- 2 days ago
India Delhi Travel
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TravelTranscript
00:00For the next six weeks, I'm going to be backpacking by myself through India.
00:08First impression is WOW!
00:10Starting in Delhi, I'll have three weeks exploring the cities of the north,
00:14followed by another three weeks in the beaches and backwaters of the south.
00:20The atmosphere is a crazy mix of people who are here to watch the ceremony,
00:23and other people are just trying to sell stuff.
00:25So we did the cliché thing of doing the photo with the pinning at the top,
00:31and we absolutely nailed it. Just have a look at this.
00:33Killed it. Killed it.
00:36I've got an amazing view of the city, and I've just had about 20 different people
00:39last time to have a photo with me.
00:41First full day in Jaipur.
00:43Now there's a little typo on the menu for the drink. I hope it's a typo.
00:46Bit of a diet cock.
00:48Diet cock.
00:49Everyone I've met has been absolutely raving at this place called Hampi.
00:52This is like a giant playground, boulders, old ruins, temples.
00:56I love it.
00:58I'm here in Jaipur Selma.
00:59I'm here in Jaipur Selma doing best camels to find out.
01:02Please check it out.
01:04I definitely think I'm going to have a full body massage when I get back.
01:07And I mean full body, because I'm in pain.
01:12So we just went for a walk into the woods.
01:14The idea is he's like some spiritual guy.
01:16The people give him donations, they bring him weed.
01:18He's just sitting around all day getting high.
01:20And he's been doing it for 10 years.
01:22Rowing on the Ganji River.
01:24Like a pro.
01:25Going around in a circle though.
01:27I want to just give you a 360 view or something.
01:29Running.
01:48Right then.
01:49India.
01:50So this is going to be my first time in the country.
01:54And it's a place I've been planning to go to for quite a few years.
01:57Because I remember three years ago when I was just about to set off on the HK2MY trip.
02:01And some of my friends would ask me, oh, Carl, which countries are you going to?
02:04And I'd be like, oh, it's a massive trip.
02:06Absolutely huge.
02:07And I would list out all 20 different countries in four continents.
02:11And at the end of it, some of them would go, wow, so you're not going to India?
02:17And I was like, I just listed 20 different biggest trips ever.
02:20Come on.
02:21So now I'm finally going to India.
02:23And obviously it's a huge country and you can't really expect to take it all in within six months.
02:28Never mind the six weeks I'm going to have.
02:30Hence the name A Taste of India.
02:31So how did I come up with the route?
02:33Well, I've basically planned it around seeing the main tourist highlights of India.
02:37And the reason I've done that is, one, I think it would be a good introduction to the country.
02:41And two, if I go and see these famous places, then it's not that I'll have them out of the way.
02:46That sounds negative because I do want to go and check them out.
02:48I really want to see them.
02:49But it means if I go back to India another time, I can just venture off the beating track,
02:53go wherever I fancy, not worry about ticking off these must-see sites.
02:56So the first half is in the north, starting in Delhi and then traveling around loads of different cities
03:01as well as into the deserts of Rajasthan.
03:03And I'm going to be traveling mostly by train.
03:05Now, I've read that traveling by train in India is not only the best way to see India,
03:09it also could be a bit of a pain in the ass because the tickets book out really quickly in advance.
03:14And since I'm only going to be in each town for two or three days,
03:17that basically means as soon as I arrive in a city, I'm going to have to book my next onward ticket,
03:21which isn't going to give me much flexibility in the itinerary.
03:24So I was wondering, is there any way I can just pre-book all my tickets
03:28and not have to worry about any of that once I get there?
03:30And so I went on to seat61.com, which is the best website for any information about trains anywhere in the world.
03:36And they recommended the UK company where I could pre-book all my train tickets for the north,
03:41which means I'm going to have to stick to an exact itinerary.
03:43So to counteract that, once I get down to the south of India, I'm going to have no itinerary whatsoever.
03:49So I've got a rough route planned of, like, Goa, Hampi, Kerala backwaters.
03:54But how long I spend in each place, how I get from one place to another, I have no idea yet.
03:58I'm just going to figure that out once I get there.
04:00So there's two halves to the trip. Very different places, very different vibes,
04:03and two very different styles of travelling.
04:05Now another thing to note is I'm going to be travelling by myself.
04:08And before you ask where James is, he's still in South America.
04:11He's still travelling around, working out there, making loads of friends.
04:15Oh! Oh my god! Oh my god, he can't breathe!
04:26So yeah, I'm sure he's fine.
04:28But what that means is, yeah, I'll be completely on my own,
04:31don't know anyone out there, but that's exciting.
04:33I'm going to a brand new, crazy country,
04:35and just hopefully meet some really cool people at hostels or wherever along the way.
04:39But that does present some challenges with the video though,
04:41because normally if I'm travelling with a mate, we can film each other,
04:44but now I've just got to film myself and then hopefully get other people involved as I go.
04:52And there's one last strange thing about this trip,
04:54is that I'm flying out on Boxing Day the day after Christmas,
04:57so I'm going to be going from Christmas mode, you know, like wearing Christmas jumpers,
05:01and going to parties, and having roast dinners,
05:05and spending time with the family watching Die Hard.
05:08So I'm going to be switching straight from that to bang, you're in backpacking mode.
05:16India, new country, it's crazy.
05:18You're off on your adventure, so yeah, it's going to be weird, but let's just go do it.
05:24All right, I've arrived in New Delhi.
05:34I paid for the hostel airport transfer just to make life easier when I landed,
05:38and even though there was a guy with a sign of my name on,
05:40I still had to ask him a password to make sure it wasn't a scam,
05:43and the password was Delhi Belly.
05:45You got the password?
05:46Yeah, Delhi Belly.
05:47Delhi Belly, nice, I like it.
05:48It's an encouraging start.
05:50But yeah, I'm just going to go into town and explore the city and see the sights,
05:53so wish me luck.
05:55This is Old Delhi, very different vibe to New Delhi, very, very different vibe.
06:16It's like stepping back in time, which I guess is why it's called Old Delhi.
06:19Yeah, it's pretty crazy, it's pretty crazy.
06:21This is kind of what I was hoping for, it's a street of endless little markets,
06:26selling all kinds of food and clothes,
06:28and so many different colours, different smells, different looking faces,
06:32and yeah, everything you look at is just fascinating.
06:38The guy there just dragging two bodies.
06:41Two people who are alive with their arms and legs and what's wasted up,
06:44and they've got this announcement on the loop, I'm guessing,
06:46asking for money or whatever.
06:48Yeah, pretty weird.
06:51I'm not even 100% sure where I'm going, but that's like half the fun of it,
06:58it's just getting lost.
06:59I think I might have found the jam with my seed,
07:02I guess how you pronounce it, it's like a big mosque.
07:08So it turns out I didn't know where I was going, I was completely lost.
07:11What I thought I saw wasn't what it was, but it's okay, it's all part of the fun.
07:14I know where I am now, that's Delhi Gate, which means the Red Fort's this way.
07:22The Red Fort was built in 1648, and gets its name because it's a massive fort that's red.
07:27The Mughal Emperors lived here for 200 years before the British rule of India began in 1858.
07:33And today, it attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year.
07:37So, this is the queue to get in.
07:39I think if you're a foreigner you can get a VIP ticket, which means you skip the queue,
07:43but all the Indians, yeah, they've got a queue for hours just to get in the fort.
07:49The queue's fucking crazy, they're all crammed up to each other like sardines.
07:53Unbelievable.
07:54So, yeah, I'm not queuing to get in there.
07:56Gonna be doing plenty of forts, plenty of palaces on this trip.
07:58Today's morgue is about exploring Delhi and seeing what's about.
08:02The only way to get across this road is just go for it.
08:04Like a human version of Frogger.
08:15That's the lunch queue.
08:16Food's got to be good there if they're all queuing for the same place.
08:24It's so cool when you're walking around and there's so many things you just don't understand.
08:32Was there some special significance to the water they're handing out there?
08:34Or were they just handing out water?
08:36No idea.
08:37But that's the fun of it.
08:38You just don't know what's going on.
08:39You just have to sort of take it in and observe.
08:41But it's just great fun. I'm loving it.
08:43The next day, I went to explore some more sights with a couple of friends from the hostel.
08:47This is who I'm traveling with right now.
08:51Brilliant.
08:54Our first stop was the Kutub Minar, which I didn't even know what it was,
08:58but I hoped to learn about once we got there.
09:00Okay, so this place predates Taj Mahal. I know that.
09:03It was built in the 12th century.
09:05I think.
09:06So it's one thing we found out that it's old.
09:08Yeah, no shit.
09:10I knew the place featured some tombs and old moss,
09:12but Yelena and Raya tried to speak into a security guard to find out some more.
09:16Did you guys actually learn anything?
09:18Actually, I didn't really understand.
09:20Okay.
09:21Raya, did you learn anything?
09:22I didn't want to be disrespectful.
09:23Just had my first random dude asking me for a photo.
09:24Needed a selfie with me.
09:25We're trying to find out some facts, so I've been making friends with young school boys.
09:26Oh, you want to be in the photo?
09:27Say hello.
09:28I mostly just want to chat about cricket though.
09:29It's weird.
09:30Everyone either wants to be in a photo with me.
09:31Did you learn anything?
09:32Did you learn anything?
09:33I didn't want to be disrespectful.
09:34You want a selfie?
09:35You want a selfie?
09:36Okay, hang on.
09:37I'm just getting mugged.
09:38Everyone wants a picture with me.
09:39Kind of weird.
09:40It's a video so just everyone say hello.
09:41Hello.
09:42Hello.
09:43Hello.
09:44You want to make a photo with me?
09:45I don't know why.
09:46I don't know why.
09:47I don't know why.
09:48I don't know why.
09:49I don't know why.
09:50How much is it?
09:51I'm just getting mugged.
09:52Alright, hang on.
09:53You want a selfie?
09:54Alright, hang on.
09:55I'm just getting mugged.
09:56Everyone wants a picture with me.
09:57Kind of weird.
09:58It's a video so everyone just say hello.
10:00Hello.
10:01Hello.
10:02I don't know why.
10:03Hello!
10:04Hang over my picture with me, don't know why.
10:06OK, some kid just asked me for my autograph.
10:09That's just, like, the most worth of sitting in the room.
10:15Our next stop would have been the Lotus Temple if it wasn't shut,
10:18so we head over to the India Gate via the Presidential Palace.
10:22This is the President of India's crib, sorry Liz.
10:27Alright, just arrived at India Gate.
10:29Our tuk-tuk driver just now explained that my name, Karl,
10:32in Hindi means tomorrow.
10:34In Hindi it means, Karl, it's like tomorrow.
10:37I love that.
10:38So basically everyone here thinks I've got a really pretentious name,
10:41like, hi, my name's tomorrow, what's your name?
10:46Attracting the animals again.
10:48Why is it with you and animals?
10:50You know, but he looks so dirty.
10:53You got your rabies jab, right?
10:55Yeah, yeah.
10:56Cool.
10:57Just saying, this place kind of reminds me of Paris,
10:59not just because it looks like an Indian Arc de Triomphe,
11:01but also there's people trying to sell cheap souvenirs everywhere.
11:06Maybe later, later.
11:08I'm okay.
11:09He would like to.
11:10No, I'm good.
11:12I still get mobbed by all my fans here, just wanting more photos.
11:15It's a tough life, but you've got to deal with it.
11:18Bye-bye.
11:20I do love the enthusiasm of the people here.
11:22Like everyone, they don't just want their photo taken with you,
11:24they want you just to take a photo of them, just for the sake of it.
11:27Doing good, guys.
11:29There's a nice vibe here.
11:30It's very, very nice.
11:31People get so friendly, polite, you know, willing to share information,
11:35so now I'm just going to go for a little wonder and then head back to the hostel.
11:39After a couple of days in Delhi, I took a short flight to one of the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi.
11:44Well, we've arrived in Varanasi.
11:50This is just epic.
11:54Yeah, definitely not in Kansas anymore, bloody hell.
11:57Absolutely incredible.
11:59I think we've officially arrived now.
12:01Yeah, definitely.
12:02It's like, yeah, we're in India now.
12:03Taxi ride from the airport for like an hour and just getting weaving through,
12:06getting busier and busier streets.
12:07It's absolute mayhem.
12:08Just dodging tuk-tuks, bikes, cars, plenty of cows.
12:11Yeah, I feel a little bit more relaxed now.
12:14I wasn't relaxed after that taxi drive.
12:16Yeah.
12:17We've arrived a bit late to see the sunset on the river,
12:19but we're going to see the evening ceremony tonight where they burn all the bodies.
12:22I can't wait to explore these streets. It's going to be so cool.
12:31The main key is not to get run over.
12:33It's mental.
12:34Basically a ten minute walk down here to get down to the river,
12:44see some of the ceremonies going on.
12:49Keep walking and we don't die.
12:50It's just getting busier and busier and busier and busier.
12:59People come up to you trying to offer you tours all the time.
13:01Please come visit my shop.
13:02We'll get there. We will get there.
13:04We'll get there.
13:15We're marching the river now.
13:16I think this is going to be incredible.
13:18The evening ceremony, known as the Worship to Fire,
13:33is performed daily by Hindu priests.
13:35Every day, over 200 people are cremated by the river Ganges,
13:41with their ashes put into the river.
13:43They believe dying in this sacred city of Varanasi brings them salvation.
13:48The atmosphere is a crazy mix of people who are here to watch the ceremony
13:51and they're really sort of quiet in the moment.
13:54And other people are just trying to sell stuff, begging.
13:57Someone just offered to give me a shave.
14:00Can you give me a massage, sir?
14:02Just let someone shake my hand and then start to massage it.
14:07And then say, hey, do you want to massage?
14:08It's like, I don't know.
14:09I'm just giving my hand back.
14:11So yeah, it's pretty random.
14:13We can make sure two things happening at once.
14:15But yeah, it's a incredible experience, really, though.
14:32It's super cute. I want that one.
14:57Right, I'm nearly back at a hostel and I am exhausted.
15:02It's just fucking manic.
15:04Just beeping horns everywhere.
15:06And everyone's trying to sell you something.
15:08You can make eye contact with someone straight away.
15:10Tuk-tuk.
15:11Do you want to go to my store? Do you want to do this?
15:12I mean, I've had that before in Thailand, but this is completely out of level.
15:15It's just insane.
15:17But it's a bit frustrating because you want to be able to interact with people,
15:19but all they want to do is sell you stuff instead of just having a genuine conversation.
15:23But everything just leads to, please buy this.
15:26But you know, I'm so exhausted, but you know, the whole point is...
15:30I'm going to get run over.
15:32The whole point of it is supposed to be an adventure,
15:36so it's not supposed to be fun and easy.
15:38But yeah, we definitely dived in the deep end here because it is mental.
15:42But looking forward to tomorrow anyway.
15:44And I found a place at Baronessi that sells beer as well, so score.
15:48It's a quarter to six in the morning here in Baronessi,
15:54and in 15 minutes we're going to do the sunrise boat tour on the Oganji River,
16:00which should be incredible.
16:02But I am exhausted because I'm still jet lagged,
16:05so I didn't really fall asleep till one.
16:07Then I had my alarm set for half five,
16:09but I didn't need it because at 5.15,
16:11all these bells and all this music started happening all around the town.
16:15It was like a wake-up call.
16:17That went on for like five minutes and it stopped,
16:19and then all this morning call of prayer started all over the city.
16:23So we're going to have two hours on the river,
16:25and then I'll come back and shower and actually wake up.
16:28Man, this should be good.
16:30I've had such a weird, strange, but incredible place.
16:36The guide we paid for never showed up,
16:38so we're just going to find another boat.
16:40We'll try not to get ripped off.
16:42After much haggling, we've made it.
16:55Alright, finally on the way.
16:56I don't know if I'm actually going to see the sunrise,
16:58because there's so much fog and pollution,
17:00but it's still pretty amazing to finally be on the boat.
17:06So that's the sunrise right there.
17:08The river Ganges is revered as a god,
17:19with the power to wash you of your sins.
17:21Because of this, people will come every day to bathe in the river,
17:25despite it being severely polluted.
17:27And this isn't just pollution from urban waste,
17:30there's dead animals, ashes from those who've been cremated,
17:33plus if a pregnant woman or young child dies,
17:36instead of being cremated,
17:38the bodies are just placed into the river.
17:40Still can't believe they're bathing in it.
17:42It's the most disgusting water ever.
17:44This guy's going for a morning swim.
17:46These are my favourite buildings, actually.
17:55These palaces were built by Hindu kings,
17:57so they could spend their final days along the Ganges
17:59before they're cremated here.
18:01This one was built in 1912,
18:03which is relatively recent,
18:05considering there's evidence that the earliest settlements here
18:07began in the 20th century BC.
18:09Hi!
18:14Hi!
18:15Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
18:17Thank you!
18:18Happy New Year!
18:20Sunrise is just peeking through the clouds.
18:27Just coming to the end of our boat ride,
18:29it was absolutely beautiful.
18:30It's kind of a strange beauty to it,
18:32because you have to sort of filter out some of the things you see,
18:34but sunrise ended up being spectacular.
18:39Now we've got away from the main bit,
18:43it's actually really quite peaceful.
18:45It's really beautiful.
18:46The buildings and the architecture
18:48are what makes it for me.
18:49It's just spectacular.
18:50It's like, big thumbs up.
18:52I'm going to go walk down the river now
18:54and see some more stuff.
18:56We head over to one of the main ghats,
18:58where I got roped into a private tour
19:00to get up close
19:01and learn all about the cremation ceremonies.
19:03You can't film any of it,
19:05because it's like showing up
19:06at someone's funeral with a camera.
19:08But it was very interesting.
19:09Of course, then he wanted to show me his shop
19:11where he makes some fine silks and stuff,
19:13and now I'm in this alleyway
19:15and got to figure out my way home.
19:16But it was a great experience anyway.
19:18Varanasi is such an intense place.
19:21I spent most of the rest of the day
19:22just chilling at the hostel.
19:24In the evening, we head back onto the river,
19:26but this time I had a go at rowing the boat.
19:29Not bad.
19:32Rowing on the Ganji River.
19:35Like a pro.
19:37Going around in a circle though.
19:39I want to just give you a 360 view or something.
19:43Just so you can see all the surroundings.
19:46Perfect, eh?
19:48Rounding.
19:49Yeah, yeah.
19:50Yeah, yeah.
19:51At least I went a little bit farther.
19:58How did I do?
19:59Was I good?
20:00Very good.
20:01See? Very good.
20:02That's alright.
20:03Two, two.
20:04Two.
20:05There we go.
20:07I think that'll do.
20:11I think that was a good tour of the river.
20:13Do you want to come back?
20:14I'll be quiet.
20:22I think the best way to describe my time in Varanasi
20:24is kind of like a love-hate relationship,
20:26but by the end of it,
20:27it's definitely leaning more towards the love
20:29because whenever you get out on that river,
20:31you get to appreciate the best of Varanasi,
20:33which is all the beauty of it,
20:34without all the hassle and all the chaos of the crowds.
20:37Last night I was saying how the atmosphere was spoiled a little bit
20:40like people always come up to you trying to sell your stuff,
20:43but back here, there's none of that.
20:45And so you just get to step back, enjoy it,
20:48and it's just magical.
20:49I loved it.
20:54So right there is where they cremated Gandhi.
20:56So it's kind of an important spot.
21:01And also one thing I noticed on the first night,
21:03this place was so intense,
21:05and I was like, this is hard work,
21:06but by the second night when I walked back,
21:08I just let it all breeze over me.
21:09Yeah, it was a steep learning curve,
21:11but I began to enjoy the town even more.
21:13So yeah, I think I do love Varanasi in its own kind of weird way.
21:28So beautiful. Love it. Love it.
21:32From Varanasi, I made the short flight back to Delhi
21:34to celebrate New Year's Eve.
21:36Five.
21:37Four.
21:38Three.
21:39Two.
21:40One.
21:41Happy New Year!
21:43After this, I was heading south to Agra to see the Taj Mahal,
21:48which meant it was time for my first Indian train journey.
21:51First train station.
21:52All right, I've found my train, but my carriage is right at the other end.
21:57So now this is my carriage,
21:58because there's a bit of paper with my name on right here.
22:00I'm just going to...
22:01That's me.
22:02So we're in the right place.
22:04It's a good start.
22:05It's great.
22:06Absolute chaos though.
22:07There's hardly anyone on the platform wants to tell you what's what.
22:10I found one person working here.
22:12So a little bit of stress, but that's all part of the fun I guess.
22:17It was just a short three-hour train journey to Agra,
22:19and upon arrival I jumped straight into a tuk-tuk to take me to my hostel.
22:23This is Bobby.
22:24Bobby by tuk-tuk drivers.
22:25Good man.
22:26Good man.
22:27Yes sir, I'm a good man.
22:28I thank you my best.
22:30And I hope you enjoy my city.
22:33That afternoon, I booked a tour with Bobby
22:35to take me to the main attractions in Agra,
22:37which would finish with seeing the Taj Mahal at sunset from across the river.
22:41All right, first stop of the day, Agra Fort.
22:43It's pretty beautiful.
22:44Probably had about 50 different offers to have a guide,
22:46but we're just going to do it by ourselves,
22:48trying to figure some things out.
22:50It's my first glimpse of the Taj Mahal.
22:52You can just about see it through the smog,
22:55even though it's a terrible view at the minute.
22:57I've finally seen it.
22:58It's pretty awesome.
22:59It's my first glimpse of the tour.
23:00It's a baby Taj Mahal.
23:01Little baby, little mini Taj Mahal.
23:02Hello.
23:03Hi.
23:04So we're across the river from the Taj Mahal to see it for sunset.
23:06It's pretty incredible actually finally seeing it up close.
23:07Kind of have to remind yourself you're actually here.
23:08You're not just looking at a picture, if that makes any sense.
23:09It's like you've got to have a moment to see it for sunset.
23:10It's pretty incredible actually finally seeing it up close.
23:11Kind of have to remind yourself you're actually here.
23:12You're not just looking at a picture, if that makes any sense.
23:13It's like you've got to have a moment to take it in.
23:14It's like you've got to have a moment to take it in.
23:15It's pretty incredible actually finally seeing it up close.
23:17Kind of have to remind yourself you're actually here.
23:32You're not just looking at a picture, if that makes any sense.
23:34It's like you've got to have a moment and take it in.
23:42The place is going to turn the camera off for a few minutes.
23:46Stand here and enjoy.
23:48Because it's just beautiful.
23:54Tomorrow morning I'll be going to the Taj Mahal for sunrise.
23:57Which meant it was going to be a very early start.
24:00It is 5.30 in the morning.
24:02And we're heading to the west gate of Taj Mahal.
24:05And I'm fucking knackered.
24:07But trust me how I'm excited.
24:08Are you buzzing?
24:09Yeah.
24:10Feeling great.
24:11I can't wait.
24:12Yeah.
24:13We think it's this way.
24:14We had to wait around an hour before we could buy our tickets.
24:17And then once we joined the queue, I immediately lost Bianca.
24:20As it made men and women join separate lines.
24:23Waiting like cattle for the gate to open.
24:25It's like you're waiting for a gig or something.
24:27Oh, we're moving.
24:29After finally making it inside, I found out I wasn't allowed to film there.
24:33Which meant I was going to have to do a stealth video.
24:36I'm filming in the no filming zone.
24:39Living on the edge here in Taj Mahal.
24:42Even though I lost Bianca in the queue, I luckily bumped into some other Aussies from the hostel.
24:47So we did the cliché thing of doing the photo with the pinning at the top and we absolutely nailed it.
24:52Just have a look at this.
24:53It's amazing.
24:54Killed it.
24:55Fucking killed it.
24:56It paned his head out.
24:57You haven't taken mine yet?
24:59I haven't even pressed the button.
25:02Gonna be here all day.
25:04Yeah.
25:05That's perfect guys.
25:06Yeah, nailed it.
25:07Well done.
25:08So this is how clean a Taj Mahal is when it first opens.
25:12Yeah.
25:13This is the best effort.
25:14Yeah.
25:15Come to my place to do shit on my car.
25:19So I can't really do too much talking to the camera really, because I'm not allowed to be filming.
25:24So there's definitely going to be a place for voice over facts.
25:27The Taj Mahal was commissioned in 1632 by Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife.
25:32Her tomb lies in the centre of the palace, which is now universally regarded as a monument to love.
25:37Now, before you get too teary-eyed, keep in mind she was his favourite of three wives.
25:42Plus, there's a myth that after the palace was completed, he had the architect killed because he didn't want anyone else to build a palace like this.
25:49Time to get the foot gear on.
25:52It took 21 years to build the Taj Mahal, employing some 20,000 different artisans.
25:57Precious stones and diamonds used to cover the palace until the Indian Rebellion of 1857, where they were looted by British soldiers and government officials.
26:06Well, that was the Taj Mahal. Definitely there was a lot of hype, it was stunning.
26:11Especially when the sun actually came through the clouds and lit it up and you had a reflection in the water.
26:16It was just perfect.
26:17Taj Mahal alternate photo shoot.
26:19Even though it was quite crowded, there's still plenty of space for everyone to get their photo done.
26:23I was just saying earlier, it's a temptation to go around and just photobomb everyone.
26:27It's so high.
26:28The temptation is strong, which is so high.
26:32Just ruin everyone's holiday.
26:33Stop it, Janice, hold me back, hold me back, hold me back.
26:36It's too tempting.
26:38Since we were all tired from the early start, we spent the rest of the day just chilling at the hostel,
26:43before I caught my train to Jaipa in the morning.
26:45It's an hour and a half late, but the train's finally going to arrive.
26:48Right now I'm on a train from Maghra to Jaipa.
26:57Let me show you where I'm staying.
26:59I'm in the AC2 class, it's one below the first class, it's still pretty nice.
27:03I've got six hours just chilling out on here, which is pretty sweet actually.
27:07Just put my feet up, relax and get some sleep.
27:10I can listen to music, watch a movie, do some editing.
27:13Or best of all, just sit here and watch India go past.
27:17I mean, at the minute it's very rural, very rural.
27:22It's cool actually, I feel like I'm in it now.
27:24I'm actually properly travelling through India.
27:26Yeah, just happy watching India go by and then looking forward to getting to Jaipa.
27:31I arrived in Jaipa late afternoon and the following morning I set out to see the sights.
27:36Alright, we're at the first full day in Jaipa, here with Bianca.
27:40Bianca was in the queue with me for Taipa Rahal and then I lost her.
27:43But we won't lose each other today.
27:45That's right.
27:46Until we go out tonight, then it might get a bit crazy again.
27:48Had some good street food last night, cooking it there.
27:50It's recommended from Lonely Planet.
27:52Now there's a little typo on the menu for the drink.
27:54I hope it's a typo.
27:55Bit of a diet cock.
27:57Diet cock.
27:58Yeah.
27:59So naturally that's what I've ordered.
28:01I've had one of the most disgusting drinks of my life at this bar via shampoo.
28:05It was great.
28:06It did the job.
28:07It did the job.
28:08So yeah, headed to Amber Fort first and then maybe a couple of other places, you know,
28:12not to do Monkey Temple for sunset.
28:14And then back on the drink.
28:16That's the plan.
28:22Okay, made it to the Amber Fort.
28:23First impression is wow.
28:31Alright Bianca, give us some facts.
28:33Alright.
28:34One second.
28:35This is my Bible.
28:37This magnificent fort is largely made up of a royal palace built from pale yellow and
28:42pink sandstone and white marble and divided into four main sections each with its own courtyard.
28:47Very exciting.
28:48We can do elephant riding but animal welfare groups have criticised the keeping of elephants
28:54at Amber.
29:02You see the pink and white marble up there and what was the other thing?
29:05The lattice work.
29:06The lattice work.
29:07It's just spectacular.
29:08That's where the women could look down onto the palace.
29:12That's where the women could look down onto the palace.
29:14They're hidden so no one can see them.
29:16Ah, I see.
29:17Right, yeah.
29:18Some women would hide up there so no one could see them and they would just look down.
29:20I expect credit from this.
29:22You're not getting any credit.
29:23I'm just going to cut you out the entire thing.
29:25Don't.
29:29There's a tunnel leading to the other palace.
29:31We think.
29:32We hope.
29:33Um, I'm too sure.
29:37I was worried we were going to walk for a while if I hit a dead end.
29:40Well, we were right.
29:41That tunnel did lead somewhere.
29:43And we nearly made it to the top.
29:45Nearly there.
29:46We can do it.
29:47We can do it.
29:48Can't wait.
29:50Yes!
29:55Definitely worth it.
29:56Definitely worth it.
29:57That's amazing.
30:00After walking up here in the hot sun, we decided to be lazy and just get a tuk-tuk back down into town.
30:05What are you getting?
30:06I have no idea.
30:07I'm not supposed to have fresh fruits and vegetables apparently, but I'm just skipping that rule.
30:14The next day, we went to explore the bazaars in the old part of town, which is known as a pink city because many of the buildings here are pink.
30:22We are spending the afternoon exploring the pink city.
30:25Just having a little wander around.
30:26We're going to try and buy some stuff.
30:27What are you going to try and buy?
30:28Maybe for scarves, skirts.
30:29Yeah, try and assimilate.
30:30Assimilate the culture.
30:31Yeah.
30:32Get the entire dress.
30:33I want one.
30:34I'm going to get some Ray-Bans and a belt with some jeans.
30:49Slightly different goals, but there you go.
30:53So beautiful, so many colours.
30:58Oh, there's one up there as well.
31:05Oh, yuck.
31:06It literally is a pig star.
31:09What have you got?
31:10A lassi.
31:11Finally starving after that long walk, but made it.
31:16Got some lassi for myself.
31:18Consistency is a bit weird, but you know, you'll get used to it.
31:22That evening, we had one last site to visit, the Monkey Temple.
31:27Okay, this is the Monkey Temple.
31:32We're at the right place.
31:33It's just a bit further to the monkeys.
31:35But yeah, it got blessed or something.
31:37Something happened.
31:38We donated and it said nice things.
31:40So that was good.
31:41She's put for both of us.
31:42I don't have to change.
31:44You have to change how much?
31:45500?
31:46She just put down for...
31:47Excuse me, madam.
31:48We've got monkeys.
31:51We are literally surrounded by monkeys.
32:06That is so cool.
32:07That is so cute.
32:08I love them.
32:10Yeah.
32:11There's like hundreds of them on hill.
32:25See, look here.
32:28This is here, the Hanuman.
32:30There's a god, Hanuman.
32:31There's a monkey god.
32:32It's naturally shaped in the rock.
32:35In the mountain.
32:36700 year old.
32:37So people that come in, they most often pray for the Hanuman.
32:40For the life.
32:41Protection.
32:42Life, many problems.
32:44So pray, protection, and blessing of life.
32:47There's good luck and good karma.
32:53Absolutely love the monkey temple though.
32:54Favorite thing I've done in Jaipur.
32:56Just so beautiful.
32:57You like them?
32:58Yeah.
32:59Look your monkeys.
33:00So gorgeous.
33:01They're beautiful.
33:02We're getting tired walking up this hill.
33:03We'll just look at them bouncing out on their head.
33:05Like, alright, you win.
33:07You've got to eat in the wild.
33:08You're in the wild.
33:09You've got to eat in the wild.
33:10You've got to eat in the wild.
33:11You've got to eat in the wild.
33:13You've got to eat in the wild.
33:14You've got to eat in the wild.
33:17Brilliant.
33:20Oh, of course.
33:30Perfect end of the day.
33:32Just going to sit here, enjoy the amazing view of Daipur.
33:34It's just beautiful.
33:35The breeze is perfect.
33:36It's quiet.
33:37It's quiet.
33:38Life is good.
33:39It's about 5.50 and then suddenly all the call to prayers started all across town.
33:52It's weird, it's like a competition of just sounds going across town all wailing away.
33:56A minute ago all we could hear was car horns and now all we can hear is them singing.
34:01It's crazy.
34:02It's beautiful.
34:03The sky is so bright now.
34:06Right, first overnight train to Jaisalma.
34:13The trains have been here in 20 minutes but this platform is just crazy.
34:17Tons of people just sleeping on the floor.
34:20I don't know how long they've been waiting here but it's pretty mad.
34:2712 hour journey to Jaisalma.
34:29I think it should be alright.
34:31See you on the other side.
34:33Jaisalma lies in the deserts of Rajasthan, just 100km from the border with Pakistan.
34:40I'm here in Jaisalma and I've checked into the hostel and there's no one here.
34:45It's just a bit of a shame really.
34:46I was feeling really good when I got on the train.
34:48I met sons of cool people so far and I was like right, new place, new hostel, new people,
34:51new adventure.
34:52Got here and it's dead.
34:53It's deserted.
34:54And I've signed up for a two day camel safari which is going to be incredible.
34:58But right now I'm the only person that's signed up so we'll have to see what happens.
35:02But for now I'm going to go explore the town and see what's what.
35:05I've come to the right spot. I've got an amazing view of the city and I've just had about 20 different people that step in photo with me.
35:17Which is pretty sweet.
35:18Makes you feel kind of special.
35:19Wandering around the streets here kind of reminds me of the town Agrabah from Aladdin.
35:24It's basically like I'm walking around in Aladdin which is pretty cool.
35:29Wow!
35:52People can seem a lot more friendly here like they just want to say hello.
35:58hello. Still a few people trying to sell you stuff, it's not as mad as the other places.
36:01I'm going to travel with Jess LeMay doing best camels in flying town. Please check it out, okay?
36:05It's a cameraman office. Don't miss it. Can I see my friend?
36:08My name is Deepak and I'm running the cooperative shop here.
36:12Okay, cool. The process assists women in particular videos,
36:16who make all the stuff in the desert.
36:18So nice, the guy just gave me a little tour of his shop, a little talk to camera about what he does.
36:22If the woman is very young and the man is very old, all those women they're becoming quickly
36:26we do. So how they can feed their family and children. So I give them a walk.
36:31So it's like a cooperative shop, you know. I'm a part of Fairtrade in England in Birmingham.
36:36Let me look around the shop. I didn't pressure me into buying anything.
36:39So refreshing. What a nice guy. So well done to you, mate. Well done.
36:48So I'm just about to start the two-day camel safari, which is one of the things I've been most
36:52looking forward to on this trip. Here's our camels. Meet Sara Khan. It's my ride for the next few days.
37:00How are you feeling, buddy? You good?
37:04We're connecting.
37:06No one else has signed up for it, so I'm going to be doing this by myself.
37:09Just be me and the one or two guys, wherever many people come along. So it could be amazing.
37:14It could be awesome. I mean, some people pay high premium to have a private tour.
37:18But the flip side is, you know, it's nice to be traveling with other people and these things
37:22and share the experiences and have some banter along the way and it makes it more fun. So
37:26I'll have to see. But I'm excited nonetheless. It's going to be
37:30it's definitely going to be an experience one way or the other. So let's just go do it.
37:39It's Jackie up front. Say hello, Jackie.
37:48Jackie's preparing a lovely meal for us. As long as the goats don't try and get it first.
38:08Food was absolutely delicious, but my god am I full. It's kind of almost like an eating contest.
38:14He's put so much effort into it just to cook it for me as he just keeps eating and eating and eating.
38:19But yeah, so good. One of the best meals I've had and look where we are.
38:23As we were finishing lunch, Jackie got a call from another guide who was traveling with just
38:28two backpackers. So we decided to go meet up with him.
38:44So we're properly out in the desert now in the sand dunes and it's just awesome. But we're just having
38:57a much needed rest after riding for like, I don't know, just an hour because I'm in pain. It's like
39:03your groin hurts so much after a while I'm there. So I definitely think I'm gonna have a full body
39:07massage when I get back. And I mean full body. But it's a lot of fun. It's good fun.
39:14What have you cooked for them, Ali? Mixed veg. Mixed veg?
39:19Oh, that's for me. All right, cool. How have you boys enjoyed your four days?
39:23Very much so. Very much, yeah. How's the groin? Getting better. Yeah.
39:30You said the first two days are hard, but then after that it's fine. Those are a bummer.
39:33Second day is hard on the balls. Bummer. Can't wait for tomorrow though.
39:38This is a takeaway delivery in the desert. So a guy comes with beer, Chris, sells it cheaper than
39:46the hostel. How far do you walk? How far is it to walk? My village. Before you see village,
39:52come to there here. Wow. That's about two hours away. Two hours on camel to bring us beer.
39:59And it's still cold. Yeah, it's still cold as well. Thank you very much, man. Good man.
40:14I had no idea what to expect from today. It just goes to show like, you know, this morning's a bit
40:27apprehensive because I'm doing it by myself and what's it going to be like, but just
40:30if I can go for it, things work out. This is our campsite for night. Not too bad a spot at all, I'd say.
40:45What an epic night we had last night. Yeah, we were just chilling by the fire and stuff,
40:59and that was all good fun. But when I went to bed, I didn't go to sleep at first. I just lay there for
41:04an hour, put some music on. I just sat down and watched the stars from like an hour. It was just
41:09insane. I saw like four shooting stars. And my camera could pick them up pretty well when I'm videoing,
41:14but when I took a picture, it was just unreal.
41:36That's it. I think this morning, just riding back through the desert and then get back to Jaisal
41:42and chill out for the afternoon. I think that's the plan.
41:47Bye-bye.
41:53Well, after an incredible night of camping, back on the camels. Got one hour of riding through the desert
41:59until I get picked up. Had an awesome night. Jackie, you have a good night last night?
42:04Yeah, very good. Very, very good.
42:09Running now.
42:20It's the end of our safari. Yeah, you did a good job, didn't you? We had fun.
42:24We're still connecting. It's my man, Jackie. Jackie looked after me in the last two days. He's a good
42:31man. He said, yeah. Jackie said on the first day, I'm not his guest, I'm his brother. He's been
42:38absolutely awesome. So if you come here, ask for Jackie. It wasn't long before I was back in Jaisalma,
42:43and the hostel was now filled with backpackers. So a few of us went out for an evening meal before I caught
42:48my train in the morning. My next stop was Jodhpur, which is known as a blue city, and let's see if
42:55you can figure out why. The town has another magnificent fort, but instead of going for a
43:00guided tour, I decided it'd be way more fun to go around it on a zipline.
43:10Here we go. Number two.
43:18This next one is low.
43:24Do you want to push? Yeah, why not? I will not touch you, but I will give you a push. Okay.
43:38Two more to go.
43:44Ready for the last zipline. Back over there.
43:48That was awesome, mate. Awesome. You guys know what they're doing. Cheers.
44:02You enjoy it? Best way to see the fort in Jodhpur.
44:07I had one last stop on my northern leg of India, and since there were no direct trains,
44:12I booked an overnight bus to get to a diaper.
44:14When you book it, it says, do you want lower or upper decks? I'm thinking it's going to be two
44:18falls to the bus, like in South America. Those are the two decks. It's not two levels of bus,
44:23it's just two decks. Hopefully this goes to a diaper. We're just going to sit down,
44:28and hopefully if it turns out right, but yeah. So there's actually the other side's like double
44:33seats. If you're in there, you're sitting two by two overnight. I'm going to watch a movie,
44:39then see if I get any sleep at all. I don't know. My bag's down there, my main bag.
44:43It's all locked up, so it's actually all right. Hopefully it won't be this bumpy all night.
44:52I'm hoping this is just a city, city, city road to also get on the main road.
44:56It'll be fine. This is not how you get a night sleep at all.
45:00Well, that bus journey was the most miserable night ever. Didn't even get one second to sleep,
45:08because it's just like being thrown around in the tumble dry, like the bumpiest road ever,
45:12and just smacking my head off the ceiling. It's just ridiculous. And now I've got to the hostel,
45:19and I told them I'd be right for this time, but I get here, the doors don't even open for
45:23another half an hour, and I can't call the manager because I've got no phone signal,
45:26so I've just got to wait around out here for half an hour.
45:35I've now been waiting here an hour and a half. I emailed them yesterday saying I've been arriving
45:41at six in the morning, and they said, yeah, that's fine. We'll be happy to welcome them in.
45:45Of course, they'll open at six, but no answer. No one's answering the doorbell, nothing,
45:50so I've just been stuck here all day. That's sort of useless.
45:56Well, yesterday was a complete write-off, because by the time I actually finally got in the hostel,
46:04I was just too knackered to do anything, so I just slept and chilled out there.
46:08But the staff were good, like, to apologise, they gave me some free beer, so they know what I like.
46:13But a diaper is beautiful. It's such a gorgeous town. It almost sounds like a European quality to it.
46:17I'm not actually going to do much here. I've just been wandering around, taking it easy, because
46:37it's the end of my first three weeks of the trip, the end of the first half, and these three weeks
46:41have just been going bang, bang, bang from one place to another. Seen so many different things,
46:45made some really cool friends, and yeah, it's been great fun, but it's been quite exhausting as well,
46:50so I'm looking forward to getting down south of Goa, changing up the pace.
46:53Just look at that view, look where we are.
47:05All right, got these bikes for the day.
47:09The place is like just a giant playground of boulders and old ruins, temples. I love it.
47:19And this is something else, it's really spectacular.
47:24You're just soaring above the trees, like the palm trees come right past you,
47:27you can nearly like pick a coconut off.
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