.....and in conclusion

We've been back a few days now, and India still dominates our thoughts!  An incredible variety of sights and experiences, a number of mixed feelings, and no doubt done in far too little time, but on the other hand, a lifetime probably wouldn't be enough to do the whole country justice.   Our short trip will have to suffice for us.   However, I do propose to re-read Holy Cow. 

My sleeping patterns are still disrupted, far more than I would have expected a 5½ hour change to cause.  Moreover, it was only after I'd been back for a day or so that the effects started to manifest themselves.  I think there's an age factor in play here.

I'm also conscious that a number of my posts glossed over some of the sights that we saw.    Originally, I thought I might go back over some of the posts (done "on the run") and expand on them, but I'm not sure that this would really be productive.

There's one exception.   In my earlier blog post, I didn't do justice to the Jantar Mantar at Jaipur.   As I said then, this is a historic observatory at Jaipur, with large astronomical instruments.     I see from Wikipedia that it's a collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II (who laid out the city of Jaipur), begun in 1727 and completed in 1734. It features the world's largest stone sundial, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  There were five Jantar Mantar monuments in India;  others are at Delhi, which dates from 1724, Varanasi and Ujjain.  The fifth, the Muttra observatory, is gone.

We had a local guide take us around, and I'm sure his technical explanations were good.  At first, the observatory seems to be just a curious collection of sculptures, but each construction has a specific purpose such as telling the time and measuring the positions of stars and planets, altitudes and calculating eclipses.    I fear that most of what the guide told us was rather lost on our group! Just the same, the fact that so much detailed technical knowledge existed in those days was amazing in itself.

I won't attempt to describe the function of each instrument shown in the images below!

So, that's it for this blog.   I'm going to give blogging a rest for a little while, but I anticipate resuming my day-to-day blog (or a successor?) shortly.

More reflections

India is a fascinating country, with many important monuments and sights, but the poverty is in your face.    Our time there was mostly spent as a member of a group tour.  By nature, I'm an independent tourist, but sometimes a group tour has its uses:  it allows you to cover a lot of ground in a short timeframe, especially in a country like India where as a first-time "independent" traveller I would certainly have encountered "challenges".

Our fellow-travellers were a mixed bunch, from Britain and New Zealand as well as Australia.    The ladies far out-numbered the men.   One of our number couldn't tolerate anything spicy, which in India certainly limited her eating options (but usually the restaurants were able to cater for her).   Our tour guide was extremely well-informed, but we felt he could have been better in the "people skills" area and ought to have been more communicative in relation to day-by-day matters, such as plans for the day, how long each activity would take and the like.  I, like most of the others, thought he wasn't up to the standard of his counterparts on previous tours we've undertaken with the same company.   However, I'm conscious that I'll need to be cautious when providing feedback to the organisers, as it could have repercussions for his ability to get future assignments.

The tour we selected was marketed as a "premium" product, and this was certainly reflected in the high quality of the accommodation and meals, the small number in the group and the roominess of the bus.   You see "discount" packaged tours advertised in the travel supplements of the newspapers (although perhaps not yet for India), but at the end of the day, I believe that you only get what you pay for.

 Speaking of the bus, our driver had an assistant (a "bus boy"), who sat up the front with the driver in a non-air-conditioned section, partitioned off from the group and the tour leader!   Seemingly this is usual in India, and even many lorry drivers have an assistant.  He helped people on and off the bus, handed out the water bottles, and was a second pair of eyes for the driver in "complicated" traffic situations.   However, on one occasion when our coffee break was extended for a few minutes because the driver was said to have thrown up, there was no suggestion that the bus-boy should drive.

And on health issues, it seems the driver was the only person to have had any!

I've been left with some Indian rupees.  I tried to use them to make a purchase at Bangkok on our transit stop coming home but although the duty-free store seemed willing to accept numerous other currencies, it wouldn't take rupees.    I'll have to see if there's anyone in Melbourne who will take them (any offers?)

Transit in Bangkok

We've arrived home, but our journey involved a couple of hours transit time in Bangkok.   Our flight had left Delhi at 11.30 pm, and it took about 3½ hours to get to Bangkok, but with the time change, we arrived there something after 5.30 am local time.   Needless to say, we weren't in great shape.   This was the only occasion I can ever recall regretting not being able to stay on the plane for longer so as to continue sleeping!   And my state was such that I left a couple of insignificant items on the plane....annoying.

I glanced at a couple of the local newspapers while in Bangkok.  It's all about the forthcoming cremation of their late King.   The Thais are a bit obsessed about this.....very strange.

On a different note, I've got some more things I want to say about India, so some further posts on this blog are in the pipeline.

Last day in India

Our flight leaves late in the evening, so we have "day use" of the hotel room before the transfer to the airport.   There seemed to be some shopping fairly close to the hotel, so I went for a walk after breakfast to explore the possibilities.  I located a couple of "plazas", but at about 9.30 am on a Sunday morning, things were pretty dead.   However later in the day things were more active but for the most part the shops (all very small) in these complexes clearly cater for the locals (this is a middle to upper range residential area, including several gated communities) and so had little to interest us.  Nevertheless, it was worthwhile making the effort to get out and about.

Shopping complex

In the meantime, perhaps some reflections are in order.   First, we took medical advice as to vaccinations and the like before coming to India, and either they've been effective or the care we've taken with what we've eaten and so on has paid off.   But we weren't warned about the biggest health danger, at least in the Delhi area:   it's the pollution, and the respiratory issues that result from it.    I've never before felt effects of this nature, but it's getting even to me.   Maybe instead of saying "don't drink the water", the advice should be "don't breathe the air"?  (Just joking).

 Secondly, changing money.    I've got a debit account that gives me a good exchange rate, so where possible when travelling I like to use ATMs.    I didn't do this in Thailand, however, because my research showed the ATMs all charge a relatively high fee and the money changers are very competitive.   In India, although there are money changers around, they aren't everywhere (perhaps foreign tourists are more widely dissipated here).    So I sought out the ATMs, which are fairly widespread (not everywhere, though).  The one I found near Connaught Place worked.    But after that I tried a number but - nope!   I suspect that they had all been "drained" for the Diwali holiday!

And just a random thought about electrical safety.   All the hotels we've stayed in have been very nice, but in at least a couple of places, a glance around the corner has revealed some "interesting" electical arrangements!   Still, given the wiring arrangements out on the streets, perhaps I ought not be surprised.

Connection to light in cupboard!

Hairdryer lead!

[Post updated 22 Oct 17]

Back to Delhi

We made an early start for the nearly 300 km drive back to Delhi, or more precisely, Gurgaon, which appears to be a recently developed precinct and technically is just outside the Delhi urban area (it's in the state of Haryana).    However, for all intents and purposes it seems to be part of the Delhi urban sprawl, and is connected to Delhi by the new Metro train.  The airport is on the same side of the city, so being here should facilitate our departure arrangements late tomorrow.

Apart from a short "shopping opportunity" at a carpet factory and a coffee stop, we headed straight up the highway.    This was dual carriageway for most of the way, and has a couple of toll points.   But toll roads here aren't limited access!   You still pass through towns of various sizes, and there are roadworks and slowings for no apparent reason (sometimes with humps in the road!), as well as various traffic issues, such as slow moving trucks, tractors, auto-rickshaws in the towns.....whatever!

It was nice to get to our accommodation in time for a late lunch.  This evening we head out for dinner and a "Bollywood" show (whatever that means!).

Anyone for a carpet?  (Yes, a couple of our group made purchases)

Modern buildings at Jaipur, not far from the shanties

Toll point

Typical truck - peripheral vision for the driver apparently isn't required!

Jaipur

Jaipiur as a city was somewhat of a disappointment.     Yes, the hotel is lovely (the best yet, but located a distance from the centre), and the Divali dinner last night was great, but I expected more from the old town, described as the "Pink city".   In fact, it's all rather shabby.    We drove past the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), and continued to the Amber Fort (named after its location, not its colour).   This involves a jeep ride for the climb up the hill;  an interesting experience.  The Fort is, as we've now come to expect, a series of chambers and courtyards, and quite impressive in its own way.

This was followed by a "shopping opportunity" (featuring semi-precious stones, for which Jaipur is traditionally noted), lunch and then a visit to Jantar Mantar, a historic observatory  and the City Palace.   The observatory was fascinating.  A guide explained how each of the large instruments was intended to operate, but since I'm not an astronomer, I couldn't really follow the details.

Dinner in the evening was at Ikaki Niwas, a B&B operated by a Rajasthani family. It's operated by a husband and wife couple, and as is typical, the house (a large one) is owned by the husband's parents, who also live there.  The husband spent some time working for a large US company and both he and his wife speak excellent English, yet the family arrangements are still very traditional.   We were briefly introduced to the mother.   Dinner was preceded by a cooking demonstration, mainly conducted by Devika (but the husband took over briefly when she went to settle the 3 month old baby!)   At dinner I sat next to Devika (the wife), and the interesting discussion around the table covered matters such as arranged marriages (as hers was), big weddings, family life, the prevalence of mobile phones in India (even amongst those who at first sight might be thought to have other prior calls on their means) and more.

Palace of the Winds

Gateway, Amber Fort

Decorative detail

One of the courtyards

View into chambers

Looking out from Fort

Elephants to take tourists up and down (optional!)

Observatory instrument

Part of City Palace

Shabbiness, Jaipur

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Agra to Jaipur

It was Diwali, and we had a long and very full day travelling from Agra to Jaipur across the flatness of Rajasthan.   So much to fit in!   I can't do it justice in this post, so may have to come back later with more details.   We explored the deserted (but very well preserved) palace of Fatehpur Sikri (occupied only for 14 years by Emperor Akbar), had lunch at the Raj's palace at Bharatpur (now as luxury hotel), inspected the Chand Baori Stepwell at Abhaneri before arriving in Jaipur to a lavish Diwali Festival dinner.

Bus decorated for Diwali

One of several courtyards at Fatehpur Sikri

Detail in the stonework

Stepwell

Welcome to Dewali dinner!

Fireworks for Diwali, and then more fireworks!