Holy Cow!

Wishing everyone a premature Merry Christmas, although without snow on the ground and in t-shirt weather, it hardly feels like Christmas to me!

Friday we left for Jaipur in Rajastan (forgive my misspellings), the India that most people think of when they think of India. Remember how I was talking about bullock carts and horses in the road? I failed to include camels! I shrieked when I saw my first camel in its natural habitat ;-) pulling a cart full of some crop or another. They are so tall! They look so regal as well, as though as everyone else is below them, which, literally, they are. The ride to Jaipur was beautiful, as I not only saw camels but also fields and fields of mustard, which are yellow and beautiful (if you have faith as small as a mustard seed...) It was a rough ride, as the roads are under heavy development and construction. Delhi slowly gave way to suburban cities where the fruits of outsourcing are being reaped and IT buildings are cropping up everywhere. These I giants gave way to rural farming communities, women dressed in neon colors carrying jars of water or bags filled with their crops on their heads and men with heads wrapped in turbans pacing in front of their small shops.

Arriving in Jaipur we were greeted by an elephant decorated elaborately with colored chalk, sauntering along the road, his rider sitting atop his back. We entered town and were greeted by a government official who escorted us to Amer Fort, an incredible fort on top of a hill that was once exquisite but now just grand. Upon entrance you would never know what was beyond the gates, but beyond each door was an entirely new world. The evening was highlighted by a visit to a restaurant called Chokhi Dhani, which was more of an experience than a restaurant. We were greeted royally and let to an outdoor dining facility where we removed our shoes, sat cross-legged on carpets and were served an incredible dinner on plates and bowls made of leaves. Servers wore brightly colored turbans and were incredibly dynamic, and each dish was flavorful and distinct. After an incredibly satisfying dinner, we wandered the grounds, acres of women dancing traditional dances, snake charmers, puppet shows, and yes, elephant and camel rides. Riding an elephant was steady and slow, but the camel was a different story! It was so tall and I thought I would fall off getting off of this huge animal. It was so much fun.

We stayed with friends of Sandeep, members of the Jain religion who are very peace-loving and don't even eat garlic as they feel it inflames the temper. They were gracious and wonderful and they took us to a market selling tribal art from around the country. We visited an art gallery and had dinner at a golf course.

The next day was a trip to Agra, my host Sandeep's hometown and home to the Taj Mahal. We were greeted by a distinguished looking man who took us through incredible traffic and narrow roads to a marble shop where traditional inlay work was being done. This was his shop and the shop of two other dynamic gentlemen who joined us for lunch. This inlay work is present in many monuments around India, including the Taj, and is a Muslim art that has been passed down but is a dying art because it requires much skill and not many people are continuing it. It was here that I learned that the gentleman who would lead us through the Taj is responsible for the restoration of the Taj. Because of that we bypassed a huge line and had people make way for us wherever we went. It was crawling with people, and its precision and symmetry is incredible. Its artists inscribed verses from the Quran around the doorway, and they shaped the outline to defy perspective and look the same thickness no matter the height. It is incredible to think that this incredible edifice was a monument to someone's deceased wife, but apparently this opulence was appropriate for the times.

Fatehpur Sikri was the last stop on the tour, and I am missing a few monuments, but everything was impressive, incredible, and ornate. At this monument we were served a kind of bread that only 2 people know how to make, from the Mogul dynasty. India's history lives in these monuments that have been altered by its conquerors, Hindu deities being defaced by Muslim conquerors, buildings demolished by British to make way for military barracks, and scavengers removing precious stones and gold from these buildings to increase their own wealth.

Returning to Delhi, traffic stalled our entrance to the city by two hours, reminding me that I am in 21st century India. Christmas preparations are underway, and I'll be spending a few days with my friend Ritu soon before returning to snowy and beautiful USA :-)