Kannur (Kerala), India - December 26th, 2006

The bus ride from Madikeri to Kannur was thru a very waindy road, but the vegetation was very lush and green. The Western Ghats is a long stretch of foresty and big foliage trees, passing thru small village towns quite colorful.
I arrived early enough to go and visit the Parasinikadavu Temple an hour away. The ride there was very pleasant, tropical scenery and lots of big homes along the way. It seems like there is more affluent people in the Southern areas. I wanted to visit this temple because traditionally they perform regular 'theyyams' every day. They are Kerala's most popular ritualistic art form, developed from folk dances and performed with harvest celebrations as offerings to the deities to keep illness and poverty away. I didn't get to stay long enough to watch it.

Madikeri (Karnataka), India - December 25th, 2006

Since the sightseeing agenda was ging to be busy today, I just had some coffee, bundled up, and left to visit the Golden Temple, located in the Nandroling Monastery. Some of the kindlest people in earth live here in many Tibetean refugee settlements. The Golden Temple has 3 huge statues inside and the middle one is an 18 meter high golden plated Buddha. There are thousands of monks in this area with their orange, maroon attaries (robes).
Sera village just 2 kms. from there, houses 5,000 monks. They were painting their nice village quarters and homes because on January 8th the Dali Lama is coming to visit. It was very pleasant to see so many monks with their sweet and smiley Chinese faces.
In the afternoon, I went to visit Abby Falls, a nice 7 km. hike from the town centre. There were hundreds of Indian people there, and maybe only 5 or 6 foreigners. The Indian ladies were playing in the water while wearing their saris.
I came home and shared the photos with the family and they really enjoyed it!

Madikeri (Karnataka), India - December 24th, 2006

When I woke up this morning and looked thru the window, it looked very cold and foggy so it felt just like winter, but the lady of the house was watering the plants in her garden as if the weather didn't bother her. I took some photos of the family outside the house and they enjoyed watching themselves a lot.
The daughter prepared a special breakfast with rotti (a rice pancake), fried punking very tasty, and omelet. They have a coffe state, so the coffee was delicious. The family had to attend 3 weddings today, so the father took me with him to one of them, the mother went to another and the daughter went to the third one. Indians do certain things very different than westerners.
I enjoyed the wedding celebration very much. Men show off their weapons and markmanship while invoking the god's blessings. Everytime a person brings them a gift, they put rice on their heads and give them milk to drink, for blessings and long life together.
I decided to go for a walk since the weather turned out beautiful, so I left the party.
I visited the Raja's Tumbs up on the hills and the Madikeri's Fort, which now functions as the municipal headquarters.
During the night, the neighbors were celebrating Christmas with fireworks for hours, so I didn't get much sleep.

Madikeri (Karnataka), India - December 23rd, 2006

I am travelling this morning to Madikeri, the capital of the Kodago region, cooler temperatures than the rest of the region. It's a green and mountaneous area and forested hills, with lots of cardamon and coffee plantations. Kodago was independent until 1956, and now they are trying to restore the independence.
The people of this region are known as Kodavos, descendent of Persians and Kurds. They worship unique deities. Wedding ceremonies include complex dances, chopping off a banana leaf with a sword. Kodago is the only place in India where citizens ar allowed to own guns.
I arrived in town at 1:00pm and there wasn't room available anywhere. Apparently, this is a very big weekend, Christmas holidayss plus many weddings are taking place this weekend, as per their tradition. Luckily, a family of 'home stay' had a room and board outside town in a very nice green and quiet location.
This afternoon I went for a nice walk to town. In the evening many people go to see the sunset at Raja's Seat, the view is extraordinary, and also there are very nice gardens on the top to walk around.

Mysore (Karnataka) India - December 22nd, 2006

I slept nine hours straight and felt great. Federic and I went for breakfast and Internet, then wondering around the Devaraja Market, very colorful. I was going to get sandalwood oil, but instead got Nine Flower (they call it Eternity) oil.
I got information for tomorrow to travel to Madikeri, in the Kodagu region, so I can do some trecking during the Christmas holidays.
In the evening, Federic and I had a nice dinner to celebrate pre-Christmas.

Mysore (Karnataka), India - December 21st, 2006

Today's tour was from 8:30am till after 9:00pm, avery long but entertaining and worthwhile spent day.
We first visited the Jagan Mahan Palace and art gallery with a collection of paintings, musical instruments, Japanese art painting. Then visited the zoo, elephants, bears, rhinos, Bangal tigers, etc. Later we went to the Chamundi Hill to visit the temple with a 40 meter high gateway tower.
After lunch, visited the Maharaja's Palace, a fantastic Indo-Saracenic palace. An earlier palace burnt down in 1897, and the present one, designed by English architect Henry Irwin, was completed in 1912 at a cost of 4.2 milion rupies. The interior is a kaleidoscope of stain gladd, mirrors and colors mainly green turquoise.
St. Philomena's cathedral, neo-gothic, is one of the largest in India. St.Philomena was a martyr and her image was laying in a glass case in the catacumbs below the church. We saw also the Tipu Sultan Palace ruings and the Ranganatha Swamy temple. Last, the Brindavan Gardens with many fountains and illuminated fountain show accompanied of film tunes. There is a huge dam next to it formed by 3 adjoining rivers.
I met Corinna, German girl, in this tour, so we spent the day together visiting all those places.

Mysore (Karnataka), India - December 20th, 2006

I met a french guy, Federick, in the same hotel, who is coming to Mysore to do a one-month Ashtanga Yoda course. Next trip to India, I'll do something like that. We went to have some chai tea and decided to meet in the evening for dinner.
I visited the town and booked for tomorrow an all-day tour, so I walked around. It's a easy town, with attractive palaces and market with products like saffron and sandalwood oil baing offered constantly. They also have piles of colorful powders infront of their counters selling them supposely for artists to paint.

Mysore (Karnataka), India - December 19th, 2006

I travelled this afternoon for about 3 hours in train to Mysore, south of Hassan. Very nice green fields, with lots of palm trees in the way there. I have seen a few tourists here in Mysore this evening. It's supposed to be a very charismatic city. It's famous for silk, sandalwood and incense production, traditional painting, Ashtanga yoga gurus, and the Maharaja Palace.

Until independence, Mysore was the seat of the maharajas for the princely state of Mysore, which covered about 1/3 of the present Karnataka.

Hassan (Karnataka), India - December 18th, 2006

Today was a lazy day, so I walked to a nice park they have near my hotel and saw a few couples enjoying their company, the ladies in saris seating in the grass chatting, the elderly relaxing in the benches. After, I went back to my room and watched several movies in the 'movie channel' and enjoyed the Port wine I got in Goa (wine country thanks to the Portugueses). It was kind of sweet but nice aroma. While I was at Goa also got a small botthe of Cashew Fenny, it's supposed to be a very popular destilled, clear drink, and mixed with lemon-line soda or 7-Up is very pleasant and refreshing.

Hassan (Karnataka), India - December 17th, 2006

The construction of the Hoysaleswara temple at Halebid began around 1121. Despite more than 80 years of labor, it was never completed, but it's still the most outstanding example of Hoysala art in India. The outside and parts inside are covered with riots of Hindu deities, sages, stylised animals and friezes reflecting the life of the Hoysala ulers. They ruled between the 11th and 13th centuries.
While there taking pictures, four guys from Andhra Pradesh state (neighboring Karnataka on the eastside), asked me to take a picture of them and to email it to them, so I happily did it. Also, while taking a photo of the sitting bull deity, a group of children students showed up and I photographed them. One of the girls asked me for my name, my mother's and my father's name, and I tol her the names. An Indian lady overheard it and asked the girl why did she wanted to know that, but the girl didn't respond. She seem different than the other girls, heavy, but with ligh brown piercing eyes, and she kept hiding away from being photographed.
I did a loop, so I took another bus and went to Belur from here. In Belur, the Channekesshara temple is the only one at the three major Hoysala sites still in daily use. The construction began in 1116 and worked at it over a century. The work in the higher part of the temple has very intricate detail and artistry. There are some bracket figures of women in ritual dancing poses. The front of the temple had dancers and characters from Kama Sutra, and the back of the temple strictly for gods. The supporting pilars inside are very decorative. Every major Indu deity is represented here. Some Hindu ladies were praying and there was a tray next to their god with a mixture of two color powders, red/orange and hellow, so they placed a finger in it and marked each other's forehead (the area between the eyebrows). Some men smeared a good portion on their foreheads and they keep it all day.
I returned to Hassan and the town was having a special celebration in a cultural center, various entertainers doing commedy show in Kannada language. The people around me were very happy I joined them, but I couldn't understand a thing, so decided to leave the happy audience.

Hassan (Karnataka), India - December 16th, 2006

Two cold tablets for 10 rupies (about .20cents) worked miracles. My cold is gone, so I am off to Hassan. Travelling directly east from the coast, half ways between Mangalore and Bangalore (south central part of Karnataka).
Hassan is a good town base to visit Halebid and Belur. The trip to Hassan by bus was terrifying, mainly the last hour. The road is very bumpy, narrow and winds around a mountain range, constantly turning with huge potholes all the way. The trucks with petrol are travelling both ways because the refinery is in Bangalore, so all these trucks must pass thru this road. One of these trucks was turn over in one of the turns as we were trying to manage driving arount it.
They haven't fix any part of this major access road after the heavy moonsoon rains. Arriving to Hassan was a big relief.
Tomorrow I'll go to visit the Hoysala temples in Halebid and Belur. The arts of music and dance were highly regarded during the Hoysala period. Those were times of a relatively high degree of sexual freedom and prominent female participation in public affairs.

Mangalore (Karnataka), India - December 15th, 2006

I woke up with a cold so I decided to stay another day and take some cold medicine. I must gotten a old yesterday because the sun wasn't out and I took a cold shower in the resort near the beach.
I spent a good amount of time in the internet, and also was able to put the India photos 0n a CD and in the website. I also went to see a movie and it was in Karnada language, but I enjoyed their traditional ways of romancing and interacting with their families.

Mangalore (Karnataka), India - December 14th 2006

I went to visit the city museum, a three-story building in a hill, wonderful location with great views of the city. The entrance fee was 2 rupies, that is about US$0.04. There were lots of period furniture, deities, children toys, masks, puppettes, etc.
I walked from there to St. Alysius College chapel, also located onanother hill. This is another beautiful private school. The chappel has some wonderful frescoes on the walls and ceiling, very impressive, and some students in saris were praying in the hope to pass their exams. I asked one of them to take a picture of me near an angel on one side, and Sta. Theresa on the other.
On my way out, I passed by a classroom and the students, young men. were having lunch in their stainless steel plates brought from home, and they they saw me started to scream and smile and got very excited, so I got my camera out and took a picture of them. The teacher looked as young as them. They all wore very nice uniforms.
In the afternoon, I went to Ulla beach, a nice, peaceful beach, 15 km. out of town, and I was the only one in the water. The few people that walked by, looked at me like they have never seen a person in a bathing suit, and the few children coming from school in the way home, were asking for pens to write.

Mangalore (Karnataka), India - December 13th, 2006

I went to look for a Post Office, and was getting different directions from each person. Finally, I got it right but it was not open yet, so I stopped in one of those tinny boxes in the corner of the red, dusty road, to have a chai tea and cookies, pointing at things, and the old gentleman was proud of serving that to me, and to find out that we communicated without either speaking each other's language. Most people here speak Karnada language and even the movies are in their language.
When I went to the Post Office to mail two postcards, the three employees there had to call the main office because they have never mailed a postcard for anyone and didn't know the rates. Quite interesting!
Walkingthru the streets where the taxi driver brought me last night to the hotel felt like going back in time many centuries. I was the real novelty to them.
Afterwards, I went to visit the Cathedral, Virgen del Rosario, a beautiful church, with a Catholic school attached, and a beautiful courtyard, like in the monasteries. The children run towards me to say: "hello", "what's your name?" and giggle amonst each other because they spoke to someone different, and used a few English words of which they were proud of.
I took a picture of 3 young ladies in that college. Two others moved to the side because they didn't wanted to be photographed. They all were art students, and just one, the oldest (18) was Catholic.

Mangalore (Karnataka), India - December 12th, 2006

I travelled to Mangalore, 4 hrs. south of Goa. It is a center for coffee and cashew nuts export. In this city, the streets that aren't asphalted have very red soil. That is why the place is famous for terracota roof tiles production.
In the northern part of this state of Karnataka there are impressive relics of India's Islamic past, and enormous Jain scultures are found on the southern part. There are a lot of elephants in the mountains of Kodagu Region, in the very southwestern part of the state.

Goa, India - December 11th, 2006

I visited another beach, Miramar, just a few minutes from Panaji. It is a pleasant beach but very few people visit it during the week.
Also, visited the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the main church here, standing above 40 or 50 steps and dated as of 1541. They have been celebrating the Immaculate festivities for 3 days since the 8th was the day of the Virgen of Conception.
Panaji was the first port of call for voyages from Lisbon, so Portuguese sailors would visit this attractive white and blue church to give thanks for a safe crossing before continuing to Old Goa.

Goa, India - December 10th, 2006

In the morning, we went to Old Goa, 9 km. east of Panaji. Old Goa is the former Portuguese capital. Presently, there are only several churches and cathedrals, it is all that is left of the city that once was compiting with Lisbon in magnificence.
The S.E. cathedral is the largest in Old Goa. It is a Portuguese-Gothic style. In the afternoon, we visited Candolim and Calangute beaches, about 40 minutes away. They are really nice beaches, that is the reason why this area is so popular with tourists.

Goa, India - December 9th, 2006

We arrived at Vasco de Gama town and during the last our in the trip the train was very near the ocean, very lush little town in the way and wonderful sites, we both were very happy to see it, and the Indian guys traveling as turist were taking a lot of pictures of the views.
After we arrived at Vasco de Gama town we took a bus to Panaji, the state capital
Goa has a character distinct from the rest of India. Catholicism is their major religion; there are more skirts than saris, and Goans are mellow and easygoing, must be the tropical influence in the former Portuguese enclave.
We stayed in Panami, on North Goa. Very nice city with the old Purtuguese quarter, narrow, winding streets. The Portuguese influence is very strong in their unique architectural heritage. Goans are restoring a lot of their mansions. There are many along the promenade by the broad Mandovi River and tour/party boats on the river.

Goa, India - December 8th, 2006

I travelled to Goa by train, about 14 hours, and about US$6, this is including sleeper. Very innexpensive traveling by train, and safer than the bus in many of the routes.
In the train station I run into Leslie, the Taiwan girl living in Montreal, Canada. I met her at the hostal in Mombai, and we decided to share room at our arrival in Goa.
I have never seen so many men in my life packed together in the trains and in the streets.

Pune, India - December 7th, 2006

I visited the Bund Gardens on the banks of the Mula River, very relaxing and inviting place, and right next to it there is a jogging park with great foliage so people go running morning and evening. Tere was also a weightlifting gymn packed with guys working out.

The Osho Meditation Resort attracts more active physically/"spiritually" type people. I took the visiting tour of the Osho grounds to suit my curiosity about the place. Very attractive, soothing, perfect grounds and garden. The communi is big business. They run a variety of courses in Meditation, as well as New Age techniques.

Pune, India - December 6th, 2006

I visited the Tribal museum adn felt very weak. I got sick again. My body was low of nutrients and I forgot to take vitamins for days. I sat around the guesthouse for the rest of the day resting and eating fruits, listening to the birds, and watching the cleaning ladies in sarees going by about their chores.
The German guy I met in the way here, decided to move to this guesthouse, and he already purchased the two robes (one white for the evening performances, and one maroon for the daytime programs) for the Osho center. He commented that he wasn't that impressed with the whole program and affairs at the Osho center.

Pune, India - December 5th, 2006

Pune is a centre of academic and business as well as a historic centre and house to famous Osho Meditation Resort, better known as the ashram of Blogwan Rajensh.
Many maharajas had palaces heer, taking advantage of its cooler climate.
Koregaon Park is house of the Osho ashram, has shady streets and a western flavor.
This city is a lot more expensive than others. Many people come here for longer stays so guesthouses are used to collecting their moneys ahead for the full length of the stay.

Mumbai, India - December 4th, 2006

Visited the High Court building. St. Thomas Cathedral, the oldest English building standing in Mumbai. The Victoria terminus train station is the city's most exuberant gothic building, looks like a lavishly decorated palace instead of a transport depot.

Chawpatty Beach is a popular promenade and sunset watching spot. Malabar Hill near the tip of the peninsula, is an expensive residential area. At the southern edge is Banganga Tank, for bathing pilgrims, picturesque old dharmsalas (pilgrims rest houses), and few temples around.

Mumbai, India - December 3rd, 2006

The Portuguese named the area Bom Bahai, then Catherine of Braganza married Charles II of Englad in 1661. The British took posession of the islands. They called it Bambay. It became a trading port with promises of religious freedom and land grants.

Visited the Gate of India, a bold basalt arch of colonial triumph, derived from Islamic styles of 16th century Gujarat. It is Mumbai's icon at Mumbai harbor.

The Fort area has impressive Victorian buildings. The University of Bombay looks like a 15th century Italian masterpiece.

Mumbai, India - December 2nd, 2006

Mumbai is like a peninsula, pointing south, and greater Mumbai is divided in three parts where the southern part is called Colaba, and most tourists stayed there.

The seven islands that now form Mumbai were first house to the Koli fisherfolk as far back as the 2nd century BC. Koli shanties still occupy parts of the city shorline today. The islands were ruled by a sucession of Hindu dynasties from the 6th century AD, invaded by Muslims in the 14th century and then ceeded to Portugal by the sultan of Gujarat in 1534.

Mumbai, India - December 1st, 2006

So glad to arrive here! Finally, a city relax and manageable. Just when I expected the big city to be caotic and bursting with noise and pollution, it turned out to be like a breath of fresh air to the senses and the soul.
As the capital of Bollywood, I went to see a movie every night (two in English, and one in Hindi). Mumbai is a multicultural metropolis, exciting and charismatic. I stayed at the hostel and met nice people there.

Baroda, India - November 30th 2006

I wasted two hours trying to download pictures in the internet. The guy who tried to help me, didn't know anything about it.
I bought a lot of fruit because I didn't know what else to eat. I was glad to find out that yogurt is called curd here. I ate plenty of that as well.
Also, I learned how to fill out the forms every time one travels in the trains in India, and went back to the train station 3 times to make sure all the information was correct.
Welcome aboard!

Baroda, India - November 29th 2006

Baroda was another dissapointment, perhaps because I stayed near the train station area. The book described this city as a harmonious university town, but the noise and traffic were again impossible and I got stomac sick again.
I had to change rooms 3 times that night because something wasn't working or there was too much noise on the front side. And, of course, during the night I heard the dog's concert barking most of the night. The dogs in India sleep a lot in the streets during the day, and in the night when there is not much to do for them and they got their energy, they bark at each other.

Gandhinagar (Gujarat) India, November 28th, 2006

In the morning I took the bus to Gandhinagar, about 1/2 hour north of Ahmedabad. Gandhinagar is a contrast to Ahmedabad, with big broad avenues and lots of greenery. This is where state politicians live, in large well-fortified houses. Named after Gandhi, it's India's second planned city.
I went to visit the spectacular Akshardham Temple, belonging to the wealthy Hindu Swaminarayan group. It is an elaborately carved building constructed out of 6,000 tonnes of pink sandstone and surrounded by manicured lawns and perfect trees. I wasn't inspired by what I saw there. A lot of money went into that whole private (no pictures allowed) structure complex that could fed many people there.

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) India, November 27th, 2006

I decided to go to Ahmedabad because I wanted to visit the Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar nearby.
Ahmedabad is Gujarat's major city and is full of noise and pollution. I arrived in the evening and the hotel was terribly noisy as well. The next morning I moved across the street where at least, the room was cleaner and quiter.
The mosques nearby called the muslims to pray morning and evening. I needed to go and get something to eat but the traffic was horrendous, almost impossible to cross the street and the horns were non-stop and coming from all directions.

Udaipur, India - November 26th, 2006

I went out of town to visit some big dommed structure where they buried famous people. Also, visited a small museum with all types of deities which have been found in the area, and archeological pieces from previous rulers.
In the evening I went to have dinner with two ladies from the guesthouse Panorama, which is a highly recommended place.
The inconvenience with this city is the fact that electricity is cut off morning and afternoon, so you have to plan your showers around that schedule.

Udaipur, India - November 25th, 2006

Visited the Jagdish Temple. It is a fantastically carved Indo-Aryan temple, built by Maharaja Jagat Singh in 1651. It has a black stone image of Vishnu as Jagannath, Lord of the Universe.

Te Bagore-ki-Haveli, is a 18 century haveli on the water's edge in the Gangar Ghat area. There are 138 rooms set around court yards. In the evening, I watched in this area a beautiful music, dance performance, fabulous Rajasthani dances.

I was stomac sick for a few days, so it was a nice town to hand around while recovering.

Udaipur, India - November 24th, 2006

I visited the City Palace and museum. The imposing City Palace, surmounted by balconies, towers and cupoles, towering over the lake, is Rajasthan's largest palace, with a facade of 244 meters long and 30.4 meters high. A conglomeration of buildings created by various maharajas, it still manages to retain a surprising uniformity of design.

There are fine views of the lake and the city from the upper terraces. The palace entrance has seven arches which commenmorates the seven times maharajas were weighted here, and their weight in gold or silver distributed to the lucky locals.

Udaipur, India - November 23rd, 2006

The old city marked by the remains of a city wall, is on the east side of Lake Pichola. This lake was enlarged by Maharaja Udai Singh after he founded the city. He flooded Picholi village by building a masonry dam, known as the Badipol. The lake is shallow and dries up in draughts. The city Palace decorates the east bank of the lake.
North of the Palace, you can wonder around the lakeshore, where there are some interesting bathing and dhobi (clothes washing) ghats.
The lake has two islands: Jagniaws and Jagmandic. Jagniwas is the Lake Palace hotel island and it looks beautiful at sunset from the city.

Pushkar, India - November 22nd, 2006

I moved to the Lakeview Hotel by the lake and the people would be bathing morning and evening. I could see them from my window room. I met the baker man in the main street, and later he took me to see his bakery of which he was proud, and introduced me to his family few houses down the street. His daughter took a liking of me, and painted beautiful henna on my hands (front and back). The art was in my skin for about a week.
I also visited an ayuverdic store and the man gave me a container with herbal mixture to condition my hair. Then, took me to his house and his wife painted henna art on my hands as well. It is a big tradition in this town and I was proud of my decorated hands.

Pushkar, India - November 21st, 2006

I visited and walked around the lake. There are 52 bathing ghats around the lake, where pilgrims bathe in the sacred waters. Some ghats have particular importance: Vishna appeared at Varah Ghat in the form of a boar; Brahma bathed at Brahma ghat; and Galkhi's ashes were sprinkled at Gandhi's ghat. You must remove your shoes when walking around this lake.

While I was visiting there, they were performing a puja (purification). A priest was doing a ceremony for a group of ladies in sarees with flowers and milk.

Pushkar, India - November 20th, 2006

The town clusters around a lake, Pushkar lake, with a maze of streets spreading out from the main street. Small, tourist friendly, so it's easy to get around. There are hundreds of temples but few are ancient, since they were desecreted by Aurangzab and rebuilt afterwards.

Brahma temple is the most famous. Brahma wanted to perform a self-mortification at the lake, but his wife Savitri didn't attend, so he married another woman right away. Savitri annoyed, bowed that Brahma would not be worshipped anywhere else. The goose is the symbol of Brahma.

I arrived on the evening, and the guesthouse I stayed had a nice rooftop restaurant with nice views of surroundings.

Jaipur, India - November 19th, 2006

The state of Rajasthan is home to the Rajputs, warrior clans claimed to originate from the sun, moon and fire, who controlled this part of India for more than 1000 years. I noticed in the streets lots of men had their hair painted in red henna as part of their tradition.

I visited the Nawal Sadhani family. The wife dressed me with one of her sarees and we all went to visit the City Palace and the central museum, after a lunch the wife prepared and served to her husband and myself ONLY because as she explained to me, women eat after they serve food to their husbands.
He operates an internet jewelry business from home and the family and in-laws live in the 3-story house (3 generations have lived there already). Downstairs they have a little retail store where they sell jewelry to locals.

Jaipur, India - November 18th, 2006

I changed hotel, walked more around town and went to visit Mr. Nawal, a business contact of a friend in Los Angeles. As I asked people in the street for directions to his place, they would tell me not to go to that area that was very dangerous and muslins lived there so it was not safe. The area didn't look safe for someone like me alone but I was determined to find it. Hundreds of tinny bazar shops all lined up (jewelry and sarees mostly), and many men jampacked in the streets. They stared at me and wondered probably what I was doing there and alone.

I finally found this house in a little alley (and I know I wouldn't wonder alone in the night in that area). I met him and his two children. His wife was out of town and would return the following day, so he asked me to return the next day so I could spend some time with all of them.

Jaipur, India - November 16th and 17th, 2006

I travelled to Jaipur, Rajasthan's dusky and dirty pink capital. Hilltop forts and glorious palaces indicate its royal past. Camel carts thru the streets packed with motorbikes, rickshaws, sneeflying pigs, cows, and death looking people laying on the sidewalks, besides the death-defying pedestrians trying to cross the streets. Lots and lots of beggers young and old everywhere constantly asking for food and money.

I arrived at night so the picture was quite foggy, but in the morning I could see the partly terryfying street scene. I took a city tour in the afternoon to visit the Ambar Fort and Palace, the Observatory, Hawa and Jal Mahal (front view) and Laxminarwan Temple in the hills.

Delhi, India - November 15th, 2006

I decided to leave the two points of the Golden Triangle (Delhi and Agra) for the end of the trip. Jaipur is the 3rd point. The three are considered World Heritage sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The reason I was anxious to leave Delhi is the following: I arrived late in the night and the Smiley Inn Hotel gave my reservation to another parte due to a convention taking place in town, so they could charge 10 times the price of the room.
The taxi driver took me to a few hotels but all were full, so I ended up going home with one of the tourist information employees at 2:00am. I couldn't wait for day light to take the first but to Jaipur. Unfortunately, I was left in the condominium most of the day with the Katmandu househelper, who did breakfast and lunch for me, but everytime he needed to go to the store or else, he would lock up the house and would tell me to wait. All I could do then was look out the balcony into the street and see the ladies in sarees coming and going, and the fruits and vegs vendors selling their goods, the cows eating filthy things, and people in their patio balconies going about their lives at home. Very weird picture and situation for me. I was a prisioner until late evening hours when they finally came to get me and take me to the bus depot.