Funny facts of India

These are some interesting and funny facts from India... a country very different to us :

• Cows have preference on the road... they are the queens of the street.
• When old people want to cover their grey hair they dye it in a kind of orange color!
• Enrique Iglesias is a super star here!
• North of India is full of military army and trenchs. Shocking!
• During our train trip we saw some transvestite people asking for money in a very cheeky way.
• Farting and burping in public is so normal.
• Toilets are a whole on the floor and sometimes if they had a bad shot you can find whatever!
• Traffic is caothic. Blowing the horn is compulsory!!!!!!
• If they know you are Spanish they always say: Madam..Madam..Hola Hola Cocacola!!!Mira Mira Caximira!!!...Bueno ,bonito,barato... hahahaha
• Their very quiet attitude can be seen in the horizontal position of its people...they are always in "lie down" position.
• When you order food in a restaurant be prepared to wait 30min for the drinks and 45min for the food.
• In the markets, to prove that watches are waterproof they are inside of a bucket plenty of water!! hahahaha
• It is quite usual to go into a shop and find the shop assistant having a nap :-)
• We have discovered the "freaky Babas", those are some that wants to look like spirirual people but as the locals told us they are fake. they dress up and actually they are quite funny!
• Indian smell is so peculiar.

Photos of Jaipur- Agra and Varanasi

Hi guys! Here you have a few photos from our travels around these 3 cities. We hope they encourage you to visit this special India!Here you are! http://www.flickr.com/photos/26627275@N04/page2/

Varanasi: the city of Shiva

Arriving to Varanasi was a whole adventure. We took the train in India for the first time. What a nightmare! The train was announced to be delayed for 3 hours and then, after 2 hours, it was cancelled. At the train station we couldn't get any refund or information about when could it be the next train. They kept sending us from one place to another without any solution. Eventually, we ended up in the Agra main station where we met a group of other backpackers in the same situation. After a few hours in that station, we took a train that was going to Varanasi but wasn't our train!! When the ticket inspector saw us he sent us to the last coach. Impossible to explain! Hundreds of people in a coach for fifty as max. and of course, without air conditioner. We slept on the floor over our bags. For us it was a hard trip but if you think about it is their usual life.

Fortunately for us, we live this experience just when we travel like this but here you realise of the situation of this country.

When we finally arrived to Varanasi we were exhausted and it was terribly hot: so we went to the hostel straight away.

We have been in this city for three days and we have seen its rituals, monuments, markets , streets as well as we have seen the sunrise from the Ganges. Amazing!

Ganges is for them a very special river and the water has spiritual sense. Is in this river where lots of indian come to die and, as we explained, it is also used for daily task as washing clothes, washing themselves or even to get swiming lessons! :-)

The riverside is comprised of "ghats" (steps torward the river) and each of them is used for different activities. Our hostel was just in front of a burning ghat where they have the burial ceremonies. It is interesting to see it as it is very different to our own culture.

In general, our trip around India has been very interesting and intense. We have found a country with a diverse society and landscape. It is very contradictory to see here the high luxury and then the more extreme misery. Travelling around India is not easy, and more difficult when you are a woman. However, it is worthy as you see how they really live. About the people, we have seen that even in the circumstancies that they live, they are very positive and kind but often, the need makes them to harass tourists trying to sell or take benefit of whatever they can. India leaves us an unforgetable experience and lots of friends!

Our Ithaka continues around Nepal.

Jaipur and Agra

Jaipur is the Rajasthan capital and its old city centre is well-known by being painted in pink colour (pink is associated to hospitality). Was the maharaja Ram Singh who order to be painted to welcome the prince of Wales and the tradition has been mantained since then.
In this city, apart from seeing camels and elephants in the street for first time, we have also visited its palaces and temples.
In the city palace we saw and participate in a traditional dance peformance and a puppet show. We had our moment of glory , vey funny :-)
We also went to the monkey temple on the surroundings of the city. It looked like a terror movie! There were monkeys everywhere!! Some were fighting, some running, looking at you, getting rid of the fleas..
We arrived to Agra that night in order to see the sunrise in the Taj Mahal.
So nice!!! What woudn't we do for love???? Taj Mahal was ordered to be built by emperor Shah Jahon when his third wife died giving birth to their 14th child. Her death left him so devastated that the legend says that his hair turned grey overnight.
From here we leave to Varanasi...last destination of our trip in this authentic India.

Photos from Rishikesh

Hello!!!!!!! Here we have some photos from Rishikesh! Enter here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26627275@N04/?saved=

Rishikesh: the yoga capital

We have finally seen the India that we had left... the Hindu India!

Rishikesh is a city surrounded by mountains and where the Ganges crosses. Therefore, it is a stoop for pilgrimation.
The city is divided by the river where there are two bridges to cross. It is a whole adventure to cross any of the bridges! Crowds of people, motorcycles, cows.... there is even police to control the traffic! very funny!

It is very interesting to see the river ritual, how they go into the river and take water to make offerings to their temples. There are thousand of people gathered on the river banks. Men take their clothes off, however, women go in with their saris.
We thought that this ritual was more quite but it is kind of a party for them! Everybody in the river laughing, taking pictures of themselves, renting boats to go through their river that they call "Ganga".

Apart from having the Ganges, this city is also well known for being the yoga capital. You can find here a huge diversity of yoga courses as well as meditation and Ayuveric medicine.

We have tried "traditional yoga" and we have to say that practice it here it's special :-)
Our experience through the Hindu world will continue in Jaipur, Agra and Varanasi.
Namaste!

Namaste!

Photos of Srinagar

To check our photos of Srinagar enter here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26652485@N06/

Photos of Leh

To check our photos of Leh enter here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26627275@N04/

Leh- The Budhist India

Are the religion and the localization of a region influent factors in the attitude of its society?? This is the impressio that it gave to us. The Ladakh region (where the most significant city is Leh) is mostly budhist. The attitude of its citizents is more quite and respectful. The towns are less noisy and cleaner. In this region we have found lots of differences in comparison with the previous one:

• the landscape is arid and rocky
• people have different features with a mix between indians and chineses
• temples go from mosques to gompas ( budhist monastery)
• more choices for the food.. .now you can choose among indian, tibetian and chinese food.

In general, Leh brought us new feelings that after three days we will leave behind to fly to the new destiny: Rishikesh.. The yoga capital.

Note: Please check the photos in the Catalan and Spanish version of this blog. You will find the link in the top right hand corner of this site.

Photos of the Trekking

To see some pictures of the trekking enter in the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26501406@N05/

Srinagar

Our time in Srinagar has been very pleasant. We have stayed in a houseboat , very tipical accommodation for backpackers here. There we have met Nabi, a man from Kashmir (mountain and rice man as he describes himself) who took care of us and gave us very good advices about the region.
In Srinagar, we have visited its gardens, markets, monasteries and we have gone in a "shikara" through its lakes (indian gondola).
It is very interesting how they have vegetable gardens floating in the middle of the lake and they cultivate with the help of the shikara and they move according the season of the year!
While we were going on the shikara , other shikaras from merchants were coming closer trying to sell you whatever! From pashminas, jewellery, flowers, crisps or even toilet roll!! :-)
The family who owns the houseboat (Shahenshah) was living just beside it and has been very nice to us: they let us using internet, we met the grandfathers, we were having tea with them ... they made us feel as home! Thank you so much!
Now we are leaving Srinagar to continue our adventure through Leh.

Note: please check the pictures in the Spanish and Catalan version of the blog. You just need to click on the link in the top right hand corner of the site.

Photos New Delhi

Enter here to see some photos of 2rapitenquesaroundtheworld in New Delhi:http://www.flickr.com/photos/26501406@N05/

Trekking to Hary Gund !

Day 1- 8th May 2008
From Srinagar we took a car to Nagnag. What a beautiful place!
Nagnag is a town between mountains at around 2000m of high. Even when is spring now, we can see snow in the peak of its mountains. There is also some ruins from a hinduism temple. Local people told us that it was destroyed due to an earthquake in the area long time ago. We have just camped beside the temple!
After setting the tents we have done a training around the valley Kala Pani (beside the village).We have gone with Ryaz, a 24 years old boy native from Nagnag who was very nice to us.
When we arrived to the tents we met a group of childrens and we shared a few popular games. We have shown them "tita pon un coco" , typical game from our home town. Eventually, we eneded up being a group of around 20 childrens and us:-)
A day plenty of trekking , games and curry and rice for dinner, of course!!

Day 2- 9th May 2008
We woke up early to have breakfast and pack all the tents to start walking up to Budshill mountain. It has been a not very long (3 ours) but hard trekking. We have reached 3,500m of high today! The place where we have campled has amazing views !!
Unfourtunately it has been all the afternoon and evening raining so we have spent all the time in the tent singing and sharing stories and traditions of our regions:-)

Day 3- 10th May 2005
After breakfast we have started the trekking that has brought us until the peak of the Hary Gund mountain at 4,000 m of high.
It has been a hard trekking with lots of snow, big inclination and very sleepery path! We haven't been very lucky with the weather either as it has been very foggy and raining and snowing in some parts. This didn't allow us to see the nice views around. However, we had a wonderful time with our guide Ryaz. He is a very funny guy and we have been singin, dancing and even making a snowman :-)

Delhi- Srinagar: 25 hours on a bus sharing muslim culture- 6th May 2008

Out of 30 passengers in the bus, we were the only ones not Muslims. At the beginning it was a bit of a shock but it ended up being an enjoyable experience. The Kashmir region was in conflict years ago due to the dispute between Pakistan and India for the territory. This fact explains the still presence of the army and trenches around the region. However, they are now only for vigilance.

18 hours of bus have become 25!! This allowed to the passengers to become interested by "the 2 strangers" and started to ask us all kind of questions: Where were we from, what religion did we practice, if we were married , our age.... still more surprise they were with our answers! They couldn't believe we were 29 years old and we weren't married! also, the fact that we were travelling on our own.

During the first hours we could feel the uncertainty. However, after a few hours we both adapt to each other creating funny situations. During the 5 or 6 stops, they used to make fun of us as we didn't know what to eat or how! The most difficult proof has been when we had to drink tea with salt for breakfast! Weird taste !! It was also burning!! but they were so proud of us that we tried :-)

The trip has been very long but a good experience as we had great views of big mountains , typical rural towns and the opportunity to meet another new friend: Sameer Malik. He is a muslim boy from Kashmir who is working in Delhi and has explained us a lot of things about the muslim culture and the Kashmir traditions. He is also a big fan of Enrique Iglesias who, for our surprise, is very famous in India!!

Thanks Sameer , we hope you read this!

Note: In such a different culture with a language unknown for us it is such an advantage to be able to communicate in English with the people!

Delhi- a caothic experience

No matter how much you read, how much people tells you, the ideas that you can make in your mind....Delhi will still shock you.

• 40-45 degrees of temperature that made us to drink more than 7 bottles of water!
• Visit to the most significant buildings and monuments of the city being testimony of the efficiency of the supervisors :-)
• Random chat with a sikh follower and visit its temple
• Cycle ride with a local cycle rickshaw around the Chandi Chowk market
• We have seen a criket game played by a few locals in a fountain beside the Indian gate
• We have taken the New Delhi metro- we were the only foreign people in the whole station!!!!
• We took a taxi that didn't work by petrol but gas!
• We have realised of the different castes existent in India.
• We have been a target of tips, bargain during the whole day.
• Impressed by Delhi's street lights

All these experiences along with a distinct smell and an orquestra of horns by the desperate drivers looking for a gap in a caothic city.

Visiting New Delhi in May (low season) has lead into an overly obsertation to us. We weren't just the only Spanish in the city but also one of the few tourist that were around the streets. Tomorrow we are taking a bus to the north of India (Kashmir) taking with us lots of patiente for the trip as it will take around 18 hours. We hope the weather is a bit cooler!!

See you soon.

Vane i Eva

First stop- Dublin

We are already in Dublin! It has been nice to meet again all the friends that we made during our time here. This time in Dublin more than new experiences, has given us a few cups of tea and meals and also another farewell. Tomorrow we leave to India!! We take our flight in the afternoon and we arrive to New Delhi on Sunday morning local time. India will be the next country where we will write you again.

Slan!!!