Colors. Camels. Curries. Chai.

We have just returned from the vibrant, magical, chaotic, pulsing, delicious land of India. It's impossible to experience even a fraction of the country in only 2 short weeks, but we did our best. The trip started out in Delhi, where we spent a night with our gracious hosts, Amos and Rowena Stoltzfus. (Yes, there is more than one Amos Stoltzfus in South Asia. What are the chances?) We wandered through old tombs and saw the Mahatma Gandhi Museum, then jumped on a train for Agra, to see the epic Taj Mahal. The whole experience of being in Agra ended up being a bit more "epic" than we would have liked: we experienced Holi (the Festival of Colors) there. It is a Hindu festival (also celebrated in Nepal) that is celebrated with color--and lots of it. Colored powder, water, paints (or whatever medium is on hand) is thrown into the air, the streets, onto anyone who is fearless enough to brave the streets on this day. It's messy, a bit wild, and doesn't wash out easily. Since we had an overnight train to catch in the evening (without the chance of a shower), we decided not to embrace the festivities. We snuck to the Taj Mahal just after sunrise (exhausted after a night of trying, and failing, to sleep through blaring all-night-long festival music just outside our hotel), and rested in the stunning beauty of it in the quiet gardens, before dashing back to our hotel, successfully avoiding any Holi celebrants. Thankfully, things settled down a bit by the time we had to leave for Jodhpur.

Jodphur is known as the Blue City--most of the buildings are washed in this color, which is usually made from indigo stains. We explored the amazing fort that looms over the city, looking out, spellbound, over the indigo houses. And at sunset, sitting on our guest house rooftop, overlooking the city with the fort behind us and the call to prayer resonating all around from surrounding mosques was enchanting. Jodhpur is lovely, quaint, and has the best lassis we've ever had: a creamy yogurt-based drink with saffron and cardamom. Amazing!

the fort in Jaisalmer

On to Jaisalmer...another beautiful desert city full of history, camels, intricate architecture, and an ancient fort as its centerpiece. Unlike the other forts we saw, this one was inhabited by both locals and tourists. It is literally bursting at the seams with restaurants, guest houses, shops, and various animals. A colorful labryinth! The highlight of our stay here was venturing into the desert on camels. We stopped along the way and walked through traditional villages in the Thar Desert, before de-cameling for the night at the campsite in the dunes. So surreal! Our camel driver-turned-cook started a fire and made chai, followed by a delicious feast of rice, lentils, curried vegetables, and fresh chapatis...all while we watched the sun set and the stars come out. Stars like we have never seen before! We tried to sleep under them, with nothing but breeze and silence and the rising moon around us--but it was so beautiful that closing our eyes felt wrong! We woke up to a rising sun and our camel driver approaching our bed with fresh chai. It felt like a dream.

From Jaisalmer, we took another overnight train to Jaipur, arriving before sunrise. Jaipur boasts gorgeous architecture and culture, but the chaos and intensity of the city was overwhelming. It is not as user- or tourist-friendly as the other cities we visited, so we probably didn't get to see as much as we could have. We walked the crowded streets, our senses flooded with the smells of frying samosas, fresh rosewater perfumes, urine, spices, exhaust... and finally escaped in the guilty pleasure of a shopping mall! We ate at the food court--which hasn't happened in a very long time. Trays, nice bathrooms, fountain soda, oh my! Some mild culture shock occurred, especially after eating premium quality ice cream. It must have been too much for Amos to handle, because he came down with a violent sickness: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. for 24 hours. Poor thing! Thankfully, he recovered in time for us to take in the gigantic Amber Fort of Jaisalmer, and to enjoy a few more bites of Indian cuisine. And the next day, back to Delhi!

view from Amber Fort in Jaipur

We spent our last afternoon in India at Dilli Haat, a lovely market in Delhi that is government regulated (i.e. much less harrassment, semi-fixed prices, good variety) and is said to represent each state of India in its many stalls. We basked in the relative quiet of the market, savored yet more scrumptious Indian food, and shopped, of course. We even met a Nepali at the market. Afterwards, we returned to the Stoltzfus Abode for a lovely, non-curried meal (which we were grateful for at this point) and a comfortable bed. And in the morning? Fresh bagels!! The one food we have been craving with embarrassing ferocity! It was the perfect ending to a wonderful, adventurous vacation. Here's to India!

PS. While we had a fabulous trip to India, we were thankful that it was just that: a trip. It was a beautiful experience. But Nepal feels more like home, at least for now. We're glad to be here, day to day...we know it was the right place for us for these 2 short years.