatehpur Sikri, the short-lived capitol of the Mughal empire from 1571-1585, during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Akbar visited Sikri to consult the Suri saint Shaikh Salim Chisti, who predicted the birth of an heir to the Mughal throne. When the prophecy came true, Akbar built his the capital here. The architecture is Indo-Islamic.
We have a quick dinner at McDonald's on the way home, and I have a McVeggie burger-wish they had those in US!
4) Delhi/Gurgaon
Take a break, see some more Delhi sights. Go to Bollywood film, "Bachna Ae Hasino." Now I know the context for some of the music I keep hearing on the radio (all the music on the radio is from Bollywood films).
Posts
1 comment:
very cool. I wish I went into the mountains when I was there. I ate at that very same mcdonalds! and loved the vegi-burger.
you rock.
Post a Comment