India Incredible India!!!
What do I Say about this Incredible Place is the Problem I have been Pondering since I got back :roll: Most People I have talked to say the same thing, You either Love it or Hate it and there is Nowhere in between :!: Unfortunately for Me it just wasn't what we Expected and I Failed to See anything that Excited Me so I fell into the Last Category :shock: We took so many Photos at the beginning that Our Memory Card was full and being the IT Capital it is I couldn't find a Internet Shop or New Memory Card so had to rely on the other Peoples Photos which I will get a Copy of at some Stage :roll: For Now I will post a few of what I have. It all Started with a Great Anticipation and Excitement
Here We are arriving in Delhi Airport with Great Enthusiasm 8)
All went smoothly through the Airport and onto Our Van for the Long Drive down to Agra Our Base for the next 4 Nights :?:
The Drive was Interesting to Say the Least Lovely Roads like this all the Way :twisted:
We Managed to Side Swipe another Bus Full of People and after a Quick Stop to Abuse each other we were back on Our way like nothing had happened.
Agra is a Extremely Messy and Polluted City which Just Happens to Have the Taj Mahal located there. The Jewel in the Crown of Indian Tourism :wink: I was quite Surprised to See it in Person given it's Reputation?
This is the View from the Riverside beside the Taj.
There is so much Pollution that You can't actually See Much!!! I am looking towards the "Red Fort" Where the Creator of the Taj Mahal was Imprisoned By His Loving Son so He could look at it till He Died :cry:
Having Said that He was No Angel Himself as He had the Wives of the Original Architects of the Building Killed So they would know How He Felt after losing His Wife!!! ( Not sure Why He was complaining as He still had quite a number of other Wives? ) Once Work was Completed He also assembled all the Craftsmen who worked on the Taj and Promptly had their Right Thumbs Cut off so they couldn't ever repeat their Work :twisted: Nice Guy indeed. This seems to have been the General Trend followed throughout India , Wars, Uprisings, Summary Be-Headings on a Frequent Basis etc etc. This continued up until the British colonised the Place at which time they decided to concentrate their Thirst for Blood and Murder on all the Big Game that used to Roam free around India. Nothing Like a Good Hunt and Shoot a Host of Big Cats or anything else in Range :? Photographic Evidence of this is plastered all over any Old Building which they normally call Forts or Palaces, We would call them Old Run down Buildings
Meet Plenty of Lovely Pilgrims!!!
A Real Eye Opener
Anyway after 4 Days usually associated with little Sleep at Night due to Constant Noise or Weird Ceremonies( My Ear Plugs came in Handy here )
I was looking forward to Moving on in anticipation of Better things 8)
I will add a Note here that our entire Trip was around the State of Rajasthan and We had Brought Royal Enfield Motorcycles to Ride on the Trip, The Plan being to take them back to Thailand after the Trip.
We finally Moved on the 1st of November and Rode the 127kms down to a Place called Gwalior. Not a Bad Hotel and it Had a Decent Bar
So I did My bit by supporting the Force India Formula One Team by Drinking Kingfisher Beer throughout Our Trip ( I nearly said Holiday there but corrected myself )
We had 2 Nights here the Last accumulating in an Open Bus Ride up to a Fort on the Most Dusty Polluted Trip of My life?
A nice Local Street.
Some Lovely Shops on the Pollution Ride.
3rd of November and Time to move on again. Eventually got going and down to a small town called Shivpuri. Only one Night here and off again for a Nice Long Ride of 253kms :?: We arrived in the Town of Kota. Stayed here for another 4 Nights doing nothing in particular, but fitted in some small day rides Moved on again this Time for the Town of Bhilwara and Stayed in a Hotel Named "Amit Palace" The name by No Means matched the Actual Building that looked like it came from a Beirut War Zone :shock: The entire Place was under construction and coated in Dust. I was on the Second floor and there was No end to the Building so could have walked straight off the edge!!! Of Course nothing much else worked either :cry: Anyway I won't waste to much time with details as it was basically much the Same everyday.
Some Pictures of the few I have.
Royal Enfields.
The Trip got My Thumbs Up!!!
The India Riders.
Left to Right. Me, Taku (Our Trip Mechanic ), Mike, Robert & Tim
***Note*** Taku or Trip Mechanic who is from India of Course had a Gutsful and Bailed out 1/2 way through. W.T.F . Made Me Wonder
:shock:
Long took a Self Portrait of Herself filling in Time.
Most of the Security Guards or Police we saw had ancient Weapons either Full Wood 303 Enfields or in this case an Old Flint Lock!
I even Managed to get Long on the Bike for a couple of Rides.
Getting Her Ready.
On the Bike.
She even made the Effort of trying to fit in with the Target Painted in the Middle of Her Head :roll:
We finally Pulled the Plug after 3 weeks of Travel and Flew Out of Jodhpur
We were supposed to have stayed another week to 10 Days but everyday was much the Same and We were heading back to Major Cities after here so We decided to leave as in 3 Weeks we had only had about 4 Days worth of Riding that was Notable and perhaps a bit more than a week in decent accommodation? So didn't fancy more of the Bad stuff? I had also only ridden 2000 kms total so No Point in Beating a Dead Horse is there :?: This was also a Contributing Factor in Me deciding Not to bring the Royal Enfield Home. It had been a Faultless Bike for Me but this was one of those Trips You don't need to keep reliving if You know what I mean :wink:
My Flight from Jodhpur to Delhi.
Got to Delhi and another Hotel Beirut awaited us so that put a Damper on Our last Night in India. Another Dusty Run Down Under Construction Shite hole. Here I am Leaving in the Morning.
The Name: "Hotel Alka Annexe" I think referred to the Fact it has been Annexed from any Civilised Guests List!!!
Anyway we finally got on the Plane Home and I have never been Happier to Board Thai Airlines :lol: The Staff, Food and Beer were Excellent. A Top Flight!!! I arrived in Bangkok and finally Reached Chiang Mai in the Evening where John Picked us up and once Home we relaxed over a Few Beers. Rarely have I Felt Better or Happier to be Home than at that Moment!!! In Summary on What did I think of India :?:
It is not a Mass of Humanity it is a Sad Mess of Inhumanity!!! People are not living they are making a pitiful Sad Effort surviving. Incredible Filth and Pollution and no one seems to notice or care???
I feel there Must be lots more much nicer interesting places to See in India but Sadly I will never give the Place another Chance. Long said She would like to go back some Day in the Future maybe with a Organised Tour Company and have another Go, Good Luck?
India is a Huge Country with a Variety of Landscapes from Beach Resorts to Mountains and Forests etc. Unfortunately the State of Rajasthan is mostly Quarries for Marble or Desolate Barren Wasteland the Rest is a Construction Site.
Apart from that it's a Great Place :wink:
What do I Say about this Incredible Place is the Problem I have been Pondering since I got back :roll: Most People I have talked to say the same thing, You either Love it or Hate it and there is Nowhere in between :!: Unfortunately for Me it just wasn't what we Expected and I Failed to See anything that Excited Me so I fell into the Last Category :shock: We took so many Photos at the beginning that Our Memory Card was full and being the IT Capital it is I couldn't find a Internet Shop or New Memory Card so had to rely on the other Peoples Photos which I will get a Copy of at some Stage :roll: For Now I will post a few of what I have. It all Started with a Great Anticipation and Excitement
Here We are arriving in Delhi Airport with Great Enthusiasm 8)
All went smoothly through the Airport and onto Our Van for the Long Drive down to Agra Our Base for the next 4 Nights :?:
The Drive was Interesting to Say the Least Lovely Roads like this all the Way :twisted:
We Managed to Side Swipe another Bus Full of People and after a Quick Stop to Abuse each other we were back on Our way like nothing had happened.
Agra is a Extremely Messy and Polluted City which Just Happens to Have the Taj Mahal located there. The Jewel in the Crown of Indian Tourism :wink: I was quite Surprised to See it in Person given it's Reputation?
This is the View from the Riverside beside the Taj.
There is so much Pollution that You can't actually See Much!!! I am looking towards the "Red Fort" Where the Creator of the Taj Mahal was Imprisoned By His Loving Son so He could look at it till He Died :cry:
Having Said that He was No Angel Himself as He had the Wives of the Original Architects of the Building Killed So they would know How He Felt after losing His Wife!!! ( Not sure Why He was complaining as He still had quite a number of other Wives? ) Once Work was Completed He also assembled all the Craftsmen who worked on the Taj and Promptly had their Right Thumbs Cut off so they couldn't ever repeat their Work :twisted: Nice Guy indeed. This seems to have been the General Trend followed throughout India , Wars, Uprisings, Summary Be-Headings on a Frequent Basis etc etc. This continued up until the British colonised the Place at which time they decided to concentrate their Thirst for Blood and Murder on all the Big Game that used to Roam free around India. Nothing Like a Good Hunt and Shoot a Host of Big Cats or anything else in Range :? Photographic Evidence of this is plastered all over any Old Building which they normally call Forts or Palaces, We would call them Old Run down Buildings
Meet Plenty of Lovely Pilgrims!!!
A Real Eye Opener
Anyway after 4 Days usually associated with little Sleep at Night due to Constant Noise or Weird Ceremonies( My Ear Plugs came in Handy here )
I was looking forward to Moving on in anticipation of Better things 8)
I will add a Note here that our entire Trip was around the State of Rajasthan and We had Brought Royal Enfield Motorcycles to Ride on the Trip, The Plan being to take them back to Thailand after the Trip.
We finally Moved on the 1st of November and Rode the 127kms down to a Place called Gwalior. Not a Bad Hotel and it Had a Decent Bar
So I did My bit by supporting the Force India Formula One Team by Drinking Kingfisher Beer throughout Our Trip ( I nearly said Holiday there but corrected myself )
We had 2 Nights here the Last accumulating in an Open Bus Ride up to a Fort on the Most Dusty Polluted Trip of My life?
A nice Local Street.
Some Lovely Shops on the Pollution Ride.
3rd of November and Time to move on again. Eventually got going and down to a small town called Shivpuri. Only one Night here and off again for a Nice Long Ride of 253kms :?: We arrived in the Town of Kota. Stayed here for another 4 Nights doing nothing in particular, but fitted in some small day rides
Moved on again this Time for the Town of Bhilwara and Stayed in a Hotel Named "Amit Palace" The name by No Means matched the Actual Building that looked like it came from a Beirut War Zone :shock: The entire Place was under construction and coated in Dust. I was on the Second floor and there was No end to the Building so could have walked straight off the edge!!! Of Course nothing much else worked either :cry: Anyway I won't waste to much time with details as it was basically much the Same everyday.Some Pictures of the few I have.
Royal Enfields.
The Trip got My Thumbs Up!!!
The India Riders.
Left to Right. Me, Taku (Our Trip Mechanic ), Mike, Robert & Tim
***Note*** Taku or Trip Mechanic who is from India of Course had a Gutsful and Bailed out 1/2 way through. W.T.F . Made Me Wonder
:shock:
Long took a Self Portrait of Herself filling in Time.
Most of the Security Guards or Police we saw had ancient Weapons either Full Wood 303 Enfields or in this case an Old Flint Lock!
I even Managed to get Long on the Bike for a couple of Rides.
Getting Her Ready.
On the Bike.
She even made the Effort of trying to fit in with the Target Painted in the Middle of Her Head :roll:
We finally Pulled the Plug after 3 weeks of Travel and Flew Out of Jodhpur
We were supposed to have stayed another week to 10 Days but everyday was much the Same and We were heading back to Major Cities after here so We decided to leave as in 3 Weeks we had only had about 4 Days worth of Riding that was Notable and perhaps a bit more than a week in decent accommodation? So didn't fancy more of the Bad stuff? I had also only ridden 2000 kms total so No Point in Beating a Dead Horse is there :?: This was also a Contributing Factor in Me deciding Not to bring the Royal Enfield Home. It had been a Faultless Bike for Me but this was one of those Trips You don't need to keep reliving if You know what I mean :wink:
My Flight from Jodhpur to Delhi.
Got to Delhi and another Hotel Beirut awaited us so that put a Damper on Our last Night in India. Another Dusty Run Down Under Construction Shite hole. Here I am Leaving in the Morning.
The Name: "Hotel Alka Annexe" I think referred to the Fact it has been Annexed from any Civilised Guests List!!!
Anyway we finally got on the Plane Home and I have never been Happier to Board Thai Airlines :lol: The Staff, Food and Beer were Excellent. A Top Flight!!! I arrived in Bangkok and finally Reached Chiang Mai in the Evening where John Picked us up and once Home we relaxed over a Few Beers. Rarely have I Felt Better or Happier to be Home than at that Moment!!! In Summary on What did I think of India :?:
It is not a Mass of Humanity it is a Sad Mess of Inhumanity!!! People are not living they are making a pitiful Sad Effort surviving. Incredible Filth and Pollution and no one seems to notice or care???
I feel there Must be lots more much nicer interesting places to See in India but Sadly I will never give the Place another Chance. Long said She would like to go back some Day in the Future maybe with a Organised Tour Company and have another Go, Good Luck?
India is a Huge Country with a Variety of Landscapes from Beach Resorts to Mountains and Forests etc. Unfortunately the State of Rajasthan is mostly Quarries for Marble or Desolate Barren Wasteland the Rest is a Construction Site.
Apart from that it's a Great Place :wink:
