Kathmandu

India is in the rearview mirror and we're now in Kathmandu, Nepal. 
In the short time that we've been here we've gotten quite a lesson in the history of the country as well as a complete immersion into the culture.  Nepal is much smaller in size than India and has a population of just over 29 million (compared to India's 1.3 billion).  Kathmandu is the capital and largest city with a little over two million people.
There have been two significant events in the countries recent history.  First, on June 1, 2001 the entire royal family was murdered at a family gathering.  The culprit was the King and Queens son who killed himself after the massacre.  The reason, he couldn't have his cake and eat it too.  It seems as if he had fallen in love with a young girl from India that was from a lower caste.  The King and Queen would only allow him to marry her if he gave up his right to be the future king.  I guess he didn't like the answer but his solution wasn't a good one.  The King's brother was out of the country at the time and was uninjured so he was appointed the new King.  However, he declared that there would be no more Royal Family in Nepal so the country is now a democracy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalese_royal_massacre
In April, 2015 an 8.1 magnitude earthquake hit the country killing close to 9,000.  Many buildings in Kathmandu were damaged in the quake even though the epicenter was over 100 miles away and the quake was very deep.  The recovery is still going on today.  However, there are encouraging signs.  A new underground freshwater system is being installed throughout the city.  It's creating some bumpy roads right now but will hopefully ensure a brighter future for the citizens of the city.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2015_Nepal_earthquake
It's Sunday morning around 9:00 AM local time but we've already had an amazing adventure today.  We were up before 5:00 and on our way to the airport at 5:45 for a flight out to get an up close view of Mount Everest.  Unbelievable!  We flew on a nineteen passenger prop plane operated by Buddha Air (really, that's the name of the airline).  The whole experience was something that we will never forget and we haven't been able to wipe the smiles off our faces.  We flew out of the domestic terminal at the Kathmandu airport.  We had to go through the usual security process although it wasn't too rigorous.  Once we were on the plane and near the mountain we were allowed to go up to the cockpit to get a "pilots eye" view of the Himalaya's and the big guy.  Wouldn't have really needed a weapon if we had been terrorists!
https://www.buddhaair.com/mountain-flight-nepal/information.html
The English translation of Himalaya is "Snow House" and the snow house is incredible to see up close.  We flew to within three miles of Everest.  We have a few pictures but they really don't do it justice and we spent most of the time simply soaking up the moment instead of trying to capture it.
What a way to start a Sunday in Nepal! 

Excited to fly Buddha Air and see the mountains

Before the big flight

Everest is the tall one on the left (taken from the cockpit)



Everest Beer.  Honoring Nima Gombu a Sherpa Guide who climbed Everest 12 times!

 

A closer view..............fair to say it's as close as we'll ever get to the summit

The Boudhanath (Buddhist Temple or Stupa).  We received a special blessing from the monks who live there.



 

Sex Temples and a surreal experience (but not at the same time)

We're back in Delhi now and have a better internet connection.  I've added some additional pictures to the last blog.
From Orchha it was on to Khajuraho.  In Khajuraho there was another temple complex.  These temples were older than the ones in Orchha.  They were built between 950 and 1050.  They had been abandoned, covered with trees, brush, etc. and were discovered by the British in 1838.  When they were discovered I can only imagine what those Brits must have been thinking.  These temples were in a remote location so they hadn't been destroyed by Muslim invaders as the majority of temples had been.  The carvings on the walls were in excellent shape.  Additionally many of the carvings were very erotic!  It seems as if the ruler of the day had two thoughts in mind.  One, erotic carvings lead to erotic events which lead to more children to protect the kingdom.  Secondly, he believed that the carvings represented what "heaven" was like.  Take a look at a few of the pictures below and see for yourself.  It might be a good way to increase church attendance.
Our last city to visit was Varanasi.  This city is located on the Ganges River.  This city and the river in particular are the holiest of sites for the Hindu's.  It would be similar to Mecca for Muslims, Bethlehem or Jerusalem for Christians or the Temple Mount for Jews.  Sunrise and sunset are especially interesting times to visit the river area.  At sunrise many come to bath in the river as well as to pray and meditate.  At sunset there is a ceremony that tells the story of the history of Varanasi and it's place of significance to the Hindu.  We were able to enjoy both sunrise and sunset from small boats in the river.  It was a surreal experience in and of itself but it was made even more surreal by what we witnessed in the evening.
Many Hindu's see Varanasi as such a holy site that they often move there later in life so they can die and be cremated along the banks of the river.  There is a large area set aside for cremations which happen there throughout the afternoon and evening.  As we approached the area by boat there were around 15-20 different fires burning.  Each of the fires was a cremation taking place.  Additionally there were several wrapped bodies along the riverbank that as our guide pointed out were "in the que".  We actually watched as one of the wrapped bodies was taken into the river for cleansing before being placed on a wooden pyre.  Additional wood is then placed on top of the body which is then lit by members of the family if they are present or by attendants if family are not there.  Once the cremation is complete the ashes are usually placed in the river. It was one of the most surreal things I have ever seen.  Not sad, not somber, not disgusting but a part of the culture of the Hindu's.
http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/08/07/the-pyres-of-varanasi-breaking-the-cycle-of-death-and-rebirth/  




We're leaving this amazing country tomorrow and heading for Nepal.  There have been so many interesting sites, scenes, sounds and smells all along the way.  Whoever told me that India is an assault on all your senses in both good and bad ways couldn't have said it any better.  It's impossible to accurately describe it.  We feel very fortunate to have been able to experience a very small part of it.

Khajuraho Temple Complex

Main Temple in the Khajuraho Complex

The three domes represent the three main faiths in India, Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim.

Oh my!



Oh my again!

Khajuraho

Beth offering up a prayer candle on the Ganges River



.

Cremation pyres at night.  You are only allowed to take pictures from a distance

Along the Ganges at sunrise

Our group heading out at sunrise.  The two young men in front rowed the boat.

Morning bathing in the Ganges

Cremation site in the morning.  Notice the large piles of wood.

Sunrise on the river

You're always sharing the road!

Fruit and vegetable markets are everywhere

Holy Sh*t! There are a lot of cows here.

Beth and I have quickly learned that touring with a group is a whole different ballgame.  We tend to move at a pretty leisurely pace when we travel.  Also, we've never met a bench under a shade tree that we haven't liked.  There isn't much time for that in group travel.  So far on this trip the latest wakeup call that we've had has been 6:30.  That being said, this is the only way to see India and we're extremely pleased with our tour company, Friendly Planet.  The wake up call today was at 4:45 but it was well worth it, but that's for another blog later on.  I'm running a few days behind.  Unfortunately the wifi at our current hotel is very limited so I haven't been able to download pictures.  I'll try to catch up with the pictures when possible which may be a few days away.
It's Thursday morning now in India but I'm going to go back a few days and share with you some of the adventures from Tuesday and Wednesday.  We finished off our Tuesday in Agra (where the Taj Mahal is located) by having "High Tea" at the home of a very nice Indian couple.  She had prepared some delicious goodies and they shared with us stories of their marriage (arranged), their children (2-a girl who is a dentist and a boy who is studying engineering) and their country.  They were very proud of it all which was very understandable.
Wednesday was a doozy!  As usual we were up bright and early, and off to the Agra train station to catch a train for the next leg of the journey.  The train station was as crazy busy as any street.  There were even a few cows roaming around the train platform although I didn't see any actually board the train.
The train ride was about two and a half hours to the city of Jhansi.  We had an air conditioned coach complete with semi-comfortable seats.  The seats were actually a little wet and we were told it was because they had been cleaned the night before!  Many of the cars were not air conditioned and looked to offer only limited seating.  Of course if you really wanted to go the economical route I guess you could have ridden on the roof.  It was quite an experience and made me appreciate Amtrak and the metro in major US cities.
Once we arrived at Jhansi the real "Dance with Death" began.  It was a six hour bus ride to the city of Khajuraho.  We were now out in the "country" which simply meant narrower roads with equally as many motorized and self propelled vehicles and a heck of a lot more cows!
Beth did a little research and learned that there are over three hundred million cows in India.  Just to bring some perspective to that number it's pretty dang close to the population of the entire United States!  I'm sure somewhere in India there are cows that are living in nice pastures away from the roads but we haven't seen them yet.  It seems as if the favorite gathering place of this sacred animal is either on the side of the road or in the middle of the road.  We had a few nice stops along the way but as we were driving it was a constant dodging of men, women, children, cows, goats, donkeys, pigs, etc.  All while moving at a fairly high rate of speed.  Just for kicks I timed the number of times per minute that our bus driver blew the horn.  It looked like it was averaging between 5-6 times per minute.  It was an incredible orchestration of dexterity to watch.  Driving, swerving, shifting gears and blowing the horn while to the best of my knowledge never hitting anything.
We stopped to tour an amazing Hindu temple complex in the city of Orchha.  They were built in the 16th and 17th centuries.  While many of the surrounding temples were destroyed by invaders these were built as a fortress that survived the destruction and were amazing to see. 
At this time of the year there are many pilgrimages taking place throughout India.  There were large numbers of female Hindu women who had traveled to Orchha to pray.  A large group of them broke out in a traditional song much to the delight of their fair skinned visitors.
Back to the cows.  Our guide (Ki) has taught us a number of things about cows over the past week or so.  First of all he taught us to always be on the lookout for "landmines" aka cow poop.  Sharing the sidewalks with 300 million cows can quickly lead to some messy shoes if you're not careful.  So far Beth and I have managed to sidestep them pretty good but there is potential disaster with almost every step.
He also often refers to it as "Holy Sh*t".  Technically for a Hindu this is correct.  The cow is holy and the sh*t is sh*t!  Being that it's in good supply there are a number of practical uses for the stuff.  It's used as fertilizer for the numerous fruits and vegetables that are grown.  It is also dried in the sun and used as a "firewood" for cooking as well as heating, especially during the monsoon season.  Lastly, he said it can be used as a type of mortar for the construction of walls and roofs.  So there you go.  Hopefully the next time you see a big patty you'll have a new appreciation and if you step in it feel free to go ahead and let out a good .................HOLY SH*T.

Our "bullet train"

At the temple in Orchha

Hindu women on a pilgrimage to the temple.  They broke out in song for us shortly after this picture was made.




I've added some additional pictures from around and inside the temple complex in Orchha below:

The Taj Mahal.........WOW!

There are some places in the world where a picture just doesn't do it justice.  The Taj Mahal is one of those places.
You can read the full story behind the Taj Mahal on the Wikipedia link below or if you want the summary here it is in a few sentences:
The Taj Mahal was built by the 5th Mongrel King of India who was in power in the early/middle 1600's.  He fell in love when he was 21 with a young lady who was 18.  They married and had fourteen children.  She died while giving birth to their 14th child.  He ordered the building of the Taj Mahal mausoleum to show his love for her for future generations to see.  It was built over a period of 22 years and now they are both buried within.  It is constructed totally from marble, and jewels that are inlaid in the marble.  Simply put it is truly a site that has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal
It opens at sunrise every morning of the week except Friday. On Friday's it's closed for cleaning and then prayers (can you imagine the poor folks who show up on Friday and don't know this).  Many people go at sunrise because in the past that was the best time to view the white marble and jewels.  Our guide shared with us that due to increased levels of air pollution it is actually better to wait a few hours.  The sun burns off some of the morning haze before the temperature starts to climb. We arrived shortly after 8:00 AM, the air was clearing and the crowds were just starting to grow. 
You can go inside which is very interesting because you can see the detail of the inlaid marble, however the best views are from the far end of the reflection pool.  From this distance you can see the full size as well as the mosque on the west side (there is a "fake mosque" on the east side to maintain symmetry) and the south, east and west gates.
One of the really fun things about the morning was that we were in the minority.  For every "white skinned" person walking around there were probably around 500 or more Indians.  Many of them were huge families with multiple generations represented.  It was great seeing all the females from the very, very old to the very, very young dressed in their traditional sari's.  India is known for it's color and nowhere is that more evident than at the Taj Mahal.
Crossing over today was a blast!  If you're wondering what I'm talking about read the previous blog.

Us and the Taj! 

From the South Gate.  It is built in complete symmetry.  The four large towers are actually built 4 degrees outward in case there is ever an earthquake they would fall outward.  Also the slight angle outward makes them appear straight from a distance.

An example of the inlaid marble on the outside.

Excited about their visit!

The mosque on the west side.  It's a real mosque.  There is a similar one on the east side, however it's only purpose is to maintain symmetry. 

Their mom and dad put them in front of us because they wanted a picture of their kids with "white folks".  They happily took a picture for us to have as well.

Colorful!



I saw this young girl and thought she was beautiful.  I was kind of stalking her for a while to try to get a nice picture.  Beth told me I was getting "creepy" but I finally got a nice picture.

School kids on a field trip to the Taj.  Boys in one line, girls in the other.

  

Crossing over............

The hotels in Delhi, Jaipur and now in Agra have been really nice.  Our group of eleven others are really fun.  As a group we have the four corners of the continental US and the heartland pretty well covered.  One couple is from Boston, three are from the Pacific Northwest, one from California and an independent traveler from Kansas City.  Really nice and interesting folks who could all easily be classified as "traveling idiots".  As a matter of fact, compared to most of them we're "Junior Traveling Idiots".
Throughout this adventure I'll try my best to describe what we are seeing and doing.  The Amber Fort, Palace in the Lake, the walls and buildings of the "Pink City" of Jaipur were amazing.  As interesting as these major sites are the real sites and scenes all along the way.  Yesterday we were on a bus ( very comfortable and air conditioned) for about 6 hours driving from Jaipur to Agra.  At one point I laid my head back and closed my eyes in anticipation of a good nap.  It was no use, there was no way of shutting down my brain enough to fall asleep..........I knew I'd be missing something.  No telling what it would be, but I knew it would be something interesting and unique.
It could be a motorcycle that looked like it was from the 60's with 4-5 people including a mom riding side saddle on the back holding a couple of kids.  It might be a non-air conditioned bus with what looked to be around 100 people packed inside (not an exaggeration) and another dozen or so riding on the roof.  You see these buses not only in the city but also on the highways sometimes going around 60 mph!  It could be a cow or a dozen cows, pig(s), camel(s), monkey(s) ambling down the middle of the road.  It could be a crowded market place that would make Wal-Mart on tax free weekend look like one of the most serene places on the planet.  I could go on forever with "it could be's" but hopefully the pictures will capture some of it.  As we were getting near our hotel yesterday at one point I just started laughing as the thought crossed my mind that "you can't make this stuff up"!
This morning we're off to see the Taj Mahal.  Our guide shared with us that there are two types of people in the world.  Those that have seen the Taj Mahal and those that haven't.  We're looking forward to crossing over to the other side!

At a lunch in a small village along the road from Jaipur to Agra

You never know when you might run into a snake charmer or two

A couple of handsome young men on the side of the road!

A "Step Well" down to a water collection area.  It's over 90 feet and 300 stairs down to the water.

Cute kiddo's from a local village

The group!

One of the local markets.  So many motorcycles, scooters, tractors, etc.

An option to an overcrowded bus is the back of an over crowded truck

All three hotels have had these in their lobbies for Diwali.  It's made of rice!

Jaipur

It's Sunday morning about 6:15 India time.  We've always been early risers and it seems as if we've adjusted to the time change pretty well.  It's a good thing because it's a busy itinerary.  We explored the city of Jaipur yesterday.  It's known as the "Pink City" because of the pink colored sandstone façade on many of the old buildings.  Although much smaller than Delhi, there are over 4 million people in Jaipur.  I don't have much time to write about it now because we leave for Agra (home of the Taj Mahal) shortly.  I'll provide more details later but here are a few pictures.

The Amber Fort and the jeep that took us to it

Royal Family Palace (Part of the Amber Fort)

Courtyard inside the Amber Fort.  The women were not allowed in the courtyard but could watch from behind the lattice work.  The Queen got the big window on the top floor of the upper level.

You could also ride an elephant to the top of the fort. 

Our new BFF from Jaipur!

We did a cooking class/demonstration at a families home.  Great food!