The adventure continues...

Eland

 

Blog entry 2

April 19, 2013

 

Lots has changed since the hot deserts of Rajastan. We spent a few days in Mumbai that were a lot of fun. We took a boat out to a place called Elephanta Island which ironically has no elephants but a lot of monkeys, including one that stole a water bottle directly out of my friends hands. We explored around the massive caves with ancient carvings in the walls. Then I ran up to a peak that had cannons that could see 360 degrees around the ocean. For just a second my imagination took me back to a time when these gigantic cannons were actually being used. 

A look into the Elaphanta Island caves

 Ancient Hindu carvings in the caves.

After I ran down the mountain to catch the last ferry we arrived back into the famous Gateway to India as the sun was setting. On our way back to our hotel I noticed a posh event happening on the dock in the harbour. I didn't look back as I walked down a long red carpet in my shorts, sandals and sweat stainded t-shirt to the fully catered buffet style event overlooking the ocean. I felt like Vince Vaghn in weddings crashers as I tried every possible food offered. Rule #67 always be outgoing and act like you belong. 

 

The Gateway to India.

 

 

View of the event we crashed

 

 

After our bellies couldn't fit much more we took a walk through the night vegetable markets (apparently people love to buy veggies at night). As I sipped a chai from a rooftop restautant I watched in classic Indian style a massive parade with trucks pulling sculptures of Indian gods, full truckload of speakers and hundreds of young people dancing behind. 

 

After Mumbai we took an overnight train to Delhi (which again everyone should do at least once in their life). When we arrived we decided to catch another train directly to Amristar (or so we thought). Shortly after getting on the next train we met the people next to us that were part of a group of 170 people on their last day of a five day pilgrimage to a special temple. It turns out the entire train car was full with their group and they started making music, singing traditional songs and dancing. Within minutes we were summoned into the center of the circle to dance. 4 hours later I was still in the center having a dance off with the leader of the group that included a lot of lightbulb screwing dance moves. After photos with just about everyone on the train, the group leader and his wife invited us to spend the night at their place and they would send us of to our destination in the morning. I thought any man that can dance on a train for 4 hours without stopping is worth visiting.

Dancing on the train!

 

Little did we know he lived on the foothills of the Himalayas in a beautiful house. No words needed to be said as we sat on his rooftop patio looking at the mountains. Later that night he took us to a posh hotel on the side of the mountain for a nice meal. 

The great family we stayed with outside their beautiful home.

 

 

We didn't end up leaving the next day. He toured us around Chandigarh which is beautiful. After seeing the best spots which I won't spoil (you will just have to see yourself) we went to The Great Bombay Circus. This is exactly what you think of when someone's says circus before Cirque D'Solie existed. The colourful tents, camels, elephants, clowns, junk food, trapeze and other strange contraptions. It wasn't the most amazing tricks I have seen but it was certainly entertaining. After dinner we went to my first nightclub in India which happens to play the exact same music as back home. We took it upon ourselves to make total fools of ourselves on the dance floor and leave directly after.
 

Going to the circus!

 



Finally the next afternoon we were back on track on the train going to Amritsar. Amristar is home to the famous Golden Temple. This Sikh temple is stunningly glamorous. As its name implies the temple has more then 750 kilograms of gold. When we entered the temple the amazing sounds of their tradition drums, harmoniums and singing filled the room giving me a new appriciation for religious music.

 

A sneak peak at the Golden Temple.

 

We then headed west to the Pakistan border where every night there is a border reopening ceremony that both Pakistan and India participate in. This is quite the spectacle, thousands of people fill the stands on both sides of the border preparing for the gates to be opened in a ceremonial fashion. It's amazing to watch each side try to dance and cheer harder then the other side. It would be nice to see all borders in the world have a celebration like this one. 

A view of the Indian side of the border.

Namaste for now,

Eland

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