checking in from jodhpur

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i am now writing on a very sticky keyboard in jodhpur. Travelling with a driver so far has been both a blessing and a curse. First, the positives - we have a level of accessibility into indian culture. We have dined at roadside dhabas together, visited hindu temples, and had a helpful interpreter at the tailor's and when we met tribal people on the road to bikaner. he also got us into a crumbling haveli in the village of Fatehpur and interpreted for us with the guard of the home. Being in a car means that you can go anywhere you want, stop whenever you want, and be able to get away if needed. but for the same reason, we have not had the opportunity to explore on our own the streets of the cities, the bazaars. our driver has brought us to reputable shops, but they are also very expensive fixed-price shops. Last night, he said we should not go out of the hotel as it was too dangerous.

The 28th was our first full day in Delhi. We saw many monuments in New Delhi with our driver that time, Sanjay. We stayed at the hotel Good Palace in Karol Bagh. More on that later.

To catch up, i will briefly summarize - we drove to the Shekwavati region and visited the Rani Sati temple, an old baori (stepwell) at the edge of town, and stayed in the jamuna resort. The next day, as we drove to bikaner, we stopped to see some more abandoned havelis and wells. As I mentioned previously, we did go into one old havli wich is being restored. An old man let us in and showed us around.

in Bikaner, we saw the fort and the Camel Research Center before returning to our room at bhanwar niwas. Gorgeous property in an old haveli in the old walled city. Best hotel yet. We had this huge room with its old balcony. To get there, we had to drive on tiny little streets filled with cows, goats, dogs, and rickshaws. it was just like how I imagined india. i wish we had more time to explore.

Tonight, our driver is too afraid for us to be in the old city tonight. he is afraid we will be overwhelmed by would-be attackers and he will not be able to protect us. i understand. So we will be eating at a little hotel that he trusts, on the outskirts of town. Maybe we will even have a few drinks together.

Today we also stopped at a textile store, a govt-run store. Alli bought a wall-hanging for the Rajasthani room and i ended up getting an Sk made for me. it is orange/red with little sparklies.

Wel, hopefully we get to hit another internet cafe later on in the trip. in summary, i love india = it is everything i hoped it would be and nothing i feared it would be. we are not having any of the issues we heard about - maybe because we have a driver. but it is just as i expected, only it is so much more to be able to be here and taste and feel it.

The food, also, is fantastic. it is even better than indian food in the states. they make the vegetables taste good!

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Comments

[Fresa]

Hi there! I've followed your link off IM and have 2 questions for you (which you probably won't have time to answer seeing as you're enjoying yourself so much!!!! ENVY!) You mention a few times that your drivers in India were saying that it was too dangerous after dark for you to go out? Have you any idea what this could have meant? I had no idea that Rajasthan was dangerous after dark! Also, what was it like getting a salwaar made up by a tailor? Fun? Frustrating? Quick? The fabric sounds fabulous anyway! Enjoy yourself, love from a soon-to-be-India traveller! :) F.

[ruins explorer]

It was easy to get a sk made. They took my measurements and then asked what kind of neckline, sleeves, pants, etc that I wanted, showing me examples. When it came back, it was beautiful and fit perfectly. danger after dark - at the time, he specifically meant two boys that had said something as we drove by, but in the main, the dangerous part would be walking after dark in the cities, where there are no sidewalks and you're rather likely to be hit by a vehicle. Today a rickshaw deliberately tried to hit me while laughing hysterically in Bundi.

[Carol]

but dont let's forget...
that his brother/uncle etc probably owned the alternative place he took you to. As a woman alone I visited Rajasthan and had no sense of danger AT ALL. Maybe that is because I live in South Africa - but seriously, I felt very safe in India, especially out of the big towns of Mumbai and Delhi.