Somehow, I don't think so!
Today is Valentine's Day, and yesterday in the morning, we departed from our two "motels" in Sohna, determined which bags we were leaving behind in Sanjiv's office in Delhi while we are on the traveling portion of our trip, and then packed the bags we considered a necessity into the smaller buses which had become our homes for the past several days. We then set out for Delhi. We reached the outskirts of Delhi and then proceeded to Qutab Minar
( also Qutub Minar). It was here that we experienced sadness when we had to bid farewell to our faithful and highly skilled (and anything but timid) drivers of the six smaller buses. Our own driver, Ajit, actually had tears in his eyes, when we shook hands with him, hugged him and then handed a small gratuity to him for his efforts in keeping us safe during our frist days of our journey.
Qutab Minar is India's tallest monument (tower) and part of the historical part of Delhi and all of India - it stands 234 feet high, and has been here for hundreds of years. We toured around the site, taking lots of photographs, and learning of the intermingling of Muslim and Hindu architecture. The tower was constructed in stages, the top double tiers having replaced a the tower which was struck by lightning and crumbled. There are other ruins on the grounds, and we climbed through tiny openings onto gardens, noting the architectural elements, such as lotus blossoms, a six-pointed star ( we would refer to as the Star of David) domed ceilings and the like. From Qutub Minar, we then boarded our larger buses and toured around the city, and ventured into the old part of Delhi, ending up at the largerst mosque for a tour. I had hoped that my teammates might be able to experience the thrill of riding in bicycle rickshaws, but our guide advised us that they had been outlawed in the past year - a huge traffic jam and although traffic jams are unavoidable in India, we certainly did not need to add to the confusion and the bottle neck of traffic in that section of the city - across from the Red Fort.
We arrived at the mosque and climbed about fifty stairs to the entrance. While there, we took off our shoes, boots, sandals and socks - entrusting them to the young man outside the gate, and moved forward into the mosque. Already, several men had begun to wash their faces, hands and legs and feet, in preparation for prayer, that was about to occur. Many of us went inside and were startled when the occasisonal errant pigeons would fly out from inside the mosuqe and swoop down nearer to us, departing the building and flying out into the central plaza area staying inside - possibly making a flying deposit while en route.
From here, we rode the buses to a parking area not too far from Connaught Circus (the central business section of the city, and dodged cars, trucks, motorized rickshaws, all the while trying to cross the street in a relatively safe manner to enjoy a South Indian luncheon. The food was wonderful tasting and I am sure many of us tried thongs would never have experienced elsewhere. Following luncheon, many of us who had never changed money over into rupees, at Mr. Singh's money exchange. It was really quite an experience for many of us, as one had to climb halfway up a staircase turning abruptly around to find a ladder behind us which rose to a platform 'office" serving as the money exchange booth. Too intricate and bizarre to describe in words (ph0tos to explain will be forthcoming, when I am able to get onto the internet and upload them).
Following lunch, we ventured to the site where Mahatma Ghandi was creamated - there on the site is an eternal flame and a solid marble table, where thousands of people pass by each and every day to pay their respect and homage to the "great soul' - assassinated just sixty years ago.
A great many of us took time to walk down into the area where we could pause and reflect upon this man who changed the times and was so far ahead of his time, all the while preaching non-violence in every facet of life. In anticipation of the possibility of his assassination, Ghandi wrote specific instructions, that if he should be killed that his killer was NOT to be put to death as a punishment - after all, that would force someone else to kill someone, going against the basic premise of non-violence.
The two buses creaked into back alleys and eventually made it to the parking lot of a Kashmiri emporioum, where we disembarked and went shopping for the first time since our arrival in India. Some purchased carpets or silk wall hangings, clothes, etc. We were then met by Pallavi (Sanjiv's daughter) and were escorted to another restaurant in the Connaught Circus area to have dinner at the Broadway Hotel before our departure later that evening.
Our team was divided up to fill two buses and then rode through the streets to the old train station in Delhi. As my mother would have said, "Now THIS is a happening!" We attempted to remin in the two groups, but often straying. We climbed the dozens of steps, walked to the other side and then descended to the loading platform to await the arrival of our railway coach for our overnight journey to Ranthanbhore. We took up most of the room in two different train cars and were ticketed to sleep on drop-down beds with hard mattresses (?) a couple of coarse stained sheets, a pillow and a blanket. We had thought ( at least some of us) that we might stay up and enjoy story-telling, but we werw all pretty tired and most of us were able to sleep, at least for a few hours. Our guide from High-Points, Bahni, was to wake me up at 4:30 a.m., by calling me on my mobile, and i was to wake up all of the rest of the folks on my car to prepare the to offload our small carry-on bags and ourselves, once we reached Ranthanbhore. We arrived at about 5:30 and walked through the grand old railway station to our buses, where we were driven through the night to Tiger Moon Resort.
We disbursed to rooms in some of the cabins and tents, and then returned to have a wonderful breakfast at 8:00 a.m. While the others are out on a tour of the 1000 year old fort of Ranthanbhore, riding in open jeeps and open trucks, returning for lunch in a couple of hours. In the meanwhile, the manager of the resort and I have gone through the rooming list, so that upon return from their tour, the team members will be able to find their rooms and freshen up before luncheon.
This afternoon, we will go out on safari to hopefully see one or more of the tigers on this 392 square kilometer national forest and park. Tomorrow morning, well before dawn, we will have some tea and biscuits, and go out on the prowl to hopefully flush out some tigers before departing to Jaipur in the afternoon.
Our journey on the train was an adventure none will soon forget, from the sites, smells and sounds of the train station, to the rocking of the train cars, and of course, the Indian-style and European style toilets on the train!
Today is Valentine's Day, and yesterday in the morning, we departed from our two "motels" in Sohna, determined which bags we were leaving behind in Sanjiv's office in Delhi while we are on the traveling portion of our trip, and then packed the bags we considered a necessity into the smaller buses which had become our homes for the past several days. We then set out for Delhi. We reached the outskirts of Delhi and then proceeded to Qutab Minar
( also Qutub Minar). It was here that we experienced sadness when we had to bid farewell to our faithful and highly skilled (and anything but timid) drivers of the six smaller buses. Our own driver, Ajit, actually had tears in his eyes, when we shook hands with him, hugged him and then handed a small gratuity to him for his efforts in keeping us safe during our frist days of our journey.Qutab Minar is India's tallest monument (tower) and part of the historical part of Delhi and all of India - it stands 234 feet high, and has been here for hundreds of years. We toured around the site, taking lots of photographs, and learning of the intermingling of Muslim and Hindu architecture. The tower was constructed in stages, the top double tiers having replaced a the tower which was struck by lightning and crumbled. There are other ruins on the grounds, and we climbed through tiny openings onto gardens, noting the architectural elements, such as lotus blossoms, a six-pointed star ( we would refer to as the Star of David) domed ceilings and the like. From Qutub Minar, we then boarded our larger buses and toured around the city, and ventured into the old part of Delhi, ending up at the largerst mosque for a tour. I had hoped that my teammates might be able to experience the thrill of riding in bicycle rickshaws, but our guide advised us that they had been outlawed in the past year - a huge traffic jam and although traffic jams are unavoidable in India, we certainly did not need to add to the confusion and the bottle neck of traffic in that section of the city - across from the Red Fort.
We arrived at the mosque and climbed about fifty stairs to the entrance. While there, we took off our shoes, boots, sandals and socks - entrusting them to the young man outside the gate, and moved forward into the mosque. Already, several men had begun to wash their faces, hands and legs and feet, in preparation for prayer, that was about to occur. Many of us went inside and were startled when the occasisonal errant pigeons would fly out from inside the mosuqe and swoop down nearer to us, departing the building and flying out into the central plaza area staying inside - possibly making a flying deposit while en route.
From here, we rode the buses to a parking area not too far from Connaught Circus (the central business section of the city, and dodged cars, trucks, motorized rickshaws, all the while trying to cross the street in a relatively safe manner to enjoy a South Indian luncheon. The food was wonderful tasting and I am sure many of us tried thongs would never have experienced elsewhere. Following luncheon, many of us who had never changed money over into rupees, at Mr. Singh's money exchange. It was really quite an experience for many of us, as one had to climb halfway up a staircase turning abruptly around to find a ladder behind us which rose to a platform 'office" serving as the money exchange booth. Too intricate and bizarre to describe in words (ph0tos to explain will be forthcoming, when I am able to get onto the internet and upload them).
Following lunch, we ventured to the site where Mahatma Ghandi was creamated - there on the site is an eternal flame and a solid marble table, where thousands of people pass by each and every day to pay their respect and homage to the "great soul' - assassinated just sixty years ago.
A great many of us took time to walk down into the area where we could pause and reflect upon this man who changed the times and was so far ahead of his time, all the while preaching non-violence in every facet of life. In anticipation of the possibility of his assassination, Ghandi wrote specific instructions, that if he should be killed that his killer was NOT to be put to death as a punishment - after all, that would force someone else to kill someone, going against the basic premise of non-violence.
The two buses creaked into back alleys and eventually made it to the parking lot of a Kashmiri emporioum, where we disembarked and went shopping for the first time since our arrival in India. Some purchased carpets or silk wall hangings, clothes, etc. We were then met by Pallavi (Sanjiv's daughter) and were escorted to another restaurant in the Connaught Circus area to have dinner at the Broadway Hotel before our departure later that evening.
Our team was divided up to fill two buses and then rode through the streets to the old train station in Delhi. As my mother would have said, "Now THIS is a happening!" We attempted to remin in the two groups, but often straying. We climbed the dozens of steps, walked to the other side and then descended to the loading platform to await the arrival of our railway coach for our overnight journey to Ranthanbhore. We took up most of the room in two different train cars and were ticketed to sleep on drop-down beds with hard mattresses (?) a couple of coarse stained sheets, a pillow and a blanket. We had thought ( at least some of us) that we might stay up and enjoy story-telling, but we werw all pretty tired and most of us were able to sleep, at least for a few hours. Our guide from High-Points, Bahni, was to wake me up at 4:30 a.m., by calling me on my mobile, and i was to wake up all of the rest of the folks on my car to prepare the to offload our small carry-on bags and ourselves, once we reached Ranthanbhore. We arrived at about 5:30 and walked through the grand old railway station to our buses, where we were driven through the night to Tiger Moon Resort.
We disbursed to rooms in some of the cabins and tents, and then returned to have a wonderful breakfast at 8:00 a.m. While the others are out on a tour of the 1000 year old fort of Ranthanbhore, riding in open jeeps and open trucks, returning for lunch in a couple of hours. In the meanwhile, the manager of the resort and I have gone through the rooming list, so that upon return from their tour, the team members will be able to find their rooms and freshen up before luncheon.
This afternoon, we will go out on safari to hopefully see one or more of the tigers on this 392 square kilometer national forest and park. Tomorrow morning, well before dawn, we will have some tea and biscuits, and go out on the prowl to hopefully flush out some tigers before departing to Jaipur in the afternoon. Our journey on the train was an adventure none will soon forget, from the sites, smells and sounds of the train station, to the rocking of the train cars, and of course, the Indian-style and European style toilets on the train!
2 comments:
Elias,
Your trip sounds amazing so far. We met briefly at the RLI in Bedford, PA, last Nov. Please give our best to Kelly Wike from her new Rotary Club - Altoona Sunrise. Safe journeys the rest of your trip.
Rob Breckinridge
2007-2008 President
Rotary Club of Altoona Sunrise
Thank you for the update! Please give my love to Dick Bergeron and tell him to enjoy the warm weather while he can. It's been snowing like crazy since you all left!
Happy Valentine's Day to all!
Denise Christiansen
St. Albans, Vermont
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