Jan 29 - Jan 31: Quito, Ecuador

Quito, sitting at 9,000 or so feet in the Andes Mountains, is a pretty city. Its accessible and there is lots of plazas, parques (parks), and churches. The older part of town is a World Heritage site and dominated by colorful colonial-style buildings (thats what the book calls it) with ornate balconies. There´s hills/mountains all around town where you can great views of the city.


I even did some high altitude hiking in Quito. I took the new teleferiQo (gondola) up the flanks of Volcan Pichincha to 12,000+ feet. Then I hiked to Rucu Pichincha at almost 14,000 feet.

On my first outing in the city, I came across a political demonstration. There were a few items thrown and the police were out in full gear. I tried asking what was going on but all I figured out was "no mas queso a los ratas de congreso" (no more cheese for the rats in congress?) At least they like their president.

I visited a working convent filled with bloody images, a dark-skinned saint figurine (the first I´ve ever seen?), and a scary life-size Virgin doll sleeping/dead in bed. I met a nice guy there who tried to give me a tour of the place. At one point I think he was talking about recent animal sacrifice. I´m hoping something got lost in translation.

January 23: Back in the USA

PICTURES HAVE BEEN ADDED TO OLD POSTS!! AND THE POSTS ARE UPDATED.

January 20 - January 21: Delhi

I stayed in Paharganj area and did a whirlwind tour of Delhi - Connaught Place, Lakshmi temple, Indira Gandhi's home and museum, India gate, secretariat buidlings, Qutb Minar (historic Muslim tower), Raj Ghat (where Gandhi was cremated)and the Bahai temple. Unfortunately, the Red Fort was closed due to the upcoming Republic Day.

January 19: Rajaji National Park

I saw a hyena today! I went on a elephant safari and wasn't expecting to see much (and I wasn't quite sure why I felt like I needed to go to a park to see animals when they are all over the city). Just riding an elephant with my two guides, one with a spear and the other with a rifle, as he bush-whacked through the forest and ate down the trees was pretty cool. But I also got to see lots of deer, peacocks, wild boars, and a huge healthy female hyena!

January 17 - January 18: Rishikesh

I'm so happy to be near the mountain! The air and water is crisper and cleaner. Even the animals are healthier and happier (which also means they are a little more bold).


My two days in Rishikiesh were very relaxing. I did yoga every day, got an Aryuvedic massage, and just wandered around the town checking out all the sights and people watching.

January 16: Travel day

Took a 24-hour train ride to the foot of the Himalayas in search of a little peace and quiet and some wide open spaces.

January 13 - January 15: Varanasi

Varanasi is a crazy place. Bathing and burning ghats line the shore of the Ganges River. Pilgrims come from all over to bathe in the holy, heavily polluted river. Bodies are also burned here 24 hours a day and then the ashes are spread into the river. When I visited one of the burning ghats, there was 12 bodies simultaneously being cremated. (Each body takes about 3 hours to burn.) The old part of the city is a tangle of narrow alleyways filled with little idols and worship nooks. A festival was going on, so there was hundreds of kites in the sky and many special ceremonies and sadhus. It was a great place just to sit back and watch.





On Tuesday, I took a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges River.

January 10 - January 12: Agra

We rented a taxi for the day to take us to all the sites in Agra. Our first stop was the Agra Fort where we watched monkeys scale the supposedly impenetrable walls. The taxi then made an unrequested stop at a tile factory. We got to see the gruelling, detailed work that goes into creating each piece. I didn't buy anything but I was really impressed. We did a little more shopping before hitting the Taj Mahal for sunset.


And then there was one. The rest of the group left the on Thursday to head back to the United States. I was having some travelling sickness and we had been moving at a pretty busy pace, so I spent Thursday and Friday in Agra. I walked around the town and saw why taking a taxi is the way to go. When walking, you are more up close to all the garbage and every tourist tout harasses you. I also realized just how common it was for men to go to the bathroom on the streets.

I came across a McDonald's during my wanderings and couldn't resist. But this Micky D's didn't have any beef, instead there was McAloos. The fries were good.

Friday night I took the overnight train second class to Varanasi which was its own adventure.

January 9: Jaipur

We roll into Jaipur, the pink city, early and head off to the Amber Fort and palace. We get a guide who shows us the maharaja's secret entrances to the rooms of his 12 wives.


The next stop was the observatory with several large scale sundials. Astrology played (and maybe still does) an important role in Hinduism and was used to determine dates of matrimony and other important events and determine the compatibility for arranged marriages.

There is no way to describe the traffic and driving here. Every ride is death defyiing and painful. The horn is just as important as the brakes. And everyone in India must have severe hearing loss.

January 6 - January 8: Rajastan Desert

We arrived in Jodhpur and saw green again! And there was no more horns (well, not as many).

Walking around town we came across a wedding procession. Its like a little parade - a band, dancing, an overload of color - with the groom riding at the rear on his white horse. Its a serious celebration.


For dinner, the seven of us pile into a ricksaw and head to On the Rocks, a very cool restaurant recommended by a native on the plane (but they didn't have any Bacardi Breezers).

Sunday morning we visited Meherangarh, the majestic fort where maharajas lived, before taxiing across the desert to the Sam Sand Dunes. We rode camels into the sunset just 35 miles away from the Pakistan border. Rachel took a tumble in the sand and almost got trampled on by her camel.


That night we stayed in plush tents in the desert and enjoyed some traditional Rajastan entertainment around a fire. One of the dancers walked on broken glass.

Saw more animals during our time in the desert including peacocks and wild pigs/boars.

Monday we taxied back into Jaisalmer, the golden city, and wandered around the city and visited the Fort. That night we hopped a night train to Jaipur and Kush headed back home. It was great having a native show us around and teach us about the culture.

January 3 - January 6: Mumbai

A year ago, Kush's father past away. Its Hindu tradition to perform a puja or prayer ceremony at this time to pray for the souls and to the gods. A holy thread to worn around the neck and the position of the thread determines who you are praying to or for. Flowers, foods and spices are used in the cermony to represent shelter, safe journey, cleansing, etc.

All the perishable items used in the ceremony must be placed in the water so that they can not be walked on. We go to Juhu beach so that Kush can do this. We draw a quite a crowd since most of us are fair skinned with light hair. The tourist police had to come up and shoe everyone away. Its a little like being a celebrity since everywhere we go people stare. Lots of people come up to us to talk and take our pictures.

That night we have dinner and smoke some seesha (spices) at a hookah bar with the local affluent adolescents.

On Thursday we go into the heart of Mumbai. We lunch at Indigo, supposedly one of the top restaurants in the world, before heading to the Taj hotel and the gate of India. We take a boat ride over to Elephanta Island where there are rock cut temples dedicated to Shiva.

There is lots of animals about in India. Cows and dogs wander everywhere, including the beach. (And cow is king here - I was standing still taking a picture and a cow came up from behind me and head-butted me out of his way). Monkeys were running all over Elephanta Island. Rachel was even attacked by a monkey for her Coke bottle. I've also seen goats on the streets, I guess they are usually found in the Muslim parts of town.

Friday was spent shopping. We also tried some India sweets. Nothing was chocolate so I didn't like anything.

The beggars are the worst at the markets, though they are everywhere. There is also an unusually high number of deformities - people with missing limbs, twisted extremities and atrophied limbs. The worst is seeing men without legs crawl or scoot on the dirty streets.

Friday night we hung out at Kush's cousin's home. His cousin does voice-overs for Bollywood movies and is very entertaining. He's also into yoga and showed us the best shoulder stretch ever.

Rose and I get up at 6am on Saturday for a 2-hour yoga class. Unlike classes in the States, this class focused more on breathing and concentration instead of contorting your body in funny positions. The whole first hour was just breathing alone. It was so relaxing I had to take a nap afterwards.

Later that day we board a plane for Jodhpur.

December 31 - January 2: Goa

Kush and I get up at 3am to catch the flight from Mumbia to Goa, a former Portuguese colony. Even at that hour, the streets are alive with people.

We meet up with the rest of the group (Rachel, Renita, Brendan, Carolina, Rose and Jenna) and spend the day soaking up the sun and swimming in the Arabian Sea filled with huge fishing boats. I got a $5, 45-minute massage on the beach!


Though we are all suffering from jet lag, we manage to bring in the New Year dancing on the beach under a sky of fireworks.

The next two days are spent hanging out at the beach and trying new foods at night. On Thursday, we hop on the night train and head back to Mumbai.

December 30 - Arrival

I'm in India! Kush, Rachel's friend from Minneapolis, picks me up at the airport and his driver manuevers the dirty, crowded, chaotic streets to his parent's apartment where we will be staying the night. I get a true India experience right away. The swamiji of the community is in town and there is a celebration - blessings, offerings, and a feast.

December 28-30: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Almost 30 hours in transit. I got reacquainted with sleeping upright and in airport waiting areas.