Its midnight Maharajah and I am sitting in the lounge at the New Delhi airport waiting for a flight that is about ten hours away. I have not written for the past few days not because there was nothing to write, on the contrary there has been so much to write that figuring out where to start would be even more difficult than actually putting pen to paper.

I think that I left off in the Pink City which seems like a million years ago. This was a long trip, but no where near long enough at the same time. We spent about eleven days in Rajastan and we only went to four or five cities out of about a dozen. And Rajastan is only one of about twenty states in the Indian pantheon each of which has a unique and flavor and character.

The last few day have been spent in Bombay, the most vibrant city that we visited. The oppressive heat means that the city really lights up after the sun goes down. We dined at the cities premier seafood restaurant Trishna a once in the trip journey into luxury. The mean cost about as much as a night in a hotel but the garlic prawns and de-boned whitefish Hyderabad style were Amazing! Well worth the splurge as our last dinner in India. Ok, enough about that meal, incredible as it was.

I have been sneezing since the moment we stepped off the plane, there is something in the air or perhaps the air itself that is just generating this torrenting tornado of bloodshot eyes and a snotty nose. Lisa is unaffected by this so it must just be me. This place is alive, everywhere you look there is a crowd, this is unlike anything that I have seen or even imagined. The impromptu commuter passages, the sidewalks that become roads and how six cars can fit on a four lane road make me think of an ant colony. When you look at the hustle and bustle it seems disorganized but when you take a step back the elegance really shines through.

I know that the book Shantaram helped me tremendously on this trip, without it my perspective would have been skewed by my own personal biases. Bombay came alive on the pages of the book and visiting Leopolds Bar anchored me in the experience. The heat, the hustle, the crush of people getting onto the train (a whole story here) is spontaneous and passionate. I loved every moment here even with my head feeling like it would pop.

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Being our first night we headed back to our hotel in a Second class train ride. Our original journey on Sunday morning cost us 156 Rupees, which equates to a good breakfast so we decided to take the second class option which costs 14 for both of us. The train car was crowded but not claustrophobic and one of the older gentlemen that we were sitting near came up to us and started talking. The usual, where are you from, how long are you here, what’s your name, he was very well spoken and after a while he told us that tomorrow we would be unable to take the Second class option because there is not enough room to breath never mind sit, so we would be better off taking the First Class option as he would during the week.

The next morning, MADNESS. I have never seen anything this chaotic, pushing, shoving and people jumping from the over stuffed train doors before the car has stopped. Scary. The book Shantaram describes this perfectly and one of the things that he says is that the amount of force required to do anything in India, including boarding a train is “just enough.” Just enough to get the job done, just enough to make sure that you don’t miss the train. Trains are usually on time, maybe a minute late, but these clunking beasts are not sitting for long.

I estimate that they are only in the station for about 30 seconds and in that time hundreds of people change places some getting to their station and some getting onboard for the office. Most people start work by 10am so the crashing trains happen until about 10:30 and then lighten up. Somewhat. Today we took the train and Lisa had to sit in the ladies only section because of the number of people and I sat in the baggage car with the fish merchants who were transporting their catch and the road workers with their pick axes and steaming hot chai teas.

I was sitting and holding a one Liter bottle of water that was half finished. While I was sitting down I got a tap on the leg and the guy next to me motioned for the bottle. I offered and he took a sip in that all to Indian style of drinking. Never let ones lips touch the cup or the container. The is the land of sharing especially water. On the streets one water merchant may only have six stainless steel cups for 100 customers. Each one making sure that his lips never touch the rim of the glass. Its more of a pour than a sip. But any way, no local would dream of carrying around a liter of water so having a half finished bottle in the baggage cart was just an invitation to share.

Technology is fragile. What we expect and what we receive are usually in sync, especially if we have used the technology before. When it gets out of what, that’s when things break down. Today I lost (scrambled) my brand new 2GB SD memory card from Costco the last seven days of pictures have been lost to the corners of my mind. Without warning the card just displayed “Card Error” on the camera and when I was finally able to buy a USB sync cable (another great story) I was confronted with a Macintosh error messages that the “disk volume could not be mounted or repaired.” Oh well, we love it when it works and are shocked when it doesn’t. I am not going to sweat it, I have another card and plenty of time here in India. I’ll have to rely on postcards for a while.

I have traveled to more than fifteen countries in the last six years and with each adventure I learn a little more about trekking the world with technology. Here is my advice as it applies to India. We have a hired car taking us around and we are staying at 2-3 star hotels that by American standards are relatively clean, very loud but have private western toilets and rooms that lock.

1. The power adapters from REI / Frys or other electronics stores do not fit the plugs in India. The shape of the 3 prongs is similar to but not the same as South African travel plugs. But finding simple adapters on the streets is easy. The cost is about 15-25 Rupees, which is about 50 cents. Get more than one. If you need to charge multiple items like a cell phone, laptop and iPod you will have to wait until each is charged to charge the next one. Additionally you cant just leave your gear charging all day because the rooms do not have working power until you lock the door from the inside and put the key into the power box on the wall. This triggers the flow of juice, A/C and lights. No key in the box, no power. So either you leave your room unlocked for the day or you get multiple power adapters. (Yes, I know some people remove the key fob from the key and get around it that way) I however prefer to leave the key at the desk when I head out for the day.

2. Check the power rating of your equipment. Everything that I own has a 120/240 volt power adapter but some things like hairdryers do not. When in doubt ask, a blown breaker at 2am means that you could be sleeping without heat if the front desk is closed.

3. Laptops are fine to bring along. I have the MacBook Pro with the standard Mac power adapter. It is protected with a hard plastic shell and a discreet black laptop backpack. I never take it out at the hotels; I just use it in my room with the doors closed. I also boot it up when the car trip is going to take a few hours and there is open road ahead. Check with your guide, there may be safety reasons not to have it on your lap in certain areas. I have yet to have issues.

4. Handy to have are the little battery boosters for cell phone batteries and iPods. I purchased one with 12 different tips that will charge my cell phone or iPod or even my camera. They cost about $35 and weight almost nothing. A must have item.

5. Walkie-talkies. There are two of us traveling. If we ever get separated at a market or inside a monument we turn it on after a few minutes and figure out where to meet each other. Thank goodness we have not had to use it, but it is worth the peace of mind.

6. If there are critical pieces to make your technology work like cables or connectors. Pack them safely or even consider buying a duplicate cable before you leave. No one wants to be walking the bustling streets of Jaipur looking for a fricken USB cable at 10pm. Been there, Done That.

7. Get a computer lock with a motion alarm. One of my favorite accessories. It allows me to lock up the computer when I am out of the room to a chest of drawers, a pipe or almost anything else. And it has an ultra sensitive motion sensor that starts to shriek after 10 seconds of meager moments. I also use this on the door at night to alert me if someone is opening the door. It cost me about $39 but I use it every single day.

8. Have your cell phone unlocked before you come. I always but a local prepaid card just for emergencies, I also program the tour companies number the guides number into the phone. Test it and makes sure that they have your details as well. SMS’s are big here; you can communicate almost anything with SMS. Like meet me here or please pick us up there. I paid $10 for a prepaid SIM with 100 minutes of talk time; it expires after a year of no use but well worth the price. You will need to have your passport ready to signup for the service. I always have a photocopy at the ready for situations like this.

9. If your provider will not unlock your phone buy a simple phone in a store in India. I have seen phone starting at $35.

10. I use a blackberry from ATT and it took me about a week to get the unlock codes. I ordered the unlimited Blackberry International plan that costs about $65 with a one-year contract. It is $10 more expensive per month than my regular BES plan but well worth it.

11. In dire situations I use my phone via Bluetooth as a modem on my computer. Speeds are not great, but a whole lot better than no Internet connection at all.

12. Don’t be flashy. Your phone or your camera may not be a huge item at home but here, it can be more than half a years earnings. Be wise, and be safe.

13. The Internet is everywhere and so is spyware. Unless you have a business need to have a computer or you just like having all of your own software or whatever you can always get connected to right a quick email or book travel to the next city. The current price is about 60 Rupees per hour, about $1.50.

14. Most hotels are technology friendly; if you need something just ask. It’s not the first time that they have been asked. Most of the time they can arrange for it to be dropped off or picked up or whatever you need. Pay when the work is complete, not before. If they don’t get it right the first time, provide more details and they will get it handled. The people area really amazing. Bring all of your chargers and cables and spares and everything should be fine.

Just leaving Jaipur the Pink City another Fort built by the brothers, sons, sisters husband of some Emperor of India from 300 years ago. I don’t want to sound cynical but we have probably seen 6 forts and twice that in Temples and Palaces. The reason for my lack luster attitude is not the locations or the architecture but it is really the similarities between these buildings. I am finding myself trying to find the differences between one fort and another, some subtle hint that in the fifty years since one was build and the other started that they learned something, changed something and were not doing the same thing the same way just in a different city.

Metal rings at the House of Commons on the exterior of the building indicated that when the House was in session that there were carpets draped from those rings to shield the goings on from the women in the crowds. They also protected from the elements and enclosed these great walls. Each guide has their own special way of doing these tours, some use repetition and others comparisons between this fort and that fort.

The huge differences in my unsophisticated mind are where the structures were build. In Agra and Delhi there are almost no hills or mountains, the land just goes on and on like an Iowa cornfield. But here is Rajasthan mountaintop Palaces and Forts are the pride of the city. Elephants amuse the tourists with tours up the windings paths to the encampments and down in the cities they haul heavy loads for the locals. I have said it before, but India is Incredible.

The balance and the harmony is just something that is indescribable, like an Indian G-d, there are many hands to India. One the one hand it is a shit hole; The smell of human waste in the alleys can be overwhelming, but you then emerge onto a bustling and relatively well lit, and clean street with name brand clothing outlets. On the other hand you see so many handicapped people that you want to just cry out for each of them, but then you see that the people that have no use of their legs have specially designed bikes that allow them to propel their load with their hands. A man without legs and a man with functioning faculties both deliver the same goods by bike up and down the crowded streets.

There is a fascination that I have with the balance; things just seem to work here. From the claustrophobic crowds all moving together like a school of fish towards the market without a complaint or care when then are bumped into. Or the way that using the sidewalk as a road when a cow decides to block the streets. The people just seem to understand that the inconvenience of loosing the sidewalk is nothing as compared to traffic stopping for five short minutes. For me, it’s the people. The sites are amazing and have to be experienced but it is the people that really stand out.

Our guide Sanjeev from Abyss Travel in Delhi has been absolutely amazing. His mantra seems to be “I am here to be of service to you.” And there is nothing that happens during the day that seems to take that serious small from his face. I still have some good old skepticism about the relationship that we have, but I have complete faith that being with him here in India is the best thing for us right now. His English is not great, but he makes up for it in driving acumen and knowledge of the scams and commission hungry guides. I know he survives on tips, his happiness is directly related to our happiness. I enjoy symbiotic relationships; they keep things in check.

Lisa Day 3 – My burp just tasted like curry.

Today started at about 6am with the final packing and getting ready. I made sure that I printed (again) the boarding passes and the information for the first hotel in New Delhi the Suncity Hotel. I was up the night before until after midnight doing the needful, like writing those last emails to clients and wrapping up some loose ends. Despite my lack of sleep or perhaps because of it I was overly cheery and pumped for the upcoming adventure. Mom and dad stopped by at about 10 to say goodbye and as per usual I was handling some customer emergency, you know the kind of emergency that people have when there is nothing else to worry about in the day. Never the less it took time to resolve and ultimately the customer was happy, but I did not really get to spend quality time with the folks.

Lisa was picking me up at noon for our adventures and I know that she is never late 🙂 Amazingly she was on time and we set out on our one-hour drive to her parent’s house in Laguna Nigel where we were getting picked up by a shuttle service for the last leg to LAX and our twenty-six hour journey on India Airlines. I am skipping out the parts where I was getting phone calls from clients right up until we board or the whole security process at LAX which is less than organized and I will pickup at Gate 2 waiving for our flight.

Air India is so ultra security conscious (or they just don’t trust the TSA) that they have their own round of baggage checks and people screening. Each bag, and each person were screened and checked and then permitted to sit in the waiting area. If you went to the restroom you then had to stand in line again and get checked. The crowd just formed a line and everyone stood there patiently waiting their turn.

The plane was a Boeing 737 that looked as if it was freshly painted on the inside and ransacked on the inside. This plane lacked the modern comforts and conveniences that we have come to expect. On my seat you could either have the headphones working or the seat reclining, but not both at the same time. On Lisa’s chair the armrest covering was gone and a shiny piece of metal gently poked at her the entire trip. The bathrooms were actually cleaner than I expected during the flight, we had head horror stories of filthy toilets and the constant smell of curry. The smell of curry did permeate everything, the seats, the air the whole experience. But it was clean. The toilet although clean did have a small issue, for most of the flight it was detached from the wall. Balancing there if by the grace of G-d performing its services without fail.

Now most people that I know order a special meal on long distance flights, you know ordering vegetarian or Kosher just so that you know that you will be getting a quality meal. We had ordered the Kosher meal and as far as airplane food goes it was quite good, but let me tell you if you fly Air India and you LOVE Indian food, skip the special meals and just eat what they serve. It looked and smelt amazing, honestly if this is what plane food is like, just imagine authentic Indian food!

One Ambian later and we woke up just in time for our decent into Frankfurt for a refueling stop. We had left Los Angels about an hour late so we only spend about forty-five minutes on the ground before boarding and an on time departure. Another ten hours in the air and we would be landing in New Delhi.

Landing in Delhi at five in the morning, the city was still dark. The first thing that hits you is the smell. Its not the smell of shit and piss that everyone warned us about, this was more familiar somewhat easier to tolerate. It actually smelt like the city was on fire. San Diego just recovered from a huge fire, so for about a week the smell of smoke was everywhere. This is exactly what Delhi smells like. Smoke from burning wood, the air was absolutely pregnant and about to pop. The air is thick and the first few breaths leave you gasping for more, my body readily accepted that each breath was delivering about half the air that it needed and the pace of my breathing changed to match my needs. Dirty yes. Filthy not really.

We walked out of customs and into the great wide airport hoping to see a sign from our driver. No such luck, we spent about thirty minutes looking for our prearranged transport but he was nowhere to be found. Everyone was saw or spoke to be unbelievably friendly and willing to help. Finally we changed some dollars into Rupees and make a phone call at the payphone to the hotel number that was printed on our confirmation. The hotel then gave us the number to the car service, they checked our reservation and noticed us that we were scheduled for a pickup; But the pickup was at 4PM and not 4AM, I assured the man on the other end of the phone that we were indeed at the airport and in need of his services and that 4PM was a clerical error. He agreed and he asked me where I was standing and what I was wearing. Blue jeans and a black sweatshirt and within three minutes a man walked up to us, on his cell phone and confirmed with us that we were going to the Suncity Hotel and with a smile he took our bags and we headed for our first venture out of the predictability of the airport.

Umm, remember what I was saying about the sweet and smoke filled smell? For a few moments the smoke gave way to an overwhelming smell of who knows what and the first thing that entered my mind and leapt from my lips was that ‘my farts smell like roses!’ This unidentified smell dissipated after a few seconds and has not returned since.

Driving! If that’s what it’s called is more like a video game or Mr. Toads wild ride than a predicable and positive experience. I will say that Lisa sat closer to me and held on tighter than she ever has before. What a ride! Disneyland should consider creating a ‘Streets of Delhi’ roller coaster! Lanes are simply suggestions and honking horns serenaded us for the forty-five minute ride.

When we got to the hotel it was clean and characteristically Indian with an Ikea modern feel. Not quite old, but not quite new at the same time. The room by American standards would be considered small. Maybe 80 square feet including the shower and toilet. It had a double bed that consumed 85% of the floor space but it was clean and the sheets were crisp. It was perfect.

By the time we checked in, and headed to the roof for breakfast it was about 9am, and we anything but tired. Wired is a more accurate description. Ready for anything. Breakfast was cold white toast and curried potatoes that were lukewarm but amazingly tasty.

We went down stairs to the front desk and the guy behind the counter asked us if we wanted a map of the city. (This is where it all starts. The simple question of asking us if we needed a map started the sales pitch.) We responded that we were interested in a map and a well-groomed guy came up to us from the travel agency that had shuttled us for the airport and walked with us to get a map. They were back at the offices 🙂

They pitched, we caught and within about an hour we had negotiated a tour of Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan for 14 days including hotels and a driver for $1000. Which worked out to be less than $45 per day per person including transportation, and hotels. We were well researched on this and willing to accept the offer after some specific accommodations were confirmed. The company name is Abyss Travel and as a side note we have completed the first three days with them and everything has been excellent. Well above our expectations. The driver Sanjeev has been at our beck and call and has whisked us to see the amazing sites of New and Old Delhi. If everything on the tour goes like these last three days it will be phenomenal.