Pushkar, Jaipur & Delhi (again)

Pushkar in the early morning
see all photos »

What comes to mind when I think of Pushkar & Jaipur is shopping, shopping & more shopping.  India is famous for it's jewlery, fabrics & handicrafts and Laura and I went buck-wild!

Pushkar was one of my most favorite places in India - the people were kind and very gentle (quite a difference from the aggressive shop keepers we encountered in Jaipur) and the food was fantastic.  Now, at this point I've been eating curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner and so I was gravitating towards the western food.  So what I actually mean is, the western food was fantastic.  Laura had just started to eat again so her recovering Delhi belly was happy too:)

New Years Eve with Mehdi & Laura
see all photos »

After Pushkar we went to the capital of Rajathan - Jaipur.  This is also (apparently) the 'shopping capital' and the best place for all the wonderful things we'd seen along our way... we were ready to shop!  Eight pieces of jewlery, two paintings, three wall hangings and seventeen pashminas later, we were done and exhausted after our 6 hour shopping marathon.

In Jaipur we met up with a French guy named Mehdi while hanging out at the Dominoes (I know, I know - Dominos while in India... does it help that I ordered the curry pizza?)  After our two previous (and very positive) encounters with French men on this trip, Medhi was like a little ray of sunshine - we love the French!  He joined us on our road trip to Delhi and we ended up hanging out for the next few days.  It was nice to have him around, giving us his opinion, and taking care of us like we were one of his sisters... it is one of the things I love about traveling... meeting people from all over the world that are unlike anyone you've met before.  There are so many interesting people out there - how will I have time to meet them all!?!?

Laura & I on our last night in India
see all photos »

By the time we got back to Delhi we could feel the end of our trip was close and I was starting to look forward to going back home. After a bit more shopping (I just couldn’t help myself!), our last meal of AMAZING butter chicken, we bid farewell to Medhi and to India and boarded our plane back to Malaysia.

Sitting back at home in Malaysia, I am trying to put into words how I feel about India and everything is coming out wrong, so I'm just going to unleash all that’s in my head. Here goes…

see all photos »

While I was in India I felt somewhat disappointed. In retrospect though, it was impossible not to feel this way as I had thought and dreamt about going to India for the past 5 years. My expectations were so high that it was nearly impossible for India to meet them.

While traveling throughout Rajathan, at times I felt bored. I have come to realize that I am the type of traveler that enjoys variety and a well-rounded trip – a trip to the beach, trekking in the mountains, an adventure activity, cultural experience, etc. I found there was no diversity in Rajathan. It was the same city (except one would be blue, another pink, another gold…) with the same stuff (forts, palaces) over and over again. On our long car rides between cities I saw the same things – dry, arid landscape, litter, women working the fields, men socializing at tea shops. I dwelt on this boredom for a few days, then decided to get over it. I was in India, living my dreaming, fulfilling my goals and I was going to do my best to enjoy it. The rest of the trip was better and I took each place for what it was.

see all photos »

Now that I am back in Malaysia, reflecting on my trip in India, I feel a soft spot for the country that I just spent 4 weeks in. The Indian people were some of the warmest, more welcoming people I have encountered in any Asian country. I said to Laura many times that I didn’t think India was a physically beautiful country, but I now agree with her that the country, in its own way, has its own definition of ‘beauty’. I'm still intrigued by the culture, the religions, the history and the people.  I'm drawn to the Himalayas and can hear them calling my name.  I don’t feel done with India.  Someday, I will go back.

View of Pushkar from the hilltop temple
see all photos »

Thanks for following and listening to my stories. I appreciate everyone’s interest and support:)

Happy trails,

Jenn