incredible india



first glimpse of delhi, khan market







so, in delhi, where i arrived august 25, i was lucky enough to stay with the family of a friend of my mom's.....so, needless to say, i got the star treatment, servants and all.......when i actually got out into the city, let's just say i didnt feel any of that amazing yogi love i thought would miraculously take over me  haha  let me see if i can describe delhi for you: chaos, construction, dirt, traffic, lots of honking, no street signs, or streets! me walking around in a circle for 3 hours getting hounded by touts trying to sell me tours or sarees or bring me to their brother's restaurant....yes, it was all very overwhelming, just like everyone said it would be... i went on one tour that missed the important sights because there was too much traffic (!)...after that, i took a deep breath, and got the hell out of there!! 







jaipur

my next stop was jaipur, still chaotic, but more manageable, with a beautiful and dirty and dilapidated pink city, and a monkey temple! with monkeys just hanging out all around and little children trying to weasel some money out of you (me) by telling you that the monkeys will bite you without their protection....the kids didnt get my money, but thanks to them, i was freaked out on the walk to the temple, just imagining being attacked by a crazed chimpanzee..bastards!!  my room in jaipur left something to be desired, like a good scrubbing down, and some toilet paper (ha! this is but a memory, unless you supply your own), a shower curtain,  and a fan that didnt try to explode in the middle of the night!!  but, i survived ;)




overlooking pushkar

 




mama mia!!!!



next on my itinerary was pushkar, a very small town of winding roads built around a sacred lake...it was really nice here, super touristy, but way more relaxed and calm than the bigger cities....there were only a few streets, but of course i still got lost all the time....i couldnt differentiate between all the shops selling harem pants, camel safaris and jewelry (needless to say, i didnt get a safari, but i am the proud owner of an anklet and a lovely pair of purple pants with elephants and a crotch that hangs down to my ankles woo!!!)...i met some italians here, and we spent our time speaking in an obnoxious italian accent to everyone we met.....mama mia! mozarella!  ravioli!!!!  sitting around the lake i saw a beautiful sunset and even though i did not bathe in the rather brown water, as is the custom, i felt blessed and all kinds of holy





jaisalmer fort







blue jodhpur



harem bed, jodhpur



my next stop was jaisalmer.... after a 12 hour night bus and some bad rice (who gets sick from rice?!?), i found myself resting in my room, staring at the whirling ceiling fan (which would give me a cold the next day) and feeling pretty proud that i had finally gotten sick....it had been the topic of just about every conversation with everyone i met, so i knew it was coming....and i was ready!  i had my immodium, and my chewable pepto bismol (thanks saouss)...fortunately, i was only sick for a day, but it gave me something much greater: the confidence to eat without any regard for the cleanliness of the kitchen or the hands which made the foot, or a thought to the vast amounts of flies circling about...for the next two days, i stuck to toast ;)...jaisalmer was also pretty calm, its main attraction: a fort and the old city of little streets filled with tourist shops inside..my first train ride was rather uneventful, except for the dust and bugs, and the fact that i couldnt figure out how to turn the lights off, it was pretty normal....the morning the train arrived in jodhpur, i met the two girls sleeping in the bunks under mine...they were from CA!!!! from UCSD and UC Santa Cruz, studying in delhi  awesome!!!  we got a room together with the biggest harem bed ever! and spent the day exploring the enchanting blue city with its incredible views, getting rained on and eating omelets..they were also cool enough to take a few things off my hands, lightening my load!




happy bday krishna!

 



the next day's 8 hour bus journey was not the best, i had a fever, and the constant sing-songy sound of the bus' horn did not seem quite so amusing anymore......udaipur, however, was worth it..........also built around a sacred lake,with little islands made into palaces....the james bond film "octopussy" was filmed here and every restaurant shows it every night....check it out, its rather ridiculous and totally funny.....this is where i really chilled out, trying to nurse my hacking cough....i met lots of travelers...sooo many israelis (all the shop keepers kept thinking i was israeli, and spanish, and french - who am i to argue??), irene and marta from espana (hola!), who i met in my yoga class ;) and who are traveling for 8 months (sweet!!!) and jo from london, who i met in pushkar.....our days were spent hanging out, drinking chai, watching the rain and trying to figure out our next destination.....we got to be part of a celebration in a textile shop: krishna, the shop owner's son turned 25 and we were treated to the most amazing indian hospitality with bday cake, booze and reggae, all inside of a shop covered in the most colorful array of carpets and pillowcases and table cloths!!!  love love...sadly, i bid farewell to my new friends and set out on 2 flights and an overnight train to mysore...........



ganesha for luck