Hello Family,Yesterday was a big spa day for us. Our package at Indus Valley Ayurvedic Spa included massage, a facial, pedicure and manicure. So, we had to squeeze site seeing in between our spa. The facial was by far the best I have ever had, it would have been $200 in the US.We had our driver take us to the Majarah’s palace, which they call the Taj Mahal of South. The palace is very beautiful and the grounds are very nice. There is an indoor portion that we just could not get to. We kept going in the wrong way (entrance was not well marked). Then we missed the shoe drop off, so we had to go back and check our shoes. We almost got in, when they told us we needed to go check our cameras, which was pretty far back to the entrance. We gave up and decided to go the outdoor market. On the way to the market a guy walked over and said ‘The Market is closed for lunch. I am heading home for lunch, but I will take you to where they make the incense and the oils’. Amanda says ‘Oh, okay let’s do that.’. I whisper to Amanda ‘the markets not closed, this guy wants us to go to the oil shop’……this goes on. I can’t convince Amanda, so we head down back allies to the incense shop. The entire time I am thinking ‘we are going to be sold into slavery’. We did see incense being made which was kind of cool, and we smelled some lovely oils. The oil guy made us tea, which I did not drink incase it was poisoned :). We did get out of there without a problem. On the way back to the car the same guy that led us astray, comes up in a rickhaw and says get in, it’s free…..we said no thank you. What does George Bush say ‘fool me once, fool me twice….you can’t fool a fool again ;)Back to Indus Valley for more spaing and then off to the Brindavan Gardens for the dancing fountains. The Brindavan Gardens are a bit like the Elitches Gardens without the rides. Amanda and I were the only non-Indians there. There is a big lagoon that can be crossed by bridge or boat. We walked across the bridge. The gardens were nice, but the main attraction is the dancing fountains, the sow start at dusk. We got there just as it started up. It was fun. The fountains are lit up by colorful lights and choreographed to Indian music, like at the Belogio in Vegas. We stayed for just a little bit, because we needed to get back for dinner. unfortunately our car was parked in by other cars and we couldn’t leave. The driver made us wait in the car, because we were attracting too much attention.day 12We had to leave at 6:00 am to drive to the Bangalore airport. amanda had to go wake up the driver from his car in the parking lot. four hours to Bangalore, 2 1/2 hour flight to dehli, met up with Scott and to our B & B. The B & B is tolerable. They have beer in the fridge which is good. Walked to dinner, had meat entrees after many vegetarian meals.Day 13Met with Tannnie at the original B & B we were supposed to stay at, because she is helping with our travel plans to Agra for the Taj Mahal. I almost cried when I saw how nice the place we were supposed to stay in was. She said she had availability for our last night, so we are moving over there for our last night. We saw some really amazing sites today. we saw a minuet (really tall ornate building) and a very large tomb/mausoleum. 160 members of the royal family buried there. we also went to Old Dehli, that was quite an experience. Another famous Delhi historical site called the Red Fort was there.Tomorrow The Taj. 4 hour car ride there and 4 back.
April 2011
Wed 13 Apr 2011
Wed 13 Apr 2011
Hello Family,Amanda and I had a car take us to Mysore today. It is about 2 1/2 hours from Bangalore. We played scrabble on the Kindle all the way there. This made the time go really quickly and it kept my mind off of the crazy driving. We stopped at a very old Temple called Srirangapattanom. It was very beautiful. We had a guide hire himself for us, which was okay. He did seem to know a lot and told us when we could take pictures and when we couldn’t. We didn’t pay him too much. The street vendors were really obnoxious, they were like flies. We are staying at Indus Valley Ayurvedic spa. It is really nice. So quiet and serene. We both met with the Ayurvedic Doctor and we both had treatments. I had Abhyanga, which is a hot oil massage. I was attended by three woman. They all start by singing a prayer. Then the poured oil all over me, from head to toe and two woman massaged me simultaneously. It was good. Weird, but good. They then stuck me in a steam box, with just my head sticking out. I could only stay in there for a few minutes. I had to wash my hair like 8 times to get all the oil out.Our driver stays with us for the 3 days. I am not sure where he sleeps, maybe his car. I tried to send him off for lunch and such, while we were hanging at the spa, but he would not leave the parking lot. Naren hired him for us and since Scott is not with us, I think Naren told the driver that he could not leave us. Naren does not like Amanda and I to go out alone, but I have never felt unsafe. There were quite a few women traveling alone or in pairs that were staying at Casa Piccolo, though several times Amanda and I have been the only non-Indian people at tourist sites. At the temple there was a bunch of kids on a school field trip, probably about 6 years old. They were so cute, waving to us and saying hello. They wanted to take a picture with us, so Amanda got in with them, they loved it.I have a funny story from Naren. I brought local soaps and chocolate from home as a gift for Naren’s family. he put the whole bag, which contained both the soaps and the chocolates, in the fridge. Naren’s brother Karthik went to sample the treats and chose a lovely soap. Karthik says to Naren, ‘Hey these taste like soap!’. of course they were soap…..Naren felt a little bad, because he felt the soap was wasted, but I convinced him that it was not a waste, because the funny story was more than worth it. We have been laughing for days.that’s it for now.Love you so muchMom