Our adventure draws to a close

So what did we make of India? Absolutely amazing, full of contrasts between rich and poor and differing scenery and above all, very colourful. The houses are immaculately kept and front porches swept all the time, whilst away from the front doors of houses, litter grows like weeds do in the UK.

We have experienced the hustle and bustle of the cities contrasted with the quieter towns. We have walked down the street with pigs, cows, camels and monkeys as if perfectly normal. We have laughed so much and the people are positively delightful.

Although we have only experienced a small bit of what India has to offer, we cannot wait to go back and see some more. And finally the food, awesome and tasty and in Shimla I finally found a curry that was even too hot for me (and burnt Mum's mouth). Go - you will not be disappointed!

Finally, thanks to Cynthia and Paul, who we met on the trip, who were great fun and like minded which made the adventure even better.



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Shimla

We arrived back in Delhi from Mandawa late in the evening so rushed to the markets in New Delhi for some shopping. The shops were fantastic with everything you could imagine for sale including beautiful bedspreads, jewellery, sarees etc etc.

The following morning we travelled to Shimla. We started by taking the express train from Delhi to Kalka which was four and a half hours. The carriages were very comfortable and we were provided with complimentary tea, coffee, water and meals. At Kalka we changed trains for the toy train to Shimla. This was a small train with wooden narrow seats and travelled 10km per hour up the mountains. The total journey took 6 hours with a couple of stops where you could get off and stretch your legs. We spent half the time standing by the open doors.






Despite the long journey and uncomfortable conditions, the scenery was stunning as we climbed the mountain. Shimla is 7800 ft above sea level and the train winds round the mountain alongside the roads to reach the top. It is a fairly amazing experience.

When we arrived it was late and dark and quite cold so it was a quick meal and bed. We cannot open our bedroom windows though as the streets are full of monkeys who will get in the rooms and cause havoc.

The next day we had a tour of Shimla followed by a walk down the mall before being left to our own devices. Because the town is built into a mountain you have to take lifts from the road to the mall. We walked up and down the mall but were disappointed with what was on offer. Even the Tibetan Market was not as expected. It was not until we were on the way home that a local told us to avoid the mall and go the the lower markets. The best bit of the day was when Mum was mugged by a monkey on the walk home!






The next day we visited the imposing monkey temple which is the highest statute on the highest point in the world, apparently. You can see the orange idol from town but close up you appreciate the true scale. The place is full of monkeys and you need to hold onto everything. We also got blessed in the temple which was glorious and a fantastic calming place.









We also climbed further up the mountains to view the Himalayas and the view was just breathtaking. The skyline at 360 degrees was covered by snowy mountains and in front and where we stood was green lush land with sunshine, the contrast was amazing. Well worth the hike!






This afternoon it was back to shopping. We decided against the lift and hiked up slopes and steps to Lower Market which was full of spices, textiles, bangles and clothing all reasonably priced and all so gorgeous. We made our way up the hills and slopes to the other hidden markets and continued to find bargain after bargain. If in Shimla, avoid the Mall and enjoy the real buzz of the local markets with their beautiful wares and yummy food stalls.






But mind the monkeys, they are everywhere and jump down on you from the trees! A few days ago we were walking down the road with cows and pigs and now we are being harassed by monkeys!

We were glad we took this extension, it is very different to the rest of India we have seen but glorious and well worth visiting.


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Location:India

Castle Mandawa

Today we made our way to Mandawa which is in rural Rajastan. We stayed at Castle Mandawa which is now a heritage hotel which is a beautifully restored castle. The castle itself is stunning.









After lunch we took a camel ride through the town. It was a bit scary to start but great once we got going. We went all around town and being so high got a good view of peoples houses and the beautiful buildings. (sorry no photos of the camel as we could not let go but will add some when I can download from one of our group).

After this we took a walking tour through town to look at the buildings. The village is made up of Haveli's. Some of which have been renovated but otherwise are lived in by the locals. The homes comprise of a courtyard with rooms to the side for the men and then a back courtyard surrounded by rooms for the women. The families living there now just use a few rooms at the back. All the Haveli's are beautifully crafted and painted and it is like walking into a different world. The village I surrounded by sand with a small Tarmac road running through it. The streets are full of the usual mass of people, dogs and cows and here you also have camels and donkeys in the mix! Certainly very different from Delhi and Jaipur!

It is a bit of a trek north but well worth a visit.

Tomorrow we set off on a mammoth trip back to Delhi by road and we hope to get to the markets in the evening. The next day we are up early for our journey to Shimla! Cannot believe we are nearly at the final leg of the tour!


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Jaipur

This morning we visited Amber Fort. The fort palace of Amber was the Kachhawaha citadel until 1727 when their capital moved to Jaipur. The fort includes the hall of private residence as well as private apartments for the men and separate apartments with courtyards for the women. When touring around you can see the old path ways of the city and get a real feel for how people used and lived here. The view of the fort from outside with it's surrounding Walls is magnificent and the paintings and architect inside is breathtaking. This is a real must to visit.





























Later in the day we took to the streets of the city for some shopping. The market places are bustling with stalls selling textiles, jewellery, household goods, souvenirs. It is amazing the difference in pricing from shops next door to one another. It is a wonderful experience to walk, around but actual shopping can be exhausting with persistent vendors pretending not to hear you and showing you the opposite of what you ask to see. However, a real must for Jaipur.


Dinner time in market restaurant Krishna style:



Mum trying on size small!:


The floating palace:



This evening we went to the famed cinema Raj Mandir to watch a Bollywood film. The film was in Hindi but was still easy to follow and amazingly good fun! Mum cried all the way through!







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Rajastan

Today we are making our way through Rajastan to the capital, Jaipur.

Rajastan differs from other regions in that it has free medical treatment for all and free government schooling. In addition, girls are provided with school uniforms and pens and pencils as well as pushbikes if they live further than 2 km from school in order to encourage their attendance.

This is the only region where turbans are worn. The colour worn depends upon cast. Red is the colour worn by the warrior cast, white is for a farmer and the style depends on where you are going.

Rajastan is in general a more fertile area where everyone owns a smallholding or farm as well as having day jobs. I. The villages and towns, the highest casts (priests and warriors) will live in the centre with the lowest cast living on the outskirts. The government now guarantees 200 days employment to everyone in the village where they will undertake local development. They are paid direct into a bank account to avoid any corruption with local governments. The minimum wage is 20,000 rupees per month and jjcvhmno individual taxes are paid for salaries up to 500,000 rupees per annum. Higher than this, taxes are paid and these people will work in private companies.






Jaipur is often called the Pink City as the buildings are washed in this colour. The heart of the city is surrounded by the old Walls of the city which house the City Palace, the astronomical observatory and the Hawa Mahal as well as bazaars that sell everything!

Our tour in Jaipur began with viewing Hawa Mahal, known as the Palace of the Winds. It was built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh and dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is 5 storeys high and one room thick built to enable the veiled ladies of the harem to observe the streets below unnoticed.


We then continued with a tour of the City Palace, the home of the present Maharajah of Jaipur. Part of the complex is open to the public and you can view the public buildings that lead to private apartments and the throne room. The museum also includes weaponry and clothing.















The astronomical observatory known as Jantar Mantar is well preserved with a number of structures that look like something from the future. The structures are used to forecast weather and to determine peoples exact astrological profiles. It was extremely interested. Based on my time of birth my profile is a person of independence, decisive, self made and occasional ego problems (ha!). Mum was described as occasionally aggressive (and if you saw how she deals with persistent street hagglers, you would see this is perhaps true!)





We then took a Rickshaw around town going through alleys and busy streets full of vendors, shops, Market food stalls and lots of cars, tuc tucs, bikes and people all fighting for a piece of the road. It was great fun and a good way to see Jaipur town.
















We then returned to the hotel late in the afternoon exhausted and had an early night in preparation for tomorrow. Mum says this is her best day yet and she is in love with Jaipur. It is a city which you imagine India to be like and where scenes from Hotel Marigold were shot.


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On the trail of tigers!

We were up early this morning before breakfast to go on our first safari to the Ranthambhore National Park which is famed as a tiger reserve but also houses jackal, hyenas, panthers, sloth bears, antelopes, deers and crocodiles in it's 106 miles as well as numerous species of birds.

Most people visit here in the hope to sight a tiger although we are warned how rare a sighting is likely to be. Having said that, the scenery is stunning with the boulders upon which the fort sites right at the top, tree filled jungle areas and wide open spaces. There are also a number of beautiful lakes.

This morning we viewed crocodiles and deers as well as a number of birds. No Tiger though. Ah well we will try again later in the day!












Between safaris we went for a walk local shops. Unfortunately thy were geared towards tourists and although they have beautiful handicrafts, they are priced so differently between shops and you need to barter. As you walk up the dusty road you share your pathway with cows, goats and pigs. We have never walked a street with pigs, so bizarre but perfectly normal here!


We returned later in the afternoon for another safari. Seeing the park at a different time of day is wonderful as the scenery is so different. The park was full with deer and birds. We also spotted more crocodiles and monkeys. However despite our search, we did not find a tiger. Nonetheless, it is beautiful park although the roads are very bumpy and it is very hard to stay seated!












We ended the day with a local massage and dinner. Another early rise tomorrow as we head to Jaipur.


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