Walking Seoul's Wall

 

When I get to a new city I like to walk, and walk, and walk. Being on my feet gives me a chance to get a feel for the place and as I like to spend as much time outside as possible is a natural choice for one of my first days of a visit. For Spring Break this year my mom and I travelled to Seoul, South Korea and realised we had an extraordinary choice for where to walk - alongside part of the old city walls that ringed the original city. There are actually five different sections of the city wall that have marked paths along or near them, as well as 4 main gates to check out and 4 smaller gates. 

     

We ended up choosing one of the more gentle sections to walk, the Naksan Mountain Trail which starts at Hyehwamun Gate and goes until Heunginjimun Gate. Coming in at a little over 2 kilometres it is a fairly short walk (although perhaps for uphill then we had anticipated). We were able to walk along the old walls (partially renovated, although you could still see the three different types of stone blocks used from different time periods) almost the entire way. There were several places to stop for views of the bustling busy city of Seoul. 

        

However I think my favourite part had to be the imposing giant city gates. Often set in the middle of a circle amongst busy city streets, they had amazing paintings on the underside of each gate. It definitely paid to look up! I saw dragons, phoenix, turtles, and deer along with some other creatures that seemed to be a cross of some mythological being and an animal. These vibrant colours and well preserved images were well worth a stop to check out.

In fact, we enjoyed walking the walls of Seoul so much that later in our trip we decided to head out to the town of Suwon, where we could actually walk the entire loop around their town walls. These walls were in remarkably good shape, and we were able to walk along the top of several sections. Technically these walls are part of Hwaseong Fortress, dating back to the Joseon Dynasty. The walls stretch over five and a half kilometres in total length.

 

It was interesting to see the difference in the walls from the interior and the exterior. We realised fairly early on that we were walking the inner trail of the walls. This makes the walls seem not quite as impressive as they actually are - as there is a raised dirt mound on the inside, allowing for defenders to reach the arrow slits and canon points of the walls. When I wandered outside one of the gates and looked back at the walls I realised that the walls were at least twice as tall as we had been experiencing. Quite an engineering feat back in the 1600s. I have to admit that I think walking the walls in and around Seoul was one of my favourite things about the city.

Touring Bohol

While mom was visiting I had a 3-day weekend and so we headed to Bohol. The last time I went I just relaxed on the beach and in a pool. This time I wanted to see all of the main tourist sites. So I arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport and do a tour of the island of Bohol. Since I didn't really know much about what was on Bohol to see, I just told them I wanted to see the main sights. In my mind that equated to two - the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers. Of course we got much more than that.

Our first stop was at the site of the blood compact, complete with statue commemorating the event. The sandugo occurred in 1565, between Spanish explorer Legazpi and Bohol chieftain Datu Sikatuna. The each cut their arm, let blood flow into a cup of wine, and exchanged glasses to drink. This ritual of friendship was the first treaty between Spain and the Filipinos. Of course when I returned to school a local teacher told me that wasn't the actual spot...but at least I learned a bit more of the history of the island.

From there we stopped at Baclayon Church or the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. It is a coral stone church dating back to 1727. Strikingly simple on the outside the church surprised with its ornate paintings and decorations inside. We got a chance to look at statues of some of the local saints some of whom mom and I had never heard of. Unfortunately the church was mostly destroyed in 2013 by an earthquake, and so the current structure is the repaired and renovated church.

Do you want to dress up like a butterfly? That is the question we got asked as we left the reptile area and headed towards the butterfly garden (funny how I said I didn't want to see snakes and yet we still had to traipse past their crowded metal cages). In my head I was thinking those fabric wings that you see on kids, then I realised that they had a class wall of dried butterflies and you could stand on one side while the guide took a picture of you as if the wings were on your back. Kind of interesting. I was much more interested in the small butterfly garden. Where we saw a moth bigger than my hand, some fascinating butterflies with almost translucent wings (you could see the colours of the flowers through the wings) as well as many others. I've always had a fascination with butterflies, ever since the monarchs used to stop in our backyard on their migration south. When you're able to go out under the trees, clap your hands, and see thousands of them flutter their wings, how can you not?

After the early morning flight and several stops I was hungry! So off we went to Lobok River cruise which included lunch. It took almost an hour long wait before we got on a boat, this was clearly a popular tourist destination. While it was kind of nice to relax and watch the scenery on the river, I must say the food was hardly worth paying for. However, being in a covered area while the mid-afternoon rains come day made it a good choice for that time of day.

Finally, finally (!) we headed to what I wanted to see. The chocolate hills are one of the two things that Bohol is particularly known for. With over 1,000 hills scattered around 20 square miles there is what feels like an endless view of these. We happened to be visiting during the wet season, but during the dry season they are brown hence the names. The hills are made of karst, or limestone, that has been weathered away to form these hills. Although I must admit I enjoyed the legends we were told about the origin much more. My favourite was the tale of a giant who fell in love with a mortal. Upon the death of the mortal, the giant was heartbroken and cried. The tears dropped as he walked away forming the hills.

Rain prevented us from seeing the tarsiers the day we arrived. While upset, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. There are two places to see tarsiers on Bohol, and one of them has a better reputation for conservation and care of the animals. We would not have gone to that one as part of our tour. Instead we scheduled an early pick up for the day we flew out and head to the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary. As you head in signs remind you to be quiet. These animals, the world's smallest primates, are nocturnal and sensitive to sound and light. It makes visiting them somewhat questionable, and so it important to do so in as ethical a manner as possible. Mom and I were assigned a guide for the two of us, keeping the group extremely small (and therefore more quiet). He and the other guides had gone out in the morning to find where 6-7 tarsiers had settled themselves for the day, and he lead us along muddy trails to visit those that were within the region opened to guests. The rest of the nearby forest has restricted access to help the conservation of these endangered species. 

Kaziranga National Park

My mom's month visit gave me the opportunity to check a few more places off of my India travel bucket list. I'm down to a month left in the country, so that doesn't really leave much time for travel. In fact, I'd have to say that I've done my last trips in India (yes, it is getting to the season of lasts). One of those trips was to Kaziranga National Park in the northeast, on a trip to search out the one horned rhinoceros, a unicorn of sorts. The Indian rhinoceros have been restricted to this one location, as well as a single park in Nepal. In my mind, I thought that this might mean that sightings of these prehistoric looking beasts might be rare. Luckily for us that turned out not to be true, with rhinos taking the key role on each of our safaris. A morning safari on elephant back brought us up close to these animals, close enough to see the amour like plating that make up their think leather skin.

In addition to this up close and personal view of the rhinos we also saw a mix of other animals. Most notably, a pair of great hornbills feeding their baby. A smattering of eagles. Water buffalo, cooling off in the river. Elephants, boar, deer, frightening red ant nests in the trees, and a smorgasbord of birds. There is something about seeing animals in a natural location that is so much more like discovery. A way of making yourself feel that you have truly seen something special.

The Living Root Bridges of Meghalaya

Last weekend mom and I went off to northeast India to discover the living root bridges for ourselves. A four day trip that may quite possibly be the highlight of my year. In the rainiest area of the world, you have some unique challenges - including how to cross rivers when any supplies you need must be carried in a bag, strap resting on your forehead, as you head down thousands of rock stairs. Needless to say, it is not an easy task. The locals have culitvated a tradition of guiding the roots of certain trees to form bridges; a task that can take several generations to accomplish, but which will last for centuries. This living architecture is what we went to see. In addition to hiking down slick, moss coated rock steps for hours amist the rain forest, an unusual experience for me in India, there were the bridges themselves to amaze me. Up to 95 feet long, each one seemed to have its own unique character. One village has even cultivated a doubledecker bridge. Another is the world's longest. This one, sees to sit in the middle of nowhere, but as we rest at the base we see 5-6 people crossing it on their commute to collect beetle nut or work their fields. The living root bridges really are a unique vision.

Check out this video if you want a bit more information.

Buddha Park

I spent my Christmas in Laos this year; although I didn't see as much as I had anticipated (for a variety of reasons, not the least of which included that I fractured my foot on Christmas day) there are several things that stand out as memorable from my trip. Buddha park, or Xieng Khuan, is about 25 km outside of Vientiane, and it is definitely memorable. Odd, overwhelming and unique also come to mind. A large green space filled to capacity with concrete sculptures, everywhere you turn there is something different to catch your eye. My favorites included the pumpkin shaped structure with three levels representing hell, earth and heaven which you entered by scrambling through a mouth, a monkey like god eating a head, the oversized statue of a God with crocodile shoes, carrying what appears to be a dead woman with lightbulbs in his eyes, the enormous reclining Buddha and all of the multi-headed statues.

Containing over 200 statues the park was begun in 1958 Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat who was a priest-shaman that clearly had an interesting take on the integration of Hindu and Buddhist belief. It is said that all of the statues on the premises were cast by unskilled workers under his guidance. If that is indeed true, you'd have to admit they did an admirable and noteworthy job. In any case it was definitely a site worth exploring and climbing around.

Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha

Over the Thanksgiving weekend I had four days to explore Hong Kong. My favorite day was the one that I spend on Lantau Island. After a metro ride (metro! Hurrah for public transportation) I climbed on a cable car to take the trip over the hills...from the window the water and greenery led up and up until off to one side a giant Buddha sat nestled into the side of hill. This 112 foot tall bronze statue is a major attraction and point of religious journey for many Buddhists. The 268 steps up the hillside gave me a chance to contemplate the peacefulness that surrounds the statue, despite the large number of people surrounding me. As I took a stroll around the base of the statue my attention was split between the beautiful views and the smaller bodhvistas, who put off their entry to nirvana to guide others' path and symbolize that journey with gifts that represent the characteristics of charity, morality, patience, zeal, mediation and wisdom.

 

However, the giant Buddha was not the only source of peace in the area. The Po Lin monastery itself was also awe inspiring. The brightly painted outside, showcased the intricate carvings that decorated nearly every surface. The interior focused one's attention on the Buddha again. In addition, a short walk away, was the Wisdom Path...a short figure eight trail that passed by giant (half a tree trunk) poles engraved with Chinese characters. I might not know what they said, but the peaceful setting and impact of the stroll, left me feeling refreshed and at peace. Definitely a good way to embrace being out of Delhi.

The temples of Khajuraho

In a small village in the heart of India lies one of the true gems of Indian history. The temples at Khajuraho are completely covered in intricate carvings. Layer upon layer entice the eye as you stand there looking. Each new angle revealing some new detail. A mix of Hindu and Jain temples, it is a bit shocking in conservative India, to find temples proudly displaying their erotic carvings. Providing a glimpse of different positions and even partners in the stone work. As you wander the grounds each new temple provides some other tidbit that is special - the carved boar under the Varaha Pavillion, camels being pulled along, an elephant tearing apart a person right next to a couple in flagrante delicto, elephants next to Ganesh statues, cow headed people and half male half female individuals, kisses and couplings...and that is almost all on the exterior of the temples. Inside you have tightly enclosed spaces, still filled with carvings, a Hindu or Jain representations taking the center stage, geometric patterns on the ceilings and columns. When you stop to think it is almost too much to take in. What a treasure that has been preserved from the 10th century.

The backwaters of Kerala

Bright houses are nestled behind built up banks. Women wash dishes and clothes on the edge of the canal, a built in step allowing them to stand in the water while they do their work. A few people sit ad fish for small catch off the bank. Clothes hung out to dry reflect in the water. Men paddle dug out canoes full of one thing or another (bananas, grass clippings etc.) on their way to deliver them somewhere.It is pretty easy to see that life revolves around the canals and rivers in the backwaters of Kerala. Taking a boat tour or spending the night on a houseboat is an amazingly relaxing way to explore this area of India, sitting out watching life in the region pass by as you motor down the river. Getting a glimpse of the everyday while not having to worry about anything.

 

I can't recommend the company we went with enough for our night on the houseboat. Lakes & Lagoons is a well run company with excellent boats and great food.

Life on the river

An early morning boat ride is definitely the way to get a taste of what living on the edge of the Ganges river means in Varanasi. A bit like sanctioned voyeurism, it is one of the main activities that is recommended in the city for tourists. I must admit I enjoyed the morning trip more than the evening boat ride, in part because the riverside seemed a bit calmer as everyone was going about their usual morning activities. Families and individuals wading into the water at one of the many ghats to become ritually clean (despite the fact that the water is anything but). Wooden boats floating in the water waiting for tourists to schedule a ride. Washer men out scrubbing sheets and laying them to dry on the concrete steps, creating a patchwork of colors. Some sadhus (holy men) sitting down by the edge for a morning meditation. Pot washers and net menders getting to work. The men at the cremation grounds waiting for the first demand for their services and wood. Just a town getting down to daily life despite the enormous number of people who pass through each year.

Chambal

We had a long weekend over Easter, which of course meant a bit more traveling in India. The longer I'm here, the more I find that I crave quiet, natural spaces and so I seem to be doing my best to hit nature reserves and national parks when I have enough time. It turns out that there is a river sanctuary about four hours outside of Delhi (two hours by train and then another two hours drive) and a lovely lodge a slow hour's drive from it. So I headed to Chambal for the weekend. I was excited when I learned that this was one of the regions that has the elusive fresh water dolphin in the river, a species that I believe may be unique to India. Sadly it too proved elusive for us. Instead we saw a large collection of birds, including many I had never heard of before. But then I'm not exactly a bird person. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy seeing the birds, and just being out in a quiet enough area where they will be gathered in numbers is relaxing, I'm not the sort of person that could tell you the name of, well, really, any bird I see. I think that became clear to our naturalist guide as we arrived at the river and he pointed out the apparently rare sight of an Indian skimmer actually skimming the water fishing. Supposedly this is something many people come to see, and we were not showing a full appreciation of the ease with which we got to observe this bird. However the two hours we spent on the river were thoroughly enjoyable with many a different type of bird to be seen: painted storks, black necked storks, Indian pond heron, a variety of ducks...I'd have to get out the checklist so thoughtfully provided by the lodge to tell you any more. And then there were the gharial. A relative to the crocodile, their numbers have dwindled over the years to approximately 235 worldwide, landing them on the critically endangered list. Hard to believe considering the number we saw, but then Chambal is one of the two locations that seem to have successful breeding populations. Gharial are instantly recognizable  with there extended long snout, and the ball on the top of the end of the males...in some ways making them even more intimidating then a normal crocodile. Our wildlife sightings didn't end on the river though, the lodge providing plenty more opportunities on their grounds, including a spotted owlet and a large group of flying foxes that were roosting in a tree just outside our cabin. I definitely got my nature needs met this weekend!

Bateshwar

Along the bank of Yamuna river lies the town of Bateshwar. Mostly rural, supporting the farming communities outside of it, it has one things which makes it a religious center - at least once a year at the same time as the cattle fair....the 101 white washed temples dedicated to Shiva that line one side of the river along a bend. Built here by Raja Badan Singh Bhadauria, these temples set a picturesque scene. As we were there in the off season, it was hard to imagine thousands of people flocking to the ghats along the water's edge, crowding in to celebrate and worship during the month of November. Why did Bateshwar turn into a religious center? Well, legend says that lord Shiva sat down to rest under a banyan tree along the banks of the river. Indeed, the name of the town arises from that instance - Bat-Ishwar meaning the banyan lord. While there is a part of my that doesn't really understand having so many temples to the same god in one place, I must admit it was a peaceful and active complex of temples. As I walked away with the image of white reflected in the water, I could only wonder, how does one decide just which Shiva temple you will worship in? There were a few that seemed to have special traditions, such as the one where wives would go to pray for the husbands' longevity, but others seemed to be remarkable similar, simple rooms with a Shiva lingam in the center. In any case there are plenty of choices for those who make the pilgrimage to Bateshwar.

Chasing Tigers

Our second safari in Ranthambore took us to a different section of the park. The entrance that is presided over by the immense fort that sits on top of a mountain plateau. As we headed into section 3 it became clear that this was the "better" section - the road was a bit smoother and the guide spoke significantly better English then the morning one. And so we proceeded to drive around the lake, stopping to look at a variety of birds, multiple crocodiles and various deer/antelope. Then we parked in a central section and waited, taking in the nature sounds (and no other sounds) until "Hold on!" And off we went. Bumping down the tracks at high speed, halting at a cross section until another jeep passed by, deciding to go off into the other sector ( the one we weren't cleared for) only to see another jeep of people holding their arms in the air giving a thumbs up. Sadly the tiger had just crossed over the road and was now hidden among the thick bushes of the jungle. S back off to our section we scooted patrolling the road on the other side of that patch of greenery hoping he might exit on our side. 

After a while we gave up and went to sit back in a central location. As our guide and driver discussed if we needed to head out a couple of jeeps ahead of us suddenly started tearing off down the track and the command came again "Hold on!" We were off on a tiger chase. Although this time as we tore down the dirt paths dust was getting sprayed up by the jeeps ahead of us. I closed my eyes to protect them only to find that a horrible idea as we took corners at high speeds and hit bumps that sent both mom and I off our seat. Perhaps I needed to keep them open so that I could brace myself against the route. We were in a race against the clock as we were supposed to be out of the park at 6pm, 10 minutes later. As we slid to a halt and turned off the jeep I climbed up on the roll bar and balanced myself (with mom's help) to peer down into the creek bed where a large majestic male tiger was resting. It's a tiger! They are almost mesmerizing  in their regal bearing, capturing your attention and keeping it. We started to leave only to hear that it was beginning to move and so we backed up, watched it sit up then slink through the grass until it crossed the road directly in front of our jeep. Pausing to pose as if to say "Yes, I know I'm the most important thing in this part of the forest." We might have been late leaving the park, and needed someone to open the gates for us (for a bribe? Or a fine?) but I was so excited I was practically bouncing in my seat, the refrain of "We saw a tiger! We saw a tiger!" repeating in my head. 

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Across from the bank of the Oya River, in a shaded area of 25 acres lies the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. One location where you are sure to see elephants while traveling around Sri Lanka. Originally developed in 1972 it began as an organization to take care of orphaned elephants from the forest and after several moves and many years has continued to provide care from orphans but has also developed a captive breeding program and serves as a safe home for elephants that have been seriously injured (one of the elephants there is blind, another lost part of her front leg due from a land mine). 

As you can imagine a large group of Asian elephants makes for a popular tourist attraction. Twice a day the elephants are walked across the road - traffic coming to a halt as an airhorn blows a warning that the elephants are approaching - to bathe and play in the river. This is the place where the tourists flock. Restricted to the rocks behind a chain from there you can watch the elephants until you tire. Seeing the affection between certain pairs and catching a few frolicking together or blowing water in the air. 

The vendors are not quite as enamored with the elephants despite admitting they are their source of income. Every time the walk by the racks from outside have to be drug out of the way, and beware the elephant with a chain! It has a history of being aggressive. Luckily it is the first one by, and once past you can creep out of the stall to watch the others parade past. 

The rest of the day the elephants roam a small field, eating from the vegetation that is trucked in for their consumption. The smaller babies are restricted to a pen where you can touch their bristly hair as you pet their back or head. Pet an elephant! After all when else will you have that opportunity?

On safari in Sri Lanka

Another of the stops that we made was a short visit to Yala National Park in the Southeastern corner of Sri Lanka. One good thing about jet lag is that it sure makes it easy to wake up for a 5:00 safari - didn't even require an alarm clock. We headed to Yala because it has the world's (?) largest concentration of leopards. Not that that means that leopards are easy to find. Other animals are much more common…we saw a plethora of water buffalo, several jackals, wild boar, mongoose, spotted deer, peacocks a plenty, crocodiles, an eagle, monitor lizards, lots of colorful birds - including the national bird of Sri Lanka, and finally….as we were getting close to having to leave the park, all but hidden back in the trees a leopard. Or was it a pair? Hard to tell, but at one point I thought that maybe I saw two waving tails. My pictures - poor as they are - are still a better view of it then I had with my eye (its all about the zoom!). At least I was able to leave satisfied, knowing I had "seen" a leopard even if we didn't manage to see an elephant despite being told they sometimes roam through the hotel grounds.

Tea, tea, as far as you can see

The last week of my vacation I headed to Sri Lanka. With just a week there we decided to do an overview of some of what the country had to offer…namely tea plantations, national parks and the beach. I've been to tea areas before. After all Turkey has a vibrant tea culture with tea grown in the Rize area and India proudly boasts its Darjeeling tea. However I ended up being overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the land dedicated to growing tea in Sri Lanka. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the tea plantations that seem to be endless to my eyes account for just 4% of the land mass of Sri Lanka. I then got more curious - turns out that tea only counts for 2% of GDP but totals in at 15% of exports. It might be 15% of Sri Lankan exports but it accounts for up to 23% of the world tea market (ranking number one or two - Kenya is a close competitor).

As we drove through the tea country and I watched women working in fields to pick the tips off the plants, often on hillsides that I couldn't even imagine balancing on; I was struck by just how labor intensive this crop is. Employing over a million people, the tea sector employs at least 5% of the country's population. Many of those the men that care for the plants and spray pesticides from a container on their back and the women who strap a bag onto the back to place tea leaves in before accumulating them in a wicker basket earning around 500 rupees a day (according to our driver), approximately $3.80. And yet the smiles on their faces are big. They chat as they go. They leave their houses in the early morning to walk to the current field they are working on, taking a break mid morning for breakfast. They lay a wooden stick on top of already picked plants as a guide for how far down to pick the next ones. They take a break for lunch. They pick all afternoon. Then they get up and do it all over again the next day. Think about that the next time you drink a cup of Ceylon tea.

Diwali in Orchha

There was a small part of me that was hoping that going to Orchha for Diwali break would bring an opportunity to experience a true Diwali celebration. After all the last two years I've been in a desert camp and in Catholic Goa. But Orchha, Orchha is a Hindu town. So I thought that perhaps I'd get a truly local experience. At first it seemed like Diwali might be restricted to people painting their houses, adding a new layer of color to brighten up the town. Don't get me wrong, I loved the bright blue, pink and yellow houses! But I was hoping for more...of course it is hard to know what to expect when you can't even identify which day is the proper Diwali...not that I'm any closer to being able to identify that. The second day we were there, it seemed that the number of people pouring into town had doubled or tripled. Almost all of them were making their way on foot to the large temple in the middle of the town dressed in their finest clothes, many of them waving peacock feathers in their hands. That seemed a bit more like a celebration, but not quite what I was expecting, after all Diwali is known as the festival of lights. I never did see many lights, but the the electricity only seemed to run from about 7-11 pm. However, the last morning we were there, we were awoken by the sound of drums. A peak over the balcony to the riverside revealed trucks coming in with the trailer full of men (all men). As they arrived the guys climbed down and began to get dressed...get dressed up in costumes of "women" (which often just meant tight short shorts, a skirt made out of flowers or some other type of adornment - never mind that women dress quite conservatively here). From what we could figure out on the particular holiday in this particular region of the country, villagers meet up and the men dance as the women are not allowed to. Most of the dances occur along the water front to the beat of the drums. Some groups of men strike sticks as they spin and jump. Others focus more on a jumping aspect. I'm not quite sure I can tell you what the meaning of the dances are, I would assume for good luck/food/fortune but that would be pure speculation. It was a bit uncomfortable being out on the road during that time as there really weren't any woman out and about. But of course I couldn't resist a small wander to take pictures and soak up the unexpected celebration I had landed in the middle of.

Orchha

Back in October we had a long weekend (otherwise known as a travel opportunity!) that found me in the small town of Orchha over the Diwali weekend. I and a couple of friends had gone on the recommendation of a couple of people in my department, and before showing up about all I knew was that it was a fairly small town that was full of old constructions. Located about a 6 1/2 hour train ride south of Delhi it is one of the rare 15th century towns that got built around instead of torn down and repurposed. I believe we saw at least 15 16th century structures before it began to feel like they were all starting to blend together. Okay, maybe they blended together before that, but I wasn't willing to give up the freedom of walking everywhere until then. There is the large Raj Mahal (fort) sitting just in front of the Jahangir Mahal (palace?) with its elephant supports inside. Up on a hill overlooking the town is Lakshminarayan Madir, a temple that still contains some of its original hand drawn decoration. One of my favorite places was the Chaturbhuja Temple which was constructed to house a Hindu idol but was never used for its intended purpose as the idol refused to be moved and so a new temple had to be build around it. Instead we were able to climb all over this open building following a sadhu with his flashing green light up immense stairs to great views of the town. I also enjoyed the cluster of eleven cenotaphs that were a mere five minute walk from our hotel, old tombs situated on the banks of the river; I could have done without the vultures - although there is something a bit fitting about them being perched on the tops of the tombs.

When is a motorcycle full?

If you spend much time on the roads in India it can make you start to think, "When is a motorcycle actually full?" Clearly one or two people is an easy fit. Three is seen fairly often. Four seems doable. But what about five? Ah, yes, we've seen that. I've seen up to six on one motorcycle...transportation for the entire family, especially in smaller cities or towns.

So if a motorcycle can hold at least six, what does that mean about a scooter?

Or one of these?

 

 We counted 28 piling out one day.

Dusshera in Udaipur

A low drumbeat seeped into my room, a subtle heartbeat of the city invading my sleep, welcoming me to a new beginning, imploring me to take advantage of what the day will offer. So I slowly got up, taking my time to enjoy the fact I was on vacation and made my way up to the roof top terrace of the hotel. Where better to take breakfast then with a view over the lake, sparkling as the sun touched it after rising past the buildings, reflections of windows and the exclusive white palace floating in the middle adding an extra dimension. I could have sat there for hours appreciating the sight, but there was more that Udaipur had to offer. After enjoying a stuffed parantha and a cheese omelette I headed out to the streets. Despite the drumming that woke me Udaipur doesn't move very fast in the morning; as we walked the road to the City Palace vendors were just starting to open up shop; making sure that their wares were beautifully displayed, a riot of leather, glass and color. We had to pause for a stop under the sparkling tinsel canopy to climb the stairs up to Jagdish temple, rising above the city streets in the heart of the old city. Remove our shoes and then wander around the intricately carved temple. Layers of designs covering the facade of the building that towered above. Elephants here then a level of horses, people farther up, some flower designs; on and on it stretched, no inch left unadorned. Then back down to the street to continue on to the City Palace, a twisting turning maze of rooms that it takes a couple of hours to wind through. A trip that takes you past a variety of rooms and colors, amazing windows, carved details and open spaces. 

No visit to Udaipur is complete without a boat ride around the lake. A twenty minute journey where you can't decide it you want to look towards the shore and the old constructions that line the water's edge or if you'd rather stare at the smattering of constructions that seem to have been built on nothing in the water, conveying a mixed sense of floating and sinking. Did I want the faded light of sunset or the clarity a day trip would bring? Rather than trying to make that decision I settled on both. Each time I completed a circuit I noticed new things, took a few more pictures, and appreciated this special piece of Udaipur a little bit more. So much so that I decided I needed to get a birds eye view of the lake, and so went off to experience a very Indian segment of Udaipur's tourist offerings: the rope way - a cable car/gondola trip up the hillside that offered views over the city in every direction. The string of lakes making it clear just how different Udaipur is from other cities in India.

Walking around the Qutb Minar

A few weeks ago I realized I was at my last free weekend before volleyball started. Despite limping around with a cast on my foot I was determined to take advantage of time that would soon be in short supply. So I decided to take a trip to one of the main sites in Delhi which, despite it being the beginning of my third year, I had never visited...the Qutb Minar. On a bustling street corner, after crossing the road three times (turns out the ticket office is on the opposite side of the road from the monument itself) we entered into a green space whose main focus had my neck cricked back so I could stare into the sky. This sandstone column rises 72.5 meters (238 feet) into the air and is the highest stone tower in India. It was constructed as a huge minaret in the courtyard of the Quwwatu'l-Islam mosque which dates from 1198 and was pieced together using fragments of demolished Hindu temples giving an unusual design of stone work in a mosque. The Qutb Minar itself was begun in 1202 and continued to be added on to and renovated until 1503. In addition to this massive tower and the remains of the mosque there are numerous tombs on the grounds, a madrasa, an unusual iron pillar with a Sanskrit inscription (which may attribute its pristine state in part to being regularly covered in ghee in its past), and the rubble of the beginnings of a second enormous minaret which never got very far off the ground.