Jaipur

After seeing Agra, we drove to Jaipur. It was a long, bumpy ride and I was sick by the time we reached there. Luckily, our hotel was very nice, and I was able to get a good night's sleep. In the morning, we began our tour of Jaipur, also known as the Pink City because many of the buildings are pink in color. The city was built by Jai Singh II.

The first thing we saw was the Hawa Mahal, also called the Palace of Winds. It really isn't a palace; it is just a facade. Built in 1799, it has five stories but just one room deep. The walls are only 8 inches thick. It was built so that the women living in the real palace could look out and watch what was happening outside the palace without being seen.

Next we went to the City Palace. We could see the outside of the Palace but weren't allowed inside because the ruling family still lives there. We went to the Palace Museum where we looked at very old carpets, paintings and weapons. We also went into the Pritam Chowk which is a big courtyard where entertainers performed. We saw the world's largest silver object which is an urn that was used to carry holy Ganges water when Madho Singh II visited London in 1901.

We also visited the Jantar Mantar an observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh II who liked astronomy. We saw the world's largest sundial and many other instruments for studying the stars and planets.

That night, we went to a restaurant named Indiana. We met the owner who went to Purdue to study engineering. We saw the State Flag of Indiana and watched some dancers perform. My mom and my Aunt Ellen danced with them. At the end of our meal, it began to pour down rain (we were sitting outside). Luckily it only lasted about 10 minutes.

The next day we went to Amber Fort, a few miles from Jaipur. It was built in 1592 by Man Singh I and was the capital of Rajasthan before it was moved to Jaipur. We toured the Fort and saw many rooms with mirrors and gems in the walls. Afterward, we rode elephants around part of the city. Before heading back to Delhi, we stopped for a photo in front of the Jal Mahal, also called the Water Palace because during the monsoons water fills the lake around the Palace to make it look like it is floating in the water.

Shimla

We arrived in Shimla early in the morning and checked into the Quality Inn. When we had all checked in at the front desk, a few workers took our bags up to our rooms. We had three rooms for eight people. The men who took our bags up for us unlocked the doors and let us in the rooms. The very first thing I noticed was the smell. It smelled like rotten eggs. It was utterly disgusting! We decided to rename it the Not-So Quailty Inn.

Each room could only fit two people so we knew that we would have to get two more beds to put into the rooms. I went into the room that smelled the best. All of us were dead tired. We watched a bit of the Masters on TV, and then quickly dozed off to sleep.

When I woke up everyone was awake and ready to go eat lunch. I was confused because I though I had slept through the night. When I got down to the lobby I looked up at a clock and saw it was 2:30 P.M. I said to my sister Grace, "This can't be right. It's the morning." Finally I realized that it was the afternoon. The rest of the day we spent at an outdoor mall with small shops in every vacant spot. My mom had to stay home because she was still feeling sick. When we got back we had dinner and then went to sleep.

The next day, I was feeling very ill. I couldn't go eat breakfast because of my stomach ache. The rest of the family went to the Viceregal Lodge while my dad and I stayed back. I was very glad to see the Yankees game. I saw all of it except the top of the 1st inning. When the rest of the family returned they told me about the lodge that they visited. The British made it in 1888 as a summer residence for the British viceroys of India. Inside they saw the table where the partition of India was formalized.

They also stopped at the Jakhu Hill Temple which is dedicated to the monkey god, Hanuman. Appropriately, monkeys were everywhere and they rented a walking stick to scare them away. Monkeys are so common in Shimla that one on them almost came into our room because the window was open with no screen. My mom and her sister screamed and ran out of the room.

The next day we drove to a place called Naldehra where we had lunch and rode horses. We saw the road that leads all the way to China. They also had a golf course that was built by one of the viceroys. On the way back, we stopped at the Wildflower Hall, a very fancy hotel--so fancy in fact that children under twelve are not allowed. Then we headed back to the hotel which was about an hour away.

The following day we said goodbye to my mom's parents and her sister and they flew back to Delhi. We were fortunate enough to move to a nicer place called the Springfield. From there we could walk to the mall in about thirty minutes. We did a little shopping and were even able to have a Domino's pizza. We spent a lot of time at the Springfield playing chess and carrom. Carrom is a game that a few kids taught me at school. You try to hit poker chips into pockets like in pool. It was much cooler in Shimla and we had to use heaters.

The last night we went to a banquet in honor of Professor C.N.R Rao, one of India's most famous scientists. He was the founder of JNCASR, the institute where my dad works.

Agra

After touring Delhi, we got into our Tempo Traveler and began the 5 hour drive to Agra. On the way, we stopped at Jami Masjid Mosque, built in 1648 by Shah Jahan's favorite daughter, Jahanara Begum. Part of the mosque was demolished by the British in 1857. The royal stove is a famous attraction, where they heated the water for the courtyard.

Our next stop was the Agra Fort. This was by far the best fort that we saw along our trip. The Agra Fort was built by Emperor Akbar between 1565 and 1573. Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, once ruled over the Fort. As you can see from the pictures, there is a great view of the Taj from the Fort. He spent his entire life in the Fort, eventually dieing in his son's captivity, where he was locked in his bedroom for several dozens of years. His son questioned him for doing non-Muslim practices and spending a lot of money on things like the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan was planning to make another Taj Mahal, made of black marble, but his plan was stopped by his son. Shah Jahan's son also killed his brothers for practicing non-Muslim things. We were able to see the "Water Palace", or Machchhi Bhavan where the Emperors were able to bathe along with their several wives. You can see from some of the pictures on the slide show that the ceilings were covered with pieces of glass that reflected the candle light. Inside of the Fort, there were several beautiful mosques, like the "Jewel Mosque", the "Gem Mosque" and the "Pearl Mosque". We were also able to see how their showers looked. They just poured water down a chamber, where it ran down a slate and ran onto the person in the shower, as you can see from the pictures.

Next was the Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died in 1631. Mumtaz Mahal was his third and most beautiful wife. It took 20,000 laborers 12 years to built and cost nearly 41 million rupees, or over 1 million USD (quite a lot of money back then!). There isn't much else to say, the pictures pretty much say it all. Mark was able to smile for pictures, despite getting sick at lunch, but he wasn't able to make the trip into the tomb chamber. Inside the chamber were three or four empty tombs. We walked around them and then went back out. The actual tombs are kept in the in a crypt below and are closed to the public. The Taj was amazing and I'm sure we'll remember it clearly for the rest of our lives.

Delhi

Appropriately, our tour of Delhi began at India Gate, a huge sandstone arch built to commemorate the Indian and British soldiers who died in WWI and the Third Afghan War. Facing India Gate is the sandstone canopy where a statue of King George V was installed in 1936. The canopy now stands empty, the statue having been moved to Coronation Park.

From there, we went to Raisina Hill, the site selected by the British for the new capital. Vijay Chowk or "Victory Square", at the base of Raisina Hill is flanked by 2 large Secretariat buildings which house the Prime Minister's Office and the Defence Ministry. At the crest of Raisina Hill is Rashtrapai Bhavan. Built as the British Viceroy's Place, it is now the residence of the President of India.

Our next stop was Humayun's Tomb. Built in 1565, it was the first great Mughal garden tomb and served to inspire the design of the beautiful Taj Mahal. Also in this complex is the tomb and mosque of Isa Khan, a 16th century nobleman.

Mehrauli Archaeological Park was our next destination. Located within the Park is the Qutb Minar, India's highest single tower. The tower was built in 1193 to mark the site of the first Muslin kingdom in North India.

After a short break for lunch, we went to the Baha'i House of Worship. Constructed in 1986, the white marble structure forms 27 petaled tiers giving it a lotus appearance. The Baha'i sect originated in Persia and is based on a view of humanity as one single race. People from all faiths are invited to meditate and attend daily services in the auditorium.

Jami Masjid, India's largest mosque. Constructed in 1656 by the Emperor Shah Jahan, it took 6 years and 5,000 workers to build. Upon entering the mosque, we had to remove our shoes and cover our exposed skin with cloth. From Jami Masjid, we rode through Old Delhi via bicycle rickshaw to the Red Fort. Constuction of the fort began in 1639 and took 9 years. The fort was the seat of Mughal power until 1857 when the last Mughal emperor was dethroned and exiled. When India became an independent nation in 1947, it was here that the national flag was raised for the first time.

After seeing the Red Fort, we headed back to the hotel for the evening. The next day, we continued our tour of the Golden Triangle and Shimla. Upon returning to Delhi at the end of our 2 week journey, we went to Raijghat, the site of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation. On Gandhi's birthday (Oct. 2) and the anniversary of his death (Jan. 30), the nation's leaders gather here for prayer meetings. Across the street is the Gandhi National Museum where we viewed pictures and memorabilia from his life.

Posted by Amy, signed in under Grace

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Planes, Trains, Automobiles . . . camels, elephants, horses and rickshaws!



During our journey through northern India, we utilized practically every form of transport know to man (except aquatic, thank heaven). Our adventures began by way of air from Bangalore to Delhi were we met up with my Dad, Diana and Ellen. Amazingly, all of us received our luggage without incident! On the 9th, we set off in a 10-seater van with minimal a/c capacity. We toured several interesting sites in Delhi including the Secretariat, India Gate and Jami Masjid (India's largest mosque). From Jami Masjid, we traveled a short distance through the bazaars of Old Delhi by way of bicycle rickshaw to the Red Fort. This mode of transport was a first for us all and allowed us to truly experience the environs of Old Delhi.

The next day we headed for Agra. Mark got sick while we were touring Agra and wasn't even able to walk up the steps at the Taj Mahal. However, he was able to muster a smile for the photos. Luckily, he was feeling better for our long drive to Jaipur. We were able to break up our drive with a ride on a camel cart (also a first for all of us) and auto rickshaw (a first for my Dad, Diana and Ellen). These diversions were not a result of the flat tire on our jalopy van! In Jaipur, we were able to ride elephants through part of the city.

The transportation highlight had to have been the overnight train we took from Delhi to Kalka. Our train was delayed for over an hour so we had plenty of time to spend at the Old Delhi rail station (quite an experience in itself!). In order to make up lost time, the conductor accelerated the pace of our train which made the journey very rocky and difficult to sleep. I would have taken some pictures of us on the train but I was feeling extremely ill. When we reached Kalka, we found out that there were no tickets available for the 5 a.m. "toy train" (Shivalik Queen) to Shimla. The next train was scheduled to leave at 8:30 a.m. We decided to forgo the Shivalik Queen (despite that fact that it is listed among the 1000 things you should do before you die). Instead, we took a taxi though the winding roads of the Himalayan foothills. While in Shimla, we rode horses in the mountains. The views were breathtaking and the fresh air was a pleasant relief from car exhaust.

After spending 2 days in Shimla, my Dad, Diana and Ellen flew back to the US. We spent another few days there while Tim attended a conference. We all were dreading the long trip back to Delhi. Our only viable options were train (which Thomas opposed) or auto (which Mark and Grace opposed). We ended up taking a tour bus which was arranged by Tim's conference. The bus had great a/c, but no suspension. Luckily, Thomas, Mark, Grace and I found seats at the front of the bus. Tim was stuck in the last row, but somehow survived. At times, he was bouncing so far off the seat that his head was almost hitting the ceiling. We had to stop the bus twice for people who were ill, fortunately we weren't among them.

Despite some of the crazy transport issues, we had a fun time visiting northern India. We enjoyed having my Dad, Diana and Ellen along and will look back with fond memories of our trip. We joked that we should write a movie script for another Family Vacation (if we can get Chevy Chase to agree to play the role of Tim).

Home again

We finally reached Bangalore tonight. I'm not sure that I've ever been so happy to be home, even if our apartment here is a temporary home. Thomas was very ill for most of the day, and we are convinced that he has some bad bottled water at a roadside restaurant near Kalka (between Shimla and Delhi). Ironically, this restaurant touted its "delicious digestive food" and claimed to offer the "best food in north India." We enjoyed visiting the Mahatma Gandhi memorial and museum today in Delhi. Fortunately, Thomas improved enough to walk through the museum, which houses many interesting pictures and artifacts from Gandhi's life and the clothing that he was wearing when he was assassinated. The kids and Amy will surely have more to write in the coming days.

Back in Delhi, finally toward B'lore

We returned safely from Shimla via bus yesterday, and we're now back in Delhi for the day. Tonight, we will fly home to Bangalore, ending a very long tour of north India. Mark's health has improved; but now Thomas is sick. We all cannot wait to return to Bangalore, and I expect that the others will write many new blogs about our tour.

Very briefly, from Shimla

This blog is coming directly from an email message and will not contain photos. I am writing from a very slow hotel computer. We arrived safely in Shimla yesterday morning. Our travels have been quite troublesome. Amy became very sick, mainly from the car rides, we think. Mark has never fully recovered and is staying with me in the hotel this morning. The climate is very cool here (highs around 70 F), but the hotel turns off its central heating in April. On the bright side, the town is very quaint and seems to be more of a place for Indians than foreign tourists. The prices on most items are low (and even posted on some items--amazing!). We're hoping for a better
afternoon and remainder of the journey. All the 'visitors' (Jack, Diana, Ellen) are well.

Jaipur sights

Another quick update from Jaipur... We're doing well, and the kids have recovered completely. We had dinner at a restaurant named "Indiana" yesterday, and amazingly, the owner is a Purdue mechanical engineering graduate named K. Jai Singh (see following picture). He spent 35 years in the oil industry (with Exxon and Indian Oil) before semi-retiring and starting a restaurant in the front yard of his family's historical home in Jaipur.

The food at Indiana was probably the best I've had in all of India. In fact, it was so good that the sisters (Amy and Ellen) spontaneously broke into dance.

The touring spots in Jaipur are also very interesting. The picture below shows the world's largest sundial. Today, we'll tour the Amber Fort and then proceed onward to Delhi for trains to Kalka and then Shimla. Riding an overnight train should be quite an experience for Jack, Diana, and Ellen.

Brief update from Jaipur, on the fly

We arrived today in Jaipur after having visited Agra yesterday (and the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and other places). We are doing reasonably well, but each of the kids has become sick along the way. Yes, that kind of sick...well actually, both kinds. I think that they drank some bad water; Amy is convinced that they have car sickness (the drives from Delhi to Agra and Agra to Jaipur were five and seven hours, respectively). Anyway, other than our air conditioning going out in the middle of a hot (100+ degree F) day, and a tire blowing out on our van, our travels have been uneventful. When my parents arrived in Bangalore a couple of weeks ago after touring this part of India for a week, the last thing they wanted to do was to ride in a car, and now we all understand the reason.

The Taj Mahal was as amazing as advertised, at least from a moderate distance. From up-close, the pollution has definitely taken its toll, as it has stained some of the marble a grey/brow hue. Nevertheless, we all definitely felt like the visit was a great experience (see pictures below). I'm sure that Amy and/or the kids will make a photo album and slide show later. We have good internet access here and should be able to communicate well for the next day or so.

Follow-up

We will leave tomorrow for north India, where we will meet Amy's father, stepmother, and sister. Our tour will begin in Delhi and then proceed to Agra, Jaipur, and Shimla. We'll try to find the time and internet access to blog, but if not, we'll catch up upon our return.

On other topics, if you answered "between 100 and 199" in the last poll, you were correct. A whopping 126 people have formally registered to view this site. We can access rudimentary site traffic information, and usually 10 to 20 unique 'visitors' read the blog each day.

I've also kept up with my pleasure reading, having finished the following books in the past couple of weeks:

• Peace Child by Don Richardson: This book recounts the story of Don Richardson and his family, who were 1960s missionaries to New Guinea tribes that still practiced cannibalism. The story is simply amazing (my student Kyle Smith loaned it to me, and Thomas is reading it now).
  
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: OK, so I hadn't read it previously and figured that I should. I was quite disappointed in the mediocre writing style. The movie was much better, in my opinion.
• A River Sutra by Gita Mehta: This short novel describes a series of interwoven fictional stories that center on the Narmada River in India. The book is masterfully written and contains wonderful insights into the mythology and mysticism of India. Definitely a 'must read' (and thanks to my friend Shobhana for loaning it to me).
  

Nana and Papa

Tim's parents spent a few days with us last week. Having just come from Israel and Northern India (where they had the good fortune of seeing tigers), they were ready for a more relaxed pace. In addition to Nandi Hill, we took them to Bangalore Palace. The Palace, built in 1880, was modeled after Windsor Castle and cost an estimated 1 million rupees ($250,000 - an exorbitant amount back then). Unfortunately, the Palace fell into disrepair in the mid-1900s when it was at the center of an ownership dispute between the government and the ruling Wodeyars. It has since been returned to the Wodeyars who have opened it for public viewing to finance its restoration. There is much work to be done!!

No trip to our village would be complete without a stop at the local barber shop. Tim's dad was pleased with the barber's skill and price. He tipped him 30% and it still only cost him a dollar.