India shows Lisa who is 'da boss

I STILL have the Delhi belly...it has been days now...ugh

Still have the Delhi Belly

that's what they call it over there when you get sick from their parasite infested water and food - and I still got it

More pics

Here are some of my pics - yes that is an ox inside a store. They roll a little different over there:)

More Sheri pics

my pics will come tomorrow...this is the ceremony at the Ganges River in Varanasi - they worship this river in Hindu practice...

Some of Sheri's pictures

A few pics of the Taj...of Sheri and I

with bindi's...of a camel...see next blog entry

Back in US

Delta ended up flying out at 2:30 to make up for the cancelled flight and I flew home - first class again god bless Bridgette - and am now back at the doubletree in the big apple - will be in Cincy tomorrow. Ah...it feels good to be home. I have some more interesting things to report on...and will do later as i have some time to process...but one interesting thing was that the Eurpoeans we met...and the Indian TV I saw...always reported about the Indian or European polls on whether Obama or McCain will be President. So people in other countries take polls on how they would vote on our presidential race if they could vote here...pretty interesting huh...would we ever take time to poll Americans on who they would vote on in the election for the British Prime Minister? I think not...it is not our business.

Adventure...now we're cookin'

SO we left Varanasi today after going with Virmal our guide to a few more telples...he loved us...me especially...did I mention I'm a hit here...if I ever get hard up for a husband I know where to look...anyway...so we flew to Delhi then on to Mumbai. THe plan was simple...the driver takes me to the International airport then Sheri to the hotel as she flies out tomorrow. The car of course broke down as we were at the intersection of the airport entrance. After some mulling...we decided Sheri would wait for a cab and I would grab my shit and haul ass on foot. I ran to the terminal only to find my flight cancelled. I tried to get a taxi...but as it turns out...no taxi's at the departure terminal...finally I looked like I was going to cry and a man helped me get into a tihng - I don't know what it is...some car looking thing and he took me to the hotel...oh did you think I went straight there...no...it broke down first and he changed a flat while 30 men gathered around me and then we got lost and then I made it to the hotel. I think I am stuck here for afew more days which is fine as I had planned on staying a while anyway...and frankly...I need a day to recover before going back to the airport...you have no idea how insane it is here...more later.

I made Sheri laugh til she cried this morning

SO as if last night wasn't enough...this morning we were at the front desk by 5 a.m. as we were told to do so by our guide Vimal (best guide so far). We showed up and he looked concerned...we were supposed to take a boat ride on the ganges to watch the morning worship as the sun was rising...but b/c of monsoon...no boats are allowed...to make matters worse...there was a monsoon outside. The part of me that has all the sense told me to go back to the room...go back to bed...we don't care anymore...but the other side took over...I put on a rain jacket...and away we went to trek thru the poop (people, cow, pig, monkey, etc) in our flip flops to see the ganges ritual and then on to the next ghat to see the creamations. I had my back pack (which is now ruined) and again, I got completely drenched from head to toe...somehow...my dear sister didnt get so wet...mainly b/c she got the unbrella and I had to wear the rain jacket...it turns out an unbrella is a better bet. The creamation place was creepy and we did inhale some ashes of burned dead bodies...we went back to the hotel and basically laughed until we peed at the hell like adventure we were on. Our poor guide...he just wants us to like it here so bad...I appreciate and respect it here...but this is not fun...however...one glorious thing has happened...I am no longer feeling burnt out on being a lawyer...bring on a job...

more later, lis

Varanasi

Today we left Jaipur (and psycho...did I mention he had taken a shine to me...the men here look at us like they just saw their first trans am) today, psycho dropped us at the airport then we flew back to Delhi then on to Varanasi. When we arrived at the airport...there was a parade b/c apparently a Bollywood star was on our flight. The airport was small and completely run down. It reminded me of flying into Belize a bit. Our driver and guide met us. We have a lovely guide...and he had his work cut out for him little did he know.

So we went to the hotel, dropped our crap, then were off to see the ceremony...putting the Ganges to bed. B/c it is monsoon...people had to cramp into tiny tiny places...it was scroching hot and almost full humidity. I sweated through my clothes and luckily for the men of Varanasi...I had a white shirt on so everyone got a free show thanks to me. We then walked back thru the INSANE crazy, wildly crowded dangerous streets back to our car. I almost had a panic attack. India is more than I had bargained for. There was an ox in the sari store...don't worry...I got a pic and will post upon return home. I am trying to fly home tomorrow night but the loads look bad as you all know I fly standby so i might be stuck in Bombay a few more days...shit...I told my sister I was gonig to hang an American Flag outside the house when I return...she laughed but shared my sentiment. There are too many freakin' people in this damn country. Oh...I also forgot to mention people piss anywhere and drop their pants and shit on the side of the road...seen many a bare ass.

Leaving Jaipur today

I am feeling better and woke up starving today which is a good sign that whatever was going on in my intestines is gone. I ate a large breakfast and soon we will leave to the airport. Today we fly back to Delhi then on to Varanasi - the holy city. This is the place where they creamte their dead in public and wash their sins in teh Ganges. Wish us luck.

Jaipur - the pink city

So far - Jaipur has been my favorite city. Today Sheri went site seeing a bit without me as I was feeling ill (finally got Delhi belly as they call it), then she picked me up...we saw a few sites, then shopped. India has many precious gemstones and you can buy nice jewelry here at a much better price than in the US. After we bought some jewelry...we went to a textile factory and she bought some wraps and I bought a purse and a pillow case cover. Tomorrow we fly back to Delhi...then to Varanasi. Varanasi is supposed to be the hardest city for travelling...so you can imagine I am thrilled. lol

More later, lis

Taj Mahal

Yesterday - we left our hotel with our psycho driver and our lovely wonderful tour guide Khan for a trip to the Taj Mahal. It was breathtaking and something that a picture can't capture or words cannot describe. I think you have to see it with your eyes to get it. Very grand.

After...we sadly left our tour guide and our psychotic driver drove us 6 hours to Jaipur. We almost died at least 10 times. I really hate our driver...getting back to that later. Along the way...we saw cmale, monkeys, goats, cows, peacocks...all kinds of stuff...and the poverty is like nothing I have ever seen in all my life...I could not have dreamed it up to be that bad.

Something i find strange here is that men walk hand in hand and arm in arm kind of like young girls do in Europe (no it is not b/c they are gay). We arrived in Jaipur and are staying at the Jai Mahal Palace...it is AMAZING...it is a real palace that was converted into a hotel. Tonigth we are getting spa treatments and today we are gonig to the Amber Fort. Tomorrow we fly to Varanasi.

Jaipur is my favorite city in India so far. It is a nice mix of old and new.

I have never really been all that patriotic I guess...but I'm pretty happy to be an American right about now.

Much love, lis

Agra

We flew from Mumbai to Delhi yesterday - landing at 6 ish - and were greeted by a lady who Sheri's friend's father in law knows...???...but she has arranged for us a driver and a tour guide and flights and fancy hotels...??? And we haven't even paid her. I thought that was odd...but going with it. So we drove almost 6 hours...again at mass speeds, with no rules from Delhi to Agra in a cracker jack box with a driver who speaks no English. We stayed last night at the JayPee Palace. It is crazy nice and marble everywhere. Today we are going to the Taj Mahal then being driven by same crazy driver 6 hours to Jaipur. We will be there 2 nights then fly to Varanasi then fly back to Mumbai to come home.

I like the northern part of the country better than Mumbai...but still...I was just not prepared for the poverty. I THOUGHT I had been to impoverished nations before...but...I was wrong I think. It is such an odd line to be drawn between wealth and poverty...and I had heard that about India...but to see it is insane. Literally the hotel we are at is pretty much carved out of marble...but people live in a tarp 300 feet away?

I cannot stress enough that the driving here is unreal...plus our driver has a bit of a road rage problem and tried to start a few fights along the way...then we got stopped for taxes somewhere late late at night and we were left alone in the car when the driver appeared to go into the trees to pay a wierd tax while we were guarded by some little dude who frankly I could have taken...I think this is my last adventure vaca for a while...Mimi - it is th carribean for a few years from here on out.

Again - let's hope the Taj Mahal - the inspiration of the trip - is worth all this. lis

Sheri is en route

I have gotten an email and my sister is arriving in the morning. This is good as I am ready to leave Bombay - I did meet and make friends with a young kiwi entrepreneur late last night as I was eating Italian food for dinner at my hotel at 3:00 a.m. (I told you it is like Lost in Translation...I can't for the life of me get my days and nights worked out). So far the only American brand I have seen here is Baskin Robbins...which I know...is an odd thing to have made it here...have not seen coke or McDonalds which usually pop up everywhere...odd. My hotel doesn't have coke at all...which I find interesting. The other thing that is odd is the Hindi hip hop (and rap) on TV here - I am rather entertained by it. More later, Lisa

Where to begin

Well...today was interesting. Today I booked a tour of Bombay with my ultra fancy hotel so I expected it to be a good one. A black car arrvied at 10:00 a.m. My driver/tour guide showed up with a smile. As such, I understood him to be happy...that was the last accurate communication we had the entire day. First, I asked if he was my tour guide or was he taking me to a tour..."Yes." So I thought I was going to meet a larger tour. I asked again, he said "no english." Hmm I thought...how could this be. He called his boss on the cell phone...his boss told me that my tour guide was new. I decided to go with it.

The first rule about driving in Bombay is that there are no rules. I have taken cabs in many many a destination and have myself driven a cracker jack box from Barcelona to Nice (along with Gorm and brandy) ...but what went down today will be hard to describe in a way that you will get what actually happened. My "tour guide" and I were driving 3 hours fast and straight in a cracker jack box at high speeds mere inches (and I DO MEAN INCHES) away from bikes, pedestrians, cars, arms hanging outside of cars, cows, goats, chickens, buildings, motorbikes, CHILDREN etc etc. I saw people riding 2 and 3 year olds behind them on motorbikes with nothing holding them on there and no helmets (obviously). Bikes and people and everything whizzed to and fro, as did the cars. There are no lines on the road to tell where traffic going east vs. west should be on the road. It was mass chaos. When I arrived back at the hotel (early b/c I cut the tour short...in fact, after 45 minutes I told the driver to take me back to the hotel but he didn't understand me until I asked about 5 times) I had a severe stress headache. How can a culture that is so rigid in so many ways be so frivilous in this manner??

The tour consisted of us driving at high speeds past something?, my driver pointing his left hand and saying who knows what, me looking, and having no clue where really to look and what I was seeing. I only got 3 pictures b/c there was literally no time for snapping a photo we were going so fast. Oh well, at least there was air conditioning.

And about that. I'm apologize India...but it is too freaking hot here for all the clothes you folks wear...

My friend Chandu (he and his wife live in Hyderbad) called today. He said I will like other parts of India better than Bombay. Let's hope so. He said India places no value on human life b/c there is such a large population. I could see that today when cars literally would not even think about braking when a child would step in front of their car. It was like frogger on acid.

I feel like Bill Murray in Lost in Translation with the whole jetlag thing. Oh well...it is an experience.

I have no idea what I am going to do tomorrow but I assure you...whatever it is...I will get there by foot.

Jetlag

Well, despite the fact that I slept 8 hours on the flight here...I am now jetlagged. Yesterday, I walked around. The humidity was harsh so I went back to my room to cool off...which turned into a 5 hour nap...which in turn led to zero sleep last night. I finally got out of bed at 6:30 a.m. to have breakfast. I have a tour scheduled at 10:00 a.m. so hopefully I can stay awake all day today and get into the swing of things tonight. I will report back today after my tour of Mumbai...

I'm Here I'm Here I'm Here

First of all...Bridgette saved my life. Well, that may be dramatic but I travelled for 24 hours to get here and I arrived refreshed. I got to fly first class...my seat made a full bed...I had my own pod so I didn't have to sit next to anyone...my seat was a massager seat so I got a back rub the whole way...I got really great toiletries...2 pillows...thick comfy blanket...the bathroom was huge with a hardwood floor???????????...the meals were great...I had my own TV and I watched a full season of sex and the city...then thanks to my sister, I took an Ambien and passed out and woke up refreshed and in Bombay (Mumbai really). The hotel sent a car to get me...I made it straight here...and all is well. The hotel is really nice. I am getting acclamated and am setting mysel up for a tour tomorrow. Today I am going shopping at a palce recomended to me by my flight attendant who runs this flight from JFK regularly.

Sheri arrives Sunday. Will report more later. India is unlike anytihng I have ever seen before...and I have been a few places. lis

Packing Goddess

I packed for my 3 week trip and got it all to fit into one bookbag sized backpack. I rock.

Leaving for India Tomorrow

Yeah!!...I leave tomorrow for India. I have prepared as best I can for what I will encounter. I have cotton and linen clothes, a personal fan, a mister, gold bond powder, tons of prescription and over the counter drugs, and cereal bars b/c I don't plan on eating while I am there...will post pics as I can but do tune in as there should be some good ones and some good stories. My sister is flying in to meet me this weekend so I will be a few nights alone in the beginning and end of the trip. Also, I found a house to rent not too far from my parents. I am waiting to hear if I actually get it but if I do it will be really nice as it is a newer house, a fenced in back yard and right next door to my friend Tara and her family. Thins good thoughts that I will get a job when I return...until then, stay tuned fo pictures and blogging from India.

Much love, lis

PS - this is how Emmitt rolls in Ohio - god bless my Mom she loves to ride around on the John Deer tractor - and Emmitt likes to ride behind her neck in the car like he does with me.

India

India has been postponed for one week from leaving today until next Tuesday because my uncle died...I wanted to go to the funeral so I decided to leave one week later. So look for posts next week.