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| These palaces once belonged to the kings and rulers from all over india. They were used as holiday homes and one can imagine how opulent it could have been then. I spied parrots too in the towers on the right. Now these place are used for a myriad of things from temples to hotels and cafes. |
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| boat ride along the ganges and i spied buffalos! no sight of body parts but we did catch the cremations at the Harichandra ghat. Of course permission was sought. |
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| Kaligat temple In Kolkatta where we braved the crowd and Pooja Saturday to offer our blessings. It was a heart stopping moment as we literally bribed our way through a maze of people to the centre of the main hall to say hello to the Goddess herself. The high priests grabbed each one of us and spoke hindi much to our bewilderment. i was quite appalled when they put a price on the offerings but kept my motuh shut. no translation was given but we understood,. later when i asked karna about it his reply was that all the religions of the world are just that. awkward!!! Check out the angle its the same on in wikipedia hahaha. |
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| Kitty trails - a map he picked up in london to mark our journeys to India. The places circled are those he has covered these past 10 or more years doing research and he still hasn't covered ALL of India yet. My humble beginnings are marked in red. Not bad to cover almost 2,200km on a single trip. The blue bead are special because i got them from an industrious gypsy girl in delhi as a gift. She couldn't be any older than 9. I had wanted to take a photo with her but i guess her smile shall stay in my memories for now. |
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| streets of varanasi/benares in search for the boat. the streets were narrow and only accessible by foot. varanasi is also known as city of temples as many hindus, jains and also buddists come to do their pilgrimage here. while we were on the boat, they asked why had we come? we said the same thing to them which was to bathe in the ganges! however, only bits of 'us' did it and we took some water back for the temples. random fact: some kids asked to take a photgraph with me along the steps of the ghats, karna said to them i was goodluck? which was kinda unbelieveable *spotcheck if nippies were showing* |
I wished time could have stood still but the 2 weeks went passed like a dream. What started out to be plans for a backpacking journey turned out to be the sweetest ever surprise. Karna planned the whole Indian trip without much help from me save for suggestions on the things to do and see. We planned the trip early in the year and chose India because I've never been there and Karna had the most amazing adventures doing research and soul search which made him the best guide ever! So it was off to Kolkatta - Varanasi - Agra -Delhi on the bus, plane and not forgetting my plea for a train ride where I left not just footprints but my bits of my heart over the deccan dust, where it never settles.
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| Kali Ma! Kali Ma! Kalimaaaa~! *in my head is that scene in India Jones* |
We arrived at Kolkatta airport in the late evening from Kuala Lumpur and I wasn't told of the hotel stays for the whole trip. Karna wanted to surprise me but at the airport he had to give it away when I left the hotel address blank. The customs officer raised an eyebrow when I told him it was 'The Grand'. I couldn't figure if that was a good or bad omen. Reality check - from where I stood I could already smell the loo and behind me was a nepalese looking boy about 4 years old in a spiderman suit :D how can you not LOVE Incredible India or okay...travel ;) It was the last day of Deepavali here and end of Kali pooja. We both agreed to check out the ghats along Hoogly River in the car ride to the hotel. Our driver kept on a lookout for 'beautiful buildings, made by the british - bild to LAST!' to point out to us but i was more interested in the cows on the road hehehe.
The hotel was GRAND indeed because it was The 'Grand Dame of Chowringhee' smack in the middle of the City of Joy. Reading the guide I was happy if we stayed in the mid-range hotels where hot water will be brought of in buckets. But Karna insisted for my introduction to India should start on a nice note. I think it was also the coincidence that this trip was also to mark our first year together *awwwwokbarf!* We could hear the cricket game between India and Pakistan while having dinner at the hotel. The rest of the trip was to walk the streets of all over Kolkatta on foot. The cahndi chowks, the Indian Museum and then Victoria Memorial. Bless the boyfriend who convinced me on wearing practical shoes when I wanted to wear ballet flats instead. What I liked was the fact that here in India they had a very strong reading culture. There bookshops in every corner and on the streets too! Just like the ones I saw in Vietnam. For both of us bibliophiles, it was too much to bear. We could have just shopped for books and nothing else. Must check out the leather bound books to buy!
Bad that my E71 has gone kaput for now but i managed to grab a few unfocused shots on my own which will be added later if its not cranky. From Kolkatta we went up to Varanasi to bathe in the ganges *notME!* via train. The hotel managed to booked us 2 first class sleeper seats tickets on the overnight coach to varanasi. I havene't been on an actual train for ages and now that tanjong pagar has closed down, it was now or never. I didn't expect it to be orient express of course and yeaps - loo stop for me was ONLY ONCE. We took the train twice and i didn't eat or drink much afraid that i'd have to go :p
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| the canera was in good hands obviously :) |
Next stop from Varanasi was Delhi by train again. Another overnight sleeper and karna had to squeeze in the same bunk because i was such a scaredy cat.
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| View from our room at the oberoi amarvillas after midnight. this was taken on our LAST night in in Agra after he did the unthinkable! *oOoO* not telling YET. |
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| A teardrop in eternity - as once described by a poet of the Taj Mahal's beauty and rightly so as it stood solemn and still. The throng of people (an estimated of 25,000 everyday) walked around to bask in its majestic shadows, many local tourists and the ubiquitous travelers from all over the world come to Agra to visit the - "huge, giant graveyard." as karna simply put. My hopes to visit the Taj was of one mild ambition, which was to at least tick of one from the list of of the Wonders of the World. SO YEAY! i was given more than i could chew for now to keep me content and be on a high at least for a few months *hicc* |
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| somethings in life can't be rushed. |
last leg of the trip was back to delhi to fly back to kuala lumpur and say hi to aunty in ampang. load of goodies as well as to rest up for the last bus ride back to singlalaland. what was initially thought to be a trip on a road less traveled with a backpack turned out to be the most meaningful journey with another fellow backpacker. who taught me to trust again in the good even though they come in tough little packages with unraveled, knotted ends. Odd is the easy camaraderie of best friends that sometimes just explode into tenacious *ahems* energy. i fell in love with India and needless to say in India yet again. to many more bursting into a million stars! to karna who made it all possible - the taste of tears is salty but with it i hope the sweetness of my whispered 'yes' lent it sweetness. Bitter was none except when i realise eternal love is only possible when you're as rich and a megalomanic like Shah Jahan :p even then..could enigmatic love ever be a logic problem dear sexy professor?
stay sane,
j.amyemeelea
