pushkar

rajastahn is so colorful and the women are more beautiful here than anywhere else i have been so far.
wait until you see some pictures. will stay in this tranquil little village that is beautifully located next to a lake for a few days to unwind and do laundry, reading and writing...chilling!!!
i love it. tomorrow i'll go on a camal safari...phil, a british guy, convinced me to do it. should be fun. i am off for dinner now (o i so love the food, i don't think i 'll ever grow tired of it).
btw: pushkar is a holy place- no meat and no alcohol are sold here. strictly vegetarian village!

jaipur

eine weitere millionenstadt (nach amritsar und delhi), die luftverschmutzung ist schlimm, bin das erste mal ein bisschen krank--halsschmerzen. bin mir sicher, dass das durch die schlechte luft verursacht ist.
hatte dennoch einen guten tag hier: heute vormittag besuch der ngo i india- wirklich netter und herzlicher empfang. ein indisches paar hat diese organisation gegruendet um strassenkindern eine zukunft zu bilden. es gibt diverse projekte: waisenhaeuser, schule auf raedern, mobile aertze, ein duschmobil, dann gibt es verschiedene ausbildungsmoeglichkeiten und schule fuer die waisen....hab mir alles angesehen, wurde zum chai eingeladen, wie ueberall in indien. die maedchen machen schmuck. herrliche sachen, haette mein komplettes budget dort ausgeben koennen.
nachmittags war ich in den basaren der innenstadt (pink city, denn alles was innerhalb der stadtmauern ist, ist pink angestrichen) unterwegs und habe mir armreifen gekauft: alle indische frauen hier tragen wunderbar bunte saries und die arme voll armreifen....die indischen (hindu) frauen sind unglaubllich schoen (nicht die muslimischen frauen, die sind in schwarze roben gehuellt, manchmal sogar mit verhuellten gesicht...also, die frauen sind vielleicht auch schoen, aber nicht so paradiesvogelfarben-bunt!!!, viel verdeckter).
abends war ich das erste mal in indien im kino. ein erlebnis!!!! der saal (es gibt nur einen, laeuft immer nur ein film) war riesig-geschaetzt passen da (und alle wissen ich kann nicht schaetzen...) 1000 menschen rein. die show fuer 3 stunden, eine pause. die leute haben mitgefiebert und gelacht, zwischendurch geklatscht....ausserdem war die laermkullisse betraechtlich: es waren dutzendweise kleinkinder mit, die dann zwischendurch alle rumgebruellt haben...sehr spannend!!!
alles auf hindi, ohne untertitel, aber die story war trotzdem zu verfolgen. much fun.
gestern: war auf einem fort etwas weiter weg zum sonnenuntergang, netter blick auf die stadt.
habe heute super nettes mexikanisches paaerchen kennengelernt, gestern war ich mit einem franzosen unterwegs..es ergibt sich immer was.
uebermorgen gehts weiter nach pushkar!

amritsar

the sikh city, the golden temple is really impressive. live in the dormatories for pilgrims on the temple area (for free....donations are welcome)...saw the temple early in the morning and at night...beautiful. the architecture resembles a lotus flower..combines hindi and moslem features....
a sikh priest told me many things....(people love talking to me!!!)
the temple has four open doors (christianity, hindu, moslems and sikhs....) to bring people from different faith together...the temple is surrounded by water and only one small bridge connects it to the land...the water is holy. people bath in it, drink it- even take it home in containers.
the temple is a clean, friendly and peaceful place....open to everyone. there is a kitchen that feeds the pilgrims (about 30,000 a day)...for free!!

went to a park, where in 1919 the british started shooting at a peaceful gathering on indians....the park is a memorial....and again: some students walked up to me and started to guide me through the park and talking to me.
later on i went to the boarder between pakistan and india to see the closing of the boarder....it is a big military happening and ...lots of showing of on both sides...
o well....hung out with some other travellers from switzerland, germany and the netherlands...had a good day here
tomorrow i am moving on to jaipur...a 18 hour train ride....so bear with me!!!

lucy in the sky with diamonds

last night was truely magical. there is literally no light pollution here and the sky at night is just amazing. despite of the cold i stayed outside for over ten minutes to enjoy. millions and millions of stars.... even say a wishing star!!!!!
never seen anything like it.
you feel much closer to the sun and the sky up here. yesterday the sun was so intense that i got sunburned!

bhagsu

writing this in the middle of the himalayas...i am currently living up at 2000 meters. it is below freezing at night but much warmer as soon as the sun rises. finally feel calm and relaxed. spent a lot of time with mira and her family (for those of you who are wondering: mira is a friend of another friend, who came to pick me up at the airport and who owns a guesthouse near here). helping her daugthters out with their schoolwork and study with them for the upcoming exams...the teaching pays for my meals at mira's guesthouse. good deal! mira has three daughters, they are a lot of fun and especially with anna (14) i get along great. anna and i take the dog ( a cute labrador...his name is moti (hindi word for pearl)) for long walks and enjoy the view and the peace even higher up. few tourists are here now. they all come right before the teachings of the dalai lama (end of february or beginning of march--the beginning of the tibetan year)....those teachings are puplic and last for about ten days. i will be gone by the time they start but i already decided to come back here again and see more of himachal pradesh--the state where i am at right now. michael would love it, he is such a mountain person....
i am on my way to the waterfall, it is a nice walk and high up there is a great cafe that offers the best chai in bhagsu.
i think about staying here for a week. the girls are trying to convince me to stay until the 9th of february which is my and nisha's birthday (nisha is the oldest, turing 17)....and i would actually love to party with them...but the cold at night is hard without any heating and the houses are not isolated at all!! so i think after one week i am ready to move south again. even though i know i'll miss everyone and the tranquility here. i am not so much a tourists here, as the girls are known by everyone in the village, as a friend....wherever i go (and i usually take the dog), people recognize moti and the locals are so friendly and nice, chatting with me in broken english or we just smile!!!!
some things i learned to far: lots of hindi words for food, some important phrases...but i am a slow learner.
take care, you all.

arrived safely

arrived safely in delhi, first days in delhi were stressful and fascinating. delhi is loud, hectic, dirty, crazy...mira is such a doll. picked me up at the airport, helps me a lot, teaches me hindi...most of all we laugh a lot. we share a passion for food and quietness --but obviously it is almost never quiet here. constant noise...the traffic is amazing!!! will be leaving delhi for now to head north to the himalayian mountains...will be nice to get some fresh air and relax.

in front of the Taj Mahal

rhapsody in blue - Jodhpur

blog online

caro goes india - and the blog is online!