Day 2 - Jaipur, India

Today was a full busy day, just how I like it! Left Delhi for Jaipur which is the capital of India's Rajasthani state, very early in the morning in order to beat traffic, the trip between the two cities is a 5 hour drive so you can imagine how much longer it would be if traffic was an issue. The drive actually turned out to be just fine and it went by faster than I expected! well, sleeping for most part of the journey did play a role in giving the impression that the trip was shorter than 5 hours.

I had read about how chaotic and overwhelming India can be so since my visit is only a week long, I figured why not book a tour with a travel agent so that they can figure out all the logistics instead of me trying to navigate by myself with such limited time. Sometimes it just works better that way and you are able to really utilize the limited time you have got. The tour package did include a private driver so that's who drove me to Jaipur.

Jaipur is the first planned city in India and was established in 1876, it is also known as the pink city because when the prince of Wales visited the city, the leader at the time decided to paint the whole city pink because the color symbolizes hospitality, I believe prior to that the city was white and once it got painted pink, the color remained as is till the present day. Since I only have a day in Jaipur, my itinerary was packed with all the different highlights of the city. After linking up with my guide, no time was wasted in checking out the different tourist sites, this the order of how my day went:

Amber Fort - One of the best preserved forts that served as the royal capital for seven years before the city of Jaipur was built.

Jal Mahal (Palace of Water) - Located in the middle of a man made lake, Man Sagar. The initial intention for building this palace was to have it a hunting lodge for the king and his entourage. Unfortunately it is not open to tourists but there are plans by the govt. to grant access to the public. 

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) - A five story building that happens to be the tallest in the world, built without foundation. It remains upright because of it's curve. The building's shape and curved windows allow breeze to blow through the palace, keeping it cool. It was an extension of the Royal City Palace and since Royal ladies were not allowed to be seen by strangers or the general public, the windows were designed in such a way that they could see what was going on in the streets below without anyone seeing their faces.

City Palace - This palace was built between 1729 and 1732 AD served as the Maharaja's(great king) dwelling place. 

That's it folks! I got to see a couple of other tourist sites but didn't take photos because by then, I was so tired and ready to check into my hotel and crash. Tomorrow I am heading to Agra to check out the Taj Mahal so do check back for updates.

Random Thoughts of the Day:

I have noticed that there is not one single woman working in the hotels, restaurants and even airport. I asked my driver Abdul about this and he said that most women either stay at home or work in offices.

It's amazing to see Persian influences at some of the sites I visited today. I actually had a sense of deja vu at times as I would come across some design or painting resembling what I had seen in Iran during my last trip.

I was chatting with Abdul my driver and he mentioned that his daughter is getting married next year and that him and his wife have already chosen the man for her. His daughter has only seen his photos but trusts  her parents' choice and is fine with it. Abdul himself had an arranged marriage. It was interesting listening to his point of view on arranged marriages and his support of this age old practice. 

A lot actually goes into these arranged marriages and astrologers are even used to determine if both partners are compatible. 

Speaking of astrologers, Jaipur is also well known for astrology so I decided to visit one and hear what he had to say. Both Abdul and my guide Babu highly recommended him. The guy told me some pretty interesting things that made me ponder, he was actually pretty good and straight forward with his reading and did not charge me anything. 

Day 1 - New Delhi, India

This year I decided to celebrate my birthday in India. To be honest with you, India was never in my radar but it came to mind as I was trying to decide on where to go for my next birthday. I wanted to experience something different and out of my "comfort zone" whatever that is. As the trip neared I started having second thoughts wondering if I had made the right choice but in the end I figured I might as well roll with it and see what the country has to offer, that's how I found myself in New Delhi, the capital of India.

I arrived very early in the morning after two long flights and as soon as I got to my hotel, I was knocked out once my head touched the pillow. Thankfully I was able to sleep off my jet lag so by the time my tour guide was showing up at the hotel I was refreshed and ready to explore.

First stop was at the largest mosque in India, Jama Masjid. After Hinduism, Islam is the second largest religion practiced by about 25% of the country's population. The percentage as I have come to learn, varies depending on who you are talking to but Islam is indeed practiced by a large population in India. The mosque wasn't as impressive as I would have thought but then again, after visiting Iran and being blown away by the beauty of the mosques there, I think it would take a lot to impress me, either way I was glad to be able to check out the mosque, every experience counts.

After the mosque we headed to the largest spice market in Asia where you can find any if not all the spices that you can think off. The variety of spices is impressive! and my tour guide was telling me that famous chefs from different parts of the world visit the market to buy spices that they can't find anywhere else. I think the market is worth checking out, just be prepared to sneeze a lot due to the different spices and their potency. I did get some spices which I can't wait to use.

Next stop was the Raj Ghat which is a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. The area is very peaceful and quiet which was a good relief after coming from the chaotic spice market. 

Next stop was the Qutub Minar which is India's tallest minaret. It was built in 1199 and the 5 stories that make up the tower were built over the course of 4 centuries by different rulers. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

That's it! folks, first day went well and I have another tour in Delhi to cover areas that I missed since we couldn't do everything all at once. Till then, I bid adieu.

Random Thoughts of the Day:

Deli is chaotic and noisy, with 20 million inhabitants I think that's to be expected of any city with that many people.

There is no shortage of creepy dudes all around. At the mosque I had to stop taking photos with my guide because I noticed all these shameless guys taking videos and photos of me, it was so uncomfortable. My guide actually had to shout at them to stop following us and taking photos and videos. 

I am dreading the infamous Deli belly, I just hope I don't get it. Drinking only bottled water, I even brush my teeth with bottled water even though I have been told I don't have to.

Jet lag is kicking my butt so I better go to bed now because I have an early morning tomorrow.

Iran, Final Thoughts

Prior to visiting Iran, I had read so much about the country and watched numerous documentaries, so I had an idea of what to expect. I will gladly say that my trip to Iran exceeded my expectations and honestly, this was one of my best trips ever! 

Iran is such a rich country, rich in natural resources, culture and history. Best of all, the people are some of the friendliest and warmest that I have ever encountered. Being a foreigner, I stood out in all the places that I visited, and I was welcomed so warmly everywhere I went. I can't count the number of times people stopped me just to chat, take photos with me or to say thank you for visiting the country. Heck!  even the flight attendant in my flight out of the country stopped by my seat to ask where I was from before proceeding to thank me for visiting Iran.

Visiting Iran and living in Iran are two different things of course and talking to locals gave me a good idea of how life is like for the citizens of the country, it is not easy. As a visitor, I would say Iran is a country that should be on anyone's bucket list. This country is so beautiful, and not once did I feel unsafe, the country is huge! we are talking almost three times the size of France, and very diverse geographically so there is something for everyone in terms of what interests them. I was blown away by the differences in all the cities I visited, and it was very interesting seeing what each city has to offer to visitors.

Politics is a big thing in Iran especially now with what is going on with the current protests, talking to locals about what is driving the protests one can't help but root for the people of this beautiful country. I will not go into politics in this blog but all I can say is, don't judge a country's people by what you watch in the news. Unfortunately during my visit I had no access to fast internet or social media due to what is going on in the country currently, so my blog entries were made after I had left the country. This unfortunately made it hard to convey the same emotions I had while in the country experiencing things in real time.

Would I visit the country again? DEFINITELY! I only scratched the surface with this trip and would love to explore more. I met a lot of locals whose livelihood depend on tourism and given the current state of the country, tourism has been affected which has hurt many people. That is why I encourage anyone thinking about visiting Iran, to do it. Of course do your research and keep abreast of what is going on in the news, before making your decision. While my trip never got affected by protests which were in designated areas and at designated times away from tourists sites, who knows how things will unfold so it's good to be in the know.

That's it folks! I had a wonderful time in Iran, met incredible people and created unforgettable memories. Till my next trip in March, adios! 

Shiraz, Iran

Shiraz is a city in south- central Iran that is considered the cultural capital of the country. It is well known for it's beautiful Persian gardens, poetry and is one of the top tourist cities in Iran. There is so much that can be said about Shiraz but I will keep it short by saying, it is a beautiful vibrant city that is not to be missed during a trip to Iran. 

This was the last city I visited before going back to Tehran and leaving the country, by the time I visited Shiraz I had seen so much beauty in all the cities I had visited prior and didn't think there would be anything else left to impress me, how wrong I was! I enjoyed the city thoroughly and without further ado, here are some of the highlights that I got to enjoy.

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque - also known as the pink mosque due to the extensive use of rose colored tiles. It was built between 1876 and 1888, the reason why it stands out is the use of stain glass that's not commonly used in mosques. It's such a beautiful mosque and the details in the artwork is very impressive! women have to wear a chador (full body covering) in order to enter and as like in many other mosques, these chadors are provided at the door for free and returned upon exit.

Tomb of Hafez - this is a memorial structure erected in memory of the great 14th century Persian poet, Hafez. His poems are among the most translated in the present day and his poetry is regarded as the pinnacle of Persian literature by Iranians.

Tomb of Saadi - a memorial structure built in honor of another great Persian poet, Saadi. Before Hafez there was Saadi who lived a century before him (13th century). He was another great Persian poet and prose writer who is considered one of the greatest figures in Persian literature.

 

Eram Garden - a magnificent example of a Persian Garden that was used by local rulers and monacrhs before being gifted to the University of Shiraz in 1963, by the government. It is open to the public and worth checking out while in Shiraz, it is pretty huge and a good place to relax or walk around surrounded by nature.

That's it folks! I really did have a good time in Shiraz and the highlights I covered above are just a few of the many that I got to experience. 

 

Pasargadae & Persepolis

Pasargadae was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great (559-530 BC), founder of the first Persian empire which was the largest empire in the world at the time. A prominent figure in history who was even admired by Alexander the Great and is still revered by Iranians in the present day. Prior to visiting Iran, I had watched numerous videos on the history of the country and was so fascinated by this great leader so of course I had to include visiting his tomb in my itinerary.

Cyrus' tomb is located in Pasargadae and is preserved as an archaeological site. 

 

Next stop after the tomb of Cyrus was another ancient archeological site which is the royal necropolis of the Achaemenid dynasty. At this site I got to see the tombs of 4 Achaemenid kings: Darius the Great, his son Xerxes I, Artaxerxes and Darius II. It just felt so surreal visiting the tombs of people that I have read about in history books. 

 

 

 

Last stop was Persepolis which was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid empire from the reign of Darius I (522-486 BC) who had moved the capital from Pasargadae. The city was located in a remote area hence keeping it safe from any outsiders until it was plundered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. From the ruins one can only imagine how grandiose the city must have been, the details are very impressive as the best workers from all over were used to build it. There is record that all the workers were paid to build the city which did not use slave labor.

That's it folks! it was amazing experiencing these sites and learning the history behind them. Nothing beats witnessing places that you have only read about or watched documentaries on, sometimes I feel like pinching myself because I have truly seen and experienced amazing things in my life.