Thursday, May 28, 2009

Stinking hot in Delhi

The long drive to Delhi from Corbett N.P was uneventful but filthy hot and dusty (except for the various toys for sale along the way!) Disappointingly the air horn had started to lose its voice and was becoming less and less effective.
Our destination was an apartment, home to Jodi - who is an engineer designing the new runway and terminal at I.G International airport in Delhi. After the tent and dodgy cheap hotels, sweating in the hot unforgiving land cruiser, her 5 toilets and 5 air conditioning units were heaven. There was even a chilled water dispenser and a fridge full of cold beer.

Over the next week and a bit, while we applied and waited for our Pakistani visas, and waited to hear about our Iranian ones we got loads of washing done, met Jodi's friends, attended the Dutch Queen's birthday celebrations (compulsory orange dress), and did a little bit of shopping.

Jodi and her great ex-pat friends took us out to various upmarket bars/restaurants where the food was brilliant and there were lots of nice drinks, which incidentally cost the equivalent of 2-3 nights accommodation for us normally. Not that we minded, it made a nice change. Our interview at the Pakistani embassy (after having to find a guy with a typewriter to fill the applications out!) went well and we got the visas in 3 days without any problems.

We were less successful at the poker night held at Jodi's, miserably failing to boost our funds. For a bit of 'touristy' action we visited the Red Fort, which was no way near as impressive as others we've seen. Connaught Place was interesting enough, in the centre of New Delhi. A circle of grass and parking areas with an underground market place. In the 40 plus degree temperatures we dared not venture down there. Six radial roads led out from the centre, and 3 ring roads joined them so that the map looked like a bulls-eye.
We ended up driving around Delhi quite a lot, getting jobs done. The vast differences between the wide, clean, leafy streets of the newer city and the dirty, broken and congested lanes of the older part stood out as much as anywhere else, perhaps they were even magnified.
We drove to markets in the different sectors looking for wiper blades, new engine oil and somewhere to change the old stuff. Andrew got out of having to crawl under the car in the heat to drain the oil when a local mechanic scuttled under there before we knew what was happening. With most jobs done, and being sick of waiting to hear about the Iranian visa, we headed up to the mountains, towards Shimla.

We had met some French people who had been camping in the car park near the embassy's in Delhi for over a month, waiting to hear about their Iranian visas, and didn't want to waste time doing the same thing.
We reached the mountains just south west of the Himalayas within 2 days and they made and a delightful change from the oppressive heat of Dehli.
We got a positive email about the Iranian visas on the way up and decided to stay just 2 days, then head back. We found a quiet and cool bush camping spot amongst some trees near a small village called Chial, home of the worlds highest cricket ground (2200 m).
The drive back down the mountains was broken up by a brief (and somewhat nervous) ride on an Indian cable car which stretched between two mountains.

We saw it and both laughed 'that ought to be a bit of fun'. You just never know how well run and organised, or how terribly chaotic something is going to be. Except for those who stood at the very edge of the cable car holding area, about 5 meters past the bright yellow line and writing which read 'DO NOT STAND PASS THIS POINT', it was fine. The huge drop down the mountain side didn't deter them.
Unfortunately we reached the Iranian embassy bright and early, dressed to impress and they had heard nothing of our authorisation codes. We had paid a company to arrange it for us, as Iran requests normally that you have a letter of invitation from someone you are staying with in the country. With a company, it isn't needed. We found out later that day that our visa's had been rejected, and we still don't know why. Kate Hamer's brilliance in Turkey, depositing money into the visa company's Turkish bank account for us was in vain.

We have to be out of India by the 17th of June, and somehow arrange to apply again for our Iranian visas, while we are in the Himalayas. We can either try another company or head to Pakistan, Islamabad, and apply there. Back to Jodi's to do a spot of washing and to use her excellent and reliable Internet...before heading to the Himalayas and one of the most spectacular and highest roads in the world, the Manali to Leh road!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tiger tracking

The drive to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, was a long one and again we headed for a 'Nessies' recommended camping spot at a hotel. It proved to be an excellent find, only 10 minutes from the Taj, and the manager was really a helpful and interesting man. We knew there had to be a catch and it came in the form of two weddings. On the same night. 100 meters from our tent. We decided to risk it and in the end it wasn't the weddings that interrupted our sleep, but instead the fact it was like a tandoor oven again in the tent.











Grand plans to be at the Taj early in the morning were slightly delayed as we couldn't find it... but once in (with our free bottle of water no less) there were not so many tourists because of the early hour and it was cooler.






Finally I can see why people have always joked that buildings elsewhere are 'not the Taj Mahal'. What a magnificent white square it is. Built over 21 years by a heartbroken emperor, thousands of semiprecious stones inlaid perfectly in the marble as flowers. It is immaculate, perfect and so bright you need your sunnies.

En route to the Taj we spied a Mcdonalds and made a bee line back to it (marked of course on the GPS). We had not counted on this restaurant also running on 'Indian Time'. It didn't open until 11am! Making the decision to bypass Delhi and instead head to the Corbett Tiger Reserve further north for a spot of tiger tracking.

We left later in the day meaning we arrived at our destination for the night as the sun was setting, breaking own own rule of never trying to find accommodation in the dark. Electricity is unreliable, as are cows and Indians on the roads.
After a tense hour of trying to negotiate tiny inner city lanes after following barely understood advice, a young boy heckled from his bike, "Why you drive so slow?". I shot back "Why are you so rude?". Before we knew it he was our excellent English speaking guide. With continued complaints that Andrew was driving too slowly, he and a few other guys helped us to find the perfect place to stay. There was again a wedding on. The young lad turned up again in the morning to say goodbye in his school uniform.

We enjoyed a lovely drive to Corbett N.P from the state of Uttar Pradesh to our 10th Indian state, Uttarakhand. The landscape changed from desert fringe to forests and green fields. There was also a noticeable change in the humidity.

After the usual stuffing around trying to get the correct information, we paid the appropriate fees to enter the tiger reserve, and for our very expensive accommodation. There are numerous gates leading into the reserve, and a few different locations with huts set up for tourists. We were allowed to drive ourselves the 30 kms from the guarded gate to our accommodation, but from there a guide had to accompany us at all times if we went for a walk or drive.

Even just on this drive deep into the reserve we saw numerous spotted deer, monkeys, wild boar and peacocks. Jim Corbett certainly had the right idea and set some terrific rules in place to ensure his tiger reserve was cared for properly. It is the best national park in India we have visited, even if it did cost us about 5 times as much as our fellow Indian tourists. Andrew signed us up for an elephant trek at 6am the next morning, and we enjoyed a buffet of curries before heading to bed early.




Elephants are excellent off road! We went out with three elephants, us and an Indian couple from Mumbai on one, two guys from Belgium on another, and some other Indian guys on the last one. Surprisingly comfortable, we sat with our legs dangling off to one side, the Indian couple with their backs to us. With the only sound being the elephants footsteps and the occasional overpowering elephant fart, we made our way into the jungle.
The guides had to make a decision which way to head, which tracks to follow, and our guy confidently headed the opposite direction to the other lead guide. The deer were only a little wary as the elephants approached, seeing us as extensions rather than a separate thing to fear. Tiger tracks are easy to spot in the sand, but the actual animal eluded us. We did see a huge 10ft python though. With a few quite words in Hindi, our guide managed to get the elephant to break off a branch and pass it up to him so that he could poke the python and see if it would come out from its leafy hide.

Typically, the Indian's with the other guide had a tiger in the grass between them and some wild elephants. Not wanting to leave without giving the tigers our best shot we shared a Jeep safari and headed out once again. The tigers must have been sleeping. It WAS pretty hot...

Back at the car we were packing and noticed the right rear tyre was losing air. We decided to find somewhere close to the park to spend the night, and change the wheel there. As we discussed our options, beedies (Indian cigarettes made from tobacco wrapped in leaves) began to fall from the trees above us. At first it was one or two, but then actual packets fell. A mischievous monkey had stolen them and was rifling through the bag, looking for more promising goods. We left, stopping briefly at 'Crocodile cliff' where we could see crocs sunning themselves in the shallows of the river. We also spotted a huge turtle and shoals of really big fish. We changed the wheel, checked the headlights and readied ourselves to leave the forest and fresh air and head to Delhi.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Jodhpur and Jaipur

After the camel ride Amelia made the camel-man and his sidekick a masala chai back at the car. They were very impressed! The camels and handlers set off on a four hour walk back their homes, while we visited the Sam dunes where we got away from the touts and guides, let down the tyre pressures and had a drive around in the sand.

On the way to Jodhpur we spent the night at a very pleasant spot in the dunes, courtesy of a waypoint from previous overlanders 'nessies adventures'.


A small ragged goatherd spotted us and turned up later, so we offered him a cold drink and mimed/chatted with him for a while. As dusk fell, a black goat kid could just be seen wandering in the dunes bleating folornly, looking decidedly lost. Incredibly Amelia was able to communicate with the animal by bleating, and actually guided it to the car where she had some water waiting. It was kind of like Harry Potter communicating with snakes, except with goats. The poor thing must have been quite unnerved when it discovered that Amelia wasn't the floppy-eared, pointy-horned compatriot it was expecting as it hid under the table for the rest of the evening. I was left scratching my chin and wondering about the Krause/Gore family heritage . . .


The next day Amelia's friend was gone and we got back on the road to Jodhpur. Here there is an impressive fort and many indigo coloured houses after which it is famously named the 'Blue City'. More importantly it was where riding jodhpurs were invented.

We camped in the carpark of a beautiful Ratan Villas' heritage hotel thanks to the very agreeable family owners.

Mehrangarh fort is the best we have seen yet, with lots of art and weapons on display and many of the palace rooms still beautifuly preserved.










The fact foreigners have to pay literally ten times the entry fee of Indians to get in is now wearing a little thin.


Eventually we managed to find a working internet connection, submitted our Iranian Visa applications, and had a few expensive beers and a meal at a rooftop restaurant.

Next stop on the way to Jaipur is Pushkar, a sacred lake busy with Indian tourists and pilgrims worshipping Brahma, holy bearded Sadhus, holy elephants in the street and holy cows bearing a disturbing extra hoof protruding from their neck Chernobyl style. We visited the temple, made offerings of flowers to the Gods and were 'blessed' by a Brahmin on the steps of the lake, apparently.







The road out was full of many monkeys and cows, but i dont think they were the holy kind.


It is hot at night and on still nights sleeping in the rooftent is like being in a tandoor oven, "Get very unpleasant. So in Jaipur having had enough of lying awake drenched in sweat, we headed for a recommended guest house with a rooftop restaurant/wi-fi. Typically the parking was on the street and the rooms were twice our budget so we ate there and slept at another place a short rickshaw ride away.




It was a burning hot 43 during the day so we did a brief tour of the city in a rickshaw, saw the lake palace that apparently has four floors below the waterline, and passed a local elephant parking-lot.

We also bought some emroidery from a fixed price 'warehouse', not so cheap as bargaining on the streets but a lot less hassle.

Next stop Agra and the Taj Mahal!