We have been without the internet for nearly a week now, mostly while we were in Himachal Pradesh but with no logic to it (something you get used to here)
So, sorry communication has been impossible,
We arrived in Haridwar late yesterday afternoon after an 8 hour bone shattering (the roads often strung together with potholes) or head jarring noise (our driver Anil was very, very fond of honking the car horn to frequently overtake, avoid a cow, pedestrian or monkey,etc).
Now we are parked in our hotel on the banks of the sacred Ganges River with our own private Ghat (now we will not be dipping our toes) and temple....the river is lined with rubbish and frequented by Sadhus and pilgrims.
To backtrack a week and a half to Jaipur in Rajasthan where our time was spent admiring Rajput Architecture in the might palaces there.
Our driver Ajay kindly organised a visit to an elephant "camp" so we could get up close and personal to them after it turned out the ride to Amber Fort was off due to the ongoing Goddess Festival...as it turned out it was a much better experience (photos to bore you with later).
I would rate Jaipur as the most difficult place for being hassled by hawkers, Agra pales in comparison...it was relentless.
The trip up to the Kullu Valley in Himachal Pradesh with distant views of the snow peaked Himalayas was spectacular and it was so nice to have some clean cool air at last.
We did some serious walking with Paul, a friend from Australia who spends 6 months here very year,up into the hills. Walking at 10,000 feet proved difficult but the views were worth the effort.
Every home has a loom and weaving(nb Maris) fills in the hours not spent in the fields...now getting ready for winter harvesting grass for the cows and goats through winter. The houses and farms are mostly on the side of mountains and the tenacity and resilience of the people extraordinary(especially the women who do more than their fair share of the hard yakka)...and all so friendly and such a generosity of spirit!
Then on to Shimla (only a 6 hour hair -raising and bone shattering ride)...still a beguiling place with it's decaying British architecture and vibrant community.. It is the spot now to go for the Indian middle class which has now meant that many of the handicraft shops on The Mall have been replaced with Western brand name shops...they are a scourge and very sad to see.
We were so lucky to been there for a Classical Indian Music Festival in the old Raj era Gaiety Theatre AND for FREE! We went the 2 nights we could of course and were treated (I suspect) to some of the best.....what beautiful music: tablas, sitar,sarod,singing...and to think before the British left Indians were fordidden here.
Proudly Gandhi's statue looks down over Shimla from the top of The Mall and the Indian flag proudly flies above.
Now out into the Market here in Haridwar to test the waters (metaphorically of course) Kolkata tomorrow back in Sydney Saturday night....maybe another entry internet permitting,
Namastae
Kathxo
PS Meant to mention our driver yesterday turned out to be a communist...so refreshing to hear someone talk so enthusiastically about real change (not the dirty word it is at home) ...turned our Anil had a degree in languages and political science and driving a cab (sound familiar) and no lover of Modhi (we have yet to find someone who does).
