lundi 31 mars 2008
India House
Last post on India, after two fascinating, not always restful, months traveling into the North. A lot of colors, various strong smells, rickshaws and horns, noise, touts, curry and masala, met on my way... for better or for worse. At the end of the day, I had a pleasant time and had left the country my heart closed to the new friends made there... Namaste India!
Accomodation
Delhi Vivek hotel, Namaskar Hotel (recommanded) 480Rs for a 3 beds room
Amritsar the Golden Temple provides for free bed
Jaisalmer Swatsika Hotel, Peacok Guesthouse (recommanded) 250Rs double
Jodhpur Heaven Guesthouse (the best guesthouse ever! Thank you Nisha and Vinod) 250RS double
Udaipur Mona Lisa Hotel 200Rs single
Bundi Parihar Haveli Heritage vieuw 150Rs single
Pushkar Priya Guesthouse 150Rs single
Varanasi Puja guesthouse (coup de coeur!!!) 300Rs double
Kajuraho Yogi Lodge 100Rs single
Orchha Shiva Guesthouse 150Rs single Milan Restaurant for the best food ever!
Jaipur Paradise Inn 300 Rs single (a bit of a splurge before leaving India... ;) Cocoon restaurant
Orchha Palace, India
dimanche 30 mars 2008
The color purple
Holi festival, celebrating the beginning of Spring in Orchha, India
samedi 29 mars 2008
Family pics - India 2008
Frederik - Moana - Patrick - Nisha - Vinod - Pintu - Shambhu - Nati - Manu - Evelien- Koen
jeudi 27 mars 2008
Tout un cinema...
Who knows me, knows that i am not a big movies fan... I'd rather stay home reading a good book (or alternatively go for a beer...) than paying 8 euros for a crap blockbuster. Twice a year maximum, mainly due to peer pressure, I would accept to enter a cinema. But that's a max. Yet, abroad, it figures as a sociologic experiment. In Jaipur, Rajasthan, going to the theater is a must-do. It is like entering Disneyland since it is designed as a kitsch creamy cake circle. A thick carpet softens your steps and the reclining chairs are a luxury for only 60 Rs (not even 1 euro).
The movie as such was not too bad... forget about the cliche of Bollywood movies as displaying only dances and hindi songs with a green Swiss scenery behind. Black and White is a very modern story taking place in the "war against terrorism" context. A Muslim (originally from Afghanistan) comes to Delhi, planning a suicide bombing in the Red Fort during the Independance Day memorial. The bad boy will get to know a very famous professor of islamic culture and his hindu wife and will start doubting about his mission. Of course (it is still a Bollywood movie at the end of the day) some hindi dances and a little bit of romance were added to complete the story... So Indians are as afraid as us of terrorists, but in a country where muslims are still present, despite the Partition having created Pakistan - the nation of the pures- in 1947, the message tries to be positive and peace oriented. Yet, in a still very conservative country, sex scenes were mere pillows fight between wife and husband. It was interesting to notice as well how the way of shooting did not transfigure reality but mainly stands to please one's eyes. Delhi appears very quiet and clean, no one in the subway or in the Red fort surroudings for instance. When you know how it is in for real, you can only smile...
This, added to the French movie I'd seen in Delhi in the framework of a French festival organised by the French embassy, I reckon I am done with cinema for 2008...
mardi 25 mars 2008
Iranian diplomacy - A Fine (Indian) Balance
Varanasi, Utta Pradesh, India
Iranian consulate in Delhi or how to get your nerves tested by Iranian officials...
It could have been a very simple and quick procedure... but it turned out to be a long 6 hours of waiting for almost nothing. The authorisation to issue my visa, granted 2 weeks ago by the MFA in Teheran, never got to Delhi. Problems of transmission they say. Problems of communication rather! The procedure is straightforward and hundreds of travelers use a private agent (as I did) in order to get their visa quickly. And how comes then that I myself got that authorisation number in my email box? Grrrr!
Of course, without authorisation, no visa. So they ask me to wait. And wait. And wait. Without of course saying to me what I had been waiting for. A French couple was in the same situation, yet, it was their second attempt that week at the embassy. Finally, after 3 hours of waiting the official in charge showed up... and asked us to wait! After 2 more hours, we finally got an interview (very stressful, it reminded me of taking an exam...we were all sweating and smiling like idiots to cheer the guy up). And I did not wear my chador that day, almost thought it would put me out of the procedure. Thanks to Matthieu and Caro, first to be interviewed and granted a 30 days visa, it cleared my way out. Despite some tricky questions about my intentions and an initial refusal, I eventually passed the test without the need of showing my boops as initially planned and got issued the 30 days sesame the same day.
Du coup, we felt the need to celebrate our success by having lunch the 3 of us in a very fancy (no need to say expensive...) restaurant. Matthieu, Caro, meet you again soon in Iran!
lundi 24 mars 2008
Zen attitude
Sarnat, Utta Pradesh, where Buddha gave his first sermon to his disciples after having reached enlightenment.
Or as they say in India: Shanti Shanti... meaning "quiet quiet". Very useful mantra here where almost everyday constitutes a fight with Indians... or with Iranian officials! ;)
jeudi 20 mars 2008
Le penseur
Varanasi, Utta Pradesh, India
mercredi 19 mars 2008
Homo Erectus
Kajuharo, Utta Pradesh. Les avis a son sujet divergent. Et dix verges, c est bien connu, c est enorme.
On dit de cet endroit que c'est architouristique. On raconte que les indiens ici sont particulieres tenaces et desagreables, a vouloir a tout prix vous vendre cartes postales, kama sutra et babioles en tout genre. Enfin, on dit aussi que les temples n'en valent pas le detour. Et bien, il m'a fallu etre comme Thomas et voir pour croire... et infirmer tous ces dires.
Les touristes, on les evite en parcourant le site a 6h du matin, ou du reste cela permet de se retrouver seule, les temples et personne d'autre. Les indiens, bah, deux mois en Inde ont forge une strategie de refoulement assez efficace. Et les temples, ce sont des petits Angkor indiens...
Le principal attrait de Kajuharo sont les sculptures erotiques ornant les temples. Mais attention hein! Faut pas s'emballer. Pas de porno trash ici, mais bien des oeuvres raffinees, ou les details foisonnent. Par contre le raffinement retombe tout de suite lorsque, comme moi, vous vous faites suivre pendant une demi-heure par un indien en rute, vraisemblablement inspire par les oeuvres l'entourant, qui vous regarde d'un air malsain en se caressant. Et oui, c est ca aussi l'Inde. Et ce n'est pas la premiere fois et sans doute par la derniere que je croise la route de ce genre de dements...
mardi 18 mars 2008
File indienne
lundi 17 mars 2008
Laisser de marbre
Once upon a time, an emperor, desperate by the death of his beloved wife decided to build up a big white marble monument in her memory. It stands today as one of the most famous symbol of India, the Taj Mahal. Later on, he planned to build up a black Taj as well, but got put in jail by his own son in the fort of Agra before he could achieve his black dream. His last request was to get a room, however small or spartiat it would be but having at least a window from where he could admire the Taj. The Taj Mahal sums up an Indian world full of paradoxes. It is a muslim monument in a country largely run by hindouism, it is a monumemt dedicated to love, where 80 % of weddings are all arranged. But what a nice love story behind...
