Although the Thar Desert isn’t the grand sand dunes you’d think of when it comes to deserts, it does have a few bright moments of smooth stretches of wind-sculpted sand. The famous Rajasthani desert safari gig can be made flexible from a half day trip to as many as 23 days. It costs somewhere around [...]
Archive for the ‘India’ Category
The Thar
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011Into the Desert
Monday, July 11th, 2011Last year I was confronted with a choice between Udaipur or Jaisalmer given my limited time. In the end I chose Udaipur due to warnings that Jaisalmer was way too hot this time of year (55 degrees celsius?!). I think I had chosen wisely, not only due to the serendipitous nature of how Udaipur worked [...]
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Train
Sunday, July 10th, 2011After yesterday’s stressful afternoon, I had a really great train ride to Jodhpur. My berth mates were Jean Philipe and Ritesh. and we spent 4 hours chatting about everything, from school to weddings to caste systems. It was totally relaxing and really informative. They even gave me some suggestions for movies to look up when [...]
Keeping my promises
Sunday, July 10th, 2011Last year I ate a sumptuous dinner at Indique Restaurant, while treated to gorgeous views of Meherangar Fort in Jodhpur. The problem was, I was alone: Last year’s dinner So I promised the next time I would be back, I wouldn’t be alone. And almost exactly one year later, destiny would call: This year’s dinner. [...]
Returning to Jodhpur
Saturday, July 9th, 2011Saying goodbye to Dharamsala with thalis and sunsets… – At time of posting in Jodhpur, it was 89.6 °F – Humidity: 53% | Wind Speed: 8km/hr | Cloud Cover: Haze
A stressful afternoon
Saturday, July 9th, 2011Okay. I’m being a little dramatic. But I also haven’t eaten in almost 12 hours. Those of you who know me well are probably amazed I’m not completely comatose. Recap of yesterday afternoon: I saw cremations. They were really really interesting, but I don’t think I’ve processed enough to say more about them. There was [...]
Leh to Dharamsala
Friday, July 8th, 2011My favorite part of the journey So yesterday worked out better than I thought. Leh and Dharamsala are very very far from each other. It usually should take 1-2 days to get there, even with flight since Dharamsala has no nearby airport. But we managed to reach Dharamsala from Leh in a little over 7 [...]
Varanasi, why?!
Friday, July 8th, 2011There’s nothing like watching the sun rise over the Ganges at 5am and then vomiting over the side of your hotel balcony. Found some Electral, slowly consuming porridge, meeting some nice people despite my lethargy. Still no cremations sightings. Second Sitar lesson later today. –steph
Varanasi Detour
Thursday, July 7th, 2011The density. The smells. The oppressive sticky heat. I’m going to have to buy more lactase pills if people don’t stop offering me chai with milk. No cremation sightings yet, but its only 4pm. –steph
Splitting up!
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011A quick change in the itinerary: Stephanie will be splitting up from the group and heading to Varanasi after being inspired by many stories about how awesome the place is. Anya, Joyce and myself will pursue the original plan that will lead us to Dharamsala by the end of today. After an overnight in Dharamsala [...]
