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beyondthe49th-blog · 7 years

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Hawa Mahal - Jaipur, India 🇮🇳 (at Hawa Mahal)

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beyondthe49th-blog · 7 years

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Hawa Mahal- Jaipur, India 🇮🇳 (at Hawa Mahal)

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beyondthe49th-blog · 7 years

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Jaipur: गुलाबी शहर

I'm not much of a train person. I'm also not much of a "second class" person. So the idea of taking a 6-hour train ride in second class was not too appealing. I put my reservations aside, as Darjeeling Limited had such a huge influence on my wanting to travel to India and I had a grandiose vision of travelling in similar style. This dream was quickly shattered as I saw our compartment, but the trip ended up being pretty faultless and dare I say, even enjoyable. Far from the Darjeeling Limited train, ours was more... weathered. Our second class seats were shared with another traveller, which was actually nice as we got to share experiences of which he had many. He was a solo traveller from Seattle who had been in the country for 3 months and had another 3 to go. He was quite the character with his gold front tooth and had recently been bitten by a dog and was in the midst of a series of rabies shots of which he was stressing to adhere to the strict vaccination schedule. Half way through the journey, feeling a little stir crazy, I wandered the train, finding an open door which allowed for some nice shooting of the passing countryside, and before I knew it we were pulling into Jaipur. Saying goodbye to our new train pal, we exited the train station and were, predictably, swarmed by taxi and rickshaw driver all offering a ride.

We had arranged for a pick up from our hotel, but couldn't locate the car, so we just grabbed a cab. Arriving at our hotel, 47 Jobner Bagh, I knew this was going to be a great stay. I had found it difficult finding a hotel that was just right. There were plenty of beautiful places to stay, but if they weren't in our budget - they were fully booked. Finally, after countless hours and many cancelled reservations, I settled on 47 Jobner Bagh, as recommended by Condé Nast Traveller. When in doubt, trust Traveller. After a quick check in, we were shown to our room off the rooftop terrace with sweeping views of the city with Nahargarh Fort in the distance. This beautiful white washed, boutique hotel offers most of the amenities of a large hotel including a spa and small restaurant featuring home cooked meals as opposed to a set menu. The hotel truly shines as a tranquil relaxing oasis where the air is sweet with flowering trees. Not feeling up to much after check-in, we opted for a massage in the spa and a private dinner on the rooftop. We had an early morning tour booked the next day through the Pink City Rickshaw Company.

After a light breakfast at the hotel we were picked up by our driver from the Pink City Rickshaw Company. I had read about this tour operator and wanted to support its cause. As stated on the company's Facebook page, "The Pink City Rickshaw Company is an innovative project which aims to train and empower 200 women from urban slums of the city to take you on specially curated tours of Jaipur in unique customized environment friendly rickshaws." We opted for the The Pink City Heritage Tour which stops at the areas top sights The first stop on the tour was Jal Mahal- translated: Water Palace. This royal palace appears to float in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. While the building itself is closed to visitors, the view from the shore is the true highlight. After snapping a few pictures we were off to our second stop, the City Palace. Arriving at the palace, we made a game time decision to just wander the outside of the building as opposed to entering the palace, as tickets were outrageously expensive. Our stay at the City Palace was short but sweet and we were then off to Jantar Mantar- one of five sundial monuments build across the country. I have to admit, however, that my favourite part of Jantar Mantar was the name. I found myself saying it throughout the whole trip, and it became sort of an impromptu mantra- our Jantar Mantar Mantra. Inhale- Jantar. Exhale- Mantra. Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is the biggest of the five and while I wasn't quite sure how all of them operated, this did not detract from their impressiveness. The accuracy of these primitive sun dials was astounding, as they were accurate to 2 seconds of the current time. My favourite stop on the tour was Hawa Mahal, a pink honeycombed palace in the centre of Jaipur. In true Indian ingenuity, as its architecture was not only , but also practicality, as its construction perfectly obscured the female royalty from public view as they gazed out from their palace. While the palace itself now stands on a busy street amongst clothing stores and restaurants, it is impossible to not be wowed by its intricate design. The final stop on the tour was the Albert Hall Museum - the state museum of Rajasthan.

After the tour we stopped for an amazing thali lunch with fresh naan and a couple beers at Handi, and the remainder of the day was spent wandering the alleys and streets of the city browsing the shops and stalls. The next morning we grabbed a rickshaw who took us on the long trek up and over the mountain to Amer Fort. Here's a tip- when heading on a 30 minute ride, don't opt for a cushionless rickshaw. Arriving at the base of the fort, it's hard not to be impressed by the imposing building that looms above. Along the steep walkway up the mountain the path is dotted with a long procession of elephants slowly sauntering their way through the main gate of the fort carrying visitors on their backs. Prior to our visit we had done some reading and discovered that these elephants are not housed in the most humane conditions, so we opted to make the trek ourselves. Even after arriving at the top, puffing and panting, I was happy with our decision. I found it hard not compare the Amer Fort to Mehrangarh Fort we visited in Jodhpur, and felt it just didn't hold up. The best part, in my opinion, is the view of the fort from the bottom. After wandering around the grounds, taking care to not disturb the monkeys- who both fascinate and terrify me- we made the easier walk down the steps to the base of the mountain.

After a relative long haggle with a rickshaw driver, we were on our way back into the city towards Bapu Bazaar. The market wasn't quite what I had expected. In my mind I had pictured more of a wide space, where it was more just a long road of stores and shops. Somewhat underwhelmed, after a short stroll, we decided to wander the side alleys instead. After stopping for some snacks and the obligatory chai, we grabbed a rickshaw to hit a few shops to pick up some gifts and souvenirs at a pottery shop. Heading back to the hotel we enjoyed the shade of the rooftop terrace with a few Kingfishers. This evening we had booked a spot at a cooking class in the outskirts of the city. When we visited Marrakesh last year, we took a cooking class and loved it. It's a great way to learn a new skill, get to understand the local cuisine, and have a meal. We had read a lot of good reviews and settled on Jaipur Cooking Classes with Chef Lokesh Mathur. On the menu for the evening was samosas, paneer butter masala aloo gobi, vegetable pulao, paratha, and saffron phirni (rice pudding). The greatest (and in a way the worst) thing I took from this class was just how easy it is to make paneer. Bring milk to a boil, add vinegar, drain through cheese cloth, let sit under pressure for 5 min. That's it. Too easy... I can't recommend this place enough. The class takes place at Lokesh's home, with his wife and son pitching in to help with the prep. At the end, after everything has been made, you sit down at the family table and enjoy a home cooked meal at the dining room table. It's a great way to get to know the the country and the city from a local. This was our last evening in Jaipur, so after dinner was primarily spent packing up our suitcases, getting ready for our flight the next day to Delhi. Little did I realize, landing in the countries capital the next day, how much I would long to be back in Jaipur- actually how much I would rather be anywhere else than New Delhi.

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beyondthe49th-blog · 7 years

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Latest blog posted on Jodhpur. Follow link in bio. Musicians at Mehrangarh Fort- Jodhpur, India 🇮🇳 (at Mehrangarh Fort)

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beyondthe49th-blog · 7 years

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Jodhpur: More Than Just Pants!

Our trip from Mumbai to Jodphur couldn't have been any smoother if we tried. We (reluctantly) checked out of the Taj Palace and had a pre-arranged ride to the airport where we arrived just on time to board and after an hour-long flight landed in Jodhpur. We were met at the airport by our driver who grabbed our backs and before you know it we were checked in and unpacking in our tent. I'm not one for camping, and I would normally find the idea of sleeping in a tent abhorrent, but this was not normal tent. After checking in we grabbed a car to take a quick tour of the city. The first stop was Umaid Bhawan Palace. I had mixed feelings about visiting here. It's half residence of the former royal family and half ultra luxury hotel. I had really wanted to stay there, but they were fully booked, and from what I could see, were fully booked a year out. I thought going to visit I would just be disappointed that we weren't able to stay there, but I was thankfully talked into going by my wife. It's hard to capture just how massive this palace is. It's got to be one of the biggest buildings I've ever seen. Wandering around the grounds we were able to check out the vintage car collection belonging to the former Raj, and see some elephants decorated to welcome a VIP guest at the hotel (the riders wouldn't spill the beans on who it was).

From here, we got our driver to take us into the city to check out the step well. After unsuccessfully trying to squeeze through the tight alleys of the market, we decided to hop out and make the rest of the trip by foot and meet the driver at a pre-arranged destination later. The step well was really interesting, and luckily empty when we got there, which made for some good pictures. I ventured about half way down but the fear of falling into a murky still pool of water got the best of me and I headed back up. After this we checked out the Step Well Cafe were we ordered a few snacks and a couple cold Kingfishers. While it's called the the Step Well Cafe, and understandably so, as it over looks the well, the highlight of this place is the rooftop lounge with a great view of the breathtaking Mehrangarh Fort. I should clarify that I don't mean lounge in the douchey sense, but in that there are no chairs - just beds. After a couple beers we did a little shopping and met up with the car and headed back to the hotel.

Feeling lazy, we opted to have dinner at the hotel and had a great, if not too large, rajasthani thali. A thali is a style of meal that consists of a number of small dishes and is a great way to try a variety of different foods. The dinner came with three desserts after an already filling meal. After all this food, our server brought out a cake to celebrate our honeymoon. Reluctantly, we had a small slice each, only to be polite. After the meal, the server walked us to our room delivering the leftover cake. As we turned out the lights to go to sleep, there was a knock at the door. Answering it, my wife was greeted with ANOTHER cake. This time sent from the hotel manager. She politely explained that we already had 90% of a cake we were given at dinner and tried to refuse. He explained that his manager would be very upset if he returned with the cake, so we took it in, and set it beside its friend where they both stayed, uneaten, for the rest of our trip. Little did we know that this was just the beginning. By the time we would leave India, we would be given a total of 9 cakes. Almost double digits! The next morning we got up bright and early to get to Mehrangarh Fort as it opened to beat the crowds and the heat. I can't recommend this enough, as, depending on when you visit, the temperature in Jodhpur can reach 50C. Mehrangarh Fort was the first, and in the end our favourite, fort we visited in India. It's not so much built on top of the mountain as it is carved from the mountain. It's straight from Game of Thrones (actually, the fort is featured in The Dark Knight when Bruce Wayne escapes the pit Bane was keeping him in).

After wandering around the fort for a while, my wife and I decided to go our separate ways. For the day... not a divorce. She had signed up to go zip lining down the fort. I, instead, opted to go to the spa. I'm happy with my decision, even though it wasn't the best massage I've ever had. Meeting back up at the pool at the hotel, we had a quick dip, and then grabbed a ride back into town for a little more exploring, shopping, eating, and drinking. For dinner we headed back to a restaurant we had spotted, Jhankar Choti Haveli, near the step well which had an even better view of Mehrangarh Fort than the Step Well Cafe. This spot did not have a liquor license, but employed the "cold tea" method where beer is sold "under the table" but served in a teacup. They also explained, when we had passed earlier that day, that if we wanted wine or hard liquor that they needed some notice, but it could be procured. As we dined and sipped daintily at our beer I thought back on our time in Jodhpur. It was our last day in Jodhpur, and even though it was pretty short - only a day and a half - it was just enough time. We had seen the big attractions, wandered the market, picked up some great buys - including a few more bags (you can never have enough bags), and ate some great meals. If I had one regret it is that I would have liked to have seen more of the blue part of the city. Jaipur is known as The Blue City after all. After dinner we headed back to the hotel. There was no time to waste! We had an early morning ahead of us and a long train trip to Jaipur in... second class.

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beyondthe49th-blog · 7 years

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Latest blog up on website. Follow link in profile. Haji Ali Mosque- Mumbai, India 🇮🇳 (at Haji Ali Dargah)

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beyondthe49th-blog · 7 years

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From Married to Mumbai

It's been a year of big changes. Perhaps the biggest of which is getting married this past summer. India has been a long fantasied about travel destination, pretty much, as with most places I want to visit, based solely on the food. It only made sense for it to be our honeymoon destination. I was surprised when people asked where we were going for a honeymoon that our response was often met with incredulity. India has recently seen relative huge success with their tourism campaign Incredible India. I, however, would propose an update: Why India? This was the question I would invariably receive when I told of our plans. To which I would reply, "why not?" If I wasn't asked, "why India?", I was often asked, "is your wife Indian?" No. We just like to travel. This trip is also probably the longest out a trip has been planned. This was both a blessing and a curse, as it meant I had plenty of time to plan our three week sojourn across the massive country, but it also meant I had plenty of time to obsess and stress over every detail. What travelling India, and even planning to travel India, taught me is to go with the flow, roll with the punches, and things have a way of sorting themselves out. After devouring countless guidebooks, travel documentaries, and awful YouTube vlogs for the past 8 months or so, the time finally came to head off to YYZ to start the long journey to Mumbai. I unabashedly told everyone that held some sort of administrative or decision making position we met on this trip that we were on our honeymoon in the hopes of scoring free upgrades or swag. When we got to the check-in counter at British Airways I scored my first success as we received an upgrade to business class for our flight to London. This came with the caveat of flying out on a slightly later flight, but with access to the lounge in Pearson and the arrival lounge in Heathrow, this was only a minor inconvenience. This, however, did leave us with a full day layover in London, but there are certainly worse ways to spend an afternoon than in London. Upon landing in Heathrow we checked out the arrival lounge for a quick bite and a shower to freshen up. There is nothing quite like a shower after a long flight to get you ready for the day ahead. With our carry-on bags in tow, we hopped on the express train into the city and checked out Borough Market at the base of the Shard.

I was all too eager to make the most of our time in London while we were sitting in the departure lounge in Toronto the night before, but now faced with a long day ahead I was less than enthused. My wife, thankfully, convinced me that it was a good idea. We snacked and drank our way around the market for an hour. Highlights included: the best scotch egg I've ever had and fresh oysters paired with a couple glasses of champagne. After having our fill we set up at a Thames side pub for a few pints. The time finally came for us to make the trek back to Heathrow for our flight to Mumbai.

I became enamoured with India, and specifically Mumbai, from the moment we landed. Having a slight mix-up with the hotel regarding an airport pickup we hopped in a cab and made the long (time-wise, not distance) to our hotel; the iconic Taj Palace at the Gateway of India. Security is high at the hotel, which is more than understandable given the tragic events that took place nearly 10 years ago. However, once bags are scanned and you step inside we were greeted with the elegance and hospitality that remained constant through our stay. After receiving a welcome drink as our check in was taken care of for us, we were shown to our room. Again, my shameless mention of this being our honeymoon paid off in spades when we were shown our upgraded suite. As we entered our room we were greeted by our butler for our stay who gave us the tour of the room, starting with the guest bathroom (while we never entertained guests, a second bathroom is a nice addition), the large living and dining room, our massive bedroom with view of the Gateway of India, large marble bathroom, and second entrance way. After dropping our bags off and scheduling a tour of the hotel for the next day though our butler, we decided to check out the area around the hotel. We didn't venture very far as we were fast approaching 40 hours of travel time since we left Toronto. After a quick shop and some sightseeing, we popped into Leopold's for dinner. Although food was the main draw to coming to India, the portrayal of the country in Wes Anderson's Darjeeling Limited and in Gregory David Roberts' books Shantaram and The Mountain Shadow also were huge influences. Leopold's features heavily in Shantaram so I was very happy to find out first that it was a real place, and second that it was literally a 5 minute walk from the Taj Palace. Leopold's was also targeted during the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, and the bullet holes in the wall beside us were an all too real reminder of this. Putting this out of mind, we had our first full meal in India: dal, tandoori chicken, garlic naan and a couple of Kingfisher beers. From the first bite I knew the food was going to live up to the high expectations we had. After devouring the food, we headed back to our room to get some much needed sleep.

The next morning began like many of our days in India would, bright and early. With no solid plan, we decided we would just explore the city, and try to see as many sights as we could. The first stop was Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a UNESCO designated train station and one of the most ornate and intricate buildings I have ever seen. The is no shortage of criticisms of the British occupation of India, but you cannot deny the influence on architecture is beautiful. Wanting to check out a few sights on the other side, we spoke with and arranged a price for a taxi to take us to Dhobi Ghat, a large outdoor laundry. After hopping in the backseat, however, our driver was pulled out by a policeman in uniform who demanded to see what appeared to be an ID, and after looking it over for a few seconds, preceded to strike the driver in the leg with a baton. I'm not sure exactly what was going on, but knew I wanted no part and decided it was best if we walked for a bit and found a new ride. I'm not sure exactly how I was supposed to respond to that situation, but trying to get involved was probably the wrong decision. After securing a new car, we made the trek through the crazy traffic of Mumbai to Dhobi Ghat. While we didn't enter and walk around (I'm not quite sure if it's open to the public) we were able to get a great vantage spot from the overpass above. Sprawling out below there were lines and lines of drying clothes. Houses, businesses, and even hotels all utilize the laundry services here and the scale and organization required to properly run this operation is uniquely Indian. After snapping a few photos and taking it in, we got back in the cab and agreed on a fee to hire him out for the day to see some more sights: next stop - Haji Ali Dargah, a seaside mosque. What makes Haji Ali Dargah unique is that it is actually not so much seaside, as it is set in the sea. Built maybe 200 yards out in a bay, the mosque is reached by a long pier. However, as the tide comes in, the walkway becomes flooded, and, if you don't time it right, you can be stuck out there for hours until the tide goes out. Unfortunately for us, we were on the cusp of the tide coming in, and not wanting to be stranded, we decided to just take photos from the shore. Our driver had not really understood that we wanted to stop and take photos, so while in traffic told us to just hop out and then meet up with him at the next light. This was easier said than done. After grabbing a couple pictures, We searched for a while up and and down the street. Just as we were about to give up, we heard a voice shouting and turned to see our driver on the other side of the highway waving his arms frantically. Meeting up with him, he decided that it was probably best to actually park at the sights as opposed to trying to time hopping out in traffic. We agreed.

Getting a little tired of sitting in traffic, we had the driver drop us off at Girgaum Chowpatty, a beach on Mumbai's Back Bay. Walking along the beach, we stopped for our first street food of our trip. We ordered Pav Bhaji (a buttery curry with buns for dipping) and Bhel Puri (a plate of mixed dried rice and vegetables). The food was amazing and one regret I have of the trip in general is that I didn't try as much street food as I would have liked. After our quick meal, we headed back for the oasis that is the Taj Palace to catch our tour of the hotel. Arriving back with some time to spare, we made a quick stop at the Harbour Bar, the fist bar to be licensed in the city and had their signature cocktail, "From the Harbour since 1933". The story behind the cocktail is long and detailed, but essentially originated in 1933 (as the title suggests) and was served to a sailor from America who was celebrating the end of prohibition back home. It's a pretty involved drink which is prepared over flame table side, and is delicious. After our drink, we met our tour guide who walked us around the grounds of the hotel explaining the history and architecture of the building. The remainder of the day was just spent reading pool side, drinking sweet lime soda under the verandah, and enjoying a massage at the spa.

The next morning began even earlier than normal, as my wife opted to do sunrise yoga by the pool. Taking advantage of the early hour, I explored around the Gateway of India and the surrounding neighbourhood and enjoyed a rarity of India; peace and quiet. It was great to walk around and get some photos of the Gateway practically empty and catch the sunrise over Mumbai Harbour. After wandering around, I headed back to the Taj to the verandah to enjoy a cup of chai and sweet lime soda. This began a bit of a trend for me on this trip. Pretty much every stop I visited which sold beverages I would order a sweet lime soda- a perfect mix of soda water, lime juice, and syrup. It is incredibly refreshing and a great way to beat the heat in India. After a light breakfast, we made the long journey across the street to the Gateway where we caught a ferry to Elephanta Island.

After about an hour, the ferry docked at Elephanta, a small island in Mumbai Harbour. The island features a number of caves carved out with depictions of Hindu god Shiva and dates back to between the 5th and 6th century. The island also featured a number of animals which I was all too eager to take photos of. We had made the correct decision to get the first ferry over to the island, so the caves were not too busy and it wasn't too hot. After climbing the steps to the top of the mountain, we were wandered through the sprawling caves carved with such detail. This was not only a highlight of Mumbai, but of our whole trip in India. As we left down the steps, it was noticeably more busy and made a difficult task of fighting the crowds to catch the return ferry to the Gateway. Upon our return we made our way to a clothing store to have some shirts made and scheduled a resizing for when we returned to Mumbai in a few weeks before our flights back home. This was our last night in Mumbai, and I was sure I was already going to miss it. There is so much to see, do, and eat that you could spend weeks here and only experience a fraction of what is on offer. I can't wait to return

#Travel #Tourist #photography #blog #Beyond the 49th #mumbai #india #taj

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beyondthe49th-blog · 7 years

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