(Oct 16, 2017)We flew from USA to India. The flight from Newark to Delhi was 14 hours. We landed late at night and the next morning we had an orientation and then went to Qatar Minar and New Dehli. Qutab is Indo-Islamic architecture topped by a 234-foot-high tower from the 12th century. We visited the location where Gandi was killed.
We toured Old Dehli. We took a rickshaw ride through the area. We visited Raj Ghat where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. We saw Jama Masjid which is the larges mosque in India. We visited a Sikh Temple. This was the time of Diwali festival which is a festival of lights. We went out in the evening and walked the local streets and saw the fireworks going off.
(Oct 20) We flew to Jaipur which is also called the "Pink City" because of the rosy hue of the sandstone buildings.
We visited the Janitor Mantar, a remarkable astronomical and astrological observatory built in the 18th century. We saw giant sundials. We went to the City Palace Museum which has textiles, arms, carpets, paintings, and manuscripts. We walked and then took a rickshaw ride through the old city.
We explored the Jaipur Amber Fort-Palace from the 16th century. Maharaja's lived here.
We took a morning walk through the marigold, rose, and vegetable market.
We did a "day in the life" with local Rajasthani village people. It was exciting as it was the first time a group had been to this village for a visit. People were in the field waiting for us to arrive, and in the village we were able to interact with the people. Many women were head of the village due to the fact that many men live away during the week, or for several weeks at a time, to work in a larger city.
(Oct 23) We drove through the local countryside into the Vindhya mountain range. Our destination was Ranthambore National Park, located near Sawai Madhopur. This area is one of 11 sites chosen for Project Tiger, India's national tiger conservation program.
We toured the Ranthambore Fort, a fortress built more than 1000 years ago on a rocky outcrop.
We did two game-viewing expeditions in a safari truck. We saw several species of birds (they have 450 species) and the Langur monkey. We saw one tiger footprint but did not see any of the 26 tigers that are on the reserve.
We stopped at a cooperative where women are trained to make handcrafts. We made a school visit that is supported by Grand Circle Foundation. We spent the night at an O.A.T. Camp, had dinner, and local musicians played and danced.
(Oct 26) We saw the Abhaneri, which is a step-well or waterway built to provide a constant water supply to local inhabitants.
We drove through the countryside to Agra. Since the Taj Mahal is closed on Friday we took an afternoon tour of the Taj Mahal. It was built by Shah Jahan from 1631-1653 to enshrine the remains of his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. It took 20,000 workers to build. The Taj Mahal is white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. The building has four identical facades.
We toured the Agra Fort on the the bank of the Yamuna River. This fort and palace was the seat of power for four generations of Mughal emperors that ruled northern India from 16th century until the consolidation by British colonial rule in the early 1800's.
(Oct 28) We boarded a train for a 2-hour ride to Jhansi, a center of Bundela civilization. We then drove to Khajuraho. In the tenth century Khajuraho was the center of the civilization of the Chandelas.
The group of temples were built in the 9th-10th centuries by the Chandela Dynasty. These temples reminded Jim and I of our trip to Cambodia and Ankor Wat.
The temples had erotic stone carvings that symbolized the important role of love and prana energy in Hindu thought.
We flew to Varanasi, the holiest of Hindu cities. Varanasi is dated back to 4,000 years. Pilgrims from every part crowd the narrow street and the riverside ghats (flight of steps). We traveled to the bathing ghats located alongside the sacred River Ganges. People bathe and worship in the temples beside the riverbank.
We took a boat ride and saw the cremations along the Ganges. We walked along the river and saw the temple priests perform aarti, the sacred light ceremony.
(Oct 30) In the early morning we took a small boat cruise on the Ganges. We saw devotees perform their religious rites. This is the "heart of their faith". We were so overcome by the experience that we both went into the Ganges and Danette was blessed by a person who sang and poured water over her head. We both were blessed by a priest after. Our guide said 4 million people visit this area each year.
We went to an ancient Buddhist learning center of Sarnath. Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon as portrayed in the film Little Buddha. We visited the Sarnath Museum which houses Indian Buddhist art.
NEPAL
(Oct 31) We had 15 people in our group so at this point some people ended the trip and flew back to USA. Eight people took the optional extension tour and we flew to Kathmandu, Nepal.
Kathmandu is the capital and largest city in Nepal (4,265 feet).
We began the day by visiting the holiest temple in Nepal called Boudhanath Stupa. This stupa stands 36 meters high and is the main pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists. Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit this location. The hemispherical dome represents the emptiness from which everything begins. The harmika shines in the Buddha's eyes in four directions that symbolize his total awareness.
We visited the Narayanhiti Palace Museum, a walled palace that was once home to Nepal's royal family.
We had lunch in Thamel and returned to the hotel for a presentation by a woman who has summited Mount Everest three times. Her name was Maya Sherpa and she was fascinating to listen to.
(Nov 2) At dawn we took a plane ride to Mount Everest, known as Sagarmatha or "Goddess of the Sky". the summit is 29,029 feet above sea level. As we flew we were able to view the Himalayan range. The experience is one to remember.
We went to the town of Kirtipur, which is dotted with medieval temples and was a strategic position and had multiple attacks.
We departed for Patan, along the Bagmati River. The city was designed in the shape of the Buddhist Dharma-Chakra (Wheel of Righteousness). There are the Ashoka Stupas which dates to 250 BC. Patan is known for its art and artisans.
We explored Patan Durbar Square which were the residence of medieval Malla rulers of Patan.
(Nov 3) We traveled to Bhaktapur (Bhagdaon) or the "City of Devotees". It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning four square miles. It was the crown jewel of the Malla Empire 700 years ago.
We traveled to the village of Nagarkot which has views of the Kathmandu Valley.
(Nov 4) We spent our last morning with a walk around Kathmandu before taking our flight to Delhi and then back to USA.
