India - Mumbai to Delhi with much in between - karo
Our first trip to a land in far far away...
We were lured by the tales of the lands of the kings, our interest were raised by the multitude of traditions and religions. We want to see the...

Packing aka. Freaking Out
Vienna, Austria
We leave in two days and almost nothing is taken care of already. To give you an idea how stressed out we were for the last weeks consider this. For a whole two weeks we thought our plane was going to leave on the wednesday when in fact it leaves on tuesday. Believe me it only goes downhill from there.
The immunization was not as bad as expected but much more expensive. Really funny how everybody tells you how cheap India is but nobody ever mentions that you need about 500.- worth of shots and malaria medication on top. I was also set back because Karin was lucky enough to have been bitten by a dog as a child. They immunized her against the rabies so had to endure 3 needles less, how unfair.
Now we sit with a mountain of stuff that has to fit in our backpacks (which I think will be the easy part) and the uneasy feeling that we will forget a lot of important stuff. We only have to get all our medication except malaria pills, our traveller checks and rupies (I wonder if that can be done on monday without further notice) and all the stuff we find out today we still need. But hey we can buy everything we forgot in India, it's not as if we go to a third world country.
written by  karo on July 8, 2007 from Vienna, Austria
from the travel blog: India - Mumbai to Delhi with much in between

Landing in Mumbai
Mumbai, India
The flight was unusually pleasant not at least because we had a spare seat right next to us. Karin had to suffer for the last 30 minutes as the landing was accompanied by some turbulences or as the captain said: We are now over the Indian subcontinent and this usually means that we can have bad weather any time.
As we got out of the plane we were immediatly surrounded by the heavy humid air. After a few seconds the clothes already felt wet and that was inside with aircondition. Since we havent made any reservations we headed to the tourist information. We got a special price hotel that is probably a ripoff but not so expensive.
Taxi Taxi
Taxi driving in India is an experience for life and one that certainly ends some. We got a cab to the hotel which was a small old black whatever, it drove a little bit faster than the tucktucks but the acceleration was even worse. For the first half hour I was certain that the trunk would open and my backpack would fall on the street but luckily the strange sounds from the back of the car are normal here. When we finally got to our hotel we got a pink room with air so damp and filled with the scent of insecticide or chlorine we could hardly breathe. As we opened the window we had to find out that we had a construction site in the backyard but this problem grew to its full potential in the following morning as this construction necessitated the use of "presslufthaemmer".
Our first impression of the city were dominated by the intense noise and smell, the total lack of space and the overwhelming feeling of being foreign. People stare at us all the time but luckily for me mostly at Karin. She tried to counter that by dressing in local clothes. She already bought three salwar kameez (trousers, long shirt and scarf). Hows that for a first day of shopping. She is very happy with them tough as the outfit matters lot. I bought a pair of Indian trousers that set me back a whooping 1 euro.
Karin the Indian
Victoria Terminus
Gateway to India
The city has some very beautiful colonial architecture but most of the building are very run down. It is also hard to get a good view because people are everywhere and where the are no people there are cars, trucks, buses, tucktucks, motorcycles, bicycles, handcarts, cows, dogs or gaarbge piles. The people work very hard here, we saw some with huge bords blanced on their head that had all kinds of stuff on them, some draw carts with huge barrels on them.
Hustle bustle in the train station
They also do so much work in the street, actually on the sidewalk. Hairdressing, showshiners, carpenters, people crafting ropes and lots of cooking. Sometimes you can only walk on the road because the sidewalk is so crowded.
We already bought the train ticket to Varodara and are quite happy to be able to leave Mumbai behind. The ticket is now our 10th receipt today, as you get one for everything here. First I thought this is some scam but there seems to be a bureaucratic plot tht forces everyone to give you receipts for even the puniest amounts of money and you have to sign on them stating you actually paid. In one incident where I bought this weeks issue of the economist (I am never really on vaction) I got a receipt, the coffeeshop got one because it gave me a free capuccino with the magazine and the newpaperboy kept one. Funny.
Mumbai panorama
The food is delicious and noone is sick yet.
written by  karo on July 11, 2007 from Mumbai, India
from the travel blog: India - Mumbai to Delhi with much in between

Leaving Mumbai - Finally
Mumbai, India
Mumbai got the best of us in just 2 days. We can hardly walk upright, our lungs hurt from the smog our heads from the constant honking and our train leaves at 23:30. That is very tough as we have no hotel anymore so we have to hang out in cafes. At every place in Mumbai it is either extremly hot or freezing cold from the airconditioning.
We have been to the markets today and immediately got picked up by a guide that showed us around. The Vienna Naschmarkt is a tiny cornerstore compared to here. The selection of fruit and vegetables is visually breathtaking and the displays of living animals (birds, rabbits, cats and dogs, I don't know which are to eat and which as pets) is literally so. We also got suckered into buying some clothes but this time for me. Karin was told that the clothes she bought yesterday are crap, by the nice tailor that sewed on the much too small sleeves of one of the pieces. Don't buy anything from the street, not just meat!
Tailor
Gandhi's room
Nursing cat
We did some sightseeing but we are too beaten up to really enjoy it much. We are really looking forward to being in the countryside. The extreme poverty of the people living in the streets is getting to us much more than yesterday. We were approached by some of the children and as much as we know that we cant help them it is still a terrible feeling.
As bad as it is here Mumbai is actually one of the most prosperous regions in India so we probably have to find a way to deal with it.
It is dark outside now and the streets empty. The funny thing is that in Mumbai you feel very alone on the street if you see less than 20 people at a time. During the day there are usually hundreds in sight. Yesterday night we had a nice companion though. As soon as we left the internet cafe we were approached by a dog that looked at us like - you know - a dog. It followed us for many blocks and every time we thought it was gone it was appearing behind a car. When we finally got in a taxi it waited behind it looking accusingly in our direction. Something died inside of me that moment.
Our doggy
written by  karo on July 12, 2007 from Mumbai, India
from the travel blog: India - Mumbai to Delhi with much in between

The riddle of Champaner
Champaner, India
Trapped in the train
During the train journey to Baroda we were a little bit frightened by our own courage but we cried just a little. Actually we met a very nice man on the train that invited us to be his guests in his home but I couldn't write down his number and he hasn't written an email yet. It is amazing where one can sleep when tired enough. The train has no compartments and where there is the aisle in Austrian trains Indian trains have two more berths. So each coach has 70 people in an open space and for every 8 passengers there are 3 huge howling ventilators. The windows have no glass but iron bars that seem to be there to prevent people from falling out. This is not taken very seriously though as all the trains exits are open during the ride. The toilets are in use from the very second people enter the train and it smells as if they are right under your bed. Surprisingly we were not totally tired in the morning and the train arrived a full 3 hours early!
Our way continued on a local train to Champaner, a Unesco World Heritage Site, or so we thought. On the train we met a very nice welding instructor that commutes on the train every day for 4 hours total and he kept asking us what we want in Champaner. We tried to explain our intentions, sight-seeing, ruins, history the temple but he kept insisting that Champaner is a tiny village with no points of interest whatsoever. He drew a map and told us to leave on an auto-rickshaw, the common name for tuktuk here, to Halol and then take another vehicle to Pavanghad. When we arrived we found out that his description was spot on, Champaner had only 20 houses or rather sheds. We immediately caught a tuktuk but since it already had 15 people on it we didn't think we could go. Wrong again. We strapped the backpacks to the roof and sat in the back with two women and their 4 children. But this was far from maximum load, at one point the tuktuk carried 21 people and we paid only 10 rupies for 45 minutes thats just around 20 cents. In Halol people surrounded us as if we were aliens from a different planet. They guided us to a jeep that took us to our hotel. The driver drove over a dog on the way there and although he hit the brakes and tried to avoid the accident it was very brutal for us. They didn't care in the least and I can only suspect that this kind of incident is far from uncommon as cows, buffaloes , donkeys, geese, chicken, dogs, cats and monkeys roam free and cross the street all the time.
The hotel is on a small mountain on thew edge of a steep cliff. The mountain is of volcanic origin in a flat landscape and looks as if somebody dropped a piece of the Himalaya on Gujarat.
We spent the rest of the day sleeping to wear of the travel and the strains of Mumbai.
Prof. Joshi
The next morning we booked a local guide that turned out to be really cool. I first thought he was the major as he wore formal dress and looked like a professor. It turned out he is indeed a professor and of economics and history on top. He provided us with background stories of the monuments and also explained why Champaner is such a tiny village. The Champaner we searched for was the capitol of a mighty Sultan's empire but fell in 1530 or so. Since then it is in ruins and the modern Champaner is merely an attachment to a train station.
The seven arches (actually just six)
Small temple above the hotel
Highlight was the beautiful Jami Masjid with stone carvings rivalling the Alhambra.
There were also ingenious stepwells that provided water probably of a better quality then now.
written by  karo on July 13, 2007 from Champaner, India

Sick in India
Bhavnagar, India
We have acquired some strictly German speaking readers so we will continue in German.
Wir sitzen hier in einem Internetcafe und versuchen uns an die letzten Tage zu erinnern. Der Strom ist gerade ausgefallen, das passiert ab und zu in Indien, dafuer haben wir extraleckeren Chai bekommen und alles ist in rosa gestrichen. Das passiert auch oefter in Indien. Das letzte mal als wir in diesem Cafe waren ist Karin nach 10 Minuten schlecht geworden und wir sind schnell ins Hotel gefahren. Dort hat sie unmittelbar angefangen sich zu uebergeben. Kotzen waere eigentlich treffender. Da in selbiger leider Blut war und sie einfach nicht aufhoeren wollte riefen wir einen Arzt. Der war echt seltsam hat Karin aber eine echt gute Spritze gegeben. Die war allerdings sehr schmerzhaft da er als Inder sehr Angst vor Frauenpopos hatte und sie daher eher in die Hueftregion gestochen hat. Danach hat er mir den Namen eines guten Gurus in Wien gegeben der uns spirituell leiten kann. Das ist naemlich das wichtigste. Hat aber scheinbar ihm nicht geholfen mit Frauen entspannter umzugehen. Das passiert manchmal in Indien.
Ich berichte ueber die kommenden 2 Tage nicht naeher und habe auch keine Fotos was aber nicht zum Schaden der geehrten Leserinnen und Leser seien soll die Szenen sind nicht schoen anzusehen. Karin hat in weiser Voraussicht auf ein Midrange Hotel bestanden so das wir Klimaanlage und Zimmerservice zur Verfuegung hatten ohne welches wir jetzt unzweifelhaft in ungleich elenderen Zustand waeren.
Heute geht es uns recht gut, wir haben uns an Mangos und gruenen Orangen mit unausprechlichen Namen gestaerkt und freuen uns auf die morgige Abreise nach Diu, wo es angeblich koestliches portugisisches Essen geben soll :). Karin traut der indischen Kueche noch nicht ganz ueber den Weg, sie weigert sich etwas anderes als Toastbrot und Fruechte zu Essen.
Bei einem kleinen Ausflug sahen wir dieses Business.
Fahrradmechaniker fuer Papa Silvi
written by  karo on July 18, 2007 from Bhavnagar, India

Endlich geht es uns wieder gut
Diu, India
Gerade als ich den letzten Artikel fertig geschrieben habe war mir nicht gar so gut. Als wir im Hotel waren und ich mich geduscht habe, war mir auch schon klar das ich Fieber hatte. Na super, ein fliegender Wechsel so zu sagen. Nachdem wir aber schon das Auto fuer den naechsten Tag bestellt haben und um keinen Preis mehr in Bhavnagar bleiben wollten habe ich mir vorgenommen zu fahren.
In der Frueh hatte ich leider einige Klobesuche am Programm und hatte schon Vorahnungen wie ich mit heruntergelassener Hose in irgendwelchen indischen Reisfeldern hocken wuerde. Waehrend der Fahrt habe ich die Minuten und dann Stunden gezaehlt und ordnungsgemaess in Brueche umgerechnet die die bereits verstrichene Fahrtdauer bezeichneten. Mit Hilfe meiner umfangreichen Yogatechniken sowie dem Segen von etwa 23465 Hindugoettern habe ich die Fahrt ohne Unterbrechung ueberstanden. Im Hotel bin ich allerdings eingegangen. Als ich mit 39.2 Fieber aufwachte hat Karin einen Doktor gerufen. Der hat mir ein paar Tabletten verschrieben und am naechsten Tag ging es mir so gut, dass ich den ganzen Tag HBO schauen konnte.
Diu Vegetable Market
Frisch gesundet erkundeten wir die Insel. Unser erstes Ziel war der Markt um ein paar Fruechte zu kaufen. Karin wurde auch sofort ueberredet an ein paar Gewuerzen zu schnuppern konnte aber entkommen ohne etwas zu kaufen. Das holte sie im naechsten Bekleidungsgeschaeft nach. Frisch berockt ging es an den Strand wo wir unsere Zehen und wegen des ueberraschend hohen Wellengangs alles bis hinauf zum Popo ins Wasser hielten.
Us kissing on the beach
Sparkling bay
Am Abend wurde ich mit Hilfe einer Kokosnuss in ein weiters Geschaeft gelockt wo Karin gleich 9 (in Worten neun) Kleidungsstuecke erwarb wobei zwei fuer mich waren *verschaemtes freu*. Der Preis hielt sich mit 25 Euros aber in Grenzen. Danach freute sie sich wie eine Schneekoenigin.
Little Miss Sunshine
written by  karo on July 21, 2007 from Diu, India

Mopedfahren und Hoehlenkraxeln
Diu, India
Ich habe den Eintrag "Affen und die Todesgoettin" eingefuegt, mit netten Fotos weiter unten im Blog.
Unser unglaublich freundlicher Chef des Zimmerservices Babu, hat uns sein Moped geliehen fuer die freundliche Gebuehr von 2 Euro am Tag. Damit haben wir uns in der Frueh das Fort angesehen, angeblich das wichtigste portugiesische in Asien. Der Blick hinunter auf die Klippen ist atemberaubend, sieht aber nicht indisch aus.
The former prison island
Blowing in the Wind
Scotland in India
Danach waren wir in den Nampa Caves das sind kuenstliche Hoehlen aus denen die Portugiesen ihr Baumaterial geholt haben.
The Nampa Caves
Die Stadt selbst ist unglaublich verwinkelt und hat ein paar wunderschoene Haeuser. Insgesamt sieht es hier mehr aus wie in Spanien (wahrscheinlich auch in Portugal aber was weiss ich schon).
Diu Road
Auch hier gibt es ueberall Kuehe, Hunde, Ziegen und als extra Gimmick auch viele Katzen und Schweine.
Holy Cow
Little piggies running away from me
written by  karo on July 22, 2007 from Diu, India

Affen und die Todesgoettin
Champaner, India
Diesen Blogeintrag fuegen wir nachtraeglich ein weil wir aus Krankheit damals nicht fertig wurden.
Monkey in the ruins
Nachdem wir die Ruinen mit Prof. Joshi erkundet haben mussten wir unsere Bananenschalen loswerden. Wir als brave Europaeer haetten sie ins Zimmer getragen und weggeworfen aber er sagte gebt sie dem Fahrer. Der schmeisst den Sack auf den Boden. Aber obwohl in Indien die Muellabfuhr nicht so toll funktioniert springt in dieser Sekunde ein freundlicher 48er hinter einem Auto hervor und reisst den Sack auf und beginnt die Schalen zu verspeisen. Nach und nach kommen seine kleinen Freunde und helfen ihm dabei.
Banana good
Me and my monkey
Wir machen uns mit einer Seilbahn auf den Weg zum Gipfel um Kali der Todes und Liebesgoettin zu huldigen. Wir haben aber kein Opfer mit und werden daher mit Krankheit bestraft.
Us as Pilgrims
Danach wandern wir den Pilgerweg hinunter und sehen ins Tal. Es beginnt zu regenen aber wir koennen mit einer Eselherde mitlaufen die eine Abkuerzung kennen. So kommen wir wohlbehalten im Hotel an.
Donkey's view
Am naechsten Morgen machen wir uns zur Abfahrt bereit als ein grosser und zwei Babyaffen uns beim Fruehstueck sehen und mitessen wollen.
Babymonkeys at Breakfast
Auf der Reise nach Diu aber auch sonst ueberall lassen sich Inder mit uns fotographieren als waeren wir Einhoerner oder baertige Ladies. Hier eine chronologisch nicht einwandfreie Auswahl.
We and the Indians
written by  karo on July 14, 2007 from Champaner, India

Kein Scheiss, wieder krank
Gandhinagar, India
Diesmal aber nur ein bisschen Fieber bei Karin, dass nach einer guten Nacht Schlaf wieder auskuriert war. Dafuer hat sie ein wirklich spektakluaeres Hotel ausgesucht in dem wir uns wie richtig reiche Kolonialbeamte gefuehlt haben. Karin hat sogar ein SCHAUMBAD genommen. Fuer Indien einfach unfassbar. Bei der Abfahrt hat uns ein persoenlicher Chaffeur zum Bahnhof gefahren, in einem echten Auto mit Dach und Tueren.
Would you like the paper, Sir?
Die Stadt selbst war nicht sehr toll dafuer aber atemberaubend. Angeblich eine der dreckigsten Staedte der Welt, denn hier fahren die Rickshaws mit Kerosin was scheinbar noch grindiger ist als die ungefilterten Benzinmotoren. Als besonderes Highlight durften wir einen indischen Stau erleben waehrend dem wir eine mittlere Kohlenmonoxidvergiftung erlitten haben.
Wir haben die SEWA Kooperative besucht die die Handwerksarbeiten der Frauen am Land verkauft wo Karin gleich wieder zugeschlagen hat. Ich habs irgendwie schlimm gefunden weil da drinnen 100 Frauen gleichzeitig geredet haben und das war auch auf Hindi oder Gujarati zuviel fuer mein streng linear arbeitendes Gehirn. Karin hat sich zuhause gefuehlt.
Vielen Dank an alle KommentaristInnen. Wir freuen uns jedesmal riesig etwas aus der Heimat zu lesen.
written by  karo on July 26, 2007 from Gandhinagar, India

Nix so wie versprochen - we go with the flow
Abu, India
Wir kamen hier her mit der Erwartung hier morgendliche Yoga-Kurse am Dach unter freiem Himmel und schoene Wanderungen in der Umgebung machen zu koennen. Wir dachten hier waere wieder ein kleiner Ort, wo man ein bisserl zur Ruhe kommen kann. Roman hat sich schon darauf gefreut eine Indien-Yoga-Erfahrung zu machen.
Aber, nix war so. Als wir ankamen, erkundigten wir uns sehr bald nach nach Kursen und dem Trekking. folgende Antworten: Only in season. But you can have a chart where there is described how to do exercise...
Trekking? No! To dangerous! Slippery and too many snakes now, you know, cobras and green snake!
Ok. Dann halt nicht. Zumindest einen Kochkurs konnten wir wie versprochen machen, und das war echt lustig! Die Schwiegertochter des Hotelbesitzers, hat uns gezeigt und selber mitmachen lassen, wie man Dahl, Ladyfinger, Potatocurry und Chai zubereitet.
Die Anfahrt war allerdings spektakulaer. In einem jahrzehntealten Ambassador fuhren wir den Berg hinauf und mussten 5 mal anhalten und dann rueckwaertsrollend den Motor neu starten und einmal neues Kuehlwasser nachfuellen.
Ausserdem haben waren wir auf einer Bustour. Mit uns insgesamt 5 Nichtindern, ca. 20 Hindus, die einen Guide hatten, der welch Ueberraschung, Hindi sprach. Dinge die man in Europa nicht machen wuerde sollte man auch hier nicht machen... War echt muehsam. Von einem Tempel zum naechsten gekarrt zu werden, noch dazu ohne zu wissen, was denn jetzt genau das Besondere daran sein koennte, weil der Guide ja nur Hindi und ein gebrochenes Indglish sprach. Aber es gab Affen!
Temple monkeys
Die Tempel selber fand ich sehr schoen. Einer, war in einen Felsen gemauert und um in den Schrein zu gelangen, muss man sich so tief buecken, dass es angenehmer waere zu kriechen. Drinnen hatte eine Frau gerade eine Erleuchtung oder so, auf jeden Fall schien sie in einem meditativen Zustand zu sein und begann zu schreien und zu rufen, warf sich auf den Boden um sich wieder aufzurichten und sich wieder hart hinzuwerfen. Roman fand das nicht so prickelnd, wie alles was mit wirklich gelebter Religion zu tun hat.
Auch erwaehnenswert an der Tour war, dass wir in das Hauptquartier der Bhrama Kumaris waren und uns ein Anhaenger ein kurzes briefing ueber die Organisation und ihre Weltanschauung gegeben hat, was ich wiederum sehr gruselig fand, Roman aber hoechst amuesant.
Dannach kamen wir (endlich) zu den viel gepriesenen Jain-Tempelanlagen. Diese sind teilweise fast 1000 Jahre alt. Von Aussen nicht sehr spektakulaer dafuer Innen atemberaubend schoen. Wunderschoene kunstvolle aus dem Marmor geschnitzte Verzierungen wo man nur hinsieht.
Christina die Weltenbummlerin
Wir haben hier viele nette Leute kennengelernt und uns ein bischen in Europa oder sogar Oesterreich gefuehlt.
Nicki, Super!!! Danke fuer dein Kommentar, und ueberhaupt alle! Danke! Es freut uns total wenn ihr uns ein paar Zeilen schreibt! Das gibt uns ein kleines Stueck zu hause, was wir machmal schon brauchen...
In drei Stunden geht unser Zug nach Jodhpur.
written by  karo on July 28, 2007 from Abu, India

In the desert at last
Jodhpur, India
The n-key is not working too well, so feel free to add n's where ever they seem necessary.
Photos cannot be added to the post here because the internet is so slow. They are uploaded though so you can look at them if you go to photos on the main page.
An Englishman asked us to write more posts in English giving the very covincing reason that he never found it worth to learn any other language. Neither did any of his fellow countrymen so nobody can translate for him either. Well so be it, we switch again.
We immediately liked Jodhpur because the streets were lit a little better, noone was sleeping on the street and the heat was nicely dry. When we checked into the hotel Karin masterfully bartered for the price and the Hindugods were pleased with us so there was no room. No room, sounds awful you think? Luckily there was still a suite. The hotel also provided a pool, as I must say much to our delight.
The Meherangar as the fort is called is magnificent. It throwns above the city mighty as ever seeming absolutely invicible which indeed it was for 5 centuries. It dwarves any such construction I have ever see, mainly because of its superb location on a hill much like the acropolis in Athens but without the ugly city around it. Instead they opted for one in a nice blue color.
We adopted a rickshaw driver who waited for us at every stop and every morning in front of the hotel. He cheated us just as much as all the others but at least it became personal. Thank you Rana for picking us up at 5am. We paid 3 euros for this instead of the agreed upon two because I realized I wouldnt do this for 20 euros even. It didn't pay off because the train left two hours late but that's not his fault.
Karin went on a shopping spree while we were here and we can proudly say we overpaid at most three times. but for the big ticket items maybe only double. Karin now looks like a Rajasthai desert princess and is frequently compared to Bollywood actresses and tennis players apart from the routine praises of her beauty. Sometimes people also tell me that I am not very ugly.
The hotel was really awesome ad we used the pool extensively. The staff was very nice and gave us good tips. If you ever go to Jodhpur check out the Karni Bhawan and ask for the special rate for the Veer Durga Das Suite. :) Don't make the mistake and tell the driver to go to Umaid Bhawan. This 1929 palace monster was built because there was a severe drought. New Deal in India, the Maharaja gets a big palace and some poor sobs can work themselves to death. Long live the maharaja. He didnt ad his son also killed himself quickly and now this is a hotel with 300 rooms in gangsta art deco 70s style. We would have liked to take tea there but minimum consumption for us was 60 euros which is an average monthly salary here.
written by  karo on August 1, 2007 from Jodhpur, India

Gateway to India

Taxi Taxi

Hustle bustle in the train station

Victoria Terminus

Karin the Indian

Mumbai panorama

Tailor

Small temple above the hotel

Monkey in the ruins

The seven arches (actually just six)

Prof. Joshi

Trapped in the train

Royal Mosque

Us as Pilgrims

Pilgrims path to the Kali Mata

Hotel Champaner - the little bright green structure

Donkey's view

Diu Road

Us kissing on the beach

Sparkling bay

The former prison island

Blowing in the Wind

Scotland in India

The Nampa Caves

Diu Vegetable Market

Holy Cow

Fahrradmechaniker fuer Papa Silvi

Banana good

Me and my monkey

We and the Indians

Little Miss Sunshine

Little piggies running away from me

Christina die Weltenbummlerin

Temple monkeys