www.RogerWendell.com
Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic Evolution^SM

Bharat Two The Republic of India This is my overflow page about the Indian subcontinent (From our Nov/Dec '08 trip through one of the world's most fascinating countries!)

Click Here for my main page about India...

As I said on my main India page, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and love the country so much we hope to return someday soon! Some things I didn't mention on the main page included bits of information about illness, travel time, expenses, and medical preparations. First, from Denver, it takes about 17 hours flying time to reach New Delhi - this does not include the short lay-over we had in London on the way. Flying west (to come back home) always takes a bit longer - in this case maybe about 19 hours flight time that didn't include a nearly six hour layover in London. It was during that longer layover that we took the opportunity to explore London, via "the tube," but that's another story!

What does a trip like this cost? Although we've done a lot of traveling we felt more comfortable using a tour company for our first exploration of India and are glad we did! Next time we'll probably go it alone but for this trip there was a lot of relief in not having to plan routes, meals, lodging, or the overall itinerary for a country we weren't too familiar with. Total cost for the two of us, which includes the tour company, airfare, tips, vaccinations, medications, a few hundred dollars in souvenirs, food, lodging, and all other in-country expenses came to about $11,500 USD. I provide you with this figure not to brag or intimidate but to help provide something as a gauge for your own possible expenses. $11K Was a lot of money for us, that we had to save for, but feel we received full value, and more, while in India. And, for reference, gold at the time of our visit was somewhere around $850 USD to the ounce, the British Pound maybe 2-to-1, and somewhere around 47 or 48 Rupees to the dollar...

India is not much different from any other country people visit, including America or Europe, in that you can fall ill due to food and waterborne pathogens that your body is not accustomed to (or germs that are just downright dangerous anywhere). On this particular trip Tami was perfectly healthy throughout our entire stay. I, on the other hand, had diarrhea almost each and every morning that was accompanied, while I was out jogging before dawn, with some vomiting. Again, this is no reflection on India - I've had similar symptoms in Europe, Central America, Japan and some other countries - it's very unpredictable for me other than I do have a habit of buying snacks and goodies off "the street" in addition to eating a lot of fruits vegetables, and salads wherever I go (I'm a vegetarian). Luckily, after my early morning distress, I was perfectly well and functional for the remainder of the day.

Illness, especially Diarrhea, is a personal issue for most Americans so you can only guess the percent of distress in your fellow travelers. Based on people missing group dinners or being confined to their hotel rooms (for a couple days at a time!) I'd say well over 40% of us fell ill at one time or another on this trip. Most of us, prior to departure, brought along prescription antibiotics, malaria medication, and were vaccinated for things like tetanus and typhoid - routine precautions taken around other parts of the world, as well.

Anyway, these are the facts as best that I can present them - they're provided for your reference and I encourage you to study such things a lot more than just relying on this web page if you're planning any travels of your own. Again, in my estimation these are all routine concerns and preparations that I wouldn't let interfere with travel if your desire is strong - we thoroughly enjoyed India and easily recommend it to anyone has a spirit of adventure and a flexibility in their planning and outlook!

Islam

At the time of our visit, in 2008, Islam was the second-most practiced religion after Hinduism in India. At that time it was estimated that there were well over 154 million Muslims in India, or almost 13.5% of the country's population - making India the third largest population of Muslims in the world. And, estimates suggest that the Muslim birthrate will continue to out-pace that of the Hindus in India.

I did attempt, but without success, photographing some Muslim women in their burqas. Each shied away from my camera not wanting to be photographed - apparently for religious reasons. Anyway, in the first photograph, below, you can see Daisy (our guide) describing the Jama Masjid Mosque to us in Delhi. Interesting to note that some men, at the Mosque, gathered around to watch this strong, young woman in command of our tourist group. Daisy said that on many occasions, when she lectures in a Mosque, the men would sometimes stare her down or even challenge her roll as a leader...

The emergence of Islam in, India, is concurrent with the Turko-Muslim invasion during medieval times and included large parts of present day Pakistan and the Republic of India itself. Islamic rulers took over the administration of large parts of India with their religion having a significant artistic, philosophical, and cultural impact on the subcontinent.

In modern times the Muslims of South Asia have had a turbulent history within the region - resulting in the "partition" of Pakistan from India during independence from Britain in the 1940s. After partition there was the creation of Bangladesh and now (at the time of our 2008 visit) disputes over Kashmir. Nevertheless, previous Indian presidents (APJ Abdul Kalam, for example), numerous politicians, sports and film celebrities throughout the country have been Muslim.

Daisy (Padmaja Bharti)	Jama Masjid Mosque	Jama Masjid Mosque	Jama Masjid Mosque	Prayers
Jama Masjid Mosque	Qutb Minar tower, 234 ft	Qutb Minar	Qutb Minar tower, 234 ft	Typical sandstone screen

Click Here for my video of Daisy explaining the Jama Masjid Mosque in Old Delhi...

Transportation - trains, planes, camels and Tuk Tuks!

From the Denver area we flew British Airways directly to London, for a brief layover, and then to Delhi - both legs were about eight hours each, or 16 hours total flight time (The same route back, going west, took an additional two hours due to prevailing winds, etc.). Once inside India we enjoyed all kinds of travel - ranging from buses, the three-wheeled "tuk tuk," and home-made "makeshifts," to trains, camels, and internal flights on Jet Airways where we were one of the first groups, ever, to enjoy the added safety of the first-time-ever installation (installed the DAY we flew!) Instrument Landing System at Varanasi!!

Typical "Goods Carrier"	Ornimentation	Truck "Turban"	Truck "Turban"	Truck "Turban"
Horn please!	Horn please!	Peggy & Tami at Jhansi	Jhansi train station	Tami at Jhansi
Jhansi train station	Train police	Train police	Open door on moving train	Train toilet

Click Here for my video opening a door on a moving train...

Tami on the train	Tami and the "tuk tuk"	Tuk tuk	Inside the tuk tuk	Tuk tuk "howdy!"
Leaaving the tuk tuk	Tuk tuk swarm	Rickshaw resting	Rickshaw	Rickshaw

Click Here for my video riding a tuk tuk...

Going to school!	Family on a motorcycle	3 on a motorcycle	Farm business	Politics
Camels near Geejgerh/Sikandra	Tami on a camel	Camel saddle	Camel cart	Camel cart
Tami on a camel	Elephant mahouts (riders)	Jugaad "Makeshift"	Tami in the Makeshift	Jugaad "Makeshift"

Click Here for my video of a Makeshift being started by hand!

Ranthambhore National Park

Ranthambhore National Park is located near the town of Sawai Madhopur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. This park is on eof the eleven sites chosen for Project Tiger, India's national tiger conservation program, the largest such effort in the world. The park comprises more than one hundred squre miles of deciduous forest and several large lakes.

Inside the park is the spectacular Ranthambhore Fort - a fortress built more than 1,000 years aog on a rocky outcrop with stunning views of the park itself. Until 1970, the park area was a hunting preserve of the maharajas (local kings). Although we didn't see any tigers (we got close, as indicated by some of the wildlife calling and scrambling out of the area where a tiger was hiding) we did see a lot of tracks in addition to all kinds of wonderful wildlife!

Tami	Fresh tiger tracks	Samvar deer	Samvar deer	Naturalist Subhash Gautam
Cold and dusty!	Ranthambhore monkeys	Lorna & the tiger's toothpick	Lorna & the tiger's toothpick	Crocodile
Daisy at the fort's entrance	Throw stones here!	Me at Ranthambhore	Blue bull deer	Blue bull and Samvar deer

(Note: In these two pictures of Daisy, above, she's in front of the "Traitor" statue that guests throw stones at upon entering the fort...)

Click Here for a video of our drive throught the park on a "canter" (viewing vehicle)...

R.C. Public School

The R.C. Public School is for the primary grades and is located in the village of Yarlipura in Rajathsan State - between Jaipur and Ranthambhore National Park. The school is maintained through donations by the Grand Circle Foundation and our guide service, OAT. It appeared to be a great opportunity for these local kids so we were pleased to see our donation money at work!

Schoolyard	A student takes our photo	A student takes our photo	School mates	Schoolgirl
Prayer?	Meet and greet...	Friends	Funny photographer	Very smart!

Click Here for a video of the students reciting as a group!

Food and Drink

Tami and I, both longtime vegetarians, loved it whenever the waitstaff would ask tourists, "non-vegetarian?" Ha! Maybe our own country will evolve to this level someday??!! Anyway, since I'm not a good food photographer I didn't end up with too many useable eating shots. Nevertheless, the food was simply wonderful - much better than anything we'd normally encounter at Indian restaurants here at home - most everything we ate at local restaurants, at the hotel, or even "on the street" was tasty, attractive, and prepared with careful concern and expertise. India's food is world-famous and deserves further exploration on everyone's part!

We also happened to be in India during America's Thanksgiving holiday. Our guide, Daisy, did everything she could to find a turkey, anywhere in India, but had no luck. So, you can see in the first photo, below, the stuffed-chicken she had prepared for us instead!

Thanksgiving chicken!	McVeggie burger!	McDonalds	Tomato popcorn?	Egg-less Mayonmaisse
American style chips!	Regular grocery store	Regular grocery store	Custard powder?	Corn Flakes
Bulk grains	Bulk grains	Vegetable market	Vegetable stand	Fruit stand
Tami drinking tea	Daisy buying tea	Something being fried...	Looks good!	Peanuts cooked in sand!
Sweet pastry	Golgappa snack	Pastry	Cocoanuts	Fruit

Click Here for a video of us eating Golgappa at the India Gate monument, New Delhi...

Business, selling, buying, making and manufacturing

Everyday stuff but always interesting to see how people make, sell and buy things!

Umbrellas for sale!	Government bobbins & loom ->	Geejgerh/Sikanrda, Rajasthan	Brothers?	Typical street barber!
Leaves	Old mailbox, Varanasi	For sale	Girls selling cloth	Tami buying cloth
More cloth for sale	Weaving silk	Silk doesn't burn!	Silk cacoons	Something for sale!
Snacks for sale	Snacks for sale	Fabric block-printing, Jaipur	Fabric block-printing, Jaipur	Something for sale...
Marble inlay, Agra	Marble inlay, Agra	Loom	Weaving knife	Rug weaving

Click Here for my video of a government weaving loom near Geejgerh/Sikandra, Rajasthan State...

Lodging

We were very lucky in that the company we traveled with ensured we were in four and five star accommodations the entire trip - something Tami and I could never afford on our own. Even their camping facility, at the village of Geejgerh, was fabulously spacious and comfortable - it's going to be tough camping in my one-man Walrus bivy next summer!

Jaypee Palace, Agra

Jaypee Palace, Agra

OAT village camp retreat

OAT village camp retreat

OAT village camp retreat

Miscellaneous

Typical toilet

Ending my India pages with a toilet photograph is not ment to mock or make fun of the country or anything else. I've found that people, all over the world, find toilets to be very interesting so I've created an entire page about toilets that includes more pictures from India, America, and everywhere else I've been! Continuing with the "Miscellaneous" theme, below, you'll see photos of a "comando" monkey, ferrel pigs, snake charmers, a cremation site, a guy repairing a tire, and another guy changing his turban, etc.

India Gate monument	Baolis step-well at Abhaneri	Baolis step-well at Abhaneri	Baolis step-well at Abhaneri	Baolis step-well at Abhaneri
Baha'i Temple, New Dehli	Cremation at Geejgerh	Cremation at Geejgerh	Cremation at Geejgerh	Cremation at Geejgerh
Wires at Chandni Chowk bazaar	Snacks for sale	Agra security	Miscellaneous	Temple water
Mom and kids, Rajasthan	Mom and kids, Rajasthan	Family home, Rajasthan	Family home, Rajasthan	Cow dung/straw shingles
Megaphone	Public Call Office & Internet	Trained monkey, Varanasi	Trained monkey, Varanasi	Feral pigs
Asharam Bapu's Goshala	Asharam Bapu's Goshala	Asharam Bapu's Goshala	Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh	Fatehpur Sikri, Agra district UP
Jantar Mantar observatory	Jantar Mantar observatory	Jantar Mantar observatory	Susan & Friends, Amber Palace	City Palace Museum, Jaipur
Hawa Mahal, Pink City	Shopping for stereo	Tire repair	What the heck is this??	Jai Mahal lake-palace, Jaipur
Amber Fort	Amber Fort, Jaipur	Amber Fort, Jaipur	Amber Fort, Jaipur	Amber Fort, Jaipur
Amber Palace, Jaipur	Amber Palace, Jaipur	Amber Palace, Jaipur	Shahpura turban-wrap	Shahpura elephant spikes
Snake charmers	Gypsy camp near Shahpura	Touching a cobra	6-year-old dancer	Me and the Gypsies!

Click Here for my video of Gypsy snake charmers and a six-year-old dancer!

Carl Jung said after a visit to India in 1938:

It is quite possible that India is the real world, and that the white man lives in a madhouse of abstractions. Life in India has not yet withdrawn into the capsule of the head. It is still the whole body that lives. No wonder the European feels dreamlike; the complete life of India is something of which he merely dreams. When you walk with naked feet, how can you ever forget the earth?

Click Here for my main page about India...

I've posted over 100 of my videos from India on YouTube. The following is a list of the ones that may be of the most interest:

Links:

Aconcagua (Argentina) Africa (Eastern) - Kenya, Tanzania, and my Kilimanjaro climb Africa (Southern) - Our trip through Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe Amazonia Antarctica Argentina and Brazil Australia Australia Two China CIA World Factbook on India Climbing Climbing Photos Distance calculator for India Ecuador France

Hawaii Hiking India - my main page about India! Japan Mexico Russia San Francisco Sanskirt Silk Road Tibet Times of India Travel Travel Two United Kingdom - England United Kingdom - Wales and Scotland

Government of India Departure Card...

Back to Roger J. Wendell's Home Page...

Abbey | About | Blog | Contacting Me | Copyright | Disclaimer | Donate | Guest Book | Home | Links | Site Index | Solutions | Terms, Conditions and Fair Use | What's Changed or New?
Copyright © 1955 -