100 Days in India

One Lousy Photo of the Taj Mahal

2009-05-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

I came from south india (Kerala) back north to the town that i started out at(Vrindaban). The master plan was to spend a few days in Vrindaban and then on Friday morning go see the Taj Mahal then drive to Delhi to get my return flight. Sounded great to me until I learned that the Taj is closed on Friday. I learned this about 3:30 on Thursday. So i rented a cab to drive me the 50 miles immediately in the hopes that we could get there in time to see the place. Well, everything in India takes longer than you would think. It was closed by the time i got there. Soooo, all i have is this one lousy photo of the back of the place, ohhh well i tried. Next time!!!!
So that's it 100 days, 50 posts- thanks for looking!

Sadhus of Vrindaban

2009-05-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

A sadhu is a renunciant who lives his or her life for spiritual realization and relies on the good will of others for their sustenance. I had a real hard time shooting these people in the beginning of my trip because they are quite intimidating looking and they generally would ask for a donation for the photo. The donation aspect only really bothered me because i didn't like paying for candid photos, it seemed to ruin the "realness" of the encounter. Regardless; i went back to Vrindaban (the place i started the trip) and i was invited to a feeding of the sadhus event. A local man organized and fed about 200 of these people and i got to shoot it. Sooooo, because they were being fed and happy they let me photograph them. They are pretty far out looking, and that one guy; i don't know, perhaps that's elephantitis?

Spice Markets

2009-05-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

Rickshaw drivers love to take you to their cousin's silk shop, or their brother's trinket store, or; in this case their uncle's spice market. It usually pissed me off when they did this, but it is the way it works in India. If I buy something; they make some sort of profit, everyone is happy. I bought some ginger candies; they were damn good.

Fort Kochi Fishing Nets

2009-05-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

These fishing nets are beautiful and photogenic, but i didn't really see them catch that many fish. It takes like 5 guys to drop these huge nets into the water, and then upon pulling them back up; there was like 3 fish in the nets. Perhaps i was there on a bad day. Anyway; they are called Chinese fishing nets, believed to have been introduced by Chinese traders in the early 1300s.

Kerala People

2009-05-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

The people in Kerala were great; BUT one of these last four punk kids stole my cell phone! I was playing with those kids on a water taxi, and remembered checking my phone to see what time it was, and then the kids got off, and my phone was gone. I think it was the kid in orange, he looks most punk-like. Ehhhhh, i don't really know if it was one of them, but my phone did indeed get stolen that afternoon(i called it and someone answered!!!). It cost about 15 bucks and i only had a few weeks left in India, soooo i wasn't too concerened. Punks!

Kerala Water Canals

2009-05-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

I left Goa and took an 18 hour train ride to Kerala. In Goa i started taking malaria medicine; malaria medicine may or may not prevent malaria, but it most certainly makes one insane. I had the weirdest sleep on that train that i have ever had in my life. The strange sleep and wicked paranoia had been a running theme since i started taking the medicine; I stopped taking it when i got to Kerala, to hell with malaria.
Kerala is possibly the most beautiful place that i have ever been to. I was in a town called Alleppey, this is where boat tours originate that travel the backwaters of Kerala. I was alone, so i didn't do a full on backwater boat tour i did hire a guy to pattle me out around the area, and it was quite a beautiful and serene little tour.

Monkey Hotel

2009-04-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

I met some girls from New York in Goa and they told me the tale of the of the Monkey Hotel. It was to become a five star hotel hidden deep in the jungle. Unfortunately construction was forced to halt because several hundred workers mysteriously disappeared. The place was considered haunted and no one would dare even go near the place again except for a rabid band of wild blood thirsty monkeys!!!!!* Well; obviously we immediately set off on scooters to investigate the evil place. What stood there was the ruins of a dream, and while the monkeys must have been off hunting for whatever evil they could find; there was of course a tour guide and many scary bats(check out that photo!!)**. It was kinda creepy, but i wanted to see some damn monkeys!!!

*ummmmm, i made all that up - i think they probably ran out of funding
**bat photo by Aoife Pacheco

Goa Bliss

2009-04-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

So Goa is paradise. I mean if your idea of paradise is nice beaches, palm trees, tropical climate, hippies, and Europeans; then hell yeah! Me: i love all that, BUT i don't necessarily think it's paradise; but - it was fun while i was there. One thing that struck me immediately is that there were women in bikinis - and even topless at some point(hmmm i don't have any photos of them, but they were there)!!!! This was completely shocking after two months of totally suppressed sexuality. The last shot is the hut i slept in for a week or so, it was about 45 feet from the ocean and cost 10 bucks a night, pretty cool.

Jesus Went To Goa!!!!!

2009-04-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Well, i am not sure if that is true, i can't really make that claim; his people definitely went to Goa though, mostly the Portuguese. In northern Goa there is a place called Old Goa. It has the ruins from the Portuguese time there. Most of these photos are from there. The one thing that immediately struck me as odd going into the church was that I DIDN'T have to take my shoes off. That was strange after all the temples and monasteries that i visited thus far.

The Himalayas

2009-04-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

In the middle of winter clouds hang low around Darjeeling. This creates an overall grey sorta feel to everything, and also inhibits the viewing of the Himalayan Mountains. It was kinda frustrating to look at the view and see nothing but a grey blanket covering everything. HOWEVER, if you got up at 4 am and went to the top of this one peak you could see the mountains for about 20 minutes (if you were lucky) Well; I did this - I only slept 2 hours the night before and was a bit groggy for the viewing, but hell; i saw the Himalayas - even if it was just a tiny little piece.

Darjeeling People

2009-04-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

The people in Darjeeling look less like Indians and more Mongolian/East Asian. It was hard to believe based on the people and the climate (it was chilly) that it was actually still India, but it is. (for now - they want their own identity).

Trees

2009-04-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

Fun with trees.

Dajeeling Tea

2009-04-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Well; i learned a lot about tea at the tea factory. And i realized a lot about tea as well, while it may be tasty and nutritious; it isn't really that photogenic, perhaps some teas are, but Darjeeling tea is a bit bland looking. Here are some shots from the factory that supplies Harrods.

Puri People

2009-03-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

Local portraits, one of my favorite subjects; and yes that first guy is the official lifeguard of the beach! Awesome right?

Puri Fishing Village

2009-03-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, this place was kinda disgusting, but who am i to judge. So, yeah; it's a fishing village built totally around the ocean and they use the ocean for everything; like........ yeah the toilet. So i was standing there watching a kid defecate on the beach and i realized that i was NOT going swimming in this beach. But besides that there were some kinda pretty things to see. We got offered to go out on the boat and shoot them whilst they did their thing, but we had to decline due to time constraints, that woulda been kinda fun.

Cows on the beach

2009-03-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about India is the fact that cows just walk around and hang out everywhere! I walked down to the beach this afternoon and there they were, cows just chilling on the beach; it was fantastic.

Jagannath Temple

2009-03-10T03:31:00.000-07:00

So at this point i am on the east coast of India. I took a 22 hour train from the middle of the country (Varnasi) to Puri on the east coast. Yeah, it was a long time on the train, but it's also kinda cool watching the countryside roll by and reflecting on your journey, and then you realize you have 21 hours left on a train and it gets a bit rough. Anyway, Puri is a beach town, and this temple is one of the main reasons that people come here. The temple is HUGE; as are the deities inside(the word "juggernaut" comes from the name of the Deity), but i was unable to go inside as i am not a Hindu. It is thought that the kitchen of this temple complex is the largest in India if not the world. It's a pretty impressive place even if i was unable to get in. I got on the roofs of some neighboring buildings and shot some day and night stuff. Here is some more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagannath_Temple_(Puri)

People of Varanasi

2009-03-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Always one of my favorite subjects; the local people.

MSC Varanasi

2009-03-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Here are some random shots from Varanasi.

Ganga Puja

2009-03-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

Every night there is a puja (worship) of the holy Ganga(Ganges) river. Here are some shots from both the river and the actual ceremony.

Varanasi Sunrise

2009-02-25T21:06:00.000-08:00

Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world; and it looks like it. It is situated on the holy Ganges river and one of the "things" to do there is take a sunrise boat ride on that holy river. It's quite a beautiful place in hindsight, but i must admit; i really did not like it when i was there. EVERYONE wants to take you out on their boat, the beggars are relentless, and the overall vibe i got from the place was less than positive; BUT it looks pretty, and that's all that really matters.

Trains

2009-02-25T06:46:00.000-08:00

Trains are also the most economic and (relatively) comfortable way to travel around the country. A hundred dollar air flight probally would cost about 7 bucks on the train. Basically you have a bunkbed type thing that you sleep on at night and then you just sit there and watch India go by in the afternoon. It's kinda a fun way to travel however after 22 hours it can get a bit tedious. Trains are also the best crossection of Indian society. Take a short train ride anywhere in this country and you will see all the good the bad and the ugly. The heartwarming families traveling, the heartbreaking beggars and crippled people, and maybe even the heart shocking transsexuals. Yeah that's right, men in saris, it's one of the scariest things I've seen over here. They enter the room with one loud hand clap, and then you turn around and see a "man" in women's clothing. Scarred the hell out of me the first time. I am not fully aware of their role in society, but i think if you give them money it's supposed to bring you good luck. Anyway, i don't have any photos of them. The other great thing about the train is every station you pull into you can get some of the best local street food.

Cultural Program

2009-02-12T02:41:00.000-08:00

The main program that i arrived for was the cultural events. Ya know ladies dancing with pots of fire on their heads, men putting burning coals in their mouths and spitting out fire balls; that kinda stuff; oh right and a bunch of music and dance. Since i was a white guy with a large camera i got an all access pass; it was really cool.

Night Festival

2009-02-12T02:23:00.000-08:00

So the camel festival moved about 40 km outside the city to a desert village. I missed the day activities because i had errands to run, but i made it out there for the night stuff; and i am very glad i did. I missed the last free bus out, so i had to hire an autorickshaw to take me out there. That was a long and bumpy ride in a very uncomfortable vehicle, but we made it. We parked the rickshaw and began walking in the desert. I really had no idea of what was going on or where we were going but i trusted that the hoards of Indians walking over a large sand dune must been the way to go. The sight that greeted me atop that dune was quite startling; i could have been a military base, or a desert rave of some sort, or just something out of Mad Max; it was pretty awesome.

Indian marlboro man/Sunset beard guy

2009-02-12T02:19:00.000-08:00

These two pix rule, but don't really fit into any category; so they get their own.

Mr./Ms. Bikanar

2009-02-12T02:01:00.000-08:00

This was a beauty contest of sorts. It was hilarious. The men were very serious, but in a totally tongue in cheek kinda way (i think). The women were quite serious and had to even give a little speech thing, which of course i could not understand. I have no idea what the parameters for winning this contest were, but it was a blast to watch. The three kids were were completely adorable in their little Rajastani outfits.

Two Words: Camel Festival!!

2009-02-10T06:13:00.000-08:00

This was the greatest thing that I've stumbled into in my trip to India thus far. Suzanna and I went to Bikanar for the simple reason of seeing the rat temple. This was reason enough to go to a place in my opinion, however when we got their we were happily surprised to find out that the annual camel festival was starting the very next day!!! Who doesn't love camels dressed up and with beautiful carvings on their fur, well i know i do!! Camels are really cool and crazy looking animals. People came from all over the desert to show off their beasts; it was wild. Their was also a cultural event and a male/female (human) beauty contest of sorts. The next several blogs will deal with this one event. There was a one day event in the city of Bikanar, and a two day event in a small village 40 KM away, i went to both.

RAT TEMPLE!!!!!

2009-02-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

Near the town of Bikaner is the Karna Mata Temple. I've been to many temples in my stay here in India. Some of them are known for their architecture, some for their deities, and then there is this one which is known for their rats. The rats are sacred here, as they are considered to be incarnations of holy people or something like that. I have to admit, i thought there would be many, many more rats, but it was still pretty cool - if you like rats, which i kinda do. Here is an article about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karni_Mata

Ranikpur

2009-02-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

This was the second stop on the trip from Udaipur to Jaipur. This is a Jain Temple in the middle of nowhere. It's about 500 years old; so to put it in context - when columbus sailed the ocean blue: this place was built. It has over 1400 columns; all of which are different! Anyway, this temple was quite amazing.

Kumbalagarh Fort

2009-01-31T04:01:00.000-08:00

I left Udaipur with my friend Suzanna and some German dude who's name i now forget. We shared a car to Jaipur. I think it would have been about a 4 hour drive if we drove it straight, but we made some stops. Kumbalagar Fort was one of the stops and it was well worth it. In Rajastan(the north west section of India where I have been in for a few weeks) every town seems to have a fort and a palace That's all well and good, but i really get bored of that stuff kinda quick. This fort stood out - it was like a fairy tale come to life. Perched atop a mountain with walls that seem to go on forever this fort seemed, and was in reality; impenetrable.

Udaipur: Room with a View!!!

2009-01-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots of the view from our room in Udaipur - it was amazing!

People of Bundi

2009-01-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

That mother from the first shot is quite beautiful. I had to work very hard for her to let me take her photo. I'm getting a little better at convincing women, but it's still very difficult.

Bundi Views

2009-01-19T03:02:00.000-08:00

So my friend Virginia had to leave, so i picked up a new girl and took her with me to Bundi. I really wish i was that cool, but i'm not. Her name is Suzanna; we had a similar travel schedual and we got allong well, so we decided to hit the road together. Its always alot funner to travel with someone else. Bundi is a bit off the mainstream tourist trail so it was super sweet. I loved this town, there were actually places you cold go an there would be NO people around. This is a huge rarity in inda. All of these towns in Rajastan have forts and palaces and are full of history, the unfortunate reality is that i didn't know anything about the history so there really wasn't any context. But that said they are still pretty to look at.

The People of Pushkar

2009-01-19T02:52:00.001-08:00

Here are some shots of the local people, doing what they do. The second to last shot is my friend Virginia, and the last shot is obvously me and some of my local lady friends!!!!!

Pushkar views

2009-01-19T02:39:00.000-08:00

Pushkar is a tiny little town surrounding a sacred lake. It's quite small, but also quite sweet. There are a lot of westerners there so it's pretty easy to get comfortable there. Here are some views of the town and the surrounding desert.

Christmas in Jaipur

2009-01-07T03:38:00.001-08:00

Santa made it to Jaipur!
Jaipur is loud and obnoxious and i didn't really like it. I am not sure if it really was the place, or the flu that i developed while i was there, but regardless i left after a 2 days. I met a nice girl named Virginia from Brazil, who lives in New York, but is traveling around India, who also didn't like Jaipur, so we went to Pushkar. That sentence sounds more confusing than it really is.

Here is a little video of a taxi ride in Jaipur. Instead of music, try to imagine a constant stream of honking and shouting. That's basically travel in Jaipur.

People in Action

2009-01-05T05:07:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots of day to day life over here. In some ways it's similar, but in many it most certainly is not.

COWS!!!

2009-01-05T04:58:00.000-08:00

Cows wander the streets seemingly aimlessly over here. Its quite funny and i often wonder where they are heading off to. They move with a grace that doesn't quite fit their huge body and it makes it quite fun to watch them wandering about. If i am bored with people watching and can't find any monkeys, then cows make for quite entertaining viewing.

Flowers and Fields

2009-01-05T04:51:00.000-08:00

Just some flower selects.

Black and White Brindaban

2009-01-05T04:45:00.000-08:00

Here are some black and whites from the back alleys and such of Vrindaban. I really like the over saturation of color over here, but quite often the black and white tells a better story

Monkeys, monkeys, everwhere monkeys!

2008-12-22T21:20:00.000-08:00

Animals wander the streets freely here. Most keep to them selves and mind their own business, most of them with the exception of monkeys! The first day I was here a monkey snuck up behind me and stole some fruit of my hand. It was a bit startling to say the least. Since then I have been very conscious of their presence. They can be cute as babys, and funny to watch as adults; but truth be told - they are a pain in the ass. They are constantly fighting, stealing food, humping, masturbating, and just generally causing chaos. They will steal your glasses and not give them back until you give them some food; they are smart little rascals! Places hire men to walk around with slingshots on monkey patrol. I even had a run in with a dozen or so once that i had to scare off with a stick and loud yelling. All this said, i still kinda love monkeys.

Fractured pinky, sick belly

2008-12-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

In the past 4 days i managed to fracture my poor little pinky toe and get a bit of the sicky stomach problem that many people experience here in India. I got to see an Indian hospital though and i was fairly impressed by the cleanliness and efficiency with which it was run. It cost me 10 bucks and i got an x-ray out of the deal. I have to wear a splint on my toe for two weeks, and that will be a bit of an annoyance in a culture so dependant on walking. I won't go into the stomach issue, but i am sure you can imagine...

The main issue that this causes is that it slows me down, there was several more things that i wanted to shoot in this town that i will be unable to due to these issues. I leave on Wednesday morning for Rajastan.

Men of Vrindaban

2008-12-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

I will attempt to put up some portraits of women, but they are very, very camera shy thus far.

Kids of Vrindaban part 1

2008-12-19T04:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some selects of a series of portraits that i am working on. Every time i go out with the camera i end up shooting some portraits. Kids here for the most part love to have their photo taken. Adult males are 50/50, and women almost universally say no.

Govinda Temple

2008-12-16T02:11:00.000-08:00

There are thousands of temples in this area, literally. I am just going to focus on shooting a few. This is a beautiful temple which is over 500 years old. The temple itself used to be several stories taller, but Muslim invaders tore down the top of the building and generally desecrated the space about 300 years ago(i think). This is a similar theme to many of the old temples in the area. Anyway, its a great looking temple so i went down at dawn to shoot it.

Night in Loi Bazaar

2008-12-13T00:38:00.000-08:00

Loi Bazaar is one of the main shopping centers in Vrindaban. You can buy anything and everything there. It's crowded, loud, and a general sensual overload; luckly i come from NYC which has many of the same qualities. It took me a few days to feel comfortable in this environment, but now it totally seems normal to me.

Radha Kund/Syama Kund

2008-12-11T03:13:00.000-08:00

A kund is basically a lake, a holy lake. Pilgrims come from all over to bathe in these kunds. They are located at the base of a sacred hill called Govardhana. There is a pilgrimage they one takes around this hill(I did it - 12 miles, barefoot - ouch) and you end up at Radha Kund. I wasn't really prepared to bathe in the kund, so i simply sprinkled some of the holy water on my head.

Kesi Ghat

2008-12-08T01:07:00.000-08:00

The December fog hung real low this morning. I had seen this place a few days back, and it was beautiful in the bright afternoon sun. It was even more spectacular in the early morning fog.
btw:
ghat also ghaut (gôt, gät)

A broad flight of steps leading down to the bank of a river in India, used especially by bathers.

Rickshaw around Vrindaban

2008-12-07T02:39:00.000-08:00

The first few days in Vrindaban i just took a rickshaw (bike with a seat in the back) around the city and shoot from the safety of my ride. It's pretty intense here, and i haven't really had the courage to go out in the main part of town with my cameras and such - white boy with fancy camera might lead to some interactions that i am not ready for - yet. Here are some shots from the safety of the rickshaw.

Delhi to Vrindaban

2008-12-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Delhi on the evening of December 2nd, the next morning i had a car drive me 3 hours outside the city to the small town of Vrindaban. This series of photos are from that car ride. Everytime i put down my camera on the ride i immediately had to pick it up again because i saw something completely new. Anyway, my main realization on this trip was that anything with legs and/or wheels was on the highway; all moving at different speeds and all packed with some sort of cargo, human or otherwise.