Tour of India 6 February to 5 March 2013

Wednesday. 6 February 2013 - Canberra to Delhi

Left home at 6am and Bill dropped me off at the airport just before 0630. Had to do a self check-in, which I detest. Caught up with Mary & Graham and Kathy & John. The flights from Sydney to Singapore & Singapore to Delhi were smooth & on time.

We landed in Delhi at 10.05pm and after collecting our bags, bought some local currency and then headed out to meet the person who was arranging our transfer to the hotel. We also met 3 other people who came in a day early. Stephen & Pam and Gail. They are all from Brisbane and apparently only live a few kilometres from each other and had never met before.

We finally departed the airport at 11.25pm and arrived at the hotel around midnight. Check-in was a bit laborious but I was finally in my room by about 1230 on the 7th. 

After some hand washing etc light out at 0130 and slept until 0630. Up, dressed, sorted the clothes, caught up with the diary and headed downstairs just after 8am.

Day 1 - Thursday. 7 February 2013 – Delhi

I had arranged to meet Mary & Graham at 0830 for breakfast. We also caught up with the others on the tour and met another couple who have been in India for a week and returned to Delhi last night. They are Trevor & Bev from Sydney.

6 of us decided to go for a walk to Connaught Place, which was supposed to only be about a 15 minute walk away. Apparently there are markets and bazaars there. We never quite reached it though. There were a number of men who were willing to help show us the correct way to get there, as the route we planned was blocked by road works. We eventually found ourselves at a Kashmir store that sold crafts. We only got to the rug selling part of the store and spent over 1/2 an hour there having their way of rug making explained. To cut a long story short, Gail bought a small silk rug. Absolutely beautiful and relatively inexpensive for something that is so time consuming to produce.  We managed to get away after midday and headed back to the hotel, having a few more men trying to take us to shops or offering to take us back to the hotel in a tuc tuc.

We were back at the hotel by 1pm and had lunch there, as apparently it is included, as is dinner tonight. During lunch we caught up with Stephen and Pam, who had an interesting morning. After lunch we went for another walk, this time in the opposite direction of this morning. Trying to cross the streets at roundabouts is great fun, even when on the pedestrian crossing. It is said that Italian drivers are crazy. You should meet the Indian ones. :)

Our walk took us past the Indira Gandhi National Centre Of Arts. We took a left turn, heading towards the India Gate 

but as we were starting to feel a bit weary we took another left and started heading back to the hotel. It was about 4pm by then, so we arranged to meet later at 6.30 for dinner. We meet the rest of the group and the National Escort tomorrow morning at breakfast. Our National Escort is Mr. Vishal Srivastawa.

Day 2 - Friday, 8 February 2013 – Delhi

I  went down to breakfast at 0745 & after breakfast, met the rest of the group at 0900.  We departed shortly after for our day in Delhi.

First up was seeing the Red Fort, on our way to visit the Jama Masjid Mosque, 

which is the largest mosque in India.  After visiting there, we then went for a walk through the Chandni Chowk, a very crowded bazaar, before heading back to the bus. On our walk we passed a wake, saw young men washing themselves on the side of the road. 

Saw a family of  monkeys using the overhead wiring to get from one side of the street to the other. 
Traffic jams, and lots of horn honking.  We drove past markets for 2nd hand vehicle parts, meàt & chicken markets and fruit & vegetable markets.

We had a quick photo stop at India Gate, a memorial to the Indian servicemen who died in WW1 and then drove past the Rashtrapatu Bhhavan, (which was formerly the viceroy's residence) & also Parliament House.

We continued on to Gandhi Smriti, which is where Ghandi was assassinated.

From there we drove to a local restaurant for lunch. After lunch, which finished at 3pm, we then visited the 12th century Qutab Minar Complex. 

The qutab minar is apparently hand carved for its entire height of 73 metres.  

There is also a 1,500 year old iron pillar that has never rusted. 

We were there until about 4pm and then back to the hotel for a rest and freshen up, before heading out again at 7pm for dinner at another local restaurant. Another delicious meal but seemed a little confusing re the way they served it and I never did receive the bill for my drink. We were back at the hotel by about 9pm.

It's an early start tomorrow.

 


 

Day 3 - Saturday, 9 February 2013 - Delhi to Varanasi

We depart for the airport and our flight to Varanasi at 0745.  We were at the airport by 0815, so were all checked in well before our 1040 flight, which landed in Varansi at 1155. We boarded our bus about 1230 & saw many interesting sights on our 1/2 hr trip to the hotel. Lots of green fields in the distance. What a different city from Delhi. After checking in, I quickly dumped my carry-on and then had lunch with the group, at the hotel. We are all meeting again at 4.30 before heading out again.

Varanasi is the oldest living city in India and the religious capital of Hinduism. Nowhere in India is there a more important pilgrimage site for Hindus than at Varanasi. Situated on the banks of the holy River Ganges, thousands of pilgrims flock to the bathing ghats (steps) every day to conduct their ritual ablutions. The western bank of the Ganges has a string of ghats - the chain of stone steps, all built with pavilions, palaces and terraces, most of which are mainly used as Dharamsalas where the pilgrims stay during their visit to the holy city.

We took a short bus ride and then took rickshaws to the Ganges. 

Those riders certainly work hard for their livings. The traffic was organized chaos. 

Rickshaws, tuc tuc's, bicycles's, motor cycles, cars & people just walking along the street. 

Then there was the odd cow or two plus dogs & some goats and the constant honking of the warning horns.

After debunking from the rickshaws, we still had a way to walk through the markets down to the river. 

Once there we then loaded onto a row boat and we were rowed along past the ghats, until we reached the Manikarnika Burning Ghat, which is the main crematorium ghat. There were 8 fires burning when we arrived and 2 more family groups arrived while we were there. 

This crematorium, burns 24/7 365 days a year and there are around 200 cremations a day. The costs is R7,000. If people choose an electric cremation the cost is only R500.  

We headed back to the main ghat to watch the nightly Pooja ceremony of Ganga Aati (a prayer ceremony).

When that was finished we left the row boat and walked back to the rickshaw station to take one back to our bus & then back to our hotel.

Dinner was at the hotel and as we have an early start tomorrow, I had an early night.

Day 4 - Sunday, 10 February 2013 - Varanasi.

Wake up call at 0500 this morning, for a 0530 departure.

We headed back to the Ganges to take another row boat, to watch the rising sun. We departed from a ghat much further along from where we were last night. 

We were again rowed to the crematorium ghat, where there were still funeral pyres burning. We started heading back to Darbhanga Ghat just as the sun was coming up over the horizon.

At this time of the morning, there were literally  hundreds, if not thousands of pilgrims conducting their ritual ablutions.

We continued along the Ganges, seeing the life that happens along this part of the river every day.  The laundry being done, the people bathing, men having a shave. The animals wandering around. Monkeys, goats, dogs & cows.

After leaving the boat, we walked to our bus, re-boarded and then visited the Mother India Temple. 

From there we continued back to our hotel to have breakfast, arriving back at about 0945. A very interesting morning.

We had free time until midday and then had lunch and at 1pm we departed for the Buddhist sites at Sarnath.

First visit was to the tempłe dedicated to the Sakyamuni Buddah. 

A very modest temple. 

From there we continued on to the huge ruins that used to house 5 or 6 monasteries from the 3rd century BC. 

Day 5 - Monday, 11 February 2013 - Varanasi to Khajuraho

Bags out by 0930 for a 1015 departure to the airport. Group checkin, leaving from gate 2. The security check wasn't quite as bad as previous ones. Plane didn't land until 1230 & our flight was due to leave at 1225. As it was the flight was only 20 minutes late for departure and it was only a 40 minute flight. Our hotel 

is only about a 10 minute drive from the airport, so we didn't have far to go. I quickly dropped my bag in my room (218), 

before having a late lunch.  The dining room was due to stop service at 2.30 and it was already 2pm.

After lunch, Gail, Mary, Rosalie & myself, decided to go for a walk into town. 
We had the usual escort of a number of young men wanting to talk. My right hip was starting to play up, so after about 2 kl, I decided to head back to the hotel, while the others continued on.

After about 500 meters I met a man with his tuc tuc so took a ride the rest of the way to the hotel. I paid 40 rupee. Less than a dollar and I most probably paid too much.

We all met up again at 5.30pm for our evening excursion.

First up we visited the Matangeshwar Temple which is the only temple in Khajuraho which is in worship. It is dedicated to Shiva and is from around the  900 to 925 era.  We  witnessed the prayer/chant ceremony and then we went to a cultural dance show.

There were a variety of dances from a troop of about 10 dancers. Very entertaining with beautiful dress. My camera battery ran out, so I have no photos from this evening.

We were back at the hotel by 8.30pm, had a late dinner and then back to my room, to catch up with laundry etc.

I tried again to send emails but still no luck. Light out at 11.30pm.

Day 6 - Tuesday, 12 February 2013 - Khajuraho

We weren't meeting for our morning’s excursion today until 0930 but I was awake just after 0630 so got up anyway. I was updating my journal when there was an almighty clap of thunder, lightening and rain. It looked like we might have been going to have a wet day but it stopped and the sky was clear blue by 1030.

We commenced our sightseeing tour of the Western Group of Khajuraho temples. In the Western Group of temples, the most important temple is the Kandariya Mahadevo Temple

 Kandariya Mahadevo Temple

dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the largest and most typical of the Khajuraho temples. 

The next temple is the Vamana Temple 




dedicated to the 'Vamana' or dwarf incarnation of Lord Vishnu, 






and later we saw the Javari Temple. 
The carvings are all "erotica" on these temples.

  

after that we had 1/2 an hour to wander around before meeting at noon to take the bus for the half hour journey to the Panna Valley Resort, where we had a delicious lunch. A thin creamy soup for starter and the choices of chicken, fish or beef curry, plus rice and vegetables. A pommygranite custard for desert.

We then went back to the hotel for some down time, before heading out again at 4.30pm,  to visit the Eastern Group of temples and to view the sunset from the Southern Temple.

We were back at the hotel by 6pm and dinner starts at 7.30pm, so I plan on having an early dinner and early night, as we have a 0630 wake up tomorrow morning and we depart at 0800, on our way to Agra. We will lunch in Orchha and then continue to Jhansi where we will board the Shatabdi Express train to Agra. Vishal has said that we won’t get to the hotel until about 9pm, so a long day in store.

It's nearing 9.30pm and I'm about to lose my Internet connection. Will write again in a day or so.

Day 7 - Wednesday, 13 February 2013 - Khajuraho to Agra

Wake up 0630, bag out 0730 & departure at 0800. Breakfast somewhere between wake up and departure. According to the itinerary:

(This morning we leave for Agra, stopping en route in Orchha. For this mediaeval city, the hand of time has rested lightly and the palaces and temples built by its Bundela rulers in the 16th Century retain their perfection. Jehangir Mahal, a tiered palace, crowned by graceful cenotaphs, commands a spectacular view of soaring temple spires and cenotaphs around. After enjoying lunch at Orchha Resort we continue our drive to Jhansi where we transfer to the railway station to board the Shatabdi Express train).

Well, today was a wonderful travel day where we finally got to see a bit of rural India. 

You need strong nerves to be sitting at the front of the bus, as you are sure that there is going to be a collision, but somehow the vehicles all miss each other. I was down the back of the bus & flinched on a few occasions. The highway is supposed to be 2 lane but with bicycles, tuc tuc's and people walking on the side of the road, it makes it a bit narrower.

At 0935 we stopped at the village of Dharampura, to visit the local primary school. 

Because so many poor people can't always provide 3 meals a day to their children and also to encourage people to send their kids to school, the government have a program, whereby they feed breakfast and lunch to the children. This village has a population of 1,000 and agriculture is the mainstay of income for the people. 

The wife stays at home and looks after the house, 
while the men tend the fields. They sell their produce at a regional market. The schoolmaster has lived in the village for 15 years and is now treated as a sort of head man. His wife, Anita, is a social workers and is trying to change the attitude of the villages to stop killing or abandoning their daughters in favour of sons and to send their daughters to school for an education.  Apparently the killing or getting an abortion if they find out that they are having a girl, is still a problem in parts of rural India.

One thing I have noticed here, is that all the cabins of the trucks, are highly decorated. I'm still trying to get a good photo of one of them. 

Some time ago, the government was encouraging the people to stop using cow dung as fuel, 

by offering a subsidy when they use LPG for cooking purposes. That cost is R800. The government is now going to, or has, withdrawn the subsidy and 1 small LPG cooking cylinder now costs or will cost R2000. Many day workers only earn maybe R100 a day, with the higher earners, getting about R500 a day. That's is about a max of $10.00 a day.

We turned off the highway to visit the town of Orchha and to have lunch there. There is one very large 16th century palace, Jehangir Mahal, which we visited after having lunch at the Orchha Resort Hotel. We departed Orchha at 3.30pm to continue on our way to Jhansi  & then Agra.

I feel sorry for some of the people at Orchha. It is now becoming a very popular tourist destination and as the main road through the town is not all that wide, some houses have been demolished so the road can be widened. The only compensation that the people received, was what the govt deemed their property to be worth, which was nothing like what it was really worth.

Upon arrival at Jhansi Railway station, porters took our bags to be loaded on the luggage car of the train, when it arrived, shortly before 6.30pm. I think we arrived there around 4.30ish. These porters carry the luggage on their heads. 2 suitcases on their heads and drag another 1 in each hand.  

Porter with 2 pieces luggage on head and wheeling another.

40kgs on their head and that is if the luggage is only 20k. Their neck muscles must be

extremely strong. I have no idea what they are paid to do this.

Getting onto the train & finding our seats was all very painless. There were a couple of carriage attendants who handed out a cup of soup to everyone and then served a tray of snacks. I had the juice and the crunchy snacks. The bun was very dry so only had one bite of that and there was a dessert cake thingy that was tasty & very filling and I only had half of that. We also received a litre bottle of water.

Talking of water, every hotel we have stayed at so far, has had complimentary bottles of water. Every day, although, as a solo traveller, if there are 2 bottles in the room, which there usually are and I use 1, they very often don't replace the one that I have taken. Apart from the hotel water, we are either supplied with a free bottle on the bus, or can buy on the bus, so making sure that we have sealed bottle water on a regular basis, hasn't been a problem to date.

The train trip took 2 1/2 hrs and the time passed quickly. I think we arrived at our hotel around 9.15-9.30pm. I gave dinner a miss. We have to be up early tomorrow. My light finally went out at midnight. I bought a can of coke and a bottle of  Old Monk Matured 7 year old Deluxe Rum from our drivers right hand man. The cola cost R60 and the rum R500. Approx $1.00 & $10.00.

Day 8 - Thursday, 14 February 2013 - Agra

Wake up 0600. Depart for Taj Mahal 0630

St. Valentines day. My iPad is even reminding me, as when I want to highlight something, instead of a circle, it is now a heart shape.

I think the Taj Mahal opens at 0700. Anyway we were dropped off at the park gate and walked to the Taj entrance. The park area that we walked through had monkeys wandering around, very few hawkers (at that early hour) and a few groups of locals, doing gym work. One group were doing boxing movements, another lot were doing circuit type training. It reminded me of the park in Beijing, where the locals go, to do their exercises. Beihai Park (Beihai Gongyuan)

After passing through security and entering the gate to the Taj, Vishal gave us a talk on the history. It is a beautiful structure and many photos were taken by us all. Unfortunately, it was not a clear morning, so some people might have been disappointed by the misty atmosphere, but it is a striking structure?

We departed from there at 0900 and were back at the hotel in time to have breakfast at 0930.

A photo of our group.

We headed out again at 1030, for the Red Fort. Now, this place is impressive. I had no idea that it was so HUGE even though some of the original buildings have been demolished and so well maintained.

A very small part of the Red Fort

We departed the Red Fort, to go to the Dasaprakash for lunch. This restaurant serves Southern Indian vegetarian meals. Another delicious meal. Too much food available on this trip. I am going to have to start limiting what I put on my plate.

We were back at the hotel again by 3.30pm, with some down time until we departed for an optional show about the Taj Mahal love story, at 5.45pm. A love story, enthusiastic dancing and Bollywood. A great combo for an Indian live theatre show.

We were back at the hotel again shortly after 8pm. After dinner I headed for my room to update this journal, pack the suitcase and try for an early night, as we àgain have an early start tomorrow.

Day 9 - Friday, 15 February 2013 - Agra to Ranthambore National Park

Wake up 0630, bag out 0700, departure 0745. Itinerary says:

(This morning we drive to Bharatpur and board our train to Ranthambore. Upon arrival we drive to Ranthambore National Park, one of the prime examples of Project Tiger's conservation efforts in Rajasthan, and transfer to our hotel.

The forest around Ranthambore was once the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The desire to preserve the game in this forest for sport was ultimately responsible for their conservation and subsequent rescue by Project Tiger.

Hence this National Park is renowned for its tiger population, however you may also come across other wild animals such as leopard, nilgai, wild boar, sambar, hyena and sloth bear. This afternoon we enjoy a safari ride in a canter (an open top jeep-like vehicle) through the national park around an estimated area of 400sq km, before returning to our hotel for the night.)

It had rained overnight and the clouds were still about, so we were very lucky with our visit yesterday to the Taj Mahal.

We departed Agra on time, on our 1 1/2hr drive to Bharatpur Junction train station. At 0830 we came to a 2 lane dual carriage way. It is nothing unusual to find vehicles driving on the wrong side of the carriage way. Other vehicles just change lanes to avoid them.  We had a loo stop at a hotel at 0900 and were at Bharatpur by 0930. 

The train was due to depart at 1030 but I think it finally arrived and departed shortly before 1100. The 22 of us were spread over 3 carriages, with the majority being in B3 carriage. It was a sleeper and there were lots of people sleeping.  The 2 1/2hr journey passed very quickly and before we knew it, we were at Ranthambore. A couple of canters (open top vehicles) from the resort were there to take us to the hotel. 

Our main luggage was on our bus, which was being driven the 5 hour journey to Ranthambore. Once at the resort, we had lunch and then went to our rooms to drop the hand luggage off, 

before doing a safari ride in a canter, which departed shortly before 3pm.

We saw kingfishers,  

crocodiles,

dozens of peacocks,  

monkeys galore,

spotted deer, 

summer deer, other birds and the cream of the crop, 2 tigers.

We spent about 20+minutes, photographing and just watching them. After that we returned to the resort around 6pm, for coffee and biscuits and were then all meeting up at 7.30pm for drinks to celebrate Pat & Tom's 55th wedding anniversary, before having dinner.
 I was back in my room by 9pm and in bed not too long after that, as we have another early start tomorrow.

Day 10 - Saturday, 16 February 2013 - Ranthambore National Park to Jaipur

Wake up 0545. Breakfast 0615. Depart for canter 0645. Itinerary says:

(Early this morning we have the option of enjoying a canter safari before we leave Ranthambore and drive to Jaipur. Please remember to bring your passport again today to gain entry. Some areas of the roads are very rough therefore the journey will take most of the afternoon.

Jaipur was founded in 1727, as Mughal power within India was declining. The then Maharaja Jai Singh moved his capital from Amer Fort down onto the plain below. The city is now the capital ofthe Rajasthan State and commonly called the 'Pink City' because of the pink paint on the buildings in the old city area. This was apparently done to imitate the magnificent, red sandstone buildings of the Mughals, and in an attempt to impress the Prince of Wales when he visited Jaipur in 1876. Upon arrival in Jaipur we visit the Maharaja's City Palace to explore the former Royal residence; part of the building has been converted into a museum, while the Royal family of Jaipur still uses the remaining sections of the palace. Outside the gate to the Maharaja's City Palace is Jantar Mantar, the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world.)

Those off us doing the canter had our early breakfast and then the heavens opened. It was decided by the guides to wait and see what happened with the rain, before either cancelling or going. The weather cleared so we went on the safari. I had a hoodie plus rain jacket with hood plus a blanket and it was still a little chilly but not too cold. Once we were out of the wind the weather was pleasant. The clouds rolled away and the sun was shining. No tigers to be seen this morning, so we were very fortunate with yesterday's viewing.

The dark clouds starting to come back and just after we left the park, it started to rain. I managed to stay fairly dry but once back at the resort, walking to my room, my sneakers became wet, as did the bottom of my jeans and my socks. Thank goodness for hair dryers. Socks, jean bottoms

& even sneaker tops, dried enough to be comfortable.

We had an early lunch at 1130 and departed for Jaipur at 12.30pm.

It was mainly rural lands that we passed on our trip today and in the towns there were vegetable markets, so maybe Saturday is market day. Or maybe every day is market day.

I think we arrived in Jaipur around 4pm

A storage tree

 and first up we visited a gem factory. I looked but didn't buy. From there we went to our hotel and checked in. 

Vishal had asked us if we would like to see the Shri Laskshmi Narayan Temple. This temple was only built in 1998, is white marble and very beautiful. Those of us going, met at 6.30pm, visited the temple and were back at the hotel shortly before 8pm. After dinner, I went to my room, sorted what to wear for the next couple of days, downloaded the camera photos to the iPad and updated the journal.

Sleep in tomorrow. Wake up 7am and breakfast from 7am and we depart for the days sight seeing at 8.30.

Day 11 - Sunday, 17 February 2013 - Jaipur

According to the itinerary: (Starting with a brief photo stop at Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), we continue to Amer Fort, or 'Amber Fort' as the British called it. Erected in 1799 by the Sawai Pratap Singh, the Hawa Mahal was built so that the veiled ladies of his harem could observe, unnoticed, the lively street scenes below. After we arrive at the base of Amer Fort we board our jeep for a ride all the way up to the entrance of the fort. Inside we visit the Hall of Victory which houses the famed Sheesh Mahal. Before returning to the hotel we stop for some shopping at Choti Choper where villagers from around Jaipur come to sell and trade their produce, inside the walled city. This evening enjoy a traditional dance performance and dinner at a local restaurant.)

First up after breakfast we stopped at Hawa Mahal for a photo opportunity.

From there we visited the Amer Fort,

another magnificent structure and when you see where it is built, it makes you wonder how they did it, so many hundreds of years ago. 

From the Amer Fort we then had lunch at the restaurant at the Holiday Inn Hotel. 



After lunch we visited Jantar Mantar which is the largest stone and marble crafted observatory in the world.

Vrihat Samrat Yantra

From Jantar Mantar, we walked down to the Maharaja's City Palace for a comprehensive visit. Part of it is now a museum. The textiles in the museum are very interesting. By this time, none of us particularly wanted to visit Choti Choper, so we opted to go back to the hotel for some down time, before heading out to a local restaurant for dinner and some more local entertainment.

We were back at the hotel fairly early and my light was out by 10pm.

Day 12 - Monday, 18 February 2013 - Jaipur to Alsisar

Wake up 0630, breakfast 0700, bag out 0730 and on the road at 0800.

According to the itinerary: (Today we drive to the small heritage town of Alsisar located in the Shekhawati region. Aisisar provides travellers with a non-commercialised picture of village life in rural Rajasthan. The whole area of Shekhawati has beautiful frescoes, havelis and mansions and is often referred to as an open air art gallery. This afternoon we explore the village of Alsisar.

Tonight we sleep in a restored heritage haveli.)

Today and the next 2 days are basically travel days. We had reached the outskirts of Jaipur by 0830 and then had a loo stop at 1000 at a tourist stop. 4 other buses pulled in while we were there. The main road that we were traveling on, is having major diversions done through a number of towns. I'm sure that once the road works are finished the people in the towns will be glad that the traffic is no longer impacting on them. By 1130, I noticed that in a couple of towns there were a lot of billboard ads for Nursing Colleges in those towns. Once we turned off the highway, the countryside was noticeably dryer looking and the road very bumpy. We passed a couple of brick making places and every so often there would be piles of bricks on the side of the road.

We arrived at the Alsisar Mahal Hotel at around 1pm. We were dropped off from the bus and had to walk the last 100 meters or so with our hand luggage.  After receiving our room keys we opted to drop the hand luggage in our rooms and then have lunch. After lunch a number of us went visiting other people, checking out the rooms. Virtually every room is different. Some very big, some big & some medium sized but all of them lovely.

The bedroom I had

We all gathered in the main court yard at 5pm for a walk through the village

 and after returning to the hotel, a few of us gathered in Gail's room for a drink before going to dinner at 7.30pm. After dinner there was some local entertainment, namely a small group of musicians and 2 dancers and after them a local puppet show. I came back to my room after that, to do some hand washing and write up my journal.

Day 13 - Tuesday, 19 February 2013 - Alsisar to Bikaner

Wake up 0630, breakfast 0700, bag out 0730 & on the road 0800. The itinerary says: (Today we continue west to Bikaner, a major desert town in northern Rajasthan. Like many others in Rajasthan, the old city is surrounded by a high crenulated wall and was once an important staging post on the overland caravan routes to Central Asia and China (Silk Road). The city is interesting for its superb large fort, Junagarh Fort, but it is also known for the fine camels bred here.  Along with Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, Bikaner was one of the three great Desert Kingdoms of Rajasthan. It was founded in 1488 by Rao Bika, the disgruntled younger son of Rao Jodha, the ruler of Jodhpur, who left home in search of new territory to conquer.)

I was up, showered, dressed and reading my book when the wake up call came in. I headed to the lobby/reception

to send a quick email, then back to my room before then heading over to the dining room for breakfast. While I was back in my room, the lights went out then came back on about  20 seconds later. When I put my glasses on, I noticed that one of the arms was at a funny angle. As I was walking to the dining room with Heather & Peter, I discovered that that arm was missing. Thankfully Peter spotted it in the dim morning light but goodness knows where the missing screw might be. I had brought another pair of glasses with me but they were in a packing cube, in my main luggage and that had been taken away before I headed for breakfast. When we arrived at the dining room,

the place was in darkness but when we opened the door, others were already there. Seems like the hotel was having generator problems. The lights went off once more, before coming on again and then staying on.

After breakfast, we all gathered in the courtyard and then walked to the bus, which was parked a few hundred metres away.

The road this morning was a one lane rural road and extremely bumpy, to say the least. The countryside had changed from very dry looking, to very sandy and dry.

Shortly after 0900 we turned right onto a 2 laned bumpy road but the 2 lanes only lasted a short distance.  By 0930 we came to the town of Churu and there were road works going on there. According to Vishal, this town floods on a fairly regular basis and every couple of years, they have major road works to repair flood damage.  At 1045 we turned on to another  2 lane road which continued all the way to Bikaner.   We had a loo stop at 1100 and then continued on to the Laxmi Niwas Palace in  Bikaner.

One of the reception rooms

The view from outside my room door

My room is #401, up on the roof.

Room 401

A huge sparse room and I think this one will be the best one for me on this tour. A couple of the other solo traveling ladies are not especially impressed with their rooms, but as they have said, it is only for 1 night. Interestingly, neither of the 2 solo males on this tour have had crappy rooms and I know that the room I have here was originally allocated to our tour manager Vishal. This country is very much a male oriented country. All hotel staff, apart from some reception staff, have been males. Men clean the rooms (in a few cases not very well). I haven't seen any female wait staff any where.

Once we arrived at the hotel we went to lunch and then after getting our room allocations and luggage we re-assembled to head out to visit the Junagarh Fort.  

I didn't make any notes about this fort but did take pics that I will post when I return home.

Mary & Graham joined me in my roof top tower room for a couple of drinks before dinner and then when I was heading  down the 67 steps, on my way to dinner, I ran into solo John, so we went to the bar to have a beer, before joining the rest of the group in the dining room. We were hoping that there might have been some other rebels in the bar but there weren't.

It was Graham's birthday today and Vishal arranged a birthday cake for him this evening and we all enjoyed a piece of it.

I went back to my room after dinner, after sending an email to Bill and then updated this journal. Light out shortly before midnight.

Day 14 - Wednesday, 20 February 2013 - Bikaner to Jaisalmer

According to the itinerary: (This morning we drive to Jaisalmer, arriving later

this afternoon.  The captivating city of Jaisalmer was founded by Prince Jaisal in 1156 and dubbed the 'Golden City' because of the honey- coloured sandstone walls, emphasized by the setting sun. It was once a flourishing trade centre, strategically located on the busy caravan trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Its earlier rulers grew rich by looting gems, silk and opium from the caravans, but by the 16th Century Jaisalmer had become a peaceful town. Jaisalmer's wealthy traders and rulers vied with each other to beautify their austere desert surroundings with splendid palaces and havelis. Made of the local golden-yellow sandstone, they are the most spectacular examples of the Rajasthani stonemason's art.  This afternoon we visit Sunset Point, also referred to as Vyas Chhatri to enjoy the scenic view.)

I slept like a log last night and was woken when my alarm went off. My wake up call came a few minutes later and I joined the rest of the group for breakfast. Egg on toast, juice & coffee. Back up to my room to collect the carryon bag and then down to reception to pay for last nights beer. I downloaded the Canberra Times, so I can have a read while we travel to Jaisalmer. I'm also updating this as we travel along. Much easier than trying to write in a notebook. I should have been doing this since day 1.

We got away shortly after 8. It's about 320k to Jaisalmer and so far the road is pretty good.

Very flat countryside. No obvious signs of agriculture apart from the occasional hay stack. Some goats and cows in some of the fields and every thing is very green. There was a huge man made mound a few kilometres back and Vishal wasn't sure what is was but after googling it, it is from a mine. Apparently there is some mining going on around this area now.

More signs of agriculture, as crops are being irrigated.

10.00am and a sign says that it is 200k to Jaisalmer. A very small wind farm, not far from the road with only 5 windmills. We stopped for lunch at 11.30 at a tourist bus stop. There was already a tour bus of Indian people having lunch too. We were on the road again shortly after 12.30.

We finally arrived at our hotel, The Desert Tulip, around 2pm.

Gail and I are sharing a 2 bedroom family apartment, as are Rosalie and Celia, the other 2 solo ladies on the tour. My bedroom is the parents room, which has a spa bath but no shower and Gail has the children's room which has 2 single beds plus a lovely massage type shower.

We weren't going out until 5.15pm, so a few people had a dip in the pool.

This is a very nice resort hotel.

We headed to sunset point which overlooks a crematorium and we were filled in on who is cremated here.

Sunset was shortly before 6.30pm.

After that we visited a silver shop. Too expensive for me, so no buying tonight. From there we returned to the hotel and had dinner. A dry restaurant. No alcohol served.

I returned to my room, did some hand washing, had a bath and my light will be out by 10.30pm. We head out at 9am tomorrow, so a sleep in.

Day 15 - Thursday, 21 February 2013 - Jaisalmer

According to the itinerary (In the 18th Century, with the growth of sea ports at Surat and Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), Jaisalmer's importance dwindled. However the buildings from its golden age still stand, clustered around a magnificent fort.

Today we visit Jaisalmer Fort which rises like a fabulous mirage out of the sands of the Thar Desert. The awesome contours of its 99 bastions are softened by the golden hue of the stone. Built in 1156 by Maharawal Jaisal and added to by his successors, this citadel stands on the peak of the 80m-high Trikuta-Hill. In  mediaeval times, Jaisalmer's entire population lived within the fort and to this day, thousands of people reside here, making it India's only living fort. Royal palaces, a cluster of Jain temples, mansions and shops are all contained within its walls.

We will visit the beautifully carved Jain temples and Badal Vilas Palace. We also visit some impressive merchant mansions (havelis) including the Patwon Ki Haveli, a five-storey mansion with carved pillars and murals. Later this afternoon we visit the Sam Sand Dunes and take a camel ride to view the sunset before returning to Jaisalmer for dinner.)

I was awake shortly before 7am and decided to get up. There were a few other people from the tour, already at breakfast, so I wasn't the only early bird. There was a French tour group just finishing breakfast before heading off to their next town and we were wondering if we might have to be up extra early tomorrow too. Time will tell. I came back to my room, so I could re-charge the iPad. I don't like leaving electrics switched on while I'm out of the room.

We depart at 9am for a visit to Lake Gadsisar. 

It was built by a courtesan and used to be the main source of drinking water in the olden times. There are plenty of catfish in the lake too and some of the locals feed them so the tourists can get photos. From there we visited Jaisalmer Fort. 

What a seething mass of humans. And motor bikes everywhere. Some really old buildings in this fort with some really  beautiful carved facades.

After our 3 hour walking tour of the fort we re-boarded the bus to be driven to a local restaurant for lunch. Once again we went up 2 or 3 flights of stairs but the meal was delicious. The only meal that I haven't enjoyed all that much, was the one at this hotel last night. After lunch, we went back o the hotel for some down time before heading out again at 4.30pm.

We arrived out in the desert at about 5.30 and were shortly all loaded up on our camels for our camel ride. The ride lasted just over 30 minutes and sunset followed about 20 minutes later. I had taken photos of the sunset last night, so didn't.t bother with them tonight. Getting down from a camel, especially a big one, was interesting.  I was amazed at the amount of people who were  out on the dunes for the sunset.

After the sunset, we hopped on board again and were taken to the area where the bus was parked. I think I'll be a little stiff tomorrow.  We departed from the dunes around 7pm and on the way back to the hotel, were shouted a rum & coke by Vishal. We arrived back at the hotel around 8 and went straight to dinner. Tomorrow we head for Jodhpur and I'm going to try and get the front seat for the trip.

Day 16 - Friday, 22 February 2013 - Jaisalmer to Jodhpur

Wake up 6.30, breakfast 7.00, bag out 7.30 and depart at 8.00. Starting to sound very familiar.    

According to the itinerary: (Today we drive to Jodhpur, the second largest city in Rajasthan located at the entrance to the Thar Desert in a region called Marwar. The old city, founded in 1459, is surrounded by a 10km long wall. The Meherangarh Fort overlooks the city and the red sandstone palaces within the fort form one of the most impressive and formidable complexes in Rajasthan.  Upon arrival we check into our hotel and from here our first stop is the 5k long fort situated on a 125m-high hill. Within the fort are some magnificent palaces with meticulously carved panels, latticed windows known as Jarokhas. The chambers of Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, the Sileh Khana and the Daulat Khana are noteworthy for the splendour and glamour of a bygone era. Later we visit the Jaswant Thada, a cluster of royal cenotaphs of white marble built in 1899 in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. This is followed by a visit to the museum housed in the majestic Umaid Bhawan Palace and later we will have free time to explore the local vegetable market Subzi Mandi.)

No aches or pains this morning, after the camel ride last night.

I managed to snag the front seat for the drive today and it was interesting. 

Here in India, they have respect for all animals and try to avoid killing them, especially on the roads. When I have been sitting in other seats, I'd sometimes hear the driver sounding his horn (all drivers here do it to warm people & other vehicles that they are coming up behind them or to warn animals that they need to shift off the road) and couldn't see why he was sounding the horn, as I couldn't see people or animals. Anyway, today I found the answer. Some sort of hen, as in a bird hen not a chicken hen, will sometimes run across the road and he has been sounding his horn to make them move faster, so he doesn't run them over. Mind you, if it looks like he might accidentally hit a bird or animal, the brakes come on and/or he takes other evasive action.

We got away on time this morning and had an early loo break at 9.30. Lots of sights to see from the front seat.

There must be a tree planting project happening along the highway, because for a very long stretch you could see that new trees had been planted and they had protection around them, I guess to stop the grazing, cows, goats and camels from eating the new trees. 

We travelled along NH 114 (I guess National Highway 114). For the most part the highway was good but the later part leading to Jodhpur  was almost as bad as the rural road we travelled on from Alsisar, a few days ago.

We arrived a our hotel, Park Plaza, just before midday.  I have room 102, a normal type hotel room for a change, after the luxury of the past 4 nights.  Lunch and then we met at 2.30 to visit the Jaswant Tharda a gorgeous white marble building. 

and then the magnificent Meherangarh Fort. 

Relief of the Fort

The Palaces within this fort are spectacular but you do need to climb many stairs.   The ancient people certainly knew how to build places to last through the ages.  I have found it interesting, that for a nation of people who are not especially tall in this day & age and who would most likely have been even shorter back in the earlier centuries, have such HUGE risers on their stairs..... 

     

After our visit to the fort we headed back to the hotel before heading out again at 7.30 for our evening meal. I'm not sure where we went to but there were a few other tour groups also there and we ate outside. It is a very balmy evening.

We were back just after 9pm and will be on the road again tomorrow at 8.30, so we get a half hour sleep in. :)

Apparently all cities or towns ending in PUR were established by the Hindi's. All ending in BAD, by the Muslims and all ending in MER are desert towns.

And as it is now just after midnight here, I wish you all a good morning from Jodhpur and I'm going to bed. Night all.....

Day 17 - Saturday, 23 February 2013 - Jodhpur

Wake up 7am and depart at 8.30.

the itinerary says (After breakfast this morning we drive by jeep to Rohetgarh to visit a Bishnoi Tribe. The Bishnois follow 29 principles of a non-violent Vaishanavas sect and was founded in the 15th Century by Jambeswarji.  After lunch at Hotel Rohetgarh we return to Jodhpur.)

We all piled into jeeps (5 to a jeep) and headed out of Jodhpur. First stop was at a pottery place. It was actually the home of the potter and he and some of his extended family all contribute to the family business. He turned a couple of pots and a money box, one that has to be smashed to get the money out.  I was amazed at the precision and quickness of turning the lump of clay into a work of art.

From the potter, we then visited one of the Bishnoi Tribe families. They work the land, have a couple of cows and they now have a stone water storage well,

so they only need water delivered once a week and they also have their satellite dishes.

Next was a visit to another co-op type business, who manufacture cotton rugs.

This co-op has a couple of solar panels, 

so they are able to generate enough electricity, to enable them to have electric lights over their looms. A couple of people bought rugs here. 

After that visit, we were then taken to the bus and taken to our lunch hotel, an oasis almost in the middle of no where. A former private home that is being converted to a hotel.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

After lunch we headed back to Jodhpur and visited the Umaid Bhawan Palace museum

(the main part of the palace is now a hotel) and then we drove to a bus parking area and took tuc tuc's to visited the vegetable and general markets at Subzi Mandi. First up we visited a spice & tea shop

and after that we had about 90 minutes to explore on our own. I absolutely loved it.

Gail, Mary & Graham, Rosalie & I decided to just wander, explore and take in the whole experience.

I was pleasantly surprised that we weren't harassed too much by vendors. Maybe that was because it is a market area used by the locals all the time and not just 'tourists'.....

Mary didn't get out of the way of a wandering cow fast enough and will most likely have a nice bruise on her shoulder tomorrow, where the cows horn caught her. Some local must have left some food in the pannier on their motor cycle, as we saw another cow getting their mouth into the pannier, as it ambled along.

And I managed to get a photo.  Rosalie has been looking for a fairly plain/unadorned punjab suit, while on this tour, so we were keeping out eyes out but no luck.  Everything is too 'blingy'. Mary & Graham had left us 3 about 10 minutes earlier, so we continued the search. 

We got back to the arranged meeting place 5 minutes early but apparently we were the last to arrive.

All the others had already taken a tuc tuc back to the bus.  This day has been another good day. Off the beaten track a bit and seeing some of the ways, that a lot of people in India live.

Tomorrow we head to Udaipur.

I had laundry done today. 2 pair 3/4 pants, 5 t- shirts & 1 hoodie type jacket. Not sure of the total cost yet, as the jacket price wasn't on the laundry list BUT the clothes came back clean and immaculate presentation. The t-shirts all have a cardboard insert in them, like when you buy a man's shirt, and are folded around that. I usually roll my t-shirts before putting them in a packing cube but I have just put these in the packing cube, as is. Our hotel is the Park Plaza. I had 5 things laundered last week and the cost equated to about AUD8.00. So very inexpensive.

The power here has been fluctuating a bit tonight, so I'll sent this now, while I can.

Day 18 - Sunday, 24 February 2013 - Jodhpur to Udaipur

Wake up 7am. Breakfast from 7am. Bag out 8am. Depart at 8.30. According to the itinerary:  (After breakfast we commence our drive to Udaipur, visiting the Jain temple complex of Ranakpur en route. Located in the lovely valley of the Aravalli, the temple complex was built in the 15th Century. The main temple is the Chaumukha (four-faced) Temple, built in 1439. Its 29 halls are supported by 1,444 pillars, of which no two are alike. We also visit the Surya Temple and other Jain temples a little distance away before continuing to Udaipur.  The origins of Udaipur are based on a legend which tells of a holy sage that Maharaja Udai Singh encountered while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range in Mewar. The sage told the King to build a palace in that exact spot and it would be well protected and so with this advice Maharaja Udai Singh built his residence there. At the time, Chittorgarh was the capital of Mewar state, however in 1568 Chittorgarh was attacked by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and so Maharaja Udai Singh moved the capital to Udaipur. Today, the City Palace of Udaipur is still home to Maharaja Udai Singh's descendents who remain rulers of this independent state. We will be able to tell if the Maharaja is in residence by the flag hanging from the palace wall. This afternoon we enjoy a cruise on the 4km long Lake Pichola, fringed with hills, palaces, havelis, ghats and temples. While on the cruise we will see the Lake Palace, formally known as Jag Niwas, built between 1734 and 1751. It was once a Royal summer retreat and is now one of the world's greatest hotels. It is also a popular location for film shoots, including James Bond's Octopussy.)

I was up before our wake up call came in, as I had a really lousy night. I have finally caught the cold or whatever it is, that has been doing the rounds on the bus. My left eye is very sore and weepy and my nose is becoming runny.

Another travel day today and the scenery has again been different. This time we went over a mountain range before joining the highway that has brought us to Udaipur. The morning was mainly just driving and then we pulled into a very modern resort for lunch. I don't recall the name of the village but the resort is a village enterprise. After lunch we continued onto the Jain Temple at Ranakpur.

I didn't go inside as I couldn't face walking up all those steps. Apparently the inside is very ornate.

We left there around 3pm and continued on our way to Udaipur. We had a very windy journey this afternoon going up hill and down dale. Lots of agriculture in this area and the people still use a 4,000 year old way or irrigating their fields, using oxen to draw the water up from either a stream or waterway of some sort and then it is channeled to the crops.

We arrived at our Hilltop Palace Hotel around 5.30pm and the view overlooking the lake is delightful.

There is a rooftop bar and I joined a couple of people up there for a drink, before heading down to dinner, shortly after 7.30pm.  After dinner, I headed to my room and bed. I was hoping to have a bath but as there was no plug, I had a very hot shower instead. I was in bed and the light was out by 9pm.

Day 19 - Monday 25 February 2013 - Udaipur

We had a sleep in today, as we didn't start the days activities until 9.30.  According to the itinerary.  (We begin our second day in Udaipur with a drive around Fateh Sagar Lake, which has a garden cafe on its island. Located nearby are the Folk Museum and Mewar Art Gallery. Although the Folk Museum is small and has been neglected a bit over the years, the unique variety of ethnic groups and cultures of the hills around Udaipur make this visit well worthwhile. We also visit the Sahelion Ki Bari Garden (Garden for the Maids of Honour). This delightful 18th-century retreat in the north of the city was built for the Queen of Udaipur, whose dowry included 48 maids.  After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the massive City Palace which overlooks Lake Pichola. The City Palace, built in 1725, comprises of 11 palaces including the Dilkhush Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Moti Mahal and the Palace of Lord Krishna, all of which are ornately decorated. We then walk down the street leading from the gates of the palace to our bus where we have the opportunity to shop in the local stalls along the way.)

First up today was a visit to the City Palace.

This is still used by the descendants of Maharaja Udaipur Singh.

The palace has been added too over the years and the area that is open to the public is small compared to the size of the palace. Also, the family live in another section, which is separate from where the hoards of tourists stream in.  

After the Palace visit, we then went on a boat ride around the lake and stopped at one of the islands, for a quick visit. 

 After the lake cruise we then went and had lunch at a little restaurant, tucked away off one of the shopping streets, just near the palace.   I think it was called The Teal Duck.  After lunch, Vishal gave us an hour to shop if we wanted to. Rosalie has been looking for a fairly unadorned, teal coloured Punjab suit, so her, Gail & I went visiting a number of little shops with no success at all.  They don't seem to have much of a range, ready made. A couple of places wanted to make something for her and deliver to our hotel but she wasn't interested in that. From there we then visited the Sahelion Ki Bari Garden.

Udaipur appears to be a more affluent city and I base that on the fact that it looks cleaner, I think I have only seen one cow walking the streets and that was today, just after lunch and there are more cars on the road and more of the cars are medium sized Audi's or Mercedes.  I'm sure they still have many poor but we didn't see all that many. Maybe because it is a smaller city and having the lakes has something to do with it. I don't know.

I'm feeling much better today. Have only coughed occasionally but my tummy muscles hurt when I do and the runny nose has virtually stopped.  Maybe I'll be lucky and it will be a 48 hour bug.

Tomorrow is going to be really boring. We fly from here to Mumbai and then onto Aurangabad.

Day 20 - Tuesday, 26 February 2013 - Udaipur to Aurangabad

Wake up 4am, bag out & breakfast from 4.30am and depart for the airport at 5am. The itinerary says:

(Today we board our flight to Mumbai, where we connect with our onward flight to Aurangabad. Upon arrival in Aurangabad we transfer to our hotel and enjoy the afternoon at leisure.

Founded by Malik Ambar in 1610, Aurangabad was formerly known as Khirki, meaning 'window', because of its strategic position that provided a window view of the Deccan Plateau. The town was an important seat of the Mughal Empire and holds a good number of Mughal architectural marvels making it an important historical destination of Maharashtra. The town is situated on the banks of the Kham River with mediaeval monuments, cultural heritage, silk and cotton textiles, and is also within proximity to the famous UNESCOWorld Heritage listed sites of Ajanta and Ellora. Though the city looks calm and quiet, it is an industrialised, competitive city making its own mark on the industrial map of India.)

Long travel day and no photos taken.  Our original flight out of Udaipur was due to depart at 8am but for whatever reason our new flight departed at 7am. The flight was about 80 minutes. After collecting our luggage, we stayed in the arrivals area, as we wouldn't be able to get into the departure terminal until midday, as our flight from Mumbai isn't until 3pm and there was more seating in the arrival hall than in the food court outside, which is the only other place we could stay. I think we finally departed the arrivals hall around 11am and Vishal had found a bar which did mainly snack type food and hamburgers and he had done a deal with them, to do an early lunch for us. Vishal was paying. I would have paid anyway, as the food was delicious and the staff really nice. Desmond from Goa introduced himself to me, when he delivered my beer. Vishal had also arranged for a security guard to keep an eye on our luggage, which we had to leave outside the small restaurant. I guess it had seating for about 36 and we were 23 in number. Our orders were taken fairly swiftly but the food took some time to come out, depending on what was ordered. Remember, this is a small bar, usually doing snack food. The food was fresh and as I said earlier, delicious.

We finally walked over to the departure hall at another terminal and passed through security, again and again and again.

The 45 minute flight left on time and this time we flew with Air India. All our other flights have been with JetKonnect.  We were at our hotel by about 5pm and could do what we liked. Dinner was at 7.30pm. Seems like a standard time for hotel restaurants to start service. I just had spaghetti with meat sauce, for a change.

After dinner I headed back to my room and had a lovely relaxing bath. Read for a while and watched some TV and put my light out and slept like a log.

Day 21 - Wednesday, 27 February 2013 -

Wake up 7am, depart for Ajanta Caves at 8.30am. The itinerary says:

(As Buddhism slowly declined, the UNESCOWorld Heritage listed Ajanta Caves were abandoned and gradually forgotten. But in 1819 a British hunting party stumbled upon them and their remote beauty was soon unveiled. Their isolation contributed to the fine state of preservation in which some of their remarkable paintings remain to this day. Within the 30 rock-hewn caves, the murals show scenes from the Buddha's life and from the Jataka Tales, which recount stories of Buddha's previous incarnations as an enlightened being or Bodhisattva. The magnificent, detailed compositions include depictions of court scenes, princes and musicians and offer fascinating glimpses of daily life dating back to the 2^nd Century. Dinner this evening will be an Indian Tandoor BBQ at Hotel Amarpreet.)

We departed the hotel at 8.30am but didn't get out the gates and onto the road until 8.45am, as someone had parked their car on the curving driveway, so the coach could not get past it. Eventually a key was found and someone moved the car down the driveway a bit further and when the coach got to that point, again we could not get past, only this time the bus connected with the car. Oops. This time they drove the car further away and we were on our way. Our local guide, Senjay Vaswani was excellent.

Aurangabad has a brewery and other manufacturing factories although agriculture is still the main source of income for the state. The city has a population of 1.2 million with 40% being Muslims, 40% Hindus and I missed what the other 20% are. The trip out to the caves took 2.5hrs and we arrived at the bus parking place at about 11am. We then walked the gauntlet, past all the vendors, to the local bus that took us the next 4 kilometres to the bottom of the valley that the caves are in. 

There are porters here who will carry people up to the start of the caves, in a sedan chair, as the initial walk is rather steep. They follow some people up, almost knowing that they will get a job.

All up we saw 5 caves. They really are amazing, when you think about how old they are and the fact that they are man made. The ancients carved these caves out of the rock, then plastered the interiors of them and then painted scenes over the plaster and many of them are still fairly intact.

Today was the warmest of the tour so far.

After visiting the caves we then walked back to the restaurant at the base of the car walk, to have lunch. After lunch we returned to the local buses, whiçh took us back to the vendors and we walked through their requests, back to our coach and we were back at the hotel around 5pm.

We gathered again at 7.30' to go to a locàl restaurant for dinner. A little bit different. A mixture of Indian and Chinese food and it was a set menu. It was nice not to have curry, for a change. It took about 20 minutes to get to the restaurant and about 10 minutes to get back to the hotel. We were back by 10pm.

Coach air conditioning!!!!!!

Day 22 - Thursday. 28 February 2013 - Aurangabad to Mumbai

Wake up 6.30, breakfast from 7am and depart for Ellora Caves. Return to hotel for lunch, 1pm to 2pm. Bag out at 2.30pm and depart for the airports at 3pm for our  5.20pm flight back to Mumbai. According to the itinerary: (Today we enjoy a morning excursion to the Ellora Caves, another UNESCO World Heritage listed site, which encompass 34 rock-cut shrines representing Buddhist, Hindu and Jain art dating from the 4th-9th Century AD. The caves are carved into the side of a basaltic hill 30km from Aurangabad. The most remarkable among them is the Kailash Temple, meant to be a replica of Lord Shiva's celestial abode, Kailash. It is the best example of rock-cut architecture and the engineering skills of that era.  Later we return to the city to board our afternoon flight to Mumbai. Upon our arrival in Mumbai we will be transferred to our hotel for check-in.  Mumbai is home to the world's biggest cinema industry, popularly known as 'Bollywood'. Some 15 million people, from billionaire tycoons to homeless pavement dwellers, live in this teeming megalopolis.)

We headed out to Ellora Caves and arrived around 9am. We visited 4 caves. The 1st one was a doubled storied Buddhist cathedral-cum-monastery, which is the only chaitya griha at Ellora Caves.

It is dated as 7th century AD.  
The next one was another Buddhist monastery, circa 8th century and referred to as the 'teen tal' because of its 3 stories. Next was the Kailasha, a great monolithic rock cut temple

and the final one, a double storied Jain temple. 

The Kailasha is amazing.  
We headed back to Aurangabad around 11.30.

No seat belts here. 

After lunch, we left the hotel a 3pm and headed to the airport for our 5.10pm flight, which arrived in Mumbai, shortly before 6. After collectiñg our luggage, we boarded the bus which brought us to the hotel. We arrived just before 8pm and after dropping the hand luggage in my room, I then went down to dinner. Vishal said that he would take those who wanted to go, for a walk along the water front, so we met him at 9pm and went for a walk. Very pleasant. We were back by 10pm and I headed for bed. We head out again tomorrow at 8.30am.

Day 23 - Friday. 1 March 2013 - Mumbai to Kochi

Wake up 7am, bag out 8am, depart 8.30am. The itinerary says: (We tour the city of Mumbai today. We will drive past the Gateway of India, Mumbai's principle landmark, the Afghan Church and along Marine Drive, fondly known as the 'Queen's Necklace'. We also visit the Hanging Gardens, Chowpatty Beach, Kamala Nehru Park and Mani Bhavan, where Mahatma Gandhi stayed. We stop at the Dhobi Ghat where Mumbai's 'dirties' are scrubbed, bashed, dyed and hung out to dry, as well as the colourful Crawford Market and Flora Fountain. We will get a chance to view the local train passing close by on which   c.  C. V the city commuters jam into the train and hang on any way possible.  This evening we board our flight to Kochi. Upon our arrival we will be met by our Escort Mr. Ajith Kumar ( contact number - +91 -9447562743) and transferred to our hotel.  Better known as Cochin, Kochi is Kerala's most cosmopolitan city. It is also its main trading centre for spices and seafood. Built around a saltwater lagoon of the Arabian Sea, Kochi is in fact a collection of narrow islands and peninsulas.)

The sea is very misty this morning, so no ocean photos. 

 We got away on time and headed to The Gateway of India, where we got out for a look around. The Taj Palace Hotel was just across the road, so had a nice view of that.

We also stopped off at St. John the Evangalist Church. We also visited Mani Bhavan, which is a book shop cum museum all about Ghandi. We were all back on the bus by about 11am. Next stop was the Hanging Gardens. The Dhobi Ghat has to be seen to be believed. So much laundry.

We didn't get to see the local train though.

Lunch was really nice today and for 'nice', read no curry. Nachos and pizza instead. After lunch it was off to the airport where we said farewell to Vishall and flew to Kochi. The flight was almost 2 hours.  We were met by the local company's agent and our new national guide for the next 4 nights, Ajith. Once at the hotel, check in was quick.  I dropped my hand luggage in the room and headed to the dining room for some dinner. This hotel is Muslim owned, so no alcohol and the first hotel that has female cleaning staff and some in the dining room too.

Back in my room to do some laundry, as we will be on a houseboat Sunday night, so no opportunity that night and then Monday night is our last in India, as we fly out Tuesday night.

Day 24 - Saturday, 2 March 2013 - Kochi

According to the itinerary: (Today we enjoy a tour of the satellite towns around Kochi and Ernakulam including visits to the Dutch Palace, the Santa Cruz Basilica and St. Francis Church established in the early 1500s by the Portuguese (who called it Santo Antonio) and is one of India's earliest European churches.  While driving along the coastline at the harbour's mouth, we can view the unique and still-in-use Chinese fishing nets, which were introduced by the Chinese traders in the 14th Century. Kochi's natural harbour was created by a massive flood in 1341 and attracted imperialists and merchant traders from all over the world.  We will end our day at Fort Kochi, built by the Portuguese in the 16th Century, where we can walk through the historical Dutch and Portuguese buildings. Despite being nearly 500 years old, the fort's buildings are still amazingly well preserved.  This evening we enjoy a Kathakali dance performance, a story with characters divided into the noble, wicked and grotesque wearing extravagant costumes.)

We headed off this morning at 8.30am. First up we visited the Dutch Palace and then did some shop browsing for about 1/2 an hour. Next was a visit to St  Francis Church, which I think is the original burial place of Vasco de Gama, before his son took his body to Lisbon for final internment.  We then had a look at the Chinese fishing nets,

before having some lunch.  We all opted to cut short the site seeing, as some people we not feeling too good and others just wanted some down time, so we were back at the hotel around 2pm.  There we only 11 of us who went to the Kathakali dance performance tonight, as the other half of the group are feeling under the weather. First up we watched the performers putting on their face paint, then there was an explanation of the show that we would see, ie, the story it would be telling, then a demo of some of the words or feelings thàt they act out, then the 1 hour performance. Extremely interesting.

10.30am departure tomorrow.

The weather has been very hot here in the south, for the past couple of days. I think we had 38c here today and it is humid too.  I have to do some bag reshuffling, as I want to only take the carryon on the houseboat.

Day 25 - Sunday, 3 March 2013 - Kochi to Nedumudy

A late departure today. I had a sleep in and didn't go down to breakfast until about 8am.  According to the itinerary: (This morning we visit the Jewish synagogue (closed on Fridays and Saturdays) before driving to Nedumudy near Kumarakom to board our overnight houseboat, a converted rice barge known as a 'kettuvallam'.  Today, the houseboats have all the creature comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cosy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. Parts of the curved roof of wood or plaited palm open out to provide shade and allow uninterrupted views.  What is truly magical about a houseboat ride is the breathtaking view of the untouched and otherwise inaccessible rural Kerala. An unhurried backwater cruise in the traditional houseboat is the best way to discover Kerala's exceptional scenic beauty.

We will enjoy dinner on board and stay overnight on the houseboat.

Please note: While on the houseboats, electricity can be intermittent. There is a generator on board, so keep this in mind when charging phones, cameras or other electronic items. The cabins on board are all air conditioned, but the living areas and deck may be cooled with fans. If you are a light sleeper you may wish to bring ear plugs, as the generators may be loud at night.)

I had bought a small bottle of rum yesterday and after breakfast, I walked down the road a bit, to a small kiosk and bought a bottle of Pepsi to go with it. We had all decided yesterday that we wouldn't   visit the Jewish synagogue today, so we headed directly to Alleppey. We arrived just after noon and were taken to our houseboats.

There were 5 boats with 3 bedrooms on each boat, so depending on the mix, there were either 4 or 5 people on each boat. I was on a boat with Kathy & John from Canberra and Trevor & Beverley, from Sydney. The boats soon departed and we were on a lazy slow cruise. 

Transport

Laundry

Fishing

We moored around 1pm, to have lunch served and we were on our way again after lunch.  The temp was very hot & very humid. Most people just bought an overnight bag for our time on the boats.  We all stopped off at a village so we could see the oldest Christian Church in the world. This was built in the early AD's. This area of India has a very high Christian population.

After that shore excursion we continued on our way. 

Duck farming

River life

Cashew Nut tree

We moored again around 6pm, and this was for the night. We had dinner around 7pm. There was one other of our boats moored near ours. The other 3 boats were further up river.   We have a couple of English speaking crew, so we were always being kept well informed about the things we were seeing along the way. The mossie nets were let down before the evening lights were turned on and the crew had closed up our rooms and turned the aircon & fans on, so by the time we went to bed, around 8.30ish, my room was nice and cool and stayed that way all night. The room was quite nice but very basic, as were the other 2 rooms.  I had a quick shower, well sort of a shower.  I certainly felt clean & refreshed after it, as today had been particularly hot and humid. Into bed and light out around 9pm.

Day 26 - Monday, 4 March 2013 - Alleppey to Kovalam

The itinerary says:  (After breakfast on board we disembark from our houseboat and drive to our hotel in Kovalam. Until the 1960s, Kovalam was just a sleepy fishing village with narrow lanes and thatched dwellings with wide courtyards for drying fish. However, once its spectacular beach and shallow, crystal-clear waters were discovered, it became a favourite with hippies and backpackers, and over the years acquired the reputation of being a shabby, down-market resort. Today however, Kovalam attracts the rich and famous that travel here in private planes for the charming natural beauty of the beach and its surrounds. As a result, the beaches are dotted with both luxury and budget resorts, as well as cafes and several Government-approved Ayurveda centres that offer anything from a simple massage to three-week treatments. Kovalam is the perfect place to enjoy a traditional Ayurvedic massage, and experience the oldest type of health care in India. If you would like to have an Ayurvedic massage, please inform your National Escort of the timing so that there will be minimal disturbance to the group touring schedule.

Down by the beachside, hawkers have also set up stalls, selling handicrafts and inexpensive beachwear. Despite the increase in tourism, Kovalam retains an inherent charm that makes it one of India's finest and most popular beach resorts.)

I woke just after midnight and then again around 5am. Finally got up at 6am.  Breakfast was served at 7am but we had coffee and tea prior to that. The boat started sailing again at 7.30. It is so very tropical here. Coconut palms everywhere.  It was interesting seeing what the people in this water logged, rice paddy area of Kerala do, as they start their day. 

Waiting to go to school

Morning Laundry

We disembarked at 9am and rejoined  the bus.  The journey to Kovalam took about 4 hours. The roads in southern India are much better than the ones up north.

We arrived here at the Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa, around 1.30pm. After receiving my key, I dropped the carry-on and went to the dining room to have some lunch. I'm avoiding the curries at the moment.  Gail and I are about the only ones who haven't come down with a gastro and vomiting bug doing the rounds of the group and as we head home tomorrow, I don't want to pick it up now. Fingers crossed.

After lunch the 4 solo ladies, Celia, Gail, Rosalie & myself, went exploring the resort. Both Gail and Rosalie want to have a Ayurvedic massage and also get a henna painting  on their hand, so we all went looking for the salons. Gail is having the henna painting done at 4 this afternoon, then a massage at 5.45pm, while Rosalie is having the massage at 4.30 this afternoon and the henna tomorrow afternoon at 1pm. Dinner is in the hotel tonight.

Day 27 – Tuesday 5 March 2013 – Depart Kovalam

The itinerary says: (Today we enjoy a full day of sightseeing around Trivandrum.We visit Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, before continuing to the Zoological Gardens and Museums. Within the gardens we visit the Napier Museum with its bronze collection, Sri Chitra Art Gallery and the Reptile House.  Later we visit the Observatory, the Kanakakakunnu Palace and Sree Moolamthirunal Shastri Purthi Memorial. (State Handicraft Institute). After a late check out and our farewell dinner, we transfer to Trivandrum airport to board our overnight flight home to Sydney.)

First up we did visit the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

Only people who practice the Hindu religion are allowed to enter this temple and there are very strict rules about what people can wear when they enter the temple.

http://www.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org/History.htm

Apparently A treasure trove of gold and silver jewellery, coins and precious stones said to be worth billions of dollars has been found in the Hindu temple a couple of years ago.  The valuables have an estimated preliminary worth of over 500 billion rupees ($10.49 billion).

The thousands of necklaces, coins and precious stones have been kept in at least five underground vaults at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple which is renowned for its intricate sculptures.  The temple, dedicated to Hindu lord Vishnu, was built hundreds of years ago by the king of Travancore and donations by devotees have been kept in the temple's vaults since.  Since India achieved independence from Britain in 1947, a trust managed by descendants of the Travancore royal family has controlled the temple. But India's Supreme Court, back in 2011  ordered that the temple be managed by the state to ensure the security of valuables at the shrine.  Until then, the Thirupathy temple in southern Andhra Pradesh state was believed to be India's richest temple with offerings from devotees worth 320 billion rupees ($6.6 billion).

The revelation about the huge riches in the Padmanabhaswamy temple forced police to sharply step up and install security cameras and alarms.

Authorities also have set up a commando force for security.  "Now it's known all over the world that the Padmanabhaswamy temple has jewels worth billions of rupees we have decided to assign it maximum security," Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said.

The above is taken from a 2011 news item:

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/treasure-worth-billions-found-in-sree-padmanabhaswamy-temple-india/story-e6frfq80-1226086322211

From the temple, we then went to the Zoological Gardens and Museum, although we only visited the Museum and as it didn’t open until 10am, we spent half an hour of so, sitting around and chatting, while waiting for it to open. 

I don’t remember visiting any art gallery, reptile house, observatory,  the Kanakakakunnu Palace or the Sree Moolamthirunal Shastri Purthi Memorial. (State Handicraft Institute).  The local tour manager said that we could visit a government craft/spice shop (maybe that was the State Handicraft Institure and we women said, great. We had missed some of the sights, because a couple/few of the males on the tour didn’t want to go to them, so the local manager agreed to the male  requests, without putting it to a vote. Anyway, we didn’t go to the government craft/spice shop because the driver couldn’t park the bus unless he paid 1200 rupees (approx. AUD $24.00) I have no idea if that was true or not.  Instead, we went to another  3 story spice/craft shop and nobody bought anything. We ladies were looking for clothes, not spices or statues or stuff like that.  Back to the hotel for lunch and leisure time until we departed at 6pm.

Gail and I went for a walk around the local area checking out some of the shops there but nothing to be found that fitted me. We caught up with Rosalie & John at one of the bars and then, just before we headed to the restaurant for lunch, the heavens opened. We waited until the rain abated a bit and then headed for the restaurant but I had to remove my shoes and socks, as they would have been soaked in the puddles. As it was, I looked like a drowned rat anyway. J

After the late lunch, I went back to my room, showered, washed my hair and packed my suitcase.  We had to have our bags out by 5.30pm.

Once we were all loaded on the bus at 6pm, we went to a local hotel for our farewell dinner. I saw a female staff member at this hotel, although I think she was just a greeter, as per usual, all the wait staff were males.  I  think by this stage we were all looking forward to heading home. Thankfully we could check the bags all the way to Sydney. The flight from Trivandrum airport was with Silk Air who are (I think) the domestic arm of Singapore Airways. 

Once at Changi, we only had a few hours in transit and then on our way to Sydney. Because Singapore Air had cancelled the original flight from Changi to Sydney, we arrived too late in Sydney to catch the last flight to Canberra, so had to overnight in Sydney.

Mary & I had decided that the 3 of us would share a room for the night and had booked a triple room at the Airport Sydney International Inn.  After making the booking, we then check reviews of the hotel and they weren’t all that crash hot. Surfice to say that we were very happy with our ground floor room. The room and bathroom were clean and comfy and everything worked. At $160 for the night for the 3 of us, we were more than happy. Plus there is a shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel and back again, at $6.00 each way.

Hi everyone,

At long last, I have finally finished going through my 2,000+ photos and have done an online album of 260 photos. For a 28 day tour, I think that’s good. I had 365 in the album that I did of my 2 week holiday in Switzerland.

The email with the link, will come in from my hotmail account

pburgher@hotmail.com

so, for some of you, it might go into your junk mail.

My overall thoughts of the tour. It was a great tour and excellent value for money. 

Cost from Sydney to Sydney including all international & internal airfares and all meals was AUD$9,300 twin share. That’s about $330 a day all inclusive.

The tour accommodations were good. Like all hotels, some rooms better than others but none of my rooms were crappy.  Quite a few of the rooms that I had, had a problem of some sort with their bathroom plumbing and the room cleaners idea of clean wasn't always up to my standard. Apart from the hotel at Kochi, all the cleaning staff were males. Kochi was a Muslim owned hotel. Not sure that that has any bearing though. 

Restaurant staff were all waiters, no females and apart from Delhi, I only saw 3 or 4 female staff behind reception desks. 5 star hotels might be different but we didn't stay at 5 star.

India is dirty. There is no other way to describe it. There is rubbish everywhere, in the towns and even the cities. I'm sure there must be some waste management but I don't know where. Air pollution wasn't a problem that I noticed. Certainly not anything like it was in China when I was there 10 years ago.

Men urinate against walls, whenever the need arises. I think that was the thing that 'shocked' me the most. Men driving cars and motorbikes, so not 'poor' men. 

In Jaipur, there was a section of the footpath (we were pulled up at traffic lights) that had human feces all over it. There isn't a lot of indoor plumbing in some places and I don't think there is an abundance of 'public toilets' either and the really poor just use the streets.

Cows are sacred in India and are allowed to roam at will through city streets and country highways, pooping everywhere. Goats and dogs are also in abundance. I didn't see many cats at all.

The people though, that I came in contact with were all lovely. Even the vendors, who were in your face on occasions, were never nasty aggressive. We used to do a lot of our vendor shopping, once we were back on the bus. Our drivers assistant and our tour manager, would bring some of the vendor items onto the bus and tell us how much they were and did we want to buy. By that time, the prices had dropped down from the original pricing, sometimes by 75%.  

India is male dominated. Most of the towns that we drove through would have men everywhere in the street but very few women, unless we were passing through market areas and they would be doing the shopping. BUT males are the salespeople, no matter what type of shop or goods were being sold. That is APART from the Jayalakshmi shop that we visited in Kochi/Cochin. That place had so many female shop assistants, it was almost unbelievable. Check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z2FgBc-Mp0

I think they have about 3 female assistants for every customer. 4 floors of sarees and punjab suits and children's clothes. Oh and some mens clothes too. Very interesting to visit. I didn't buy anything there. :) Apparently, it is the place for brides to buy their wedding outfits. There was an area just outside the entrance, for the men to wait and also seating in the various areas, for the men. :)  I'm sure that there are other shops in other cities other than Kochi.