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Old 01-09-2010, 12:02 PM   #1
Webbed
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Default Back from India

Well guys, I'm back from India! It was fun, but I have mixed emotions about my trip. The forts were awesome, I enjoyed the wedding, and the hotel services were great.

Unfortunately, I was sick for 2 days. I guess people get sick no matter how careful.

Anyway, see my photos at http://www.shuweb.com. I still have a couple more photos to post, but I hope to so in the next day.

Also - I had a lay over in Brussels on the way back. Interesting country.... I'll have to go there on vacation some time! I bought some Cote D'or, they are so good!
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Old 01-12-2010, 01:39 PM   #2
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Beautiful!!!

Hey have you won some prize that you travel around the world?? jeje

Nice pics, thank you for sharing!
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Old 01-12-2010, 11:15 PM   #3
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I always enjoy seeing your photos. You're very lucky to see so much of the world. I'm very envious of that.

They are very beautiful photos and it looks like an amazing place. I'd love to attend an indian wedding someday as the whole tradition around them intrigues me. Right down to the bracelets that the bride wears (given by her guests) for 40 days and 40 nights after the wedding. Plus they're so colourful too.

Sorry to hear you were ill for a couple of days and I'm sure it would have been an even better stay otherwise.
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Old 01-15-2010, 02:42 PM   #4
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You know, now that I think about it, I'm surprised that I've never been sick before considering where I have been in the past. Maybe I'm getting old???

India is a country of major contrasts. The Crowne Plaza was absolutely beautiful - it matches or beats some of the nice hotels in the US. And, when you drive less than one minute away, you see people living in torn up tents and building fire along the side of the road to stay warm. I saw a handicapped person crawling along the road to beg for money; I saw an old, fragile woman with so many wrinkles that she looked like the wicked witch straight out of a movie. Kids were selling miscellaneous things like pencils and steering wheel covers to make what amounts to 15-40 rupees - that's spare change for you and me.

In some ways, this vacation was different for me in that I ventured out to see how people really lived. It wasn't the usual "get off the plane, have a driver take me to my resort, and have the resort plan my activities for me" vacation where I rarely saw how the locals lived (though I did see it in Belize and Costa Rica, but again through the windows of a large air conditioned bus arranged by the hotel).

The issue of currency was a shocker, one that I never got used to. I had local drivers who spoke hardly a word of English; I gave them gratuity for what I later realized amounted to more than a day of pay on top of what he charged his employer (the employer being my friend's family). But the fact is, I felt silly to give him such a small tip for driving me around all day.

But it became clear to me when one driver took me to a reputable but local restaurant. A meal for one person amounted to US$2.... we splurged and we still walked away for US$10. Unbelievable! And I stayed for two nights at a different destination (Jaipur), he stayed elsewhere, and he charged me 600 rupees for those two nights... that's like US$13.

One time, I had the driver take me to a jewelry store. I bought a sapphire/white diamond necklace for my wife. He later told me that I spent on that jewelry what he earned in one year. Talk about living in different worlds.

At the same time, I never realized that India had so many beautiful structures. I have only heard of the Taj Mahal, but never the Red Fort, Amber Fort, the Qutb monuments, etc. I was reminded of how ingenious people were in the past and what amazing things they built even in those days. And funny thing, while I was enjoying these historical structures, Dubai was celebrating the opening of the tallest building in the world.

I could go on and on (and out of respect for the family that invited me, I am not getting into the minute details of my trip), but this was a fascinating vacation in the sense of a cultural experience. But my next trips will be back to beach vacations.
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