Around Udaipur, India

There are several sights near Udaipur that should be on your list. We had a car and driver at our disposal which made the below locations easy to visit in a day trip from Udaipur.

Monsoon Palace (Sajjan Garh). For a great view of Udaipur and Lake Pichola, go to the Monsoon Palace, located on a hilltop about 4 miles west of the city. The palace dates to the 19^th century and was originally an astronomical observation post and then became a hunting lodge.

A view of Udaipur and Lake Pichola from the Monsoon Palace.

The Monsoon Palace – a good place to be during the monsoons – no chance of flooding!

Interior view of the Monsoon Palace.

A view looking west from the upper floor balcony of the Monsoon Palace.

There isn’t a lot to see in the interior but the views are terrific.

Eklingji Temples. This is a busy complex of 108 Hindu temples and shrines dedicated to the Lord Shiva right in the heart of Eklingji (also known as the town of Kailashpuri), just 14 miles north of Udaipur. The main temple dates from the 16^th century. Officially no pictures are allowed inside, but I managed to get a few.

Women purchasing flower offerings prior to entering the Eklingji temple complex.

Entering the Eklingji temple complex with worshippers.

Detail of the carvings on the main temple (16th century).

Another view of the Eklingji temple complex.

I noticed that local postcards show a great rooftop view of the complex, but I couldn’t see how to get a picture from above. It is a great place to wander around and observe the local worship rites. No shoes are allowed inside and your feet will get dirty! Take some wet wipes to wash up afterwards.

Saas-Bahu Temples. We loved these beautiful Hindu temples and had this peaceful, green, rural site to ourselves. They are a short distance from Eklingji above. The temples are dedicated to Vishnu, a Hindu god. They are in excellent condition, being well preserved from the 11^th century.

Some of the intricate carving work at the Saas-Bahu temples.

View of the Saas-Bahu temples.

Another view of one of the Saas-Bahu temples.

Interior temple view.

The temples and the nearby small lake.

There is a small lake nearby that has some partially submerged temples as well. I should have brought my mask and snorkel. A wonderful stop.

Rabat, The Royal Capital of Morocco

Our first destination in Morocco after picking up our car at the Casablanca airport and driving north along the coast was Rabat. Rabat has been the capital city of Morocco since 1912. The current King, Mohammed VI, lives here.

The Royal Palace in Rabat.

Rabat is not a major tourist hub, so you won’t find a lot of foreign crowds here. We thought it would be worth a quick stop enroute to Meknes, and our overnight stay was sufficient to see the main sights listed below.

Chellah

This is the main historical sight of interest in Rabat. It is located to the southeast of the main town, about a 30-minute walk from the medina. The exterior walls and towers, built in the 14^th century, are impressive.

The exterior walls of Chellah.

This site is ancient, dating back to Phoenician times. For a thousand years it was a thriving city and port. There are Roman ruins dating from 200 BC and Islamic ruins of a mosque and monastery dating from the 7^th century onwards.

Overlook of the Roman ruins in Chellah.

Roman ruins in Chellah.

The Roman nymphaeum in Chellah.

The Islamic ruins at Chellah.

Another view of the Islamic ruins at Chellah.

Medina

The medina is the heart of Rabat and like most medinas in Morocco, this one has walls and gates (from the 12^th and 17^th centuries) around the sides not protected by the sea and the river.

The walls of the Rabat medina.

A number of gates provide access to the narrow lanes and crowded shops found within, and the appearance probably hasn’t changed too much over the centuries.

A lot of wool stacked in a storage area in the medina.

A street scene in the medina.

Our riad (hotel) was just inside the walls of the medina. Outside the medina walls you’re all-of-a-sudden confronted with the present day – a modern city that bustles with government business.

Kasbah des Oudaïas

This is an old 12^th century citadel, next to the medina.

The ancient walls of the Kasbah des Oudaïas.

This was the imperial capital of Morocco for a short period of time. It sits on a strategic point overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the mouth of the Bou Regreg River.

A view of the Bou Regreg River and Atlantic Ocean from the Kasbah.

One of the quaint streets in the Kasbah.

This is the part of Rabat we really didn’t get to see since Tom Cruise was in town filming his 5^th Mission Impossible Movie, Rogue Nation. While it was fun to watch a bit of the filming, I was disappointed we couldn’t see more of the old quarter.

Although hard to tell, that’s Tom Cruise racing the BMW (with Simon Pegg as a passenger) in a shot right by the Kasbah. It will be interesting to see if this scene makes it into the movie. They shot this scene several times.

Udaipur – Considered the Most Romantic Spot in India

One of the most pleasant places to visit (and considered the most romantic) in India is the city of Udaipur (for a map of locations we visited in India click here). The city sits on the shores of Lake Pichola, which adds a peaceful element to the setting.

A sunset view of Lake Pichola from our hotel rooftop.

We enjoyed our breakfast time sitting on the rooftop of our hotel overlooking the calm lake waters and the isolated Lake Palace Hotel. Udaipur (and specifically the Lake Palace Hotel) became a popular tourist destination after its use as a setting in the James Bond film “Octopussy” with Roger Moore. If you’re dying to see the movie again, it plays nightly at a number of restaurants in the old part of town near the shore of Lake Pichola. I think the restaurant owners would go crazy after seeing the film over and over!

Lake Palace Hotel in Lake Pichola.

Although our hotel (Jaiwana Haveli) was good and in a perfect location, in hindsight, I wish we would have spent one night at the world famous Lake Palace Hotel, even though its room rates are pricey ($300 to $1,400 US/night depending on the season). Having a reservation is the only way you can visit the hotel. It was built in 1754 and was originally a summer royal residence. It became a hotel in the 1960’s. Even though the setting is serene, you’re still in India. The local population uses the lake as a bathing and laundry room. It’s a major contrast – one of the world’s most exclusive hotels within a few hundred yards of people who have few material positions taking care of life’s daily needs.

Teeth brushing and bathing in Lake Pichola.

Women washing and bathing in Lake Pichola.

You can visit Jagmandir Island, just a bit further out in the lake, on which is located another small palace and tower. It’s a lovely setting and the site is used for weddings and receptions. It is worth visiting just for the boat ride to and from the island which provides excellent views of the City Palace, Lake Palace Hotel and surrounding mountains.

The elephant statues greet you as you arrive on Jagmandir island.

The beautiful gardens on Jagmandir Island in Lake Pichola.

City Palace & City Palace Museum. The City Palace dominates the lakefront and is the primary tourist sight in Udaipur. It is a fantastic place with beautiful artwork in mirrors, paintings and tiles. It is Rajasthan’s largest palace and dates from the 16th century.

A view of City Palace from the lake.

City Palace night view.

A courtyard at City Palace.

One of the audience rooms at City Palace.

The Peacock Courtyard – with intricate artwork.

The peacock – symbol of Rajasthan. The feathers are all inlaid colored stone.

Colored mirror decor in City Palace.

Another reception area in City Palace – it has an English “Wedgwood” look.

Next to the City Palace is the Crystal Gallery. It houses a collection of rare crystal furniture, which has an interesting story behind it. Maharana Sajjan Singh ordered the crystal pieces from F&C Osler & Co in England in 1877. The maharana died before it arrived, and all the items stayed forgotten and packed up in boxes for 110 years. Once the crystal was recovered it was put on display here. Officially, I couldn’t take photos in this museum, so the quality is poor, but you can get an idea of the crystal furniture’s beauty.

A crystal love seat and “coffee” table.

A crystal canopy bed.

Jagdish Temple. This Hindu temple sits in the middle of the old town and it’s hard to miss. We got a short tour by a local worshipper during an evening service. The temple was built in 1651. The town has narrow twisting streets and alleyways, a tiny bit reminiscent of Europe.

An evening view of Jagdish Temple.

Udaipur is also a great location to shop for textiles and jewelry. We enjoyed wandering the narrow streets and myriad of shops. There’s a lot to see in the surrounding area as well. I’ll cover those sights in a separate post.

Street scene in Udaipur.

A colorful textile store in Udaipur.

A Visit to Chittorgarh Fort

A view of Chittorgarh Fort from the city of Chittor.

This huge fortress complex is largely off the tourist map. It is located about 306 km (190 miles) south of Jaipur on the way to Udaipur (another 116km or 72 miles south). Chittorgarh sits atop a striking plateau above the modern town of Chittor (“garh” means fort).

Local residents of Chittorgarh Fortress.

It is the largest fort complex in India, and the plateau is 6 km long, which is largely uninhabited (except by monkeys and a small village near the entrance) and open for exploration.

One of the gates (Ram Pol) into Chittorgarh.

There are several stunning towers, temples and palaces at the fort as well as reservoirs and other structures. A number of the buildings date to the 12^th and 13^th centuries. The fort was sacked at least three times (from the 1300’s to the 1500’s) and the female residents chose to perform the ritual of jauhar (burning to death) each time rather than being taken prisoner.

A view of the ruins of 15th century Rana Kumbha Palace.

Another view of Rana Kumbha Palace.

The Tower of Victory (Jaya Stambha), built in the 1400’s. Dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. You can climb the tower for a good view of the whole area.

Detail of the Tower of Victory.

Due to the few visitors here, we found the locals and (mainly Indian) tourists very friendly, wanting you to take their pictures and to show you around.

A young couple who wanted their picture taken at the top of the Victory Tower.

A Jain Temple at Chittorgarh.

Another Jain Temple at Chittorgarh. The tower (Kirti Stambha) was built in the 12th century.

One of Chittorgarh’s reservoirs.

A pavilion in a small lake at Chittorgarh.

This was an unplanned stop on our way to Udaipur suggested by our driver. Since it’s a fairly long drive to Udaipur we spent only about 90 minutes here, but it would be easy to spend a few hours exploring all the various ruins and sights. Well worth a visit!

Heidelberg, Germany – A Great Day Trip from Frankfurt

On our way from the U.S. to Morocco we had an eight hour layover at the Frankfurt airport. Rather than just wait the entire time at the airport, we decided to take a train to Heidelberg, an interesting town about 90 km (56 miles) south of Frankfurt. While there are several ways to get there, including an airport (Lufthansa) shuttle, we opted for the train.

Heidelberg is a university town (Heidelberg University, founded in 1386) nestled in a narrow valley along the Neckar River. It has a quaint old section (called Altstadt), with some walls, gates, historical buildings including a castle and market squares. The origins of Heidelberg go back at least to Roman times.

A view of Alstadt (Old Town) from the Castle grounds.

Things to See

We are fortunate that Heidelberg escaped serious damage in World War II. It was not bombed by the Allies and the retreating German army destroyed part of the Old Bridge, but that was about all.

Castle (Heidelberger Schloss). The castle is a bit of a mish mash of several different building eras. The original castle dates back to the mid 1100’s, but was destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries. It sits on the steep hillside over looking the old town and the river.

A view of Heidelberg Castle from Altstadt.

Another view of Heidelberg Castle from the gardens.

There are some lovely gardens surrounding the castle that provide good views. Having been in many castles, and given our short stay, we did not go inside.

A clock tower on the castle grounds.

Old Bridge (Alte Bruecke). This 18^th century bridge provides a great view of the town, just walk underneath the Bridge Gate and onto the bridge for excellent photo opportunities.

A view of the Neckar River and the Old Bridge from the Castle Gardens.

The Bridge Gate.

Church of the Holy Spirit. In the Marktplatz (square) the church dominates the setting. Lots of great restaurants around the square. We ate a good traditional meal at a restaurant on the square, just across from this church.

The Church of the Holy Spirit sits in the middle of the Marktplatz surrounded by shops and restaurants.

Hauptstraße. This is the main shopping thoroughfare that connects Altstadt with the modern city. Lots of quaint shops selling trinkets, gelato, and German baked goods.

Tasty schneeballen (snowballs), a German pastry.

Looking west down the Hauptstraße.

There are a number of other old historical buildings to see, including the Rathaus (Town Hall), stables, students prison, other old university buildings (most of the university is now on the other side of the river), and a Witch’s Tower.

Old Heidelberg’s Rathaus is behind me.

We love quaint European towns and Heidelberg is another great one to visit, even if just for a few hours.

Logistics. The train was about 50 euro ($65 at the time) per ticket. You have to transfer trains once (in the nearby city of Mannheim). The whole trip takes about 75 minutes each way, depending on the connection time in Mannheim. Go to the train information and ticket office located below the arrivals terminal at the Frankfurt airport. They can provide you with an itinerary, timing and your tickets. Don’t get off the train in Heidelberg until you arrive at the main (Hauptbahnhof) station.

The historic center is a long walk or a short bus ride east of the train station. We took the bus (#3) to the Old Town from the train station and then walked back (which took about 25 minutes). We did the whole round trip from Frankfurt airport, including dinner, in about 5 hours.

Morocco – The World’s Movie Set

Thankfully, Morocco is a country that is not yet overrun by tourists. It is a land of surprising variety, including a long coastline along the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, high rugged mountains (which get snow in the winter), vast deserts, and amazing jagged gorges, oases and beautiful ksars (villages) and kasbahs (noble person’s “castle” or home).

The Atlas Mountains.

The stark contrast of the green palms with the dry mountains near Todra Gorge.

Given the beautiful natural scenery, ancient cities, villages, and friendly people, it’s not surprising that Morocco hosts a lot of movie crews.

A movie studio in Ouarzazate.

Gladiator, The Mummy, The Son of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Black Hawk Down, Alexander, Sodom and Gomorrah and many other movies set in historical and Middle East locations have Moroccan backdrops.

Tamdaght Kasbah, near Ait Ben Haddou, where the surrounding countryside and ksars were used in the filming of the movie Gladiator, with Russell Crowe.

In fact, while we were there, Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg were filming the next Mission Impossible movie in Rabat, the capital city. We just happened to come upon some chase scenes being filmed in the old part of Rabat with Tom Cruise at the wheel of a BMW.

Tom Cruise at the wheel with Simon Pegg next to him, filming in Rabat.

Most of the tourists seemed to be hanging out in Fez and Marrakech. Outside those locations the country felt almost untouched.

We highly recommend Morocco as a bucket list destination. Here are some things to know if you decide to visit Morocco:

Parlez vous français? In addition to Arabic, many Moroccans speak French, since Morocco was a French colony for many years. When locals first meet you, they will assume you speak French. It’s certainly possible to get by on English, but you may end up using a lot of gestures to get your message across. A little French vocabulary (if not Arabic) is valuable, or brush up on your Berber, also spoken in many mountain areas.

The lower two lines are in Berber, in the holy town of Moulay Idriss.

Getting Around. Morocco is not a difficult country to navigate on your own. Auto is the best way to see the country. The roads generally are in very good condition and signs are in Arabic and French, so they are not hard to read. Except in the towns, roads are well signposted.

Our rental car in Morocco.

In the towns and cities, drive carefully – you see all kinds of vehicles and foot traffic (although autos have the right of way), call ahead to your accommodation for specific directions and you should not have any problems.

Typical road sign.

Note: There are speed traps along the highways so be careful and stick to the speed limit, even if its open road. We spent two weeks driving around the country, being very careful with our speed. On our last day I got nailed with a speeding ticket, in a ridiculously slow section of road outside a small town. The police have radar cameras and you will be fined on the spot, so carry some cash. My ticket cost about $35. Gas at the time was about $4 gallon. We had a diesel powered vehicle and got great mileage. Traveling continuously for two weeks cost us about $150 for diesel.

Locations we visited in Morocco are highlighted. We flew in and out of Casablanca.

There are a few trains, but only between the larger cities. The other way to see the country would be with a tour group. We did not see many large tour buses, mainly smaller groups in vans.

Accommodation and Cost. The country is relatively inexpensive for accommodations (most common are small guest houses called Riads). Most of our Riads were about $75/night for very nice rooms, most with breakfast included and wifi.

Typical Riad room, this one is in Rabat.

Every host was very kind and observed the local custom of offering tea and biscuits on arrival.

The tea and biscuit welcome at our Riad in Fez.

Our room in Fez.

Food. We thought the food was decent (and inexpensive), it’s just pretty much the same everywhere you go. Most restaurants serve the same kinds of food: brochettes, salads, frites (fries), and tajines (clay pot slow cooked dishes).

Typical Moroccan meal – the food is generally very good.

Typical Moroccan menu.

After a couple weeks, it gets a bit monotonous. There is the occasional Pizza Hut or McDonald’s, but they are just in the big cities.

Religious Observance. The prevailing religion is Islam. Most mosques and some monuments are off limits to tourists, but other shrines are open to tourists. Your guidebook can point these out.

Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, one of the few active Muslim shrines that non-muslims may visit, in the city of Meknes.

It’s a good idea to be aware of the local festivals that may be occurring during your visit. We had a very interesting one while we were there that I will explain in a future post.

Baksheesh. Plan on paying lots of small tips for all kinds of services (porting your luggage, getting directions, etc.). This is similar to Egypt and India and many other less developed countries.

Safety and Other. The country felt very safe, we never had any cause to worry. Follow the usual precautions of protecting your valuables, knowing your surroundings and not displaying expensive jewelry or loads of money. The larger cities are somewhat chaotic (for example, crowds, rubble, interesting smells), but not nearly to the extent one finds in India.

Argan oil for sale – used for a number of skin and hair applications.

Shopping is good for certain things – ancient sea fossils, argan oils, spices and leather goods can be found in abundance.

Jaipur, India – The Pink City

One of the great cities in Rajasthan, India is Jaipur. It is known as the “pink city” due to the color of the buildings as well as the walls and city gates surrounding the central area.

Ajmeri Gate, leading into central Jaipur. The color of the gates and walls, as well as buildings in the central area give the city its nickname.

Jaipur is one of the most visited cities in India since it is not too far from New Delhi and Agra (home of the Taj Mahal), and forms a triangle of tourist destinations with these two other cities.

Here’s a few key attractions in Jaipur:

Amber Fort

While there is a lot to see in Jaipur itself, there’s no question that the tourist sight is Amber Fort, located about 7 miles (11 km) north of town.

The Jal Mahal (Water Palace) on Man Sagar Lake was used for royal duck shooting parties in the mid 18th century.

Leaving Jaipur, you wind past Man Sagar Lake and through the mountains for a short distance until all-of-a-sudden it appears sitting on a hill to your left. The golden-hued fort looks like a movie set rather than an actual historical palace. The fort is the former capital of Jaipur State and is the one sight that cannot be overlooked when visiting Jaipur.

A view of Amber Fort. If you look closely, you can see the elephants with their red coverings making their way up to the gate.

The highly decorated Ganesh Pol, a three story gate connecting the outer courtyard to the private apartments.

Construction began in 1592 on the current fortress, built on the remains of an earlier (11^th century) fort. Amber Fort is divided into 4 main sections, and each is a bit unique in its architecture.

The courtyard of the Palace of the Raja Man Singh, one of the four main sections of the Amber Fort.

You have to be patient and wander around a bit to see it all. We hired a guide and he pointed out some interesting things. After we finished the tour, we wandered around on our own, and found other great views.

Another beautiful courtyard in Amber Fort (Jaigarh Fort is in the distance on the hill).

There are three main ways up to the fort – by foot, jeep or elephant. Of course most tourists take the elephant ride, and so did we. The elephant can take two passengers at a time. Given the popularity of the elephant transportation, expect a wait of 20 – 30 minutes in line. Although this is definitely doing the touristy thing, it’s a once in a lifetime experience and was fun. By Indian standards, it’s not cheap – 900 rupees or about $15, a small local fortune.

The elephants and tourists make their way up to the Amber Fort.

There is another, older fort (Jaigarh) above the Amber fort, but time did not allow for us to hike up there (about 1 km uphill from the Amber Fort).

Jaigarh Fort, which sits above Amber Fort.

The view from Amber Fort is astounding with mountains, huge walls snaking around the hillsides, as well as seeing Maota Lake below.

Looking down on Maota Lake, with the gardens of Kesar Kyari Bagh. The lake provided water for the fort. The walls protecting the region can be seen in the distance.

Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds)

With its pink façade, the Hawa Mahal is the photogenic centerpiece of Jaipur. It is unusual in that it is five stories high but only one room in width. Its purpose was to allow the veiled ladies of the harem to view city life unnoticed from the streets below. It was built in 1799.

The Hawa Mahal in Jaipur.

City Palace

Right next to the Hawa Mahal, this Palace was built in the early 18^th century, and is now a museum with paintings and manuscripts. Since we had just visited Amber Fort, we did not take the time to visit this Palace.

City Palace lies straight ahead through this gate.

Jaipur is also known as shopping mecca for jewelry and precious and semi precious gemstones. There are a lot of jewelry and gem shops just outside the main walls. Bring your money and shopping list!

We also walked around the heart of the city – busy area which is organized by crafts in sections. Just a teeming mass of shops, workers and every day life going on.

Rows of shops in the central district of Jaipur.

Helsinki for a Day

When it comes to Northern Europe tourist destinations, Helsinki, Finland probably doesn’t jump off the map. However, as part of a Northern European Cruise, we enjoyed a (rainy) day there. There’s enough to keep the tourist entertained.

A view of a Swedish-influenced street in Helsinki.

Finland has an interesting history, with a culture and language that is very distinct from its Scandinavian and Russian neighbors, even though it was under Swedish rule for six centuries and then ceded to Russia in the early 1800’s. There are very obvious Swedish and Russian influences in Helsinki from fortresses to street names and churches.

Here are a few of the interesting sights:

Suomenlinna Fortress. The Swedish built this fortress (they called it Sveaborg) in the 18^th century, when Finland was part of the Swedish kingdom. It can be reached by a short (15 minute) ferry ride (the terminal is near Market Square, just a short distance from Senate Square).

King’s Gate, built in 1753-54, the ceremonial gateway to the fortress.

A bronze sculpture in the fortress.

The fortress contains defensive walls, gates, gun emplacements, tunnels, courtyards, a prison, museums, beaches, churches and park areas, as well as shops and cafes. A useful printed guide can be obtained at the ferry terminal.

One of the fortress’s cannons.

The Vesikko submarine, a Finnish sub built in the 1930’s that saw action in World War II. The sub is now a museum.

A sign saying tourists are not welcome at the prison labor camp in the fortress!

One of the tunnels underneath the fortress defensive walls.

Today the Fortress is used for cultural events and conventions in addition to being a great place to picnic and experience a bit of Finnish history.

Senate Square. This is Helsinki’s central square, surrounded by 19^th century neo-classical buildings.

Helsinki Cathedral overlooks Senate Square. The statue is Emperor Alexander II, unveiled in 1894.

Another view of Senate Square.

Temppeliaukio Rock Church. This church was completed in 1969. It’s unique in that it was carved right into bedrock. It must have been a massive undertaking. It’s worth visiting for the unusual setting.

A panorama view of the Temppeliaukio Rock Church.

Another view of Temppeliaukio Rock Church.

Uspenski Cathedral. This church is a reminder of Russian influence in Helsinki. It is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in Western Europe. It was completed in 1868. It is quite beautiful inside.

Exterior view of Uspenski Cathedral.

Interior view of Uspenski Cathedral.

Johanneksen (St. John’s) Church. A Lutheran church, built in the late 1800’s and the largest stone church in Finland by seating capacity (seats 2,600 people). It stands out in the Helsinki skyline with twin towers that are 243 ft. in height.

Exterior view of Johanneksen Church.

An interior view of Johanneksen Church.

Bat Baby (aka Angel-Demon Statue). One of the more strange sculptures I’ve seen. It’s from 2009 and part of an exchange with the Triumph Gallery in Moscow and Volker Diehl Gallery in Berlin.

The Angel-Demon sculpture in Helsinki.

Two Days in Delhi, India

New Delhi is the capital of India and has a lot to offer the tourist. It is a good place to start your tour of India since New Delhi is a major airline gateway into the country. Delhi is an ancient city and has been the capital of India off and on for hundreds of years. During their rule, the British made Delhi their capital in 1911. New Delhi and Old Delhi are contiguous and are one huge sprawling city. However, many of the main tourist sites are grouped in relative proximity to one another, some in New Delhi and others in Old Delhi. For a map of places we visited in India, click here.

A street scene in Delhi, with an auto rickshaw passing street dwellers. Poverty is found everywhere.

Almost anywhere you go, you will see decaying ruins of tombs, temples, mosques, other monuments and overwhelming poverty. Here are a few highlights, and the main things we saw over two days:

Humayun’s Tomb. Humayun was the 2^nd Mughal (Islamic) emperor and reigned during the early 1500’s. If the tomb’s shape looks familiar, it’s for good reason. This tomb was the forerunner of the Taj Mahal. The site is large, with a well manicured landscape and a number of other interesting buildings. For more information, see my detailed post on Humayun’s Tomb here.

Humayun’s Tomb. The symmetry and structure are similar to the Taj Mahal.

Purana Qila (or Old Red Fort). This site became the capital of Mughal India in 1526 during the Emperor Humayun’s reign. There are massive walls surrounding the site, just like at the Red Fort (see below). Inside, there are only a few buildings remaining, although the gardens and landscaping also add to the atmosphere.

The main gate into Purana Qila.

The Sher Mendal in Purana Qila. Humayun used this building as a library. In 1556, he heard the call to prayer, and in a hurry, he fell and sustained major injuries while on his way down the stairs. He died 3 days later.

The Red Fort. This fort dates from the early 1600’s and was founded by Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal. The wall surrounding the fort is 18 meters high (60 ft).

The massive walls and western entrance into the Red Fort.

The entrance to the Emperor’s reception hall in the Red Fort.

There are a number of interesting structures inside such as temples, reception rooms and out-of-place barracks built by the British during their occupation of India in the mid 1800’s. Note that there is also a “Red Fort” in Agra. Both are interesting, but I found the Red Fort in Agra perhaps a little bit more intriguing with more of the original architecture in tact.

Chandni Chowk. On the western border of the Red Fort is this chaotic market area. If you want to get a feel for the “real” India, take a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, a busy marketplace with bazaars that seem to be mainly frequented by locals. Our car driver negotiated a couple of bicycle rickshaw rides for us and this was a great way to tour the bazaars.

Our rickshaw driver in Chandni Chowk.

We loved just observing the bustle of everyday life and also found some good spice shops here. There was a large weekend market going on while we were there. I could scarcely believe the volume of goods – shoes, clothes, handbags and other items that were on display!

A street scene in Chandni Chowk.

Qutb Minar. I love historical sights and Qutb Minar does not disappoint. The structures (tombs, monuments and mosques) located here date from the late 1100’s. Although the site is known as Qutb Minar, the name refers specifically to the landmark tower and minaret (named after Sultan Qutb-ud-din). There are signs posted in English at most of the major structures.

A view of some of the ruins of Qutb Minar.

The Qutb Minar Tower.

Mehrauli Archeological Park. Near Qutb Minar is a spread out, park-like area with numerous tombs, palace buildings, mosques, and other structures. This site is largely off the tourist radar. The historical buildings are connected via a system of well-marked trails. If you have the time and are visiting Qutb Minar, it’s worth another hour or two to visit this nearby Park.

The exterior porch of the Jamali-Kamali Mosque in Mehrauli Park.

An elaborate well (Rajon-ki-Baoli) in Mehrauli Park.

In addition to the above, you can also do a “drive by” of Delhi’s modern government buildings, commemorative arches, memorials, and other locations such as upscale Connaught Place (with stately buildings, shops and restaurants).

The memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement (from British rule).

India Gate, which pays tribute to India’s soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in several of India’s conflicts.

Getting Around. We just hired a driver for the day. A good local agency to work with is Kumar Tourist Taxi Service. It is also possible to hire taxis from location to location, or autorickshaws. Delhi does have a metro (subway) system as well. There is LOTS of traffic, so it will take time to get from one sight to another. Don’t try to do too much in one day. We were able to accomplish the above in two full days.

Where to Stay. We stayed at the 76 Friends Colony B&B located in South New Delhi. The host was very friendly and the rooms were large and pleasant. They can also arrange transportation for you if desired; however, their rates were relatively high compared to Kumar’s (above).

Visiting St. Petersburg, Russia

As part of a Northern European cruise in 2013, we visited St. Petersburg, Russia. This was one of my favorite stops–it was my fist time in Russia and I was excited to see the city that I had heard so much about over many years. Because there is so much to do here, the cruise ship (Princess Cruises) stayed overnight and this allowed us two full days in port. St. Petersburg was the capital of tsarist Russia, and the sights are numerous and stunning, providing a sense of the power and wealth of the Russian Tsars. This wealth and power were of course major reasons for the 1917 communist revolution.

Listed below are the main sights we visited over the two days.

DAY ONE:

Peterhof Palace

Peterhof Palace. Known as the ‘Russian Versailles’. In good weather, visitors can take a hydrofoil along the Gulf of Finland from St. Petersburg to the Palace.

Catherine Palace

The gilded Ballroom of Catherine Palace.

Exterior view of Catherine Palace, the summer residence of the Tsars. Constructed in the 1700’s. It’s located about 25 km from St. Petersburg.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral

The gold dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the largest in the world, covered with 220 lbs of gold. The cathedral was commissioned in 1818 and completed 30 years later.

Church of the Spilled Blood

The church’s name comes from the fact that it was built on the spot where the Tsar Alexander II was assassinated on March 1, 1881.

Drive around St. Petersburg

Our tour host drove us around various other locations in St. Petersburg, including this monument and government building where the G20 summit was hosted by President Putin in 2013.

DAY TWO:

Canal Cruise on the Neva River

There are numerous canals and rivers in St. Petersburg. A 90 minute boat cruise is a great way to see the city from a different angle.

Hermitage Museum

The beautiful staircase in the Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage was the winter palace of the Tsars. The Museum contains art works that rival any other museum in the world.

Madonna and Child by Leonardo Da Vinci, in the Hermitage Museum.

Peter & Paul Fortress

A view of the Peter & Paul Fortress from the Neva River. This fortress was built to protect the city from Swedish attack and was used for holding political prisoners. The tall spire and tower identify the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral.

An interior view of the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral within the Peter & Paul Fortress. The tombs of many Tsars and their families are located here, including Peter the Great.

Yusupov Palace

Yusupov Palace (also known as Moika Palace) was one of 57 (yes, 57) palaces owned by the extremely wealthy Yusupov family, who were members of the Russian nobility. This is the “Bedroom of the Princess”, one of many elaborately decorated rooms in this palace.

Part of Yusupov Palace is a museum about the murder of Grigori Rasputin, which took place at the palace in 1916. He was a mystic and an advisor to the Romanov family, the last Tsars of Russia. He grew too powerful and in this scene his enemies plot his death.

This parlor was the setting of the last meal and murder of Rasputin. He wielded too much influence and was greatly feared. Invited to a meal at the Yusupov Palace, he was given enough poison with his food to kill five men, and yet was not fazed. He was also shot several times, and still had enough strength to try to escape. He finally died in a courtyard outside the Palace.

Practical Information

History: Read Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie before going. It will give you some background on the tragic story of the last Tsar of Russia and the beginning of the Russian Revolution in 1917.

Weather: Even in August, it was cool. St. Petersburg is located on the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. Our first day was rainy and very windy. The second day was sunny and perhaps in the mid 60’s F.

Tours: Rather than take one of the cruise tours, we arranged our tour through TJ Travel, based on a recommendation of friend who had visited previously. They were excellent hosts, and the cost was about 35% cheaper than a cruise-arranged tour.

Entry: Russia requires visiting tourists to have visa (must be obtained prior to your trip), or by being a part of an official tour group with your cruise (by showing the appropriate documents). This is the only way you’re going to be able to get off the cruise ship. Passport control is taken seriously even for cruise ship visitors and eats up 15-20 minutes each way (entry/exit) on both days.

The Independent Tourist

Travel Locations and Tips for Independent Travelers