NEPAL!

Nepal 6-4-12 As soon as we flew in landed and I got in the cab I knew I was going to love this place! It’s green, there are mountains, lots of water and very happy people. A relaxing break from India. But saying that now that I’ve traveled for a bit more after leaving India I really do miss Incredible India. As hot and crazy as it was I loved India! I can’t wait to go back again and explore more. I was easily picked up from the airport and taxied to the hotel I would be staying in. met up with a mutual friend of my cousins and explored Kathmandu. Less trash on the main streets, but apparently very dusty (I don’t think so because I feel like I can breath deep clean air). Have I mentioned that I really like motorbikes? We went to a pool/ apartment building and then moseyed our way back to the hotel. Saying hello of course to my cousin’s good friend Shailendra, whom has hooked me up with a guy who is normally a guide for people passing through Nepal. The group dinner was entertaining as it had a cultural dance and culturally sensitive food. Very touristy, but an experience worth having. I even jumped up at the end and danced a little, once invited. Stayed up late having drinks with some of the group members. A lot of people from Australia travel Asia. A lot of people! Morning Krish and I are off to Pokahara, via plane. This small village is filled with a lot of western people and I think a jumping off point for some smaller treks. There is a lake in between the village and the mountains that have a stupa and many farming houses. Krish and I got a colorful wooden canoe to take to the other side and hike to the stupa. The hike wound around the hills leaving me with breath taking views of the water and town bellow. Once we reached the top my face was red as a tomato. The stupa had large stairs to climb and a beautiful story of Buddha around the center. We got some black tea at the top to relax and take in what we were seeing and back down we went. Whistling all the way down. We had a late dinner in the afternoon and another really late dinner around eleven at night. I got to practice my utensils eating skills. I wasn’t too bad… 7-4-12 I’m going paragliding!! …but the clouds look a little too shabby today. So no go. We try tomorrow and hope it rains today. We met up with a friend of Krish and joined a local bus to get to the end of the lake for a new experience. I got to experience eating some Nepalese bbq with popcorn rice. AND IT FINALLY RAINED!! I was so excited I ran around a little bit to celebrate. This rain meant that it would be clear tomorrow. And so it was beautiful! Plus I haven’t seen rain in a month and I was very happy to feel the coolness that comes with rain. We eat dinner with the friends group and drinks afterwards.

8-4-12 PARAGLIDING today! No ifs, whats, or nos about it. I am leaving today from Pokahara so this is my last chance to go paragliding. I wake up really early and look outside to be amazed by the blue blue sky that meets my gaze. I’m going flying today. We were like a kite. Strapped to someone who knew what he was doing we took off in a run straight off a cliff and tugged backwards I tried to continue running forward and off my feet no longer touched the ground and the air was breezing past my face. I was sitting on air. Such an amazing feeling. Weightless with the birds. Circling to gain height we followed the lead of the birds as we climbed higher and higher in the sky. Passing over the tops of ridges. I couldn’t stop taking pictures. I finally put my camera away because I knew no picture could capture this and just enjoyed the peacefulness of gliding in the air everything at my feet. Quietness, stillness, everything was beautiful. A feeling of peacefulness passed through me, knowing I had accomplished what I had come here to do and gratitude to my cousin for putting the idea and contacts into my hands. I know I will come back to this place. Have to make it back to Kathmandu today. The only way left to get there now is to take a local bus. The tourist bus, which is a lot safer and less hazardous left before paragliding. Life’s an adventure right. Just have to have confidence you will make it to the other side. Everyone thus far has given us strange looks and funny comments when we told them we were taking the tourist bus, my friend even said he wouldn’t do it for anyone else. So yes this will be an adventure! Very small space, bumpy and loud. Thankfully the gods were on our side for we didn’t loose a wheel or break down at all. We made lots of stops to try and shove as many people as we could into the small van. Anytime we stopped people, or kids would walk around the van offering cucumbers, waters, chips, anything and everything hoping someone is hunger. 8 hours later we were in Kathmandu. See not so bad just like driving up to Tahoe and back in one day.

9-4-12 OK so I have a chance to fly around Everest this morning, but I have to get up super early! Totally ok with anything that gets me in a small plane to fly around the tallest mountain in the world. We get a map as we take off to see the different peaks leading up to Everest. We even get to walk into the pilots cockpit to see the pilots view. Seeing this mountain range is spiritual. Its grand nature demands attention. White capped mountains stand and face this world strong with no compromising. I wish to be like these mountains someday. Strong and magnificent. And back to the hotel to collect my things say goodbye to my new friend and go back to the international section of the airport to fly away. Beijing here I come. I sat next to the coolest people on my flight from Changdu to Beijing. These guys are from Argentina traveling the world to the most spiritual places. I talked to this guy the entire flight and the people behind us got made because we were talking too loudly. I told them when they come to California, to see Shasta, I would be more than happy to fly them there. I hope I get to see these guys again. They have such a beautiful perspective of life. The world has a life force a spirit that connects the entire world into one being. These guys are traveling the world to places they have researched and understood to be powerful spiritual places for the world’s existence. The simplest way for me to describe what these guys are doing will not do them justice, but I will try. They are the face, they are trying to show the world, what is happening spiritually to the youth and what we believe. I can explain better in person please ask me, I’ll tell you all about it. This year is special, the energy in the earth is shifting changing to be something new. Please feel free to check out their blog www.harwitum.org (it’s in Spanish so you may need a translator). But they touched a part of my faith that I’ve been needed someone to explain and help fill in the gaps. Ok so in Beijing at 11:30 at night there is a massive line to get a taxi. I stand in it and get to the taxi driver and he waves me off telling me he doesn’t understand English. I end up following a guy who says he knows where I need to go and off we go down a creepy stairwell and into a car park where his private car is there and off we go to my hotel…stop outside and he rips me off with the price about 4 times as much. Too tired and frustrated to fight it. Try and barging, but my stuff is in the back and I don’t want him to drive away with it so in the hotel I go. Wait for a dude to show up to give me my key and get to my room. My room is huge! And clean with a big shower, with a door on it and a very very comfortable bed. Fluffy white duve and blinds that are electronically controlled. This will be a very different experience to traveling then what I have been doing for the past month. I pass out into blissful sleep. In the darkness, in silence.

Pune

Pune 4-4-12 Today is what I would call a pamper day. We both got massages. I got an ayurvedic massage to experience one while I’m still in India. So much oil, but totally worth every cent I spent on it. My hair still has oil in it the day after. Next we spent a lot of time relaxing at the side of a pool. Basking the raise of India. Have I mentioned yet that it is frickin hot! The cold water feels wonderful. And makes the mind at rest as we let the day go by catching up on all the experiences we have had to this point in our lives. Dinner was at Hard Rock Café, can we say that today is a great pamper day. We relaxed we ate a burger! Craziness. Pamper day was a success. Night time was a chance to experience India’s night life at a ladies night just outside where we are staying. And ladies get free drinks. We danced the night away! There was an audience surrounding us by the end, just watching…so awkward. But hey it’s India. On the plane to Pune I was sitting next to two really cool kids around my age. One is an engineer and the other is going to be flying for Indigo soon. I invited them to come dancing with us tonight. They were a lot of fun to have around. They were just as wild and crazy as me. And I don’t think I mentioned what a crazy coincidence it was to meet another women pilot in India on the same day. Makes me very excited to go back to the states and start some major flying again. Commercial here I come! Pune 5-4-12 Today I will call a lazy day. Catch up on this blog thing and learn a new skill. We slept in and are on a new hunt for a Shari (traditional Indian wear). But no luck today we will try tomorrow. This heat is pretty ridiculous. We did accomplish to make an Indian masala chia! Which was fantastic just in case you are curious. We bought some milk and added a lot of different spices and had a crazy good time mixing everything up. Fully satisfied with the taste we made another batch and are cooling it for some nice cold chai later tomorrow. There is live music at a restaurant we will be checking out tonight. The music plus the heat reminds me of summer days back at home when all I have to do is enjoy the atmosphere. Tonight we will be sleeping with our new invention. It is so hot here we take cold showers before we go to bed. We also realized that if we drape the damp towels (put in refrigerator for a couple of minutes) over our bodies as we are falling asleep we feel much cooler. Much more satisfying feeling while falling asleep.

Pune

Pune 2-4-12 Pune is much different then what I’ve been seeing. This might be my perspective now that life is going a little slower. This place has more western people living and working here. The people that are selling you things are not jumping down your through to make a sale and there are a lot more industrial buildings. A lot of car companies and NGO’s come here for work. It is so nice to see Virginia though! I’m glad I had the chance to travel around India and see a bit more of the culture, but I’m really happy I get to stay with Virginia in her apartment and make food and go out and just relax. I’ve done a lot of shopping too… Food here is much more expensive (obviously it depends on where you go to eat, but there are just so many more westernized places). Today was shopping and going out to eat and getting a huge meal! I’ve realized people here don’t bargain as much…So I am apparently good at this even though I know I’m not. Pune 3-4-12 We made some eggs with some delicious sun dried tomato sauce. Add some yogurt and peanut butter and we have breakfast. And we go out shopping a for a couple extra nick nacks I have failed to buy as of yet. Pretty relaxing day though. We explored old Pune, went to a castle (that was just make out central) and wandered random streets. There are so many different things in Pune, but everything feels very disorganized and not easy to find the thing you are looking for. So we tried not looking for anything so that we had a better chance at finding it. We had an amazing meal of chicken tikka and palak paneer on the roof and watched the sun set. Oh did I mention we bought a lot of sweets so those will have to be eaten at some point…

Delhi

Delhi
1-4-12

I ended up getting coffee with a couple of those that had later flights and then I was off to have lunch with a fellow women aviator. I am part of a group called the 99’ers and it is an international organization. So when I had booked my flight to India I looked up in the directory who else might be involved in India. I found 14 members. I emailed them explain who I was and what I do and what kind of flying I do and asked if anyone would be interested in having tea with me. I got a couple of bites (more then I though would happen) and on this day I was going to meet with a wonderful women from Delhi. She lived a little outside of town so I worked the metro to where she was and was picked up to come to her house and have lunch with her family. India lives very close to their families so the parents of the father live in the house with their son and his wife and his kids. This lady is amazing! I am so happy I got the chance to meet with her and feel so fortunate that she invited me to have a meal with her family. She was one of the first three women gaining jobs as pilots in Air India. She had to convince her parents that it was a legitimate profession for women in India, and she did this by finding someone who was a professional aviator in India. In India hobby flying is unheard of. You train as a course and even then the rules of the air are so strict that you can’t fly when a Boeing or a large commercial plane is flying by. You don’t fly you watch it go by and wait till you can go back in the air. Only when she found this other women could she travel to Houston so she could gain enough hours to be a professional pilot herself. She struggled there too though with Americas patriarchal societies pressures weighing down on her. Women from India are strong willed, as I’ve learned being here not so long, they are confident, know they have to work hard in life for what they want and find the way to make it happen. I am very inspired by this women and what she has accomplished in her life. She and the rest of her family think critically about their surroundings, they understand what they have accomplished and appreciate what they have. It is very humbling and as I said before very inspiring. I hope, if I ever have a family, that I have fought just as hard in life to do what I want and to accomplish my dreams.
Having a home cooked meal was amazing! It was so nice to not have restaurant made food. There was rice, fresh made gepati, cawliflower, beans, and pali kofta, spectacular! I went back to get my bags with a fully belly and a happy heart. Next step is to get on a plane to see Virginia!!!

Pushkar

Pushkar
30-3-12

Really really early morning… A little too early if you ask me, but we had to make the train to Ajmer. Woke up at 4:30 to be ready by 5am to be on a train by 6am. Train was fun. Sat down on parts of the sleeper trains. Two rows of 4 beds in a compartment, adjacent to it was two seats next to the window with bars on it. There was a guy sleeping on the top seat and there was a guy sleeping in front of me on the bottom, but he was moved over so we could sit down. Scanning around I also saw someone sleeping across the luggage rack that was above the two seats next to the window. Couldn’t understand the conversation that was taking place beside me, but occasionally I could tell they were talking about all the foreigners that had sat next to them. Most of the guys that were in the single seats were young late 20s. I saw someone playing with a old school compass and noticed a military insignia on a baseball cap. I later found out that they are in training for the Indian army. My ipod was dead, I didn’t want to read my book and my western companions were all busy sleeping or reading I struck up conversation with my new friends. Sharing music and stories and even playing scribble (game where you scribble a line and someone else has to make something of that line).
We were transferred to Pushkar in a bus that wound through the narrow hilly roads. I saw two buses face off on a sharp corner…man chicken is such an interesting game. Lots of vehicles keep dodging each other to keep moving unhindered. No rules…
We officially made it into Pushkar when we made it past snake mountain. Pushkar is a deeply religious town. And it is the only town in India, which is allowed to worship Brahma.
The story goes (and I know I’m missing a couple of details so this will just give you the gist look up the rest if you want to know more). This town in India was throwing a festival and they invited Brahma and his wife to the festivities. Once the festivities were to partake Brahma was summoned to the village but his wife was not ready yet. She waved him off and said I’ll be down in five minutes. Five minutes later she still hadn’t come down, more later and she still wasn’t there. The villagers were getting anxious and wanted to start the festivities, but Brahma still didn’t have his wife by his side. So the villagers organized a new marriage to a new woman before their festival was going to take place. This way Brahma had a wife present to celebrate this town’s festival. After he was married and once the festivals finally started the original wife came to join Brahma’s side, but on seeing Brahma was wed to another he cased a curse on the village. This would be the only place were Brahma was loved and if any good things happen and the individual doesn’t pray and celebrate Brahma their good fortune would be bad karma for the rest of their lives.
The town Pushkar also has a lake in the middle of it. It is said that somewhere in India they were dealing with demons (also know these details are not sound). And the gods were sending a remedy to cast the demons away. A leaf was going to be thrown to the place that needed the help, but fell on Pushkar by mistake, this leaf is said to have turned into the lake that is now in the middle of Pushkar.

The hotel we are staying at is ok. It’s about a 20min walk into town, there is a pool (never checked it out though) and a restaurant. The food was….not so good. There was wifi though, but only in the lobby. I don’t know if I have mentioned, but it is really hot in Rajasthan! Really hot.
We had an afternoon camel ride. Getting on a sitting down camel is easy, it is when the camel stands up that is the crazy part. To stand the camel must throw its head back and put it’s front feet up one at a time (this throws you backwards, which if you weren’t leaning back before you are now). This part feels like riding a horse that is going down a really steep hill. Then the camel rocks forward to put its back legs up which sends you forward. Once fully up my camel kept throwing its head back like it was meaning to hit my legs with its nose. I didn’t realize how much a camel’s neck could move. Walking forward is more like a exercise in moving your hips from side to side. Or maybe walking like a cowboy who has been riding a horse for a long time and has a very wide stance and is sliding one foot forward then the other foot forward in a straight line. We walked through a local cricket game, over a bridge, through the town, got caught in a traffic (with cars), through part of the desert and stopped to have chai and biscuits.
Dinner was at a place called Sunset café, very delicious everything was good. There was even a fire dance out front of the restaurant (planned? Not likely).









Pushkar
30-3-12

Due to someone’s suggestion (aka the leader) I got up super early and headed up a mountain. The sun rises at 6:40am and I was up getting ready by 4:30am leaving at 5:00am. I was energized though. Ready for any challenge that would come my way. Steve walked with me through the deserted village where cows were wandering and the rare person was preparing a temple. It was quiet, smell of crisp air. It was a good morning. And we were on a mission. Up the mountain we climbed. The stairs started out smooth and sturdy and became dirt and random stones half way up. The footing was slippery, but there wasn’t many around and we were going at our own pace. We stopped a couple of times to take some good photos of the village lights and we made it to the top about half an hour before the sun rose. As it ascended over the hills beyond we witnessed the whole city light up. I think I love sunrises the most. They are something you have to work for you don’t just see because your up and moving about. And to see the sun rise from up high overlooking something commonly taken for granted is a sight to see.
I saw a friend I had acquired in Udaipur, who is also traveling by himself (he has another four months though). Small world. I wandered around the village with him later that day again because I ran into him again. Pushkar is pretty small though so that wasn’t too odd.
I took a nap and got some breakfast at the hotel….which was awful. Thankfully I went to a much better place to get a lassi and hang out and escape the heat for a little longer. Then I got anxious. I realize the trip is ending I’ve really enjoyed traveling with this group and this organization. I’d vouch for Intrepid travelers any day. They pick some interesting places to stay, but I’ve just decided it’s all part of the adventure. I wandered not wanting to bargain or engage in conversation for the rest of the day. If I could have found a nice quiet place next to the water in the shade would have been perfect to sort out my thoughts. Instead I walked back and forth near through the main street. I ran into a couple of people I knew and wandered with them for a while and continued back on my own.
I stuck with a two at the end and got a motorbike ride back to the hotel. And then just wasted time until our group dinner at 6:30pm. When that rolled around we all climbed the epic staircase to have an amazing last dinner together. I got a cashew curry (delicious) with a chocolate ice cream for desert and a lassi for a drink. We all watched Delhi Belly while we waiting for food and ate our dinner. Funny movie. We watch an Indian boy in Delhi who is dealing with marriage and work as well as being caught up in a drug trade he never intended to be in. You should watch it.
We, as a group, thanked Shyaam for the amazing job he did being our leader and headed off to get onto the night train.
The van ride to the train I think was the worst. I got nostalgic for the adventure I shared with these amazing people. Each person on this trip has had such an interesting life and has traveled to amazing places and each has a different outlook on life. I hope I retain the perspective I gained from both traveling with this group as well as with the conversations I held with the individuals. I wish them all safe travels.

The night train was how I imagined it would be. There are small open compartments. Three bunks one on top of the other on one side and three bunks one on top of the other on the other, facing these bunks is two more bunks against the wall of the train. I was on a top! Small space so having my backpack (with all my valuables) close to me the whole time was taking a very large part of that space. I slept. Very tired from the days journey. I woke up a lot and was not well rested when we arrived back in Delhi. When we reached the hotel with the day rooms I was excited to take my hour nap.
We had breakfast as a group and after that everyone started to trickle off to do their own thing. Some going home, some were traveling further through India and some were going to other places close by.

Udaipur

Udiapur
28-3-12

And we are off again on a long journey to Udaipur. But not before our last chance to do yoga with the Maharaja! Today was more standing positions, which was a nice change. But still at a perfect level which I was comfortable with. Allowing me to follow easily and learn as I go.
Udaipur is known as the city of romance. On our orientation walk we are to notice the lake, silver shops, good places to buy books and a place which I will later travel back to too watch folk dancing.
Lunch was fantastic! I got pasta and it was delicious. Curry is still my main goal, but after having some stomach problems I am branching out a little and varying my meal more. Dinner will be curry, lunch I will indulge my western urges.
We went to the city palace this afternoon so we could have tomorrow completely free to do as we wish. The city palace is grand. Udaipur does a great job to cater to tourists. Making it comfortable to walk around and enjoy the surrounding area, but also knowing exactly where the food is and ATM’s and coffee shops… Anyways the City Palace has been well maintained through the ages. There are three main parts. The hotel where tourists can stay for a price, the main residence where the family still lives, and the museum where the tourists can learn some history and see old quarters and the style of living. Very lavish. There were some amazing overlooks of the town as well as the lake (with the floating hotel on it). Beautiful.
Next was a walk to Janak art, which is this local organization of about 20 families who are all artists and have been doing this art for generations (aka their father’s or mother’s taught them how to do their skill and their parents taught them how to do theirs). They have many of the miniature paintings that are in the city palace, masterfully created. They also do miniature paintings on your fingernails; I ended up with a peacock on my nail. Other family members also do palm readings and henna. (we will be commenting on that tomorrow).
Tonight there was a folk dance performance. Beautiful performances. Women twirling around making their skirts fling out like saucers. There was a marionette show with the head of the man character shot straight off. And the performance that everyone waits till the end to see was a woman who put 10 bowls on her head!!! Crazy. She danced and did some basic tasks with all of these balancing on her head.
Afterwards we went out to a romantic outlook over the water. Seeing all the lights on the dark hillsides and the reflections made this a very romantic place.
Sitting on a roof afterwards drinking some rum with good friends was an even better ending of the night.








Udaipur
29-3-12

Last day to enjoy this place before we continue on to our next destination. Today I will be traveling with two friends up a cable car to the top of a hill overlooking the area. So worth the risk of being in a gondola in India… With all the power cuts you never know. There were two temples up there one of which didn’t allow us to come in. Bummer, but it was hot and it was a good time to go back and escape the heat anyways.
Did a little bartering for a couple of gifts. Charlotte you should be excited, I got you something for your dorm. I am not so good at bartering, too easy to feel sympathetic when they tell me I am ripping them off or taking away their profits. But I think I have become hardened to this as well, because I know that confidence is key so they are most likely playing me…
When we got back to the middle of town we were pretty hunger so we sat down at the place we had lunch the other day and I got a pizza! Oh have I have missed thee. The rest of our group filtered in and out and we shared stories of what happened in our days so far. Just after lunch the palm readings and henna paintings started. I figured since I had to look business like in a couple of weeks henna on my hand might not be such a good idea. I did get a really amazing piece done on my shoulder though. And I got my palm read…Apparently I have a life of change where many things will not stay the same. Something about unnecessary stresses in my life and many different lovers. Oh apparently I will have two boys and a girl one day. And he was very specific about 2012 to 2013 being successful years for me to experience life. Oh palm reading how interesting it is to learn something that might happen. In actuality it is only 15% of what your life could be horoscopes are a supposed to be more accurate.
I got to go on a motorbike ride!!! So much fun. One of the artists we can call him the rider took me around town and through curvy roads and crazy intersections. I like motorbikes!
Sun set was watched on a boat in the middle of the water as we toured around. The floating palace was created for the prince’s party island. Hmm an idea…
Oh I can’t forget to tell you about the cooking class! Yes despite common belief I do know what a pot in a kitchen is used for. Thanks all ye doubtful followers. We made all the food and we ate all the food! We made chai masala, Khadai Paneer, Malai Kofta, Biryani Rice, Palak Paneer, and Chapati. If any of these things interest you you may come over to my house and help me make it and you can eat it too!
Another amazing day in Udaipur, ending under the moonlight on top of a roof. Not bad, not bad.

Bijapur

Bijapur
26-3-12

Early morning start to make it to Bassi and be transferred to the castle we were staying in. There were people singing and playing traditional instruments to greet us. Each of us got a red dot on our foreheads and a lei around our necks. We were supposed to be camping under the stars tonight…but it is already so hot it would just be uncomfortable.
This place we are staying at (Castle Bijapur) is amazing. The rooms are nice and spacious. We even have a room between our beds and the bathroom. The bathroom is well organized, there is even a curtain so the water goes to the drain and not all over the place. In the hallway into our bedroom there is a swinging seat that I quickly took a nap on. There is also a sitting spot in a nook that looks out over the rest of the castle. There are many rooms on different three different levels. The roof has solar panels. Did I mention there is a fantastic pool?
The food was pretty good as well, lots to choose from. Had these interesting fried bananas in the morning for breakfast and pancakes. The pancakes that they wrapped things in were very similar to the ones that my family makes for breakfast in the morning (we call them Norwegian pancakes –don’t think this is Norwegian ☺). Life is hard…
We had two days to relax and wander. There were activities to do, but nothing here is included in the trip so you have to be a little more selective in what you do. This afternoon I chose to catch up on personal stuff (emails, journal, picture sorting). And joined in on the walk to the farm. We also toured through the hospital as well. The hospital serves people within 50km around this village. The Maharaja (the ruler of the village) has been really good to the village itself. He has created buildings to put the people that are under the poverty line in, he has constructed cell phone towers. He has a farm that also employs locals. This man has done a lot for the area and is well respected because of his actions.









27-3-12
*Happy Birthday Matthew!

Today is an activities day. Early in the morning we start off with some Yoga. Lots of sitting positions and breathing activities because not many of us have done a lot of yoga in the past. I love early mornings so much quieter and the air is cooler. I have really learned to appreciate the silence of the mornings here in India. So much chaos and noise during the day it is nice to find a place to retreat. These villages are nice too because there is less traffic and slower pace of life.
Our group pilled in a couple of jeeps to do a safari around the area. We saw banyans trees and fields of garlic, onions, wheat, and opium. We stopped in a village to look at a house and get a tour around the area. The house is lathered with cow dung and piss to keep people cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The roof is also made in such a way that the wind will send a breeze into the room.
We stopped at a school where all the children were very well behaved, because of a watchful eye. We had a chance to ask them questions and sit with them a while. I talked to a couple of the teachers who were women around the age of 26, one taught math, one Hindi and one Sanskrit.
Later in the day there was some horsing around at the pool and in the evening when it got cooler I actually rode a horse. We were walked out of the village and through a path that took us to a huge vast space with footing that looked like dry mud. We were told we could run free around this area. My horse took off like no ones business. We galloped so far and so fast my helmet fell off my head. And I remembered quickly to hold on tight. These horses are trained differently then the ones I learned how to ride on. Kicking means jumping (so don’t kick… its pretty crazy) and for obvious reasons they don’t understand English. Making a kissing noise makes them go and sucking air in making a pop means stop. This was fun. Really made me want to jump again. This horse probably would have done it too.

Bundi

Bundi
25-3-12

Off we go to one of the two cities of blue roofs. Bundi is a small town, more rural then the more touristy places westerners like to go. We had a orientation walk with a local guide who showed us the step wells, which fill up in a good monsoon period where the locals used to gather water from, as well as went to a fortress that was filled with monkeys and beautiful paintings. The paintings depicted snap shots of life when the castle was lived in. Some of the images had elephants fighting (a common past time for the ruler), or women hunting or bathing. Pictures of drinking. Also a lot of paintings of how many people love Krishna and what they do for him. Funny story girls are bathing and all their cloths are up on shore, so Krishna decided to pull a prank on them and take their cloths and throw them in the trees so when the women came out of the water they were begging Krishna to throw back down their cloths.
Apparently the owners don’t maintain it and the local people, as well as the monkeys think its fun to take it apart… sad thing. This fortress is up on a hill overlooking all of Bundi.
After this tour we had some free time to walk around the village on our way back to the hotel. Didn’t get up to too much mischief. Did buy some fruit though.
Back at the hotel people were either still wander, resting in their rooms, or drinking masala chai near the wifi area. Shyaam (our leader) was showing us pictures of his home and Bollywood movies clips.
Pretty fun night. I learned a new game with a matchstick box…but I’m not particularly good at this game.

Ranathambore

Rathambore
24-3-12

So with a long drive to Rathambore ahead of us I prepared for the worst. I still didn’t feel well and the ride is going to be a four-hour journey. Not excited… The road was bumpy, as we were driving on some more rugged roads through small villages. We had a half way point, but that wasn’t too exciting either. If only if only…
I got to sit up in the front, which was nice. And everyone in the car sang happy birthday to my dearest beloved sister who was driving somewhere for her spring break. A man from the hotel heard us singing and brought a flower to the car asking whos birthday it was.
When we got to the hotel it looked like a safari hotel. Lots of trees and green grass, small rooms that were tucked in the back making it look like an adventure. There was a pool and I had my own room. I wasn’t in the eating mood (off food for the time being), but after a lovely nap I was ready to jump into the pool with some of the fellow travelers.
We had about two and a half hours to kill before we were going to go on a safari to look for a Bengal tiger! I have high hopes and a good feeling we will see at least two. The jeep is large holds our group of 14 plus 10 more. The jeep is packed to full capacity as we set off under the brutal sun. No cover, better viewing capacity. We saw lots of spotted dears, another type of dear (can’t remember the name right now) and a sloth bear! Lots of birds… one of which broke my camera. Not happy about, but even higher hopes to actually see a tiger now that I don’t have a way to prove I saw one.
But alas no tiger…even with my “here kitty kitty” calls. There are only 32 tigers in the preserve and they are not usually seen. We only had once chance though so it was a shot in the dark.
We had a front row viewing of a rajistani dance accompanied by music. Every one of us got up to shake our hips. Cha cha cha.