India

February 2018
Solo trip discovering India’s Golden Triangle Read more
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  • Day 1

    Arrive in Delhi

    February 18, 2018 in India ⋅ 🌫 23 °C

    -Arrived in Delhi at 8am
    -passed cows and lots of honking traffic on the way to the hotel
    -Sandeep met me at the hotel and we went to the Lotus temple; Bahai faith temple, very cool structure like the Opera House, took off our shoes and went inside
    -drive to Gandhi Smitri; memorial for Gandhi in a huge garden area, very nice!
    -spoke to mum and dad
    -had some coconut water straight out of the coconut!
    -went to Connaught Place and had lunch/dinner at Townhouse Cafe; had kingfisher beer, spinach kebabs, bunny chow paneer, dal and paneer tikka marsala
    -walked through Pilaka Bazaar; an underground market maze!
    -most Indians are vegetarian because they believe animals have emotions whereas vegetables don't and so they are not harming anyone by eating them
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  • Day 2

    Delhi

    February 19, 2018 in India ⋅ 🌫 24 °C

    -full day of sightseeing in Delhi!
    -Met Jolli and our tour guide at the hotel and went to old Delhi
    -drove past the red fort and visited the Jama Masjid - one of the city's oldest mosques that is still operational
    -from there we rode bicycle rickshaws through the busy streets of old Delhi - so cool!
    -lots of tight streets, overhanging wires and even saw some monkeys
    -we then drove past the Inda Gate and parlimentary buildings (the Canadian prime minister was visiting so we couldn't get too close!)
    -we then visited Raj Ghat - the cremation site of Gandhi before heading to Hamayan's tomb, the burial place of the Mughal dynasty families
    -we then had lunch at Khanna Market before visiting Quib Minar -> the old ruins of a mosque which looks like Pompeii!
    -from here we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before heading out to the welcome dinner at this really cool restaurant called Chor Bazaar 'Thieves Market' - lots of cool old school decorations!
    -did whiskey shots with my driver back at the hotel!
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  • Day 3

    Jaipur

    February 20, 2018 in India ⋅ 🌫 29 °C

    -travelling from Delhi to Jaipur
    -approximately 5hr drive through the countryside and passed many cities, including Guragoan where dad worked
    -saw lots of animals on the side of the road - plenty of cows, goats, horses, monkeys, camels and as we got closer to Jaipur there were elephants in the streets!
    -the traffic out of Delhi was crazy with a many as 8 cars wide of traffic - no one sticks to the lanes and there is plenty of honking!
    -I checked into my hotel and just chilled out reading, did some walking and took advantage of the 1 hour free wifi
    -after, Jolly picked me up and we explored shops for fabrics (I got a nice blazer made) and gemstones which Jaipur is famous for
    -had dinner at an outdoor restaurant with live dancing which was very cool!
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  • Day 4

    Jaipur

    February 21, 2018 in India ⋅ 🌫 30 °C

    -this was going to be the busiest day and it did not disappoint!
    -Jaipur is painted pink because it represents good luck and welcoming
    -started at the Hawa Mahal (place of winds), a 4 foot wide facade where women would watch the king pass through 100 windows
    -then went to the Amber Fort via jeep uphill to the entry of the fort --> the former residence of the royal family walked through the main entry where other people were arriving by elephant
    -then walked through all the offices, rooms which housed the family as well as the king's 12 wives --> spectacular views onto the valleys
    -we then went out to the countryside where I went on an elephant ride and had an awesome organic lunch on the farm! Very peaceful and relaxing, the elephant I rode was 44 years old and they normally live to about 85
    -from here we drove back into the city, passing the lake palace and a carpet/textile making place
    -we then went to the Jantar Mantar observatory which used to the be used to tell time, seasons etc! Very cool!
    -from here I went by bicycle rickshaw to the City Palace which is the current residence of the royal family. Very fascinating architecture, colours and styles throughout the buildings! Also got to see the weapons room, textile gallery and the artists who paint with single hair brushes to get the finest detail!
    -went to dinner and met two English ladies from London
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  • Day 5

    Agra

    February 22, 2018 in India ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    -this morning we departed Jaipur, heading northwest to Agra where the Taj is
    -we passed a huge brickmaking 'factory', which makes clay bricks
    -on the way we met the tour guide at Fatephur Sikri which was the residence of the 3rd Mughal dynasty of Akbar
    -Fatephur means 'victory town' which is where Akbar was when he conquered a city near the Pakistan border
    -explored the forecourt and different rooms of the complex before heading back down to the car via bus
    -we then stopped for lunch at a lovely outdoor restaurant before heading to the hotel
    -after a quick checkin we headed to the Taj!
    -words cannot describe how beautiful and breathtaking this experience was! We walked in via the west gate before making our way north through the lovely gardens and pools towards the Taj
    -the entire complex is 55 acres, with the Taj itself standing at 72m, a brick and mortar construction with 5.5 inch thick marble on top. The marble inlay are actually real stones which are cut and glued to the marble
    -I went into the mausoleum where the two replica tombs are, exploring the grounds including the live mosque to the left and the symmetrical building to the right (built for pure symmetry)
    -Later I explored marble and leather shops and had a few drinks with Jolly!
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  • Day 6

    Delhi

    February 23, 2018 in India ⋅ 🌫 27 °C

    -woke up in Agra and went to visit the Agra Fort after breakfast
    -the Agra Fort was another residence of the Mughal dynasties, however the interesting fact about this on is that this is the only site that was added/expanded across generations
    -the oldest part is from the 3rd dynasty which is seen in the red sandstone (similar to Fatephur Sikri), whereas the newer parts have white marble, built around the same time as the Taj!
    -we visited the room where Shah Jahan (Taj's creator) was banished by his son until his death, where he overlooked his creation
    -following from this part, we visited the bedroom which has a gap in the walls that was used to run water to keep the room cool
    -from Agra Fort, we visited a marble making place where I got to see beautiful marble inlay being produced
    -we then travelled back to Delhi passing the F1 race track on the way
    -enjoyed a traditional mutton curry for dinner at the hotel!
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