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Photo Essay: Exploring the Amber Fort in Jaipur
Blog: Girl, Unstoppable - 11 April 2011
On our drive up to the Amber Fort, I had no expectations. We eventually left behind the city density for shady roads that were surrounded by more trees than people. We began to see the old city wall of Jaipur, jutting out of the sides and tops of dusty hills. I felt a tangible presence [...]
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Udaipur city
Blog: Indian Bazaars - 8 April 2011
There are times when you think about how travel has changed you and how places become memories and how every recollection makes beauty rise again to change you one more time. I had just begun to meander that morning by the Pichola Lake wanting to simply walk along the streets of Udaipur city in that light that I had discovered the day before, a light that seemed to belong only to the morning, the light that fell on the Lake Palace, creating most of its charm, the light that let the water dance on the walls of the many pavilions beyond.
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3 delightful days in Delhi
Blog: Travel log and tips for budget travel by backpacking, RV (motorhome) and cruising - 7 April 2011
We had 3 delightful days in Delhi and covered many of the tourist attractions without hassle. This is our recommendation as to how to do the same. On Day 1 either take a tour, we did one with Rao Travel which covered 8 major sights. Alternatively take the tourist Hop on Hop off bus and see the major sights on offer. Both of these options cost just Rs300.
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Two Thought Provoking Palaces in Jaipur
Blog: Girl, Unstoppable - 7 April 2011
The Hawa Mahal and the Jal Mahal were the original poster children of Jaipur for me. A couple months before I went to India, I browsed a travel friend’s photos of India. I hadn’t yet booked anything and wasn’t sure if I’d go and I was looking for ideas on where to go. Amongst the [...]
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Mysticism in an Indian Bazaar
Blog: freewheelings.com - 6 April 2011
I’ve avoided speaking much on matters of faith here at freewheelings. You might expect my views to be somewhat unconventional and I imagine that they are. It’s hard to tell what another individual truly believes and how those beliefs manifest themselves in their experiences. I’m about to give it a whirl. To underscore the importance of [...]
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Andaman Islands ferries
Blog: Travel log and tips for budget travel by backpacking, RV (motorhome) and cruising - 5 April 2011
If you want to get around the Andaman Islands you are going to have to take a ferry at some point. Before arriving at the port arm yourself with photocopies of the Andaman permission slip, your India visa and your passport. It is anyones guess which of these they will require so best to have them all ready and whilst you are at the xerox shop make sure you have enough copies for each of the ferries you may take.
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Photo Essay: Shapes and Patterns at the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur
Blog: Girl, Unstoppable - 3 April 2011
On my day tour of Jaipur, one of my tour mates was a man from Switzerland who’d once lived in India and had been visiting the country for decades. He had already seen all of places on our itinerary. It was clear that he couldn’t get enough of the sights of Jaipur, and throughout the [...]
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Going Back – Lonely Planet Blogsherpa Carnival #21
Blog: No Beaten Path - 1 April 2011
Some great posts about going back and visiting somewhere you have been before.
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Pic of the Week: On the Road in Spiti Valley
Blog: Solo Traveler - 31 March 2011
Traveling through Spiti Valley, where the terrain is constantly changing, this solo traveler gives us a view of blue, blue sky set against rugged landscape. A new article has been added to Solo Traveler
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Brief Encounters in Jaipur
Blog: Girl, Unstoppable - 31 March 2011
A Breakfast Sales Pitch There weren’t enough salt and pepper shakers at the hotel’s breakfast. Not long after I asked a boisterous Australian man to borrow the salt and pepper, an Eastern European woman asked me to borrow them. At the time, I wasn’t sure if she wanted to use the shakers or if she [...]
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Entrance fees to the 7 Wonders of the World: how much is too much?
Blog: 501 Places - 30 March 2011
Have you ever stood outside a world famous monument or historic site and questioned whether you can justify spending the money on the entrance ticket? The chances are that you’ve only thought about it briefly before accepting your lot and paying up for the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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Arriving in Rome – Scaring the Indians
Blog: Vagobond.com - 27 March 2011
Rome wasn't built in a day, but you can certainly see some of it in 24 hours if you don't have more time. A cheap flight from Fes, Morocco with no frills, uncomfortable carrier Ryan Air got me to Rome's Ciampino Airport from Fes Sais Airport with an ultra cheap fair of about $60 including the taxes. Not bad for a transcontinental flight.
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New Delhi – Five Years of Progress
Blog: freewheelings.com - 27 March 2011
If you’ve been to India you can imagine my surprise stepping off of the plane for the first time in the middle of New Delhi. I was all of 20 years old the first time I left my own country.
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Holi Bazaar
Blog: Indian Bazaars - 26 March 2011
I had NOT been chasing the Holi Bazaar, but it did seem like it was walking just a few steps in front of me wherever I went. As I went from one city to another over the last three weeks, I was not to forget at any time that the festival of Holi was nearing. In Ahmedabad, walking around the Raipur Darwaja area and asking about which streets were sellers of what goods, I had been told I was just a bit early to see the Holi colours.
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Photo Essay: Candid Snapshots from Jaipur
Blog: Girl, Unstoppable - 22 March 2011
The tour driver motioned for me to sit in the passenger seat of the 4×4. I was ready to go when he insisted that I buckle my seatbelt. I usually put it on automatically, but after a week and a half in India, I’d gotten used to the fact that every car I sat in [...]
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Lahore to Amritsar – A Humorous Tale of Hitchhiking the Pakistan Border
Blog: freewheelings.com - 21 March 2011
I’ve long since had a fascination with politics on the Indian sub continent. My first trip to the region was in ‘01. I remember the date more so because my passport is coming up for renewal next month and India was my first trip out of the good ol’ US of A. It launched a [...]
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Hampi Part 11 - Zenana Enclosure and Elephant Stables
Blog: A Wandering Mind - 20 March 2011
I have almost come to the end of my Hampi trip reports. Here are the last two enclosures we visited..The Zenana EnclosureThe zenana enclosure is a large walled area, thought to be the royal women’s quarters, so named, because it was built in the Indo-Islamic style of architecture.
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Hampi Part 10 - The Royal Enclosure
Blog: A Wandering Mind - 20 March 2011
The royal enclosure is the nucleus of Hampi. Spread over an area of 59,000 square metres, it is believed to have once housed over 45 buildings, all used by the royal family.
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Enter Rajasthan
Blog: Girl, Unstoppable - 20 March 2011
At 4:15 am, there wasn’t exactly the abundance of autorickshaws that the hotel receptionist had claimed there would be, but after a few moments of worry, I found one. The driver tried to take advantage of my lack of options by quoting a price that was three times what it took me to get the [...]
