i'm here, i'm here! sorry for the lack of response recently but bridget and i are finally in delhi. so much has happened in the past few days that i don't know where to begin without writing a tome that i'm sure only my parents will read (thanks mom and daddy)! so let me be terse if i can (what?! 2013 and india has me totally off...) and give some highlights/lowlights and fun facts! bridget is showering so maybe i've got some more time...
-GOA: crazy crowded beaches and not that impressive but the NYE party was a lot of fun. they had a band that was actually really good playing mostly american music (though some were totally random american songs... we're not sure how they got the playlist!) so as per expected, bridget and i were the first in front of 300 guests to get up there and dance. good times. oh and our waiter was funny and i asked him "what is your name" and he answered some name and i said "i'm kristin" and he said "oh i'm Hindu" which got bridget and me laughing and corrected him to say "nooooo, MY name is kristin" (they pronounce "Kristin" like "Christian" so he thought i was asking his religion) haha...
-GOA: at the end of the night, as promised, they had fireworks to ring in the new year. really very impressive fireworks just for our hotel. in fact the reason they were so impressive was b/c they were RIGHT above our heads-- a marvel that inspired us even to comment "they would never allow this in the USA". i even got pelleted by some falling something! but then low and behold, the stringent US laws were endorsed when we saw FIRE in the grasses about 20yards from us. and it was SPREADING! and this is INDIA so their public services are minimal! it was crazy. fortunately we learned it was an island and it "happens every year" (hmm... you would think that might be room for concern?!) people were videoing this island BURN DOWN! but then, literally behind the stage a fire started, too! i was about to jump in the pool, no joke. and everyone was WATCHING!! but the band played on! it was like the Titanic! but i told the waiters who didn't believe me that it was there so i had to bring them over. ridiculous! but by the time we walked over there were men with that dry powder spray putting it out. ABSURD. anyway, we didn't die and we made it out of Goa by 4:45am the next morning to head to Jaipur. (ps. i'm failing at this game of bullet points...)
-FLIGHTS: we tallied and we're on 9 flights total among 10 days of traveling-- and that doesn't include 5hours in the car yesterday getting to Agra and then 6hrs in the car today getting to Delhi. also ABSURD.
-JAIPUR: the architecture was finally cool and exciting! it looked indian! it's called the pink city b/c it was all painted a terracotta color. the city is known for silk scarves and pottery and is bordered by a big mtn on one side (reminded me of table mtn in cape town). we loved the view and architecture from the Hawa Mahal fort and LOVED the Amber fort that is up on a hill outside the city.
-JAIPUR: we went to a BOLLYWOOD movie!! woot woot! it was a definite highlight to sit in a sold out theater with about 400 other locals watching this movie in a language we totally don't understand. it was part western, part soap opera, part Matrix, and part Rocky. it was so violent (btwn dancing in the streets, obvi) with this cop shooting all these people (but not bloody, just lots of action and shooting). but despite all this violence they had a small caption at one point when one actor lit a cigarette that said (in english) "warning: smoking may lead to cancer". oh but guns don't kill...!
-RAM: yes our driver is a highlight. he was so talkative and let us pepper him more questions about their culture, religion, etc. Question: "why are cows so holy in Hinduism?" Answer: "Shiva loved cows and cows' milk is used for the infants. science says it is best." (therefore no breast feeding). Question: "how does this country feel about homosexuality?" Answer: "the gays are in a community in each town and a leader from their commune tells each parents when their son is 2 or 3 if he is gay or not and then the child goes to live with the other community." (whaaat??!!) Question: "what happens if a girl gets pregnant before she is married?" Answer: "if she make the sex..." (haha there was a whole answer but we just thought "make the sex" was funny)
-CITINGS on the road: horses, cows, donkeys, monkeys, camels, elephants, dogs, pigs, goats, and sheep. and lots of cars, trucks (with paintings of shiva) and motobikes with up to 4ppl on each!
-AGRA: the Taj!
anyone have resolutions?! apparently i shld work on not lying b/c i didn't keep it short like i said i would..! bridget is here and i need to run.