San Fran and Tahoe, CA

Had a little house warming party which included rum balls and lots of powdered sugar. Wendy was even down from Humboldt.












Last weekend, we went to visit Linda and Tom. Had a great time; saw Taj Mahal at Yoshi's (a sushi/jazz club in Oakland), cut Christmas trees with Dave (Chris' cousin) and his family, and even got to stop in Folsom to see Matt on the way back up to Tahoe.

South Lake Tahoe, CA

We moved. Can you believe it. Its nice to be able to stretch out a bit. Teo loves it. She has her own doggie door and a big back yard. So I just wanted to attach a few pics of recent. The first is of Chris and our roommate Dave, the second our house and the third Lemmon and us in Desolation.

Napa Valley, CA

In Napa for my 30th!

New Delhi, India to London, England to Chicago, IL

So it has been about a month and a half since finishing our trip... and we are back to the grind.

It took us 4 nights of waiting (and getting bumped off of flights) to finally suck it up and buy a ticket out if India. Figuring we had a bit of extra time, we detoured to London and spent a couple of nights there. Did a bunch of site seeing ... Buckingham Palace, tower of London, Camden, Piccadilly and basically wandered around till our feet hurt. But the best was getting a pint of beer that wasn't yellow and tasteless.

We spent 2 weeks in Chicago. Jammed it packed with fun stuff and still didn't get to do everything. Although, we did get to get Chris to his first Cubs game (first pro ball game for that matter). The Cubs lost and we got rained on, but such is Wrigley Field. Saw Spamalot, a play based on Monty Python's Holy Grail. And did a lot of other fun stuff.

But now its back in Tahoe. Couldn't ask for a better place to have to go back to though. But of course, our next trip is in the works.

Varanasi to New Delhi, India

Varanasi is an incredible, very old city with tiny, twisty little alleyways that are too small for traffic ... but motorbikes, cows, and 10 million people don't seem to care. It makes for a cramped space with lots of cow poop (most of it the runny kind that isn't fun to step in), but they offer a lot of shade from the blistering sun.

They call it Shiva's city (Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction), and it is home to the Ganges which sprouted from his hair. It's one of the holiest cities in India. There are Ghats (stairs leading down to the water from temples above) lining the river, leaving no room for anything else. The most well known of which is the "Burning Ghat" where people from all over India bring their dead to be cremated in open fires amongst many other burning piles, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Huge wood piles surround the ghat ... it takes 250kgs of wood to creamate one body. Any part that doesn't burn (mostly ladies hip bones) gets tossed into the river. People drink holy river water, next to a dead body being cleansed, next to 100 people bathing and laundry being done. It's quite a sight.

We are going home soon, so we are in full scale buying mode. Anything we might want, we tried to pick up in Varinasi so we didn't have to spend any more time in Delhi than we have to. Although, as it turns out, we are stuck in Delhi due to the flights being full. And we might even end up in London before we get to Chicago. But we should still have a couple of weeks in Chicago before we finish our trip, so their will be a couple more blog entries before the end of this travel maddness.

New Delhi to Agra, India

We finally made it out of Katmandu ... ended up having to fly. The buses weren't going on the day that we left (I still don't think they are running). But, other than that, we got to Delhi with minimal hitches. Our flight got in 2 hours before my parents and after a bit of confusion we finally all met in the bar of our hotel for a well needed drink.

My parents got us a room at the hotel where they stayed ... which was quite a treat! I think Chris and I enjoyed the hot shower the most (although the flat screen TV was a close second). In Delhi, we visited the Red Fort and Dana's parents got a taste of real Indian food for the 1st time. Inevitably we ate too much. Also visited Jama Masjid a day after the bombing. A bit of a sobering experience. But make sure to keep your eyes on news ... we were all interviewed by a few different local channels asking us for comments.

The next morning, we introduced them to the wonders of the Indian railways and all of the smells that go with it. But everyone survived and we made it to Agra. We had a big day and saw Agra fort and the Taj Mahal for sunset. Dad bought a beautiful inlaid soapstone box which he used his impressive bargaining skills to obtain ... he's a natural!

We hired a car to get out to Fatehpur Sikri (an abandoned Mughal city) the next day. While not quite as impressive as the Taj, it was still very interesting and relaxing (after you are able to slip past the throngs of guides that accost you at the front gate).

After too short of a visit, they left back to Chicago. And we head on to Varanasi.

Katmandu, Nepal

Made it to Nepal after 3 mind numbing days of overnight trains and
buses. We got into Katmandu and the next day were on a 9 hour (but only
75km) butt numbing bus ride on a road that looked more like the Rubicon
Trail than a national highway. Well, we made it, and hiked into to
Langtang National Park the next day. The 2nd day we reached Kanjin,
right in the heart of the Himalayan range. The next morning we woke up
early to hike up Kanjin Ri (4500m) where we were rewarded with
spectacular views. It snowed a few inches the night before which did
wonders for the visibility (April is known to be a very hazy time).
We were pressed for time, so we did 6 days worth of hiking in 4 days...
but then Chris got sick. Not sure still what it was, but it had all the
symtoms of altitude sickness, so we were weary about heading up any
higher (although we were only at 2500m). Now we think it was those
great stomach bugs striking again. On the plus side, the family that
owned the guest house we stayed at was great. We taught the boys Go
Fish and they took Dana up to see their grandparents in a nearby
village. After a 3 day rest, he was able to continue, but we had to
cut our trip short. I guess it gives us another reason to head back to
Nepal.
We are back in Katmandu and have plans to leave tomorrow. Things here
are a bit up in the air because of the nationwide strike. No buses are
running. We were lucky to make it back to Katmandu. If it wasn't for
a few Israelies that were dead set on being in Katmandu for Passover,
we would still be in the mountains! They arranged a tourist bus with
all the proper governmental stamps and signatures allowing us access to
the closed roads. One way or the other we will be in Delhi on the 15th
to meet Dana's folks!

Jodpur to McLeod Ganj, India

Jodhpur was really nice... they call it the 'blue city.' In the past, the Brahmin (the priest caste) families were the only ones that were allowed to paint their houses blue, but today it is common. It's supposed to keep the houses at a good temperature all year round with the added benefit of repelling mosquitoes! We went on a tour of Merherangarh (Majestic) fort, above the city. The views were amazing, a mosaic of blue. The fort itself was very well preserved and our entrance fee included an informative audio tour. Leaving the fort, we met a Peace Corp Bangledesh Volunteer, Craig, who we ended up hanging out with for the rest of our time in Jodhpur. It was interesting swapping Peace Corps stories and hearing a bit of a different perspective about the region. He taught us that we don't have to pay extra for refrigerated beer (we have been getting taken this whole time!).

And now we are in McLeod Ganj. The home of the Tibetan government in exile and H.H. the Dalai Lama. We arrived in McLeod Ganj after the scariest bus ride that we have ever been on. We were whipping around blind mountain-side turns at 40mph at night while our driver was paying more attention to his friends than to the road. Our protector on this ride was a colorful blinking Christmas light version of Shiva, the god of destruction, posted at the front of the bus. Not exactly what you might call comforting. When we arrived, we came to find out that there were no hotels with free rooms... not what you want to hear at 11pm after traveling 27 hours to get there. The reason was that the Dalai Lama was teaching. So the inconvenience of finding a room was worth the effort. We have been able see him teach a few times already. The area is beautiful ... our 1st time in the Himalayas.

Jaisalmer, India

Six days, Five nights, Three camels and Two guides... The Thar Desert treated us well at some times and poorly at others. We opted for the "non-touristic" safari, which was great: we only saw one other group the entire time. Even so, the first several villages get the most passers-by, and so we were bombarded with: "hello- one rupee" and kids asking for everything from pens to chocolate (in the desert...a melty mess that would be) to the shirts on our backs. Literally. With 5 villages like this in the first day, we weren't sure the trip was going to be all that "Non- Touristic." But as the trip progressed, we started seeing more desert, and fewer villages and nicer people.

A few days later, we found ourselves in a desert hail storm with more lightning than we've ever seen. For over two hours, four people huddled underneath a 2 meter tarp with holes in it. Wet and cold. The rain did subside though, and dinner (chai, desert style chapati, rice and dhal) was awesome.

Things changed for the better the next day, and we celebrated Holi (one of the largest Hindu holidays) in a small, welcoming village. The 14th was relaxed. There was a bonfire and desert moonshine. The 15th was a big party- whiskey, chillums, and... color! Everyone was covered in colorful powders that the children threw, demanding "rupees or color." The whole village looked like Joseph's Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Goa to Mumbai to Pushkar, India

So, we have been on the go lately...

We were in Goa for a few days... long enough to be there for their Wednesday market which was about as sprawling of a tourist market that you can find. We got lost in the maze of brightly colored tapestries, clothing, jewelry and the such... whatever you wanted to buy in India, you could find at this market. Other than that, Goa was a bit overdone and we are super glad that we decided to stay in Gokarna for a bit longer... but we did treat ourselves to a pina colada for sunset after a long day of relaxing in the sun.

Mumbai was a whirlwind ... but quite an interesting town. We spent the majority of it wandering around. We went to the locals night spot... Chowpatti Beach. Getting on to the bus from our hostel (The Salvation Army... the most expensive place that we've stayed yet on this trip!) we met the nicest Indian who walked us around the beach. Traveling around makes you put up your guard towards anyone who randomly comes up to you, but we've come in contact with so many friendly Indians who are genuinely interested in us and showing us part of their country ... it has made for a wonderful experience. Chowpatti beach is known for it's bhel puri, a spicy Indian snack and this man took us to the best shop for it (there are about 20 shops within 50ft that all sell the same thing). It was so good that we came back the next afternoon and had some more. We also sent a package home from here... what an ordeal... it took about two hours to get it packaged up correctly (including getting it checked by customs before having it wrapped in fabric and wax sealed) before we could send it... gives us a little glimpse into the buracuracy and red tape that is all we hear and read about in India.

And we finally made it into the state of Rajistan. Most of the things that you think of when you think of India, are from Rajistan. Turbans, mirror-work fabrics, camels, dome topped buildings...all are the wonders of this state. Pushkar is a holy city, and also a touristic highlight of any trip to India...although, Chris and I are finding it too touristic...most of what there is to do in this small 1 street town is shop. And considering we just sent stuff home, we aren't in the mood to stuff our packs full again. So we are heading to Jaisalmer tomorrow where we plan on doing a camel trek for a few days. Should be a bumpy ride!

Gokarna, India

All we have been doing since we got here is relaxing. It is so nice to be on a warm beach soaking up the vibes here. We are at Kudle beach...a 20 minute walk over a headland from the nearest town...no road. It is a small little traveler/Hindu pilgrimage area. The town is getting ready for Shivaratri (on the 26th), a large celebration of Shiva, one of the most worshiped deities in Hinduism. We are going to stick around for it...they are building some huge wagons with flags and carvings all over them for the festival.
In the meantime, we are practicing with our poi and staff on the beach (poi are 2 wicks on the end of a chain that you light on fire and dance with; and the staff is the same on either end of a stick). By the time we get back to Tahoe, we hope to be good enough to light them for our friends.
Guess that is all to write at the moment. We have been really taking it easy here... if only everything in India was this mellow.

Kerala, India

We've been on the move this last week, and are finally settling down for a few days. We took a 3 hour boat tour along the "backwaters" of Kerala (the province), which took us to Amma's Ashram. They call her the "Hugging Mother" and she is considered "one of the world's most influential spiritual leaders." Unfortunately, she began traveling 3 days before we got there (she travels 5 months out of every year), so we didn't get to meet her. On the plus side, 400 devotees from the ashram are traveling with her, so it was relatively quiet there during our stay. As you can see from the picture of the pink towers, this ashram is big...it is not abnormal to have 4000 people there in a day. Although we missed her in India, she will be at her ashram near San Francisco, CA shortly after we get home. How ironic.

The next day we continued on our backwaters tour, ending in Allepey, a small, transitional town on our way to Cochin. Now we're here enjoying the plethora of culture, arts, and entertainment it has to offer. Dana has been enjoying all the fresh seafood that can be bought right on the water next to the Chinese fishing nets. To complement this, restaurants have sprung up right in front of the fishermen ready to cook whatever you buy. Quite a symbiotic relationship.

Along with seafood, Kerala is known for Kathikali dance. A type of drama-dance that involves intricate costumes and dance movements that are a type of sign language. You actually only go to see a portion of the drama...the entire play takes about 9 days to perform. The one we saw was about a demoness who tries to seduce a god by changing herself into a beautiful girl...a Hindu story.

Instead of leaving Monday as we planned, we bought tickets at a local art cafe to see Pandit Ajit Singh, a sitar player. This town has so much to offer and we are trying to see as much as we can before we head on.

Madurai, India

So we are wasting time waiting for our overnight train to Quilon. Today we just relaxed ...well, as much as you can relax in a chaotic city with no parks and an over touristy temple where touts abound.

We added a picture of Chris modeling his new suit that he got tailored in Pondicherry (the town next to Auroville). Lookin' good.
Dana felt jealous so she got some things made in Madurai. Its a semi- traditional outfit called a salwar kameez (the orange long shirt in the picture and a green pair of pants to go with). Madurai is known for its fabrics and has a market filled with tailors that are busy sewing anything and everything. What ever you order, you can pick it up a few hours later. I should do all of my shopping this way!