Rahjastan! Rahjastan, the land of Rahjputen, proud desert warriors, nomads and the Sikhs, a country consisting of mainly out of the great Thar Desert and the scene of never-ending war between tribes of Indian and Arab tribes, rough and barren, yet full of bright colors. My 5-day mini tour of this country is now over and every day I kept a diary in order not to miss any of the many interesting experiences. Here are the copies of my diary entries.
20th October 2006 (somewhere between Ahmedabad and Udaipur, on the train):
It is still early in the morning and I've just my first night in the sleeper of an Indian train behind me. Yesterday, my two fellow travelers Gabi and Ramona, joined with me in Mumbai at 20:30 clock, but in different compartments, so we us only this morning in Ahmedabad, the destination of the train, met again at 5:20 clock. Ahmedabad is in Gujarat state, and now I sit in the regional train to Udaipur in the state Rahjastan, the first scheduled stop of the tour.
The night I survived quite well. The berths are ok, but no real compartments, but the transition towards open. Since many families are traveling with children, it's pretty loud. At least I had a ticket for an air-conditioned car and train because I'm gewhnt, I could almost 6 hours in regional schlafen.Hier it is now always full. Ramona and Gabi have beds to sleep as I clawed and between more and more Men will be crushed. The place cards are apparently worth nothing here! What the heck, it's only 10 hours, and when I am tired, I have a natural back.
Outside it is already light and the way the neighborhood seems somehow sweeter, but it is just full of trash like Mumbai. Somewhere between the garbage heap of crap and people sit and children play while drinking from dirty pools of water next to cows. Perhaps they are holy because they survive such a thing?
There is now a few hours later and I must admit that I was wrong. The garbage and the dirt ends once you get further away from a major city. Then you get to see the real country and this is very, very beautiful: there is still nature and people live in it and live here apparently far fewer people than I had expected. Everything seems more relaxed and happier. Also, the light is different here: the sun never shines in Mumbai so directly, perhaps because of the smog. The landscape is really a revelation to me! When I see all this here, I wonder why so many people move from countryside to city, only to end up in a slum. Life in the country may offer wenoger prospects, but it's definitely beautiful, at least from my perspective. In Germany, the city something to offer, here are just more filth and poverty.
21st October 2006 (near Udaipur, en route to Jodhpur, on the bus): The day before yesterday and yesterday
my first time train and the bus now! First impression: comfortable. Second impression: scraped off when you go uphill. But the bus driver gets out again when it goes downhill, because then no matter how discouraging deep potholes, time is ultimately precious. I think the majority of injuries caused by traffic accidents is not here, but the fact that the rear passengers sit, I just pushed her head against the ceiling when they look for a pothole be thrown by the soft suspension of the rear Reder toward the ceiling. But somehow it is funny and at least faster than the regional train.
Half the passengers are here backpackers. In general, the whole city Udaipur was one Tourin. From him coping: the situation at the reservoir Lake Pichola is stunning. Middle of the lake is a Palasr that seems to swim and now a luxury hotel. James Bond "Octopussy" was partly shot here and in many hotels in the city, the film is shown in the evening, because the inhabitants are so proud. Picturesque than the nightly sight of hundreds of small lights lit up by the lake, nothing could.
When we arrived, it began to dawn. At the station we immediately felt the difference to Mumbai: clean platforms, fewer people and a very pleasant, dry and warm climate. I was really happy to have chosen me for this trip to do so spontaneous and full of joyful hope, in this way the real charms of the country can be.
The whole trip takes exactly the way at the time of Diwali, a national festival in honor of the goddess Lakshmi, instead. Something like this is often not in India, because most regions have their favorite gods and therefore celebrate on different days. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, however, and of course says no Indian No. This must been due to celebrate Diwali and so has a significance as in our Christmas. The festivities extend over several days (which has made this trip) and tonight is the main festival with fireworks and decorations of the houses. Unfortunately, I get them at most on the bus or train with something. On the other hand, a few firecrackers yesterday I may have been experiencing and I will not come as a dove back to Berlin, I can do without the pounding love to do. Could I take this with firecrackers to Berlin, I would bomb to Sylvester hobby Demoman back to the Middle Ages, but will probably also appear because of multiple ear drum destruction.
Another point that has to do with Diwali, is that crowded this time of year, of course, all Indians on their way to family celebrations and all the trains are. We had a bit of concern according to whether we would ever see in Udaipur for a hotel. Fortunately for us, but like the first controlled guest house was incredibly beautiful right on the lake with a great view of the magnificent palace beleuchtetetn in the middle of the lake. At the time it was already dark and then so we did not hesitate and grabbed the most expensive and most beautiful room, since we only spend one night in a room and the rest of the train and in the desert. As you can already 20 € to third for a great room to spend. As much we have come up will cost a princely dinner in fast luxury hotel next door. So Wow: that was an experience! Truly princely.
After dinner we walked more around a bit in the old town, but since then everything has to 22 clock is closing and the streets were always empty, we moved further exploration on today and fell to us in a very comfortable bed really from. This morning we had breakfast
relax on the lovely lakeside terrace of our guest houses and make deliberate armed with our 3 different Touriguides the places we drive us in our remaining 3 hours until our bus, should. Unfortunately we had to take a boat ride to the palace on the lake and a visit to the harem garden omit the Maharadjas. This was the palace, which is not located on the lake, but near the shore and provides 4 times as large, and the largest Hindu temple in the city that we visited, absolutely worth seeing.
Actually, we did not have enough time in Udaipur, India but I can every traveler, despite the relatively short visit only strongly advised not to skip this place. And it's great for shopping in Udaipur, I got to feel much in the company of Ramona's and Gabi's in full utilization of my high reserves of patience, as I in a Jewelry store was towed to the other. Each shop was to the teeth with really tasteful jewelry and clothing provided, but you have to but do focus on bone-hard price negotiations, which I then left the ladies, because I felt fortunately no need to furnish me further.
Rahjastan the way, is home to the Rahjputen dynasty, the second oldest dynasty in the world after the Japanese samurai, and like any long-lived dynasty recorded the Rahjputen above all by their fearsome warrior. They had a cavalry army that never gave up no matter how many enemies due to a strict honor Kodexs and if the army was destroyed in threw the women of the warrior, it is the tradition, all together was the fire in order to accompany their husbands into the afterlife. This happened in history Rahjastans 4 times and led the occupation every time desert of prefer not to settle there and then the Rahjputen survived to this day. There
The traditional sacrifice of a woman for her husband by the way today, but not in the form of a mass cremation, but only individually, if one can say that. Although it is prohibited by law, but this act is in India still regarded by so many people to be particularly ehrenswert that every few years here and there happens again, that a wife for her deceased husband goes to the stake.
Rahjastan the way, is also the region of origin of the Sikhs, that Indian wearing a turban, dagger and a full beard that you get often presented as the archetypal. And it goes even further back in history, are said to originate probably also the Sinti and Roma peoples here. Who knows, either way it is noticeable that the people here are committed and stronger traditions as a tourist, that is, of course (except for the bonfire story) look very attractive.
22nd October 2006 (somewhere on the edge of the Thar desert in the shade of a bush):
Somewhere on the horizon, I can still recognize the electrical poles along the road run along, come from where we are. The area is dry and barren ground level, but still in many places overgrown by shrubs or small trees. On some hills, golden sand shines through, reminiscent of what is probably the first in "Desert" presents: endloose sand dunes without a trace of green. But where I am now, there is still a long not so. Although the Tahr desert in some areas probably really should be, I will not be able to experience this part, because that would have the camel drivers in the prohibited border area with Pakistan, which is only 50 kilometers away. For us to our 2-day-Tripp probably this evening in the only dunes in the vicinity of Jaisalmer, the place from which we have started this morning. I hope very much that I really in this way something of the desert, I imagine, get to see.
Where I now am, are out of Ramona, Gabi and me only our two camel drivers and the "Pepsiman", a resident from a neighboring village, one of just somehow out of nowhere suddenly appeared to us to offer soft drinks. While the three are entertained locals and cook lunch for us, I'm sitting here peacefully in the shade and take this opportunity once again a few lines write. By the way the people here clean their dishes with desert sand from what we initially somewhat irritated, but apparently works remarkably well. I am the way, dressed in a white, traditional Indian garb and wearing a white turban. Looks very cool, I've bought namely himself.
Our bus ride was quite well yesterday, despite a burst tire and an hour late at the destination Jodhpur, from where we took the night train to Jaisalmer. On one of the stops in a small village with just as many inhabitants as human animal is a cow dared to feed the flower decoration compared celebratory of the bus while the bus driver just a chai tea, the absolute number one national drink worried. To my relief trip to the bushes leif pretty much a wild boar piglets mother relaxes in past me, the man was apparently used to, and frightened me, of course, but otherwise did nothing further. Heading blocked the road a couple of monkeys. A bus ride is fun, a bus ride is beautiful!
arrived in Jodhpur in the evening fireworks technically all hell broke loose and we used our 3-hour break to the train and hid us in a kind of Indian McDonalds with alleged Indian fast food. Although the food was typical Indian, but we were very quickly served and when we finished well herauskomplimentiert very quickly, but what was more like fast food or fast food production was the funny fact that I found in my eating a Tackerklemme I gulped down not to happiness. Somehow I was happy and thought: Cool story. In the U.S. I would have quickly punched a small wound in the lip and then demanded one million U.S. dollars in damages. Instead, there was a replacement portion, which was then Tackerklemmenfrei and tasted great.
After dinner went from there to the station, the more of a mass dorm was like, because half the ground was covered with sleeping homeless people. So many people have no home I have never seen in one place. That depressed me a bit, but here it scratched anyone.
The night ride was this time a bit uncomfortable because of the nocturnal journey through the steppe-like landscape of fine yellow sand to the windows blew that covered all inmates with a batter, and I also the first time cold in this country was because the continental climate, the People here sometimes can cause quite cool nights.
In Jaisalmer, an ancient desert fortress of Rahjputen, which is quite cut off from all other Indian cities near the Pakistani border, we arrived at 5 clock today, tomorrow and was first molested by at least 10 alleged helpers; who wanted to take us all on to their hotels. While we tried to identify first in our guidebooks recommended provider of camel safaris, know these people were annoying with its brazen ignorance by referring to the request that we allow to rest, received exactly 10 seconds, and then again to convince us. Even as they shouted Ramona, they reacted exactly the same way. Well, that has to endure one stop. After all, you need not worry that one has to worry because indignant unfriendliness an argument.
finally turned out to be a the nice people around us, supposedly for one of the recommended tour operators worked and so we let us go from this to the office of the same, but that was still closed so early in the morning. Nice trick, because he really wanted us just to show that the shop was closed and therefore we should book a trip with him. As we had agreed fortunately clear and after multiple re-confirmations by typical Indian ambiguous nod, that we would give him for the ride 10 rupees, he left us without any further uprising go again, when we told him to make clear that our rich his willingness to help now.
And this was the desert, then in fact:
24th October 2006 (afternoon train back to Mumbai):
Yeehah! The last hurdle is over. After a short but wonderful trip, I now sit back on the train to Mumbai. The final hurdle, of which I spoke, it was places to get on this train, for the Indian Railways has an unfathomable-sophisticated system of seat reservation, which combines all the typical characteristics mentioned above: 1 It is not documented, but every Indian knows it (that's obviously not a tourist). 2. It is bureaucratic. 3. It is flexible in terms bribes. 4. In the regional trains it is ignored by all. 5. One can not rely on it, but somehow it works out after all. And it works like this: in addition to 6 different fare classes, there are about 6-8 tickets pools, which are each assigned a certain number of seats on trains. So far I have also yet understood that: the bottom 3 classes should not book a tourist, as the third best is hard on the border (and for everyone else it takes anyway any reservation, because anyone interested), some of the ticket pools apparently for the award in exchange for bribe or for friends and thought Finally, there is tickets to waiting numbers. A waiting number says something like: at present has already someone else your train, but if he keeps coming you'll get it. And because this system is as it is to book their tickets all Indians even if they are not sure whether they really need it later, and about a third of the tickets will appear again gecancelled. Fortunately we had the latter, because otherwise we would have to take a bus or Schmiergeldweg. So thank you, God! It worked.
The last night I had on the train from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur and then spent this morning and lunch in Jodhpur. Jodhpur is famous for two things: its impressive progress on a huge sandstone cliffs and the blue-washed houses of the old town surrounding the fort. Exactly this Places we then looked at and enjoyed. Only in the end it was a little stressful when we were still 15 minutes before departure of our train is still sitting in the restaurant because the food took so long and the operation on the information that we have to hurry, said that the train too late anyway come and we could calm down. After we had made real pressure, we made it with 10 minutes delay (including the usual co-rickshaw-jam-stuck-in) at the station to come to just to get the train.
The desert fortress was impressive the way, huge and powerful. These belonged to the fortress and could never Rahjputen be taken in the history of attackers, which is no surprise at the sight. Great! The last of Jodhpur has Radja can be on the edge of the city in the 40's the new splendid palace building and convert the fort into a Touriattraktion. His son, the current Radja has Jodhpurs, but now say anything politically, but still enough coal derived, and especially foundations for the preservation of cultural heritage rahjputischen. Not a bad job and his castle times just as like the Taj Mahal. So it can live, I tell you!
Anyway, when my train accident or if there is no building, here is my journey to a happy end . Take How lucky that I was able to experience it. Not even a week before the trip, I only found out that they would take place and in this case, the fact that I have received so far not been given a job, sometimes really paid off. Of course I am also here to stay, but that I would as soon have the opportunity, I had not expected, and after these beautiful experiences I've tasted blood and a huge appetite to explore other regions of this great country. Without question, in India takes nerve and I'm reasonably confident that determines half of Berlin, I know, this would not be happy because of all the dirt, the parent Chaos, the lack of comfort and people that can ever bring one to despair, but if you can arrange it, this land is so incredibly different and strange, surprising that a trip here really worthwhile. I can not say that about myself a long time that I could imagine to live here for longer than the time of my internship, but to come here, has somehow been worth it now.
Now I hope only that I will soon have the opportunity to go on a trip and my wish list of destinations I have already: Goa and its beaches and giant prawns, Sikkim, wedged right in the Himalayas between Nepal and Bhutan and home of third highest mountain in the world, Kerala in the south, with its jungles, Delhi and the Taj Mahal, and finally love to have the Andamans, one belonging to India group of islands off the south of Burma, which was by the tsunami a few years ago made bad, but a myriad unique animal and plant species and is home to pristine beaches. Here there is a lot and although I know that my expectations are high, I can try it, after all, and I shall also, D
