Gangi River and birth of Buddism

From Delhi we went to Varnesse. The first thing we did was went to Sarneth where Budda first preached to his 5 disciples and started Buddism. The pictures are great once I figure out how to down load them. We then took a rickshaw to the Gangi River to see the sun setting ceremony. It used quite a bit of fire. When a Hindu dies, they prefer to be burned and put in the Gangi at Vernesse. It is the most holy spot on the most holy river for the Hindu. The water is so holy people pilgrimage there just to bath in it. I stuck a couple fingers in...
The next morning we got on a row boat at 5:45am to watch the sunrise on the Gangi...great photos of this, hopefully coming soon. We also got to seet the Crematorium which pretty much run 24/7 b/c of Varnesse's popularity.

Every Hindu guide that we have had has given us a different number of the total gods that Hindus have. We've gotten: 36, 365, 330 million and everyone and everything is a god. Katie- look it up and tell me the right answer.

After the sunrise we caught a 30 minute flight to the town we are at now. I think it starts with a K. There was a great civilization here and then the Moghuls knocked them out in the 1500's and rainforest grew around all the temples. In 1831, one of the British Vice Roys found them while hunting and had the area excavated. At one point there were 83 temples. 27 still exist. Hindu seems to be a very conservative religion but the reliefs on these temples were very erotic. Our guide believed b/c the Kamasutra came out a mere 500 years earlier. Who knows...

Tomorrow we don't have to meet anyone till 10am so I can either sleep in or get a massage and go for a swim. I'm looking forward to a little relaxation.

I saw two new birds today that I have never seen in real life. A Kingfisher and a Vampire Bat (very scary looking). Kingfisher is also an Indian Airline and Beer. I have seen a ton of Paracheet.

There was a local festival tonight so we were able to see some ritual dancing which was interesting.

Tomorrow's a 3 hour drive to Oshocko, afternoon tour and then train to a town that starts with Gw...

We are at the Ramada now and the floor, stairs, bannister and pretty much everything is marble. Great marble is in abundance here so hotels can easily afford it. The airports are old and dirty but still have marble floors. India also has great gems, silks, rugs, tea and Cashmere.

I am not proof reading b/c of exhaustion so bare with it...

Taj to Delhi

This morning we left the hotel room at 6am to watch the sunrise on the Taj Mahal. It was really great to see this morning and there were a lot less people than during sunset. On both trips in the morning and last evening a boy named "Lucky" tried to sell us stuff and always remembered us when we left. He's probably around 9 years old and is typical of the many kids selling things at tourist spots. They are relentless sales people. It is pretty crazy.
Back to the Taj. It's probably the most beautiful place I've ever been. We were back to our British Colonial style hotel by 10:30 for breakfast and then to one of the largest forts I've ever seen. It's 2km long and has two motes...one wet and one dry (dry one had lions and tigers as opposed to alligators and crocs.). We then did a little shopping and off too Delhi.

The five hour traffic jammed drive to Delhi dealt with everything from a flock of sheep crossing the highway with a lady to the norms (camels pulling huge loads and tiny three seat cars carrying 9 people.) Oh yeah and a city bus was so crowded that two people were riding on the roof.

We finally arrived at the hotel and it's probably the nicest hotel I've ever been too but very very expensive. Tomorrow, Monday, we tour Delhi.
Hi too everyone following the blog: Katie, Zoe, Bridget, Joe, Zygie, Nick, Joanna, Joe, Jill and everyone else.

Tomorrow there will be no traveling so that will be nice.

Visit of Taj Mahal

I appologize for the lack of updates. We have pretty full schedules and so far the internet costs about $4/hour and I'm cheap.

We visited the Taj Mahal today for sunset. It was amazing. This is a touch out of order, but it's bigger than it even looks in person. A couple things you don't know is that outside the main gates their are small/poor people trying to sell you everything and behind the Taj, the king was planning on building an additional Mosk for himself in black marble. (the Taj is a morgue for his 3rd wife.) Wives one and two gave him no children. It wasn't finished because is son took over the kingdom. Long story.

We were in Jaipur, Pathcar (over 1,000 shrines in this small town), and Ajmur (Muslim and close to Pathcar which is Hindi) on the way to the temple in Ajmur this little 3 wheeled, lawn mower type taxi we were in stalled and he had to push it down the hill to kick start it. It was a two way road between 3 and 4 feet wide up a windy hill. It was Friday (holy day for the Muslim religion) so the roads were packed.

Every day our driver takes us 3-4 hours. Two reasons we have a driver. 1. Americans could never drive in India (no one follows rules and cattle just walk across the road randomly) and 2. their inexpensive.

Tomorrow we're going to see the sun rise over the Taj Mahal. It should be nice. They charge Americans $15 to enter and Indians and most other Asian countries ten cents....It's crazy!

It's about 10pm on Saturday night here, 11:30am EDT...heading to bed, gotta get up at 6am. Oh yeah, one of the girls in my group is not feeling well...my bowels are suprisingly doing better than at home. Knock on wood...I'm drinking only bottled water and being safe as possible.

I have Arrived

It has been crazy busy with festivities since I have arrived and only now am doing the first blog. The Airbus 380 is the greatest airplane I have ever flown in. Each seat has it's own TV with DVR. Fastest 12 hour flight ever!

I flew with two of Brian's (person getting married. Nickname 'Chunks') friends from Duke Business School. Both funny guys (Matt and Suri). They flew in from Boston to fly on the A380. It took me 4 hours to get to JFK. I took the China Town bus to Penn Station and then the LIRR to the Jamaca station and then the Airtrain to JFK.

We arrived at about 3:40am Indian Time. Matt and Julia beat us by about 10 minutes but their flight started at 7:30pm. Mine left at 11pm.

We immediately woke Brian up. He called a few more people and hung out in the lounge until 10am India time. I then went to bed and slept till the first event. The event was at this beautiful country club and they had rented out the whole place. They hired a lady to give us henna tatoos and make bangels (a bracelet).

Observations about India: There are NO rules on the road. Cars go the wrong direction down the road. Traffic lights are optional at best. People randomly just walk across the road anywhere. It's like playing Frogger.

The hotel we are staying in is amazing! Marriott Hyderbad.

You can only drink bottled water for fear of getting sick.

The second night of the wedding was the Roce. They crack open a coconut and rub the oil on everyone in the wedding party's forehead. We then gave toasts.

Today we have off and then the official wedding is tomorrow. This afternoon 2pm India Time (3:30am EDT) Brian's brother David put together a 'roast' for Brian. It was fun but I think it freaked his dad out.

Till next post and hopefully, I'll figure out how to add photos soon.

Itenary in India

Here is my itenary for my trip. It's still tentative and I leave today...

2/13 11pm Emirates Airline
2/15 Arrive in Hyderbad for Brian's Wedding
2/19 Leave Hyderbad and do all the crazy stuff below.

DAY 01/19TH FEB 09

Meet & Assist Upon Arrival of Flight at Jaipur
Transfer to Hotel Royal Orchid , Jaipur
Free at leisure till 1500hrs
Half Day Sight seeing of Jaipur City
Overnight at the Hotel

DAY 02/20TH FEB 09

Breakfast at the Hotel
Day trip to Ajmer/Pushkar – at 0830hrs
Return to Jaipur at approx 1700hrs
Short Visit to Local Bazaar/Market
Free at leisure
Overnight at the Hotel

DAY 03/21ST FEB 09

Breakfast at the Hotel
Half Day Sight Seeing of Jaipur
Transfer to Agra – enroute visit Fatehpur Sikri
Check – In at Hotel Man Singh at approx 1730hrs
Evening Free at leisure
Overnight at the Hotel
DAY 04/22ND FEB 09

Breakfast at the Hotel
Visit Taj Mahal till 1230hrs
Transfer to Delhi at 1430 hrs.Arrival Delhi at approx 2030hrs
Check In at Hotel Intercontinental The Grand
Overnight at the Hotel

DAY 05/23RD FEB 09

Breakfast at the Hotel
Visit to Old Delhi
Free from 1300-1430 hrs
Visit to New Delhi
Free at leisure
Overnight at the Hotel
DAY 06/24TH FEB 09

· Breakfast at the Hotel
· Transfer to Delhi Domestic Airport to connect flight 9W 723 departing to Varanasi at 1040hrs.Arrival Varanasi at 1120 hrs
· Arrival Transfer to the Hotel
· Check-In at Hotel Hindustan International
· Half Day Sight Seeing of Sarnath
· Overnight at the Hotel

DAY 07/25TH FEB 09

Early Morning visit to Gangaji – (Sacred River Ganges) at 0530hrs
Breakfast at the Hotel
Transfer to Airport to connect 9W 723 departing to Khajuraho at 1220hrs.Arrival 1255hrs
Transfer to Hotel Ramada
Half Day Sight Seeing of Khajuraho
Overnight at the Hotel

DAY 08/26TH FEB 09

Breakfast at the Hotel
Transfer to Jhansi – enroute visit to Orcha – to connect Shatabdi Train departing at 1756hrs.Arrival Gwalior at 1900hrs.
Check-In at Hotel Usha Kiran
Overnight at the Hotel

DAY 09/27TH FEB 09

Breakfast at the Hotel
Half day Sight Seeing of Gwalior City
Free at leisure till 1430hrs
Transfer to Train Station to Connect Train to Delhi at 1605hrs.Arrival Delhi at 2115hrs (Please check/confirm Flight Out time )

Varanasi has been offered as the first point as it is farthest from Delhi at the first instance and secondly Varanasi /Delhi flights are Tourist Centric – Many a times if the flight load drops the flights are cancelled – since Joe has flight out on 27th Night – It’s important that you have firm arrival at Delhi by Train – Joe is transferred to Airport direct from Station enroute dropping you at Hotel Intercontinental at Delhi (its enroute to Airport from Station)

Pre-trip

Last week I learned that I needed shots to go to India and that there is Malaria in India. I went to the doctor yesterday and got 4 shots (Hepatitus A & B, Tetnis and TB). Note: Someone should invent a way to mix them into one shot. I also got a prescription for Malaria. Four pills at $12/pill!! I'm lucky to have a good health program.

I fly out of JFK on Friday the 13th and land in Dubai for 2.5 hours on the 14th and then arrive in Hyderbad, India at 2:50am on the 15th. I'm still not sure how I'm going to get to JFK from Delaware...probably the chinatown bus (Double Happyness).

I'm flying out for my buddy Chunk's wedding. It should be a blast as long as I don't drink the water or I don't get a reused glued back together bottle like in Slumdog Millionaire.

I will update the blog as often as I can and try to add photos, but I haven't decided if I'm going to bring my computer or not....so maybe no photos and who knows when I will even have an internet connection.