The planned city
Dear reader, I've been a bit out of pocket and hope you weren't fretting much. As you'll read soon enough, my tummy experienced more of India than I ever hoped ... and I've not been able to get stable internet or camera connections. But perhaps all is well now! With that preview, let me continue with my great adventure ...........
Chandigarh is known as India's greenest, cleanest, and most prosperous city ... has more ATM's than cows and more mobile phones than beggars (come to think of it, I've not seen a cow on the street the whole time). Almost feels like walking down the streets of NYC (I said "almost"). It is India's only planned city, begun after Partition in 1947 ... the City Museum referred to it as the world's only planned city, but I wonder if that's correct.
Getting there ... I'll try something new! Rather than spend another night in Manali, I catch a bus (deluxe, but not sleeper) leaving at 6:30 pm and "allegedly" arriving in Chandigarh at 6:00 am. First, I got to play the game "find your bus"! A fun little game. All the buses are lined up along the street, no lights, no activity. Thank heavens for a couple of Indian young men who were NY Yankee baseball fans and had a cell phone. Right bus found ... I settle in and off we go.
I mostly sleep ... at 10:30 pm we stop for the dinner break. No one spoke a bit of english, but they did understand me enough for not spicy, butter nan, and chai. Wasn't sure what I was going to get, but it turned out to be the best spinach and paneer curry whipped up by the short-order cook. Yummy!
Back to sleep and several hours we arrive ... 2 am at Chandigarh. Uh oh ... I didn't think I needed a hotel room for the night. Thoughts churn through my mind ... sleep on the street ... go to the hotel pushed by the rickshaw driver. Let's see, between the two, I pick the fleabag option. Goodness gracious, it does give new meaning to the word "fleabag". Walls paper thin, cleanliness not a real high priority, but it's a room. I can hear my neighbors on both sides of me sawing logs in stereo the whole night. Yes, I slept in my clothes, wrapped in my blanket, so I didn't have to touch anything. I will say it did have a western toilet ... thankfully! Bright and early in the morning, my neighbors switch from snoring to TV. Lordy, could it be any louder!
Suffice to say, I awake wearing my cranky pants! Patience ... zip! But my first of the day's to-do was to arrange my next bus trip to Amritsar and make hotel reservations. Hotel ... no problem ... whew.
Now about that bus. I found a travel agency and it all starts. Depending on how I ask the question ........
..... it will be a four hour trip; no, 5 hour trip
..... it leaves at 5 am; no, 6 am
..... there's a noon bus; no, there's no noon bus
..... you can buy a ticket; no, you buy your ticket in the morning.
Aarrghh, I quietly boil over (so much for all that Vipassana training) and walk out. There was a Lonely Planet recommended travel agency and I make my way there. I'm not sure their info is any more accurate, but at least I get a single answer ... I'll go with it!
I figure I better just quietly sightsee today! Hiring my rickshaw driver, I didn't even try to negotiate (bet I made his day). Sights to see .......
First stop the City Museum. This is an exhibit showing the planning and development of Chandigarh. It has many of the original planning documents, memos and drawings from the beginning, even hiring memos of the lead architect. Rather simple and understated, but fascinating.
Then it's off to the High Court. Lonely Planet described it as a must-see ... hmmm. I must have missed something somewhere. Interesting architecture, but I'm not sure what else I was supposed to be looking at.
Next, the Fantasy Rock Garden.
Now that was interesting. Whimsical, impressive, 
armies of human and animal figures made out of recycled junk, amidst meandering paths and waterfalls.
And lastly the Sukhna Lake ... pretty much like any other lake with all the locals out on their paddle boats.
After a busy day, it's off to my reserved guest house ... toilet paper, towel (and even a bathmat), space heater, TV, and an ever-so-helpful staff. A nice dinner, with ice cream for dessert. Life is good again!
Chandigarh is known as India's greenest, cleanest, and most prosperous city ... has more ATM's than cows and more mobile phones than beggars (come to think of it, I've not seen a cow on the street the whole time). Almost feels like walking down the streets of NYC (I said "almost"). It is India's only planned city, begun after Partition in 1947 ... the City Museum referred to it as the world's only planned city, but I wonder if that's correct.
Getting there ... I'll try something new! Rather than spend another night in Manali, I catch a bus (deluxe, but not sleeper) leaving at 6:30 pm and "allegedly" arriving in Chandigarh at 6:00 am. First, I got to play the game "find your bus"! A fun little game. All the buses are lined up along the street, no lights, no activity. Thank heavens for a couple of Indian young men who were NY Yankee baseball fans and had a cell phone. Right bus found ... I settle in and off we go.
I mostly sleep ... at 10:30 pm we stop for the dinner break. No one spoke a bit of english, but they did understand me enough for not spicy, butter nan, and chai. Wasn't sure what I was going to get, but it turned out to be the best spinach and paneer curry whipped up by the short-order cook. Yummy!
Back to sleep and several hours we arrive ... 2 am at Chandigarh. Uh oh ... I didn't think I needed a hotel room for the night. Thoughts churn through my mind ... sleep on the street ... go to the hotel pushed by the rickshaw driver. Let's see, between the two, I pick the fleabag option. Goodness gracious, it does give new meaning to the word "fleabag". Walls paper thin, cleanliness not a real high priority, but it's a room. I can hear my neighbors on both sides of me sawing logs in stereo the whole night. Yes, I slept in my clothes, wrapped in my blanket, so I didn't have to touch anything. I will say it did have a western toilet ... thankfully! Bright and early in the morning, my neighbors switch from snoring to TV. Lordy, could it be any louder!
Suffice to say, I awake wearing my cranky pants! Patience ... zip! But my first of the day's to-do was to arrange my next bus trip to Amritsar and make hotel reservations. Hotel ... no problem ... whew.
Now about that bus. I found a travel agency and it all starts. Depending on how I ask the question ........
..... it will be a four hour trip; no, 5 hour trip
..... it leaves at 5 am; no, 6 am
..... there's a noon bus; no, there's no noon bus
..... you can buy a ticket; no, you buy your ticket in the morning.
Aarrghh, I quietly boil over (so much for all that Vipassana training) and walk out. There was a Lonely Planet recommended travel agency and I make my way there. I'm not sure their info is any more accurate, but at least I get a single answer ... I'll go with it!
I figure I better just quietly sightsee today! Hiring my rickshaw driver, I didn't even try to negotiate (bet I made his day). Sights to see .......
First stop the City Museum. This is an exhibit showing the planning and development of Chandigarh. It has many of the original planning documents, memos and drawings from the beginning, even hiring memos of the lead architect. Rather simple and understated, but fascinating.
Then it's off to the High Court. Lonely Planet described it as a must-see ... hmmm. I must have missed something somewhere. Interesting architecture, but I'm not sure what else I was supposed to be looking at.
Next, the Fantasy Rock Garden.
Now that was interesting. Whimsical, impressive, 
armies of human and animal figures made out of recycled junk, amidst meandering paths and waterfalls.
And lastly the Sukhna Lake ... pretty much like any other lake with all the locals out on their paddle boats.After a busy day, it's off to my reserved guest house ... toilet paper, towel (and even a bathmat), space heater, TV, and an ever-so-helpful staff. A nice dinner, with ice cream for dessert. Life is good again!
posted by CECILIA at 10:29 AM
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