Chapter Seven: Chandigarh

We were told to expect the unexpected, but we continue to be surprised by India.  After Agra we made our way to Chandigarh, which was the very first designed city (designed by a French engineer in the 50's or so).  It is a big city, but much cleaner and easier to navigate than Delhi was.  We were hosted there by Ashok (Ash-Oak), who is the brother in law of a good friend of ours from the states, Kanwal.  We did not know anything about Ashok, and were expecting to crash on the floor of the house of some humble Indian family's house, but that is not what we found.  Ashok is an Independently wealthy party boy who loves to have a good time and insisted on showing us the modern India.  The very first day we arrived we were all caked in sweat and dirt and had just come from a really long and hot journey from Agra where we had seen extreme humility and poverty.  Ashok insisted we all stay up late (He says no one here eats dinner until after 9:30pm) and then go out to dinner at a really white, clean, fancy restaurant where we were treated like kings.  It was such a shift from what we come from, and it was so unexpected.  Ashok proceeded, over the next three days, to show us all the cool parts of town that would never be in a travel guide. One of coolest parts of Chandigarh is the yellow lizards that live all over the houses here.  You could be in the nicest house of someone with many servants, and still there would be these yellow lizards climbing all over the walls.  They are there to eat the bugs and so no one bugs them, it is fantastic!  He introduced us to many new and interesting people, and many new delicious foods.  He was a very gracious host, he taught us so much about Indian life, and we loved our time with him.     

a floating mini-temple that Ashot took us to at sunset.

Us with Ashok in front of his house

Playing cricket with the local boys.  I kept holding the bat like a softball player though!

This garden used to be the vacation home of the king.

American feet basking in the Indian Sunset

Roots

Swinging on the balcony in a hidden park.

Indians keep calling these two Ali Baba in passing, and we cannot figure out why...

These statues were made from rock and parts of old, broken cups and plates by a man in the 70's.  He made a whole park of statues like this in the woods in secret and when the government found it they almost destroyed it, but they decided to let him keep building.  It was AMAZING.

More statues from the hidden Rock Garden.

More delicious Indian food.

Rickshaw

Ashok, probably telling some joke.  He used to own a bar and has stories and jokes just rolling out of him like a classic bartender.

I LOVE this scene.

A religious bookstore in the back of a old run down truck.  As we approached the truck to look for some books, Ashok told us to wait until the man was done eating.  He said in India, you never disturb someone (like a shop owner) when they are eating.

The travelers

Every morning Ashok would bring us something new for breakfast.

An OLD movie theater playing current Hindi classics.

Travel guides said not to eat fruit since it is washed with their water (which we cannot consume), but how could we say no to fresh papaya with line and dead sea salt?

Lots of bananas.

contemplating India

This is how we do laundry.  In 105 degree weather it does not take very long to dry your clothes.

40 year old plants that used to belong to Ashok's mother.  He plans to make a garden on his roof.

Houses in Chandigarh.  Everything in India is made from brick and cement.

The chemist.  In India this is where people get prescription drugs.  They do not need a prescription, they just come to a little shop like this and a little old man like this searched through boxes (like the wand store in Harry Potter) until he finds what your looking for.