Day 33 - 34: Delhi. The long road home.

We leave Dehradun and drive to Delhi – this is a drive that would take 2.5 hours in Europe and takes about 7 in India. The countryside is beautiful and it’s immediately obvious why India is the second largest grower of sugarcane in the world – the stuff is everywhere. As well as growing sugarcane we see it being harvested and taken for processing. This might sound simple and industrial but…… remember where we are! The Sugar Cane is grown by every farmer and smallholder, it is then cut by hand and loaded onto small farm trailers pulled by Oxen, then transported to the local processing factory. There are Ox carts everywhere, going at Ox pace! And you know when you are approaching a cane-processing site as there are Ox and Cart traffic jams that are the longest and most orderly queues in India.

As we arrive into Delhi we pass some of the notorious land-fill areas. These are heralded some distance away by the sulphurous smell of decay and by the cloud of thousands of buzzards in the sky looking for their next meal. There are so many, that from a distance these raptors look like tealeaves swirling in a glass cup.

After we get to our hotel we decide to get ahead on our Christmas shopping and head to Delhi Haat for retail therapy and get some lovely and unique gifts for people at home. Then we have dinner in a great Biryani restaurant. The place is tucked away under a flyover and shakes every time a car passes overhead. The food is fantastic and the restaurant is rightly famed for its specialism. Following dinner we book a taxi for the next morning to take us to the airport and then home.

So five weeks, many thousands of miles, countless experiences and many different India’s visited we have time to reflect on our trip. India is a vibrant and colourful country, rich in history, sights and experiences. It is not always the easiest of places to experience or understand, but with a little effort you can reap great rewards. With the exception of a few, the people we met were warm, generous and fascinating to talk to. Many of the sights left us in awe and the mix of desert, mountains, rivers and ocean landscapes make it a diverse and rich country to visit. The food we tasted tantalised our taste buds and going for a curry will never be the same again.

Day 28 - 32: Dehradun, Mussoorie and Rishikesh.

Following our change of schedule and excursion to south India we now return to our original plan. Having sacrificed visits to Agra and Varanasi for Kerala we now have to get from Kochi to Dehradun – the only way is to do the bulk of the journey by air and then take a train. We fly from Kochi to Delhi airport and then head across town in a ‘pre-paid’ taxi (no seatbelt, doors that only just shut, no lights, a driver with a speed addiction and a point to prove to all the other Delhi drivers etc) to get to Nizamudin Station in Delhi.

We have booked a night train from Delhi to Dehradun (a town about five hours north east of Delhi) and a gateway to the Himalayas. Waiting at the station is an experience in itself – all of life is here, but it has a real buzz and feels fun despite being almost midnight. Jemima – caught up in the buzzy atmosphere decides she must try a ‘speak your weight’ machine’, which tells you your fortune and personality based on how many Domino’s Pizzas you’ve eaten. It was surprisingly accurate…

With that piece of fun complete, we decide to find the platform and look for the reservations sheet. Looking for the first class waiting room – that Phil is convinced is here somewhere – we find a sign, which is pointing towards the scene of recent demolition activity. We make our way to our platform. The first guy to approach us is selling padlocks and chains, in an instant we realise that this is to lock your luggage to the luggage rack so you can sleep without being robbed – our bags are definitely staying with us!

30mins before the train arrives the sheets of reservations get posted on a board. Takes ages to find our names but eventually, and with the help of another, more experienced passenger, we find we have a 2 berth cabin. Coupe D in the carriage behind the engines – sounds POSH. The train pulls into the station from the direction opposite that our experienced helper tells us and we leg-it to our carriage and find our cabin. We board just before midnight.

It’s not exactly the Orient Express, but actually, our little cabin is really quite cool – though made cool from the fact that it is an experience rather than anything else. Out of the five hour journey the net total hours slept is about three! Ages spent looking at the dimly lit scenery through the window is not time wasted as we ‘speed’ through the night. Arriving into Dehradun we are met by Vivek and his lovely mum, how great to be met by friends at 5:30am! Vivek drives us to his family’s house 10 minutes from the station where we get a truly warm welcome on a chilly morning.

In the afternoon we head for Mussoorie with Vivek and Neha – the town itself is just above 6000ft in the first part of the Himalayan foothills. The view is breathtaking.

The town is small and friendly and totally different from anything we have encountered so far. Lunch is in a Tibetan restaurant – more on this later – and we spend the afternoon walking around and exploring this small town.

Next morning three of us are feeling slightly unwell. Jemima is fine, Phil is at the opposite end of the spectrum and looking for something to blame (what did we have for dinner, did Phil drink any water/eat any ice, can you get altitude sickness at 6000ft????).

We press on with the plan, which is to drive to a spot where we can climb to a temple that sits on the tallest peak around without going much further into the Himalayas, the temple sits at 9995ft so there is some uphill walking to be done!

Driving the twisty roads becomes too much for the already unwell Phil who ends up sitting on the edge of a precipitous drop, 8000ft from the valley floor, being sick on the scenery; very dignified.

We finally reach our intended spot and climb (slowly) to 9995ft and are bowled over by the view. The air is cold and thin up here but we can see the snow-capped peaks of the nearest real mountains, we can see China and the no-mans-land that remains disputed from the India-China conflict of the early 1960s. For perspective we are taking it slow at 9995ft feeling the air a bit thin, Everest climbs to 29,035ft (though I’m not the one with the tape measure)

Given the collective health of the climbing team we enquire about a shorter route back to Dehradun and are impressed to find out that whilst we took a couple of hours to do the 85Kms up here there is a shorter route down! We seize the chance to take the shortcut. It takes forever to get down as the road is narrow and made of switchbacks and hairpins for the whole of out 75Km drive to descend 9000ft. life lesson – when you ask about shorter the next question should also be about quicker! The upside for Vivek and Phil at least was seeing a Mountain Leopard on the way down. These are rare animals. Don’t know which way the girls were looking.

Next day we head for Rishikesh. This is one of the most spiritually important places in India being the first flat area the Ganges hits on its way from its source in the Himalayas. We drive to Rishikesh crossing many dried seasonal riverbeds. Arriving we find a busy town and head into some quiet streets close to the Ganges. We have an appointment with a Hindu Saint called Swami Gee who Vivek has known for many years. We ring the doorbell and wait – fearing we have missed our appointment. After a short wait we see Swami Gee at the top of his stairs. Wrapped in Saffron robes, and in wooden slippers – descending the stairs he apologies for the delay answering the door; he was glued to the TV watching the cricket!

We enter Swami Gee’s house/Ashram and sit for a few minutes before being told that we should go for a boat trip on ‘Mother Ganga’ with Swami Gee.

We have no idea what to expect and watch amazed while preparations are made. The result is that four of us plus this Hindu Saint go for a boat ride in a five-man inflatable dingy with Swami Gee doing all the work.

There is truly no way to describe the experience of being paddled around a sacred river by a 70 year old saint with friends and loved ones sitting in the bottom of a small blow-up boat. Unique…and a little surreal.

For the rest of the afternoon we explore Rishikesh, criss-crossing the river on the many foot bridges, looking at the shops and Vivek having his shoes stolen while we attend a prayer service on the banks of the river Ganges.

Driving back to Dehradun Phil and Vivek spot a wild Elephant heading off into the jungle – where were the girls looking this time!!

More on the Tibetan Restaurant. It took us a little while to work out, but we have finally concluded that the tummy related issues of primarily Phil and then Vivek were caused by the Momo’s at the Tibetan Restaurant. Momo’s are like steamed Dim sums and the only person to dodge them was the only one untouched by what is now to be known as Mussoorie Misery! Long story short Phil ended up going to the doctor in Dehradun and was given anti-bactirial and anti-amoebic drugs and sleeping for 15hours. You’re nobody until you’ve had Amoebic Dysentry! Especially up in the Himalayas!!

Luckily, Vivek’s family were saints themselves and looked after both of us in true India fashion. Phil being given plenty of green and cinnamon tea and allowed to sleep, while Jemima was absorbed into family life with trips to the temple for Yoga with Vivek’s mum and a wonderful amount of fabulous Indian home cooking.

Staying with Vivek’s family was a fantastic experience and allowed us to relax and see and do activities without being a tourist.

Day 25 - 27: Cochin, Backwaters and Munnar.

Today we travel further up the coast of Kerala to Fort Cochin, a historic trading port with a strong Portuguese and Dutch influence. Fort Cochin itself is very small and easy to walk around which makes it quite different to a number of places we’ve been to. In addition, it has a wonderful mixture of religions and the town is crammed full of Hindu temples, Jewish synagogues and catholic churches. As with most of Kerala there is a high proportion of literacy (approx. 95%) and with the lush surroundings and abundance of fishing the life of the people here seems so much easier and more enjoyable than Rajasthan.

We spend most of our first day strolling around the town, looking at the iconic Chinese fishing nets and exploring the churches and temples. Before dinner, we head off to watch a kathakali dance show.

Kathakali is an ancient dance/drama ritual, which depicts the stories of gods and demons. It’s almost like a pantomime with sign language when you consider how elaborate and expressive the productions are. There are no words, only a singer, some musicians and a handful of actors using every muscle, facial expression and eye movement to play out the amazing stories. The preparation is highly ritualised involving costume and make-up and the training to become a kathakali actor or musician takes around eight years. The dramas themselves last around eight hours (luckily ours was only a snapshot!) and you can truly imagine the performances taking place in front of a Maharaja and his entourage as they eat, drink and be merry.

The next day we’re up and off on a tour of the Keralan backwaters; a labyrinth of waterways made up of lakes, canals and rivers that connect thousands of islands and which are the source of life for much of rural Kerala. Gently cruising through the backwaters, spotting local wildlife and watching the villagers going about their daily lives is far more relaxing than we expected it to be.

The islands are covered in coconut trees (which are believed to be sacred by the keralan people) and the beauty of the areas is undeniable. It is so peaceful and so tranquil it is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the day. As the sun goes down we head back to our small hotel in Fort Cochin and pass the Santa Cruz Basilica (a Portuguese Catholic Church).

We are drawn closer by the sound of music and find that they are having an evening carol service. The grounds are full of locals of all ages holding candles and singing Christmas Carols. It is a fantastic sight and experience and we’re disappointed to realise that it’s nearing the end. This is our first sign of Christmas and truly gets us in the festive spirit.

Today we travel further up the coast of Kerala to Fort Cochin, a historic trading port with a strong Portuguese and Dutch influence. Fort Cochin itself is very small and easy to walk around which makes it quite different to a number of places we’ve been to. In addition, it has a wonderful mixture of religions and the town is crammed full of Hindu temples, Jewish synagogues and catholic churches. As with most of Kerala there is a high proportion of literacy (approx. 95%) and with the lush surroundings and abundance of fishing the life of the people here seems so much easier and more enjoyable than Rajasthan.

An early rise the next morning and we’re off for a daytrip to Munnar, a town high up in the hills surrounded by Tata tea plantations. This is well worth a visit. The journey up to Munnar takes a good few hours by car but the scenery is breathtaking. Rich, green tea plantations cover the hills as we head higher and higher up the mountain. A break in our journey allows us an unexpected elephant ride through a spice garden. We stop for lunch in Munnar itself, delicious biryani and curry…

For those with more time on their hands, Munnar is a fantastic place for hiking and exploring the surrounding scenery. For those like us who have only a day, the experience is limited to the views you have on the way up and down. However, these views are spectacular. So despite spending a long day in the car – this trip is well worth it.

Day 20 – 24: Varkala. Time to reflect.

Our stay in Varkala allows us plenty of time to relax on the beach, swim in the ocean, have two pairs of trousers made and tuck in to some fresh fish and good food. We also spend plenty of time commenting on the state of the ubiquitous backpackers.

“Why do they not shower? When did they last wash their hair? What’s the deal with do the long nappy trousers? Stop walking around in bare feet. We do not want to listen to your guitar playing. Smoking a joint on the beach is not cool. Food is cheap, you can afford more than one plate of food between three of you.” Etc. etc.

Jemima is considering writing a book: ‘My bag has wheels: A thirty-something’s guide to the gap year’.

Despite the proximity of the great unwashed, we are thoroughly relaxing and enjoying the slow pace and afford ourselves some time to reflect on what we’ve observed about India so far.

Shopping:

1. Bill Murray and Richard Gere are the most prolific shoppers in Rajasthan.
2. Monsoon and Liberty’s import materials from every textile merchant, stall or one-man band without exception.

Litter:

1. India is absolutely covered in litter.
2. The concept of throwing your rubbish away is in fact, throwing your rubbish wherever you happen to be standing.
3. Cows eat cardboard. (And plastic, and paper, etc.)
4. Litter is rarely collected and only when there is a financial motivation.

The rules of the road:

1. If you own a lorry, it must be brightly painted and decorated with streamers and tinsel.
2. If you own a motorbike, you must have at least three other passengers onboard before travelling.
3. If you own a tractor it must be playing Hindi music full blast for all road travellers to hear.
4. If you drive a tuk-tuk, you can travel in any direction you please regardless of safety or any threat to your passengers’ or fellow road-users’ lives.
5. If you are a cow (or any other type of livestock) feel free to stand, sleep, or nurture your offspring in the middle of the road or highway.
6. The final rule that all road users must abide by, use your horn frequently. Do not be shy, do not be timid, the world wants to know you are on the road. And, if you have a horn that plays a tune, all the better.

If we think of any other sweeping generalisations, we’ll let you know.

Day 19: Mumbai to Varkala (Kerala). Goodbye dusty desert, hello tantalising tropics.

We are slightly disappointed to arrive in Kerala, as we hadn’t quite finished ‘Evil Love’ the second great Bollywood movie we were watching on the plane. Apparently it bombed at the box office – but we loved it. We leave the airport humming the wedding mantra from the film ‘bomb, diddily bomb, diddily bomb, don’t want no love, bomb, diddily bomb, diddily bomb, don’t need no love…’ it was hilarious. Or at least we thought so. We’d also watched a twenty-year old classic ‘The victor is the conqueror’, which is a cross between chariots of fire and grease. We highly recommend them both if you are considering your next Friday night in and need a happy ending. :-)

Kerala is immediately different to everything we’ve experienced so far. It’s a lush, tropical palm-fringed region with dense vegetation and a beautiful coastline. We arrive at Varkala, about 50 minutes drive from Trivandrum (the capital) and are welcomed by the sight of the beautiful, inviting ocean.

Varkala beach is far less touristy than some of the other areas of Kerala and with its impressive, steep red cliffs and slightly ‘hippyish’ atmosphere, it reminds us of the novel ‘The Beach’. With the beautiful surroundings and laidback café’s that line the cliff-top you can easily see the backpackers getting lost here for a while.

There is an abundance of small gift shops and places to eat, and after a quick stroll down the front, we settle in for some fresh fish curry.

Day 18: Jodhpur to Mumbai. In transit.

Crisp, white, luxurious, Egyptian cotton…soft, sumptuous, squishy pillows…a hot, powerful shower… and fresh, cooling aircon. This is the Hyatt Regency, Mumbai.

On numerous occasions during our trip we’ve criticised those people who stay in Western hotels in India and miss out on the eclectic hospitality and sights awaiting them elsewhere. For tonight, however, this is pure bliss!

As this is a short transit stop for us, there is not much point taking the hour plus journey into Mumbai and most hotels by the airport are of the Hyatt, Taj or Marriott variety. We are robbed blind by the hotel airport car service, and the mineral water at nearly seven times the price of elsewhere but boy do we have a great shower and a good night’s sleep.

Day 17: Rohet Garh. And time to relax.

We’re sitting in a beautiful garden surrounded by the sounds of birds and water fountains trickling away as Phil sips his gin and tonic and Jemima has a nice cup of tea. We have moved on from Jaisalmer and have treated ourselves to a stay at a former royal residence just outside Jodphur.

We have decided to skip Udaipur, Agra and Varanasi, replacing them with a trip down to the lush green south of the country instead. We will fly from Jodhpur to Mumbai, and then on to Trivandrum (in Kerala) over the next couple of days and felt that a bit of luxury to help us on our way was the way forward.

Jemima spends the early part of the evening in the spa having a good scrub and massage, while Phil relaxes in the gardens. We enjoy a nice bottle of wine before finally heading off to our huge room (which apparently Madonna stayed in) for a good night’s sleep.

This is definitely our cup of tea…

Day16: Jaisalmer. Dreaming of home comforts.

Okay, anyone who thinks sleeping on sand is going to be comfortable is wrong! We wake with aches and pains from spending a night in a cold and smelly tent. We are so ready for deluxe right now!!!

After feasting on dry toast and honey for breakfast…we’ve spent several nights dreaming of bacon sandwiches…we get back on our camels.

It’s a shame the trip isn’t slightly longer, as there is plenty to see as the camp is set in the midst of a national park. There is wildlife everywhere, you just need to take the time to stop and look around properly. Desert wildlife moves around when it’s not too hot, and as we set off it’s early enough to see foxes, gazelle, vulture, eagle, bee-eaters and all sorts of other bird life. The dunes themselves are a latticework of tracks left by beetles, mice, birds and other wildlife.

We ride nice and slowly back to our Jeep in the village. We are in serious need of a shower – we smell of mothballs – and have dreamt about bacon, steak and wallowing in a hot bath!! It’s definitely time for another change of plan and pace?

We have been looking at our next few destinations and weighing-up what we have learnt so far. In essence we have underestimated the time and effort it takes to get from place to place in India by car and train, whilst overestimating the amount of time we need in each place to do ‘the sights’. So as we wait for our shower water to heat up, we plan our next move.

However, before we have time to wash the sand out of our hair, the owners of Fifu take up Phil’s kind offer to photograph their new project, Jasmine Haveli. We traipse around the new hotel, which is beautiful, but definitely work in progress, and even find ourselves in some of the pictures. The owners are over the moon with the results and I have a feeling that come April next year when they have completed their new website it will be filled with Phil’s photos, as well as one or two of us, looking dishevelled and not so fresh from the desert.

Day 15: Jaisalmer. Desert safari.

Today we have our desert safari.

We stop off at numerous monuments on our way out further into the desert, including some more cenotaphs and a Jain temple the size of Thumbelina’s house. Not literally, but it’s amazingly small.

We arrive at our camel camp ready to saddle up and set off into the dunes. Phil has done his best to explain how unpleasant this ride is going to be, but actually – it isn’t that bad. It’s not horse riding that’s for sure, but when you’re up and walking pretty slowly, the ride is actually not too uncomfortable. However, there’s no denying that camels must be one of the ugliest and stinkiest animals ever.

We’re taken on an hours ride through the beautiful dunes of the Thar desert, led by children! Luckily, the camels look in no hurry to rush off anywhere or shake off their guides or else we may be requesting slightly older navigators. We finally arrive at our camp just in time for sunset, which is beautiful.

Our guides strike up a fire and starting cooking this evening’s dinner. One of the boys sits with us as we build a small campfire to keep us warm into the evening.

We have a newly-wed Indian couple with us who work as translators enabling us to find out more about this young lads life. We wrap up against the cold in jumpers and scarves and this young lad has bare feet and a thin cotton shirt. He says he has left his jumper at home, but we’re not so sure. He’s 13 years old (looks about ten) and has already left school. In India, you have to pay to go to school in pretty much most of the country, so not only is this a cost for the family, but the loss of a child being able to help out earning money means that sending a child to school is too much of a financial burden. His story is not unique. Out in the villages this is a common theme – at least in what we’ve seen of Rajasthan so far.

One of the other major problems for this region is the lack of rain. Jaisalmer is currently experiencing a major drought, which is having a huge impact on its residents. All of the lakes have dried up and there is barely any grass for the camels to eat, let alone the impact on farming. According to the guides, a child can easily get to seven years old without having seen rain.

However, we manage to have a cheerful evening, singing songs around the campfire and trying to teach the boys how to take photographs with the different cameras that the group have brought with them. There’s almost a full moon and we go to sleep with plenty of light and the sounds of the desert to keep us company.

Day 14: Jaisamlmer. A huge sandcastle.

Following advice that the fort is a 10 minute walk away and easy to find (well it is sitting atop the only hill for miles around and visible from everywhere) we head off to explore running the usual gamut of dogs, pigs, cows, camels and, of course, people. This is our first exposure to Jaisalmer residents and the experience is a good one. The people (generalisation warning) are polite and respectful, take ‘no’ for an answer and look you in the eye with a sense of personal pride. We like it already.

The fort is made of beautiful yellow sandstone built straight out of the sandy rock, which makes it looks like a giant sandcastle.

We manage to find the entrance to the fort and start to walk around the narrow alleyways of this ancient place – seems the newest things here (other than mobile phone installations) are about 400 years old! This is much smaller than many of the forts we’ve seen so far and without trying we navigate our way to the top of the fort for a commanding view of the surrounding desert. This fort is a completely different scale; it’s small, intricate and gives you the impression that it’s a fortified town rather than a fort created for battle (Ranthambore Fort for example housed 14,000 troops at its peak). However, what it lacks in defensive armour, it gains in detailed beauty. Some of the buildings here are amongst the most detailed and intricately carved we have seen. It also has an abundance of tiny stalls and shops selling the usual textiles and leather goods and Jemima manages to pick up a pair of camel leather flip flops – the camel most certainly died of natural causes…!

Beyond the main gates we thread our way along narrow streets bustling with stalls, shops, handcarts, pedestrians and all the other usual road traffic. It’s hot, about 30 degrees in the shade and we pop-out onto the ‘ring-road’ on the wrong side of town. We have a long, hot and dusty walk back to the calm and quiet of Hotel Fifu and feel like we deserve a rest – which is what we work at for the rest of the afternoon J

Day 13: Travelling on the road west to Jaisalmer.

Today we head west to Jaisalmer, 100km away from the Pakistan border. It takes four and a half hours by car, though with well-maintained roads that are pretty much free of traffic, the journey is far more pleasant.

Jaisalmer is in the Thar Desert, sand and camels all around, and has a significant army presence as a result of its proximity to the Pakistan border. It is pretty much closer to Pakistan than to anywhere else in India and the fighter jets make regular patrols to the immediate west of the city.

We arrive at the Fifu guest house, named after our host Fifu ;-) and strike an instant bond with a quick ‘mera naam Jemima/Phil hai’. (Answers on a postcard please.) The hotel is made out of pretty yellow sandstone, looks great (like an old Haveli), and we have our own balcony area that looks out to Jaisalmer fort or we can make use of the rooftop restaurant above us. Yay. Fingers crossed, this looks like another good find.

Inside the hotel is no disappointment with everything constructed from the same local carved and dressed yellow stone.

By 17:30 the surroundings are still full of the sounds of local building and improvement projects. We have travelled over 1000 Kilometres and the one constant is that India is an unfinished project!

However, final judgement of course will be made on hotel Fifu by our tummies! Tonight, we’re heading to the rooftop restaurant and will report back tomorrow on whether Fifu get’s a yay or a nay. J

Day 12: Jodhpur. Out and About.

Potters, farmers and rug-makers are our delights for today as we head out on a tour of some of the rural villages surrounding Jodhpur. We are collected at 8:00am by a series 1 Land Rover from 1952 and a Willys Jeep from 1957 (I wonder who wrote that bit!) and head off to witness a different way of life.

First is a pottery village. The guy throwing the pots is skilled to say the least, using a wheel that is in fact a hand powered, 100kg round slab of sandstone, spinning on a wooden pivot! From this primitive arrangement he produces a range of shapes and sizes of clay pots in a short time. There are around 60 families in the village, according to our guide, and about 50% of them are potters, handing the skill down through the generations.

Secondly we visit a farmhouse where around nine people live in four small buildings. The lady of the house was busy pounding cow dung with her hands (nice) to use as flooring or fuel. Neither of which seem particularly appealing options to us but in actual fact the cow dung floor (that we’re walking on) is pretty impressive. Cow dung aside, they have a few animals (buffalo and cows) and grow Millet, Lentils, Sour Gum for the cattle and various other produce. Recent times have been tough due to drought. A good monsoon season would contain four or five rains of around four hours. Last year saw only two rains of an hour apiece. The harvest was down 75% but on the whole the people were in high spirits and all seemed well. The farmer demonstrated the use of opium in a drink and we were all so brave that we refused to try it.

Phil finally manages to blend in with the locals.

Our third stop was a carpet weaving family that creates mainly cotton mats in a variety of sizes and colours. All is done by hand with a smallish sized mat taking up to two months to complete. They definitely should think about automating that process!

Last stop before heading toward town was a Sheppard family with a flock of approximately 40 goats and numerous children. Not one of the most successful of stops, we’re not actually shown anything, just offloaded into the family home while the guide waits to answer any of our questions. Hmmm. We leave quite promptly.

For the cynics who have been here before, it is only the next and final stop that is overtly commercial! On our way back to Jodhpur town we are taken to a ‘small factory’ for textiles! In here we are shown pretty much the same stuff we have seen in Jaipur and Jodhpur. While our Canadian companions manage to appease the sales team by buying a bedspread and some cushion covers, we amuse ourselves by explaining to the salesman that we’ve paid significantly less than he is asking for identical products in Jodhpur market a couple of days before. We escape without buying anything and return to Ratan Villas for a shower, lunch and a lazy and relaxed Sunday afternoon.

Having gone through so much poverty on route from Ranthambore to Jodhpur, it was so pleasing today to see villages that were clean, healthy and self-sufficient.

Tomorrow we’re on the move again.

Day 11: Jodhpur. Palaces and Gardens.

After a relaxed morning we ask Jitu, what we can do for the afternoon and subsequently head out to the palace and then to Mandore Gardens.

The palace is an impressive sandstone building that the Jodhpur Royal family started building in 1929, completing in 1943, and was designed by Lancaster of London. After independence the local taxes went to the government rather than to the Maharajas and this is no doubt one of the reasons why this impressive palace now fulfils three functions: 1) A small museum about the creation of the building, 2) a 5* hotel run by the Taj group and 3) the home of the Maharaja and his family. There’s actually very little of the palace you can look around…I guess that’s left for the privilege of those happy to pay for the 5* hotel.

On to Mandore Gardens which in days gone by were the royal gardens of the wives of the Maharaja. The setting is beautiful with lots of park and flowers, but the temples and small fort are in a significant state of disrepair. Although there are signs of restoration, it is clear that there is no concerted effort to restore the gardens to their former glory. This is a shame. However, we manage to amuse ourselves by charging five rupees to every small child that comes along saying “photo, photo”!

Day 10: Jodhpur. Things are on the up.

We wake after a great night’s sleep and reflect on the fact that the two best places we’ve stayed so far in India have been the two that are the least expensive. Ratan Villas is approximately £38 a night and it’s just perfect.

We are also feeling in high spirits as we increase our knowledge and use of Hindi, much to the amusement and smiles of the locals.

After a hot shower (hurrah) and breakfast, we head off to the Mehrangarh Fort with a quick stop off at the Fort's mausoleum.

Pic 1: The beautiful mausoleum.

Pic 2 and 3: Jem and Phil's skills impress the locals...

Pic 4: The local spinning tops.

Mehrangarh is an imposing fort built straight out of the rocks keeping a watchful eye over Jodhpur.

In 1459 Rao Jodha laid the foundation of what was destined to become one of the mightiest forts of all time; Mehrangarh, Citadel of the Sun. Today, the beautiful palaces and dazzling Period Rooms of the Fort have been converted into a unique museum that houses an impressive collection of palanquins, elephant howdahs, cradles, minature paintings, weapons, turbans…the magnificent heritage of the Rathores of Marwar-Jodhpur. (Okay, that’s straight out of the guide but it’s an accurate description!)

This place is amazing. On the outside it’s a hugely impressive rock fort, but inside it’s beautifully and intricately designed and built. It’s unbelievable to think that the two can go so well together. The current Maharaja was ordained in 1952 at the age of four when his father was killed in a plane crash. He is the first to live as a ‘normal person’ not a ‘King’ as a result of independence in 1948 where the Maharaja system was dissembled in favour of democracy. However, the Royal families are still revered by their people and the current Maharaja plays a hugely significant role in continuing the local traditions and restoring and educating people on Jodhpur’s heritage.

Winding our way down from the fort through the streets of the ‘blue city’ we are faced with some sights! Jemima seriously wishes she was wearing wellies rather than flip-flops and both of us are praying we do not fall over. I’m not sure our tetanus jabs would cover us for whatever’s around here!

We make it to the bottom, and having already realised that Jodhpur is a much calmer and more respectful city than those we’ve visited so far we decide it’s time to try the market. Everything is being sold here. Chillies, spices, veg, clothes, everything. Phil is offered some black pepper and Viagra, both of which he kindly declines – what are they trying to spice up? A carefully placed ‘Naheen Dhanyavad’ (no thank you) works wonders. After meeting every man and his dog that sells to Liberty’s of London and Monsoon, we manage to pick up a few Christmas presents before departing.

Pic 1: The colourful bazar.

Pic2: Still not used to the locals.

Pic 3: The not so colourful side to India.

Today has been a really lovely day. Jodhpur is very different to the other cities and we do not feel harangued and harassed at all. Jodhpur has definitely restored our faith in India, which was seriously dented by Ranthambore. We are really happily amazed by the difference in the people here from some we have encountered.