After spending hours of admiring beautiful carpets and extraordinary inlaid marble, our ‘free ride’ with the tuk-tuk driver was finally bringing us to our desired destination. Admittedly, both of the factory detours were interesting and educational in prelude to the main event of the day, a monument to love. As we drew closer, the Taj…
Category: Travel
Travel stories
(76) Welcome to Agra
They Thought It Was Funny The bang lassi we had prior to boarding the bus worked wonders as we entered a deep sleep. I said sleep, yet it was more of a state of unconsciousness. As a result, the journey to Agra was smooth as silk. We didn’t feel any bumps on the road. The…
(75) Pushkar, Brahma, & Holi
Located in the middle of the Ajmer desert in the state of Rajasthan, Pushkar is one of the five sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Legend associates its creation with Lord Brahma, referred to as “the Creator” within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva. He is associated with the creation of…
(74) Udaipur: A Charming Town Unwind and Explore
Exploring the Charming Town of Udaipur A Relaxing Retreat When we stumbled upon the captivating town of Udaipur, we knew it was the perfect place to unwind and indulge in leisurely activities. We spent countless hours at our favorite cafe, nestled under a shady tree by the serene Lake Pichola, immersing ourselves in the tranquility…
(73) Stomach Rumbles
Remember that sugarcane drink? Yes, it was a bad decision. We had been so very thirsty, and yet the smell of it foretold our current dilemma. We were finding that after we ate anything, our stomachs would rumble, and we had best find a toilet. It wasn’t too drastic yet, but we decided that we…
(72) Annapurna Temple
With our thirst quenched, we realized the Annapurna Temple wasn’t very far away from where we were. Some other travelers had told us of its beauty, so we went to find out for ourselves. Built in the 9th century for the goddess Parvathi, who is also known as Annapurna Devi, the Annapurna Temple is the…
(71) Indore
Someone told us that Indore is “the Detroit of India.” There are very friendly, expensive hotels in this modern city but, being on a budget, we looked for a cheap place to stay. The hotel we ended up at may have once been a place of beauty with its lovely design of a sweeping curved…
(70) Ajanta and Ellora
We had considered hanging out in Vijayapura, but after realizing we had pretty much seen what we came for, we decided to move on. Consulting our list of potential destinations and sites to see, Aurangabad, or relatively nearby, stuck out as our next point of interest. The next question was whether to take another bus…
(69) In Search of the Gol Gumbaz
The temples and terrain of Hampi were very different than anything we had experienced up to this point. We might have even stayed longer if we could have moved into a room. The pantry was okay the first two nights, but with no rooms becoming available anytime soon, it was best we move on. We…
(68) Hampi
The Ramayana The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic composed in Sanskrit by the sage Valmiki sometime in the 5th century BCE. While the basic story is about palace politics and battles with demon tribes, the narrative is interspersed with philosophy, ethics, and notes on duty. It’s a beautiful story and well worth the read! Having read the Hindu epic Ramayana, we…