Back to Mumbai

We checked out of the hotel did some shopping to pick up some snacks for the train ride and headed to train station for a 17 hour ride back to Mumbai. Which this time came with free meal service, even though we had already bought food for the trip. Then some of Trish's family brought us more food. And so, any hope of losing weight on this trip is lost.

In the morning we got back to Mumbai and our trip came full circle. as we prepared to depart for Atlanta after a shower and couple of meals at Trish's uncle. I was also able to get my Laptop charger fixed. I stopped by a store that sold apple products, they were able to diagnose the problem, but they were out of replacement chargers. SO they gave us contact information for another store that had them. But they were farther away and we were low on time. But they sent out a tech guy to take the train to meet us. He traded out the chargers and had me compete the form so it will get covered under warranty. Now that is service.

We left got our flight but our seats ended up being separated.

More Photos: LINK

Delhi

After the usual breakfast we went out to roam around Delhi. We wondered around some temples and the capital. Some shopping then we saw a Bollywood movie. A four hour long movie, not in English. I blame Trish. But, it was actually well done.

More Photos: LINK

American food day

We checked out of our and hit the road, this time for New Delhi. We decided to do an american food day. We stopped at McDonald's. There was about 3 items on the menu that were the same on the menu. As there is basically no beef in India the main items on the menu were vegie burgers and chicken sandwiches. Price for a meal is about $2 - $2.50.

We got into Delhi about dark and checked into the hotel. We decided to order pizza from Dominos. the prices were about the same for a given amount of pizza. But the portions were different. A large here was the size of our medium and there is no X Large. The toppings had different choices.

These have also made me realize how extremely pro-vegetarian this country is. The majority of the food is vegetarian. All of the menus are sorted into veg and non-veg. The food is keep separate, and is labeled with a green dot for veg and a red dot for non-veg.

I had felt fine up till then, but that night my stomach felt a little un-settled.

More Photos: LINK

Agra

We got up and went to an palace complex that was about an hour outside of Agra. This is where one of the older kings lived. To help bring the his nation together he took three wives. one Christian,one Muslim, and one Hindi. So the each had their own area of the palace.

We returned to Agra and after lunch we went to the Taj Mahal. It is a surreal experience. Even looking back now I feel like I am just photoshopped in there. My 2nd Wonder of the World: Check

More Photos: LINK LINK2

Jaipur

We got up and and checked out of the hotel and then did some shopping.

Then our driver invited us for lunch at his house to show his thanks. The night before we gave him his tip earlier, he had his wallet stolen in Udaipur with almost Rs 6000 (~$120) in it which was loaned to him to pay our expenses on the tour. We pooled our money to return it to him. With it he was able to pay his children's school fees.

At lunch we were the guest of honor, The youngest daughter gave us necklaces made of flowers and we were served a meal made by his family while neighborhood children gathered on the roof above and shouted "Hi" at us and would giggle when we would wave back.

After lunch we went up to the roof and took pictures with the kids. Then we made the 3 hour drive to Agra.

More Photos: LINK

Jaipur

After breakfast we went up to a palace overlooking the city. Then we went to some shops including one that was throwing an opening celebration where we got a free lunch. The food here is still an adventure, and I love it.

After that we went and saw an observatory, which had all sorts of ancient instruments to track the sun and the stars, very fascinating to see the level of interest and sophistication that people 500 years ago followed the movements and patterns in the sky.

That evening we went to a Rajastan festival that had all sorts of food, stores, and shows from the region.

More Photos: LINK LINK2

Travel to Jaipur

After we woke up we had breakfast (omelet, toast, chai) and check out of our room. We got into the car for another day of travel. This time to Jaipur. The sites along the road entertain me plenty on the trip. Every truck is painted and decorated and the buildings and the scenery are quite a change from around the south east US.

We stopped at a nice restaurant at a gas station and got lunch. We finally got into Jaipur after dark. We stopped into a music shop so Bryan could look into getting some music instruments, then we checked into our hotel, which was probably the nicest yet.

More Photos: LINK

Udaipur

We woke up in Udaipur and headed to the hotel we were suppose to stay in originally to check-in. Then we went to go see the City Palace and gardens. These were extremely beautiful and contain a lot of history.

After that we had a nice meal below the monsoon palace before heading up there to watch the sunset.

We did some shopping, saw a performance with traditional dance, music, and show. Finally we sopped by a coffee shop before heading back to the hotel.

More Photos: LINK LINK2 LINK3 LINK4

Road Trip day, Udaipur via Ranakpur

We awoke, had breakfast, and checked out of the hotel. We got into the car and headed down the mountain (good curveys, wish I could drive down them) to head to Ranakpur, which is about a three and a half hour drive.

Once we got down the mountain we hopped onto the highway. We were on this for most of the way. However, the rules of the road being as they are (non-existent) and the high still being very much under construction made for a very interesting trip.

Above, we are driving on the wrong side of the highway (correct side for America, wrong side for India) as is does not really matter.

Above, we are going through one of the sections that is still very much under construction (The road is unpaved we ultimately go through the tunnel in the middle of the photo). The highway has been under construction for about 8-9 years, it probably has about that long left till it is done. It makes American construction worked look good, eh? Of course, these are being built mostly by hand into mountains.

We pulled to the side of the road along the way for a break near a sugar cain field. We tried some sugar cain and Bryan helped the guy irrigate his fields (Below).

Then we headed into Ranakpur and had some food, it was good tradition Indian food (which means we had to pick the bones out of our food) and very fancy. However it was a little pricey at almost $6 a person for the buffet.

Then we went to the temple, which is a Jain temple like the one we saw at Mount Abu but bigger. However at this one we were allowed to take photos.

We then drove another 3 hours onto Udaipur, where the hotel we were suppose to stay at was hosting a wedding.

So they put us up in a nicer new hotel. Upon arriving they asked us to be in a commercial for them. So, we sat around in the restaurant and looked white for a few minutes while they filmed.

More Photos: LINK LINK2

Mount Abu

We awoke and had breakfast at the hotel. We then went to a peace park that included lots of flowers and mediation areas.

Then we went up the top of a mountain (the end of the earth is in the back ground).

We then went back to the lake and up to the top of (B) Todd ("roommate" Johnston) Rock (Yes, "rock" is redundant). On our way up several groups of Indians stopped us to take there picture with us. This is becoming very common.

And then we road horses to sunset point to watch the sunset. We go there a little early, and climbed up on a rock that overlooked the valley below to watch the sunset.

We finished the evening with a nice candle lit dinner at a vegetarian restaurant (which are just as common as not). Where tried India's take on pizza and Chinese food. Which was good, the pizza was only about six inches and on the sweet side, and the Chinese food did not taste like Chinese food I have had in America or in China.

More Photos: LINK

Mount Abu

First of all, apparently my laptop has stopped charging. So that means that even if I find internet again these may not last as I am counting down about 2 and half hours of battery life.

The night spent on the train was not that great. I was jet lagged and did not get to sleep till later. We did not get into the station until 5AM (about an hour late). Trish brought a cold over from the US and passed it onto Bryan so they spent the night coughing. But mostly, there was a guy in our car that was snoring enough to wake the dead.

We got into the station met our driver and drove the 45 mins up the mountain to our hotel. We checked into our room and slept in till about 10 or 11.

We then showered using a bucket as the shower itself did not provide hot water.

We then set out and got some lunch and did some shopping. There are cows and monkeys roaming the streets.

The food is great, one of my new favorite snacks is roasted corn with spices rubbed onto it with a lemon.

That evening we got some ice cream and did some paddle-boating at the lake.

After that we went back to the room and watched some TV which includes many things you see in American TV. You got your televangelists, sports, movies, and music videos. However here most of it is not in English, the televangelists are not pushing Christianity, the sports are always cricket (Still trying to figure it out) or soccer (football), the movies are Bollywood (4 hours long and full of crazy dances), the music videos are also crazy but still on MTV and often contain snoop dogg.

More Photos: LINK

First Day. Mumbai + Train to Mount Abu

After getting up we had chai tea (Which is redundant, as "chai" means tea in hindi) and a great breakfast of omelets with onions, peppers, cilantro, and other things, we also had apples, pears, bananas, toast, cereal, and fresh squeezed orange juice. The servants made all of the food and cleaned up after us as we moved through the house. It is quite an interesting experience to have some one cleaning up after you every where you go as I am used to cleaning up after my self, especially when staying with hosts. But I am sure I could get over that.

We showered and packed our bags. Then we left for the train station, we stopped and had lunch at "Bombay Blue" we cottage cheese cubes in a gravy with peppers, "America" corn and cheese balls (not American), Bryan and I split two sandwiches and one had chicken salad, ham, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. The other had potato masala, lettuce, tomato and cheese. Then it was about an hour and a half trip to the train station.

The train ride to mount Abu is about 14 hours. We were in the nicer sleeper cars with A/C. There was a nice older Indian couple who sat with us. The people and the view on the train was very interesting. We spent the time talking, play cards and other games, reading, eating dinner and sleeping. At one of the cities we stopped in Trish has family who sent someone onto the train to give us some snacks and fruit. Her family has been very generous.

Slumber party in the top bunks.

Below, our dinner on the train. Curry, rice, patatha, channashaak. It cost us about 40 Rs or $0.80.

More Photos: LINK