31/8 - Udaipur

I arrived to Udaipur a few days ago, after 24 hours journey from a small town near by the caves called Jalgaon. that was some freaking journey ! lucky me, I made it with those 2 Americans (Joey & Tracy) I've met in the city, so it made it easier (after all, to be the only foreigner in the train is a bit uncomfortable). the caves were astonishing. I'm glade I didn't skipped this place eventually (many do so because it is far away to get there).

The day before yesterday there was kind of a "sister's day" festival here in Udaipur, it is a nice day here were all the men gets to wear bracelets their sisters gave them during this day.

Unfortunately I have to leave this place sooner or later, so the date was set for tomorrow morning, my next destination called "Mount Abu" which was totally unplanned, it should take me 5 hours to get there by a bus. I've heard about this place a long time ago, but now every third person that I meet tells me I have to go there. So I'll go.

I've been here before, but still, this place is overwhelming, it has lakes with islands palace. I'm trying to do here things I haven't done at my last visit, yesterday we (Joey& Tracy and another 3 Israeli girls) took a taxi to a magnificent "Jane" temple in Ranakapur (84 km north of here) and a nice fort near by. I haven't downloaded the photos yet, so it will take a while.

It has been only 11 days since I left Israel, but it seems so far away, my eyes have seen so many things since then, my nose has smelled probably million different types of smell, my ears have heard so many sounds, I've tasted that unique spicy food (haven't been sick so far...) in all different verities, I still find it hard to catch that this lifestyle is going to last another 355 days ...

After seeing all those poor and cripples I really feel like a blessed person, blessed for my health, blessed for having a place to stay which I can call "home", blessed for having family, blessed for having friends, blessed for having Efrat - the person I love the most, and blessed for having the financial abilities to see other places and realize I am truly blessed.

don't worry, I still don't think I need to go to a synagogue and starts to pray for all the things I'm blessed. I was just making a point that India can show you this graphically, although you knew it already but at some point you take it as granted (for example, when my Credit card company - visa fucked me up with their commitions - "Amalot", well, at least I have to say thanks that I even have a saving account in the bank, because not everyone can afford it).

Oh and one more thing (for you Efrat), I lost 1.5 kg since I arrived here, without getting sick nor diet. that's because I walking around all day and not sitting infront of the computer. it is weird though I don't eat here that much. I don't know why ...

Ajanta caves


Ellora caves


To view Ellora & Ajanta Caves Slideshow, click here
To view Ellora & Ajanta Caves Album, click here

To view Jalgaon Slideshow, click here
To view Jalgaon Album, click here

Sorry for not uploading many photos to the album, the internet connection here is terrible, but don't you worry, I took hundreds of shot till now. if I have the chance, I will upload as much as I can.

A young Indian kid with green eyes (an amazingly rare photo):


That's it,
Have lot of fun and take care,
Yoni.

25/8 - Urangabad

I have finally arrived to the normal climate of India, after the heat of Mumbai, it is nice to know you can travel outside without feeling your T-shirt wet all the time.

Urangabad is a small city (2 million people) 8 hours away from Mumbai, I arrived here at 5 A.M and the train station was full of life during that time. beside the climate, the prices here are much more reasonable, this city is much less crowded and more "user friendly", there is even a small "Taj Mahal" here - a memorial tomb which was build at the year of 1638 and resemble to the famous one Taj in Agra city. i call it "Crap Mahal" since it's very poor compare to the "real deal".

The main reason people come here is the amazing caves, sculptured in a mountain, containing temples, Buddha statues, and fresco's. it was built during the years: 600 - 1000 A.D.
This is one of the most popular attractions in the state but I've seen just a few foreigners tourists here (many local tourists though), I guess most of them spending their time up in the north part of India, where the season is "hot" arround there.
I still haven't moved and burned the photos to a disk so I can't show you nothing for now, but patient is a great virtue (or so I've been told ...)

Today I met 2 very nice American guys (a young married couple actually) and in a 1 minute conversation we decided to share our moments together and continue travel as a small group from now on until... god only knows. I liked traveling alone, it could give me the ability for a total freedom, of course it has its own disadvantages indeed, but I think it is a good time to hook up with some of the other travelers.

Since it is a weekend and a holiday time here, we are pretty stuck in this place, hopefully we can catch a train to Rajastan the day after tomorrow.

To view Aurangabad Slideshow click here
To view Aurangabad Album click here

Bibi Ba Maqabra (Crap Mahal):


That's it for now,
wish me luck,
Yoni.

22/8 - Mumbai

Hi All,

this is my third day here in Mumbai (former Bombay), and I think it is time to say a few words...

The flight here was terrible, at the airport there was partial employee strike ("Eitsumim") so all the flights were delayed, we took off 2 hours after the the original plan and my head was aching like hell, I could hardly sleep at the plane and Bombay welcomed me in a nice crazy temperatures, the heat is OK, but the humidity - fuck ... you can easily imagine how much I sweat here.
Nevertheless, I like it here, a lot !

At Mumbai airport, I've noticed all Israeli backpacks were following to the domestic flights airport, so I found myself all alone to the central city ... well, almost alone, I took a taxi with one of EL-AL employees, so the ride was total free (I mean EL-AL paid for it). lucky me, ha ?

It's amazing how many things I remember since I last visited here: Hotels, Restaurants, Streets... it's like I've been here not a while ago. The place I slept in the first night was like a shit hole (I took the dormitory option, and all of my room mates were "Maafnim"), but it was only for 1 night, the following day I moved to a better hotel.

I still trying to digest the crazy amount of people I run into each day, I believe I've seen much people here in the past 3 days than I've seen in Israel for the past 5 years :)
Today for example, I've decided to stretch the boundaries a bit and head towards the suburb of the city, obviously I was the only foreigner in a radios of 10 km I believe, there were finally no hassling there, and all local eyes were pointing directly at me were ever I went. the place was very crowded, very poor, very interesting. and I think I most enjoyed that tour other than any touristic place I've been visited here.

There are so much to tell, but as always, I'm very short of time, so I'll be brief, Today I'm leaving Mumbai, at 21:05 I have a train to catch, my next destination is a city called AURANGABAD (believe me - it is harder to pronounce than to write it), it is a starting point for the most famous caves in the area.
wish me luck along the 8 hours journey ...

Chopaty Beach:


To view the Mumbai Slideshow, click here
To view the Mumbai photo album, click here
To view the Mumbai video clip, click here

Yoni.

19/8 - Greetings

Greetings ALL,

It has been a year now since I remember myself planning this long journey which will start today at 21:20, at Ben-Gurion airport, and I wonder what is going to be written 365 days from now.

The past 2 weeks have been exhausting. since I took a break from work at BMC, my real job has started, BIG TIME.

Our journey will take place in India for appetizer, we will land in Perth (Australia) after a short refreshment in Bangkok, from Sidney we leave 3 month later to Christchuch (New Zealand) - the gateway for hiking, treks and extreme sports. In Fiji we will explore and try to get a glimpse of their local culture and history for a month or so, back to New Zealand for a few days, just to catch the flight to "the big red" - China with all its glory, there are so many things to see and experience over there, that our 2 measly limited months will look like a sad joke. Myanmar will follow, and for the final episode - Thailand, a minute before going back home.

As already mentioned, my flight departs today and Efrat's - a month later, on the 19th of Sep.
we will get together in Delhi.

Some Useful links:
1. Photo Albums - Israel
2. Movie Clips - Israel
3. Photo Albums - The Journey
4. Movie Clips - The Journey

Nothing more to be said, just hoping for ourselves a nice long journey with minimum accidents and maximum thrilling experience.

Yoni.