"You take my Breath away". The chorus from the theme song of Top Gun plays over and over in my head. Partially due to the stunning views. More because the air is so this. Sitting is exercise. After you cut your finger you feel it throbbing. Here it is your whole body that throbs as your heart pumps increasingly faster to deliver fresh oxygen to your cells. I once counted my heart beat. Recalling the doctors office I watched my watch for 15 seconds and counted my heart pumping. There was no need for a stethoscope 30 beats in 15 seconds. 120 per minute. That rate brings rock stars crashing to earth. The thin atmosphere is also poor at filtering the sun's skin burning ultra violet rays. The air temp is a cool 70 degrees but your skin feels hot.
Once your body adjusts to the 12000 foot elevation and sunscreen is applied the land takes on new meaning. The this air is clean, fresh to breath, unlike anywhere is in this country. There are many westerners in the streets. The streets are lined with many shops selling local merchandise. Pashmina shawls, singing bowls and prayer flags are popular. The city itself is nestled on a small oasis between barren mountain peaks. "Gompas" aka Buddhist monasteries, sit high on the mountain peaks. In the distance snow covered peaks litter the skyline. Many restaurants have small vegetable gardens on property. It truely is a magical place.
A Tibetan Buddhist temple. I climbed to the top this morning. It was only 553 steps to the top. It is hear my heart was racing. The view was stunning though.
The view from atop the temple. It overlooks a monastery with the snow covered peaks in the background.
This sign was on one of the shops. If you dont this it's funny then it's not for you.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Are you Hot Hot Hot!!!
Here is where the Indian Government Operates. Delhi’s heat index yesterday reached 126 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t worry thought, that’s only how hot it felt, the real temp was just 104. No more Delhi.
India’s “White house”
Parliament Builing.
I took refuge in this park.
I couldnt get the pictures of this is. ill get to it later
India’s “White house”
Parliament Builing.
I took refuge in this park.
I couldnt get the pictures of this is. ill get to it later
Friday, June 22, 2007
Indian Art; Silk Rugs and Marble Inlay
While on the Taj Tour we went to some Indian arts studios. A tourist trap if you ask me but it was educational and worthwhile. The first was a silk rug maker. He showed me the traditional machine he wove the rugs on. One square meter of these rugs contains three million individually tied silk knots. Also the angle at which the silk is tied makes the appearance that the rug is different colors when you rotate them. You will see below. The marble art was also interesting. It is called Pietra Dura. It is the art if inlaying marble with semiprecious stones and sea shells.
Rug Machine
These two rugs are the same but appear as different colors because the angle the silk is weaved
Finished Product.
Carving a marble table top
Finished product inlayed with sea shells
Rug Machine
These two rugs are the same but appear as different colors because the angle the silk is weaved
Finished Product.
Carving a marble table top
Finished product inlayed with sea shells
Taj Mahal
Panaji and Old Goa
Ok its been a week since I last posted. Well I am still alive. I left the beach in Palolem and traveled to Panaji with an Israeli Woman and a German man my age. It was ok to have company but i didn't care for either of them. Panaji is Goa's capitol and Old Goa was once a large Portuguese city. Now it is but a Few Churches. God is in India though.
Church of St. Francis of Assisi. Old Goa
This is a temple dedicated to the Hindi God Hunuman. He has a Monkey Face. Panaji
Church of St. Francis of Assisi. Old Goa
This is a temple dedicated to the Hindi God Hunuman. He has a Monkey Face. Panaji
Friday, June 15, 2007
Goa
I'm now in Goa. Its a fabulous beach state. It was settled by the Portuguese. They wisely chose the best spot in India. The Indians were also wise to march their army here in 1961 and kick out the Portuguese reclaiming their land. I have no good beach pictures yet cause I don't bring my camera down to the beach. But they will come. Also its monsoon season so its rainy. But i find sun and beach time. I'm just chillin reading books, writing my journal and sipping cocktails on the coast. AKA living large.
Looking down the waterfall on the train to Goa
My other new home
The view of my new home
Looking down the waterfall on the train to Goa
My other new home
The view of my new home
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Mysore: Back in the City
So I left the Jungle. I arrived in Mysore on June 12th. It is a mid sized city but much nicer than the others I have been to. There is still oddle oddle ooo, brownouts and dogs copulating in the streets. I am next heading for Goa. I hear its nice. I hope to beat the monsoon.
A temple on top of Chamundi Hill. An important stop for pilgrims
A few of the 1,000 stairs pilgrims must climb to the top of the hill. I only went down them.
This boy was rolling Incense sticks
A temple on top of Chamundi Hill. An important stop for pilgrims
A few of the 1,000 stairs pilgrims must climb to the top of the hill. I only went down them.
This boy was rolling Incense sticks
Tea Factory and Spice Farm
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Elephant Camp, Safari and Wild Life Trekking
The elephant being fed is named John. He was a bad boy as the guide informed me. On the table you can see his snack. He is a 15 year old tuskea elephant. These tuskea elephants are trained to capture wild elephants who have become a nuisance or have been killing people. The guide told us that one wild elephant had killed 23 people over 3 years so they took 6 of the tuskea elephants and captured it instead of killing it. they were able to bring it to the camp and after 4 years of training it is calm enough for children to pet. There are also spotted deer and a termite hill plant.
Otty and the train ride their
.
On Tuesday I stayed overnight in a town called Ooty. It is a hill station in the Nilgiri Mountain range. It was originally a British tourist resort. There is an old train that takes you on a four hour tour up through the mountains and overlooks the tea plantations. There are some pictures of the train going through a tunnel, a monkey, the tea plantations and the town of Ooty
On Tuesday I stayed overnight in a town called Ooty. It is a hill station in the Nilgiri Mountain range. It was originally a British tourist resort. There is an old train that takes you on a four hour tour up through the mountains and overlooks the tea plantations. There are some pictures of the train going through a tunnel, a monkey, the tea plantations and the town of Ooty
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Destination Nilgiri
Well its time for me to get out of the city. John Paul won't be traveling as much as we had thought so its time for me to go. I'm a country boy trapped in the city. Oil and water don't mix. I'm choking on smog because emmisions standards is a phrase which does not yet existhere. My ears are bleeding from the oddle-oddle-oo of the car horns. That's the sound they make here, think of a chicken going cock-a-doodle-doodle-ooo. The chicken is the father and a horn is the mother. Think of the offspring crying. And its all the time. There is not really and structure to driving here so everyone uses there horns to alert other drivers of their whereabouts. Cars, rickshaws, buses, bikes, moped, and pedestrians all follow the same path on the street. Somehow they don't crash, its amazing.
Well anyways I'll be traveling into the Nilgiri Hills. It is in the center of southern India in the Blue Mountains. There are tea plantation scattered about the region and there is a large wildlife park nearby. I'm not sure how long I'm staying here, I'll see how much I like it and decide. I leave tonight on an overnight train. I think its about 10 hours. The total cost was 255 rupees, or about 6 American Dollars. Cheap traveling.
Well anyways I'll be traveling into the Nilgiri Hills. It is in the center of southern India in the Blue Mountains. There are tea plantation scattered about the region and there is a large wildlife park nearby. I'm not sure how long I'm staying here, I'll see how much I like it and decide. I leave tonight on an overnight train. I think its about 10 hours. The total cost was 255 rupees, or about 6 American Dollars. Cheap traveling.
Pondicherry for the Weekend
To get away from the hustle and bustle of the city we went down to Pondicherry for the weekend. It is a quiet French colony about 3 hours south of Chennai. I'll let the pictures do the talking for this one.
This style drawing is found all over the streets.
Mediterranean Influence
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