Hong Kong and Macau

The last weekend in April, I met up with my friend, Marc, and we explored Hong Kong and Macau. Marc is teaching in mainland China and recommended HK for a long weekend over Chinese Labor Day and I couldn't turn down the opportunity. I am confident in my travel abilities but both Marc and I agreed that booking a tour guide in each city. I boldly told Marc, "I've got this", and found a travel agent to help me find the right tours.

I flew into Hong Kong early Friday morning and searched for my elusive hotel shuttle. After searching the entire arrivals terminal, I called the hotel and was informed that I did not have this service booked. Nevertheless, I made my way to the hotel. We were staying in Kowloon, a peninsula across the harbor from the island of Hong Kong, I spent the morning walking around Kowloon before meeting up with my friend, Elizabeth, who was in Hong Kong for the weekend with her brother. I explored a street market where everything could be found. Electronics, live fish, oil paintings, sex toys, and knockoff purses were all on the same street. I continued on to the Victoria Harbor to meet Elizabeth. We took the ferry to Hong Kong and walked through their World Trade Center and Times Square. Elizabeth works at Google and we ate lunch at their office (both lunch and office were phenomenal). I then went to the airport to pick up Marc. We walked to a different street market that had a wide variety of restaurants and picked on that looked good. All the menus had pictures of the food and we selected a variety of dishes. After dinner we met Elizabeth at a rooftop bar for a drink before Marc and I explored the party district, Lan Kwai Fong (LKF).

Wontons, clams in a black bean sauce, fried noodles, and a pork dish

Saturday morning Mar and I took the metro to HK and went on the longest escalator in the world. I was expecting a super long, singular escalator but in fact it is a network of escalators and moving walkways on an elevated platform. After a few streets, Marc and I had enough so we stopped for brunch.

The escalator can be seen in between Marc and me

We then went back to the hotel to meet our tour guide. We got into the minivan and were driven to a different part of the city and told to get out of the car. We waited on the corner for a few minutes before being ushered on a coach bus. Both Marc and I thought this was excessive for just the two of us. A few minutes later, a group of 30 Indians exited the adjacent building and started climbing into the bus. I had booked a group tour.

The guide, Michael, came on and informed Marc and me that we were on the wrong bus and we had to get off immediately. Our minivan driver came to our defense and told the guide that we belonged and he let us stay put. Michael was confused how two white guys ended up on a tour booked by an Indian travel agent. Once I explained my situation, he lightened up and was immediately more friendly to us than the others on the tour.

Almost anywhere I have traveled, the tour guides have prejudice towards one group or another. In most locations I've been to, the most dreaded group is Chinese tourists. While in China, the guides have to find a foreign group to dislike and Michael picked Indians. He had a very strict schedule and did his best to enforce it but with more than thirty people, most of them families with kids, we inevitably ran behind.

Our first stop was The Peak, the biggest tourist attraction in Hong Kong. We waited in line for the trolley and then crammed on board for the short ride up the mountain. The trolley rail has been in place for 120 years and is an engineering marvel in itself. Our climb was at a much steeper angle than I thought possible and I was glued to my seat for the whole ride. The Peak consists of a mall - tons of restaurants, stores, and a wax museum - that has an open rooftop that allows for a wonderful view of the Hong Kong skyline. If you've ever seen a movie set in Hong Kong, they almost always have an establishing shot from The Peak to set the scene.

We took pictures at a few spots before heading back to the bus for a ferry ride. We got on the ferry just in time to see the skyline light show. Every night, after sundown, the skyscrapers of Hong Kong have a choreographed light display and huge crowds turn out for it. We had a pretty good view from the ferry and it was a good way to end the tour.

We went to another night market and bought some goodies before calling it a night.

Sunday morning, we went down to the ferry dock and started the journey to Macau. After navigating the terminal and waiting in the immigration line, we settled in on the ferry for the one-hour journey across the bay. We arrived in Macau and found our way to the hotel shuttle bus. We had to laugh at the brevity of our hotel commute as it was maybe 500 yards from the ferry terminal. We checked in to the hotel but were told the room wasn't ready yet. Marc and I walked around the pedestrian street near our hotel and had a nice lunch before meeting our city tour guide.

In walked Vivien, all of 5'2", with lots of spunk to make up for a lack of size. She drove us and another family to several historical sites in Macau including a temple, the old city walls, and the remnants of a church built by the Portuguese. We then went to the newer and more luxurious areas of the city and saw a few of the large casinos. After Vivien left us, Marc and I walked through many of the casinos and explored the town before heading back to the hotel.

The hotel/casinos were constructed by many of the same conglomerates that own the majority of properties on the Las Vegas Strip. It's remarkably similar but more spread out geographically.

When we finally got back to the hotel, we found that we had been upgraded to a Garden Suite. The room was beautiful and we had our own private garden patio which would have been very useful if we had spent more than ten hours total in the room.

The next morning we took a ferry to the Hong Kong airport and said our goodbyes before going our separate ways. It was a great way to spend one of my last weekends in Asia.

On that note, I'd like to announce that this will be my last post. I am headed home in a week and won't have any more adventures before that. This has been a fun way to keep everyone updated on my travels and I know I'll enjoy looking back on this in the years to come. I'm excited to soon see my family and friends again and tell more stories of my short stint in India.

Thanks for reading!

Goa and Mumbai

Carli's last two weekends here were filled with travel. We left early on a Friday morning for Goa. This was toted as the "Cancun of India" and we both wanted a relaxing but fun weekend on the beach. We were pleasantly surprised by our hotel and the size of the room. It was a two-bedroom suite (one room was locked) with a living room and kitchen (no cookware, plates, or utensils). There was a path from the hotel directly to the beach and you only had to hold your breath for about 25 feet to avoid the garbage/rotten smell (bonus!).

We were warned before leaving that there are a lot of Russians who vacation in Goa. Having never spent time around large crowds of them, I didn't know what exactly to expect. Living in the U.S., there are certain stereotypes associated with Russians and I have to say, they lived up to many of them. Most of the Russians we encountered on the beach were indifferent to us so we didn't bother them either. We stopped for a drink at a cafe one night that was owned by two Russian expats who were the definition of cold. Describing it as "awful service" implies that they provided any service at all. They were very friendly to the three Russian families that were in the restaurant but didn't give Carli and I the time of day, even when trying to pay the bill. Both Carli and I agreed that we cannot base our opinions for a whole country off of this experience with a small population of vacationers but it was not the best first impression.

The sun was hot and the water felt great but the current was strong so you couldn't go out too far. The beach is lined by tiki shacks, each with a slightly different theme. Each shack had the EXACT same menu of drinks and food. The only differentiating characteristics were the lounge chairs and umbrellas, otherwise you would think it was all one big restaurant. In a two mile stretch of beach, there were probably 60 of these shacks. We tested out several of these throughout the weekend.

Goa was colonized by the Portuguese and the influence is still prevalent. Christianity is the major religion, North African spices are used more regularly, and beef is on the menu. I had several great meals over the three days including chicken vindaloo, calamari, Goan sausage, chicken cafreal, and a super spicy fish curry.

The following weekend, we flew to Mumbai. We got in late Friday night and went straight to the hotel. The airport is north of the city and we stayed in Southern Mumbai, in the older part of town. Our night drive allowed us to take in the impressive skyline as we crossed a beautiful suspension bridge. Did I get a picture? Of course not! (Thank you Don Campbell and Google Images for providing this picture). The return trip during the day was not nearly as nice because the dirt and grime was more visible.

We made our way to the Gateway of India in the morning and got tickets for a ferry ride to an island to see the Elephanta Caves. The ferry moved at approximately half snail's pace and no breeze was to be had which made the hour-long ride feel even longer. We get to the island and walk the length of the jetty to the town. We then were instructed to climb the stairs to get to the caves. The never-ending staircase was lined with local vendors selling small figurines, key chains, and rocks which we breezed past on the way up to save for the return journey. I was grateful for the tarps that blocked most of the direct sunlight but by the time we reached the top I was a puddle. The caves themselves were not overly impressive until you took in the effort in construction. The original artisans did not simply carve the cave walls of an existing space, they created the caves from nothing and crated separate caverns and alters, each with unique sculptures of the gods. The caves are dedicated to Lord Shiva, god of destruction, but he takes many forms and each is depicted. Many of the carvings have been destroyed over time but it was still an impressive sight.

After returning to the mainland, we walked around South Mumbai and saw some impressive buildings including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus which was constructed to look like St. Pancras station in London. It's one of the busiest train stations in India because it handles both trains from all over India and local commuter trains. Mumbai is a very expensive city, too expensive for most people who work there. It's also a peninsula with only three major roads to serve as thoroughfares. These two factors force most of the population to live in suburbs and commute in for work. The trains are packed to the max and some riders have to sit on top or hang off the sides.

We had a really nice weekend in the city and it was a good way to end Carli's time in India.

The Golden Triangle and Holi

I was lucky enough to have friends and family take vacation and visit me on the other side of the globe. Carli did a lot of prep work and arranged for us to have a guided tour of the so-called "Golden Triangle", with New Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra making the points.

We started our journey on Monday in Delhi. After meeting our guide and driving into Old Delhi, we toured Jamma Masjid, the largest Mosque in India. It was built during Mughal reign and was the royal place of worship. It was a beautiful space with architecture from several areas of the ancient world.

Next we hired several bicycle rickshaws to take us on a tour of the Chandi Chowk market. This is in the heart of Old Delhi and can only be accessed by rickshaws and cycles. Our peddler was not happy when he saw the size of me. There were several times where he just got off and pushed because I was weighing us down too much to peddle. In all honesty, it probably would have been faster to walk but it was an experience, one that I now never have to repeat.

We first stopped at a Gurudwara and walked through their facility. It was enlightening to say the least. Then we went to the spice market. This is exactly what it sounds like and we all were coughing and sneezing because of all the spice dust in the air. The stands were only for wholesalers so we couldn't buy anything  but it was fun to walk through. We then got stuck in a traffic jam for thirty minutes or so before making it to our final stop. If anyone has a desire to ride one of these in the future, I recommend you bring your own seat cushion. We all were a sore by the end.

After lunch we swung by India Gate for a few pictures. The group had their first experience with curious Indians who wanted a selfie with the White Giants. It was early in the trip for this so we politely declined. The niceties went out the window by the end of the week. Luckily, most of our stops were very touristy so we weren't the only minorities around.

Tuesday began with a trip to Qutub Minar, one of the tallest minarets in the world. It is a beautiful structure and the ruins surrounding it are very different than other sites I have seen in India so far.

Iron pillar from 402 AD with Sanskrit inscriptions. It doesn't rust due to a phosphate coating.

We then quickly swung by the Lotus Temple. It was way less crowded this time but that didn't stop some locals from cutting the line. It doesn't matter how short the queue is, they still want to be in front of you.

We finished the day at Humayun's Tomb. This was the precursor to the Taj Mahal and had many similar features. The symmetry of the entire space is remarkable and you can seen the thought that was put in so many years ago. I loved how peaceful it was here and could easily imagine myself studying or spending an afternoon reading under a tree. I felt that this monument was every bit as impressive as the Taj Mahal but my vote doesn't really count in the grand scheme of things.

Wednesday we drove for eight hours to Mandawa, a small town that used to fall on the Silk Road but has since declined in relevancy. There are many large, beautiful homes that have very rich and powerful owners but most have fallen into disrepair since the owner's departures. Some of the homes have been purchased y local townspeople and are being restored. Some will be used as homes, others are renovated for hotels or restaurants. We then made our way to some camels who were less than thrilled to carry us around. They complained more than a teenager who lost phone privileges for a week. The took breaks whenever possible and one kept burping and spitting his tongue out. It was one of the strangest things I have seen. Our hotel that night was a converted palace with a beautiful garden and panoramic views of the surrounding area.

The next day we drove towards Jaipur and had lunch at the tour company’s owner’s home. The food was very nice and it was a delicious lunch and was very different than any other meal we had on the trip. What a treat! We then made our way to the Elefantastic Farm. Here we got to meet Rahul, the founder of Elefantastic (our tour company) and his group of elephants. Carli and I got Sampa, a 46 year old female who was incredibly sweet and forever hungry. We fed and pet the elephants for a while before having the chance to color their snouts and sides with homemade, natural paint. Some of the workers were more talented in the art of elephant painting and gave us normal folk some patterns to fill in. After the paintings were complete, it was time for a bath. We sprayed the elephants with water before filling their trunks. The elephants were much better at washing than we could ever hope to be. Once they were clean, we hopped on their backs and went for a short ride. They were much more amicable than the camels the day before. It was amazing to interact with these beautiful creatures for several hours and I’ll take these memories with me for years to come.

So thirsty!

Friday was spent in Jaipur. We started at the Monkey Temple. The monkeys have become accustomed to being fed by humans and will sit on your shoulders as they chew nuts and suck on hard candy. I was lucky enough to find one that forgot to wipe and instead used my shirt as toilet paper. What fun! The monkeys were a little too aggressive for my liking and it made me a little nervous. I was happy that we made it out without any injuries or stolen shiny objects. We then went to the Jantar Mantar (ancient observatory) in the heart of Jaipur. Our guide did a great job explaining each measurement device and I learned a lot in our short time there. I gained a great deal of respect for these instruments as they are still incredibly precise for being built before the invention of many modern construction techniques.

We then went to the Amber Fort and learned about the history of this royal stronghold. Jaipur is in the state of Rajasthan, which means “Land of Princes”, was the home of kings (Maharajahs) for many years. The Amber Fort is a hilltop palace used by several past rulers and had beautiful walkways, gardens, and a unique master suite. The ceiling and walls are covered with small convex mirrors. When a single source of light is used in the room, the mirrors catch the light and it appears as if the stars are inside the room itself.

Mirrored ceiling

Saturday we left Jaipur and headed towards Agra. On the way we stopped in Abhaneri and visited a huge step well, Chand Baori. It would be considered an architectural feat in modern times, let alone when it was actually built around 800 AD. We also went to a local craftsman’s home and he showed how to make earthenware cups and bowls on a pottery wheel. He squatted next to the wheel and used a stick to get it spinning making a handful of cups for us. What a treat!

After several more hours we made it to Agra. We quickly checked into the hotel and set off for the Taj. At all of the monuments I have visited, they have two tiers of tickets: low priority and high priority. Only Indian nationals can buy low priority tickets but the high priority gets you in shorter lines and sometimes more access within the monument. The only downside of the high priority tickets is the price. Where locals can see the Taj for Rs. 40 (60 cents), we foreigners each have to pay Rs. 1000 ($15). This vast price difference was true at every monument and while I understand this allows for a larger population to sight see, I have to wonder how many pockets are being lined by these fees.

The Taj Mahal was gorgeous. If not for the crazy amount of people, I could spend a large part of the day walking around the gardens and buildings within the grounds. We got some great photos and then got in line to go inside. If I knew what was soon to happen, I would have simply skipped this part. The inside is a small octagonal room with two tombs in the middle. These tombs hold the Mughal emperor and his wife (who was the inspiration for the building) and are surrounded by a lattice of marble. It’s very hard to see as the room has no lighting and we were there near sunset. They strictly prohibit photography so naturally everyone around us took multiple photos and videos with flash. To say we were packed in like sardines makes it sound manageable and possibly enjoyable. It was worse. Cramped in small, dark places is not one of my favorite pastimes, especially when those around you are half your size and all conveniently forgot deodorant on the same day. We could not get out fast enough.

Sunday we went to Agra Fort and gardens. The fort was similar to the Red Fort in Delhi but its interior was better maintained and the builders had much more attention to detail. It was a relaxing way to end the trip. We drove back to Gurgaon and spent the afternoon relaxing at my apartment.

But wait, there’s more!

Monday was Holi. We all put on clean clothes and headed to my coworker’s apartment complex where they threw a party. There were drinks to be had and color to be thrown. We met some very nice people in the sprinkler/rain dance zone and overall it was a great experience. After playing Holi once, I understand why most of my coworkers said they stay inside and don’t come out until the colors are gone. Once was enough for me. I think the colors will stay with me for another few days.

Delhi (So Far)

Carli and I have spent the last two weekends making trips into the city to explore what it has to offer.Last weekend, we started off early and went to the Red Fort. The drive into Delhi was beautiful. The city is incredibly green, the roads are well-maintained, and there was definitely a plan for the city as a whole. A grid system would have been too easy so Delhi is laid out in a circular pattern of traffic circles, many of which have walking gardens in the middle. We couldn't exactly call it peaceful as there are nearly ten million people within the city limits but the morning was calmer than expected.

The Red Fort was the home to the Mughlai (MUG-lie) empire for the majority of their reign in India. After conquering Delhi, they moved to Agra and proclaimed that as the capital for a few hundred years before moving back to Delhi and building the fort. This was home to the Maharajah, his court, and any visiting foreign dignitary. The fort was situated with the Yamuna River at one side - the river has since altered course - and had canals built into the fortress to allow water to flow throughout. It was a beautiful trip and we only were stopped a few times for pictures with strangers.

 










After lunch, we went to Swaminarayan Akshardam. Akshardam is a Hindu temple whose name literally translates to "abode of God". After visiting, I understand why. The temple grounds are completely spotless and it felt almost dream-like inside. The perimeter walls are sandstone and there are carvings surrounding the main temple. Inside the temple, my jaw dropped and remained that way for the duration. The statues were covered in the brightest gold leaf I have ever seen and the walls, ceilings, and columns were a beautiful white marble. There is a water show at night which I'll attend on a later visit. I would include pictures of this beauty but they did not allow any photography inside the temple grounds. We even had to leave our phones in the car. I recommend going to their website and looking through a few pictures to get an idea of what we saw. They don't do the temple justice but it's better than me muttering on like a crazy person. http://akshardham.com/explore/Mandir/


Carli and I also went to Kingdom of Dreams, a theme park of sorts in Gurgaon that puts on theatrical performances and has food and crafts from all over India. It was a fun experience but we were both a little overwhelmed by the end of the day.

This weekend, we left early in the morning and went to a street market near the center of Delhi. It was closed. We found our way to the next site on our list, Jantar Mantar. This is an ancient sun dial and astrological observation site built by Maharajah Jai Singh II. It is one of five such sites constructed by Singh in India and was completed in 1724. It was interesting to see but it has deteriorated over the years and the owners have not kept up with maintenance.

We spent some time here before going to find lunch in Connaught Place. This is a main center of Delhi and there is a lot of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The large circle is surrounded by a variety of shops, cafes, restaurants, and Western stores. As we walked around to find something that looked good, we were approached by several people who wanted to help us. At first we thought they wanted money but it turns out that they were actually just being helpful. We came to learn that if you asked them a question, they would give you directions and then tell you other things to see in the area and if you didn't ask them a question they would give you directions and then tell you other things to see in the area. They all had great intentions but they wouldn't let you leave and wanted to know your whole story. It got very old, very fast so lunch was more stressful than planned.

After lunch, we took a cab to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. This is one of the most prominent Sikh temples in Delhi and it was a sight to see. Walking in was a challenge as there seemed to always be a flurry of people pushing past us. Carli spotted an office for foreigners and we were happy to escape the crowd. Inside, a man greeted us and helped us store our shoes and don a head covering. He then gave us a personal tour of the entire facility. The complex was beautiful but the story behind the religion was the real treat. Almost all of the workers at the temple are volunteers,they can stay and help for five minutes or all day, whatever they want. The temple is a place for prayer but it also serves as a shelter and food pantry. They feed 50,000 meals a day on average to people of every denomination, gender, race, and caste. Their belief system is based on equality of all; no one is better or worse than the others around them. Carli and I had a wonderful time and learned a lot in our short visit.

Lastly, we went to a step well and relaxed with the crowd for a short time. It was a beautiful piece of architecture and we both found it amazing that this huge well was hidden in the middle of the city.