Travel TidBits: Desert Sunrise

Sunrise over the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

After experiencing the sunset in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India, we decided to go back the next morning for an early sunrise.  We were staying at a tented camp in Osian on the Western end of Rajasthan, a very rural area with small villages dotted along the road.  This area is close to the Pakistani border.  Although this is a desert that heavily depends on the monsoon rains once a year, it is also known as a ‘green desert’ due to the abundance of farmland and animal husbandry.  If not cultivated the desert supports typical low shrubs and acacia trees favored by the camels as it is favored by giraffes in Africa.  Between the desert landscape and cultivated fields are sand dunes raising up 100-150 feet from the flats.  

We had ridden up to such a sand dune on our camels the evening before and then marveled at the view towards wide horizon all around.

The next morning by 5:30am, we were up and getting ready to jump into the 4-wheel jeep to meet the sunrise on one of the sand dunes.  Our driver, a young Rajasthani, took us half-way up and then it was on us to climb the remainder in the darkness.

We each selected a favorite spot and with my camera on the tripod, I waited for the sun to crest over the far horizon.

It is amazing to see how the camels purse their lips to just take the leaves without poking themselves on the heavy and pointed thorns!  The Acacia leaves must taste very good since the camel drivers always tried to lead the animals far from these trees lest they were ready to stop and see them munching away.

As the sun rose and the light came up, the red soil of the desert dotted with the yellow desert blooms offered another beautiful view towards the West.

Now ready for breakfast, we joint our driver and jeep at the bottom of the sand dune for the ride back to camp.  Later we would come back a village not far from the sand dunes for a great opportunity to observe the village life – but that is another story for next time.

Til then,

Meggi

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Travel TidBits: Udaipur, Rajasthan

Udaipur, the City of Lakes in southern Rajasthan, also called the Venice of the East, was a nice reprise from the hustle and bustle of New Delhi.  Although a city of ½ million people, it felt like a much smaller town specifically along the lake front and in the old town.  We lodged in a hotel at the waterfront built right over the Lake and early in the morning (4am!!) I could observe the activities on the other shore where the women gathered for their morning prayer – more of this later in this story.

Hotel Lake Pichola

After arriving, we rather enjoyed the Lake Pichola with its islands, among them the Jag Mandir Palace Island and Lake Palace Hotel each on its own island, from a boat at sunset.  The lake was originally created by Maharana Udai Singh II 400 years ago and is about 4km long and 3 km wide.  The city grew around it and its shores have many ghats, typical places for people to come in the morning and bathe and wash clothes.  The Lake Palace, now a renowned hotel, covers an entire island, Jag Niwas, and was originally built as a royal summer palace. 

Lake Pichola with Jag Mandir island (left) and City Palace (right)

City front along Lake Pichola

Jag Mandir Palace and gardens guarded by magnificent elephants

The Jag Mandir, also a former royal palace where Shah Jahan took refuge while revolting against his father.  We will learn a lot more about Shah Jahan in Agra when visiting the Taj Mahal since he built this impressive marble tomb on the banks of the Yamuna River in memory of his wife who died during child birth.

Invitation to a smoke – Jag Mandir Gardens                                      Jag Mandir Palace Island

City Palace, Udaipur

Beautiful sunset over Lake Pichola, Udaipur 

I woke early in the morning – if one can call 4am early morning?! – and stepped onto our balcony overlooking the Lake.  Still pitch dark, but armed with tripod and a comfortable wicker chair, I started observing the   activities on other side of the Lake.  As I learned later from our guide Ashim, it is typical for women to arrive at the ghats along the lake front to light candles and do their early morning prayers, followed by chores like washing their laundry later.

Early Morning at the ghat:  It is 4am and life on the other side of the Lake is already in flux.  I am looking at the waterfront of the old city where the road ends under an arched gate.  The night is still pitch dark but a small group of mostly women is gathering, sitting on the landing, chanting.  Some have candles or small lamps but mostly the scene is eliminated by one strong light mounted high on the gate.  It is peaceful and there seems to be a morning payer interrupted by chanting of the women’s voices.  A nearby temple, a conical stone structure with delicate carvings that we had seen on our walk yesterday is a place of worship:  the women get up and walk over and touch the stone and pray.   Nearby, I can already hear the rhythmic slapping of the washing of clothes in the river.  As I saw yesterday morning, this lake shore is a gathering place and the early mornings belong to the women.  The pre-dawn calmness may be their only time of reflection before the hard work begins.  For the poorer people, the lake and in other places the river is an integral part of life.  Without running water at their home, the public waters become the bathing place, the place for washing, and community.

As dawn arrives the sky illuminates the water and reflections become more pronounced.  By 6am, the city seems to be awakening and I can see the first foot traffic over the bridge linking the lake fronts.  Rural herders arrive with their donkeys that are used for moving construction materials to and from wherever it is needed. 

Bridge linking the waterfronts in Udaipur

But for me, it is time to get ready for another day of exploring.  Breakfast on the rooftop of the hotel offers a welcome hot cup of tea and soon we are off to more adventures.

Til next time,

Meggi

To see all of the workshops and photo travel opportunities 

offered by M. Raeder - Photography, please click here.
Join me for the next great outing to photograph the elephant seals and 

their newborn pups in January 2012!

Travel TidBits: Streets of India

This week, the New York columnist Thomas L. Friedman wrote an article reflecting on his recent visit to India.  Visiting the town of Jodhpur, his guide pointed to the traffic light and noted “It’s the only stoplight in Jodhur, a city with 1.2 million people!”  Friedman must have experienced the same amazing picture on the streets of every city we visited: utter chaos and yet albeit slow people manage to get to their destination.

Madness on the streets of India

We are in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, a city of more than 5-6 million people.  As in the other cities, we are mainly staying in the old city with its narrow alleys around the City Palace and the Govind Devij Temple.  By now we should be accustomed to the chaotic traffic picture on India’s roads – but it continues to amaze us that traffic doesn’t come to a complete stand-still.  Like a river meandering around obstacles, Indian drivers just adjust, crawl forward in a flow of humanity and steel.

Tonight we visited a vegetable market and attended the prayer service at the Hindu Temple.  After night fall returning to the main road and waiting for Lucky, our driver, we observed the street life and more specifically the absolutely dense traffic – unimaginable for us Westerners.  The 2 lane thorough fare road is packed with pushcarts under man power, bicycles rickshaws, bicycles stacked high with goods almost swallowing the poor driver, motor rickshaws, motorbikes, cars, trucks, an occasional horse-drawn cart or maybe a camel cart, and of course the pedestrians weaving thorough the traffic to get from one side to the other.   It is not uncommon to see a holy cow leisurely crossing the street and all traffic just flows around them!  We were waiting on a busy intersection where traffic lights that were mostly observed.  “Traffic lights and lanes painted on the roads are mere suggestions” our guide had explained earlier!  The images that follow show impressions from this absolute street madness during the day as well as into the night so typical for city traffic and that we had previous marveled at New Delhi.

[My apologies for the less crisp images – but I had to share this spectacle which we encountered many times.]

The bus just stops in the middle of the street and people rush through traffic to catch it.

Finally, Lucky arrived and we hopped into the car only to advance at a snail’s pace.  The inner city streets are packed also with pedestrians doing their evening shopping on their way home. 

A rare moment of just one rickshaw driver on the street – amazing.

We passed by a stage at a round-about with a street performance of a belly dancer on a platform above the traffic which of course added to the further distraction and congestion. Add to that pedestrians weaving between lanes to get to the performance…. And amazingly no one gets upset about it besides the honking of horns that is common practice to make sure the others know you are coming.  It seems to take us a long time just to go a short distance, yet our driver is as calm as could be as he drops us at our hotel, a welcoming oasis after the madness on the streets.

Til next time,

Meggi

To see all of the workshops and photo travel opportunities 

offered by M. Raeder - Photography, please click here.
Join me for the next great outing to photograph the elephant seals and 

their newborn pups in January 2012!

Travel TidBits: Thar Desert, India

Camel Ride at Sunset
 We have traveled deep into Rajasthan and we are in camel country.  It is dry and hot and the desert is all around us.

By mid afternoon, we reach the Camp Thar Desert outside a small village Osian.  Since our driver and guide had not been there, we stop in the village to ask for direction and head into the desert on a narrow but paved street.  Along the way, we need to backtrack and finally find the entrance to the camp:  The reception area is an open but roofed area with a desk and some chairs and as we sign in it becomes clear that no computers are used here.  Our passports and the Indian Visa number are copied by hand together will all other necessary information. We then enter an open square lined on the outside with permanent small “houses” roofed by a white tent canvas.  Inside we find the walls covered with Indian printed fabric including the ceiling which gives the impression of being in a tent.  It is blazing hot upon our arrival and we are glad to have AC in our ‘tent’.  It is cozy and has all amenities for a comfortable night.  Our dinner is simple Indian food cooked family style and we enjoy it under a starry sky.

At the end of the afternoon, we are invited to a camel ride to see the sunset.  Two camels await us outside the reception area since Ashim decided to walk.  On command, the camels ‘fold their legs under their bodies’ by first going onto their knees, then bringing their hind down before lowering their front.  We are being helped up into a sort of saddle, a very well cushioned affair, and the camels stand up in the same stepwise way – rocking us frontward and backwards as we ascend to the heights of a full standing camel over-towering everyone around us.  And off we go!

We each have our camel driver, 2 young boys of 9 and 10 years of age.  My camel driver is Monsoor who speaks “little English, not big English”.  The boys handle the camels skillfully trying to prevent them from stopping and grabbing a mouthful of leaves from the trees.  We walk through desert farmland where crops have been harvested and now the stalks are drying to be gathered for fire woods.

The path we walk on – or better the camels walk on – is sandy.  The Thar Desert is a hot and dry place and supports only vegetation adapted to sandy grounds.  But it appears that the farmers here work the land to feed their families.  We pass by little hamlets where a few families have built their modest homes and where livestock from cows and goats to peacocks live in harmony with the people. 

After an hour’s walk we reach a hill side and our camels reluctantly climb up to a sand dune their broad hoofs sinking into the sand and sometimes sliding backwards.

As we de-mount, Lynda’s camel flops down on its side as if to tell us how exhausted it is!!

... and we all sit down to rest.

Our walk was perfectly timed as the sun is setting the sky turned yellow and red with the last rays  and our camels silhouette beautifully against the darkening sky.

Night has fallen fast and as we descend the hills, it becomes dark but our sure-footed beasts carry us back to camp in a steady walk and we marvel at the stars above.  With no lights around us in the desert, we see the Milky Way and many star constellations shining down on us.  It is peaceful and the world is at rest.  But as the warm lights of camp greet us, men and beast are happy to be home.



Til next time,
Meggi

Travel TidBits: Jodhpur, India

Since a week I have traveled in India and it is a  beautiful and fascinating country.  There are so many stories to tell!  So I will jump right into it and won't just chronicle my impressions but rather offer some vignettes here:

Cows, Temples and Turban Men

Early Morning Street Sweepers

Sanctuary for Cows: This morning, we visited a sanctuary for cows!  This is probably an oxymoron for everyone reading this, but in India, cows are sacred.  They roam the streets, they are in the medium of divided streets, they stand in heavy traffic and everyone drives around them.  It’s quite a sight to see.  But what happens to the cows as they are getting old and frail?  Here is where the sanctuary comes in.  This one is in a suburb of Jodhpur and is run by a man belonging to the Jain Religion that preaches compassion to all living beings.  The sanctuary was behind a high wall – not unusual for the Indian suburban architecture – and houses 260 cows.  There was a whole area for blind cows, others were undernourished and all of them are thin with bones clearly visible through the hide.  There was a couple-of-days old calf born to a cow that did not have milk and the little creature was feed milk through a bottle. 

One can of course wonder why are the cows on the street in the first place.  According to the Hindu Religion, cows are only used for milk production and beef is not eaten.  Thus the female calves and cows are valuable as long as they produce milk.  So male cows at an early age are useless for society and they roam the streets and country side only to be joined by female cows that lost their mild production or thus usefulness.  These animals are at the mercy of their environment:  in the country side they find greens in the fields or even along the roads but in the city their life is more difficult and they go through the ever present garbage or being fed by friendly store owners.  So, being taken in by the sanctuary might present a luxury senior housing where food is plentiful and peaceful. 

Laundry day

Women selling goods at a street corner

The Mandor Memorial:

 In the same vicinity, we visited a beautiful park serving as a memorial and burial ground for by-gone Maharanas and Noble Men.  In the Hindu tradition, once passed on cremation is done within 24 hours of death and for the royals it was typical to built a memorial for the urn to be buried.  The Mandor Memorial was created for the Royal of the Mandor family, the ruling family of Rajasthan for the last 500 years.  The memorials erected over the burial ground are elaborately carved in marble, with conical towers pointing to heaven.  It must have been a splendid sight in history but unfortunately, like so many things in India the temples have fallen to neglect.  Never-the-less the stone carvings survived many centuries and tell the story of a more glorious past.

The old Town of Jodhpur: 

The Old City Gate

Jodhpur is a bustling city of 5-6 M people and a center of commerce in Rajasthan.  Built in 1500, a fort strategically built on a hilltop overlooks a sprawling town with an old town center within the old city walls.  As we enter through an enormous gate, we enter the clock tower plaza from which the streets narrow to alleys with vendors and tiny stores lining each side.  Little light penetrates to the street level.   Pedestrians, bicycles, motor rickshaws, pushcarts, motorcycles all hustle back and forth causing the periodic traffic jams that we have come to expect.  It is amazing how 2 motor rickshaws squeeze by with the rest of the foot- and wheeled traffic piling up behind, horns blow but in general all resolves in time and all traffic flows again.

Strolling along the alleys, we encounter a diverse selection of merchandise:  from houseware to food to clothing to locksmiths to spice vendors all displaying their merchandise within and in front of their stalls.  The most colorful are the fabric and the spice vendors.  Rajasthan is known for their colorful saris worn by all women – young and old – and that so attracts my photographic eye.  There is something very elegant how the women in India wear their saris, and I marvel how a single piece of fabric can be so elegantly draped topped with a color-coordinated shawl often of chiffon materials.  This shawl can be easily pulled over the head and will veil the face on a moment’s notice – particularly when not wanting to be photographed.  The women seem to glide along their way even when they carry a basket or other goods on their head.

As we penetrate further and further into the old city, it is not just the women that attract our attention but also men with long white beards and enormous turbans in bright colors.  Although the color of the turban has significance and tells of the origin of the wearer or his occupation, it will take more study to understand all these intricacies.   Fascinated by the elaborate turbans, we question whether they are like hats or being assembled each day.  Our guide, Ashim, tells us that the turbans are one long piece of cloth about 10 m long (!) to be draped over the head within less than a minute.  To prove his point, he asks the next turbaned man whether he would show us how to bind a turban – and voila, he complies.  He takes off his turban, disassembles into one very long clothes and within a minute he recreates his turban right in front of us. 

We can only marvel at this!  We take pictures, he laughs, the store keepers around us all smile and the diverse worlds have just become a little bit closer. 

Til next time,
Meggi