India - Nagalwarh to Bikaner

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DAY 12 20th January 2011
After breakfast (and my first taste of sweet lime juice!) we hit the road! Another sunny day, thank goodness all the cold and fog has gone!! Only a few miles to go, past a lake where we saw an Indian kingfisher, before we picked up our guide and had a tour of the havelis of Mandawa. From the roof terrace of the main Haveli we had a good view of the town and castle and saw loads of parrots basking in the sun on the tree tops as well as peacocks flying about!
Back on the road – landscape was definitely becoming more desert like- the road was very straight and easy to drive as not too much traffic and only short spells of rough road. Had a quick lunch and then on to book into our hotel. Another good hotel with swimming pool, (Heritage Resort) where we were greeted with a garland of marigold heads and a juice drink! The room was a chalet type bungalow and a delight, with window seats and clean bathroom!
Met our guide in Bikaner who gave us an excellent tour of Bikaner Fort. The fort is best remembered because of the 21st Maharajah, who gave a lot of money to the town and built schools and hospitals and also completed the Fort. He was also a Major in the British Army, who gave him a bi-plane which is in the museum there. From here we then visited a Jain temple and a semi naked priest (see pic!!) and then had a leisurely stroll through the old town of Bikaner with its spice markets and vegetable markets as well as the cows, dogs, goats, camels, pigs, motorbikes, pushbikes, cars, tuk tuks and people all competing for space!
Our guide showed us the tea shops, where they were bagging the tea, the spice shops where we could smell the spices......it was a really good atmosphere with children wanting to be photographed and saying hello. All very enjoyable!
We were then persuaded to go to a Co-operative workshop which sells the handmade, embroidered, silk products made by the women in the outlying villages. We ended up buying a quilt cover and a few other things, (probably that we didn’t need!!!) Who wants what for Christmas!!! It was made worse when our driver explained that it wasn’t even a Co-operative for the villages, just a factory outlet!! Aaaagggg........I hate being conned!! Anyway, back to the hotel to get ready for meal this evening. The Canadian couple we met yesterday are staying here so we are hoping to catch up with them!

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Comments

[Laura Holbrook]

Liking Daisy pic!