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  • India
    Day 35

    Pushkar to Bikaner and Planning

    January 8, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    All in all we've had a relaxing time in Pushkar despite our run-in with the local clerical representatives. Augie was loathe to eat anything unfamiliar following his recent bouts with stomach issues. This led to finding a really nice café overlooking the lake and a pizza joint with good reviews. Pushkar is definitely on the Amereuro Hippie Seeker Circuit. The day before yesterday we sat at the café listening to a fifty year old self-made guru/psychedelic consultant/film maker, drone on about pretty much anything, everything and mainly himself to a rapt audience of the weak minded at the table next to us for several hours.

    We've been doing some gift shopping in order to send some items back to Santa Cruz with Augie rather than toting them around for the next month. Nancy's been doing the haggling. Been getting pretty good at it. Firmly stating "Unhand me Sir!" when the negotiations got heated and she was manhandled while preparing to take her business elsewhere. At this point I pulled the amount we were willing to pay out of my pocket and told the gentleman that he had a choice. I could hand it to him or to my wife waiting outside in the street. This seemed to work although he then proceeded to reprimand us for 'joking around' and threw the bag of goods on the table when he'd finished wrapping them up. Bollywood. Such a dramatic hustle here.

    Our friends Scott and Suzanne, from the South India Intrepid trip, are currently here in town. We met them yesterday for breakfast. Turns out they will overlap with Augie in Hong Kong for a few hours. Augie's going to bring them into the private lounge on his Priority Pass as guests during their wait. Pretty cool.

    In the afternoon we hiked up a nearby peak to a temple overlooking the city and surrounding countryside. Nancy befriended a ten year old girl from Jaipur on the way up. They compared school uniform colors, monkeys, and 'real' grandmothers (paternal) vs. the unreal (maternal). They also both found their brothers to be annoying at times at that age. This place is big on camel safaris and I took the shot of the camp from the summit with my telephoto.

    Planning. Augie left for his 48 hour marathon of travel this morning. He seemed very happy and ready to go. Visions of burritos and barbecue dancing in his head. We're sad to see him go. He helped us book some flights and cement in a loose schedule for the rest of our time here. For the next ten days we continue to loop around Rajasthan, then catch a flight to Varanasi. After four days in the Holy city we catch a flight to Amritsar, the holy city for the Sikhs. We'll then make our way across the foothills of the Himalayas and fly out of Chandigarh for Delhi before flying home in early February.

    Once again it could be interesting.    Read more

  • India
    Day 33

    Pushkar

    January 6, 2019 in India ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Pushkar is one of the oldest cities in India dating back to at least the 1st century. Pushkar is mentioned in the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. According to legends, Lord Brahma, believed to be the creator of the Universe dropped a lotus to the ground leading to the miraculous creation of a lake. He then decided to name the place after the flower, and thus the name, Pushkar, or lotus. The city of Pushkar is home to the only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma in the whole world. Hindus consider a journey to Pushkar to be the ultimate pilgrimage that must be undertaken to attain salvation.

    Our experience so far has been a bit different. While still a beautiful place, the lotus flower no longer grows in the sacred lake. Also, I made the mistake of accepting a flower from a guy outside of an ATM near the bathing steps. Next thing we knew we were being invited to a 'special sunset blessing'. Nancy and Augie just followed along thinking that I knew what I was doing. So, we descended the steps to the lake where three 'priests' split us up and seated us next to separate pools. They then commenced by asking us to repeat a mantra requesting prosperity for all of our family and dropping the flowers into the lake. About four fifths of the way through my guy started to mention donation amounts that would ensure that the blessing would take effect. "$100, $200, $500 whatever you feel is appropriate." Selling indulgences to fulfill a prosperity gospel. Effing great. Just up my alley as a 'failed priest'. I told the guy I make my donations elsewhere and handed him a 500 rupee note for his trouble saying this would cover it for our whole family, Nancy and Augie included. Package deal. Meanwhile, Nancy and Augie were being strong-armed for separate donations. I mean literally. There were guys grabbing at us as we made our way up the steps. One guy even told Augie that he'd call the police if he didn't fork over the voluntary donation. No wonder early Buddhism didn't thrive here if prosperity is the central message, must have freaked them out.

    This morning we've been seeking a bit more peaceful scene here in Pushkar. Wandering the colorful streets of this ancient market town and sitting in a café overlooking the lake. Fulfillment found.    Read more

  • India
    Day 32

    Jaipur

    January 5, 2019 in India ⋅ 🌫 18 °C

    Our final evening in Jaipur we decided to go to the infamous monkey temple. The temple has been abandoned and now hosts thousands of red monkeys and langurs. Our hosts had recommended against the visit as one of their British guests had been bitten while visiting. I was concerned that we might have to cut our trip short should things go bad. But, as per usual since she entered her sixth decade, Nancy decided that she just had to go. It was pretty intense. They were moving all over the temple and running right around right next to us. Augie and I were terrified. Augie bailed early, but I bravely albeit foolishly stayed with Nancy until it was dark and she was quite finished.
    Here's a link to a video of the monkeys moving across the hillside at dusk.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZQVaj1pLheTk854c6

    Our last night in Jaipur we decided to go to the movies. Not just any movies, but a Bollywood blockbuster at the Raj Mandir Cinema that seats over a thousand people. Wild thing was that they opened the doors for seating just as the film started. Fifteen minutes in and people were still stepping over one another to claim their assigned seats. 'Simba' told the story of a young boy who sees his dad pay a bribe to a corrupt police officer and instead of taking the lesson of seeking justice, decides to grow up to be the best corrupt police officer ever. He grows up, gets a chief of police job at Miramar Station in Goa, plays favorites, and takes bribes. It all goes according to plan until he meets a sweet and kind Indian woman who sweeps him off his feet and leaves him with choices to make.
    Here are a couple of clips.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/kakAyYvfYQ1P28gQ8
    And
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/FA3aZPcBpM8xr78d8

    The next morning Nancy and I made a rush trip for photos to the Wind Palace Hawa Mahal. Caught a nice shot of the Gandhi Art Palace anf Puppet House from the window. After checkout the three of us caught an Uber to the desert and holy lake town of Pushkar.    Read more

  • India
    Day 31

    Jaipur

    January 4, 2019 in India ⋅ 🌫 20 °C

    Sophie is gone back to Bolinas. :(

    Our crew left Mumbai and headed to Jaipur with the Panagos clan, plus nephew Nial. We were late leaving the Grand Hyatt which resulted in a relatively hectic trip to the Mumbai Airport. All eight in our group made it with the help of a security guard who switched us to the Premier Flyers line. We were among the last to board. The flight was fine. There were seats taken out to accommodate a stretcher. First time any of us had seen this. We Ubered to the Bnb, Bhola Bhawan. Nice place. Very congenial hosts and accommodations. We even have use of a kitchen.

    John and family went out to the City Palace for the light show. They ended up dining in the same room the newly installed 20 year old Maharaja of Jaipur and his school chums from England. Nancy, Augie, and I walked the streets. Along the way we met up Prakash who is a social worker at a Catholic run orphanage that houses and schools 10,000 street kids in Jaipur. Guy was drinking out of an Andean maté cup. He invited us to teach sometime over the next few days. We made it to a natural foods grocery where we purchased a jar of Ragu™ Pasta sauce and a whole pound of spaghetti. Hit the spot.

    Next morning we spent some time planning our day. Jules had a whole list of possibilities and options. The hotel owners helped us choose a couple of guide/drivers for the day. We left the hotel around noon. The first spot was the Junter Munter Astronomical Park. It is one of four such facilities built by Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II some three centuries ago. Next we headed to the memorial tomb sites of the royals where J had a faceoff with a langur. Then it was on to the Amer Palace in the mountains north of Jaipur. Beautiful palace. We stopped at the water palace on the way up and the wind palace on the way back.

    Last night was J and Varsha's last in India, so we treated the crew to a nice meal at the Peacock Rooftop. Beautiful scene with a traditional Indian trio playing and good food to boot.    Read more

  • India
    Day 27

    Bird Excursion & New Year's Eve Gala

    December 31, 2018 in India ⋅ 🌫 24 °C

    Our 30th Anniversary arrived!

    Johan had arranged a birding trip to two local reserves. The trip was led by a local ornithologist Asif N. Khan who works for BNHS, an area conservation agency. Jules joined us for his first ever birding excursion. We spent the morning birding on the edge of the Western Ghat in the Karnala bird sanctuary. The early afternoon we visited a wetland saved from by development by Asif's organization. No easy feat as 95 percent of the mangrove wetlands and islands around Mumbai have been filled in. I sighted 31 separate species, Johan probably double that. The mountain highlight for me was a scarlet minivet. The water highlight was a flock of 48 flamingo.

    We made it to the New Year's Eve celebration at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club last night. It was also our 30th anniversary so Nancy and I ducked out at 12:01. Another amazing evening. This morning we treated ourselves to a room service breakfast at the Grand Hyatt here in Mumbai.
    Here's a link to a countdown video from the evening: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1ZZAGTnRyd4E8Zah9

    Tomorrow we're off to Jaipur in the morning.    Read more

  • India
    1
    Day 25

    Reception

    December 29, 2018 in India ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Another night, another gala.

    Nancy and Augie were still recovering this morning so Sophie and I headed down to the old part of town to take a look. We were accompanied by Johan and Mirtha. We caught an Ola (Indian Uber) and headed for the Chor Bazaar, or Theives Market. We walked through several city blocks of metal fabricators to get to the antiques and brass items. There were shops filled with old telephones, shops with old signs, and this being India a whole corner dedicated to the sale of automobile horns. Sophie found a place dedicated to drawer pulls and made some purchases. Around that time Mirtha was wondering where the clothing shops were and so we caught another Ola and headed to the Colaba Causeway where Sophie found a few more items and we were good to go.

    By evening Nancy had begun feeling a bit better and was up for attending the reception banquet. Augie was again laid low and stayed behind as we made our way back downtown. We stopped at the Colaba Causeway again so that Nancy could buy a dress. We then walked over to the Taj hotel, the grande damme of Bombay's old luxury. The hotel is opposite the Gateway to India monument so we strolled by there as well.

    Around 8pm we caught another taxi over to the reception venue. Several hundred people were in attendance. The reception was held within a military compound. Dhiman, the groom's dad had served in the Indian military and retired as a lieutenant colonel. Our family had given additional ID documents and filled out additional security forms to be allowed entry.

    We arrived to a glamorous scene right out of Hollywood. Everyone took a turn getting their photos taken on the red carpet. There were film directors, actors, and a chantuese in attendance. There was even a military Scottish style regimental band complete with bagpipes. Again the buffet was brimming and drinks were liberally replenished. To top it off there was a huge roller spool of ice cream! (there you go, Don)

    Hopefully Augie will be back up to snuff by New Year's Eve.    Read more

  • India
    Day 24

    Maharashtra and Bengali Blend

    December 28, 2018 in India ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The wedding day arrived and found Augie and Nancy ill and confined to bed. Augie is still down some three days later. Yikes! This left Sophie and I to represent. And represent we did! Before we'd left the States Dolly requested our measurements so that she could have traditional clothing made for the occasion. We represented in style!

    The wedding was really interesting. The groom takes his place seated in an arched mandap at the front of the hall with the priest and close relatives looking on. After quite awhile the bride is lifted by her relatives and carried up to the front. She is holding her hands in front of her face and the groom has not seen her for some 12 days before this moment. He is lifted up by his relatives and the couple meets while seemingly floating on air. (this is all really apropos as they are both airline pilots) This is really no easy feat with a groom who tops out at 111 kilos. For the next hour or so the couple remain seated under the mandap with a Brahmin priest giving advice to the couple from the ancient traditions. The couple then make offerings and walk around the fire in the center seven times. Once this is done, they are official. The whole zeitgeist is really different from a western wedding. Most of the time the several hundred attendees aren't focused on the ceremony. They're milling about, socializing, and even getting a head start at the banquet table. Photos of the wedding can be found here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kCmZHJFUJ5c19AJD7

    In the evening Johan and Mirtha were the first of our crew to head back to the hotel as Mirtha was also feeling a bit ill. Sophie and I sent them back with some electrolyte fluids and bananas for Augie and Nancy. Unfortunately we spent our last rupees on the food and forgot about having to secure a taxi back for ourselves. Fortunately a couple of guys from the bride's side noticed our predicament and went out of their way to deliver us safely back. The next morning Varsha commented, "It's India. This is how things are done here." Lovely.    Read more

  • India
    Day 23

    Family, Family, and More Family

    December 27, 2018 in India ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Varsha and John invited quite a crew to this week of celebration. In addition to our family of four, we are joined by their daughter Devi and her boyfriend Ed and Ed's mother Lena. They also invited their good friends and long time neighbors Johan and Mirtha. Soon upon arriving Varsha and John informed us that we were not just invited to the wedding and reception, but to all of the family events as well.

    The first gathering happened today at the home of the groom and his parents Dolly and Dhimi. It takes place just before the wedding and is called the Haldi. Women from the groom's family burn incense, conduct a prayer, and spread purifying turmeric paste on the groom's body. The remaining paste is then taken to the bride's home where she receives a similar blessing.

    Neither bride or groom is supposed to leave their respective homes following this ceremony. Technically this was adhered to as Mikhail only traveled a few blocks to his aunt Pappu's house for a pre wedding party attended by close family and friends. The party was a thing to behold. Another lovely home, but this time there were women in attendance who specialize in Mehndi, or henna body art. Oh, and there was a sound system that would put even the most raucous University of Santa Cruz house party to shame. Oh, and there was a full bar and lots of uncles and nephews ensuring that no one had an empty glass. Oh, and there was a woman, Crystal, who sings in Bollywood movies and recently sang in a huge celebrity wedding of Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. Oh, and so many interesting people that we ran out of time to meet them all. What a scene!    Read more

  • India
    Day 23

    Maximum City pre-Wedding

    December 27, 2018 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We flew from Kochi to Mumbai the day after Christmas. We arrived in the evening and immediately fell into a whirl of activity, food, and color that has lasted for days. We came to celebrate the marriage of the nephew of our long time friends John and Varsha. After checking into the hotel we headed out into the Mumbai night to pick up Varsha's sister Pinky and their mother Neela. After a short visit to the house we climbed into cars and were driven to Pinky's favourite restaurant, Global Fusion. We arrived around 10pm and were informed That this is actually quite early for an Indian dinner. Global it was. Small plates kept arriving at regular intervals followed by visits to any one of ten food stations for main dishes. All good.

    Neela is quite a force. After Varsha's dad passed when she was nine years old, Neela took over a family of four girls. Dolly, Varsha, Pinky, and, Pappu. Varsha said that the girls grew up quick. She opened a salon and supported the family with its proceeds and help from extended family. The daughters have all grown into beautiful, successful women, each in her own way. They are also forceful women, again, each in her own way. I've watched them gently direct the men in their lives with everything from clear directions to subtle gestures over the past several days. It is Dolly's son Mikhail (named after Gorbachev) whose wedding we're here to celebrate.

    One thing about this family is that they are all into glamor and bling. Appearances matter. Knowing this Augie and I spent our first morning in Mumbai getting haircuts and a beard trim. Total came to 350 Indian rupees, or about $5. We doubled that as we tipped the barber and he was pretty chuffed. Sitting next to my oldest friend Jules in that shop watching my son getting a trim was a pretty special moment. Who would have thought that the two of us would one day be sitting in a shop in Bombay watching the chai walla dole out tea to a bunch of guys who are currently our age when we met some forty plus years ago.    Read more

  • India
    Day 21

    Christmas in Kochi

    December 25, 2018 in India ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Last night we went out for a final meal with our Intrepid Southern India tour mates. It was bittersweet as they'd made such great travel companions. Ina with her quirky, open for anything way of traveling. Anatole with his ready quips and learned input. Suzanne with her food passion and joie de vivre. And Scott with his glass always half full.

    We woke earlier than wanted, needed, or expected this Christmas morning. Long instilled force-of-habit when we are near our children? Who knows? It might also have been due to the 6am temple recitations or call to prayer being sent out in surround sound over loudspeakers to the north and east of us respectively.

    Breakfast was the usual fried egg and toast. This one came with a special surprise. It seems my lost camera had been brought in from Thekkady in the middle of the night. Nice Christmas present!

    After breakfast we called Sophie and Augie's grandparents. Grace was down with a bad cold and feeling down from the self quarantine. Alma was still healing from her nose surgery and missing her kids. Ed was enjoying his evening and still seeking a publisher for his next book. All were as excited to hear from us as we were to check in with them. Most likely we'll be in Pacific Grove for Christmas next year.

    At 11am we checked out and walked the half mile to our next hotel pulling our rollers (except Augie) and accompanied by our guide from the previous two weeks Veejay. We dropped our bags and went out for coffee together. Cappuccinos and chocolate and lemon cake all around. Second breakfast!

    This year we'd all agreed to 'no gifts'. Being together in India was enough. Still, I couldn't help myself so I gave each family member a free latte per week*.
    *recipient must submit photo of same to collect reimbursement.
    It will be nice knowing where everyone is and checking in once a week. A 'Dad Thing' I guess.

    We enjoyed a special Christmas dinner at the fancy Fort Kochi hotel and checked back into our more modest accommodations across the street for the duration.

    I did hear about a special local custom that I am sad to miss. It seems that the people of Kochi gather on the beach at midnight on New Year's Eve to burn Santa Claus. Man, what I would give to be here for that! Instead we'll be off tomorrow to Mumbai for the big wedding. But who knows? Maybe we'll start a beach bonfire tradition like this in Santa Cruz for next year.    Read more

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