have had. On several occasions Nek took us to local
restaurants where we would not have ventured
and helped us order dishes that were delicious but
unfamiliar, that we would not have tried on our
own. He also helped in negotiating some purchases
and stopped at several interesting roadside
Ganges River: Where people come to pray, bathe,
and spread the ashes of the deceased.
attractions. He was more than a driver…he was a
font of information and assistance.
Our journey began and ended in Delhi, the
capital of India. It is a huge city (population
10,000,000 and counting)—hot, dirty, smoggy,
noisy, at times smelly; modern and old at the
same time. It was sensory overload! A great
subway system winds underground, while above
ground bicycle rickshaws, tuk-tuks, cars, crowded
buses, trucks, motorcycles laden with people, and
motorcycles laden with all manner of cargo, all
weave in and around the many, many pedestrians.
Outside of Delhi, for the most part, the areas of
Rajasthan we visited were perhaps not the most
scenic. The landscape was arid, flat, and sparsely
dotted with trees and small villages. The small
roads were crowded with camels, herds of sheep,
people, and again lots of motorcycles, trucks,
buses, and cars. Although the land did not look
fertile, we saw many crops—rice, sugar cane,
wheat, and pulses.
There are some incredible forts and palaces
throughout Rajasthan, with an amazing
history. Some have been well preserved as
tourist attractions. Some have been turned into
accommodations and restaurants. The palace at
Deogarh, for example, is a huge and luxurious
hotel and restaurant where the Maharajah of the
area stayed just days before our arrival. Fatehpur
Sikri, on the outskirts of Agra, is beautiful, empty,
and unused since the sixteenth century, but well
preserved. Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur is well
developed as a tourist attraction with interactive
displays and informative signage. The havelis
of the Shekawati region are beautiful painted
mansions from the nineteenth century when rich
merchants lived on this part of the Silk Road
trading route.
The Deogarh Mahal, a palace built in 1670 and now a luxury hotel.
The Taj Mahal! This is a magnificent structure
and an unforgettable highlight. Photos truly do
not do it justice. It is quite a security process to
get in, but the wait is immediately forgotten once
you are inside and ‘face to face’ with this incredible
site. The first glimpse you have is breathtaking.
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