Oct 3 Ranakpur

Niche at the Jain Temple, Ranakpur

Today is my birthday and Himanshu (business partner) has gotten us a taxi to Ranakpur to see the Jain Temple.  It is one of India's largest and most important Jain temples with domed ceilings and crystal chandeliers, gods and demons carved on columns.  Built in 1439, it's an incredible milk-white marble building with a complicated series of 29 halls supported by 1444 columns, no two of which are alike.  The pale interior has a calming sense of space and harmony and is quite breath taking!

We left at 9am and after a short stretch of highway, the road turned into barely paved, narrow roads through small villages.  A creek ran alongside for a short way with a small herd of water buffalo submerged with only backs and heads showing above water.  The buffalo we saw grazing alongside the road were poorly with heavy hide shining as it was stretched over very prominent bones.  The fields of dry corn stalks sat after harvest and were slowly carried away by women in saris in large bundles on their heads headed home to feed the milk cows.  Old scarecrows stood in the midst of the dry stalks clothed in bright saris.

The car paused for herds of goats and donkeys herded by children to their grazing spots for the day.  Two bulls turned a large wheel attached to a water wheel that carried water to irrigate the fields.  Men sat in large turbans drinking their morning chai as a camel hauling hay passed by.  A dead cow lay beside the road, half eaten and dried up, left to rot in the sun.  It looked like it had been there for quite some time.  Monkeys played at the stream's edge as others sat being groomed...and the small car bounced on down the road.

We finally arrived at the temple after a 90 km drive.  Himanshu suffers from motion sickness and needed a nap after the bouncy ride.  He was just too nauseous and unable to walk into the temple to marvel at the wonder.  I will gladly go back with anyone who visits us here and next time will get some Dramamine for Himanshu!

Sept 26 Ganesha's Birthday

Ganesha's Birthday at the Clock Tower

It appears the monsoons have come to an end after a very short run here in Rajasthan.  The lakes are full to overflow, everything is green and the weather is starting to cool, at least in the night.  I believe we still have a ways to go before the cool weather really sets in, but I am on my rooftop enjoying the cool morning with a cup of chai.

There was some sort of parade/celebration with camel drawn floats a few days ago that passed down City Palace Road.  The floats were mainly comprised of camel drawn flat bed carts with large effigies of saints, surrounded by priests in saffron robes, waving to the crowd that gathered on the sidewalk.  I think it must have been part of the Ganesha 10-day celebration that is going on right now.

Yesterday was an exciting day as I finally found a scooter worthy of purchase.  It is a 2009 TVS Scooty Pep+ in metallic purple...so cute!  And small enough for me to handle, although I have only ridden on the back so far.  Now to get my driving lesson and start trying to figure out not only how to drive here, but to find my way around the narrow streets of the old town where I live!

The new jewelry shop is almost ready to open; hopefully this weekend as it is some sort of 2-week period starting next week when it is not auspicious to start a new enterprise of any kind.  My house set-up and personal shopping have almost fallen by the wayside as we (business partner & I) get lighting prepared for the display, order busts, business cards, a sign, paint walls, and lay flooring.  The display counters are built and painted and last, but not least, placing the jewelry for display.  I set up a Facebook page and a new email account for the shop, I am ready to open!

Well, I am going down to wash and shine my new Scooty and get prepared for the day.  I hope everyone is well and as happy as I am!

Sept 6 Bhattyani Chotta

Walkway to City Palace Road 

Bhattyani Chotta is the neighborhood where I live just to the east of the City Palace. Lake Palace Road, one of the main streets, runs north and south and is the street where I walk Toulouse every morning and evening.  Now whoever said squirrels & chipmunks were the same as rats didn't see the rats running back and forth across the walkway that runs off this street to my front door.  These things are huge - bigger than any squirrel I've ever seen!  So every day you gather all the food scraps from cooking into a bag, and in the morning, you dump them to the side of the walkway for the cows, dogs, chipmunks, and yes, the rats.  What they say is that when you make chapatti (flat bread), you make the first ones for the cows, then the family, then the dogs.  I guess the rats are next....

Yesterday the monkeys decided to play with Toulouse.  The young ones were jumping on the clothes line, bouncing up and down to tantalize her.  Then they ran across the short wall within her reach - of course, they are faster than her.   She did manage to nip one of their tails and it squealed, which brought hoots and hollers from the adults and many bared teeth!  I was worried for a moment as they were surrounding us on top of all the walls of my rooftop, but they soon calmed down and continued to play, the small babies huddled next to their mother's breast, nursing.

It has been raining daily and we still have many things to buy, both for the house and the new shop.  The shop painting is done, but we are waiting for it to dry as the humidity is usually 80% or more.  Yesterday we took a rickshaw to the market to get a wall mounted fan for the shop just as the rain started.  The streets flooded, but we were able to get there and back and to buy not only the fan, but a new water purifier.  It will save me a ton of money as I go through several liters of bottled water daily.  Not to mention the plastic bottles...at least they are recycled.

I saw a small mouse come in through my bedroom window and run across the floor to a hole in my closet. Oh my God!  It is still there today as I heard it rummaging in the trash this morning, then saw it slip out and run back to the hole.  Toulouse goes crazy, but can't catch it...hopefully!  Now I need to figure out how it got past the screen and closed window and put a stop to it.  Then to get a trap so I can catch it and take it back out to the street to release it.  I don't need it to die, just to leave my house!

Slowly but surely, I am adjusting to life in India.  They say it takes about a year to make this type of adjustment and I believe it!  It is a much bigger change than I remembered making when I moved to Nicaragua.  Of course there I had the Peace Corps to guide me.  I am still cooking on one burner as I need to buy a set of burners and get a large gas tank, but I am managing.  I still do not have all the pans I need and no set of dishes.  I bought some cheap plastic bowls & 2 plates to fill in until I have time to find what I need.  I really think I need a scooter, although I am petrified to drive here, not to mention getting lost on these narrow winding streets.  The wash is another thing as I am doing most of it by hand while taking the pants and shirts to the laundry.  At least I got a new iron for a little over $7 so I can iron some things myself.  A washing machine would be great!

Aug 23 Udaipur

Toulouse - Just moved in!

I am now fully ensconced in my new home.  I have all new ceiling fans, bed, fridge, LED TV, and air conditioner.  The clothes pins are on the line and the landlord has fixed the water tank so I now have a constant supply of water.  Now for some furniture and transportation...maybe a scooter?  

The days are flying by as I have been so busy setting up the house and making plans for a jewelry shop.  I need to find an English speaking attorney for the agreement between Himanshu and myself before I start spending money on it.  He just bought paint and will start work on it today. The previous tenant painted it a hideous shade of pink/red that now has to be covered as well as the

View of the City Palace from my roof terrace!

concrete sealed.

Toulouse has adjusted well and looks forward to her walks 3x a day.  Everyone in the streets already knows her name and even the people on bikes passing by slow down to see this unusual dog.  The dogs here tend to have short hair and I never see any with short legs and curly hair.  They just want to feel that wooly fur.  She is due for a grooming and I have to find clippers as well.  Just finding everything you need is a challenge.

It's 7 am and I can smell the spicy food cooking already as they eat it for breakfast as well as every other meal.  My system just can't handle all that spice, so I am glad I have a semi-functioning kitchen - now to find time to cook.  Maybe I'll boil some rice this morning and find vegies to stir fry in my new pan.  You really don't have a grasp on all the conveniences we have in the states until you try to run a house here without them.

I am on the roof top terrace and the monkeys just came running across the top of my walls - Toulouse went crazy!  She has now sniffed noses with her first cow and barked at her first monkey troop.  It's a cool morning, in the 70s, cloudy, as Udaipur wakes up.  The children are in school and I can hear them singing.

Aug 14 Udaipur

Milkman

The rain continues to fall as the monsoon season is now in full swing.  It's 7am and the school children are on their way to school in their clean pressed uniforms; some in brown, some with checks of red and green, and the government school uniforms of khaki pants & blue shirts for boys, and girls in blue & white.  The street sweepers are out in the drizzle cleaning the streets & gutters, and women in saris walk past with the colorful cloth pulled over their head to ward off the rain.  Families go by on scooters, 3 deep, with umbrellas.  The milkman rides a motorcycle in full rain attire, pants & rain jacket with hood, milk cans strapped to the back sides.  There are several kayaks on the lake this morning as well; something I haven't seen before.  The weather is cool now with no need for air conditioning; a fan being sufficient. 

It's Cow's Day, the 12th day after the full moon, and the women are dressed in red saris, with trays full of flowers, are on their way to decorate the cows in the street with vermillion powder, red strings to tie on the legs, necks, & horns, and to do an arti to bless them.  There are so many of these traditions & rituals in the Hindu faith, which keeps their way of life fully integrated into their beliefs.  They truly live their religion and their faith in the Hindu gods is strong.  This is such a rich culture that I can only touch the tip of the iceberg of understanding.  It fascinates me daily and I am so glad I moved here to be a small part of this complex country.

My new house should be painted and ready either today or tomorrow and I can start shopping!  I am so excited to have my own space, top to bottom and lucky to have found a place with privacy in the old city.  It is a narrow place with all marble floors & stairs, sandwiched between 2 large houses with a living room and bath on the first level, then up to the kitchen, which has a long granite counter top, the next floor is the bedroom and the next a rooftop terrace with a half bath and a view of the City Palace - awesome!  I can hardly wait to buy plants for my outdoor space.  Once I get the basics of a hotel room (bed, sheets, fan) bought, I can move in and continue to furnish it.  Himanshu has a small gas tank with a burner on top I can borrow so I can make chai in the morning.  Life is simple here and all is as it should be.

Aug 8 Hanuman Ghat, Udaipur

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Camels on Parade

I just witnessed the most wonderful celebration / parade on the street in front of Himanshu's shop!  A decorated elephant, floats, lovely girls in costume, horses with embellished harnesses, Policemen standing by, women and children watching from windows, and camels to pull the floats.  Oh yes, we can't forget the jamming music in tow with young men gyrating to the sound. Fun times!  Now I am in Millets of Mewar having a banana date shake with coconut milk...life is truly sweet! 

Rajasthani Man in Turban

This morning as I walked Toulouse at 7 am, before the sidewalk cafes on the waterfront opened, there where the tables and chairs normally sit, were 2 rats about 6" long, not counting the tail, on their hind legs playing!  I just stood there for a few minutes and watched, they reminded me of a couple of kittens at play.  I don't particularly like rats, but it was the cutest thing!  Of course Toulouse wanted to chase them and they scampered away trying to climb a metal pole, not, and the nearby wall.  I pulled on her leash and we walked on.

Now the eagle size bats fill the sky on their night journey helping reduce the mosquito population.  Such an important task here, especially during the monsoon. Go, bats, go!

August 6 Udaipur

Himanshu

As I sit having chai at Raju's haveli on the corner, the school children in their uniforms, backpacks full of books & papers, pile into the small auto rickshaws, sitting on each others laps on their way to class.  Toulouse is at my feet as is Raju's dog, Bruno, her new best friend.  When I walk her, he always comes with us and protects her from the street dogs.  

I can hear the worshipers chanting at the nearby temple as cows stroll by looking for food thrown out on the streets for them.  Their diet seems to consist of people's leftovers, whatever they can forage from the trash cans, and the occasional bundle of grass carried in by the local women.  I think the camels have it a bit better as they pull the carts and look well fed.

Life slips by in peace as I look for a more permanent home. We have looked at 3 places so far and haven't quite found what we are looking for...one was in someone's home, one turned out to be great, but was in a bad neighborhood, and the 3rd one was just too small.  I feel sure we can find something in our budget as all of these were less than I expected. I can't believe I have been here almost 3 weeks.

Camel - Udaipur

The monkeys are playing in the temple and I see a new black baby.  Although the languor monkey has grey hair with a black face, the little ones are solid black, and so cute.  They scamper around and one jumped off the platform only to find it could not get back up as it was too tall.  His mother promptly jumped down to collect him.  I could watch them for hours, and sometimes do.

Although we are not officially in tourist season, they are here, as Udaipur is one of the main tourist attractions in the state of Rajasthan.  We have palaces and forts, ghats and shopping, monkeys and parrots, and lakes in the middle of town.  The sun sets behind the Aravali mountains, highlighting the Monsoon Palace perched on the precipice of the tallest one.  Peace and beauty!

July 31 Udaipur

Room #108, Hanuman Ghat Hotel

I awoke to the sound of rain falling with Toulouse cuddled by my side.  My new room, I changed hotels yesterday, has screened windows on 2 sides as I have the room on the top floor corner.  I get a view of the lake on one side and the temple on the other...life is good!  Now the rain has stopped, I walked he dog, and am waiting in the restaurant for my milk coffee and papaya porridge.   Shared a table and conversation with Lin from China.  Unfortunately, she is getting ready to check out and is on her way to Mumbai tonight on the night train.

It is still drizzling rain and of course, Toulouse had to go out the minute I got back.  I am so glad I brought an umbrella.  They are putting a flat screen in today and taking this large dinosaur of a TV they just put in here, out.  That will free up the entire corner of the room and with all this luggage, I could use the space.

I am so thrilled with the new battery I got for this netbook - the charge lasts 6 1/2 hours, and with a modem stick I am good when the power cut happens and can still use the internet.  Speaking of which, the grid for northern India had an outage that affected the entire northern part of India, 22 states, including Rajasthan.  It went out a 2:30am yesterday and didn't come back on until late afternoon.  It was like a steam bath in the room.  I was glad to be checking out.

March 15, 2012 Bus from Agra to Delhi - Stranded!

I wish I had a picture of the bus, after it hit the car in front of us.  After a late start, the bus made its way from Agra, where we visited the Taj Mahal, to Delhi.  Unfortunately, it rear-ended the car in front of it around 9 pm and the car's driver and passengers got out with pipes and proceeded to bust out the front windshield of the bus in anger.  Then they started down the sides, breaking glass and sending it flying inside.  Himanshu pulled me down to protect me, then someone shouted, "stop it! there are children in here!"  The mayhem stopped, except now we were stranded about an hour south of Delhi with a bus driver who was no where to be found!

Thank goodness we were only on a day trip and had no luggage locked in the back.  No one spoke English, so I was doubly thankful for Himanshu who managed to get us a rickshaw to the bus station.  Although it was closed, a bus going to Delhi pulled in with seats available.  We finally arrived back at the hotel around midnight!  Quite a day trip!

July 29, 2012 Udaipur

Elephant on Street in Udaipur

There is a bird here that sounds like a cat meowing!  I finally saw one yesterday, but still don't know the name of it.  It is a large bird with a long bill; black with white & brown. 

I went to Hanuman Ghat yesterday, my old stomping ground, and was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who greeted me with a "so glad to see you back".  It gave me that warm & fuzzy feeling of coming home after being away a long time.  The hotel I stayed in when I first arrived is under new management and insisted on showing me a room.  It was large with a nice view, bath, AC, my very own tiny hot water heater, and they will put a flat screen on the wall - all for 100 rupees less than I am paying here.  There is everything you need in that area; good restaurants, small stores, local vegies & fruit, Himanshu's shop, and most importantly, friends!  The streets were unbelievably clean, no cow poop everywhere, clean swept, and it is much closer to town.  Walking back, an elephant strolled past me on the street...I love India!

Toulouse

Himanshu & Dinesh Cooking

his morning as I walked to my favorite chai stand with Toulouse, five, skinny Jain priests walked in front of me; three completely naked, one with a diaper-looking cloth on, and one with a shawl...all righty then!  They believe covering the body is unnecessary...to each his own.  Most of the population here is Hindu, with a sprinkling of Buddhists, and the temples are numerous.  These were the first Jain priests I have seen.  There is a day trip from here to Ranakpur, where there is a famous Jain temple.  It contains 1,444 columns, each exquisitely carved with different scenes and very elaborate.  I still need to go see it; perhaps when my friends visit this winter we can go.  I hear it is a "must see" for this area.