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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2013 19:33:04 GMT
And a few more.. Always in the streets of India you will see vendors selling food, of one sort or another: A cycle-rickshaw. There are less of them now, we are told, then there used to be at one time. The auto-rickshaws have taken over. Did I have a go on one while there? Of course! But I didn't feel safe in them at all and I ended up feeling sorry for the cycle-rickshaw driver. I saw that Europeans really liked this mode of transport though, it can be fun if you have the time and patience for it. Things have to be transported any way they can: I know not all kids go to school. Many are still seen wondering or standing around when they should have their nose in a book instead. But at least these kids are not begging. The saddest thing I saw were kids very small to much older begging in different parts of India. There were not that many in numbers I guess, but there are more than there should be. I noticed in Delhi that some of the kids were on the main roads and zigzagging around all sorts of busy traffic, (I guess where lots of tourists travel), and there they perform for people. I saw kids dancing, I saw a brother and sister act, where the boy played the drums and the girl (who was double-jointed) twisted her arms and body in all sorts of ways. A New Zealand couple that were on the bus with us (in Delhi), said they were shocked when in a bus one day, they heard a knock on the side of their window and there stood a woman with a bone stuck out of her arm, and she was using this to knock on windows and beg. The most disadvantaged seemed to be begging the most. And yet I had heard and was assured (when I tried to inquire), that there was disability help for these people. I just didn't and still don't know what to believe. I told my kids before we landed in India that this journey was going to change us and we'd come back different people from what we were then. You see so much stuff in India, and if you have never witnessed or been in that kind of environment before it does make you think and opens your eyes. All sorts of animals on the street, even monkeys. Agra has a large population of them. Here is a pig walking down the street: Street life: Underneath those big cement blocks on the floor onto one side is where the sewers and waste water runs. You simply cannot get away from the smell. At least in this street they are covered, in some streets they are left open: Fresh fruit anyone? We never bought fruit from a stall that had it all cut open like that. The flies are all over it straight away. The only way to buy fruit is if it still has it's own skin intact, like a banana, and I found grapes were okay to have too, as long as they were washed thoroughly before eating with bottled water:
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2013 6:39:00 GMT
I am noticing in some of your pictures -- for example the girl leaning against the bike (great picture!) -- how much some of these people look like the Roma in Europe. Everybody knows that they originated in India, but it is rather surprising that the resemblances have not faded away after several centuries in Europe. Thye must not mix much with the rest of the population.
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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2013 14:09:14 GMT
I noticed that too, K. I have friends in the UK who are Roma (or descendants of). I was surprised to learn that I could understand some of the words in their songs (songs that have been handed down throughout the generations). Some Roma people in the UK are very knowledgeable about their ancestry, while others can't be bothered to know or find out and just want to be considered White/English. (This of course if not realistic). They do have a certain tone to their skin, even if they are mixed race now.
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Post by lugg on May 22, 2013 6:51:19 GMT
I had no idea that smoking was so taboo in India
Deyana this continues to be an absolutely fascinating journey , thank you.
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Post by rikita on May 22, 2013 7:42:24 GMT
i think we sometimes stayed in windowless rooms in india... or at least one i remember for sure. and others had just tiny ones. i think i didn't mind that much - less chances for mosquitos to get in, and we were outside all day anyway, just sleeping there...
the part about whether people get disability payments or have to beg - don't know how it is in india, but i think in other places i heard that often those payments are so small they can't live on them, and also if they don't have papers (and if they are from very poor families they might not have them?) they can't get such payments?
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Post by nycgirl on May 23, 2013 0:31:40 GMT
It is remarkable how much stuff/people can be loaded onto a small vehicle. I've seen some impressive feats that I wish I had gotten pictures of. I need to take more street photos like yours.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2013 0:37:22 GMT
lugg, I'm glad you are finding it interesting. It's journey I will never forget. Smoking is really looked down on in India, I'm sure the roots of that must be religion in some way. They had ordinary cigarettes on sale, both imported and Indian made, but they also had these itsy little ones called 'biddies'. I've never seen anything like them. This is what they looked like and they are very very cheap - 5 or 10 rupees a pack. I noticed that many of the rickshaw drivers smoked these, they also spat a lot too after smoking them. Kind of disgusting really.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2013 0:46:53 GMT
Rikita, the only thing about windowless rooms is that (unless you have air-conditioning), it can get very hot in there. Mind you if you are tired enough, I guess you probably won't notice it too much. I'm the type who always has to have a window open anyway, even if it's cold outside (unless it's very cold - then I sometimes close it!). But a window was one of the things that I started to look out for after that first experience. True about the mosquitoes though, always look out for windows which have a mosquito net on them. Here in Canada most of the houses are fitted with nets as we are used to mosquitoes (and black flies) in the late Spring time, so it was something I was aware of.
Regarding disability payments in India. I didn't have the time or actually I should say, I didn't stay in one place long enough to really look into it properly. So, maybe there is provision for the poor or disabled, but it's not easy to get or is too small to feed and house a person? I'm sure that must be the case. I knew (in Delhi at least), there were shelters for homeless kids, but I'm not sure about other places. Nevertheless, a lot still needs to be improved in these cases.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2013 0:49:11 GMT
nycgirl, it would be great to see photos of street life when you travel next. I'll look forward to those It's a really good way of viewing the everyday folk and getting an idea of how people live in other places.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2013 0:51:28 GMT
So what else is there to see in Agra? Before the tuktuk driver did a disappearing act on our second day, he drove us to Agra Fort and to the Taj Mahal. It rained all day long and it was cold and miserable, but we went out anyway. This resulted in my 19 year old boy getting very sick. It was probably that as well as something he might have ate, not too sure. Later on I ended up taking him to the hospital where his temperature went up to over 102 degrees. Thankfully, the doctor prescribed him the right kind of antibiotics and they worked and he got better. But all this meant that we had to stay in our grotty hotel more days then we wanted to and get more acquainted with Agra then I ever wanted to be. Duel pricing is in effect, both for Agra Fort and for the Taj Mahal. The difference of which is in the hundreds of rupees. We paid 250 rupees each for the Fort and 750 rupees each to see the Taj Mahal. The locals, (Indian residents paid a few rupees each and that was it). 'The Red Fort of Agra is a powerful fortress founded in 1565 by the Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) on the right bank of the Yamuna; it is placed today on the north-west extremity of the Shah Jahan Gardens which surround the Taj Mahal and clearly form, with them, a monumental unity. This bastioned fortress, with walls of red sandstone rising above a moat and interrupted by graceful curves and lofty bastions, encompasses within its enclosure walls of 2.5 km, the imperial city of the Mogul rulers. Like the Delhi Fort, that of Agra is one of the most obvious symbols of the Mogul grandeur which asserted itself under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan.' It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, as is the Taj Mahal. You can actually see the Taj Mahal from the Fort: Different kinds of birds and little animals can be seen skipping around the grounds of the fort: And then we went to the Taj Mahal. The touts, vendors, street people etc. were not anywhere as bad as they had been on the way to the Golden Temple, which was a relief: 'The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision.' Millions of people from India and around the world have visited this monument. The lineups for it are incredible,even on a rainy day. A few images: We walk down here to get our tickets: There are other buildings also surrounding the Taj Mahal: My sons - (brown hoodie and checkered shirt), heading towards the building: And one more: And the tombs inside: On another day we would go to a 'handicraft store' and this 'Baby Taj' was on display. It was set on a table, and was around 6 feet by 4 feet, so quite a large replica. What did I personally think of the Taj Mahal? I thought if was a beautiful looking building on the outside, but quite dismal and small on the inside, at least in the areas that tourists/visitors are allowed to see. Once past the doors we were ushered through really fast (there was a lot of people), it was a disappointment. The tombs were surrounded by a fence that was very hard to see through. And no photos are allowed in there. Yes, I did break the rules and took one, of the tombs, and I had to take it over the fence.
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Post by bjd on May 23, 2013 6:56:40 GMT
I notice in one of the pictures near the Taj Mahal there are quite a few people barefoot. They are obviously tourists, not beggars, so what is the reason? Did they leave their shoes at the entrance as a sign of respect?
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Post by rikita on May 23, 2013 9:16:31 GMT
wasn't there a scene in slumdog millionaire of the boys there stealing shoes at the taj mahal that tourists left at the entrance?
one mor ething about windows - we had a quite memorable night in trivandrum, in a room with windows and mosquito nets, but with holes in the nets (and no nets at the bathroom window) - mr. r. spent the whole night hunting mosquitos, while i tried to sleep and i told him they just keep coming in as long as the light is on. in the end, i just managed to fall asleep anyway, when a mosquito apparently sat down on my arm, and he just had to get that one too...
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Post by tod2 on May 23, 2013 10:42:25 GMT
Deyana - Still following your wonderful trip with great interest! I admit the scenes of that poor dog with mange all over it's body and the cattle standing in the trash made me shudder. Yes, I was one of those who asked for 'warts 'n all'!! Dozens of cows must die from ingesting plastic. They do here, in the out lying areas where cattle roam free and garbage is everywhere but in a bin. If I was a veterinary doctor in India I would certainly do the humane thing and euthanize a lot of dogs that are obviously not owned or cared for by anyone. The Taj was magnificent! I was hoping you would sit on Diana's bench for a photo ;D I don't watch many films on TV and haven't been in a cinema for years, but two nights ago I was flicking through the channels and 'The Best Marigold Hotel' had just started so I watched to the end. I only recognized the deep well where all the steps go down at different angles. The water the children were supposed to be swimming in looked a lot cleaner than in your and OnlyMark's photos. Wonder how they did that in the movie... Looking forward to more!
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2013 14:56:30 GMT
I notice in one of the pictures near the Taj Mahal there are quite a few people barefoot. They are obviously tourists, not beggars, so what is the reason? Did they leave their shoes at the entrance as a sign of respect? I actually have no idea where they left their shoes. Shoes could be worn inside the Taj Mahal, but they had to be covered with something. Do you notice the white little socks thingys that some are wearing over their shoes? (it's hard to see because the pics are quite small), but we covered our shoes with these and simply walked in.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2013 15:01:08 GMT
wasn't there a scene in slumdog millionaire of the boys there stealing shoes at the taj mahal that tourists left at the entrance? one mor ething about windows - we had a quite memorable night in trivandrum, in a room with windows and mosquito nets, but with holes in the nets (and no nets at the bathroom window) - mr. r. spent the whole night hunting mosquitos, while i tried to sleep and i told him they just keep coming in as long as the light is on. in the end, i just managed to fall asleep anyway, when a mosquito apparently sat down on my arm, and he just had to get that one too... I don't remember that scene from the Slumdog movie, Riki. But at the Taj Mahal shoes didn't have to be removed (kind of surprising really). There was no building or official place to leave shoes, as far as I could see, unlike at the Golden Temple and other places. Maybe with the masses of people that pass through these doors each day, it would just not be possible to organize it? haha... it's a good thing that you and hubby were newlyweds at the time of the mosquito challenge! (I hope he made up for it in some way afterwards)
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2013 15:15:12 GMT
Deyana - Still following your wonderful trip with great interest! I admit the scenes of that poor dog with mange all over it's body and the cattle standing in the trash made me shudder. Yes, I was one of those who asked for 'warts 'n all'!! Dozens of cows must die from ingesting plastic. They do here, in the out lying areas where cattle roam free and garbage is everywhere but in a bin. If I was a veterinary doctor in India I would certainly do the humane thing and euthanize a lot of dogs that are obviously not owned or cared for by anyone. The Taj was magnificent! I was hoping you would sit on Diana's bench for a photo ;D I don't watch many films on TV and haven't been in a cinema for years, but two nights ago I was flicking through the channels and 'The Best Marigold Hotel' had just started so I watched to the end. I only recognized the deep well where all the steps go down at different angles. The water the children were supposed to be swimming in looked a lot cleaner than in your and OnlyMark's photos. Wonder how they did that in the movie... Looking forward to more! Tod, I quite understand, I still shudder looking at some of pictures I took. Dogs and animals in general hold a soft spot for me, and I find it hard to just pass on by when I see something like that. This sounds silly, as I had no food on me at the time to give to the poor dog, I went and bought an ice-cream (at the stall near by) and gave it to him. It's all I could think of to do. We were told not to touch dogs and cats etc on the street. but my sons and I overrode that advice and petted them left, right and center. They were always friendly and happy to get the attention. That's something that is the same all the world round, neglected or not, they still all want and need affection... There are literally thousands, maybe millions of stray dogs on the streets of India. A neutering and spaying program would really help, but who is going to fund it? I have a real yearning to go back to Bangalore - to the SPCA, or as it's called the animal welfare society, and see what I can do. I felt that not enough was being done, why this was I'm not sure. Lack of funding or mismanagement of funds? I just don't know. I still think of my two little rescued kittens and wonder what became of them... I was not allowed to ask about them once I had dropped them off there - (which I found really annoying). It was too wet to sit on Diana's bench! I think it was occupied anyway. The Marigold Hotel was a fun movie, I really enjoyed it. Well, I guess in the movies they can make something look a lot different to what it is in reality. I only just now looked over OM's thread of India, you drew my attention to it. hmm...interesting. Much more to come yet ;D Next thread will be about our journey onwards to Jodpur, in Rajasthan.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2013 12:20:00 GMT
I'm finally catching up to the photos of the fort and the Taj Mahal -- obviously quite spectacular and it is sort of nice to see the rainy pictures, because you never see 'professional' pictures of the major monuments of the world in the rain. In fact, the photographs have always made me think that it must be super hot there, but your photos certainly dispel that notion.
Looking at the front entrance of Agra Fort, if ever they want to transform it into a synagogue some day, they won't have to change the decor. ;D (unlike régions where there are swastikas everywhere!)
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Post by nycgirl on May 24, 2013 13:30:56 GMT
Terrific photos of Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. Although I don't have much desire to go to India, I'd love to see these buildings. Sorry to hear the experience of going into the Taj Mahal was disappointing, though.
I agree with K, the rain photos are special. I especially like the one of the girl with the billowing green garments. She and her family seem to be enjoying themselves despite the weather.
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2013 17:13:43 GMT
The rain does make the whole area surrounding the Taj look very different to what we normally see on all those perfect photos on the internet. Sadly, that day will always hold a bad memory in my mind, as my son was very sick once the day was over and I had to take him to the hospital - he did recover though. My worst nightmare came true, I was dreading my kids getting sick. It stopped us in our tracks for a few days and we were basically stuck in Agra until he felt well enough to travel again.
Arh, those images of swastikas all over the place! Awful. I know they have a religious aspect to them in India, but I really didn't like seeing them, as obviously I associated them with Hitler. I did take some pics of them in various places and will post them up once I get to that section of the trip.
nycgirl, the inside of the Taj was very disappointing and we were allowed no time to stop, we had to keep moving on, as there were so many people inside at the time. There was not much to see other than the tombs. I hope I never have to go back to Agra again, it's a city I will gladly pass on by.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2013 15:51:27 GMT
The tuktuk driver that always seemed to be hanging around, (it was hard to get rid of him), asked again if we wanted to take a private bus (as opposed to a government one), to our next destination. By that time I was too fatigued and fed up to care what we took, as long as it took us out of that hell-hole of a town. I still had a lot to learn, and he got me when I was not feeling at my strongest. It had really jolted and upset me that my son had become so sick and I was again questioning myself as to the wisdom of doing this trip in the first place. If I had not had my boys with me, I would have not cared so much about the hassles that came along, but if anything happened to them, I would and could never forgive myself. The so called 'travel agent' he took us to asked us exactly where we wanted to go next? Where did we want to go next? I knew we all wanted to take a camel safari into the Thar desert in Jaisalmer, Which is in the State of Rajasthan, but that would be too long a journey for one bus ride. So which city to stop in on the way? First I booked the bus to Udaipur, and then changed it to Jodhpur, as it was a more direct route to Jaisalmer. So Jodhpur it was. This being the first long distance private bus we had hired I didn't realize until afterwards that the 'travel agent' had charged us twice the going rate for the bus tickets. At least we did get the sleeper compartments though. Of course the tuktuk driver was so eager to take us to this agent, as he knew he'd get a big commission out of it for himself. After this first rip off we encountered, we would start to cut out the middle man (travel agent) and book directly with the private bus company, for half the price. Here is a photo I took of inside the bus: Crowded as it always is, and it would get more crowded still. Anyhow, do you see the 'sleepers' at the top on either side? Doubles on the right and singles on the left. Underneath are the seats for those passengers who had booked seats only. There was only about 200 rupees difference in the two kinds. I did take a sleeper on that particular bus, but it was to be the last time I did. I found it too dusty, and too bumpy to be of any good. And it was quite the climb up there and down again to use the washroom. The 'washroom' by the way usually ended up being an alleyway or deserted side road, which I had to find in a hurry each time, before the bus went off again! A few times I did get an actual toilet on the way, but to be honest I preferred just finding a corner outside to pee somewhere, as the toilets where unimaginably dirty and dark inside. So onwards we rode and it was early morning by the time we arrived in Jodhpur.
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2013 7:28:20 GMT
The inside of the bus is really amazing. I have been on just one or two sleeper buses in my life, and I found that the bus movement really did make impossible to sleep well lying down -- I sleep much better in a seat in such a case. And since one of those buses was in Europe on motorways from Paris to Austria, it wasn't even a case of bad roads.
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Post by lugg on May 29, 2013 6:34:24 GMT
Great commentary and photos, as others have said I enjoyed the photos of the Taj in the rain and with the crowds
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2013 23:11:54 GMT
Thanks, lugg. Because I didn't take to Agra much, I'd like to say, 'forget about going to see the Taj Mahal'. but truth is it's a monument no one should overlook, no matter how much hassle it is to actually get there. It's quite breathtaking, a beautiful piece of architecture.
Kerouac, those buses were not easy to travel on. Although my sons liked the sleepers just fine. But I guess when you're young you can sleep just about anywhere.
It was always nice when getting to a hotel at the end of a particularly long bus or train ride and sleeping in a cosy bed. Man, how I got to appreciate that!
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