Chaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiii

About a year ago we went off on a 3 week trip to India. Armed with several vaccinations, a hefty dose of Dukarol, and a few rounds of antibiotics, we thought we were prepared. Ha.

Pat and the Taj

Fuel delivery

For the first two weeks of our trip we joined a G Adventures organized tour. Similar to the one we did in Vietnam, the itinerary took us to a range of cities with very quick stops to get a feel for as much as possible. While we did get to see a TON, I wouldn't recommend this tour because most of the long travel legs were during the day instead of overnight trains. The second week of the two felt like one long train ride and it was super tiring.

Looking out on the streets of Old Delhi from the steps of the Jama Masjid

Agra Fort

Stunning dahlias surrounding the grounds of the Agra Fort

Nevertheless we covered a lot of ground and managed to make our way from Delhi to Mumbai via Agra, Jaipur, Tordi Sagar, Pushkar, Udaipur, and Ahmedabad. Mumbai was definitely my favourite city, but luckily we tacked on a few days at the end to check out Goa. Goa is a beach holiday-type destination, and was a great place for some R&R before heading back to the snow and cold. We rented an awesome beach hut at Agonda Villas.  Pat was still recovering from Delhi Belly, so I spent most of the time exploring the little shops and roaming the empty beach. And dodging a few cows. Goa has areas that are pretty rowdy, but Agonda Beach is super laidback and much more our speed. It reminded me a lot of Tulum, Mexico (far away from the Mayan Riviera all-inclusives!!!)

Amber Fort, Jaipur

Elephant rides to the top of the Fort were optional! (our guide told us there were some issues surrounding animal welfare so we took the stairs)

Wagon rides - camel style!

Sunset from the top of the sand dunes in Tordi Sagar

the very romantic Udaipur by night

Making samosas at a cooking class in Udaipur

Pat opted to do a tour of the Jain Temple near Updaipur - I did not. He said it was his favourite!!

Chowpatty Beach - MUMBAI!

The largest outdoor laundry in the world... (I think.) All hotel linens and uniforms. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Just call me Shantaram

India Gate at night

Sunset from our balcony!

Agonda Villa's huts

Overall it was a great trip. We had a few very rough days dealing with stomach bugs, despite our best efforts to dodge tap water / raw vegetables, etc. I recovered faster than Pat (shocking I know) but it took me a few months before I craved curry again!! Pat is anxious to return to India soon and explore the Northern region, towards the Himalayas. I could be convinced if the trip involves some time in the Andaman Islands :) Next year maybe...

PS - if you're interested where the title of this post came from, check out around 00:29