Luxury and Leopards

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We departed our lovely Pal Haveli this morning after meeting the artist who had done all the beautiful frescos in the hotel.

We also left our somewhat frustrated/frustrating guide behind and have our driver who seems to have sussed us out and spent a lot of time smiling at our conversations with/about the guide yesterday. About 1/2 hour out from the city we stop at a wholesalers and we are in fabric heaven. We emerge with more purchases and tell him he is a bad man. He laughs and tells us his wife shops more than we do.

Tonight's accommodation is a royal hunting lodge in a small village and it is absolutely magnificent. We feel like princesses. The rooms are lovely. I have my own balcony, dressing room, beautiful bathroom - and I have the lesser of the two rooms. There is a swimming pool, spa, restaurant on the roof top, cricket on the TV in reception.... The place is about 350 years old. I have a table made from an old treadle sewing machine and a wooden frame to hang quilts on. Yeah, I know, who else would have noticed that sort of stuff...

Earlier this evening I went on a leopard 'safari' and we saw not one but THREE leopards. We were driving around slowly when the guide got the heads up and we shot off to one side of a large rocky outcrop. After zooming in on his digital camera, the guide got me looking in the right place to see a magnificent male leopard. After he strolled off, we zipped back round the other side where they spotted a second leopard on the skyline which was soon joined by a third. My little camera wasn't up to the task but hopefully I'll get some photos that the guide took tomorrow. It was a real buzz.

The Blackcaps have had a mighty game and almost won - we will be able to face the staff with some dignity tomorrow. They have been somewhat amused by our relatively informed discussion on the cricket.

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