India and Hong Kong Trip - 2011-12

Amazing India

During the holidays of December 2011 and January 2012 I left my comfort zone in California to explore Asia. More specifically, I packed up and ventured to the Indian Subcontinent. Why India? I was attracted to the dynamic, rapidly changing country with a rich heritage of culture, history, and food. My three week journey to India started with a flight from San Francisco to New Delhi. I then flew to Southern India and explored the beaches of Goa and the temples of Hampi. The trip ended with a stopover in bustling, modern Hong Kong.

New Delhi - Paharganj District

My introduction to India was the capital Delhi, a metropolis packed with 22 million inhabitants. Not surprisingly, it was loud, busy, chaotic, dilapidated, congested, dirty, and intense. I stayed in the backpacker area of Paharganj and visited many of the sights around the city including Red Fort, Lotus Temple, Jama Masjid Mosque, and Qutub Minar. The streets and markets were packed with people. Cows and dogs roamed the streets as they pleased. Poverty smacked me in the face as mothers and kids with desperate faces tugged on my arms and legs, asking for money or food. Outside the city, I did see the modern India that is hyped in Western media in the form of upscale corporate buildings, call centers, movie theatres, and shopping malls. However, this echelon of society seems to exist only in small pockets of India.

Jama Masjid Mosque in New Delhi

My tour of Northern India included Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore National Park, and Jaipur. The whirlwind trip took me up close to the beauty and chaos of India. I witnessed rural India from the front seat of a British Ambassador car. My trusty and cold-blooded driver, Kharak from Nepal, navigated the harrowing roads gracefully. His reflexes helped us avoid numerous crashes on the semi-lawless roadways. He honked and dodged obstacles such as cows, camels, aggressive truckers, and cars driving the wrong way down the freeway.

 The Taj Mahal in Agra

From Delhi I headed southeast to reach the city of Agra which contains the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. The Taj Mahal is a spectacular, ornate, man-made marble mausoleum created by Mughul emperor Shah Jahan to symbolize the love for his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj incorporates Persian, Turkish, and Indian architecture. The building was completed from 1632 – 1653 and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site it 1983. The tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife are inside the Taj, which is truly a magnificent structure and wonder of the world worth seeing in person.

Agra Fort, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was built in the 1500s mostly in brick and marble. (UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. UNESCO names and helps conserve world heritage sites that are deemed important to the common heritage of humanity.) Ironically, Shah Jahan was imprisoned in Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb after they battled. Shah Jahan could still see the Taj Mahal he built from his jail tower. Parrots filled the palm trees and monkeys climbed the walls around Agra Fort. Intricate floral designs were carved into the marble and laden with precious stones. The streets of Agra were teaming with traffic and business.

Indians Packed on a Moped

The eye-bulging tour continued south through small towns, shoddy roads, and endless agriculture fields. The additional destination of a national park took us off the beaten path. Adults stared at me as if they saw a ghost. Kids stared in bewilderment or smiled, waved, and ran after the car. Pigs, dogs, and monkeys competed for space and resources with men and kids on the unruly streets. Women, almost completely covered head to toe in colorful saris, were disproportionally represented and usually busy with laborious tasks like carrying huge bags on their heads. We were in areas devoid of tourists due to the route we took. My visions were reminiscent of National Geographic photos from the developing world. This rural version of India was much different from the high-tech India of the suburbs.
There seem to be two different groups in India. One smaller group is growing, changing, and integrating with the West in an upward trajectory. The other is a group comprised of hundreds of millions of people. It is shockingly poor, stagnant, and relegated to basic, subsistence living standards. Modern India faces a daunting challenge of helping the latter improve its lives despite its exploding population and limited financial resources.

Gazelle in Ranthambore National Park

Finally I arrived in Ranthambore, one of the largest national parks in Northern India and a tiger reserve since 1973. I went on a safari with a fun group in a large contour vehicle. I did not see a tiger but did see a sloth bear. The expansive, hilly terrain was full of exotic animals including leopards, hyenas, dhole (fox relative), and sanmbar (deer relative), monkeys, langurs, peacocks, and vultures.

Indian Women in Traditional Clothing in Jaipur

The trip continued through some back roads and in the desert state of Rajasthan. Mopeds and cars overflowed with people. Kids and adults dangled off the sides of vehicles. Safety did not seem to be a priority. I landed in the state capital, Jaipur, a hectic city of about 3 million. The main sites I visited were the City Palace, Jantar Mantar, and Amer Fort. After hanging with some cool European and Australian travelers at Nirvana Hostel, I toured the "pink" city. The City Palace is a complex built in the 1700s and is still a royal home. Jantar Mantar is a ground built in the 1700s dedicated to an array of astronomical instruments, including the world's largest sun dial. Amer Fort was made of marble and red sandstone in the 1500s. Jaipur is also loaded with great shopping such as art, textiles, clothes, rugs, jewelry, and marble. Although Jaipur was a bit touristy, it offers an exotic taste of Rajasthan’s history and culture.

Vijayanagara Temples in Hampi

After driving back to Delhi, I flew to Goa in Southern India. From there I managed to catch an Indian train 6 hours east from the coast to the town of Hampi. I had a difficult time locating my cabin because the train was marked out of order. The mix up forced me to run from one end of the train to the other end during a quick break in between stops. Fortunately I found my seat and linked up with some amiable English and Australian travelers. A 30 minute trek from Hospet via Rickshaw (basically a golf cart) got us to Hampi.
Hampi is a strange, mystical place with huge rock formations and practically unattended ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire dating to the 1300s. The Group of Monuments at Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Indian Kids at Hampi Temples

Luckily there were many Indian kids on field trips from cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore. They were very excited to meet us and appear in photos. Full of energy and curiosity, they approached us without restraint. Monkeys played in the trees surrounding the ruins like we were in an Indiana Jones movie. Ubiquitous ruins, unique sights, epic sunsets, eclectic restaurants, and a hippie vibe make Hampi a chill, interesting place for backpackers to visit.

Indian Food in Goa

The last leg of my India journey was in the beach towns of Goa in Southern India. Goa, a former Portuguese colony until 1961, has a different feel than other parts of India. There is a European/ Christian influence and an interesting mix of tourists (Indian, Russian, Western) mobbing the beaches, restaurants, shops, and bars. I went on the obligatory spice tour, complete with elephant rides, a local meal, traditional dancing, and sights of coffee bean, black pepper, and cinnamon plants.

Cow on Anjuna Beach, Goa

I then taxied to Northern Goa, a great place for riding a moped, doing yoga, or dancing to Goa Trance music. Namaste! I got the full effect with stints at Arambol and Anjuna beaches. Goa came alive during New Years Eve and settled back into relaxed beach mode in the days afterward. My journey to India ended with a flight back to hectic Delhi. India was amazing, shocking, and dazzling. I am grateful for having the opportunity to experience it firsthand.

Impressive Hong Kong

Hong Kong view from Peak Victoria

I sneaked in a 2 day trip to Hong Kong on the way back from India. Hong Kong is a very modern, user-friendly, efficient, clean, safe, and advanced place. The city-state was returned from the British to the Chinese in 1997. English is commonplace and there is a heavy Western influence. Hong Kong is an international financial center full of skyscrapers, corporations, and endless shopping. From the airport bus I was astounded by the enormity of the Port of Hong Kong. It is one of the busiest ports on earth, sending goods from the world's factory, mainland China, to the rest of the planet in gigantic crates on ships. Once in the city, I had to see the spectacular cityscape view from Peak Victoria, high above the skyscrapers. The metro ran smoothly and everything seemed quite orderly on the streets. Throngs of people lined the shopping areas, restaurants, and bars. Hong Kong has an upbeat, positive energy that allows one to relax and enjoy the stay.

Sik Sik Yuen Temple in Hong Kong

I linked up with some adventurous Germans at the hostel and we trekked around the city. We rode the Star Ferry across the Bay and witnessed a historic boat and the slew of skyscrapers. Of course I had to see the Bruce Lee statue on the Avenue of the Stars. Then off to the Sik Sik Yuen temple which was full of worshipers in a frenzy. We lucked out. A large event took place and many locals were in attendance with ceremonial incense, oranges, dead pigs, and chickens taboot. We stumbled onto an excellent restaurant in SoHo, an upscale area of Hong Kong. It turned out to be famous for snake.  A famous food critic was being interviewed behind us! A friendly Hong Kong couple gave us the low down. The people of Hong Kong were always on the move. I left Hong Kong impressed with its exuberance, functionality, and vitality.
More travels next year…


-BAM