*
Haridwar
This was a pleasant surprise, much more orderly than I`d expected with nice Art Deco buildings in ice cream colours.
...
But very hot already. reminding us that it was time to return to the UK
And gone..
*
India: thoughts
India is rather a sensorily loaded place and one returns the the tranquility and orderliness of Aberdeen with the sensation having awoken from a particularly vivid dream.
My comments here refer to Rajasthan and Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. India is a virtual continent and I would not generalise beyond the states I know a little about.
In terms of general tourism, India is not especially easy though some issues can be mitigated by paying more for better hotels or restaurants.
Lonely Planet`s guide to Rajasthan was disappointing. Usually I find this series of guides to be very dependable, but this book fails utterly to give a balanced impression of India and the challenges likely facing visitors. It is far too positive in tone, to the point of being, essentially, propaganda.
We travelled mainly by taxi. With two splitting the fare this is not as outlandishly extravagant as you might imagine, so that a four hour journey might cost about $20 each. And, of course, that is from hotel to to hotel door- considerably more convenient.
The problems the India`s famous rail network are several- complexity of booking procedure, limited availability of trains and that they often depart at night, and the ubiquitous seediness of stations and trains.
Cheaper hotels are probably dirty; the Indian nation does not, generally speaking, seem to give hygiene much importance, while the middle range ones will also have issues, such as plumbing or poorly cleaned rooms, but they will be fewer. Hotel ratings given on sites such as Booking.com and Tripadvisor are highly questionable as Indian hotels use marketing agencies to purchase positive ratings and reviews, thus corrupting the system. We found that by disregarding the 10 star ratings and looking at those going from 2 to 9, written by non-Indians, we might get a more measured impression of the real state of a hotel.
Most hotels do not accept non-Indian cards, which necessitates taking money out of cash machines in advance- something of a nuisance.
Food was a problem. It is usually spicy, including breakfast, and often extremely so. The curse of veganism is common, so good protein can be hard to find. Sometimes you can find beer, often surprisingly pricy.
Conversations we had with Indians in the three months in which we travelled nearly always served as vehicles for selling. They were rarely the sort of general, genial and innocent conversations which are a staple of other places I have been.
For painting...
For painting India was wonderful with many striking scenes, beautiful sunshine and interesting architecture and street culture. I found it to be mainly safe.
*
*
13. Mussoorie
We stayed at this hill station for a 10 days and the weather was fantastic. The views are astonishing. Like Shimla, the economy is based on tourism but somehow we felt less bothered by this here.
I don`t know why but I didn`t sleep well here. I know it`s a digression but its funny how for no obvious reason, in some places one just doesn`t sleep well.
I worked very steadily.
All works are oil on card
*
*
12. Rishikesh
I painted the Ganges from the hotel window- a chance to pursue a sustained project.
This place is basically based economically on Yoga. But as a result there are plenty of cafes and places for westerners to feel at home in, albeit all serving vegan food and rarely alchohol.
All works are oil on card
*
*
10. Shimla
We stayed briefly in Shimla. It had been a gamble to go there so soon on in the season, and it was indeed unpleasantly cold and wet. The place is an awful lot more touristy than we had imagined, and not touristy in a very pleasant way, so you feel like a processed cheese on return to you hotel every day.
The views are often spectacular there, however.
11. Nahan
We stayed in a homestay in Nahan, located in a wood. Quite nice for forest painiting. The light was subtle and pleasant. We felt well.
All works are oil on card
*
*
9. Chandigarh
This city has some fine examples of work by le Corbusier, in a city built largely following his plans.
And an odd place it is too, more interesting than enjoyable There are interesting, highly sculptural, administrative buildings buildings. I was especially taken by the community theatre which is a the base of the giant hand. But the city is no place for a pedestrians: everything is a great hike from one modernist zone to another.
*
*
7. Jaisalmer
The desert town has the peculiarity of being historically contained largely within the fortress walls, so that shops, temples, hotels and homes can be found being the fortified entrance.
I worked from rooftops.
Jaisalmer is rather atmospheric and I`d like to spend more time there
All are oil on card
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