How to Read This Blog

Dear Reader:

This is a blog of my 3 week India Adventure in October of 2009.  I traveled with Overland Adventure Tours (OAT), which is part of Grand Circle Travel (GCT).  For more information about this particular tour, you can access their website at www.gct.com  . This blog is a daily diary of the highlights of the tour from my perspective.  I used my Verizon LG cellphone to take photos and videos which I posted straight from my phone to the internet.  It was easy.

After reading this blog, and you find yourself interested in taking this tour, please contact them at their website.  If you reference my name, Kathleen Brose, as well as my customer number VABN008, they will credit my account for making a referral. I have traveled with them six times, and I would love to take another adventure with them.

Go to the beginning of this blog, September 3rd, and travel vicariously along with me on my adventure through India.

Thanks for reading,

Kathleen Brose

Photo of the Gate of India. This is the last place in India that the British handed over to India after their independence in 1947. Across the street from the gate is the Taj Mahal Hotel that was attacked by the terrorists last year. There is some great architecture, especially Victorian, in this city. I could have used another day to see the sights in Mumbai.

This is my last posting. My great Indian adventure has come to an end. I have had 3 weeks of incredible sights, tastes, smells and sounds of India. India will stimulate all your senses when you visit her. You can even touch India when you feel her silk, put your hand in the Holy Ganges, and feel the heat of the cremation fires. I shan't ever forget her.

Photo of the Victoria train station in Mumbai. I wasn't expecting to see such a magnificent specimen of Victorian architecture. It is all part of the British legacy. The network of trains, built by the British, is the largest in the world.

Photo of colorful vendor in Mumbai. I purchased a couple of bags from her.  When I return to the U.S., I think I will miss running the gauntlet of vendors trying to sell me something.  It has been fun haggling with them.
When they first meet you, they ask for a large price.  The closer you get to the tour bus, the lower the price becomes.  Sometimes our guide would bring the items on board the bus to make us feel more comfortable looking at the goods for sale without the vendor constantly saying "you will get good luck if you buy this item from me".

Photo of sunset with fishing nets. On our last night in Cochin, we took a boat out to see the sunset. Afterward, we had a home-hosted dinner at the home of an Indian woman. Her home was lovely and the food was delicious. Much of the food included coconut in some way. Tomorrow we fly to Mumbai/Bombay.

Photo of where Vasco de Gama was once interred. St. Francis Church in Cochin. His body was moved to Lisbon by his son. The architecture in the old part of the city reflects its Dutch heritage.

Video of pineapple vendor. Today, Cochin, we visited the Jewish Quarter, which they call Jew Town. The Synagogue was closed because it is Saturday. There was once a thriving Jewish community, but it is down to less than 10 people. Many immigrated to Israel and the U.S. Their former homes have been occupied by refugees from Cashmere who have many nice things to sell like jewelry, scarves and carpets. The vendors have been everywhere saying, "Madam, just a few minutes of your time".
Yesterday we visited St. Francis Church where Vasco de Gama was once interred. The church is the oldest Christian Church in India. First it was Catholic under the Portuguese, then Protestant under the Dutch, and finally Anglican under the English which it remains. The Church adopted some Hindu practices like removing your shoes.
We also visited a vast public laundry where things have not changed much in the last few centuries.

Video of Fishermen in Cochin. This is on the Arabian Sea. This technique has been used for centuries. You can only imagine the smell of the freshly caught seafood. We group of nine tourists walked up on to this rickety contraption and helped lift the net.

Video of coir cooperative in Cochin. This man is making coir (coconut fiber) rugs. He makes about $8 a day, which isn't too bad I'm told. In the future, when I see these rugs at the stores, I will think about how they are made. It was very hot in this factory. I felt like I had stepped back in time. An hour after seeing this man work, I checked into a very modern hotel. As our N. India guide said on our first day, India is full of contradictions and paradoxes.

Video of elephant. We were on the bus going to Cochin when we suddenly saw this elephant on the side of the road. He was accompanied by a band of musicians. Our guide, Bashir, said the elephant was an attention getting device for a politician. Elephants are important to this state, Kerala. They are used in many ceremonies and are protected. There are thousands of them in the forests and mountains of E. Kerala in S. India.

Photo of a special lunch of the state of Kerala. This would be served at a wedding. There are many dishes in small amounts served on a banana leaf. The fish was delicious. It reminded me of the fish my mother and I had at an Israeli kibbutz by the Sea of Galilee.

Photo of preschool children. India has the cutest kids. These kids live in the village we visited yesterday. They sang a song for us. They like it when we take their photo.

Video of morning on the houseboat. The service has been wonderful. We are eating only local cuisine. Today we had shrimp in a garlic sauce for lunch along with vegetables I have never had before. For breakfast we had a rice pancake filled with coconut and plantain. Lots of sugar in this food from Kerala. Our guide said that many local people have diabetes. We are resting for an hour in our cabins with air conditioning. It is very humid. It rained last night.
We walked through a little village and saw a snake boat. They race the boats in August. There are more than 100 rowers on the 25 meter long boat. I can hear a goat that sounds like it is crying. Being an urban person, these sights and sounds are fascinating. I won't soon forget them.

Video of drinking fresh coconut water. We stopped to walk around a village and talked to villagers through our guide, Bashir. We toured a home and a preschool. People of the village came out to see us. Everyone is very friendly. They laughed when I took a photo of their outdoor toilet. We would have done the same!

Photo of houseboat on a canal near Cochin in S. India. Hot and humid since we are near the equator. Good food and service on this seemingly rustic, but modern, boat. Enjoying seeing the people living along the canal. Cows are mooing, goats are bleating and I saw my very first fireflies dancing among the coconut trees. Room is air-conditioned! We are relaxing after 2 intense weeks of sight-seeing.

Photo of Buddha head on a Varanasi silk scarf. Visited Sarnath that is the birthplace of Buddhism. Our guide collected some fallen leaves for us from the ficus tree which is a descendant tree of the original tree under which Buddha received enlightenment. There is a wonderful museum here as well that contains many Indian sculpture treasures.

Photo of 9th century temple in Khajuraho. There are erotic carvings on these temples. This is where the Kamasutra originated. Yes, I took photos. This is a family friendly blog so....

Photo of typical Indian food. Every meal has rice, vegetarian dishes and chicken dishes. Sometimes there is lamb or deep fried fish. Many of the dishes have well seasoned sauces. I have enjoyed all of it, especially the Indian bread, nan. King Fisher beer has been a hit with this group. They have very creamy ice cream here. The other night I bit into what I thought was a raw green bean. It turned out to be the hottest pepper you could imagine. My traveling companions got a big kick out of my reaction.

Video of life on the Ganges at sunrise. We left the hotel at 5AM and joined thousands of tourists and Hindus walking to the Ganges. We gave coins to the poor along the way and then watched the people perform the ritual bathing. We walked by the cremation area where we saw smoldering piles of ash. As we walked through the narrow streets of old Varanasi, we saw a body being carried down to the cremation area. We stopped to have hot chai tea from a vendor. We drank from a little clay cup that is thrown away. The water and milk are boiled, so it is safe to drink. Last night there were fireworks for the festival of Devali. They enjoy firecrackers here. I have been overwhelmed with the many sights, sounds and smells of India these past two weeks. I almost feel like I am on another planet. The people are very kind to us tourists. The trinket vendors tell us that it is good luck
to buy from them. It doesn't hurt their pocketbook either.

Video of our guide, Padmaja, singing with two musicians at the palace where we had lunch. The maharajah still lives there. He is the 18th generation. After independence in 1947, he had to give up his palace or turn it into a hotel or museum. It's now a hotel (400 year old palace).

Video of irrigation on a little farm in the middle of India between the cities of Jhansi and Khajuraho. This is the area of the country where the Indians rebelled against the British in 1857. It was known as the Sepoy Rebellion. I just found out it was led by a woman and 800 Indian soldiers who were tired of being ill-treated by the British. I wonder what the British write about this event in their history books. Different perspectives from different sides.

The Taj Mahal is magnificent. It is vast. Our group came at dawn to see this most famous sight in India. I could not take photos inside. However, there is a website that shows the interior with all the intricate inlaid precious stones. I could not help thinking of Princess Diana and the photo of her sitting on a bench with the Taj Mahal in the background. She looked so sad sitting in front of this mausoleum that was created because of a great love for a wife by her husband.

Kathleen in front of the Taj Mahal.  This isn't photo shopped.  I'm really here, and my eyes are really open.  The Sun was very intense on this day and squinting or sunglasses was required.  We visited the Taj Mahal at sunrise before the intense heat of the day.

Ancient 9th century step well. This step well was an important part of the caravan route in India.

Pottery Wheel video.

Camel ride. We are at a camp with bungalows. Took a camel ride.  In the evening, we enjoyed musical entertainment provided by Indian Gypsies.

Had chai tea at this lady's home. The family lives in a mud floor hut/shack with 4 generations. We watched her mother boil the water and make the chai. Her father works for the National Park Service. They have a car and a TV. Before tea, we visited a school. We all brought books for their new library sponsored by Grand Circle Travel.These people may not have much by our standards, but they are content with their life. That is what our guide tells us.

Video of a women's cooperative, called Dastkar Ranthambhore. They are able to take care of their family while earning some money making scarves, clothing and jewelry. Of course, I bought some items!

Jeep ride through Ranthambhore National Park. We did not see any tigers, but we saw many different animals including this monkey in a banyon tree. The quiet in this park, except for the crickets and the bird calls, was a dramatic change from the noisy, crowded Deli and Jaipur. Our park guide, who has worked with National Geographic, said the sounds the animals make are like a symphony. It was a wonderful day!

View of Nahargarh Palace Hotel from my veranda. Went for a jeep ride early this morning. Saw deer, many birds including peacocks, crocodile, monitor lizard, turtle, many monkeys, but no tiger. We are going for an evening jeep ride to look again.

This is why I came to India. This is part of the ruins of Ranthambore Fort, built more than 1,000 years ago. There are many monkeys here. As I was taking a picture of one, he bared his teeth at me, came at me and hit me on the leg, and then went off to see something else.

Making Incense From Manure. We visited a farm that makes many products from cow waste . This is a video.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

Greetings from the "Pink City" of Jaipur. This photo was taken in the City Palace. The pink color is throughout the old city. In this city is Jantar Mantar, an astronomical and astrological observatory. The largest sundial in the world is here. This city is known for its textiles. I bought a hand printed tablecloth. The tour group visited the busy Bapu Bazar where I bargained for some items.
I'm on the bus emailing from my phone. Technology! We are on the way to Ranthambore National Park.

From Deli to Jaipur

I have left Deli and traveled on to the "pink" city of Jaipur. On the way we stopped to take photos of camel and sheep herders. They didn't want their pictures taken without payment. The owner of the land did not want us to give them money because they were grazing for free on his land. They all got in a heated conversation with our guide and driver trying to calm them down. Needless to say, I have wonderful video of the event. The photo of the man in the colorful turban is one of the Rasathani camel herders.
We continued on our journey and came across my first sight of a troop of monkeys being fed by a man. We all took photos from the bus, because the monkeys can be aggressive. Speaking of aggressive, the salesmen selling trinkets can be overwhelming. They don't understand the meaning of no!
This morning we visited the Amber Palace. You should read about it on the internet. Here we saw the elephants with riders. We took a more humane ride up to the fort in a jeep.

Visiting Delhi Sights

This photo is of the spot where Gandi was cremated.

I visited a Mosque, a Sihk Temple, drove by the government buildings and rode in a rickshaw bicycle through old Delhi past hundreds of shops. I also visited the Unesco site of the QUTB Minaret. Had dinner in a private home tonight.

Arrived In Delhi

I have arrived in India. This elephant is on the Jaypee Vasant Hotel grounds in Delhi.

Why Am I Going to India?

You should have seen the look on people's faces as well as heard the silence on the phone when I told them I was going to India. Most people said incredulously, "Why are you going there?" I answered, "Because I want an adventure!". I have already been to Europe several times, Russia, and the Middle East. Although I plan to go to Europe many more times in the future, I was ready for a more exotic location. This will be my 6th adventure with Grand Circle Travel (www.gct.com). This trip is with their sister company, Overland Adventure Travel. When people asked me who I was going with and I said I was going alone, they were even more amazed. I'm going on an escorted tour, so I really won't be alone. Those who know me know that I am a very social creature and am comfortable talking to anyone. I'm taking along my new IPOD loaded up with my favorite music to keep me company. I'm sad that I won't be traveling with my usual GCT companion, my Mom. She will travel vicariously through me.  My husband is tending to our business and the homefront. I'll be taking lots of video of my adventure. This blog, my very first, will keep my friends and family updated along the way. My India adventure is a present to myself for graduating from the University of Washington in 2009, with a degree in History.

Getting Ready for My India Adventure

I've received my India Visa and I've had my vaccinations (tetanus, hepatitis and typhoid) at the UW Travel Clinic. My medical kit includes malaria pills and anti-biotics. It was not required that I have these, but I want to stay healthy during my adventure and come back healthy as well. Now I am thinking about what I'm going to pack as well as get the house in order for my family to "survive" while I am gone. Stocking up on necessary groceries and putting ready to eat meals in the freezer. They can't go out to dinner every night!