Journey with Janelle » India

VIDEO: India’s Golden Triangle

Janelle K. Eagle — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:18:26 +0000

I have written quite a bit on this website about my travels in India and around the world. After coming back from my recent journey, I had a huge amount of film and moments captured that I wanted to share. My video editing skills have greatly improved… so now my readers get even better quality video of the journey!

Check out the latest:

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While Traveling In… India

Janelle K. Eagle — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:18:00 +0000

While Traveling in… India

There are a couple of things you should know…

1. At the airport, men will offer to help you with your bags. If you want the help, be prepared to pay for it. Make sure that you only let one man help you as multiple will try to get in on the action and get paid for it. If you can do it on your own, I recommend politely telling the men that you don’t need help.

2. Train stations are very overwhelming. Getting a guide to assist you with boarding the correct train is essential. There are usually tourist information desks that can offer you this essential guidance.

3. Always watch your bags, especially when it is crowded. Thievery and pick-pocketing is not only done, but is commonplace.

4. Tuk Tuks are convenient ways to get around. They say that when you want one, they are never there and that when you aren’t looking, there are more than enough. Be patient, you’ll find one, especially if you head towards a main street.

A cow passes by me in Delhi, India

5. Ask your hostel or hotel staff how much a tuk tuk ride should cost to get to a destination. When you find a tuk tuk, pre-determine your price. They will ask you for much higher than what it should cost- here is where bartering comes in (see #6).

6. Bartering is a very common practice. Assume that whatever price they offer you is twice what it should be. The best thing to do is verbalize that you know this is a bad price and to immediately walk way. They’ll call after you with a much lower price. Practice this skill- it’s worth all the money you’ll save! Note however that with the exchange rate, the difference of 100 rupees is less than $1.

7. If you ride in a tuk tuk and come to a stop while on your journey, you will be approached by children and families who will ask for money. If you need to decline, sternly say “Neem” (no) and “joe” (go) to tell them to leave. If they are persistent, ask your tuk tuk driver to assist you, and they will.

8. If possible, it is nice to find other young travelers to share costs with (tuk tuks, taxis, transportation). Hostels are a great place to connect with others who have similar traveling interests.

9. Never take out large amounts of money or cash in the view of other people. Familiarize yourself with the currency before hand so you know which colors to grab for to pay for items.

10. Drink as much water as possible, but make sure that it is filtered or bottled water. This is also relevant to ice or icecubes.

11. You don’t owe anybody anything- if a situation doesn’t feel right, remove yourself from it immediately. Always trust your instincts on this.

12. Emotionally, India can be a very difficult country to travel in. Remember that this country is beautiful, ancient and majestic… appreciate it for all it’s character and never disrespect the people that make such an amazing country worthy of your attention and love.

My Top Picks for India

Janelle K. Eagle — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:49:00 +0000

The Taj Mahal

I’ve written quite a bit about how difficult it is to travel in India. There are many highlights, however- with two destinations standing out in particular.

The first and most obvious destination is the one that you come here for: The Taj Mahal. Built in honor of his life-long love who died while giving birth to their 14th child, the Taj is a testament to commitment and honor between a King and Queen.

What I found to be most fascinating about the structure is that it is composed of elements that come from all over the world. The white marble from Rajasthan was floated down the Yemena river. Semi precious stones were imported from as far away as Belgium and South Africa. Skilled workers (estimated at 20,000 men) spent 22 years building the structure.

My favorite fun fact about the building is that the 4 minarets that surround the tomb where the king and queen were buried are built at an angle. Each leans 2 degrees out and off vertical so that in case of an earthquake, they don’t fall into the tomb and instead fall outward into the vast open gardens surrounding the center structure.

A skilled artisan carves the same white marble used on the Taj Mahal

I highly recommend arriving on a Monday- as early as possible. Sunrise is suppose to be the most majestic time to arrive, but unless you are staying in town- this is difficult. We arrived at about 9:30am and didn’t feel that we missed anything. Note that there are multiple fees associated with the experience- 750 R to enter, 100 R for a tuk tuk to the front gate (worth it), and additional fees (500 R) for parking our taxi and 300 R for our tour guide. Not including taxi, this means each of us spent about US $35 on the experience.

Our tour guide also brought us to a marble manufacturer in Agra where we learned more about the process by which the stones are carved and embellished with the semi precious stones that make it so glamorous. The guide enjoys a commission from anything we purchase, of course, but the information and demonstration of skills is free and well worth the annoying sales pitch at the end.

The picturesque lotus temple is reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House

My other favorite destination in India is the Baha’i Lotus Temple in Delhi. Situated in South Delhi, the architecturally unusual structure is far removed from the hustle and bustle that surrounds it. The temple was constructed specifically to create a space where people from any religion could come together and pray. Just the idea is comforting, but physically experiencing being in a room full of diverse people and prayer is indescribable.

Acres of green grass and clear pools fill the surrounding land and shoes are left far outside the door. Before entering the prayer structure, a short speech is given by the young female staff that no photography or noise is allowed in the structure. You simply enter, find a seat, and pray silently. You stay as long as you desire. I chose to sit directly under the roof’s pinnacle- as if looking out from the center of the lotus. I closed my eyes and relaxed into prayer. I felt peace move over me as I let go of the tension that I’ve carried while traveling in this country. I emerged from the experience much calmer and more appreciative of my time in India.

One of many cheesy tourist pictures taken on the road

You don’t have to be a religious person to find the experience moving and memorable. The architecture itself is worth the visit- and the free entry is a welcome relief from repeated fees at other monuments in the country. Sitting quietly is also a rare treat in a compact and claustrophobic city. Visiting this space as my last stop before heading to the airport was a particularly wise decision as the normal stresses associated with travel seemed to de-escalate as I walked out of the Baha’i Lotus Temple.

Both the Taj Mahal and Lotus Temple are extravagant. Both are made of white marble. Both are unmatched around the world. If you are ever in North India- both are worth your time.

That one time in India

Janelle K. Eagle — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:37:00 +0000

The Golden Triangle is a very historical trifecta of landmarks that exist in India. Made up of Delhi in the North, Agra in the southeast and Jaipur in the southwest, these three destinations are each approximately 250 km apart from one another. Each destination is packed full of highlights and landmarks that are worthy of days of exploration. It is not uncommon to explore each of the three points on the Golden Triangle for at least a week.

Patty and I did the entire Triangle in 36 hours, thank you very much. And if you are ever considering doing something similar in the future, I am telling you right now… DON’T.

Let me explain.

To get from Delhi to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal), Patty and I decided to share a taxi with two lovely girls that we met at our hostel. The four of us packed into an air conditioned sedan and met our driver at 5:30 in the morning. After naps in the car, we arrived at the Taj close to four hours later. It was epic and monumental and everything you’d ever hope it would be (more on that by clicking HERE). While Agra Fort is another popular destination in the area, we knew that there was a larger one back in Delhi (the Red Fort), and that we had to get on the road.

Patty and I arranged for another private taxi to drive us the almost 5 or 6 hours it takes to get from Agra to Jaipur. In case you don’t have a calculator handy, that’s 11 hours in one day in a taxi on the crazy streets of India.

Standing in front of an absolutely stunning masterpiece

We had a very difficult time reaching our contact in Jaipur, so we just crossed our fingers that we’d make it into town and somehow the stars would align and we’d find him when we arrived. The good news is, we did find him after an extremely exhaustive attempt at using multiple cell phones and numerous numbers. We met Kaushl’s brother (remember him from THIS entry in Nepal?); his name is Dewang. He graciously met our taxi and drove us to his friends house.

Unfortunately that’s where things got a bit sour. The gentleman’s house that we went to was nowhere near the old city we were hoping to see. He spoke no English and was just plain awkward. At one point he literally attempted to convince us to fly off the roof with him. It wasn’t fun.

The next morning we decided we didn’t want to stay another night and risk continued discomfort in the city- so we decided to high-tail our butts back to Delhi. We didn’t want to spend another $100 on a taxi, so we had Dewang book us “sleeper tickets” on a train. Paying a little extra for a rush order, we found ourselves with about 4 hours to explore all of Jaipur. Impossible. We decided to focus on the most important part- the City Palace (which was gorgeous).

The lattice and pink architecture of Jaipur

After taking many a picture, Dewang escorted us to the Jaipur train station. If you’ve never experienced riding the trains in India, then you haven’t experienced India. Sprawling and massive and scary and full of noise, there was not a more overwhelming option for us to choose for the final leg of our whirlwind journey through the Golden Triangle. Mice ran at our feet, stinky men stared and invaded our space, and we just prayed we’d make it back alive.

Six grueling hours later, we rolled into Delhi station. There are three stations in Delhi, by the way. We had arrived at the one opposite the one we had told our taxi to meet us at. So we waited… By ourselves… At the Old Delhi train station. Rats. Bats. Men and women urinating right in front of us. What’s not to love?

How about the taxi ride back to the hostel? We had an extremely long drive (because we’d gone to the farthest possible station), and the van pickup almost ran out of gas. So we had to drive around looking for a fill-up. At 1am. The drivers are crazy, remember, so inevitably we hit a big bump and I went sailing up and cracked my head into the roof of the van.

At that point in the journey- I just lost it. I cried uncontrollably in a van while Patty attempted to comfort me and the driver and hostel staff person asked if I should be taken to the hospital. After Patty confirmed that I didn’t have a concussion, I just begged them to (safely) get us home.

Stepping foot into Nirvana Hostel was like coming home, after all. We marched right into our room, I crawled into the shower and just CLEANED myself. I believe Patty’s favorite quote that I sobbed from the shower was “I… just… like… need SO much soap.”

The good news is, that was the low point of the entire trip we’ve had abroad. It’s over and done with and we experienced it and learned from it. There will be more blogs about specific sites we enjoyed afterwards- because there were quite a few that are breathtaking.

The point of this particular entry is that adding haste into an already stressful travel journey between three cities in five days was not a good choice. I don’t know that I wanted much more time in India, at least not on this visit. But I do wish that I hadn’t rushed us so much. I do wish that I’d taken the time that India deserves.

About India

Janelle K. Eagle — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Standard tourist shot of the Taj Mahal

If you read my recent blog post about how much I am missing Nepal, then perhaps that can serve as a disclaimer before you read about my experiences in India.

Culture shock is not descriptive or clear enough of a term to describe my immediate introduction to India. For the sake of not having a more extensive vocabulary, however, “shock” will have to do for now.

I am shocked by how dirty this country is. I am shocked by how poor the people and the animals are. I am shocked by how poor the air quality is. I am shocked by the way that people stare at us as we walk down the street- gawking and analytical. I am shocked that I do not love this country as much as I hoped I would.

So much of traveling has to do with the experience that you have in the moments that you are present. A bad experience can shape your entire association with the same place that someone else lists as a “must-see.” I have read much about India, seen pictures, heard some horror stories; but until a person steps foot into the country that seems simultaneously ancient and metropolitan, there is no way of understanding just how overwhelming it can be.

North Indian Food with multiple sauces and spices

For this reason, I am glad that we came to India. We saw the Taj Mahal. We rode a sleeper train for six hours. We made many an international friend at the Nirvana Hostel we are staying at. We have had some delicious food. I have taken some amazing pictures. These are the reasons that I wanted to come here in the first place- these are the experiences I signed up for.

While I am beyond elated that I can check them off my proverbial list, it will take much for me to return to this country. I will need a guide that I trust and that is well connected. I will need clean places to settle into for the night and a hot shower to wash away the day’s grime. I will need regular access to a driver- perhaps one that I can hire for the entire day.

For those of you reading this, I acknowledge that the tinge of my words is slightly disappointed. In the same way that I chose to come to this country to experience India for myself, I hope that you will do the same if you want to come here. Do not let someone else’s experience shape your own openness to all the beauty and potential that exists in this majestic and humongous place.

I will recommend that you read my forthcoming list of recommendations. There are many other lists by many other travel bloggers that exist out in the blogosphere as well. Take my words and the words of other travel bloggers into consideration- but you need to experience India for yourself in order to truly understand what we are all talking about.