17 November 2014 by thesmartwayround

The 7 Wonders of the World and Travel Checklists

“The few wonders of the world only exist while there are those with the sight to see them”

– Charles de Lint

When groups of travellers get together comparisons of adventures are often made and countries visited and other numerous checklists are ‘ticked’ off. Sit in any backpacker bar around the world, or hostel common room and there is always one conversation between travellers trying to out do each other. On the seventh of December this year, a new list to compare will be announced. The ‘New 7 Wonders Cities’ list, the top seven cities from around the world as voted by us, the citizens of the world!

Travel lists are nothing new, in fact ever since ancient times there have been travel ‘bucket lists’. The seven wonders of the ancient world, (not ancient to them), was probably the first must see travel checklist. In 2007 a new ‘7 Wonders’ was released, again voted for, by the world’s population. While when we travel we are definitely not ‘list tickers’, our overland adventure from London to Melbourne included a visit to several of the 7 Wonders, and for me, it meant a chance to have visited them all.

So in preparation for the release of the world’s top seven cities, this week we are looking back at our visits to the New 7 Wonders of the World, (in no particular order!).

1. The Colosseum: Rome Italy

The home of Rome’s mighty gladiator battles and one of the symbols of the ancient city

When you think of Ancient Rome, you instinctively think of the Colosseum. I first visited the Colosseum in 2004 and still vividly remember it. Exiting a relatively modern (by Rome standards) Metro/Underground station and there straight in front of you is this enormous imposing ancient structure. The Colosseum has been ravaged by earth quakes and pillaged for its marble throughout the centuries but nothing screams out, ‘I am in Rome’ more than a visit here. Word of advice, steer clear of the guys dressed as Roman soldiers offering to have your photo taken with them. They will use your camera and then charge you for the privilege!

Nothing says Rome quite like the Colosseum

2. Machu Picchu: Peru

The must have photo of Machu Picchu with the mountain of Wayna Picchu in the background

The must have photo of Machu Picchu with the mountain of Huayna Picchu in the background

I had built up Machu Picchu so much in my mind I didn’t expect it to meet my expectations, but in honesty it far exceeded them! My trip to South America was all a little last-minute so I was unable to get my hands on a permit to hike the Inca Trail. Instead I caught the train from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes and spent a full afternoon and most of the following day exploring this incredible site, and I am so glad I did. I was one of the first into the site before dawn and sat and watched the spindly fingers of fog draw away and finally unveil the ruins in all their glory. It felt like I had the entire area to myself. After dawn broke I was able to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu which only allows a limited number of people to ascend every day, for a different perspective of the ‘Lost City of the Incas’. The dramatic surroundings and incredible history made for one of my travel highlights from around the world.

Looking down of the 'Lost City' from the peak of Waynu Picchu

Looking down of the ‘Lost City’ from the peak of Huayna Picchu

3. Petra: Jordan

Approaching the Treasury of Petra from the 1.2km long Siq

Ever since seeing ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ I had wanted to visit Petra. I knew very little about the Rose City until I visited, thinking that Petra was only the Treasury (the most famous building) but quickly discovered it was a huge sprawling settlement that was not discovered until 1812! The highlight was definitely the walk through the narrow and winding 1.2km gorge called the Siq, a natural phenomena that not even Steven Spielberg and George Lucas could have imagined.

There is more to Petra than just the Treasury

4. Christ the Redeemer: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Christ the Redeemer towering over the city of Rio

Like a beacon of hope, the statue of Christ the Redeemer towers over the city of Rio, arms outstretched embracing the City of God. A major drawcard for visitors and locals alike, Christ has been looking down on Rio since 1931. Stunning views of the of the city, beaches and surrounding hills including the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Looking out towards Rio below

5. Pyramid at Chichén Itzá: Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

This Mayan Masterpiece is astronomically perfectly aligned

Chichén Itzá showcases just how advanced the Mayans were when it came to astronomy. All the structures in the complex perfectly aligned with the stars, the moon or the sun, none more so than Pyramid of Kulkulkan. During the spring and autumn equinoxes the fading sun lights up what appears to be a serpent descending from the top of the pyramid (there are some great YouTube videos showing this). There are also a number of other very impressive structures all linking up to the Mayan fascination with the universe.

Channelling the powers from above, El Castillo as it is know to the locals

Channelling the powers from above, El Castillo as it is known to the locals

6. The Great Wall of China: China

The Great Wall, the largest of the 7 Wonders

For as long as I can remember I wanted to set foot on the Great Wall. Maybe it had to do with the history or perhaps just the pure scale of the project but the wall has always amazed me. Easily accessible from Beijing and packed with both foreign and local tourists alike there are numerous sections to explore and hike this mammoth structure. Or perhaps just find a quiet (if you can) section and look out as the Wall snakes over the surrounding mountains.

There are literally miles of Wall to discover, but trying to get a quiet section is not easy!

7: The Taj Mahal: Agra, India

It is almost impossible to take a bad photo of the Taj Mahal

Perhaps we saved the best to last but words cannot describe what it is like to lay eyes on the Taj Mahal. It is such a contrast to the hustle, bustle and humanity of surrounding Agra, but as soon as you enter the compound and gardens it is like some serene peace descends on you, despite the mass throng of tourists. Considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, seeing the Taj Mahal for the first time is definitely one of those wow moments that don’t come along that often!

One of the most beautiful buildings in the world

Do you have a travel bucket list to check off or do you think that there are other sites around the World that should be part of the 7 Wonders? Let us know what you think.

– Dean

Time to start planning our next travel bucket list!

SPECIAL NOTE: Before you all ask, the Pyramids of Giza were given honorary status as they are the only still surviving of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World. This was very controversial in 2007!

23 February 2014 by thesmartwayround

Chapter Eight: India Part 2 – Iconic India, Tigers, Temples and the Taj Mahal

After our enjoyable few days exploring Jaipur we headed down to Ranthambhore National park, the best National Park in Rajasthan to see Tigers, or so we were told. We had not had much luck in Chitwan in Nepal, and that bad luck followed us to India. The Naturalists, guides and park officials all told us tiger sightings had dropped off significantly over the last week and nobody knew why. We think that someone had tipped off the tigers about our arrival! We gave ourselves the best chance and headed out on four different safari drives but the tigers continued to elude us. It was probably a conspiracy with Indian tourism to ensure we return to search them out again, (our must return to list is getting bigger and bigger!). Despite the lack of tigers the National Park was beautiful, and we did see loads of deer, monkeys, a few crocodiles and many different species of birds, including the stunning Kingfisher and the Indian National bird, the Peacock.

Natalie chasing peacocks

Leaving Ranthambhore, we began what was supposed to be two train days up to the Punjab capital of Amritsar, breaking the journey up by overnighting in Delhi. After a brief afternoon exploring Delhi, the following day we arrived out to the station to be met with some potentially disastrous news. Our train was delayed, well not just slightly, but 10 hours delayed! In fact it was due to arrive into Delhi at roughly the time it was supposed to arrive in our final destination! If we waited for it, the train may have been delayed further or even cancelled and we only had one full day in Amritsar. This is where ‘Organisation Natalie’ took over. After a quick run-around, and some frantic negotiations, Natalie found a car and driver to take us to Amritsar.

Early on in India we had agreed that we were not going to take night buses if possible, but short on time and facing losing our visit to Amritsar, we decided the car was the only way. Mid-afternoon we began our eight hour journey north. Occasionally when you travel you find yourself doing exactly what you promised yourself you wouldn’t do, and that’s what happened to us. To say that we had our hearts in our mouths is an understatement. Zipping in and out of traffic, horn blaring we were looking at setting a record pace. That was until we diverted to Chandigarh to swap drivers. Our new driver was worse than the first, if that was possible, in fact we stopped three times to ask for directions to get out of Chandigarh and Natalie read my mind when she said, “do you think he even has his licence?” I won’t lie, there were a couple of moments with headlights bearing down upon us where I thought ‘This is it’. Yes we could have got out, but we were in the middle of nowhere and it was one of those occasions where you have to go with the better of two options, and that was to stay with our rookie driver. So close to midnight we pulled into the not so grand Grand Hotel, better late than never and had somehow managed to arrive into Amritsar roughly on time.

Amritsar is home to the Golden Temple complex and was without doubt one of the highlights of India. I had seen the temple on a TV feature during an Australian vs. India cricket series a few years ago, and from that point I have always wanted to go there and see it for myself. The Golden Temple far exceeded my expectations, and put simply it was stunning. Sitting in the middle of a pool of water this shimmering golden structure is surrounded by striking white marble on all sides. It is one of the holiest of sites for the Sikh religion, with people make a pilgrimage to bath in the waters. It was fascinating to watch and another one of India’s photographers delights.

The magical Golden Temple

After the morning at the Golden Temple and a little time spent wandering the bazaars we spent the afternoon on a side trip out to one of the region’s main tourist attractions, the Pakistan and Indian border. First stop out towards the border was the most bizarre temple we have visited, dedicated to a local Saint. Comprising room after room of colourful glass mosaic paintings, door entrances shaped like lion’s mouths, and faux grottos we discovered that this temple was visited by local women wanting to fall pregnant! It certainly was something a little different and unlike anything else we had experienced in India.

Then it was on to the border. Every day the border with Pakistan hosts the ‘Retreating Ceremony’, or official closing of the border for the day. We had never experienced a border like it, as it had stadium seating, a DJ warming the crowd up, and music rocking out. Soldiers, all well over six foot, paraded around like peacocks, before doing high kicks and then speedily marching up to the border where they threw their arms in the air, threw down some of their best moves at the Pakistan border guards, (who were doing the exact same thing), all while being cheered on by the crowd who were being whipped into a frenzy by the resident DJ! It had the atmosphere of a cricket match rather than a tense border crossing and it culminated with the lowering of the flag. Before we knew it the ceremony was over and the border guards who had been goose stepping around in an incredibly camp fashion all of a sudden turned into normal border guards forcibly and angrily ushering people towards the exits. Our day concluded with another visit to the Golden Temple to see the sun set and the Temple illuminated at night. Another Incredible day in India.

It was then back to Delhi for a few days to explore the capital. We took it pretty easy in Delhi as Natalie had been hit by a virus which knocked her around quite badly. We still managed to visit all the main sites including the Red Fort, Jama Masjid Mosque, India Gate and several of the old Mughal tombs including the Humayun tomb which was allegedly the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.

Humayun Tomb

The tombs were a great introduction for our trip down to Agra. We had organised India to finish with the Taj Mahal, and what a way to finish! On our arrival day into Agra we visited many of the city’s other sites such as the Agra Fort, the ‘Baby Taj’ which was incredibly intricate in its carvings and was the first marble building in the city. We finished off watching the sun set on the opposite bank of the river from the Taj itself. We could just tell the following day was going to be something special.

The alarm went off at 6:00am next morning to give us ample time to get to the Taj Mahal for sunrise. To say the Taj Mahal is amazing is an understatement, in fact every superlative and cliché you have ever heard about it is true. It truly is one of, if not the most beautiful building in the world. To see it in the early morning sun light is a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life, it was exactly like I had always dreamt it would be and rightfully earns its place as one of the seven wonders of the world. Our morning was spent walking around the gardens, finding great photo spots and watching the light change on the white marble Taj. Natalie had worked out a great way for getting people to take our photo for us, ask them if she could take a photo for them first. It worked a treat with the obligatory ‘Can we take one for you’ after Natalie handed them back their camera. After a break back at the hotel for a few hours we returned in the afternoon and this time were greeted with totally different weather conditions. The sky was clouding over by created an amazing marbling effect with the clouds and with the sun being blocked gave a whole new lighting effect for our photos. At last count I took some 600 photos so hopefully there is at least one good one in there! Words cannot do this day justice, all I can say is everyone should visit the Taj Mahal once in their life and only then when they have been there can they truly understand why no words will ever do it justice.

No introduction needed

At first light

After our incredible Agra experience we bordered our final train journey back to Delhi. There was something bitter sweet about this moment, firstly we had successfully negotiated the Indian rail network, a feat that shouldn’t be underestimated. Secondly, it earmarked the end to our overland adventure, sure we still had some great places to visit, but our first flight in three months was looming, so it was a rather reflective ride back to Delhi.

Great trains… too much luggage!

Our final two days in India were spent exploring more of Delhi. First we visited the Akshardham complex. It was a little like Disney meets India, built next to the 2010 Commonwealth Games village it was a showcase of Indian architecture. Sadly however photos were not permitted so we had to settle for the cheesy tourist photo instead (which of course they do allow you to buy!)

On our final day we first visited the Laxmi Narayan temple and then it was down to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial and museum to learn a little about this amazing man’s life. Probably one of the most interesting things I saw there was a quote regarding everyone in India being equal. I wondered what Gandhi would make of modern day India, because 60 years on it felt like very little if anything has changed.

At India Gate

We finished our time in India with something very colonial, we headed out to the Imperial Hotel, one of the most famous in the city, for afternoon tea. Sitting there enjoying our tea and scones we couldn’t help but wonder what people staying here made of India, they were so secluded and isolated from the realities of the country and wondered if they got a real sense of what India is all about.

Enjoying the finner things in life!

So after that it was out to the airport and our first flight, while our time in India was relatively short we had experienced some amazing things. You could honestly spend years in India and never see everything. For the independent traveller India is hard work. The trains, the hotels, the touts all start to wear you down, but visiting the Golden Temple, searching for tigers and of course the unbelievable Taj Mahal more than makes up for the difficulties. As India’s tourism board claims, India is Incredible…..

– Dean

19 February 2014 by thesmartwayround

Some Like it Hot – Food in India

For Dean, when he arrived in India he thought everything was going to be so hot and spicy that there would be little left of our insides by the time we left…. Whilst this excited him I was a little worried! The mass spice attack hasn’t been the case but we haven’t been left disappointed. The food has been nicely ‘warm’ whilst not blowing our brains out and above all has been amazingly tasty.

I have stuck to vegetarian dishes which have been so good that I wonder if I’ll ever truly turn back to meat (with the exception of my Mum’s Roast pork and Mother-in-law’s steak!).

My favourite, which surprisingly came in a number of different combinations were the Thali dishes. Essentially a big silver tray full of yummy goodness. Most had a kind of lentil Dahl, veggie curry, curd (yoghurt which came in handy for cooling things down!), spicy rice and of course some chapati or roti to scoop everything up with. The elaborate versions even had fruit and some come with meat. It was like a mini buffet on a plate and from Nepal onwards they became my dish of choice!

Thali

In Jaipur one speciality were tandoori skewers of (mainly) meaty goodness. I passed on this but Dean enjoyed them on a few occasions and seemed to think that you could never have enough!

Our favourite restaurant in Jaipur

I have mentioned our love of samosa in a previous blog and this continued right until the end. However along the way we discovered other yummy lunchtime options and snacks. One day Dean had a Masala Dosa (wafer thin savoury crepe) which was a top choice whilst I sampled vegetable Pakora – bite size deep fried veggies! some things here are not so healthy, but hey we are on holiday!

Masala Dosa

One of the most exciting part of train travel was the food circus that emerged before your eyes both when on the train and at stations when waiting. Sellers with their leaf-made-plates served up a storm to travellers on the train, using playing cards for spoons. You could get anything from samosa to tomato soup, popcorn, nuts and full on dinner platters. Not to mention the constant calls of “chai chai chai” from the sellers offering tea! Once one train pulled out of the station the vendors would load the bowl of their offerings onto their head and climb down onto the tracks to cross the lines to meet the next train. Why use the bridge when you can walk through the yukkiness and amongst the rats! I guess speed is of the essence. On the one journey where we tried the a/c class coach I was disappointed with the lack of vendors. They make the journey exciting. As I write this on our last train calls of “byriani byriani (a type of spicy rice)” have just passed by!

As well as snacks and Thali we have tried many amazing curries. My Dhal Makhani (black lentils with butter) was especially good at a hole in the wall restaurant in Jaipur but we’ve also had some good butter paneer (a kind of cottage cheese) and Dean enjoys a Lababdar…. Key for me is looking out for the word “Aloo”. This means potato and generally speaking means I’m going to love it!

You just got to hope your hands are clean…

Not to be outdone, sweet treats and drinks all rein supreme in India. On our second train the family who bought me chai also offered me some Indian sweets. Customary when Indian weddings are involved. This family were on their way back from a wedding and had lots of sweets to share! To be honest I’d stick with a bar of Cadbury chocolate any day but I was grateful for their offering. My favourite sweet treat was Jalebis – deep fried batter dunked in sugar syrup. Right up my street!

For drinks one thing that rules on a hot day is a fruit Lassi. Essentially a milkshake like drink with the key ingredient being yoghurt. They come with ‘seasonal’ fruits (or more to the point whatever is available!) and banana was our favourite! No matter what the temperature Chai is everywhere and must be tried. Its a kind of spiced tea which is milky and sweet and is served in small cups.

One thing that concerns a lot of people about the food here is the World famous Delhi Belly. To say we haven’t suffered at some point would be untrue however we decided we wanted to get out there, eat with the locals and try what we could. If all else fails there are pharmacies everywhere who will sort you out 😉 .

The food here has been amazing. Three weeks on and I’m not bored of curry, in fact I can’t wait to try something new from the menu at India Cottage – our favourite curry house in the UK! The food in Myanmar has a lot to live up to!

Bon appetite!

– Natalie

16 February 2014 by thesmartwayround

Taking the leap of faith – crossing the road around the World

I remember in primary school “Hector the Cat” coming to see us and teaching us how safely to cross the road. It was a police and government initiative to teach young kids the importance of road safety. It must have worked well, because ever since I have always looked both ways before crossing and waited for the green signal.

That was before I moved to Europe.

Living and working in Europe has taught me how to cross the road whenever is needed, except of course in Germany where nobody would dare cross on a red signal or J-walk for fear of being fined by the police. Also in Berlin and Dresden you have “Ampelman” the coolest crossing man ever, so why would you disobey?

Watch out for Ampelman

I cut my road crossing teeth so to speak in Rome, one of Europes craziest motoring towns. In Rome, the red light for a moped or taxi is a suggestion rather than a given. So perplexed at crossing the road I quizzed one of my local guides. “Dean, it’s all about eye contact. Look a driver in the eye and you have formed a relationship. If it’s a girl crossing the road, the male driver automatically thinks she wants to sleep with him. In your case, they think you are admiring their stylish clothes or sunglasses, give it a try” I was told. You know what? Sure enough it worked. I would then dispense this pearl of wisdom to my groups and eagerly demonstrate with the leap of faith. I would wait until there was as much traffic coming as possible, make eye contact and just walk out. As the traffic stopped, my groups would scurry behind me amazed at the Jedi Mind Trick powers of their Tour Manager.

In London you just go for it whenever you can. As Natalie likes to say, “I’m a Londoner we just go!”. For unsuspecting people who drive on the right, London even has “Look Left” clearly printed on the ground to remind tourists that we drive on the left side of the road, how easy does that make it!

This of course does not work everywhere, when I travelled through Vietnam I discovered it was the “Frogger” approach. Based on the 1980’s arcade game you slowly inched your way across the road and the locals would avoid you. Stop, speed up or stutter and there was bound to be an accident but maintain a constant pace and there was no road that could not be conquered.

Close your eyes and pretend they are not there…

My favourite roads to cross would have to be La Paz in Bolivia. There they have people dressed up as Zebras holding rope to stop the traffic for people to cross safely. In scorching heat and at high altitude these striped protectors of pedestrians would have to get the award for the most inventive way to help you get from A to B.

China was relatively easy by comparison. We had both heard how crazy the roads were and apart from the odd motorbike whizzing past and the fact you can turn left on a red signal, crossing the road in China was disappointingly easy.

Then we arrived in India. India is a whole new kettle of fish. Not only do you have to negotiate the cars, trucks and bikes, not forgetting the mountains of rickshaws, but you have the cows to try and avoid as well! The rickshaws are fine and easy to dodge, generally speaking they almost come to a screeching halt every time they see a tourist on the side of the road, but it’s the cars behind them you need to watch. The cars will swerve either way to try and avoid them and you have to hope you are not on the way! Eye contact doesn’t work neither does the “Frogger Manoeuvre”, something that has gotten us into trouble on more than one occasion! It seems the best option is a combination of everything we have learnt about crossing the road from around the world, and if that fails, stand next to a local and do what they do.

A quieter road in India

So next time you visit a new city or country feel free to try any of these. If you have a method that works leave a comment at the bottom of the blog. Meanwhile I will sit at this roundabout a while longer, surely this traffic is going to subside eventually?!

– Dean

12 February 2014 by thesmartwayround

A good run for our money – bye bye overland travel HELLO plane!

So we have reached the end of the line – train line that is and it’s time to board our first commercial flight.

When we left London on the Eurostar back on the 18th November this day seemed a lifetime away…. Or rather at that point our flight wasn’t even booked so we didn’t know when the day was coming.

Back at the beginning leaving home!

Our aim was to travel overland, without flying, as far as possible, travelling on the Trans Mongolian train and beyond. We hoped to get as far as India and we managed it. Alright we did take one joy-flight over Everest but it wasn’t a scheduled flight and we ended where we begun so it didn’t really count!

We have travelled through 12 countries and at times it has felt both impossible and unbelievable to be where we are. How could we be seeing the Great Wall or Taj Mahal without getting on a plane? Were we really there? On many occasions we have had to pinch ourselves and there is still part of me that can’t believe we are really here and what we’ve done!

Most of our journeys have been via train. We have racked up just under 20,000 KM (or almost 12,500 miles) on the railways through Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China and India and spent many (sometimes uncomfortable!) hours travelling over 3000 KM (or 1865 miles) on buses in Lithuania and Nepal. In amongst this we’ve had a couple of car journeys (notably Tibet) totalling almost 1400km (or 865 miles) and we’ve loved every minute. I have never spent so much time on trains as I have over these last few months, although from my early days visiting Grandparents in Yorkshire, I always loved them. It is an amazing way to travel and one I’d do again in a heartbeat (with slightly less luggage!).

Great trains… too much luggage!

Each and every journey has had its highs and lows. Comparisons are all too easy to make and it’s hard as all the journeys were so different, but here are my highs (and lows!):

* Cleanest train: Russian Trans Siberian
* Best restaurant car: joint winner – Trans Siberian – it was older than me and kitsch car on train from Ulan Batar
* Most scenic train: high altitude ride from Cheng Du to Lhasa
* Most forgiving train: Russian train from Frankfurt as they waited for us when our connection was late!
* Grumpiest : Russian ladies – but they maintained their carriages so well!
* Worst door security: India trains as they don’t lock them (fun fun fun!)
* Dirtiest toilets: China trains – hands down winner yuk yuk yuk (they were that bad its what prompted this list!)
* Most old fashioned / trains with most character: India trains
* Most consistently delayed trains: Indian!
* Train with best Champagne – Eurostar!!!

Along the way we have met some lovely people, both locals and foreigners not to mention our film crew friends on that initial Trans Siberian journey. Thank you to everyone who has followed the journey so far, and to those in Canada who saw us on the CBC broadcast and have taken the time to track our blog down!

With Jean-Francois from CBC and his cameraman Alexi

We have scheduled this blog to send as we take off from Delhi airport. We have such mixed views about flying out as we’d love to continue overland but the borders just aren’t open and so we have no choice. This flight is the end of the first phase and larger part of our trip, but we still have loads to look forward to! We fly around the houses and then eventually land in Myanmar where Dean has a special treat lined up for Valentines Day (stated tuned!). After two weeks exploring we then head down to Australia which we are both very excited about. We’ll spend time with Deans family, then my parents arrive (very exciting!) before our second wedding party – hurray! Finally it will be time for a second honeymoon in the Philippines.

So as we say goodbye to overland travel we are excited about the next steps of our adventure. Above all we are very proud of what we have achieved on this trip. We set out to travel by train and thats exactly what we’ve done. It has been, and continues to be just an amazing experience. I just need to find the brake pedal as time is going too fast!

– Natalie

9 February 2014 by thesmartwayround

Chapter Seven: India – the colourful land full of rich history and an unique way of life

India. For me, visiting had always remained a distant option in my mind. Somewhere that I had no immediate desire to go to, but always knew I would. Somewhere that seemed a challenge for the truly independent traveller and a place that I take my hat off to people who visit as their first big trip abroad. Maybe you have to really want to go there, then it makes for an ideal first trip, as it is such a culturally rich and different place. For me it had never been top of my list, so by the time we arrived I had heard my fair share of horror and good stories. Equally I had met (and have continued to meet whilst we have been here) so many people that come back time and time again. It gets under your skin apparently. I had been before, but I’m slightly ashamed to say it was purely for a Taj Mahal stop. A fly in, fly out, which I’m not alone in doing. At that point in my backpacking ‘career’ (let’s face it, trip after trip have made it almost a career for me just sadly without the earnings!) it’s all I felt up to. I was a nervous wreck, about to embark on my first big trip (that in the end would see me away for nearly two years) so I’m pleased I left it until now to discover India. Together, Dean and I had said from very beginning of our trip planning that we wanted to go. Whatever else got added / chopped from the itinerary, India had to stay.

First I should say that I really think travelling independently in India is very very different than an organised trip (more so than anywhere else I have been). Not better or worse, just different with a few more challenges along the way. I had read in the guide books that although there are regular trains, there are a lot of people to move here so they get booked up far in advance. This was no word of a lie! We learnt a lot from that first journey down to Varanasi. You could potentially buy a ticket on the day, but it presents a level of unpredictability and you may have to stand for your 10 hour journey. Whilst we were happy to ‘rough it’ we had to make sure our belongings were safe (and us!). So we did want we didn’t want to do, (but has worked out for the best) and spent an evening in Varanasi sitting with Pintu from the hotel travel desk planning our trains, and working out ways to get round the obstacles of the fully booked ones. His advice was invaluable and at the end of a very long night we had a plan and tickets for the next 19 days. We basically booked whatever seat option we could get – most were the Indian ‘sleeper class’ – three bunk beds high in big bunk trains, with open windows although we did have the odd a/c train, chair seat only and even one 1^st class just for comparison sake! So far I hands down prefer the sleeper class where you are in amongst it with the locals. I had heard plenty of stories of shoes being stolen etc., and men eyeing you up, but hey this in India. What a rollacoaster it was going to be.

Finding friends by the Holy river

Varanasi in itself is a place that divides opinion. I remember talking to two good friends of mine who went together, but have very different memories. One of them said over and over “I loved it” the other said “its stinks… all I remember was the smell”. For us it grew on us and by the time we left we could see why people find it so interesting. The back alleys (mind what you step in) and narrow paths all wind down towards all the Ghats (steps down to the river) along the banks of the Ganges. Despite being one of the most polluted rivers in the World, Hindus consider the city to be one of their seven Holy cities, and therefore come here in droves to wash away their sins in the river as well as cremate their loved ones. It is one of the best people watching spots and is a hard-core introduction to India. For most of the year you can walk along the river taking in the scene and looking at the Ghats and temples that litter the banks. Anyone who has ever been will have some memory of the ‘Burning Ghats’ – the sacred Holy spots along the way where Hindus are cremated. As they are Holy places photography is (rightfully) banned. Don’t get me started about those tourists who tried to be so disrespectful and ignore this…. One of the things to do in Varanasi is to take a boat ride along the Ganges. We did this, dutifully lit a candle and floated it down the river for good karma and set off (at a very slow pace – he even got me to row at one point as he was tired!) to witness what was going on. The act of grief is very private, so I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to see, but before we knew it, we were moored up just in front of the burning Ghat. Here I witnessed something that will never leave me. An image that will stay in my mind longer than any photograph I’ve taken. Sometimes putting your camera down makes you take in what is happening around you and it was almost quite emotional. We watched the men (always the men) walking this body down on a bamboo stretcher (covered in bright coloured fabrics) and dipping it into the water. It was then taken back up and placed on the fire and covered in exactly the right amount of wood (Sandalwood being the best option but also the most expensive). The burning Ghats work 24/7 and never go out. Towards the end of the burning more Ganges river water is splashed over the ashes and with that the body is committed to a life of peace and not reincarnated. As we saw a dog making off with goodness knows what remains, we reminded ourselves that only in India would we see this. There were no tears, no great sense of grief that we saw, but a real sense of doing what was right for your loved one. A nice premise to have.

So with that we bid farewell to Varanasi and headed out essentially in the wrong direction east to Gaya and then onto Bodhgaya where the Mahabodhi Temple lies. This one was for you Tashi (our Tibetan Guide) as we know how much you want to go. I thoroughly enjoyed the train ride out here as a family heading back from their daughter’s wedding bought me chai and we swapped wedding pictures! I am sure they thought my dress was morbid being white – but I still love it!!

Mingling with the locals

Being slightly born again Buddhists, we wanted to head out to see the big temple in Bodhgaya which is so important within the Buddhist faith. We had seen its image all over Tibet, and it was then we decided to go. This is where Buddha obtained enlightenment, meaning he was not reincarnated (a theme going on here!). The main temple itself is absolutely beautiful, and inside contains what I called ‘bedazzled Buddha’ – Buddha’s image with almost a halo of diamonds. We were back to seeing lots of Tibetans walking the kora (circuit around the temple) and we loved it. Monks were prostrating everywhere and chanting their mantras and yak butter milk was burning. It was a magical place and one that we spent many an hour in. In the roads surrounding the temple several countries have built their own monasteries, so we visited the Bhutanese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Chinese ones. All very different in style and are a reflection of their host countries approach to Buddhism. A fantastic couple of days! It was also here that I found the best carrot cake in the World (to date – obviously research goes on!). I’ll get to food in a bit, but needless to say this was my one non-Indian treat!

Pictures don’t do it justice

We had to pass back through Varanasi, but then headed west towards Lucknow. Perhaps we were tired, perhaps we were hot, but I can honestly say I struggled to find anyone who was particularly pleasant. Normally you get one person on a train that looks out for you, on this journey I slept like a baby, but Dean (on the lower bunk) awoke on more than one occasion to see a group of men staring at me. I think his foot was strategically poised should the need arise, but fortunately they moved on! Lucknow has many amazing buildings, and the ruins of what was once a British base (and was the location of the siege in 1857 resulting in much loss of life). We spent the whole day exploring and we were thoroughly impressed with the architecture, just I’m sorry to say not the people. For us the people tend to make or break a place. It has been hard going at times in India, but there are so many lovely folk here (just not many in Lucknow!). India is actually helping my fear of ‘dead things’, although I saw that many dead animals in this city that it was here I started my count…… Dean wondered why I was risking life and limb to cross the road (and back again) and remained blissfully unaware of the ‘sleeping’ cat nearby. Why do I just seem to spot these things?!?! Life at times seems cheaper here, and animals are no exception.

One of the many stunning arch-ways in Luckow

Beautiful buildings

Lucknow was just brief stop before we headed on to Jaipur. We had heard lots of good things about the city and we were not disappointed. I wonder if people like it as straight away it is more organised. Yes there are still the cows, dogs, beeping horns, crazy road crossings etc. but there is a bit more order with the grid-system of streets, high street restaurant names and swanky hotels. As well as this, there are some World-famous sights and it really does earn its reputation as one of India’s finest cities (in my limited opinion).

We spent the first day exploring the old city inside the pink walls. We walked and walked and went in the City Palace, Jantar Mantar (the still-working observatory which was almost like a sculpture park and was cool), Royal Albert Hall Museum (the building was the best bit!), up the mignonette and finally into the Hawa Mahal. This honeycomb like structure was built with lots of very small concealed windows for the ladies to look down on the road below. It was fascinating!

At Hawa Mahal

Outside the Royal Albert Hall building (a museum)

The next day we went out to the Amber Fort – wow what a site. I am pleased and proud to say this time we did not climb on an elephant and had not regrets. As the poor girls trudged up the hill we walked by our own steam (with me talking to every Nellie in sight!). We explored the fort with it opulent courtyards and buildings. We then headed out to the less popular Jaigarh Fort which had less to see but was wonderful as it was so quiet and it afforded spectacular views over Amber Fort. Finally we visited the Nahargarh Fort and then stopped at the Water Palace on the way back into town (an amazing palace partly submerged in the middle of a lake!).

Amber Fort

We had a tuk tuk driver for the day who was fabulous and I asked him if we could squeeze one more sight in. He was happy to oblige and Dean was pleased I had. He took us out to the Royal Gaitor – the cenotaphs built by the Royalty of the region and it was amazing. The buildings sparkled in the twilight sun and made for a fitting end to our stay here.

Beep Beep!

Our comments about food always seem popular, so it is worth me adding a line or two in about how we are going here! Dean thinks I have become a ‘little spice monster’ as I am liking hotter and hotter foods. We have tried to continue eating our ‘street food’ although naturally we apply a bit more caution. Some of my favourite snacks are Samosas. I’m not that keen on them back home, but here they are a plump puff of pastried spicy veg and potato and they are just amazing. At 5 rupees (5p) each they are a bargain!

Me and my snacks!

Generally speaking I have one rule, if its veggie I’ll try it. Veg Thalis are still a favourite of mine, but I have been trying all sorts of curries, mopping up the yummy sauce with roti. I am really really enjoying the food, something I wasn’t sure I would say. For someone who has a reputation for being a little bit fussy, I think it’s fair to say I have taken to it like a duck to water.

Our favourite restaurant in Jaipur

As I write this I am sitting in the sun waiting to go out on our afternoon tiger safari. By the time you read it of course we will know if we spotted them or not. People ask where we find the time to blog. Sometimes it’s written on our phone during a night journey, or others times like this when we had a bit of down time. As its winter the pool is empty, so this is just as good a way of sitting (you know I can’t sit still for long!). More will follow later on about our India journey, but this is just the beginning….

I must admit, I can now see why it gets under your skin……

– Natalie

5 February 2014 by thesmartwayround

Borders, Buses and Indian Trains

The day leaving Lumbini began our second major travel day after leaving Pokhara, and was one met with a few nerves and raw excitement.

As luck would have it we managed to wrangle our way straight onto a local bus headed toward the Nepali border town. The 24 seat bus was rammed tight with close to double the number of people standing, us included. After the first stop the ticket master/boy then ushered us up to sit on a bench behind the driver. During the one hour long drive Natalie’s shoulder was used as a handrail, a handbag storage and at various times an emergency braking device, while for most of the journey my knee was hyper flexed in the wrong direction.

After the arduous bus ride the day before this was now stock standard and what we expected. Arriving at the border town we then negotiated a taxi for the 4 kilometre drive to the border itself. A straight line drive, it appeared our driver had to stop for directions on at least two occasions!

Border formalities were relatively straight forward and the Nepali immigration officers would have to go down as some of the friendliest we have encountered (UK and Australian Immigration please take note!). There is something quite rewarding about walking across National frontiers, what with passport checks, military questioning and the general shadiness of about every border town we have ever visited.

Welcome to India!

Our arrival into India was met with the customary assault of touts all promising safe passage to onward destinations. With no buses to our hopeful first port of call (Varanasi) we had agreed to take a share jeep to the transport hub of Gorakhpur.

What the tout lacked in sales skills he made up for in sheer persistence and determination, so we piled into a small jeep with a Korean, three locals and a family of seven! Combined with our three drivers/rooftop luggage securerers our ramshackle caravan began the two hour “express” dash to Gorakhpur.

I say “express” because buses are supposed to take a minimum of three hours. Our driver had obviously been taught by the mysterious hooded driver of the previous day, or thought he was the future Indian Sebastian Vettel as we careered down in record time. There were some very near misses, several games of chicken with oncoming traffic, wheel screeching and a couple of moments where my heart skipped a beat or two! All part and parcel of your average journey in India!

Arriving into Gorakhpur train station the adventure really began as we tried to organise a train ticket to Varanasi. The station was a seething mass of people, cows and dogs and we made straight for the shortest queue. I waited, pushed and shoved like a local while Natalie followed a sign to Tourist Services (which was closed). Upon arrival back to line Natalie found me being lambasted for pushing my way through the ladies queue! Luckily we swapped spots and within minutes we had an unreserved ticket to Varanasi, a five hour train journey, or so we thought. The ticket seller told us the next train left at 4pm – perfect. When Natalie asked what time it arrived she shrugged her shoulders and said “about 9pm”. How wrong she was!

Tired, hungry and edgy after a couple of big and rough travel days we struggled to find our train (we later found out we had no specific train booked just an ‘open ticket’) but it was a great lesson in Indian train travel! Finally we boarded a near empty train that was apparently bound for Varanasi. The carriage was allegedly constructed in 2010 but looked like one of the first trains ever put into circulation. So our train rumbled out the station carrying us, and an assortment of cockroaches and rodents (yes rodents!) for our first Indian train ride. Natalie was fascinated by the open doors throughout the journey and for the first dozen stations insisted on ‘swinging’ out the door!

Who needs to shut the door?

9:00pm came and went with no sign of Varanasi. At around 10:30pm we were starting to wonder if we had boarded the wrong train until my desperate scramble around the platform at one stop unearthed our alleged arrival time of 1:00am! Both of us by this point were struggling to keep awake.

Natalie ‘trying’ to stay awake!!

Cold, hungry and totally exhausted we arrived at Varanasi around 1:36am, grabbed an auto rickshaw and then drove around to find a guesthouse. At about 2:30am we finally turned the lights out and crashed out to sleep. What a day and proof this certainly isn’t your all inclusive package holiday!

Borders are great fun and a great challenge when travelling but the travel around them is always long and difficult. I still remember a six and a half hour Belarus to Poland border crossing with my tour group in tow. However there is always a sense of achievement you feel at land borders, more so when you cross it yourself unaided. Most importantly we had made it to India, the next few weeks were going to be at times challenging, but above all truly amazing, we could just tell. But for now India could wait, all we wanted to do was sleep…

– Dean

The Smart Way Round

Travel blog of two overland adventurers and now family travellers. Just because you have kids doesn't mean the adventure stops.

Category Archives: India

The 7 Wonders of the World and Travel Checklists

Chapter Eight: India Part 2 – Iconic India, Tigers, Temples and the Taj Mahal

Some Like it Hot – Food in India

Taking the leap of faith – crossing the road around the World

A good run for our money – bye bye overland travel HELLO plane!

Chapter Seven: India – the colourful land full of rich history and an unique way of life

Borders, Buses and Indian Trains

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