Yesterday we arrived in Los Angeles and Tuesday we head home to Vallarta. I wrote this email about a week ago or so, just getting around to posting it now, word press has been such a pain in the neck. Here’s the not-so-latest:
So we’ve been driving from city to city in Rajasthan, for a week now. Our first was Agra, home of the Taj Mahal and neither Marcia or I were really prepared for how gorgeous it is, in person. Jaipur, the “pink city” was next, with it’s pink washed houses (although it’s more salmony then pink), large city palace and several mountain palaces and forts, inhabited and abandoned. Udaipur, the “white city” was next, with it’s insanely gorgeous mountain fort, lakes and city palace. Today we arrived in Jodhpur, the “blue city” known for the blue wash on the houses and the giant “Meharanghar Fort” perched above the city. And in two days, we’re off again, to the last stop west, Jaiselmer, at the edge of the Thar desert.
These ten days, we’ve given up the 5 and 10 dollar/night backpacker accomodations, moved up to the 30/night range and hired a car and driver to drive us all through Rajasthan. It’s been 5 days now, with 6 to go and we’re really enjoying this mode of traveling. we just sit back and our driver shuffles us from interesting spot to interesting spot. all we have to do is watch it all fly by. It’s really been a wonderful change. No trip planning, hotel booking, places, trains, etc… Getting used to the driving has been another thing though, there really are no highways here so it takes 5 hours to drive something that should have taken 2 hours. and the big trucks, cows, motor scooters, boars, goats and now we have camels to add to the road side attractions. As we whinded our way from Agra to Jaipur the green country side slowly gave way to craggy rocks and scrub brush with lush river valleys with tiny two horse towns perched inside like an oasis. really some of the most amazing countryside.
Coming to an understanding with our driver has been a real “experience”. The first few times we tried to take rickshaws (think three-wheeled lawnmower motorcycle with roof) he got extremely nervous and we had to assure him we weren’t going to be kidnapped. I guess he’s used to more “green” tourists. and he kept playing the same country music cd over and over, until we pulled out the ipod and hijacked the radio. Now we are all in understanding and getting along quite well, although I do have to say that traveling with a driver is like having another person on vacation with you. It takes some getting used to.
Today, on our way from Udaipur to Jodhpur we took the back road over a large mountain range to Ranakpur, a 500 year old living Jain temple. The road was like the road up to San Sebastian. heavy cliff side, 300 foot drop turns. whoa. Ranakpur was worth it. The temple is entirely built out of white, white marble and in the sun it radiates light. the carving is not only the most detailed i’ve ever seen, it’s also so intricate and deep, it’s almost as if the temple is a giant sculpure, carved from a solid block of marble. and the architecture is sublime and mathematical. it very much reminded us of Angkor Wat only made of marble and never sacked and burned and left for ruin (and found again and restored). Very intimate and also very grand.
With less then a week now, we’re both ready to come home, but at the same time, we’re getting serious feelings for India, we’re going to miss an awful lot about this place. In many ways it’s been the most intense place we’ve been, but also the most rewarding, educational,intimate and humbling. It’s taken us 2 weeks to really get used to being here. But now that we’ve finally adjusted, our trip is days away from ending. India truly is incredible and day by day we love it more and more. It really is like no other place in the world.
