Jaisalmer - Days Two and Three

Lets first start by saying that Day 3 in Jaisalmer was completely wasted by long periods of sleeping in the sun on the rooftop terrace. Why? Easy... I finally got ill. My own fault really; I tempted fate and ate some VERY spicy Rajasthani food and my stomach was not prepared for it at all. Needless to say, without the details, I spent a very miserable night between days 2 and 3 and really needed the rest and rehydration on day three.

Day 2 though, that was incredible! I did a combo jeep and camel safari into the dunes of the Thar Desert. We also went and saw other heritage sights (by jeep), like Bada Bagh, the royal cenotaphs for dead Maharajas. I'll be completely honest, when it comes to describing what the desert was like, I am, uncharacteristically, lost for words. It was simply breath-takingly beautiful. The transition from desert scrubland to dunes was amazing - you could almost sense the eons old war between the two terrains - a constant struggle for life over death. Yet, life there was, and in abundance. I even saw some dung beetles, although they weren't rolling shit balls. Apparently, it isn't the right time of year for that - but then, is there ever a right time to play with someone else's shit?

The camel I rode, Rocket, was really gentle and provided a smooth right. The sore balls I anticipated did not happen, for which I will be eternally grateful! And yes, I did in fact get lots of photos. At sunset, we camped out and prepared a desert meal (the one that made me ill). The aroma was mouth-wateringly awesome! The taste, even more so... its a shame my western stomach was just unprepared for the spicy factor. Illness or no, it didn't take away from my experience - it really was a once in a lifetime thing; something to remember always.

I even managed to do a time lapsed video shot of the sun setting over the dunes. I thought about doing the shot from on top of the dunes and seeing the sun set into the horizon, but then everyone does that. So, I opted to do it from the bottom of the dunes... maybe not as spectacular a shot as I could have gotten, but it was exactly what I wanted - and in the end, thats all that matters.

Today is Bhang Lassi day! Fuck, I hope I'm ready for this - cannabis laced yogurt drinks that make you very happy. Yeah, I'm ready! LoL!

Bada Bagh

Me, on Rocket, trying to be a desert nomad! LoL!

Dung Beetle - minus the dung

Sand dunes of the Thar Desert

Rocket!

Sun down over the dunes

Another safari heading to Jaisalmer after sundown

The infamous meal that nearly killed me!

Today, I'm off to explore the neighbourhoods of Jaisalmer and the markets. I want to try to find a rooftop where I can get a shot of the whole fort, so you can see the size of the place in relation to the very small section where I am staying. Take care all... tomorrow I leave for Bikaner and Deshnok. Not sure if I'll be online for a few days after that until I reach Jodhpur or Udaipur. Until then...

Pushkar - Monkey Business

Well, I finally got this computer to function with my video camera, so I can now share a video with you that I'm sure you'll enjoy! This one is of me on top of the temple cafe mountain (Pushkar) teasing the monkeys, who took my game WAY too seriously and lost their shit about it. Needless to say, Joe - 0 , Monkeys - 1. So yeah, Joe = FAIL. LoL & FML!!! :D

And yes, I know the sound kinda sucks, but what can you do???

NOTE: This video is available in HD at 720p - try that mode for best quality.

Jaisalmer - Day One

So, the ride to Jaisalmer was alright! The roads werent too bad, and I slept most of the way, waking up once to have a smoke ($5.00 CDN a carton BTW). Jaisalmer is really fucking beautiful, a real desert town! I am staying in the fort, like right at the top, with a minarette in my room that is my terrace (pics to follow). Spent most of the day getting used to the layout of the fort and then went down to Gadi Sagar, a lake with small temples in the middle of it. I like the atmosphere here - its a large city, but its not as noisy as Jaipur or Delhi were and its not as polluted either.

Today I go on a combo jeep / camel safari out into the REAL desert to visit some abandoned villages (heritage sites) and a habitated gypsy village where I will start my camel ride out into the dunes to watch the sun set and to have dinner with my mahouts and guide - a desert thali is what we're having.

Not much else to tell you... life is good, the road is long and Bob Dylan's song keeps coming to my mind:

If today was not a broken highway
If tonight was not a crooked trail
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time
Then loneliness would mean nothing to me at all

Don't worry yourselves folks! I am quite happy and content. Life on the road is doing me loads of good! Muscle tone is returning and general health is quite good - havent been ill at all (save for a minor nasal infection, which I think was just because of the desert sand getting in there all day). Dukoral has in fact saved my life (Thanks Sunil and Yogesh!), no cases of the dreaded Delhi-belly to report!

Want some photos??? These first three are the ones I wanted to share from Pushkar...

Feeding the monkeys on the Temple Cafe Mountain

Pushkar from on top of the Temple Cafe Mountain

A wild peacock that lived in the hills behind my hotel

Now, these photos are of Jaisalmer (of what I saw in one day, that is...)

My terrace is the one in the middle

The view from my terrace

Me, looking out at Jaisalmer

The rooftop patio, this maharaja seat is on top of my terrace

One of the temples at Gadi Sagar

Another temple at Gadi Sagar

And this was just too fucking funny!

Thats it for today folks... almost 10:00am here and I have stuff to do before heading out into the desert. Take care all. More to follow tomorrow of the safari!!! Oh and by the way... my hotel, as nice as it looks and all, is only costing me 125 rupees a night... so, less than $3.00 cdn/nt... I love India, have I said that yet today???

Pushkar tonight, Jaisalmer tomorrow

So, I've bought my ticket for Jaisalmer and I leave tonight at 11:00pm IST. Its an overnight, 10.5 hour trip. So when I wake up tomorrow, I'll be in a whole new part of Rajasthan, on the edge of the Thar Desert. Very excited for this leg of the trip!

Pushkar has been a very positive and uplifting place. In a way, the peaceful here has given me lots of time to consider things that perhaps otherwise I would not have. Without going into specifics, let's just say I am very good with life right now. But my search is not yet over... I may have some of the answers or some of the right questions, but I dont have them all. Five weeks remaining...

Sorry there are no pictures tonight friends and family. I'm using both USB ports right now to charge my video camera and ipod for tomorrow. But I promise you that I have some AMAZING photos to share with you of a sunset from the top of a mountain in the desert!

So, until Jaisalmer, I bid you all a fond goodnight!!!

Jaipur, Ajmer and Pushkar

So I went to Jaipur after Agra, which turned out to be just the same sort of ripoff city as Agra was. dont get me wrong, it was nice and unusually clean for an Indian city. Its a large city, with just under a million people. Very busy place! I got hit by a motorcycle there... nothing too serious aside from a very sore leg (sorry for not mentioning that to you Aude.. didnt want you to worry). The Hawa Mahal was very nice, and the people were great! Overall, and excellent intro to Rajasthan. Unfortunately, it was as expensive as Agra, so it was in and out. Which kinda sucks, because I didnt get to go see Amber Fort. MAYBE if time allows, I'll go back to see if I missed anything.

Leaving Jaipur, I took a train to Ajmer, where I didnt stay long enough to see anything. I went straight from the train to the bus depot to catch a 30 minute bus to Pushkar where I am now... and BTW, that bus ride was only 10 rupees (roughly $0.20 CDN). Been in Pushkar for 2 days now, and am planning to stay for another two. Its really beautiful and holy here, and cheap which is the bonus after Agra and Jaipur. After this place, I'll be heading to Jaisalmer for some camel rides and Bhang Lassis! Wahoo!

Me in front of the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur

A chilli and curry vendors display in Jaipur

Pushkar Lake and holy ghats

A view of the desert around Pushkar

So its almost 30 degrees today, and its 4:00pm, so I think I'll head off and watch the sunset in the mountains now... have a good time all. Miss ya and will post a new update once Im in Jaisalmer!!!

Agra - In and Out

Agra: The Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. These things were amazing as was the hotel I stayed at. BUT, Agra is a vicious little town where everyone is out to bilk tourists of every penny they have in their pockets. I went WAY over budget there, but its okay. It wasn't for long anyways... today as I write this, I am in Jaipur in Rajasthan, for 2 days and then off to Ajmer for a connection to Pushkar. Life on the road is never ending and not easy, but I'm at my best right now. Not much to say here... how about a photo or two?

Day 8 - Rishikesh And Onwards...

So I had booked an overnight express to Agra for tonight, but it got cancelled as of this afternoon as I was the only passenger booked on it! Fuck me... anyways, the travel agent got me on another bus, this one going to Delhi (fuck me#2). Thankfully I am only there for 2 hours before catching the train he also booked for me to get to Agra and the Taj Mahal. So, by tomorrow morning at 10:00am IST (11:30pm EST) I will be in Agra. Today I just chilled out on the ghats and walked around soaking in all of the peaceful atmosphere here that I could. Agra is going to push me to my limits with all of the pushy touts there trying to get me to buy this or buy that...

How about some pictures??? One in particular - I got swarmed by about 30-40 kids today, visiting Rishikesh from the state of Gujarat... I dont think theyve seen many white people in person - they were snapping photos with me like there was no tomorrow. They mustve taken about 20!!! So, I got my due and got one with as many of them as could be gathered without announcing it to the whole ghat! It was just one of those VERY fun moments in life...

Me and the kids from Gujarat!

The spiciest chips I've ever eaten! Wish we had these at home!

Saying goodbye to some negative things...

I don't think they had his size... either way, he wanted to look!

Alpha Male Macaque en route to the waterfalls

Agra tomorrow and Rajasthan to follow... enjoy the weekend friends and loved ones! I know I will!

Day 7 - Rishikesh

Spent a lot of time relaxing yesterday... this really is the peaceful sort of place to do that, as it is in the Himalayas. It does get cold here at night, but not so bad a blanket or two cant hold it at bay. Gonna try to get some more photos online for you... they will say more than I ever could about the beauty of this valley community.

Lakshman Jhula Bridge

Hanuman's Langur Monkey near Ram Jhula Bridge

Croissant Stealing Monkey!!!

Ive got the rest of today and tomorrow afternoon here in Rishikesh, and then I am off for a day trip to Haridwar, where I will catch my connection to take me 12 hours south to Agra and the Taj Mahal! See you all then!!! Peace!

Day 5 - delhi and Rishikesh

I realize I havent been keeping up to date here... its been so time consuming that Ive let things ride for a while. I will try to sum it all up so far, as best I can.

New Delhi is schizophrenic, but at the same time, awesome! It takes about a day to get used to the smell and the noise, but after that its smooth sailing - until you step out onto the street. Its mayhem!!! Still, that being said, it doesnt take long to learn how to navigate the streets. And the food! My goodness, but its excellent! The best yet was a street vendor selling hard brown potatoes covered with salt, chilis and lemon juice. Sounds strange I know, but I ate it constantly, about 2-3 times a day. And each bowl only cost 20 rupees (about $0.35 CDN).

I am currently in Rishikesh beside the Ganges river in the Himalayas... its peaceful here. The kind of place Ive needed for a long time. However, in two days, I leave to head 12 hours south for Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

Heres some photos:

Me at the Ganges in Rishikesh

Monkey at Rishikesh - Lakshman Jhula Bridge

New Delhi - Day One!

I am here! The flight was exhausting (17 hours all told) - I even slept through takeoff in Istanbul - whoever heard of such a thing?!?!


Delhi is a chaotic mess! There are rickshaws everywhere, honking all the time, spewing toxic exhaust out at every rev of the engine. And the dogs, cows and other assorted critters makes for an interesting mix. Even though its a rough looking area I am staying in, everyone here is SOOO nice and helpful. And the food... to die for!


I will be going to do the touristy thing tomorrow and Monday... too jet lagged today to think about it. So, sorry, no photos yet. Im just too exhausted to think about it,. and its been a little rough adjusting to the air here. Its not really so different, aside from the smell and thickness of the pollution, but Im just not used to it.

I finally am here ... I am finally doing it. Those traveller stories that I always had to listen to??? Yeah, they're mine now... And Im tickled pink at the idea of it all.

So dont worry friends... I am safe and I am sound, if not just a little tired and missing things we take for granted. More will follow...

And oh... to call Canada from India for 10 minutes??? $0.45 canadian... lol, I love it here! 30 minutes internet usage, $0.25.

Until tomorrow...

Holy Fuck - It's Today!

Okay, so yeah, yesterday, I was calm, I was chill... until last night. I couldnt sleep for shit. It took me 3 hours to fall asleep and then once I was off to la-la land, I was awake again 4 hours later. I'm so thrilled, spooked, whatever, that I just couldn't sleep at all.

I'm trying to tell myself that I'm cycling into a new time zone, yeah thats it!!! Laughable... :)

So, last minute shit to do today, nothing too big, just those annoying things you know will nag you for ages if you don't do something about them. Mostly done now, and just waiting in this cafe to have lunch with my Aunt, who works around the corner. That'll be nice!

Mais, tabarank en crisse de calisse! I'm stressed - got window seats on both legs of my flight tonight from Toronto to Istanbul and onwards to Delhi, so thats good. Everything else is just making me itch... I'm just too fucking eager to be away! Sooner gone, sooner back - and you know, I'm slowly coming to realize that, like Santiago in the Alchemist, the things I was looking to find overseas are a lot closer to home than I ever imagined.

But I digress... this is gonna be the adventure to blow all the others out of the water. This is the primer for the next Amazing Race. Aude... I hope you're getting prepared! :)

One Day To Go!!!

Here we go! The day is almost upon me, and oddly enough, all of the stress and all of the doubts are gone. I am calm and focused on what lies ahead. Everything I could do to be prepared has been done. All that remains is to make it through to tomorrow and then to get on my flight.

Today, Oshawa. Tomorrow, Toronto. Friday, Istanbul. Saturday, Delhi...

That's fucked up! And I love it! Other than that, there isn't much more I can say - I'm calm. And I know that will change in 3 short days. Three very short days from now, winter will be a thing of the past for me for the year.

Here's to the year where everything changes ... and for the best!

See you all in India!!!! Yahoo!

One Week To Go!

It's really starting to get real now... I've got 2 days left in Quebec before heading to Toronto. After the four days there with my family and friends, it will be off to the airport for a whirlwind 17 hour flight, halfway around the world!

10.5 Time Zones, 3 oceans and 3 continents... I can almost smell the air, taste the food and hear the chaos that is New Delhi. And that's all within the confines of my mind from whatever media I have been able to peruse. I can safely assume that I will need to multiply that tenfold to match the reality! LoL! Fuck I'm excited!

All things being equal, I'm glad I'm not on a one week all-inclusive trip to Mexico.

Anything and everything is possible now - I've taken the biggest step of my life, a small step into a bigger world, by doing this and you know what? I plan to keep on walking, because isn't that what those boots were made for?

Stay posted kids... the adventure-fest is right around the corner!!! Delhi, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Agra - 9 days of mischief and mayhem. Fuck - j'ai hate!

And with that I only have one more thing to say - Wait for me.