Rishikesh: A Little Slice of Heaven

Rishikesh, Uttarakhand - also known as the Land of the Gods, made for a perfect and bitter sweet ending to our exploration of India. We were very lucky to have stumbled across the Shri Sant Shiva Ashram which couldn't have been more perfect. Situated right beside the famous Lakshman Jhoola suspension bridge, our very large balcony overlooked the holy river Ganges, framed by the majestic Himalayas in the background.

We spent many days here pampering ourselves with yoga, massage and Reiki appointments, and enjoyed many fantastic meals at our favorite restaurant in town - the Little Buddha Cafe. We enjoyed a hike to the waterfall, a dramatic run in with Char and a grumpy monkey, and a very authentic cooking course - making for a very fulfilling week.

Goodbye for now India.....

Rajasthan: Squatting and Seduction

Our longing to return to Pushkar faded quickly on the long drive back to Delhi, with an over night stop off in Mandawa. It was on these drives through Rajasthan that we noticed so many intriguing things that are commonly seen around India. We learned that Indians know how to make things fit - if there is not enough room inside a bus, they'll just hop on top!

We witnessed hundreds of Indians in the squatting position that men and women commonly use when chillin with their buddies on the side of the road. Also, it became apparent to us that only women are seen working in the fields in the heat of the day, or walking the streets carrying heavy loads on their heads, while the men sell food and useless items from their stall or sit around chatting with their mates.

My respect grew even more for these women when I noticed how each one wore their beautiful, brightly coloured sarees even when hard at work... What I love most about these sarees is how they help a woman look beautiful and innocent yet slightly seductive, as it covers the majority of their skin while framing their figure in a very feminine way. I've noticed that they are always graceful with the way they carry themselves and their confidence shines through as they walk with their heads held high and their gazes focused.

We realized how uncommon it is for Tourists to visit these villages one day, when we decided to purchase some fruit from a small vendor on the corner of a village street. We managed to attract a large crowd of boys and men, each one with the same look of excited astonishment on their faces as they stood just a foot away from us, staring. It was a very strange experience... but worth it - the oranges tasted amazing... although they didn't top Bermuda's oranges!

We learned later after speaking to a fellow traveller that the boys in the village were probably standing there with hope that we would choose one to fall in love with and marry. Apparently marrying a westerner is one of the best things that could happen to an Indian man as it would free them of their caste. The caste system is still very strong in India and most men are expected to do the jobs that their families have done for hundreds of years. It is common to find a rickshaw driver or a waiter at a family run restaurant with a medical or law degree. We have heard many times not to say thank you for these services as "it is their duty to serve us."

One thing I do envy about the Indian people that I have met, is how content they all seem with their lives... and the certainty of their life's path.

Racing Camels & Broken Scooters in Pushkar

We arrived in Pushkar, Rajasthan after a long drive through many very small, authentic Indian villages and lush scenery. Pushkar is a very old, holy city at the edge of the desert surrounding a lake. After arriving at our hotel, we immediately decided to extend our stay. Just like most places in India, Pushkar is very unique, with a good balance of locals, pilgrims and westerners strolling though the main market street in town. Vendors were stocked with silver jewellery and bright natural stones and crystals, along with the typical travel apparel that can be found all over India.

When hoping to explore a temple beside the holy lake we were bombarded by hundreds of pigeons and a number of men who proceeded to sit us down individually and take us through a blessing process where we sent thanks and love to our families and made a wish as we threw pink flower petals into the water. As expected we were asked for a donation which supposedly goes to the children in need around Pushkar - although skeptical, we all gave a small amount hoping that it would find its way to them. We were then given a piece of string to tie around our wrist as our passport to Pushkar - which shows that we have been blessed.

We had the intention of exploring the neighboring villages but found ourselves stranded on the side of a road because the scooter we rented decided to breakdown. Luckily the breathtaking scenery helped us keep our cool, while we met many friendly Indians. It was amusing to us that each and every person that drove passed us whether on a bike, truck or tractor stopped to lend a hand. We got a tiny taste of what an Indian party must feel like... in the middle of a road!

Later that same day a couple of us discovered the amazing world of reflexology and yoga, while others literally raced camels through the desert and played with the locals amongst the sand dunes at sunset.

After only a few days, we felt at home in Pushkar and found it extremely hard to leave...

Agra & Ranthambore: Where's the Taj Mahal?!... and the tigers?

We arrived in Agra after the following day to more coldness and even more fog, yet were still excited, and itching to catch a glimpse of the spectacular Taj Mahal. Not really knowing why exactly, we found ourselves at a very nice jewelry store selling amazing stones that are found in the walls of the Taj and were swept away again to a small workshop, where we were shown how these stones were installed in the intricately carved marble walls of the Taj Mahal.

With our hands full of goodies and our very empty pockets we were introduced unwillingly to Deepak, our tour guide for the remainder of our stay in Agra and the Taj Mahal. I'm very sad to say that because of the fog all I was able to take away from the Taj was the beautiful dramatic entrance and walkway leading up to it and the detail in the walls that I had been instructed to look out for. I think it was Jessie who said, "I forgot that the roof the Taj was dome shaped until I looked at a postcard some guy was trying to sell to me on my way out". If it wasn't for Deepak, I may have considered demanding my 750 rupees back.

Deepak was a very sweet young Indian guy who was currently putting himself through college. After sharing with us the romantic tale of the Taj, Deepak proceeded to ask each one of us how old we want to be when we get married - those of you who know some of us, might understand the humour in this question. He then proceeded to explain to us the Indian perspective on love, relationships and marriage.

We learned that most Indian women usually want to and usually are married by the time they reach their early to mid 20s... for men it doesn't matter but they are normally a bit older - early to late 30s. It is still very common for marriages to be arranged. Unfortunately for the women, it is their families who are responsible for finding them a suitable match, regardless of whether or not they ready or agree to their match. Whereas it is normally up to the man to decide when they are ready. They are then given options to choose from when necessary. Deepak says that he will marry once he has finished school and has enough money to take on a wife. Love was never mentioned. Although he had been in love once.... when he was 13.

We said our goodbyes to our new friend Deepak and drove 9 hours to Ranthambore, Rajasthan where we were to go on our first Indian Safari. Our experience with the Tiger Reserve in Ranthambore turned out to be a pretty similar one to the Taj Mahal... Deserted and cold. However the beautiful scenery and peaceful feeling of driving with the roof down in India at 6am made it worth while. However the very "interesting" food we encountered at a "restaurant" that we found in the basement of a local house, at a table right next to their dirty laundry, drove us out of the little village of Ranthambore earlier than expected. We headed for Jaipur, in search of warmth, nutella pancakes and banana porridge to comfort our very upset tummies....!

Click to view more pics from Agra & Ranthambore!

Calagute, Baga & Condelim, Goa

We found THE spot where locals go to vacation - on Calangute and Baga Beach. We were amazed by the number of Indian males (who were always either fully dressed or wearing only their underwear) that we saw marching up and down the shoreline amongst the hundreds of bikini clad Westerners. A little overwhelmed by the whole seen we decided to enjoy it from one of the many restaurants that lined the back of this beautiful and very long beach. We spent a lot of our day squirming at the site of the many parasailers that were seen being launched, even after sunset, and brought in right on the beach in between the masses of people - we're still baffled at how they managed to avoid the sunbathers.

It was in Calangute that we rented bikes and explored the surrounding beaches and forts. We enjoyed an amazing lunch at the Sunset Restaurant that overlooked Baga Beach from across the Baga River and sipped on beers at Condelim Beach where a huge oil tanker had run aground 10 years prior.

We would recommend these beaches to anyone looking to enjoy a bit of relaxation & culture and suggest that you shop around for hotels rather than settling for the first cheap room you come across.... the room we managed to find made our last stay like like a 5 star resort... but I suppose it was worth the 300 rupees (~$7) a night between the 4 of us.

Enjoy our pics and stay tuned!

A Slice of Paradise - Palolem Beach, Goa

If you're looking for a place away from the rest of the world where you can seriously relax, I would recommend that you head straight for Southern India...


Click for more pics from Palolem

Palolem beach is one of the most serene places I have ever encountered. With yoga, massage and meditation facilities lining the beach, we had no problem blowing off the little stress that we had accumulated in the first week or so of our travels... Rach and I let our inner child take over and lost ourselves on a desolate island at the end of the beach surrounded by huge stone boulders perfect for hopping along, and cliffs perfect for scaling across. We wound up having to fight our way through the mozzy infested overgrowth to avoid tumbling down the cliff side (Mom, you may have had a heart attack if you'd seen them)... but we made it out ok... and only half eaten & scarred (emotionally & physically).

The rest of the time we spent enjoying the market, the sun and a Silent Disco which we found to be a very interesting experience! There is nothing like standing amongst a crowd of people dancing to a beat that only they could hear - ear phones were worn with 3 live dj's blasting different music through each channel. It took a while, but a couple of us were able to join in on the dancing with reckless abandon, while the others quietly stood in awe of the fire spinners and trapeze acrobats... Not really sure if Bermy is ready for this sort of thing... yet.

We were sad to leave our little slice of paradise (nutella pancakes and all), but knew that there was much more to see in the North... and reluctantly hopped on a plane to Dehli.

Enjoy our pics from Goa - and stay tuned for our stories from the North!

The biggest hassle in India

This article was sent to us to help us prepare for what is to come...! 

Rach I think this may be a huge help in your quest to not be "so nice"  ;o)  ....yes, it really is a problem she faces daily!

Travel writer Chuck Thompson on the evil genius of Indian salesmen -

"Indian salesmen are impossible. The irrepressible over-ambition of the country’s merchant class stalks you like a disease from the moment you step outside your hotel, forcing you to become the kind of blinkered, “Get the hell away from me” survival-mode tourist tosser you’ve always promised yourself you’d never become. Being white in this country puts a target on your back the size of a garlic naan." 

Full article - Chuck Thompson | CNNGo.com