Category Archive for Art + Design
New Delhi, India with Janu Private Tours! Review of guide, driver tour: Jantar Mantar, Jama Masjid, Humayan’s Tomb.
“India Waale!” After year of talking and planning, Yukiro and I finally made it to India!
Even though we’re experienced travelers, I confess I had some trepidation about coming here. I’ve heard that India can be a challenging destination, with abundant culture-shock. But it turned out these fears were unfounded, as we were in the best possible hands with Janu Private Tours.
I’m so glad we went with this highly-rated tour company, as they gave us the royal treatment throughout Northern India. The kind owner, Mr Janu, paired us with expert guides and drivers, booked us lovely hotels, and took us to several cities in a spacious and fully-stocked car.
Janu Private Tours has over 500 positive TripAdvisor reviews for a reason: his clients trust him, and he goes above and beyond to make them feel at home. Mr Janu encourages guests to come with a “clear mind and open heart — welcome to India.” And that’s exactly what we did: dive in, go with the flow, and experience the fascinating wonders of this country without judgement.
It makes sense to tell this tale chronologically, so read on for our travel preparations (how to get a visa, what to wear), and first impressions of New Delhi!
Let’s start with some prep talk about vaccinations and visas.
– Vaccines: A trip to India requires a bit more preparation than usual. Yukiro and I went by the CDC recommendations for travellers: we made sure our basic vaccinations were up to date, and got shots for typhoid. I also took Dukoral, an oral vaccine that helps prevent stomach sickness (you have to take the first of two doses at least 2 weeks before you depart).
– Tourist visa for India: Allow yourself plenty of time to get the tourist e-Visa, which you can now submit online. Yukiro and I filled out the visa carefully, and got it approved without any questions or hold-ups within two days, but it takes longer for others. Make sure you use the official goverment visa site, as there are fake ones.
– The Indian e-visa does ask some weird questions (are you transgender, what’s your religion, do you have visible marks, have you been to Pakistan, are you illiterate?) We made sure all our contact info was correct, and that the photo and passport scans were clear (with an addendum since I didn’t have room to list all the countries I’ve visited in the past 10 years, in the section provided).
– Don’t leave anything blank. For religion, I put “Other: N/A”. (I would caution against putting Atheist, Satanist, Agnostic Pagan, Wicca or things like that… best not to raise any eyebrows!)
– Make sure you jot down the temporary ID number and payment number, so you can save and continue filling out the form if the page fails.
– Payment problems: many including myself had trouble loading the final page (SBI payment – the server fails). Instead, for the final stage, go onto your smartphone and use 3G / 4G data (not wifi). Enter the “payment reference number” to get back to that page, and then pay using Paypal (for me, credit card also resulted in error).
– You’ll get your approved visa by email; be sure to print it out. Once you arrive at Indira Gandhi airport (which is lovely – see the mudra hand gestures sculptures above), head to the e-Visa line and you’re all good!
I highly recommend that you do a private tour with a driver, especially if you have limited time. Mr Janu was waiting for us at the airport arrivals, and helped us cut through the crowds to reach the car and head straight to the hotel. We never had to deal with touts, haggle with taxis or stress over scams and directions — all of which are aplenty in India.
Janu Private Tours has tons of connections throughout the country, and knows the best hotels for your budget and needs. Mr Janu checked us into The Park hotel and it was exactly what we wanted: a 4-star hotel in the heart of the city, with decor that reminded me of a Japanese host club!
– What to wear in India? In big cities like Delhi, anything goes, but it’s best to wear modest cover-up clothing in smaller and rural areas. I suggest packing light, long skirts such as my elephant maxi skirt. Bring close-toed shoes and sandals with a bit of lift, as the streets can be dirty (I threw out my shoes after the trip).
– Outfit details: I’m wearing a 1991 New York Shiva shirt, arm covers, sunglasses by Clearly, and a black sun hat by Lack of Color. Most importantly, I’m covered in DEET-containing mosquito spray, the only thing that truly repels them. Bens 100 mosquito spray is the strongest one out there, and I didn’t get a single bug bite thanks to it.
India is a safe country as long as you stay aware of your belongings, and use common sense. I wanted a secure bag to hold my possessions, and found the perfect one: this pink backpack by Print All Over Me, designed by Stella Rose (who released an adorable collection with them!)
A lot of Indian street vendors and beggars approached us, and locals often asked to take photos… so it was fun to point to the “No Thank You” and politely decline!
In our week together, we got to know Mr Janu (or Shabbir Khan) as a friend. The story behind Janu Private Tours is an inspirational one: as a teenager, Janu became a tuk tuk driver to support his family. He hardly knew English, had no advanced schooling, had never left his hometown of Jaipur…
However, he had drive and vision: Janu decorated his tuk-tuk to the nines, and built up trust with locals. He became known for showing tourists around Jaipur with passion. Gradually, he built up clients and expanded his business into car-guided tours in Rajasthan, then all of India.
It’s amazing how Janu went from manning a tuk tuk driver (the yellow and green auto-rickshaws above) to becoming a successful business owner who is well-travelled, fluent in English, and constantly growing his endeavors. He now has 30 staff members, and has worked on productions for BBC, the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel movie, music videos for Romanian pop star Loredana, and more.
I’ll show you his latest venture, a hotel, and more in the next posts — but as you can gleam, Janu is a remarkable person and we were happy to get to know him.
We weren’t sure which landmarks to see in New Delhi, and put our trust in Janu. He took us to Jama Masjid mosque, and as you can tell, we loved everything about it.
At the entrance, women are provided with robes to wear over their clothes. You have to remove your shoes, but can wear socks or purchase slippers for 100 rupees. Entry is free but there’s a 200 rupee photography charge (generally, attractions in India have entry fees of 200-500 rupees, or $3-7.)
Jama Masjid is one of largest mosques in India, and an architectural beauty. It was built by by Shah Jahan in the mid 17th century (this is the Mughal emperor who also also built the Taj Mahal, which we visited later on.)
Muslims from around the country come here to worship. How beautiful are the scalloped arches made from red sandstone and white marble, ornamented to look like a prayer mat.
Oh dear, everyone wants to take a photo! The scene above may look intense, but these are merely travelers from around India who are curious about foreigners. Everyone was respectful, and our guide helped us gently walk away after a few snaps. (We learned that it’s best to politely decline, since if one person is allowed a photo, then everyone else wants in — and you’ll be making cute poses for half an hour).
Loving the warm, subtle design and symmetry of Jama Masjid.
My friends and I try to travel to destinations in the off-season, to avoid crowds. We went in early July, and got lucky — the high heat had died down, but the monsoon rains had not yet fallen. If we went during peak season (October to March), the courtyard would have been teeming with tourists.
The mosque is right next to Chawri Bazar, the chaotic marketplace of Old Delhi. It’s a colorful free-for-all of narrow streets, laborers, fruit stands, beggars, monkeys climbing electrical lines, you get the picture.
We wanted to take in Old Delhi, but it would have been too intense to walk around on our own. Janu Private Tours arranged the perfect solution: a rickshaw ride through the historic district!
Yukiro and I squeezed into the back of the three-wheeled bike, and held on for dear life as our driver peddled through the half-mile-long bazaar.
Our rickshaw raced down the alleyway. I turned to Yukiro and exclaimed, “This is better than the Indiana Jones amusement park ride!”
The driver was a pro, yet it felt like danger was at every turn. Sparks from low-hanging electric wires, puddles of water that I hoped wasn’t sewage, people in the streets, piles of garbage, packs of street dogs…
I’m not going to sugarcoat the experience of India: you’ll see dirt, poverty, difficult sights. But if you come in with a open mind and go with the flow, then this might be the most transformative place you’ll ever visit.
Every moment was a learning experience. So much to take in; overpowering sights and sounds. So many questions about the unique and sometimes conflicting culture, which Janu and his guides helped us to understand.
Since we had a car/driver, we were able to see many sights, and cool off in between under the air conditioning (Janu’s cars come with a chest full of cold water, sodas and snacks for guests).
Onward to Humayan’s Tomb, resting place of the 16th century Mughal emperor. The mausoleum was commissioned by his first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum.
Our guide walked us through the arches, and explained how India’s Mughals are descended from the Mongol empire. These rulers were all Muslim, and India came to a golden age of architecture, culture and science during this era (especially the reign of Shah Jahan in the 17th century).
Enter the portal. I’m wearing a 1991NewYork t-shirt with an image of Lord Shiva.
Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas ornamented the the tomb with symbolic carvings, marble lattice screens, and geometric motifs like eight-pointed stars.
“No Thank You!” Living for my cheeky Print All Over Me x Stella Rose backpack. I’m a huge fan of PAOM, which carries thousands of exclusive designs by artists. On their site, anyone can custom-print artwork onto a variety of garments for both men and women. Every item is produced sustainably, and the quality is top notch (I’ll be showing you more of their designs soon).
I’m standing in the Char Bagh, or “four gardens” that lead to the tomb of Humayan. The Persian-style quadrilateral layout is immense, with symmetrical water channels and hedges.
The precisely layered shapes draw the eye, and the cut-out windows bring in glowing light.
Perhaps my favorite attraction in New Delhi was Jantar Mantar, a collection of thirteen giant, bizarre astronomy instruments! In the 18th century, Maharaja Jai Singh II constructed the observatory to chart the movements of celestial bodies and make astrological measurements.
If I came across these structures without knowing what they were, I’d assume they were built by aliens. In fact, they’re instruments based on mathematical principles, and determine various measures of the sun, moon, planets and time.
Misra Yantra (the strange curving staircase above) is a tool to calculate the shortest and longest days of the year. It can also find the exact moment of noon in various cities and locations, and the results are amazingly accurate.
Is that the Colosseum of Delhi? Nope, it’s Rama Yantra, which measures the altitude of objects and the azimuth (position of a celestial object such as a star, relative to a point).
If you look inside the windows, you’ll see the weird sight on the right. The shadow falling on the scale makes the calculus (something to do with the angle and projection onto the horizon — I don’t quite get it).
On the left, this towering structure looks like something out of Burning Man. It’s the Central Triangle of Large Samrat Yantra. This “supreme instrument” serves as an equal hour sundial, but also can precisely measure declination and other coordinates of heavenly bodies.
“And she’s buying a stairway to heaven…”
The epic triangle is 70 feet high, with a hypotenuse parallel to the Earth’s axis and pointing to the North Pole. It’s flanked by two quadrants with graduations that indicate hours, minutes, and seconds.
New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar is a trippy place that got my imagination flowing. I didn’t know the Indian astronomers had such advanced instruments, and enjoyed learning about Jyotish (the traditional Hindu system of astrology).
Thanks to Mr Janu’s expert arrangements, we were able to see all of the above in single day. Delhi is a spread-out capital, and this would have been impossible to accomplish on our own.
India is one of the world’s oldest civilizations, and driving through Old and New Delhi, you come across the many layers of history. We passed by India Gate, memorial to the 82,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died in World War I.
We also drove by Sansad Bhawan or Parliament House, which dates back to 1927. This was during the time of the Raj, or British rule of India beween 1858 and 1947 (when Gandhi’s nonviolent movement led to Indian independence).
India has over 700 dialects, but English and Hindi are the official languages, and there remain vestiges of British influence everywhere.
The aliens have landed elsewhere in Delhi.
It’s not a spaceship, it’s the Lotus Temple — a Bahá’í House of Worship completed in 1986. Design magazines praised the minimalist organic design and spaceship feel.
Baha’i is a fascinating and inclusive faith that originated in the Middle East. The flower-like temple is open to everybody, regardless of religion, race, gender or any background.
India, you’re amazing. Even though I’ve been to over 60 countries, there was so much I learned and experienced for the first time.
It’s a country of contrasts, with elements that Westerners will likely find odd (like holy cows and animals in the streets).
We’ve wanted to see India for a long time, and are glad we “did it right” by traveling with Janu Private Tours. They took care of the logistics of getting around, gave us valuable guidance and helped us dive into the heart of the culture.
Namaste Janu Private Tours for the warm welcome to India! Can you believe we did all of the above in only one day?
I have lots of India stories to share with you: an elephant sanctuary and palaces in Jaipur, Agra’s Taj Mahal, Varanasi on the river Ganga… keep your eyes peeled.
PS: if you have any questions about traveling to India, packing, prep or anything at all, leave me a comment and I’ll help you out as best as I can!
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Alternative Austin travel guide! Archer Hotel, Elysium Goth club, Sixth Street hot sauce, Congress bridge bats.
“Keep Austin Weird” is the motto of the Texas capital… and I think we certainly lived up to it!
I’ve long been curious about the Goth / offbeat attractions in Austin, Texas. Lauren and I took a weekend trip to visit our friend Sarah, and take a walk on the weird side of the city.
Looking for a Goth travel guide to Austin, Texas? Then read on…
We’ll court death at the Tears of Joy hot sauce store (above), watch the bats fly from Congress Bridge, encounter biker gangs on W.6th Street, and nightcrawl at Gothic music club Elysium.
Austin has become a young travel destination in recent decades, thanks to SXSW and startup culture. It’s a liberal, independent city in an otherwise conservative red state. As the saying goes, “Austin’s a blueberry in the tomato soup of Texas.”
Lauren and I had a magnificent stay at Archer Hotel, which perfectly captures the laid-back, artistic vibe of Austin. We instant fell for the boutique hotel’s mid-century modern meets Southwest decor.
Hotel Archer opened its Texas location only 8 months ago (they also have a New York property). All the spaces are beautifully designed and the staff was lovely, especially the concierge Steven.
(Address: 3121 Palm Way, Austin, TX 78758)
We loved the eclectic, modern Texan interiors (note the cow skull pattern pillows), and fun touches — such as the random elevator music that ranged from disco to soft rock.
Que paso? What’s happening in this neighborhood?
A lot, as the Archer Hotel is located in The Domain Northside. It’s an up-and-coming area lined with hipster shops and restaurants, and not far from the historic downtown. (I’ll give you a tour at the end of the post; make sure you scroll to the bottom).
The boutique hotel has 171 luxurious and fully-stocked rooms, which we loved coming back to after a long day of sight-seeing under the sun.
I’m wearing a vintage dress, which is for sale on my Depop shop. (Feel free to browse, and email me if you’d like anything you see listed.)
My midi tote purse is by Strathberry, and my clog sandals are by Lotta from Stockholm. See more about my bag below, with a click:
From our hotel, it was only a short Uber or Lyft ride to West Sixth Street — the famous Austin entertainment district. We were greeted by kitschy murals and men on motorcycles… our trip happened to coincide with the ROT Rally biker festival!
Bikers from all over gathered to hang out in downtown Austin. On W.6th Street, there are plenty of tattoo parlors, bars and pizza joints to keep them happy.
Also nicknamed “Dirty Sixth,” this street is the go-to for raucous nightlife and live music.
For fans of quirky oddities, there’s a lot to see on this strip. We stopped by the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz (historic theater dating back to 1929), and popped into the Museum of the Weird.
As a fan of spicy flavors, I was excited to visit the Tears of Joy hot sauce shop! (Address: 618 E 6th St Austin, TX 78701)
This family-run business stocks hundreds of salsas and sauces, which are fantastic for souvenirs (I picked up all the spooky bottles on the left). As you might guess from the coffin-shaped bookcase above, some of these can be tongue-burning hot.
It’s a joy to browse through all the labels: the names / images range from frightening (Satan’s Rage) to goofy (Buhba’s Butt Blaster). Tears of Joy carries hot sauces from around the world, with a focus on rare items made in small batches with natural ingredients.
I’ve never seen such creative bottle designs, all in once place. Some entice you with skeleton and spider toys attached to the labels.
I gravitated to the scary spices, and made my final selection with the friendly input of co-owner Brian Rush.
He had a spread of tortilla chips and hot sauces in the back table, which anyone is welcome to try. We even dared to try The Source, a pure extract and one of the hottest sauces on the planet… Try one dot on the tip of a toothpick, and you’ll be reeling!
I encourage you to stop by Tears of Joy, for a date with the Reaper. They make their own products as well; the Red Fang is my favorite, and is sold on their online store along with many others.
On that note: nearby is the Treaty Oak, a sprawling tree that was the center of a poisoning mystery. (It’s located at Baylor St between 5th and 6th Streets).
This majestic Southern oak tree was the last survivor of the Council Oaks, a grove of 14 sacred trees where two native tribes would meet. In 1989, locals suddenly discovered that the tree was slowly dying… as it was being poisoned by someone.
The city banded together to save the Treaty Oak. After an investigation and trial, Paul Cullen was sentenced to 9 years in jail for poisoning the tree (he served three, and maintains his innocence). Today, the oak stands strong, although it no longer has a branch span of 127 feet.
As the sun sets, it’s time to release the bats! Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in North Americas (the bats live in the crevices under the bridge). Every evening, they fly out in search of prey — although the best time to see them is in spring and summer.
Some visitors gather at Austin-American Statesman Park to see the bats, or take a boat ride into the waters. Lauren and I chose to stand on the bridge, and found a great spot right on the railing, above one of the posts in the center.
As the sky darkened, tiny Mexican free-tailed bats began to whizz out from under us. Don’t worry: these little brown creatures won’t hit you in the face.
Look out over Lady Bird Lake, and you’ll see an ominous dark cloud floating over the skyline. The bat colony is out on the hunt for insects. Quite the “Gotham City” sight, wouldn’t you say?
The bats got us in the mood for a Goth party. On the recommendation of many locals, we went to Elysium Goth club for a night of dark dance.
This is the top Austin venue for Gothic Industrial dance music, bringing in DJs and live bands. Founded in 2001, Elysium is a large club with multiple spaces and old-school purple-blue lights. (Address: 705 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701, USA)
Elysium has various themed nights and special events. That evening, we watched Blakk Glass perform (energetic darkwave from Seattle).
The concert headliner was Hexheart, a new project from Jasyn Bangert, the grandmaster of God Module.
The audience loved Hexheart’s mix of darkwave, synth and post-punk. Between the sets, the DJs played Gothic tracks for people to dance on the sunken floor.
Spooky selfie. (My top is by Disturbia Clothing.)
Finally, let’s talk a walk around the Domain Northside, where our hotel Archer is located. This is a newly developed northern area: most of the shops only opened a couple of months ago, with more on the way.
The Domain is becoming a one-stop shopping and dining destination in Austin. The public spaces are lovely, and the surrounding streets carry both local and national brands (such as Warby Parker and Free People).
We encountered large-scale colorful murals featuring Leonard Cohen, rats with wings and other trippy designs.
Here’s to giant public art installations. The Domain includes Rock Rose, a street with a mouthwatering selection of international restaurants (Thai, Indian, Mexican etc), clubs and bars.
Highlights from our stroll: the speciality candy store Sugarfina, and this open courtyard with scoop chairs.
A lot of the boutiques specialized in cute local-made goods.
Purse designer Kelly Wynne is from Texas, and opened her first retail location here not long ago.
Hiding among the butterflies, in my Live Long backpack by Long Clothing. These murals are part of the HOPE Outdoor Gallery project.
HOPE is a community paint park located at 11th & Baylor, launched by a team that includes street artist Shepard Fairey. It uniquely provides street artists the chance to create and display large-scale art pieces, and encourages educational initiatives.
I picked up a few things at Whole Foods. The natural grocery chain originated in Austin so its stores are gargantuan here, with a larger-than-usual selection of items. Outside the Domain Whole Foods, there was this pastel patio for Spun liquid nitrogen ice cream.
Back at Archer Hotel, we were ready for a meal at the acclaimed Second Bar + Kitchen, which also has a popular downtown location.
But first, cocktails. We went up to the pool terrace of Archer TX, for happy hour cocktails. It was only $6-8 for these outstanding drinks: a Painted Mule with meadow tea and ginger beer, and Green River with chartreuse, grapefruit oil and basil.
There’s tons to do at the Archer, with an outdoor pool decorated with a Lonestar, and a fitness center. At the front, guests can pick up crafts by local artisans.
The lone star, found on the state flag and commemorating its independence from Mexico, also adorns the ceiling of Second Bar + Kitchen. The restaurant is run by Chef David Bull, and is all about seasonal, local, casual fare that is perfect for sharing.
We started with the outstanding meatballs, and unique cocktails: above is a gin with peach, honey and scoop of jalapeno jam.
Our server brought out off-menu selections, made fresh with the best ingredients of the day. The Texan heirloom tomatoes with smoked cheddar were our favorite starter. Second Bar + Kitchen takes comfort food flavors to new depths, with unique courses like pepperoni soup, and chicken tortellini in broth.
Since I was back in the South for the first time since New Orleans, I was keen to “get my grits on.” The black truffle grits with caramelized onions were the best I’ve ever had. We also loved the pizza with blue cheese, pork, medjool dates and truffles — an unusual combination of rich flavors that absolutely works.
I often don’t have room for dessert, so I was glad to see the menu had “bite sized” portions of sweets, such as the blueberry tart above. We always have room for another round, however: cheers to the Southern Bourbon Sour and Boilerplate Old Fashioned.
Without doubt, we kept it weird in Austin! (Bizarro Snapchat from our room at Archer Hotel.)
Have you visited any of these spots in Texas? There’s much more weirdness to come in the next post, and I’ll announce my next destination soon too.
LA CARMINA
