Driving a Tacoma around the world

Well it's been a long time coming but here's a biggie!

India - part 1

A bucket list moment, visiting the iconic Taj Majal - India’s great love story

India was a country that we knew would be challenging as overlanders. We had heard the horror stories about the hectic, dangerous driving, incredible crowding, and grim poverty in the largest slums in Asia. We entered the country with a high level of trepidation. Even though all the above was true and surviving it was a milestone, India was also an incredible cultural journey that we would not have missed.

With our low expectations about what our experience would be like, we ended up being pleasantly surprised. India won us over. It is not a country to travel expecting glorious wild camping, nature experiences or scenic vistas. Instead India is about understanding the people, the Hindu and Buddhist faiths, exploring cultural sites, intricately beautiful ancient architecture and eating extraordinarily tasty food.


Our four week 7,000 kilometer route through India

India is best described as orderly chaos. The sheer number of people demands courtesy, kindness and a keen sense of humor that guides peoples’ interactions with each other. The combat level driving was insane, but people wove in and out of dense traffic on foot, bicycle, rickshaw, ox cart and motorcycle completely unharmed. After driving the world for four years with no real collisions, we had two minor taps with other vehicles within two weeks in India (both in urban roundabouts) no real damage to either vehicle and everyone just continued on their way with some head shaking. We quickly learned that for our own sanity, the best strategy when visiting cities was to find a spot outside of town to camp and use one of the many readily available transportation options (tuk tuk, taxi, rickshaw) to enter the central town scrum.


Entering India from Pakistan at the Wagah-Attari Border

Our first stop in India was Amritsar where we took care of all the basic necessities of entering a new country - ATM for money, purchasing auto insurance, stocking up on food (and even some beer and wine after a few weeks in the dry country of Pakistan).


First days in India camped in Mrs. Bhandari’s Guest House garden in Amritsar


Wandering the streets of Amritsar - a holy place for the Sikh religion


Seeing what we think of as a swastika everywhere - actually a sacred Hindu symbol of prosperity and well-being

Immediately upon entering India we could see the cultural aesthetic which incorporated artistic whimsy everywhere. Buildings were colorfully adorned, often with symbols important to the Hindu religion. Most women dressed traditionally in gloriously colorful saris. The black and white world of Pakistan receded and life became technicolor.


People loved having their picture taken with us and requests for selfies were constant - so we returned the favor and took pictures of them.


Feeling the shift - many more women out and about than in Pakistan


The Golden Temple - most important holy site in Sikhism

Although we they were few and far between, we did find a few wild camping spots in the north.


Woodland wild camp spot

In retrospect, we wish we had spent more time exploring farther north in the cooler mountainous regions of India, but our timeline was limited by a planned trip home to visit family so we started working our way south toward Delhi. We were also coming from several spectacular scenic weeks in Pakistan’s mountains so were ready for a change.


Main street of Manali

Our first mountain town, Manali, was charming. First developed as a “hill station” - a place for the British occupiers to escape for cool mountain breezes, It now felt like a vacation spot for Indians escaping the heat and crowds of larger cities. The wooden houses and temples were unique, and made sense with the heavily wooded hillsides surrounding the town.


Manali, tourists strolling the streets enjoying the mountainous backdrop


Hidimba Devi Temple, 16th century Hindu temple built in the woods above Manali, lines of faithful waiting to enter.


Old Manali, streets lined with souvenir shops selling macrame, hemp clothing and other hippy-like products alongside yoga studios and meditation classes.


Although it did not feel very authentically Indian, Dawn was happy to find Dylan Coffee Roasters and buy some fresh beans (rare in India, a nation of tea drinkers)


Built on a steep hillside, our parking options were limited in Manali, popped up here cooking dinner.


Even the stable yards are colorfully decorated in India


We always knew Andy had a lot of devil in him, here is proof


Naggar Castle, built in the 16th century, ruling seat of the Kullu region until the British took over and the royal Indian leader sold the castle to the British for a gun.


Beautifully carved


Hindu god Ganesh, god of wisdom and luck

For us, growing up in Christian households, learning about Hinduism was fascinating. The stories of the gods, their blend of compassion, brutality and mischievousness were fascinating. But overlying it all was a clear sense of deep national faith that we do not see in the US. Temples were filled with people of every age visiting with friends or family. Hinduism felt like a daily practice for most people, images of the gods decorated buildings, homes, shops and vehicles. There was kindness and passion in the sharing of information by our guides and fellow Indian visitors. As one gentleman put it “anyone can be a Hindu, you just say you are and then you are.” It is one of the few major world religions that makes no attempt to convert people and the people teaching us were simply interested in telling us about their faith. We learned about the three main deities: Brahma the creator, Shiva the destroyer and Vishnu the protector. Most of the temples we visited were in honor of Shiva and Vishnu as the prevailing thought is that once Brahma created the world he was done, whereas now Hindus are seeking the support and intervention of Shiva and Vishnu in destroying evil and protecting people.


Trucks colorfully painted with lots of advice for fellow drivers -blow horn (I cant see you), use dipper at night (take off high beams when approaching others) plus many other suggestions.


The request to blow your horn felt a little useless as driving in India is a constant cacophony of horn blowing so the utility is greatly diminished


Andy looking a little bewildered as he is served up his first thali at a roadside dhaba- about 30 different bowls of savory vegetable dishes accompanied by unlimited fresh naan - Indian flat bread. Total cost $4


The servers were highly amused by us trying to figure out how to eat everything so gently demonstrated

Driving the twisty narrow roads of the north was not as bad as we feared. Big trucks ruled the road, of course, and passing was a life threatening endeavor, but the traffic was relatively light. Roads were lined with snack shops, colorful temples and family run dhabas (restaurants) which we learned to love. It felt like you were never more than a few miles from good home cooked food. Andy struggled a little with the general lack of meat and inhaled chicken curry when he could find it but learned to appreciate paneer as his second favorite dish.


Appreciating the colorful architecture along the way


View over Shimla - built along the steep hillside

Our next city was Shimla - capital of Himachal Pradesh at the base of the Himalayas and built along an incredibly steep hillside. We had a nightmare experience trying to drive the truck into the guest house we had booked (no wild camping to be had in the region). The roads were switch backed, single lanes which dead ended into spaces with nowhere to turn around. After some stressful unsuccessful explorations with Google Maps, we re-booked into a place we saw in the outskirts and parked, ready to explore on foot.

Overall in India, we stayed in more guest houses and ate in more restaurants than in any other country we had driven in. The lack of remote camping spots made guest houses more practical and they were generally inexpensive. We quickly realized that the $10 variety was not at our hygiene level (questionably clean sheets and toilets) but the $20 room was reliably safe and clean. We missed sleeping in the truck, and sometimes opted to use our own bed but it was practical to to use the guest houses as safe and private retreats.

As far as restaurants, buying the kind of groceries that Dawn was used to cooking with was more expensive than eating locally at the many dhabas. We learned to plan for a relaxing lunch, usually waiting 45 mins for a freshly cooked meal.


Wandering the pedestrian streets of Shimla. Despite being built on a steep hill side, on foot it was a pleasant city to explore.


You could still see remnants of its days as the British summer capital


But local art taking over


And statues of local leaders


Typical Indian breakfast, chapati, poha and spicy chai to drink


Climbing the hill to view up close the giant statue of Hanuman, half monkey half man Hindu god known for loyalty and strength. Towering over the city, he can be seen for miles.

Winding our way out of the hills and into the flat farmlands below, our next stop was Chandigarh which became capital of Punjab when the area was split between Pakistan and India in 1947. “Partition” led to one of the largest displacements in history with millions of people fleeing, Muslims to Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs to the Punjab region of India.

The highlight of our visit to Chandigarh was Nek Chand Saini’s Rock Garden. A man made garden built completely from the waste from demolition sites around the city, Nek Chand built it in secret over 20 years, starting in 1957, eventually covering 25 acres with interlocked pathways, waterfalls and rooms. He and his family had to flee Pakistan to the Indian side of the border following Partition and witnessed the community violence first hand. Creating his fantasy garden was a way of recreating the mythical stories of his childhood.


Walkways of broken ceramics


Using the natural rock formations


Cooling waterfalls


A maze of tunnels and doorways


Beautifully carved figures everywhere


And in the middle a huge mosaic plaza


Nek Chand’s imagination brought to life in 1000’s of human and animal figures throughout the garden


A spectacular place created by a self-taught sculptor

Next up for us was the beginning of our unsuccessful saga of trying to see a Bengal tiger. Dawn noticed that there was a national park along our route and since we always are drawn to national parks, we decided to drive in and check it out. There was minimal information online but we thought that if we booked a guest house we would be able to drive through the park to it in our own vehicle. Luckily this turned out to be the case.


Found a forest wild camping spot on the way to the national park! Some villagers came by and let us know we were on an elephant trail, so we moved to the other side of the road at their suggestion. We never saw an elephant.


Driving into Rajaji National Park. Although it is a tiger reserve, we knew there were not many in the park so were not too hopeful.


The route in took us along a riverbed


Plenty of monkeys along the way

We showed up at our riverside lodge where the caretaker was surprised to see us as he had not received word of our online booking but with typical Indian hospitality he quickly prepared a room and offered us tea. (No camping allowed in the park.) As expected we did not see a tiger and made our way out the next day.


Wide load coming our way


We almost made it clearly past

Our next attempt to see a tiger was at Jim Corbett National Park. We were slightly more hopeful about seeing a tiger here and booked a safari (the only way to enter the park).


Tiger paw print


No tigers but plenty of tiger food


River bed in Jim Corbett National Park

The first half of our time in India was almost over and we headed to Delhi where we planned to find a place to park the truck for a few months while we returned home to see family for the Christmas holiday season.

We booked a hotel for free on our travel points (thank you Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card), parked the truck and set off on free walking tours to explore the city. We had been prepared for absolute insanity in Delhi and were pleasantly surprised - again. Driving was not as bad as we thought it would be (we did not attempt to drive in old Delhi) although we did have one of the aforementioned minor vehicle taps here. People were also not as apt to hector us as obvious tourists as we had feared. Usually there would be a question about whether we might want something (taxi, souvenir, tour, restaurant, etc) but once we declined with a “no thank you” and a smile we were generally left alone. Over the years we have also become somewhat adept at walking quickly through crowded areas and not making eye contact with would be hawkers.


Actual site where Gandhi was shot and killed in 1948 by a Hindu nationalist


Birla House - where Gandhi was living and studying in the last part of his life


Portrait of a hero


Posing at Delhi Gate because when in Delhi . . . .


14th century stepwell in Delhi - used for storing water


Posing at one of the most spectacular Mughal tombs, Safdarjung Tomb built in the mid 1750’s


Sun going down on Safdarjung Tomb

It’s impossible to describe Delhi without addressing the food - it is inexpensive and outstanding. Despite ubiquitous stories of tourists and “Delhi Belly,” we are happy to say that we were never afflicted. We were moderately careful where we ate and never drank tap water.


Tasting Delhi street food - first stop - samosas, savory pastries filled with spicy potato


Watching women skillfully and speedily make naan - Indian flat bread


Dizzying array of tasty fresh food wherever we looked


One of our favorites - parantha restaurant, fried stuffed bread


Aloo parantha - potoato stuffed bread with a variety of sauces


Masala dosa - crepe with spicy potato inside served with coconut sauce, it quickly became Dawn’s favorite breakfast


Visiting the Red Fort (Lal Qila) in Delhi, another impressive Moghal building, this one dating to 1638


Indulging Indian family tourists with requests for photos with us foreigners


Beautiful and intricate architecture at the Red Fort


Even though some of it was white


More family photos, people asked so nicely it was hard to say no

And that was our first two weeks! Coming up was our longest break since being on the road for 5 years - a planned three month visit back to the US. Luckily, our hotel agreed to store the truck for us.

When we returned three months later, all was good, the truck battery had died since the last engine run but we quickly got it going, got ourselves moved back in, re-supplied and hit the road. First stop, Taj Mahal, a place we had always dreamed of visiting.


Entering the Taj Mahal grounds with the first crowds early in the morning


Posing for the classic photo

In general we have an inherent aversion to hiring guides, preferring to wander at our own pace. But we usually make an exception for iconic history sites and in this case were glad we did. Our guide was excellent and learning more about the ruling Mughals, (Muslim dynasty that ruled much of India from the 16th to 19th centuries) and the love story that lead to the building of the Taj Mahal definitely made the visit more meaningful. The fifth Mughal leader Shah Jahan built the mausoleum in 1638 to house the tomb of his favorite wife who died as a result of giving birth to their 14th child.


Intricate carving and inlay work


The other benefit to having a guide, we ended up with our own private photo session



Andy taking a moment in the Taj Mahal parking area to work with a willing helper and a ladder to wash the solar panels - it brought them back to life after a few months in dusty parking


And then a visit to the other iconic Agra site - Agra Fort

We visited Agra Fort with the same guide who took us to the Taj Mahal and his stories were equally fascinating at the fort. We learned of Shah Jahan’s plan to build a second Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife. But his son was concerned about him bankrupting the kingdom and sent him into exile at Agra Fort to prevent any more expensive building. The story goes that the son granted his father’s request to imprison him in sight of the Taj Mahal so he could enjoy the view and remember his wife.


Agra Fort, main residence of the leaders of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638 when they moved their ruling seat to Delhi.


Exquisite carving and peaceful inner courtyards


Dawn got tricked into holding and feeding a chipmunk

And then we were back on the road to explore some smaller cultural sites. Our next stop was Fatehpur Sikri which although lesser known, was in many ways equally beautiful to Agra Fort or the Red Fort in Delhi.


If unable to wild camp, our second favorite option in India was to park at a guest house and pay a small fee to use the facilities. In this case, we paid about $3.50 to park in the garden and use toilet and shower rooms.


Fatehpur Sikri Fort, briefly the capital of the Moghal Empire in 1571 until a lack of water forced them to move the capital to Agra


Beautiful blend of Indian and Persian architectural styles


Inlayed stone work and ancient frescos


Built in a region known for its artistry in stone carving, the art continues in the village today


Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India, still in use


Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti, a revered Sufi saint

Working our way south, next we entered our favorite Indian state - Rajasthan. A spectacular cultural and architectural journey awaited us in cities filled with fascinating historic sites. The main three attractions - Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer are known as the "Pink City," "Blue City," and "Golden City," respectively, and they live up to their names.


Imposing entry gate into the pink city of Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan


Distinctive pink sandstone with white carving and painting


Hawa Mahal, Jaipur’s most famous building - a palace built in 1799 with over 950 windows, allowing the women of the palace to view the action below on the street without being seen


Streetside snake charmers


Gate we exited at the end of the day - tired but fulfilled

While in Jaipur, we learned about Amber Fort on the hillside above and decided to throw in a last minute visit. It was one of those happy travel decisions - we thought it was one of the most impressive sites we visited in India. Even the tuk tuk journey up the hill was fascinating.


Our first time spotting elephants in agricultural use


And seeing a camel on a leash with a motorcycle


View approaching Amber Fort, residence of ruling maharajas


Built in the early 1600’s


Visitors have the option to climb the hill on foot or ride an elephant


Setting with scenic hillsides as a backdrop


Beautiful stone and painting work - in this case we were not the only visitors


Ceiling design


Each living space with its unique character

That's all for now

 

Thank you so much for sharing! Beautiful.

 

It's so awesome to hear about your travels. When you are done, I hope you publish a book; I’ll certainly buy it!

 

Thank you for sharing!

 

Haha! Nothing planned yet, but who knows?

 

Always highly anticipated and never disappointed!

 

I just found this and am truly amazed at your adventure. It's beyond my comprehension, but I truly enjoy reading and looking at the photo's. It must truly be a blessing to have the time and funding to do such a trip. I'm going to try and read this entire journey from the beginning, Keep the great Photo's and as others have stated you might want to write a book on "My Over Landing Adventures in My Toyota Tacoma".

 

Kudos to you and your wife! Absolutely amazing.

 

Thanks for the encouraging words . Believe it or not once you set out on this type of adventure it's pretty easy to do. We've experienced absolutely amazing people along the way. We are retired and therefore have the time and it is cheaper to live overseas than in America. We spend roughly $80 a day or $2,500 per month between the two of us.

 

How many miles are on the Taco now and overall do you think it's performed well?

Love your posts as well. What a courageous and yet fantastic adventure.

 

125,000 miles. Halfway thru our 3rd set of tires. Overall the truck has done really well. Had a total of three breakdowns; an end link on the front antisway bar, two welds broken where the bed mounts were welded onto the frame and one of the ends on our custom-built Deaver leaf springs broke.

If we were to do this again we definitely would stick to a 3rd gen Tacoma. We average between 14 and 15 MPG

 

That’s awesome! And yet some folks on here can’t make it to the mall and back without complaining about their truck in some way.

 

So true! Not that i don't have truck envy. A diesel powered Hilux or Land cruiser 79 series pickup would be wonderful but getting one thats less than 25 years old into the USA would be REALLY problematic

 

Awesome stuff! "Orderly chaos" is a good description. I made a few trips to India for work, but I did get some time to enjoy some of the cultural sites. Some of the carved wood is amazing. It's a bit overwhelming with all the people and color, but if you slow down and take it all in, you realize that people are just going about their days in a pretty chill way. Just lots and lots of them.

I got pickpocketed by kids at the Taj Mahal -- I had heavy cargo shorts on, with my wallet in a front pocket that was buttoned but they still got to it with their nimble little hands as we were pushing through one of the entrances. Not much cash and I was traveling with a coworker, so not a big deal, but got to have the "slumdogged" experience firsthand. We stayed in an old British "palace" that was converted to a hotel in one town where there were monkeys trying to get in through the windows.

On one trip we went to speak to a graduating class from a local college. To get there we went from paved city roads to dirt roads going through villages, and had to stop in one to wait for a naked boy to finish urinating in the middle of the road. As we got closer to the college, it went back to new asphalt roads surrounding only the college. Really odd. The college had open windows with no glass or air conditioning. It's a different world over there for sure!

 

The United States has changed so much since you first departed on your trip. Have you found that events in the US have been reflected at all in your interactions with people in other countries? Granted, you have been traveling, so you don’t have a consistent baseline of staying in one location to see how attitudes might change.

(If there is not a way to answer this that does not run afoul of Tacomaworld’s prohibition of political content, please feel free to DM me or ignore the question.)

Not related: have you visited any places that made you think “Oh, we would enjoy living here!”?

 

If you would have asked me a month ago if I'd ever read all 85 pages of one thread I'd have said you were crazy like a retired couple driving around the world. Yet here we are.

What a fantastic ongoing story, keep on trucking!

 

India - Part 2


We left Jaipur impressed by the architecture in the region but also overwhelmed by the throng of foreign tourists accompanying us everywhere. We had been consistently spoiled in the last few countries feeling like the only visitors in most regions.

Continuing our learning about Hinduism, we journeyed farther south to Pushkar, at the edge of the desert. An important Hindu pilgrimage site, Pushkar has one of the few temples dedicated to Brahma, the god of creation.


Camel drawn carts, a common sight in Pushkar


Popped up at a local guest house


More beautiful architecture


Found a “French Bakery” - it wasn’t really but the coffee was good and the croissants loaded with chocolate. The only place in India where we dined with majority of white patrons.


Bathing ghat -place where pilgrims enter the sacred waters


Wandering the streets of Pushkar - along with the ever present cows


Closer to the temple, streets thronged with pilgrims


Typical village scene in India, women in saris, young men on motorcycles

Finished with the pink city and the pilgrimage site, next was the blue city - or Jodhpur. Many of the homes and businesses were painted a friendly periwinkle blue - reminding us of exploring Chefchaouen in Morocco, several years ago.


Entry gate to old town Jodhpur


In addition to being painted blue, murals adorned the narrow winding street walls.








Made our way to the fort at the top of the city, looking down at the blue landscape. Dawn looking bewildered for some reason.


Mehrangarh Fort at the top of hill overlooking Jodhpur


Covered in intricate stone carvings. Built and re-built from the 15th to 18th centuries.


Haveli architectural style common throughout Rajastan


Elegant interiors of the fort


The fort complex is huge - spanning over 1200 acres


Back on the road - stopping at a dhaba for lunch


Found a wild camping spot at the edge of the desert!

Then we made it to the last of our colorful cities, the golden city of Jaisalmer with its huge fort guarding western Rajasthan.


Jaisalmer fort, a living city filled with intriguing art and history with lots to explore.


More intricate stone carving!


Dawn took many photos with the local women


The amount of work the artists put into creating these buildings is mind boggling








Definitely a living city with laundry hanging between ancient columns


Even the Haveli style homes outside the main fort are beautiful


Few place in the world can match Rajasthan for historic architecture. We were impressed and sated, at our saturation point for seeing and appreciating any more. So a little rest time was in order.


Found one of our favorite camping situations - an abandoned quarry. But then the local youth found us- peace and solitude is hard to find outside in India.


And sometimes the camping is a little grim. Parked up with the cows and rubbish.


Taking a local taxi - jeep with 9 seatbelts holding 15 people

We found throughout India, and later Sri Lanka and Nepal, that often the most sacred sites required climbing literally thousands of steps to reach the temple at the top. Usually the steps are lined with tea and snack shops and people are cheerfully taking their time, sharing bags of sweets along the way.


Climbing the steps to Mahakali Mata Temple, a Hindu goddess temple complex and pilgrimage site


Shrine in the temple at the top of the hill


Temple dates back to the 10th-11th centuries


Sacred cow along the way

Maybe our rest time wasn’t so restful, climbing 2000 steps up to a temple and back, but we are terrible at resting.


A stressful moment being flagged down by a police car on the highway led to requests for for photos and an invitation to tea.


Andy scoping out the sand for a possible beach camp


Selfies with lovely young women at the beach


Yes! we found our spot

After what was truly a brief respite at the coast, we took a deep breath and headed to our last major Indian city - Mumbai. We had initially considered driving further south but a month in India felt like enough for us. The cultural sites and people were outstanding but the traffic and crowding was wearing on us. So we parked our truck at a free hotel (that credit card point system again) and took off on foot, tuk tuk and Uber to explore Mumbai. The congestion in the city was worse than Delhi, exacerbated by the fact that it is a huge peninsula that narrows down the further south you go. There was a lot to explore.


Dawn visiting “fashion street” in Mumbai - endless stalls and racks of clothing making for an overwhelming shopping experience - she did not buy anything


The old (British) area of Mumbai, anchored by the Central Train Station


Statue at the entrance to Mumbai’s financial district. We thought he looked like a cross between Gandhi and Einstein, our walking tour guide told us he represented the “common man.”


Preparing sugar cane for a local favorite drink - the sugar cane is ground and crushed through a giant wheel press then flavors added - our favorite was ginger and lemon


Gateway of India built in 1924 -built to honor England’s George V’s visit - the first British monarch to visit India


Walking the coast line in Mumbai


Skyscrapers to the sea


Wedged into our hotel parking.


Another thing that was wearing on us a little - despite being early March - before the monsoon season, it was HOT!

Our time in India was coming to a close but we still had some important sites to see and a continuation of our efforts to see the great Bengal tiger.

We had heard some disparaging remarks about Ellora and Ajanta Caves being “touristy” but we ignored that and went anyway. Sometimes places attract tourists because they are so amazing and this was the case with Ellora and Ajanta Caves - once again the ancient artists and engineers of India had created something extraordinary. The sites were in some ways similar but also very different and we were glad to have made time to see both. Ellora Caves had extraordinary large scale carving, while Ajanta Caves had more detail and exquisite paintings.


Ellora Caves, 34 caves dug into the hillside


Dating back to 600 AD


Temples dedicated to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism side by side


Kailasa Temple, the largest one at Ellora Caves, dedicated to Shiva





Kailasa temple was completely carved out of solid rock


Ancient monastery cave, more simple but still exquisite. Again carved out of solid rock into the side of a hill


Cave carved into a Buddhist temple





Found a guest house that let us pop up in the front parking - we were the only guests, kind welcome and access to an empty room for a toilet and shower


Our second cave stop - Ajanta Caves, 30 caves carved into the hillside


Aganta caves had extraordinary paintings and frescos


Temples at Ajanta were dedicated to Buddha


Dating back to the 2nd century BC


Walkway along entranced to Ajanta Caves






Amazingly preserved frescos





Many Buddhist monks visiting alongside the tourists

So much history to explore! Then we were back on the road, laser focused on finding a tiger.


Dawn loving her masala dosa at a roadside dhaba


Arriving at Bandhavgarh National Park - the place we were statistically most likely to see a tiger (50% chance).

We managed to secure a last minute spot for a safari at Bandhavgarh National Park - $170 for the two of us. (Reservations open up three months in advance and fill quickly with all inclusive tour companies taking most of the spots) We got ourselves up before dawn and headed into the park with our jeep and driver. Despite our guide clearly knowing the patterns and habits of the tigers in the park, we had no luck. No tigers for us.


Local villager in the park using elephant for transport

Because of the cost at Bandhavgarh we opted not to try again so we set off on the road. But Dawn noticed another national park along the way that was showing an almost 50% chance of seeing a tiger (according to Google). So we pulled into Panna National Park and asked about a safari. They said to return at 5:15am and see if there were any cancellations. They also kindly welcomed us to camp at the entrance so we popped up.


Camped at the entrance to Panna Tiger Reserve

The next morning we were lucky and secured two spots in a shared jeep for a much more reasonable $30.


Again we saw lots of tiger food


And many monkeys, but no tigers.

Talking to other tourists exiting the park we did hear that other people had seen tigers. Not willing to give up and because of the reasonable cost, we decided to try one more time. In the meantime, we made an afternoon excursion to our last extraordinary temple site in India - Khajuraho.


Temples at Khajuraho - built in 885 AD


Known for their intricate and amazingly preserved carvings - many with erotic themes





Both Hindu and Jain temples on the same grounds





Statue of the bull ridden by Shiva

Then we were back to camping at the entrance to Panna National Park, hoping for an early morning safari - our last chance to see a tiger! Unfortunately, we got up at 5am to find out there were no spots available. Not in the cards for us to see a tiger this time. But we are adding it to the bucket list - maybe a future trip back to India with more advance planning for signing up for safaris. We were meeting Indian families who had booked multiple days of safaris months ago so realized this was something we probably should have planned for more in advance, lesson learned.


Last night camped at Panna National Park - not a bad place to be

Our final stop in India was one of the holiest for Hinduism - Varanasi. The fabled place where bathing in the Ganges absolves you of all sin and people bring their loved ones to cremate riverside.

It was an extraordinary place to visit and once again we hired a guide to explain local traditions to us. The tour featured an early morning boat ride along the river as people climbed down the ghats to bath in the sacred water.


Bathing in the Ganges at Varanasi


Boats up and down the river Ganges at Varanasi, taking people across to more secluded spots to bathe


Cremation fires - a constant presence for more than 350 years, 24 hours a day


One of the many HIndu temples in Varanasi


Exiting India - gateway to Nepal ahead

Well that’s a wrap for India! We spent a total of a month and if we had more endurance could certainly have spent longer - it is a huge and complex country. We felt relief upon leaving and a certain nostalgia for all the beautiful experiences. For the way we like to travel it was one of our toughest countries to navigate. But all the memories and learning made it worthwhile.

 

Such great memories! India will always be a standout country for us in many ways

 

I think there's two answers. One, in Europe many people have realized that they need to now stand up in their own defense from the danger of Russia. Also, they realize that the USA has had its image as the worlds superpower diminished. Two, in most of the rest of the world since they are not as well connected, the image of the US as the place to go to become rich is still very strong.

 

At times I do think we're crazy. Some days are rougher than others. Having multiple near misses yesterday with trucks deciding to take their path in the middle of the road on blind corners gets nerve-wracking. Yesterday two motorcycles traveling with us both had minor collisions, luckily no injuries or major damage. North American drivers have no idea how nuts some of the rest of the world drivers are