Jessica and I left India happy that she had apparently been cured of a bad stomach bug by the hotel doctor, who also cares for the local king of Jaipur (who owns the hotel). We had a late-night/very early morning arrival into Uzbekistan, where we were surprised not to be searched in any way. Our pre-arranged ride did not show, so we accepted a ride from a friendly local, who then got us a special rate at a nice hotel, which we took full advantage of for the 8 hours we were there.
Tashkent was relatively uneventful. The most exciting thing for me was trying to get money to buy drinking water. After visiting two broken atm's, I found a friendly local who put me in a cab to the bank, where I experienced some good Soviet-style bureaucracy. It was over an hour by the time I got back to the hotel with some bottles of water.
After exploring Tashkent a bit on foot and on their cute trolley system, we boarded a train to Samarkand, famous city on the Silk Road. The incredibly uncomfortable seats were outweighed by the friendly locals who sat practically on my lap, one after another, trying to practice their meager English. One of them was going through the usual list of "what's your name? Where are you from? What do you do?" when we came to an interesting bit of information. I told him I was a lawyer. He nodded and then pointed to himself and made the international symbol for machine-gun with his hands, and making the rat-a-tat noise with his mouth, sprayed some pretend bullets around the train car. It was about this time that Jessica noticed the pistol tucked in his sock.
We also met a nice cardiologist on the train, and left our battered copy of The Economist with him to practice his English skills. He was one of the only Uzbeks we ran into who did not have a massive row of gold teeth--a grill, in the parlance of young people. All in all, the people were extremely nice and friendly, in stark contrast to the Uzbek regime currently in power, which boils ethnic minorities alive.
After a short car ride to the border, the adventure really began. We had no trouble with the Uzbek border on the way out, but as we walked across the no-man's land towards the Tajik border, we sensed something was amiss. The rifle-toting man at the gate started making signs with his hands for us to scram. We walked up to him nonetheless and tried to present our passports. I was hoping we could at least talk to a higher-up, when Jessica said "Wait--here comes someone!" I looked up to see a tall, scruffy man in a red hat and monochrome two-piece pajama-suit sauntering up to us. I looked back to the guard for a second, thinking that this guy didn't look very official, when I realized it was our friend Middy, who was greeting us at the border!
I had been expecting to see Middy, as promised, sitting under a tree in a pajama-suit with a good book and a melon (more on melons later). Seeing him walking around greasing the wheels within the Tajik border post was even better. However, even Middy, with his gift of gab and well-cultivated diplomatic skills, could not get us through the border that day, no matter how many games of backgammon he lost to the undercover KGB officers watching the border post.
Apparently, the President was in town for a local festival, so everything was shut down in the immediate vicinity. That meant that no one, especially a couple of shady-looking American tourists, was getting through this border post. In the end, we spent a night (about 22 hours total) sleeping in a field adjacent to the patch of asphalt separating Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. From the time we reached the border at noon until about 8 that evening, we were both pretty worried about being stuck out in the open with no sleeping gear and minimal food/water. We rationed carefully. We even scavenged some dried-out corn from the adjacent field and started munching on that. However, in the end, Middy took extremely good care of us, providing us with enough grapes and bread and water, and obtaining blankets and more food from the guards and other locals for us to spend the night relatively comfortably.
Tajikistan has the friendliest people I have ever encountered. A strong part of their culture is to be exceedingly welcome to "guests," which means giving ANY foreigner the royal treatment--the best food, the best rooms in a house, the best blankets to sleep under in a field in no-man's land, as the case may be. Needless to say, we were well taken care of, and actually too warm under all our blankets in the cool Tajik night. We eventually managed to walk right through the border post with negligible hassle the next morning.
We took a car to the local town of Penjikent and rested, and then headed into the mountains for a night at a beautiful alpine lake called Iskanderkul, a favorite getaway of Alexander the Great.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Agra – Ranthambhore
On our way out of Agra, our guide Deepak took us to what is called “The Abandoned City” because it was built, occupied, and deserted within fifteen years by Akbar “The Great,” the emperor who cemented Mughal (Muslim) rule in India. Akbar was famous not just for redundancy (“Akbar” is Arabic for “is great”). He also accepted all religions, abolishing the tax on non-Muslims and taking one wife from each of the major religions.
This is a cool room where Akbar sat and talked to leaders from all religions, who were charged with telling Akbar the best thing about their respective religions, and to prove it, a tall order to be sure.
This is Akbar’s huge bed. His wives and concubines kept him busy.
This is a cool performance space (literally) where Akbar hung out and listened to music, which was supposedly improved by being played over water, which also cooled the air and scented it with rose petals.
This was the separate palace for Akbar’s Hindu wife, who received special treatment because she bore him a son.
This section of our India trip was upgraded to an all-inclusive resort, and Jai (Jay) waits on us hand and foot, starting by filling the pool upon our arrival and bringing us beers and tomato-and-cheese sandwiches with the crusts cut off. We took full advantage of the pool.
This is a cool room where Akbar sat and talked to leaders from all religions, who were charged with telling Akbar the best thing about their respective religions, and to prove it, a tall order to be sure.
This is Akbar’s huge bed. His wives and concubines kept him busy.
This is a cool performance space (literally) where Akbar hung out and listened to music, which was supposedly improved by being played over water, which also cooled the air and scented it with rose petals.
This was the separate palace for Akbar’s Hindu wife, who received special treatment because she bore him a son.
This section of our India trip was upgraded to an all-inclusive resort, and Jai (Jay) waits on us hand and foot, starting by filling the pool upon our arrival and bringing us beers and tomato-and-cheese sandwiches with the crusts cut off. We took full advantage of the pool.
Agra
We began the day with a visit to the Taj Mahal, monument to the enduring passion between Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It really is magnificent in person, particularly because the intricate details of the craftsmenship – stone inlays, etc. – are evident when you get up close.
Next we went to Agra Fort, where Emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned under house arrest by his son Aurangzeb, just across the river from the Taj, which Shah Jahan could see from his window.
After Agra Fort, we finally prevailed upon our Guide Deepak to take us to a real Indian market street in the heart of the city, where the car could not pass. It took us all day for Jessica to convince him that we really wanted to see the real deal. He tried everything to dissuade us, including telling us that a Western-style mall was an Indian market. We refused to go into the mall and told him we wanted to go to the place where it is “so crowded and busy,” as he had described it in an attempt to turn us off, which backfired. Apparently most tourists are either (1) overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, or (2) judgmental about how Indians, including Deepak, live.
After wearing out our tour guide, we took a nap and then went out to see a “6D” movie about India, which involved 3D glasses, a moving chair, scents, and lots of sudden blasts of mist in the face. It was surprisingly good and informative, if a bit short at 25 minutes, and damp. Afterwards, we went over to Deepak’s “Indian Market” (mall) for some Indian eats among some of the better-heeled locals. We were quite the spectacle, as usual, though less so than in the middle of the city.
Next we went to Agra Fort, where Emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned under house arrest by his son Aurangzeb, just across the river from the Taj, which Shah Jahan could see from his window.
After Agra Fort, we finally prevailed upon our Guide Deepak to take us to a real Indian market street in the heart of the city, where the car could not pass. It took us all day for Jessica to convince him that we really wanted to see the real deal. He tried everything to dissuade us, including telling us that a Western-style mall was an Indian market. We refused to go into the mall and told him we wanted to go to the place where it is “so crowded and busy,” as he had described it in an attempt to turn us off, which backfired. Apparently most tourists are either (1) overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, or (2) judgmental about how Indians, including Deepak, live.
After wearing out our tour guide, we took a nap and then went out to see a “6D” movie about India, which involved 3D glasses, a moving chair, scents, and lots of sudden blasts of mist in the face. It was surprisingly good and informative, if a bit short at 25 minutes, and damp. Afterwards, we went over to Deepak’s “Indian Market” (mall) for some Indian eats among some of the better-heeled locals. We were quite the spectacle, as usual, though less so than in the middle of the city.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
New Delhi, Old Delhi
We started our day with a visit to the place where Ghandi was cremated: Raj Ghat. It is a beautiful and serene monument to a great man.
The Lotus Temple is a gorgeous Bahá'í House of Worship, which welcomes all religions for prayer, but not photography, although I was able to snap a partial shot of the ceiling—the inside was the best part, I had to try!
Qutub Minar, a stone tower signifying Muslim domination over the region, was built in 1206, with subsequent additions by later Emperors.
We drove by the Red Fort, built in 1639 when Shah Jahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi.
We swung by the President’s House and the houses of parliament and major Indian government ministries.
Just across the way (actually a mile away) lies India Gate, which the Brits built to thank the Indians for sacrificing 80,000 of their boys in the first World War.
We enjoyed seeing – and being – a spectacle at a Sikh temple.
Beyond the monuments and such that we visited, it is worth noting that Delhi itself is quite an experience. Driving is incredible, as lanes are ignored and drivers constantly honk to warn of their presence, pedestrians and farm animals are all about, and everyone just lives in the streets. There are no sidewalks to speak of, and if they were, they would quickly be turned into an additional lane. Where there is any space beside the road, people have set up tent-like structures in which they live and work, selling everything from bananas to jewelry to barbershop services, complete with barber’s chairs and mirrors, right in the road.
The Lotus Temple is a gorgeous Bahá'í House of Worship, which welcomes all religions for prayer, but not photography, although I was able to snap a partial shot of the ceiling—the inside was the best part, I had to try!
Qutub Minar, a stone tower signifying Muslim domination over the region, was built in 1206, with subsequent additions by later Emperors.
We drove by the Red Fort, built in 1639 when Shah Jahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi.
We swung by the President’s House and the houses of parliament and major Indian government ministries.
Just across the way (actually a mile away) lies India Gate, which the Brits built to thank the Indians for sacrificing 80,000 of their boys in the first World War.
We enjoyed seeing – and being – a spectacle at a Sikh temple.
Beyond the monuments and such that we visited, it is worth noting that Delhi itself is quite an experience. Driving is incredible, as lanes are ignored and drivers constantly honk to warn of their presence, pedestrians and farm animals are all about, and everyone just lives in the streets. There are no sidewalks to speak of, and if they were, they would quickly be turned into an additional lane. Where there is any space beside the road, people have set up tent-like structures in which they live and work, selling everything from bananas to jewelry to barbershop services, complete with barber’s chairs and mirrors, right in the road.
Indian Safari
Our day began with a knock at the door from Jai, our new favorite person. After our coffee and biscuits at 5:30 AM, we headed off for a safari in our Suzuki jeep. We had a 40-minute drive through town to the Tiger Park, where we were met by our guide.
After passing a Hindu temple, we headed off into the bush, over some very rough terrain. We saw antelope, Indian gazelle, spotted deer, a peacock, a (HUGE) buzzard, some other funny-looking bird, some monkeys, Indian tarantulas (crabs), frogs, and lots of butterflies and insects.
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Yh8-XxxTr9VpwmHehWDbKEbC0P5P3wyVg174Dyf-1qjK8nPseEvspy7jH02caMPVTZY_RqiPTqh6b-5AhoD315ztt6LqiCsj1tMPU7tTwRxAVSF1nOeibNqGv8oBs-tx738UaPe53lg/s1600-h/IMG_4331.JPG">
…But we had just as much fun taking pictures of all the animals and people in town.
After passing a Hindu temple, we headed off into the bush, over some very rough terrain. We saw antelope, Indian gazelle, spotted deer, a peacock, a (HUGE) buzzard, some other funny-looking bird, some monkeys, Indian tarantulas (crabs), frogs, and lots of butterflies and insects.
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Yh8-XxxTr9VpwmHehWDbKEbC0P5P3wyVg174Dyf-1qjK8nPseEvspy7jH02caMPVTZY_RqiPTqh6b-5AhoD315ztt6LqiCsj1tMPU7tTwRxAVSF1nOeibNqGv8oBs-tx738UaPe53lg/s1600-h/IMG_4331.JPG">
…But we had just as much fun taking pictures of all the animals and people in town.
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