Day 5 - Orchha
This morning after another 5 am wake up, we boarded the train from Agra to Orccha. They "served" breakfast meaning two slices of bread and mystery deep fried finger looking things that didn't even leave the package. Christina and I split a quest bar. Who doesn't bring protein bars to a country where we don't eat the food? Happy to share but man today would have been nice to eat an entire bar without sharing.
That landscape of northern India is very much like Saskatchewan with more trees. It's yellow plains either from dirt or crops with trees sprinkled around.
I forgot to mention a while ago in a foreign city in India whose exact location I cannot remember is that the buses here for locals are packed and I mean packed. They fill the buses to way over capacity inside then stick people on the roof. These people then drive down the highway. Safety is not a word or concern here. I'm glad I came because it had allowed me an appreciation of what Indian people have come from and how they view the world. I take back my earlier harassment comments. I do believe that the people actually genuinely want to help you unless they are selling something. I'm tired of people constantly trying to sell me something. I've perfected my no go away hand gesture and tone.
Orchha is my favourite place thus far. It's a quaint little town of only 10,000 people. Orchha means hidden place. It used to be situated in the midst of rainforest. Now it's a barren wasteland with a river. The area is highly illiterate. In this area there is 22 temples, 2 mosques and 6 palaces. Not too shabby for a small town. People said hi but only because they were excited to see you. It was lovely.
I fell asleep the night before at 5 pm so I woke up at 5 am like usual. I needed the sleep badly. Christina, while I had sweet dreams of a steak and vegetables, went to a Hindu religious ceremony. She said it was interesting enough. No other detail though. Upon our early wake up I got to have the best pressure shower I've had so far with below zero water temperature. Id almost trade a good hot shower for this high pressure frozen one. Anyways, I had a calm breakfast buffet that included pancakes instead of mystery Indian food and toast like the rest of the places. I spent the rest of the morning trying to figure out who should be my principal and mentor while Christina talked to Mark. Still haven't decided how bold I should respond to my principal request or not.
Mid morning we headed off to the Raja Mahal. It was built over 62 years to completion in 1605 and the arches looked like peacock feathers. It is a Hindu palace. Dude had six wives. The Queen's bedroom had depictions of evolution dated 5,000 years before Charles Darwin figured it out. Interesting. This palace would have been so much fun to play hide and seek in. It had several sneaky staircases and multiple floors. Attached to this palace was another palace built for the son's coronation. It was only used for a single day. Took 22 years to build. Great use of money. It was called Jhansi Mahal but I am spelling that wrong.
Our tour guide told us that until 10th century, India was ruled by a single ruler. Fast forward a couple thousand attempted invasions later, they ended up with 600 princes until they achieved British independence. Basically how the singular monarch was overthrown is because some invader was smart enough to know that elephants would turn around if shot at. Basically the only way to invade is through the NW of India.
In this town people worship an idol that is a female vulva and part of a male penis. It is the God of fertility. If you are unmarried then you worship the bachelor God who looked like a monkey for celibacy. On Mondays the worshippers fast for a good wide or husband. Not sure if I'd give up food for praying for remaining celebrate.
More importantly, I got henna done! I have my entire left forearm done in beautiful henna. Henna smells like menthol when they put it on.
In our cooking class we made a six course meal. Masala chai. Bhruta baigan - eggplant. Spinach and potato curry. Allhn tomatoes. Cumin rice. Chickpea dumpling. Puri. Making chai from scratch is actually very easy and quite tasty. Bhruta baigan is an interesting dish. I've never seen so much fresh coriander put into a single dish with an eggplant that was fire grilled on a stove. I tasted this dish and fire came out of my ears. It has four green chillis cut up finely in the dish. My mouth was on fire. Spinach and potato curry is maybe my new butter chicken replacement. There was a ton of green chillis in it but the dish itself was amazing. I must saw noting we cooked looked pretty but it was all edible.
AFN
This morning after another 5 am wake up, we boarded the train from Agra to Orccha. They "served" breakfast meaning two slices of bread and mystery deep fried finger looking things that didn't even leave the package. Christina and I split a quest bar. Who doesn't bring protein bars to a country where we don't eat the food? Happy to share but man today would have been nice to eat an entire bar without sharing.
That landscape of northern India is very much like Saskatchewan with more trees. It's yellow plains either from dirt or crops with trees sprinkled around.
I forgot to mention a while ago in a foreign city in India whose exact location I cannot remember is that the buses here for locals are packed and I mean packed. They fill the buses to way over capacity inside then stick people on the roof. These people then drive down the highway. Safety is not a word or concern here. I'm glad I came because it had allowed me an appreciation of what Indian people have come from and how they view the world. I take back my earlier harassment comments. I do believe that the people actually genuinely want to help you unless they are selling something. I'm tired of people constantly trying to sell me something. I've perfected my no go away hand gesture and tone.
Orchha is my favourite place thus far. It's a quaint little town of only 10,000 people. Orchha means hidden place. It used to be situated in the midst of rainforest. Now it's a barren wasteland with a river. The area is highly illiterate. In this area there is 22 temples, 2 mosques and 6 palaces. Not too shabby for a small town. People said hi but only because they were excited to see you. It was lovely.
I fell asleep the night before at 5 pm so I woke up at 5 am like usual. I needed the sleep badly. Christina, while I had sweet dreams of a steak and vegetables, went to a Hindu religious ceremony. She said it was interesting enough. No other detail though. Upon our early wake up I got to have the best pressure shower I've had so far with below zero water temperature. Id almost trade a good hot shower for this high pressure frozen one. Anyways, I had a calm breakfast buffet that included pancakes instead of mystery Indian food and toast like the rest of the places. I spent the rest of the morning trying to figure out who should be my principal and mentor while Christina talked to Mark. Still haven't decided how bold I should respond to my principal request or not.
Mid morning we headed off to the Raja Mahal. It was built over 62 years to completion in 1605 and the arches looked like peacock feathers. It is a Hindu palace. Dude had six wives. The Queen's bedroom had depictions of evolution dated 5,000 years before Charles Darwin figured it out. Interesting. This palace would have been so much fun to play hide and seek in. It had several sneaky staircases and multiple floors. Attached to this palace was another palace built for the son's coronation. It was only used for a single day. Took 22 years to build. Great use of money. It was called Jhansi Mahal but I am spelling that wrong.
Our tour guide told us that until 10th century, India was ruled by a single ruler. Fast forward a couple thousand attempted invasions later, they ended up with 600 princes until they achieved British independence. Basically how the singular monarch was overthrown is because some invader was smart enough to know that elephants would turn around if shot at. Basically the only way to invade is through the NW of India.
In this town people worship an idol that is a female vulva and part of a male penis. It is the God of fertility. If you are unmarried then you worship the bachelor God who looked like a monkey for celibacy. On Mondays the worshippers fast for a good wide or husband. Not sure if I'd give up food for praying for remaining celebrate.
More importantly, I got henna done! I have my entire left forearm done in beautiful henna. Henna smells like menthol when they put it on.
In our cooking class we made a six course meal. Masala chai. Bhruta baigan - eggplant. Spinach and potato curry. Allhn tomatoes. Cumin rice. Chickpea dumpling. Puri. Making chai from scratch is actually very easy and quite tasty. Bhruta baigan is an interesting dish. I've never seen so much fresh coriander put into a single dish with an eggplant that was fire grilled on a stove. I tasted this dish and fire came out of my ears. It has four green chillis cut up finely in the dish. My mouth was on fire. Spinach and potato curry is maybe my new butter chicken replacement. There was a ton of green chillis in it but the dish itself was amazing. I must saw noting we cooked looked pretty but it was all edible.
AFN
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