Nobody stays in Agra for 6 days...

...except for me, apparently. Agra is not known for much more than the Taj Mahal. A visitor could see all the major sites in 1-2 days. And here I was staying in the city for 6 days straight as a favor to a friend who lives there. I don't know a single tourist who's stayed in Agra this long. When I asked my friend if he knew anyone, he said yes, they were all crazy people.

I didn't mind it so much, though. I recently entered a point in the trip where my energy for site-seeing has waned and I'm slowing down the pace to fit my new temperament. Here are some photos of things other than the Taj Mahal from the interesting places I went to during my second visit in Agra and Delhi. 

To start, here's a shot of a cool looking sky over Delhi. 

At the point my spirits were down and I started questioning why I was even travelling, I saw this sky and remembered how great it feels to get these random glimpses of grandeur. I've learned travelling is just a way to create opportunities for serendipity and my responsibility is to keep my eyes open.

My experiences dealing with Indian men in the tourism industry

Good bargaining skills are a necessity in Asian markets and it's definitely grown into a favorite pasttime for me. I love to wear down those unsuspecting merchants who initially size me up as an ignorant tourist. Sometimes I don't win them over, but when I do, it's an intoxicating victory. So I'm going to start this entry off with a story about the best bargain I've gotten so far on this trip.

I was in Jaipur and needed a new pair of white leggings to go with a dress I bought in Delhi. I walked down the market street one evening looking into each clothing shop, mostly ignoring the men attempting to entice me into their store. Then I saw one young man with thick rimmed glasses who, like every other man, invited me to enter into his shop. This time I did. It's superficial but I stopped only because I thought his glasses were cute.

He didn't have white leggings but he had tan ones I was willing to buy. So we started negotiations. And his initial price? 400 Indian rupees (about $8 USD). I laughed. He clearly didn't have a very high opinion of me. "How much you willing to pay?" he asked to get my baseline. "30 rupees." This time he laughed. At 60 US cents, this was a ridiculous price, even for India.

A small change to the itinerary

Today, I will fly from Kathmandu to Delhi. Yes, I'm going back to India. Maybe I'll be there a week. Maybe longer. I canceled my flight to Istanbul. Europe will have to wait.

Once I land, the first thing I'll do is take a bus to Agra to meet an Indian boy I met the first time I was there. I promised I would see him again and have dinner with his family. This is all I have planned so far. I'm trying to dive in with no expectations, just a whole lot of trust.

5 days trekking around the Annapurna mountain range

Snow drifting off the peak of Annapurna South during sunrise

My apologies for the extended silence. Access to electricity and internet is a bit unstable in Nepal. I recently finished up a trek through the Annapurna mountain range, something I had booked back in December when I found claims online saying the treks here were the most beautiful in the world. It's a tall claim but I think it could be true. They definitely didn't disappoint.

My route went up to Poon Hill to catch a panoramic view of the mountains and then through a rhododendron forest where flowers are in full bloom this time of year. Along the way, I got to meet some of the nicest, warmest people in the world.

The villages themselves were a bit surreal to me. Modern technologies intermingled with antiquated ones in a strange utilitarian hodgepodge. For example, I'd occasionally see simple wooden huts outfitted with solar powered water heaters. I think a visitor will find many imprints left by Western NGOs and volunteers here.


On the way up to Poon Hill

A brief introduction to Nepal

Varanasi was my last stop before driving into Nepal. After spending so much time in India, I got used to a certain level of weariness which turned out not to be necessary at all in Nepal. I got a great introduction to this country while talking to a Buddhist monk at Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace.

"Would you like to burn some incense?" asked the monk while showing me three incense sticks.

"No thanks."

"It's free."

"Okay."

I took the incense, lit them, put them into an ash pot, and made a prayer.

"Would you like some string?" he asked. In his hand, he held a piece of string Buddhist monks will typically tie around a person's wrist as a blessing.

"No thanks."

"We're not in India, these things are free."

"Really? Okay."

I stuck my wrist out toward him with a happy grin.

More pictures will come. Here's one.

Pilgrimage to Varanasi

Two cremation fires burning on the water's edge

Today, I want to share some photos from Varanasi, a famous holy city on the Ganges in Northern India. People from all over the country bring the remains of their loved ones to be cremated and laid to rest in the river here. The way I first learned about this city is the reason why it's special to me. I never knew it by name before planning this trip but I have been wanting to come here for 9 years.

I was hanging out with some college friends at their apartment in 2004 a day before I flew to Korea to study abroad for the next 3 months. As a group, we were trying to finish the entire "Cowboy Bebop" anime series before I left. It was a marathon run on the living room couch.