| Submitted by: Hans Braker & Thea Van Zon, Netherlands |
| Submission Date: 04 February 2005 |
|
 |
|
We preferred the wide streets and rural aspect of Agra. So it was more or less luck that we had not been able to reserve for the flight of two days later and we were relieved we had to stay for only a day and a half.
We tried a real masala dosa, a hard thin pancake filled with very tasty and spicy ingredients (Rs 35). Time for a nap, since that night we had not had much sleep. It was alreadu dark when we went to the Durga temple (with aggressive monkeys) and the pretty white Tulsi Manas temple. In this modern temple there is a show with moving puppets, and also a series of pictures from the Ramayana. Very nice.
One of the things to buy here, next to silk, are bangles. They are sold everywhere, in many different colors and sizes. But they are vulnerable and should be well packed, not just stuffed in the backpack. Three of Thea's bangles did not survive the return journey...
We had dinner at El Chico (Rs 130). Of course full of westerners. The food was okay, nothing special. We took some local rum to ease the stomach (a recipe we remember from skiing in Austria once: if you have symptoms of diarrhoea, take some strong alcohol). When we got out of the restaurant, the streets were packed with people and rickshaws. Near the Ganges mosquitos were everywhere. We rickshawed back (Rs 4) and had a look at the Harishchandra burning ghat. Someone explained to us that people came from over a hundred kilometers to get someone burned. Not everyone is burned; only the rich people since for a ceremonial burning it takes a lot of wood, and some special kinds of wood like sandalwood. The people with less money are burned in electric crematoria; their ashes are also spread over the Ganges. Others just have their bodies dumped into the river, with some extra weight to make them sink. At the burning ghats male family members (women are not allowed because of their `weakness': they might start crying and get emotional) wait until it is their family's turn, with the body wrapped up in cloths. We saw at least four families waiting.
|
Up early for the boat trip at sunrise. At 5.30. Down to the river where still some fires were burning. We made a trip to the most southern ghat and back. It is very impressive to witness from the water the sight of all the men and women taking their ceremonial morning baths. It is unbelievable how many people are attracted by this place. People come here each morning from tens of kilometers away. They wash and pray. One with even more theatrical ceremonies than the other. One is taking water from the river, then pours it back slowly while saying a prayer. Someone else submerges himself a number of times, counting each time. A glimpse of another culture. The trip of about an hour cost Rs 35. We took some beautiful pictures here.
We walked into the center, where we took breakfast at Aces restaurant; a good pot of tea and kingsize banana pancakes. We took a rickshaw (Rs 7) to Bharat Mata temple. It is a strange kind of temple, since the only thing it contains is a huge relief map of India. And a corner to sell postcards and all kinds of books about India and Nepal.
Then we took another rickshaw to go to Aurangzeb's mosque. The driver could not find it, and even after asking directions we got lost in the maze of alleys. Since we had to take a plane that afternoon we decided to stop our search for the mosque and head back to the main roads, which were further away than we thought. If you have time, these narrow streets are a real discovery. Back to the hotel again (Rs 10), showered and packed. The `management' had already invited a friend to take care of airport transport. There must have been a substantial baksheesh in it for them. We paid Rs 100 for the 20-kilometer ride. It was not funny because of the dust and the strong wind. We both caught a cold.
At the airport there was nothing. A dirty and extremely expensive restaurant; empty and primitive otherwise. During the afternoon more people arrived; most of them in groups of organised tours. Many of them were Spanish teenagers; they made an awful noise in the small and hot lounge, shouting, singing and dancing. And then all of a sudden the checkin started. There were three counters and it was not clear at all where one should go and in which order. One counter was for paying airport taxes (Rs 150 each), one for getting exit visa and one for getting the boarding passes. And which was for what? A total mess. Only the guides of the organised tours knew what they were doing. Well finally everyone got a boarding pass and with some delay we could board the plane. But it did not take off. After a long time we heard that the airport lights were not working so we could not take off. We were told they were trying to get it repaired again. When we saw a row of blue lights outside we thought they had managed, but then came the message that we should disembark. We would get a room in a hotel in Varanasi.
Then the mess became even larger. The exit visa had to be cancelled, we had to get the airport taxes back, and get a room in a hotel. The airport officials had arranged rooms in several hotels, and they filled in forms (in quadruple of course) for every group. Since the larger groups had guides that used to give banknotes along with the passports each time they came at Varanasi airport, they got helped first, since there were no lines and everyone tried to grab whatever was available... such situations bring out the worst in people. Since we were only looking for one room we were about the last to be helped; they dealt with the larger blocks of rooms first. And all those group leaders kept whining about people insisting on having a single room, while the airport staff had explained ten times that there were only doubles... awful. It was an emergency situation so how could they expect top service? After everyone more or less successfully got himself on the list we had to wait for buses to arrive. The bus drivers would get the lists for the hotel. They would, but the list never showed up at hotel Clark's Varanasi, where we were taken. Hey, did we get to a top end hotel after all! What a change from the lodges we had been in! But since there was no list we had a hard time getting a room. Another group, with German and Austrian tourists, had been staying at Clark's for several days so the staff knew them and they immediately got a room. For us it was more difficult; at first they insisted on a form from Indian Airlines but after a kind word of the Austrian guide they gave us their last room - a single room. But that was our first chance since three weeks to take a hot bath so we enjoyed it. And we hoped everything would go better the next day. At least we would fly into Kathmandu at broad daylight; three weeks earlier and six weeks earlier planes had crashed while approaching Kathmandu without much sight.
|
Breakfast in Clark's is what you would expect in such a top-end hotel: toast, tea, fruit juice, jam, sweet breads. But we did not eat that much since we both had some stomach problems... we suspected the masala dosa to be the guilty party. Hans would even have stomach problems for the next four (!) weeks. Three weeks after our return he consulted our doctor and after some antibiotics the problem was solved.
We were ready for departure at 7 am, like the German/Austrian group. But we could have stayed in bed longer since the bus was an hour late. At the airport the whole messy ritual of the day before started all over: again we had to pay airport tax, again we had to get exit visa (after filling in the same form as yesterday - sure), and again we had to line up for boarding passes. Security check like yesterday, including checking of videocameras and asking everyone how much currency they took with them. And all that had been done the day before too. Sigh.
But finally, after a delay of 17 hours and a half, we took off at 11 am. Such a delay for a flight of only 25 minutes! But the flight was very spectacular: very low over the hills, and a breathtaking view of the Himalayas for those sitting at the left.
After arrival at the airport everyone rushed to the arrival hall to change money and to fill in the entrance visa forms, at very unstable tables. The visa cost $20 each. We exchanged $100 for Rs 4553. We had picked the most quiet hotel we could find in the Travel Survival Kit. That was hotel Catnap, across the river from the center of town, 10 minutes walking from Durbar square. And we have to say it was a very good choice, after our visits to the more touristic parts of town. A taxi drove us there for $3. The hotel is a bit hard to find at first, but after a day you know the shortcuts. It has very large rooms, is absolutely quiet, and from the roof the view of Kathmandu's skyline is very special. Only drawback was that we shared the bathroom with three other rooms. But that seems to be normal in Kathmandu. We payed Rs 275 per night. The boss is a very kind and somewhat shy man with a funny smoker's cough.
We did what the name of the hotel told us to, and after this nap we were very anxious to finally see Kathmandu. Hans had been persistent in his idea to see Kathmandu after India, though Thea would not have minded visiting only India. And we were both very glad we went there. After the three weeks in India, Kathmandu felt like very luxurious, almost western. It is possible to buy whatever you may need, there are hundreds of restaurants, but, most of all, the people are very different from the Indians. Much more friendly. The atmosphere of the city is relaxed, it is the capital yet so small you can get across on foot in half an hour.
Durbar square is a very special place, with temples all over it. We had never seen anything quite like it. On Bali we also saw the major temple complex but in Kathmandu the square is part of everyday life; people sit on the temples and markets are held in front of them. It is a must to climb up the central temple and watch things go by from up there.
We reconfirmed our flight back to India, at the office of Royal Nepalese Airlines. Bought some tea in one of the many tea shops. A good measure of the degree of tourism in Kathmandu is the number of jewelry shops. We bought several earrings during our stay. There are large differences in price and quality and the general hint is not to buy anything in the first shop, but to look around carefully first. Bargain at some shop then and find out what the real bottom price is. It takes time but it pays to invest it. We found that the shops in Thamel were more expensive than those on New Road.
It was the day before the Diwali festival and many christmas-like decorations as well as fireworks were sold everywhere. Those fireworks turned out to be rather a nuisance later on since a favourite pastime of the children was to scare tourists with firecrackers.
We ate well at the Kabab Corner for Rs 300 including local rum to clean the stomach and protect against infections...
|
| We got up early, at six. It was terribly cold so we had to wear our sweaters. It was the day of the festival on which cows were honoured. |
|
| Copyright © - "Hans Braker & Thea Van Zon" |
|
|
|
