Shekhawati

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so we escaped from jaipur, the pink hectic city. We took our 4 hrs bus journey to a town where we had to get off and change buses for the last leg of the journey to Mandawa. We got on the 2nd bus and it soon filled up, but no sign of the driver. There we waited for atleast 30mins almost melting and surrounded by children who starred at us until the driver appeared. Then we were on our way to Mandawa. On arrival found a nice guesthouse reccomended by the lonely planet and that was where we stayed for a few days. From there we visited many havelis, its fort and its street markets.

Dinner was under the stars on the rooftop restaurant. Peaceful with no cars hooting and slightly cleaner streets than in the big cities. This felt like the hidden india. We thought we were going on a camel into the desert, but no it was not a desert so we found out later. Still the experience we had that afternoon was one of a kind as we were invited on to the camel boys farm to have chai and meet his children, wife, sister, parents etc. They were very hospitable and we watched how they bathed the children and got them ready for bed. We then took a ride back on the camel cart to the town back to the hotel. Diana, myself, the children and the ladies, all squashed on the cart. That in itself was a quiet slow journey back to the hotel.

Diana had her hand painted with henna by the camel boys wife whilst i played with the children. We felt honoured to be invited to their home. One night the camel boys wife insisted on dressing me up in the full on sari thing with all the jewellery and everything for a photo session. what a laugh. they were not laughing though, she was totally serious and made me up like a doll, except i thought i looked more like a clown than anything else. It was the gesture that counted and it was fun.

Diana sadly left me on mon afternoon 23rd aug and the departure was very quick and crazy. As we rushed to catch her bus. i put my foot in the drain gutter, fell over and diana fell on top of me. A classic to be remembered as i had black crap all up my leg and foot and she just picked herself up and ran for the bus before it wisked her off in to the distance and before i knew it i was on my own again.

I stayed on an extra day in Shekhawati andmade the most of visiting another town called Fatephur, slightly derilict but some nice havelis. I am now havelied out. I also got to visit a small town where i was the only white person, so hundreds of children rushed to say hello and stare me out. I felt like a pop star with such a huge fan club. I visited the guides sisters house in the middle of nowhere, where she had just given birth to a little boy just 6 days prior. It was nice to be able to share the joy with the family of the new born and to rock the baby in my arms.

I caught an early morning bus on the 25th aug to jaipur and then another on to Pushkar, 8 hours bus journey in total.

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