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Published: February 14th 2010
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Hello everyone!
So, we finally arrived in India after what felt like a mammoth journey- tired, smelly and not knowing what to expect. Things didn't get off to the best start, as it was minutes after we got off the plane that Delhi belly struck and Rich immediately needed a change of underwear! After this minor set back, we were raring to go again and ready to embrace Delhi to the max.. unfortunately, our first Taxi driver had different ideas. Rather than taking us to the hotel we had booked, he claimed he didn't know where it was and tried the 'classic scam' of driving us to other hotels where he'd get commission (as we'd been warned would happen). Refusing to get out of the Taxi until he took us to the correct hotel however seemed to do the trick, and it wasn't too long until we made it to our first hotel in one piece.
Happy to dump our bags, we had a much needed nap and then headed to out into the bustling capital, with the Rough Guide (AKA the Bible) in tow. We were staying in Connaught place, which is the heart of the city- characterized
by wide boulevards with people selling anything under the sun. It was here in fact that Richard was approached, and asked if he wanted to have his ears cleaned. Asked isn't actually the word- he was already being prodded before he gave an answer! We then explored the city further, checked out some more sights (eg. India Gate, Red Fort and Humayunun Tomb) and headed back to the hotel for our first meal. We were very keen to try all types of Indian cuisine, and ordered what seemed like a good selection. We both enjoyed it a great deal, but once again this was short lived and Jeni threw is straight up. Not ideal!
Despite the rocky the start in Delhi, we soon got into the swing of things and started to get used to the different way of life here. The next stop was Agra, which of course is famous for the Taj Mahal. This was no let down, seeing it up close was truly spectacular and as you'll see from our photos it's unlike anything we had seen in England before. It was just unfortunate that Jeni was very nearly sick over the side of it! Only
her. It was also in Agra that we caught our first glimpse of monkeys by the dozen! We were warned not to go near them, as they can be dangerous (as well as petty thieves)- but we could have watched them for hours. By this point we were used to Rickshaws being our main mode of transport, and were using them at least a couple of times a day. They are generally a great way of getting around, as they're cheap and get you from A- B quickly; on the other hand, you need balls of steel to get on them as the driving methods leave a lot to be desired.
After the hussel and bustle of city life, we decided it was time for a spot of relaxation so headed for Ranthambore National Park. On arrival, we were delighted to find the area a lot more like a holiday resort and offered us some much needed rest bite. The hotel was lovely, and even had hot running water which which a bonus. We opted for an early tiger safari, which was amazing. We saw five tigers and lots of other wildlife as well, it'd be fair to say
this was one if our favourite parts of the trip so far. After this part of our trip we were feeling re energised and ready to brave Jaipur, which we'd heard from many people was hectic to say the least. Its safe to say that it lived up to its reputation, but was definitely worth visiting for Amber Fort alone. Unfortunately we were not able to ride elephants up to the fort on this occasion (as they all appeared to being staring in Bollywood movie nearby!) but once we ventured up to the top by foot, the views were fantastic and made it worth while. It was also here that we found one of the nicest hotels yet, which had an amazing roof top restaurant and served the best Thali we've experienced so far.
We decided to only stay in Jaipur for one night, and got an early train to Pushkar the next day. We loved Pushkar! It was supposed to be a town surrounding a lake, but when we arrived it turned out that the lake had dried up the previous year. Still, it was a lovely small town that had a lot of character offering every type
of street food, clothing and souvenirs imaginable. We did fall into a few traps while there- which we should have really seen coming, but thought we were getting the hang of things by now! Having taken a leisurely stroll down to the 'Holy Water', we were each approached by men offering to 'Bless us' Hindu style. This was all extremely interesting, until they asked the dreaded question: "How much will you donate?" After a lot of protesting, Jeni decided to do a runner leaving Rich for dead. After laughing about how stupid we had been to had fallen for that one, we walked straight into scam number two- which unfortunately had lasting effects. Two ladies came to shake our hands and say hi, which we were by now getting used to. This time however, they took it upon themselves to graffiti us in Henna and demand money from us in return. Great one. We are literally still scarred from that trauma now (as you'll see from the photos!)
Two days later, we were on the move again heading for Jodphur. We were getting used to early starts and long train journeys by this point, but Jeni is still winging
about her rucksack on a regular basis. Blaming it on the broken arm doesn't get her far though! So anyway, we only had an afternoon to spend in Jodphur so decided to head straight for Meherangarh Fort- which was absolutely huuuuuuuuge. The views from the top were beautiful, and enabled us to see over the old blue city. Another Rickshaw later (which we proudly managed to haggle down considerably) we were back at the hotel- which literally looked like something from the play boy mansion due to the mirrored ceiling! The next part of the trip didn't exactly go according to plan, but we like to think it worked out for best. So we were supposed to be heading for Jaisalmer for a couple of days, but one 5 o clock start too many took its toll on us and led to a devastating brain fart... yes, we managed to get on the wrong train and travel 5 hours in the wrong direction. After a lot of swearing and a minor panic we resorted to plan B- Mount Abu. We just hoped that the ticket conductor didn't come round and check our ticket, and chuck us off the train Slum
Dog style. Luckily we got away with it.
Mount Abu was different to anywhere else we had been in Rajasthan. Its a Hill station, extremely high up and a bit nippy compared with previous places we've been . It was also much quieter than what we were used to, and is said to be a popular getaway for honeymooners. It had a large lake, which naturally led to us hiring pedalos and stunning views of the Rajasthani plains below. This was another pleasant opportunity for us to unwind and re energise ourselves ready for a long bus journey to Udaipur.. which is where we are now. The city has immediately made a good impression on us, and although it took us longer than we'd hoped to find a hotel on arrival- we truly struck gold with this one. Its easily the best hotel yet, with views of the lake, a bath tub (!) and breakfast thrown in- overall a great way to spend valentines day 😊
We now cannot wait to get down south to Goa, and chill the hell out with a few cheeky beers no doubt. I hope you all feel more up to date with
our travels now, and we'll be sure to do another entry in a couple of weeks. Love to all.
Rich and Jeni x
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Andrew and Kim
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Guts of Straw
I'm glad to hear you're having such a good time. I have to say that I am impressed by the relentless pace of your travels, although I'm seriously underwhelmed by the strength of your guts! I thought you used to go to the Shafique every week - surely you should be used to it by now! Richard if you're going to get a tattoo at least get them to put an anchor on your arm, or the word "Mum" or something - do it right bruv! There isn't a huge amount to report from good old blighty. Kim and I went out for a romantic Valentines meal at the shafique accompanied by Mum and Dad - needless to say we were the only people there. You will also be pleased to know that I have repatriated the Wii, I pulled off a solo on Guitar Hero last night that Slash himself would have been proud of. Enjoy the rest of your time in India..I've got only one more thing to say.............. chaaiiiiiiiiii!!!!