April 30, 2009 Jodhpur, India

The first pic is of a "MAHAL" (like in Taj Mahal) which is a tomb. This one was built by a queen for her dead hubby. Some of the marble that make up the walls is translucent, which therefore makes this a even more "special place" ....so the brochure says.

Jodphur is known as the blue city, and, hopefully, you can tell that many of the houses are painted blue.

Then there is the Palace/Fort. They seem to get bigger each time I visit one! This is the biggest I've seen, and the best. They provided a tape player to listen to a guide tell about everything as you toured the place. It was very well done, my hats off to these people on having a really nice facility.

There was a restaurant also, that was cool, clean, had soap and towels at a lavatory that you could wash your hands (don't take that for granted at home). So I had a vegetable sandwich (okay - but not a subway), a bottle of water and rested for an hour , before taking off again with a couple from Australia to visit the Mahal in the first picture.

Bob Hodges let me know that it was 114 degrees here in Jodhpur yesterday! I kinda suspected it was pretty hot !!!!! .... and I decided last nite in my un-air conditioned room, that when I get to Bombay - I'm going for an AC.


I have a 3 o'clock train out of here today, and it's a 3AC. That means it's
3rd class.... BUT with AC. I haven't ridden this class yet.

Here are a few street scenes from around Jodhphur. This is the central market and also part of the new town.
Pictures show women shopping for dresses, having a tea break, and shopping for shoes.
Ladies - wanta join'em?

Then there are always the COWS. They are literally everywhere. Here are a few shots of them.

Then one closing photo of sign on how to get to Yogis (my hotel).

April 28, Jodhpu, India

first pictures are of my hotel in Jodhpur.

I took a day bus from Jaisalmer to Jodhur this morning. It was a sleeper bus. I had wondered what they did with sleeper buses during the day time. Now I know. They sell tickets for the chairs on the floor, and then they stop and pick up everybody that wants a ride. They either sit on the floor, or crawl up into the sleeping berths. They can get a lot of people in one of these buses!! ...... At times it was packed, aisle and berths, but I had my private little seat and for me it was okay. BUT ... the heat. I had made sure that I got a seat where I controlled the window. I like that air flow.

Well, this time however, the "air flow" felt like it came from a propane heater about a foot from my head!! I have never felt such hot natural air. I would ocassionally open the window about an inch, so the hot air would evaporate my sweat, but then I would quickly close it again. HOT.

I bought some of the fry stuff, again, hoping it was fried okra - it wasn't - it's fried bread with a few green peppers or something in them . Filling - but not tasty. Everything here to eat seems to be fried bread, or noodles or rice, or variations of those three items.

The sign - NO Boundation - just seemed like a good word for something!

Here are some photos - including my hotel room in Jodhpur. It does not have an evaporative cooler or air conditioning, but it is on the ground floor, with no direct sun, and with the windows closed, it seems cool enough. We'll see.

April 27, Jaisalmer, India

Here are a few pictues from desert.

This city is built of sandstone. It is a city of humongous houses (palaces) that have sculptured facades that are very detailed and beautiful. And they are very old - like 500 to 800 years old!

I decided against going on the overnight trip to the desert, and just opted to go visit some villages and ancient temples out in the desert and return to my hotel with the cooler for the night. I've had the "sleep in the desert" experience many times in Morocco, and from the looks of the dunes - it was the same. The food would have been different - but that's a bad thing in my book, so no desert experience for me.

Out in the desert there were abandoned forts/temples/palaces that were 800 and 900 years old, like parts of this town. The buildings were all well preserved and elaborately engraved. Then we stopped at a few villages. I was only able to walk around and look, as no one spoke English. I will say this about the villages - and I know it is home to these people, .... BUT ... I sure am glad I live in Moultrie!!!!! Wow, what a place!

Internet , electric failures, old computers , funky keyboard and mouse - quitting for now.

Johnny

April 25, 2009 - Jaisalmer, India

Yesterday afternoon I left Old Delhi train station on a 10 to 11 hour ride to Jaisalmer. I got a good night's sleep, rattle of the train, the wind in the windows, and the jerky herky motion of the train.

I awoke this morning about 6 and was thinking I had 2 hours to have some chai (hot milk tea), and maybe catch a snack if the vendor would come through, and time to read up on the town I was going to and decide which hotel to try first.

Of course, the first thing that struck me was the change in scenery. We had gone from flat farm land and greenery, to rocky, hilly, dry, brown desert! Then I saw a house sitting in the shade under some large trees, and it reminded me of the time me and Brook Sheldon, and on another trip, me and Randy Booth, had been in the desert of Northern Kenya.... And in the afternoon, after a long hot day, we would go sit in the shade at the house and order us a cold STONEY TANGAWEZIE. Now that is a soft drink that has a little "bite" of - ginger. And if you take too big of a gulp - it will backfire in your throat ... and come roaring out of your nose!!!! You need to drink Stoney like a gentleman! ... or it'll get ya.

Then I noticed the dust/sand that started building up on all the seats and our clothing. This had happened to me and Hans Beck in Mauritania when we rode "the longest train" in world out into the middle of the Saharan desert. Fond memories.

I did not even know there was a desert in India til this trip.

But anyway - yada, yada, yada ...it took 21 hours to reach Jaisalmer!!! And it is hot, it was hot, and I guess will be hot.
I got a nice hotel room with bath, (don't need hot water - but I got it) an overhead fan, and a desert evaporative cooler blowing over the bed. It does a little good, and believe me - every bit counts here. Room is 150 rupees - $3.00. Will send photos tomorrow.

As you can see by the photos, I also think I could get a job in the interior hotel sign painting and editing business. However, at $3.00 per room, I think they're getting all they can afford now!

They're very nice people.

So tomorrow I go exploring the FORT - Anna would love it. And maybe set up a trip to spend the night in the Indian desert . (got to find out the name of the desert !!)

All from here for now - I'm right proud to be off the train , ...... but it's travel that I came to do - and it's traveling I'm gettin'.
later,
Johnny

April 24, 2009 - chit chat from Delhi

Here in India, with the largest train system in the world, the terminals can get pretty busy and really full of
A LOT OF people. ... But one good thing is, it's not hard to find a place to sit. You just sit on the floor! It is a HARD seat - but there is always at least one more place, especially if people scrunch up a little!!


In the past few weeks of close observation of interior decor detail ....... I have realized that if I wanted to stay in India and work, I feel very confident that I could work as a very skilled interior house/hotel room painter. The pictures here are of my hotel in Delhi, the capital of India -The 'YES SIR' HOTEL, not some little podunk village.

And it wasn't just that construction and painting is just not yet complete, this is OLD paint. And I might add, the prevalent standard of quality.

But actually, I don't think I want to be a painter here.

Before I left home, Anna told me to keep clean shaven and not to look like "one of those old hobo type men". Well, between not having a mirror in my hotel room, not having light enough in my bathroom, or having a mirror that had just about reflected its last "reflect" , plus without me not seeing real good, I was having a problem keeping away from the old hobo look.

UNTIL I decided to try the barber with the straight razor. Oh man, this is a cool way to shave. It cost about 55 cents, and I have never been better shaved!! I think this is one thing I will miss when I get back to the states.

I leave Delhi today for Jaisalmer, in the desert. I did not even know there was a desert in India til this trip. So tomorrow I'll let you know.
From Delhi
Johnny

April 23, 2009, Delhi, India

Photos out of sequence.
First is sign for my hotel - but I don't think it shows. I am in "YES SIR' Guesthouse.The next two are of some Cyber cafe's where I posted this blog from. Some are larger - few nicer - this is typical.

Now for today's blog.

I last left you saying I was heading for a new experience with a night bus trip.
Well, about 8:30 last night I got a motor rickshaw to take me to where the bus was supposed to be. It was dark, with an orange glow from the few street lights that worked and the haze that is over the entire area. It was an eerie site, but the streets were still full of people, and all the crazy drivers were still out - doing crazy!

I felt good. I had some money in my pocket, a night bus ticket to Delhi, a tight backpack , and a new adventure coming up. GREAT!

I got to where my bus was to be, got out of rickshaw, paid him, turned and looked for my bus. Not only could I not find it - no one around had ever heard of my bus, and there were night buses all over the place!! I forget now what Charlie Brown says, but that's how I felt!!

No bus. So I stopped another motor rickshaw and got in and was about to tell him my hotel, when a lot of men surrounded the rickshaw and started yelling at the driver and waving their fist at him. It turned out - he had not waited his turn for a fare - and he was breaking the code. So I got out and followed my new driver to his rickshaw. Then 15 minutes of wild riding back to my hotel, better instructions to the driver, and off we go, another 15 minute wild ride back to where my bus actually was.

I felt better that at least it existed. Not real pretty, not new - but present and ready. Well, almost ready. It took another hour to load the equivalent of a tractor trailer load of rice and cloth onto the top of the bus. (This gave me bad thoughts of my and Justin West bus trip in Laos with three blowouts and final abandonment of the bus. )

The bus - see photos - was not too bad, and the sleeping area was larger than I expected.

I asked the driver about stops for the toilet, since there was not one on board. He said they would stop one time after about 4 hours for toilet break. Man - you know what that does to me - !!! I went 3 times before we left. Course there were no facilities where we were waiting - just an alley that led to an open field, but it was in the dark, and I guarantee you, I was not the first person to use that area for THAT!! Stunk - oou.

Well, we got under way - everything was good, and I fully enjoyed reading and falling asleep. I was awakened about 4 a.m. It was the promised toilet break! I surely didn't want to miss it - although I wish I could have just continued to sleep. Well, as it turned out they have the same toilet facilities in India as they do in Laos and Nepal. Men walk to the front, women walk to the back. And again, it was easy to tell that this was not the first busload of travelers that had
stopped here. --oouu - stinky.

But back on bus, all is well for an hour or so - then someone is yelling about something - there is a lot of commotion, the bus is stopped. Finally I realize we are abandoning ship, and I hop up , grab my "stuff" , and get off. I am then pointed to another bus up in front of us. I am the last one on the bus.

Being last, turned out to be very good. I got to sit up front with the driver and assistant, although one time I got caught in the middle of a little fist-t-cuffs between a disgruntled passenger and the assistant.

All the other passengers had been forced back into what was already a full bus, and many had to stand up. The aisle were full of everyone's luggage, and then we stop and pick up another 1/2 busload, and the assistant just stuffs them back in the passenger section and then closes a door between them and us and LOCKS it! Oh-h-h-h -- thank you, Lord, for letting me be up front!!

Both broke-down buses were carrying a truckload of stuff on their tops, and both had blowouts. I need to make a note of that - and try to stay off buses like that.

But I made it to Delhi, got a room , and have enjoyed looking around. I had a good breakfast with eggs and potatoes. I realized late yesterday why I could not get eggs in Amritsar - it is a very religious centered town - and purely vegetarian.

April 22, 2009, Still in Amritsar

I just noticed that I am posting for April 22, Wednesday, and the blog date is April 21, Tuesday. For your information - both are correct. It's Wednesday here - and Tuesday there.

This town is famous for the Golden Temple. The holy place for Sikhism as I mentioned before. Anyone can enter the Temple, and the Sikhs are very proud of that fact, that they accept everyone, and love everyone.

To enter, which I have not done, one leaves their shoes at a counter that is staffed and the staff person puts your shoes in bin and gives you a ticket to pick up the shoes. Slumdog Millionaire must have been here before and took a few shoes- and by the way - I still check every bottle of water for signs of glue!

After leaving your shoes , you walk across a marble area to the foot bathing pools that you simply walk through, then you MUST put on your headgear - a scarf, or shawl, - and if you don't have one, there just happens to be about 50 men selling "do-rags" with pictures of the Golden Temple on it, for you to buy and wear in.

Now the Temple is beautiful - clean - and well maintained. But something happens outside the Temple that is just beyond American comprehension. --- The trash - the junk - the ill kept EVERYTHING.

Example, in my hotel room, the lavatory drain pipe does not quite make it to the drain. I mean it misses it by a quarter inch, so that about half of the water from the lav goes out onto the floor of the bath. The bathroom itself is the shower - so it's not a real problem for there to water on the floor - but to go through the effort to put in a floor drain, to put in a drain pipe, and then to have the pipe a little short - is - well - I mean - .. it's India!

The border closing ceremony was very interesting. There are grandstands on both sides of the Border gates, and I would say there were at least a 1,000 people there (tourist - 98% Indian). The Army guards were all decked out in fancy uniforms (I will try to get some photos up when I get to Delhi), and they strut around Goosestepping and growling - and looking angrily at the Pakistani soldiers across the border - and those soldiers are doing the same thing to the Indian soldiers and for the Pakistani crowds. But before the soldiers start doing their strutting - a cheerleader comes out and gets the crowd revved up, then there is loud - wild music, and women and girls from the grandstand go down to the street and dance.

All these preliminaries take about 30 minutes, then the guards strut around - up and down in front of the grandstands and up to the gate where they growl at the Pakistani doing the same thing , then they all go to the gate and have a real face to face "growling ceremony" with the Paki soldiers, ..... then they take down the flags, and close the border gates. End of ceremony.

And I wonder why India and Pakistan have such a hard time getting along!!!!

Yesterday, I was ready for a little "western world". I am staying in the old city, next to the Golden Temple, and my guide book mentioned "the new city" being very modern, good Internet cafes, and several shopping malls!!

I though - "yea, that's what I need - a mall! ... a mall fix". I asked the hotel owner about the location and names of malls, and he gave me two malls. I left the hotel, hired a motor rickshaw
and headed for the MALL!

Well, first - the new city is as trashy and dirty and dilapidated as the old city! ..and the malls, well, apparently a MALL here is what I would call an office building with a few shops in it in the States. ...Very disappointing, and Internet cafes , ..well I had to hire a rickshaw driver to take me to one, and it was not the nice shiny one that I had hoped for. It was an Internet cafe in India. That's the best description.

Ben Wiggins visited here last year - he understands about trashy and what typical " India" really means. Ask him if you want to know more.

I took a bicycle rickshaw back to my hotel, and ate dinner in the market place at a little open air (sanitary, I'm sure) place. I had a rice dish and vegetables for dinner. This morning I ate at the place next to it and had beans and tortillas (they don't call them that). For lunch today I went to
a real restaurant but couldn't find anything I wanted, so I went back to market and ate beans and rice this time! Variety - that's what's great!

Tonight I am leaving Amritsar via a "sleeper" bus. I was assured (by the owner of my hotel) that it was a Super Deluxe bus, but deep inside me - I know that's a sham, and the bus will be a dump. But the only way to find out for sure is to show up and plan to get on. And, no - it doesn't do any good to ask to see pictures of the bus, or to even go to the bus station to see the bus (cause you will see what they want you to see). The way you find out is " go and plan to get on!"
But if it's in real bad - I hope I don't go ahead and get on!

I've never been on a sleeper bus before , so the good side of this is that it will a new experience. I'm hoping for a good one.

Again - will post more pictures from Delhi, I hope. Here it is just too frustrating.
thanks for joining me on these travels.
Johnny

April 21, 2009 A few more things from Agra.

I keep forgetting about the cows. You've heard that cows just wander around everywhere. ... WELL, guess what - they do. A cow here, a cow there, cows everywhere. Not in herds, just singles, wandering around town, laying around, and for sure -"pooping around!" A LOT.
In my last blog from Agra I forgot a few things, not important, just I think, insightful into life in this country.
My favorite restaurant was TREATS, and as his sign inside said - "serving healthy food with love"! Now how can you not like a place like that? Also - what makes me like his place are the prices, as you can see in the picture for breakfast, 25 rupees equals 50 cents.

One day I took a Rickshaw over to the big fort. My driver was Moona, he was 60 years old, been doing this work since he was 16. Several times on the way over he had to get off the bike and push, explaining that it was up hill, and it was, .... but it was also HOT -hot and he was peddling a flunky ole bike and the chain kept slipping!!! One time,I just got out and walked with him until he made me get back in. I think he was afraid of losing his job. He rents the bike for a percentage of revenue. I'm sure he did not have much choice about his life's work, and now it's tough. After haggling with him over the price to begin with, I ended up giving him a nice tip that almost doubled the previously negotiated - settled on price.

Buying train tickets in Agra was also a trying experience. To begin with - slow computers - then an occasional high wind, and lost internet, then the clincher, at some of the critical points such as having just paid, and before you can print ticket, the electricity goes off, and stays off, and the battery backups - are - oh, no - surprise - not charged!!

I also can not get these pictures to line up right. Sorry bout that , but thanks for taking time to view the log.

I doing great, and enjoying every frustrating thing that happens!!!!!

Johnny - April 21,

April 19, 20, 2009 - Amritsar, India

Well, since my last blog - I left Agra and the Taj Mahal Sunday afternoon and got on a sleeper car to Amritsar, a 14-hour trip. On my last train ride I had the entire compartment to myself. This time I was in the middle of a family - little children, grandparents, moms and dads.

But I had my seat next to the window, and when the cots were let down I had my lower berth, so everything worked out very well. I also think the experience I have gained in my previous three trips helped me out a lot. There was plenty of food for sale along the
way, and I was able to kinda understand about what the food was (that's a big deal!) and made some good decisions, and the next day there were no bad results of eating train food.

I really got a good night's sleep, and the next morning felt great getting off the train in Amritsar.

I hired a Tut Tut at the stations (they are called motor rickshaws here) and headed for the old city and, hopefully, a hotel room.

I got a nice room for $6.00, this town is expensive! because it is a big Indian tourist town.

I was in my room, having just had a shower and was enjoying a cup of coffee when my phone rang! It was Bill McLean! Enjoyed the visit with him.

This town has three big attractions - all important to Indians. One is the Golden Temple of Sikhism, one is the Border ceremony at the border with Pakistan,

and one the site of massacar by the British that was a key factor in Indian Independence It was depicted in the movie "Gandi".

The photos are

One: Three different turbans worn by ALL Sikh men

Two: A restaurant I just couldn't pass up, I bought a couple of snacks from him.

Three: This is for Moultrie - one way to pick up garbage... just throw in one pile per neighborhood, and a week later come by with small curved plates and just scope it into an open trailer.

Four: One of my BFF's here in town!

All for now - will be with more info on Amritsar.

Johnny