Travelling In India with Kitty and Eloise

McLeod Ganj - Again

Before Kitty and Eloise were leaving we travelled a bit to see McLeod Ganj (seeing as they had not been there) and the Taj Mahal. In McLeod Ganj we went to see the English Church, Tibet Museum (I didn’t see that last time, but it was really interesting and informative. I recommend it!), the temple next to where the Dalai Lama lives, and in the evening a French café showed a documentary portraying the journey Tibetan refugees have to take to escape from Tibet to Dharamsala. We also did some shopping, so I got to buy some nice gifts from here. We stayed only one night, but it was enough. Oh, and we also ate at a restaurant called Mc’Llo where they had a picture of Pierce Brosnan eating there. They were so proud of it they even devoted a whole page in the menu for his picture. That was really funny and cool.

Delhi

In Delhi we stayed at a family that has daughters at UWC. They lived in a really nice house and it was like we had left India when we walked in. However, it did feel a bit uncomfortable with servants walking around not letting us take a glass of water ourselves. It was a very big contrast to Kullu where we live in the cold mountains and work in orphanages.

The youngest daughter was going to watch New Moon with her friends in the cinema, so we came along as well. The cinema was in this massive shopping mall where only very rich Indian people went. The movie was so, and so, but the whole experience was so surreal. When I think about it I almost can’t believe it was real. It was so posh, and I many of the children running around were so spoiled and rude. For them, the woman who’s house is a piece of plastic and some cardboard does not exist. They see her, but she is no one. I am glad we went though, because it made me experience a completely different side of India. It gives you some perspective, and I can’t say that I like the situation. But then I wondered, isn’t this how we are back home? The only difference is that we have don’t have the children knocking on the window of the car begging for money. It is a topic that has been bothering my mind a lot, and I can’t come to terms with the situation, nor can I come up with a conclusion for myself. It is just easier not to think about it, but then I do like the people in the mall. Perhaps that is what they have to do to be able to lead some sort of a happy life; just not think about it.

Taj Mahal

The day after we went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Our train left at 07.10 in the morning, but we didn’t have any tickets. It was quite busy so I wasn’t very careful and managed to get ripped off about 600 rupees. But we had the tickets and we were on the train at least. If you are taking a train in India, book in advance and do not book less than 2^nd class. We traveled 2^nd class and that was okay, but if you want comfortable you should book c/c which has proper chairs and air conditioning.

In Agra we booked a rickshaw for the day for only 300 rupees. We had him for 8 hours as a personal guide taking us to places to eat, sightseeing and giving us advice before going to the Taj Mahal. That was a good thing as well because he said there would be people saying they were guides included in ticket prices, and then afterwards would demand money from you as they were not.

The Taj Mahal was a bit smaller than I expected, but a magnificent piece of art. The whole area is built in symmetry so that it is esthetically beautiful. He even got an extra mosque built, so that there would be one on each side of the Taj Mahal. What makes it even more beautiful is that it is not built to show off wealth or power, but it is an expression of a man’s love to a woman. Everything is in marble, even the flowers which decorates the building. At first I though it was paint, but then I cam up close and saw that is was marble. It is truly worth seeing. We spent about 2 hours and 30 minutes there. If we there was not more to see, we would have spent more time there.

Agra Fort

A king in Agra got a fort built for himself and his 12 daughters. Much of it was locked up for visitors as it was unsafe. It was unsafe because one could get lost so easily and because the floor was falling apart some places. What was interesting was how some of the same pattern for decoration at the Taj Mahal was also used at Agra Fort.

I am glad we went here as well because it gives a good impression of ancient Indian architecture and design. From before I have seen architecture from the Netherlands, England, France and Italy (as a tourist where I have gone to look at this specifically), but this was quite different. The architectural style was simple, but yet grand. It was relaxed and elegant at the same time. It was made to show off wealth without disturbing the inner harmony. Of course, this is only the feel I got from it. The intention could be completely different or very similar for all I know.

There were also squirrels there walking around, I got a nice picture of one.

Going Back to Kullu

The buses back to Kullu always stop at this one place where one can eat and use the toilet. I wasn’t hungry, but I thought I should use the toilet since I was going to be on the bus another 12 hours or so. On the table by the toilets I see a familiar back. It was Aslak, the other Norwegian volunteer, sitting with his girlfriend Trine. I knew that she was going to come and visit for Christmas, but it was still a bit fun that I met them there. She is a very sweet girl and we have had a lot of fun here in Kullu. Especially when shopping for material. There is a guy who is closing down his shop, so there is 50% off on all material. I bought so much, so now it is all at Nisha’s. (They are the neighbouring family who work as tailors)

I live in a room next to Aslak’s, it is bigger than the old one, has a bigger kitchen, and a bathroom with a proper toilet and a shower that has hot water!! It is very nice not having to wait for the water to boil and not having to use a bucket when showering.