EPTInternet here is damn slow so I think I may add pictures in Mumbai or when I'm back in Switzerland end of August.
I started in Zurich 04 July 2009 , flying to London Heathrow first. There I got mad because I realized smoking was forbidden everywhere and i really wanted to have a last smoke in Europe... anyway after 3,5h waiting, my flight to Delhi was finally on its way.
On the flight I had the nice surprise to be upgraded to premium economic class, which meant more space for my legs! :D Also had a nice Indian guy besides me who gave me some tips.
Getting out in Delhi was like always when you land in the hotter regions, just like walking straight into your own sweat.
I had to get some money and was ripped by some taxidriver at once... Finally got to my hotel and collapsed there watching the Wimbledon final.
The next day I went to the local area, hated it for being crowded and everyone trying to rip you off. So I went straight to Agra the next day by bus, since trains were leaving too early for me (mayor problem in India).
Agra was really nice for me compared to Delhi I met some nice people there and went to Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri with some french guys and later to Agra fort by myself.
The Taj wasn't as impressive as everyone tells you, yet Fathepur Sikri is really beautiful. Also I liked the Agra fort, maybe because I went really early and was almost alone.
Afterwards I took another bus to Jaipur. Jaipur is a very crowded city and though it's called the pink city you won't realize too much of that color. Anyway the City Palace and the Hawa Mahal are nice places. I met a guy from Turkey here and ever since we travel together. Went to some Hindi movie in Jaipur too, in the most well known cinema in India, which was pretty funny.
The next step was going by bus again to Ajmer and directly to Puskar a nice Hindu pilgrim city. I really enjoyed the small size of the town and the relaxed athmosphere, especially on the rooftop of the Pink Floyd !!! Cafe and Hotel.
From here we went on to Jaisalmer, a city in the desert with a nice really golden shining fort. We did the usual thing to do here: camel-safari. Went on this desert-ship for 3 days and slept 2 nights out in the desert. What can I say, nice, calm and quiet, also met some nice guys from London.
Now I'm for the second whole day in Udaipur. Here we watched Octopussy, which was flimed here on the rooftop, where they show it every night everywhere. It's a nice city with nice people not so many rip off people. The City Palace is really impressive and the lake Palace Hotel, too. Though there is nearly no water in the lake, therefore compared to Pushkar where there was also no water, here the lake is at least shining green with grass and you can walk in it.
Tonight it's going on to Daman, near Mumbai where we want to see the total eclipse, which most likely will be hidden by the monsoon clouds, but anyway,
"It's India everything is possible!"
