Day twenty one - Mumbai/Dubai

This is our last day in India. We leave later this evening for Toronto with a 10 hour lay over in Dubai.

This will be our last blog. It is not a hot as yesterday with the temperature at 34 c

We both have mixed feelings about getting home with the weather reports we are getting. But it is home and it is time. I have developed a bit of a cough but otherwise we are both well. The weather has been absolutely perfect. In fact probably a bit too hot for us. 

I took one last morning walk along the beach with a few others who were exercising. A far cry from the huge crowd yesterday. With less crowds I had to try the water so that I could say that I was in the Arabian Sea. Well, my feet were anyway.

We decided to venture out into the city one last time and headed to the mall, a 45 minute ride by car. 

We arrived at 10:45 and had to wait till 11 for any shops to open. I was dying for a milkshake and on the four level there was a Macdonalds. Sadly they don't serve milkshakes. I'll have to wait.

I am not sure what this means but the mall was playing orchestral music including a rendition of Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. 

Our drive back to the hotel wasn't too congested but Donna couldn't help but notice the difference between the mall we shopped at and the stores just around the corner from the mall.

If we were to describe this incredible country in one word it would be " contradiction." It is a beautiful country with a remarkable history, colourful and friendly. An emerging economy, the worlds largest democracy and absolute poverty at almost every turn. But as our tour guide said " this is India."

At the Mumbai airport. Not looking forward to a 27 hour trip. We lay over in Dubai for 10 hours and did manage to get a hotel room for a few hours.  The Mumbai airport is spectacular.

Day twenty - Mumbai

For the people of Mumbai It was a day to celebrate Holi, let loose and relax. Being a public holiday, almost everything was closed. The temperature is 36 c and we had a bit of a rain shower this morning.

Holi Festival started last nite with a ceremonial burning of a pyre. We stayed on the beach as late as we could last nite but couldn't last for the bonfire. There were tens of thousands of people on the beach. The sun had taken its toll on us. We left at about 10, knowing we would miss the fire. So this morning after breakfast we headed back to the beach to see what was happening. The fire was still burning.

People were again starting to congregate on the beach. We had a beautiful breeze and strolled along for about an hour passing a few scrum cricket matches and a couple meditating.

After an hour or so, more people started to come to the beach and throw colours. We asked if we could take their picture. They were delighted but insisted that we join them and get painted first.

Donna was feeling like a local. With our faces painted everyone greeted us with smiles and a Happy Holi. 

It was getting hot, so we decided to leave the beach and go to a show. There was a movie theatre about a 10 minute tuk tuk ride from the hotel and it was playing an English language film, "300 : Rise of an Empire".  

At 1:30 we had finished the movie and  by that time the streets were full of colourful people. With parties going on everywhere, we decided to return to the hotel, change and get back to the beach. This time, it was jammed with a couple of hundred thousand, all splashed with colour and enjoying the waves. It didn't take us long to get painted up again; we didn't take the camera for fear of lens damage but Donna needed a shower when we arrived back to our room.

The colour takes a couple of days to completely disappear so our faces are still a bit spotted but as everyone says "when in Rome". 

India is a country in transition especially in its view of women. Please note the following. 

Day nineteen - Mumbai

We are both well. No issues to report. However, I am running out of clothes. Did a small washing last nite which will last till we get back on Wednesday.

After exploring outside the city and a few local shopping malls, it was our day to adventure into the heart of Mumbai. It is sunny and the current temperature is 33 c. We heard that it will be -30 c to nite back home. When we mention that to people here they can't imagine how cold that is. 

The streets are remarkably free from the congestion we have been used to. However, it still took our driver over an hour to get to the heart of the city. The streets are much cleaner that Delhi and there are no cows. (You need a cow license)

Our first stop was the the Dhobi Ghat; the worlds largest outdoor laundry where the male only washers work in the open to wash clothes for Mumbai hospitals and hotels. 

There are many street vendors and hockers trying to sell us souvenirs. Over the last few weeks travelling, we have learned the word for NO, (Nahim, pronounced neehay)

The Chhatrapati Shivaji, formerly the Victoria train station is the largest in the world. The British established the country's rail system in the late 19th century. The station was built in 1887 to commentate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria.

We are now in the Colaba district which is the nicest area of Mumbai dating back to the colonial era. The Gateway to India was built in 1911 to commentate the landing of George V and Queen Mary.

 Directly across the street is the Raj Palace hotel. Apart from being one of the best hotel's in the world, it was also the scene of a terrorist attack in 2008. We declined high tea.

Our driver was great. This one spoke enough English to explain what we were seeing and what the area was. We hired him for the whole day, including gas for $40. 

This district borders the bay and it has a sea wall for walking and a beautiful beach. Please note that even though it is now 37 C the beach is empty.  People here just don't swim or sunbathe in public. What a waste!

Donna couldn't get enough flowers knowing that her own won't be springing up for some time.

We spent a fair bit of time at Ghandiji's residence when he was in Mumbai. This house was the centre of the movement to free India from British rule. I can appreciate what the British brought to this country but they also extracted a heavy toll on the people. If it wasn't for the non violent efforts of Ghandiji, there probably would have been a blood bath. Donna was almost brough to tears touring the residence.

You can see the spinning wheels that he used to break the British monopoly of the cotton industry and also to become closer to  the land and the people. This one act brought him enormous respect from all. 

We read several letters to and from world leaders including Roosevelt, Tolstoy, Einstein etc. He even wrote  to Hitler just prior to the the Second World War asking him to use  non violent means to achieve his goals. It was strangely eerie to view them. He was very humble but managed to make his presence known and respected.

As he would have wished there was no entry fee for this attraction, only a donation box which everyone was filling. 

Probably his most famous quote, amongst so many was " You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

Day eighteen - Mumbai

Two words for Mumbai; ...... hot and steamy!!  So eat your heart out. 

We didn't have the advantage of a tour guide so I had to rely on Donna. I must admit she did a good job for day one here. We arranged for a car and driver who was suppose to speak English but didn't. Oh well, this is India. 

An hour drive through the city, on the outskirts there is the Sanjay Ghandi National Park. Luckily this is off the  regular "tourists" track and was spectacular and positively serene. No crowds at all.

The Kenheri Caves, situated in the park, date from the first century BC and are carved from the natural basalt rock formation. There are 109 caves including the a great hall and many compartments for Buddists monks that worshipped here centuries ago.

The entire cave network is connected by an underground water system and each cave is ventilated. They were no longer used after the 10 th century. There is an unfinished ceiling painting in cave 34.

As we left the site, we had an audience of curious locals grooming each other.

From the caves we headed back to reality and the major daily trafiic of a very big city. We headed to a mall for some shopping. You would swear you were in the Eaton Centre. A far cry from the rural shops we have been accustomed to for the last two weeks.

It took our driver an hour to get back to the hotel. A gin and tonic was looking pretty good. But first we needed to explore the beach and get our bearings for the start of Holi Festival tomorrow. I don't know what go expect but we plan to wear clothes that we can throw in a bag till we get back home. It appears it will be a very colourful festival.

Apparently it is not cool for the men anywhere in India to wear shorts. I do to know how they stand the heat wearing long pants. 

We managed to find a liquor store and a corner convenience store. Back in our room and now just finishing the third g&t before dinner.

Day seventeen - Mumbai

Up early this morning for a 7 am flight to Mumbai. Weather is hot and sunny. I don't expect they get much rain until the rainy season starts sometime in June.

Security is very heavy. At the airport we saw a soldier with a machine gun in a sand bagged bunker. We think it's due to Holi festival which starts this weekend. 

Mumbai is the country's biggest city with 12.6 million people. In metropolitan Mumbai, there are 20.6 million people which makes it the fifth most populace urban area in the world. It is the financial and business centre for the country with the highest GDP of any city in South Western Asia.

We did a bit of exploring and visited a local mall. It's the first time I have gone through a pat down and metal detector to get into a shopping mall.

It is a relatively clean city. No more cows that we have noticed thus far. The traffic is a horrendous as the other cities. Taking the tuk tuk taxi is always fun although the fumes at street level are overwhelming at times. I am starting to get a cough.

We will be here until the 19th. Tomorrow we visit the sites.

We ended the day in a bar. Amazing how good a gin and tonic tastes on a hot night. 

Day sixteen - Udaipur

I hate to complain but the weather has been very warm. It is currently 30 c at 5:30. We spent the day touring Udaipur, the history and the royalty. Their current home is surrounded by high fencing and a ceremonial guard greets visitors. 

Udaipur is known for its lakes and miniature fine art which it's based on the history of the region. Many of the battles, major events like a flood and the hunting expeditions of the Marharaja are depicted on silk canvas in very fine detail. The palace walls are also used to create a pictorial history of the region.

This particular Royal family worships the sun god which is displayed everywhere. Don't I look impressed.

After two hours in the palace museum it was time to visit the main temple. It is quite remarkable that the marble is cool to the touch. 

We couldn't help taking a picture of the flowers in a garden not far from the palace. 

There were a couple of signs that kind of got lost in translation. In spite of the grammer we got the message.

The afternoon finished with a short boat ride on the lake to visit an impressive island hotel which served as a retreat for the royals. The gardens are beautiful.

Dinner is at 6:30. It will be our last dinner with our small group. Tomorrow morning at 7, we fly to Mumbai. 

Day fifteen - Udaipur

The weather today is beautiful. It is sunny and warm with a high of 28. Our tour and drive today didn't start till 11:30. That gave me a chance to have a massage complete with soothing oils and of course meditative music. 

A few miles from the hotel was a family that made hand woven dhurrie  rugs. We bought one small rug and now have to buy an extra piece of luggage to get everything home. It was very comfortable at the rug weavers as you can see from my prone position complete with hookah. 

We visited the Jain temple in Ranakpur which was built in the 15th century of solid marble.Jainism is a separate religion best described a a cross between Hinduism and Buddism that prescribes a path of non violence towards all living beings and emphasizes spiritual independence and  equality between all forms of life.

After an hour touring the temple, we headed to Udaipur, some 90 km southeast. Passing through the Aravali mountains, there are many small rural towns, best described as tribalism with wifi. This elderly gentlemen was working the well for water. Although I think his main job was posing for pictures at 10 rupees each. 

We made one short stop to view bats in the trees. Being nocturnal, they sleep wrapped up high in a tree during the day.

We arrived in Udaipur at about 5 during rush hour.  After checking in to a beautiful hotel overlooking the lake and a quick shower we were off to a cultural performance.

Half of our group opted to stay back at the hotel but our mates from New Zealand are always up for some fun and excitement.

The dancing was colourful. I doubt that the music would make the Indian hit parade but it was

entertaining. The puppeteer was very good and humorous. A skill they learned from the British.

This elderly performer was incredible as she danced with water pots on her head. 

Everywhere we have been there is colour. It is simply stunning to see in every village, city and community we visit.

Day fourteen - Ranakpur

Our journey today was to Ranakpur. A small community between Jodhpur and  Udaipur  in southwestern Rajastan. It is the site of the Jain Temple, one of the seven wonders of India. Since the only stop today was a temple, we thought we would tell you a bit about the religious culture.

Most of the people are Hindu with Hindi being the national language. There is no way for me to explain their beliefs adequately. There are three main gods which include Rama the generator, Vishnu the operator and Shiva, the destroyer. There are over 20,000 gods and goddesses including the children of the three primary gods. Gnasha is the elephant god symbolizing good luck and is the son of Shiva. He appears by the door in most homes. Krishna  is the god of love and is said to have over 20,000 girl friends as our guide explained it. 

All along our journey we noticed many people feeding the birds, dogs and wild cattle. This is good Karma or good luck.

The man in the orange turban is a Saddu, a Holy man from the priestly cast who travels between temples.

Enroute we stopped at a site of worship where pilgrims were laying flowers and praying. This site was created in 1999. Apparently a young man died in a head on collision, was pronounced dead at the scene, was cremated and his ashes spread on the Ganges. His motorcycle was at the police station when it suddenly started. The bike has since started every year on the anniversary. The bike is totally decorated in flowers. 

As strange as you may think, Hinduism is not much different than most. They believe in a peaceful existence with nature, respect for all forms of life, and striving to do your best without interfering with the rights of others. Our guide said it was what was in your heart. 

As we approached the temple area, our guide , Yogi, said that he was from the area and there were many leopards in the hills. We asked if we could try and see them. A few calls later and our day changed dramatically. No temple today. After checking in to the hotel, we had lunch and were off on a leopard siting safari complete with jeeps and expert guides. First stop was Yogi's family and farm. They grow cotton and wheat. 

They were so gracious and welcoming with refreshments and flowers, and of course the blessing. They are of the Warrior Class. Yogi is the seventh generation and is related to the Royal family of Udaipur. Here you see him with one of his ancestors who battled the Moghul Emperor Akhbar. 

Then we were off in the jeeps.

The area we stopped to watch was something out of the lion king, complete with pride rock.

The leopards come out in the evening so It wasn't till an hour after sundown that we spotted one high in the rocks. It was quite far away and we were only able to spot it with the help of a search lite. After two hours looking we packed back into the jeep and headed to another flatter location.

We were not disappointed. We spotted a very large beautiful leopard just in front of the jeep. Simply amazing to see them in the wild.

We ended the evening with a delightful meal back at YogI's parents.

This morning we were woken up by visitors, a group of monkeys chatting loudly.