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India, Nepal & Bhutan
  • Travel with the Wicks
  • Travel with the Wicks

India, Nepal & Bhutan

After 10 years we return to India to explore Rajasthan and cruise the Ganges. We then fly to Nepal for a new adventure; a place Tom has dreamed of travelling to. Finally we will complete this trip with
Bhutan -the happiest place on earth! Read more
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  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Kolkata - emarkation

    October 29, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    After a 2 hour flight on IndiGo we arrive in Kolkata. Dianne and I are joining a group of travellers who have been touring India for 6 days. Liz and Alan were part of that group of 22. They introduce us all around. This next part of their tour, and now ours is a Ganges River cruise. They all seem to be nice folks. They look a lot like us, fair skinned and older than 60. We’ll see.

    For the first time on this trip, we are riding a bus. The streets of Kolkata are fairly narrow as is to be expected. We drive past our boat and try to find a place to turn to bus around. That is not an easy task. We need to disembark from the opposite side of the street, so we continue for another kilometre or so before there is an opportunity. The bus driver has a helper just for these situations. He jumps out, stops traffic in both directions, eventually, and we back into the street again, now going in the right direction.

    Our boat is in the middle of the river and we need a boat to get to the boat. Our number has swelled to 29. We all can fit on this small boat but they insist we wear life jackets for the short ride. Once on the Ganges River Cruiser, my impression is that it looks nicer from the inside than it does from outside.    Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Cruising the Ganges

    October 29, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Welcome ceremony, safety briefing and we are on our way as we eat lunch. The rest of the day we cruise upstream and take in all the sights that both banks have to offer. We are a spectacle. People take out cellphones as we go by and take pictures and videos of our passing. I didn’t expect that.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Kalna

    October 30, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    With our big boat anchored in the middle of the Ganges, we donned our life jackets and took the little boat to Kalna. A couple of interesting things here in that we took a rickshaw to the temple, through the streets of the village, which was an eye opener. The second being that one of the rickshaw drivers has a son who works for NASA. Education is valued here. This man’s son came first in all his classes and A level exams. He went on to university and continued to do well, getting at least 2 degrees and being noticed by the people from NASA. His father is illiterate. Sounds to me like a huge loss for India as a country.

    The first Temple is a round complex that doubles as an excellent pigeon hotel. We take off our shoes to enter. Another thing I notice is there is a Texas gate the entrance. There are no cows in the temple so I guess it works. Inside the temple, someone has made a cow dung sculpture to make up for the lack of bovine attendance.    Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Morning prayers

    October 30, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We went to our final temple in Kalna in time for morning prayers. There was a family there as well. The priest blessed us, threw holy water on us and said prayers. We all got a sandalwood paste placed on our foreheads. This temple is called Lalji Temple, it is the oldest temple being constructed in 1733.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Saris and Gandhi pants

    October 30, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    One of the activities planned on the boat was a demonstration of wrapping different turbans for the men and how to wear a sari for the women. A turban can take up to 18 meters of fabric and so can a sari. The girls got all dressed up in saris and they looked elegant. The guys who got turbans looked not to bad as well. As for me, I got a pair of Gandhi pants. I’m not sure where I rate on the style scale with these pants. Certainly lower than the girls.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Rough Night

    October 30, 2019 in India ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    After a nice dinner of lamb stew Dianne and I retire for the evening. Tomorrow’s is an early start. Dianne sleeps well, but I spend a good part of the night in the washroom. I have a severe case of Delhi belly. You are probably thinking, this is entirely predictable. How can you plan on going on a Ganges River cruise and think you wouldn’t come down with something. True, but I thought it would be Dianne, not me. We have a range of things to help me, and Dianne brings out the assortment. Antibiotics, electrolytes, divol, and aspirin. Once it seems like I will be able to keep these remedies in my stomachs, I start taking them. Will let you know how it goes.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Sweet shop & shiny brass

    October 31, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Today I was on my own. Tom suffered Delhi belly and was down for the count. Yoga on deck at 6am, then breakfast and ready to set off for the small village of 50,000 Matiari.

    We arrived from our tender shortly after 8am. The dock was bustling, people waiting for the ferry, men working to load and move sand and the curious!

    It was a group of about 11 for the walking tour. Our tour guide walked us through the streets explaining the way of life. We saw monkey’s, dogs and cows of course. Our first stop was the vegetable market and it was busy with many stalls selling vegetables. We saw someone making samosas and another bread.    Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    To the sweet shop!

    October 31, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We made our way to the sweet shop. Two treats were being made; one was made with cottage cheese formed into balls and cooked in a sugar water mixture. The second was a pastry like patted into small flat discs and cooked in hot oil. They puff up and turn a golden brown. Looked delicious but our sensitive bellies might night like them, so we were not offered any.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Craftsmen

    October 31, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We walked through a few more streets and found the brass shop. The craftsmen were carving, engraving and polishing the brass to a shiny gold colour. Many of us purchased pieces made. We moved on to another shop selling brass.

    We did create a stir and many curious children and their parents followed. The bravest were two little girls approached us and ask where we were from? They both were very well spoken and their English was easily understood. We chatted and pictures were taken.

    We were catching the attention of many locals as they were as interested in us as we in them. We found friendly, smiling faces. Some were taking pictures of us as well. This charming village is still somewhat untouched by foreigners. I hope it remains like it is now.    Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Traditional Dancers

    October 31, 2019 in India ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    In the afternoon we enjoyed a talk on how Indian spices were used.

    Then later in the evening it was dancing time. A troupe of traditional/folk dancers put a display on for us. We all joined in the final dance. I think we learned a couple new moves! One dancer caught my eye I thought she was quite striking in movement and costume. After some time I realized her costume was not the same as the other girls, it matched to guy costumes. The facial features were what I thought to be feminine but I’m obviously not the best judge there. When they introduced themselves my favorite dancer had a very deep voice.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    We stepped back in time

    November 1, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Azimganj

    We walked through this town to an old mansion of the Barikoti family that is being converted into a hotel. The first picture is as it was found 5 years ago. It has been family owned for 7 generations. They are using some of the family wealth to restore it to its original glory. They ceilings have been replaced with steel supports, but missing tiles, stay missing and the original paint on the walls is being left. Repainting the pillars and walls make it look new, and it loses it’s charm.

    The property is being used now after 5 years of restoration, as a heritage hotel that offers the cuisine of the followers of Jainism. It is vegetarian and without root vegetables. That means no onions or garlic or potatoes, just to name a few. I must say, it didn’t look busy before we all arrived. Anyhow, we had tea there and a small snack while 2 local musicians played music on traditional instruments. I don’t even know what to call these instruments, and I didn’t ask. I probably need an attitude adjustment because I’m not feeling 100 percent. That’s what Dianne will say.    Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    The art of Baluchhari

    November 1, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Jiaganj is where they weave silk for saris and other fabric. It is called Baluchari. When we arrived some men were detangling a 100 meter stretch of silk by hand. The looms they have for weaving are not new. Just like everything in these parts, it is all about 100 years old.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna

    November 2, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This morning we stopped at the the world headquarters for International Society of Krishna Consciousness. ISKCON for short. I thought it died out after the sixties but it is a thriving division of Hindu culture. I have always liked the Hare Krishnas because they seemed joyful, and noisy. The temple we visited was that. Joyful and noisy. Dianne and I saw more western people here than in any other part of India. They have come in some cases as pilgrims to the Mecca of Krishna Consciousness. Non violent vegetarian, disciplined life styles are required of the followers.

    I see this as all part of the way things are. Some people trying to make a difference by their choices in life. Other see it as a dying idea that has no future. It does seem to be growing in popularity judging from the size of the new temple being built. Our visit here was in stark contrast to our time in Pushkar. We were never asked to make a donation to the foundation or any other thing.    Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Cow sanctuary

    November 2, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Seems like cows are living out their karma like people do. Just by where you are born determines how easy your life will be. You could be a city born cow, struggling to find enough to eat, or you could have been born here around Marapur where it is green and no worries about food. You are holy here. Contrast that to cows where I live. No worries about food, but not a long lifeline. These cows have hit the jackpot of cow destiny.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Making idols

    November 2, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    With the many religious festivals that happen in the Hindu calendar year, there is a constant need for new idols for the temporal shrines that pop up. These elaborate ones are bio degradable. They are made from straw and mud from the Ganges River. When the festival is over, they can be ceremoniusly thrown back into the river from whence it came.Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    Pottery barn

    November 2, 2019 in India ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    This industry thrives because the cups and bowls are bio degradable and usually considered one time use. The man at the pottery wheel is adept at making bowls, turning out one every 10 seconds or so.

    The best part of this experience was the kids showing up. They wanted to see us because we look way different than the locals. English seemed widely spoken even at young ages. The excitement was infectious and the crowd grew the longer we lingered.    Read more

  • Travel with the WicksIndia, Nepal & BhutanTraveler

    India fast food

    November 2, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Here are a couple of examples of India fast food...street food.

    The first is a puff type pastry, a hole is poked in it and stuffed with a potato mixture.
    The next is a complete hot meal. Under the plate noodles are cooking as there are hot coals underneath the noodle pot. The surrounding dishes are the toppings. It is served in newspaper!Read more

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