Favourite Places

Monday, June 30, 2008

India, Incredible India – Backpacking in the North

Delhi-Agra-Jaipur-Amritsar-Chandigarh-Shimla-Manali-Sarchu-Leh-Delhi in18 days

From the arid heat of the infamous Indian summer at the Golden Triangle, to freak rain in the Rajasthani desert, from the piercing & brutal Punjab sun to the mysterious foggy hills en route to Shimla, from the first awestruck glimpse of the snow-capped Indian Himalayas in Manali, to the bleak and desolate landscape in freezing Sarchu, from the pleasant coolness of lovely Leh, to the muggy warmth of Delhi, beckoning the start of the Monsoon.

From basking in the beauty of the magical Taj Mahal, the No. 1 Wonder of the World, to holding the purported largest Topaz in the world, from experiencing the splendour of the Golden Temple, holy site for Sikhs all over the world, to witnessing the India-Pakistan border closing ceremony (probably the most hilarious official ceremony in the world), from crossing Khardong-La, the highest motorable pass in the world, to flying off from Leh Airport, the highest airport in the world, and finally visiting the best museum in the world (in our opinions), the Sulabh International Museum of Toilets.

From getting lost in translation and dining too lavishly in Delhi, to being human pawns in a Mughal king’s giant checkerboard in Fatehpur Sikri, from raucous games of charades in a Tempo Traveller to kill boredom during an arduous ride, to eating traditional Rajasthani fare out of leaves in Choki Dhani, from running through the crowds in our backpacks to catch the overnight train to Amritsar, to leisurely soaking in the views while being served tea in a toy train to Shimla, from paragliding amidst the mountains and zorbing down the hills in Manali, to gawking at the beauty of Panggong Lake and seeing Tibetan China in the distance, from getting used to relieving oneself in the open amid the mountain rocks, to spinning the giant prayer wheels in the Gompas of Ladakh, from the ludicrous expansion of an empire named Uhcras, to watching the sun rise beyond the mountains from the comfort of our room.

And who could forget –

How ¾ of the itinerary was a complete surprise to dear Kok Wei, and how he pointed at a random white dome on the road to Agra “Oh, we reached the Taj Mahal already?”

How 6 of us were in the wrong carriage that night at Chandigarh Station and how it separated from the rest of the train, and how we jumped off in sheer panic, and ran in the rain with our backpacks to where Hamid & Asrie were in the correct carriage bound for Kalka.

How when asked if the meat at one restaurant was halal, the waiter said in a totally deadpan manner “Yes sir, we cut the chicken slowly slowly until the chicken die”

How Yucai got literally carried away during paragliding and ended up landing in some meadow 1m away from barbed wire.

How Harti had to succumb to Peer Pressure and join the Emptering Club and how happy the guys were to make Ice Lemon Tea and Mountain Dew, even enjoying the scenic trickling streams (Which stream?)

How GE attacked us that dreadful night we camped out in Sarchu – How I was diarrhea-ing when suddenly all the lights went out, leaving me gripped by blind panic in the pitch black & freezing tent toilet. How relieved Yucai felt upon seeing the first rays of dawn and realising that he wasn’t going to die after all.

How 5 of us went for full body Ayurvedic massage only to find out 2 days later that the massage parlour got busted by the police for not having a license.

How Asrie tested a waiter’s patience by asking repeatedly if the veg steak had any meat in it, and if the Paneer Sizzler was just “Paneer, paneer, paneer, paneer…”

How we gorged and feasted – Mysore Masala Thosai in Agra, Paneer Pakora in Jaipur, piping hot Jelebis in Choki Dhani, Parantha in Punjab, Momos in Shimla, Indian style Maggi Mee on the road to Leh, Tibetan Thentuk & flaming Banana Falumbria in Ladakh.

How we made friends along the way – Uncle & his poor thing helper in Delhi, the wacko guide at the fort in Jaipur, the mischievious Punjabi boys in Amritsar, the pleasant family in the Kalka-Shimla train, Vinay the daredevil driver in Manali, the friendly monk at the Gompa, the nice American teachers at the Guesthouse, the jovial lady at the water refill/Leh Berry Lassi shop, the amused drivers who drove us around Leh, the beautiful Dorje family (dashing Mr Dorje and his pretty wife, Bao baby Stanzin, adorable Grandpa Dorje, Mr John from Goa)

How much fun we had.

Asrie, Hamid, Harti, Jinxi, Kok Wei, Pofun & Yucai – thanks for a fantastic trip guys!

Presenting…best of the group shots