Blogs from India, Asia - page 2115

Up early - deluxe bus to ajmer at 10:00. Had brekkie (banana cornflakes) and set off. It only 2 and a half hours to ajmer and then we got on a local bus to pushkar for Rs 7 each! Went to pushkar last year and wrote heaps in my journal then... so when I finish this one (in about 2009!!), I will write that one. Did not stay in a particularly nice guest house this time (Won't put the name incase it has changed now) . There were lovely bed bugs, a strange owner and the electricity was turned off all the time, so it was boiling!) Went to see were we stayed last time (lake palace) ; loads of building work going on. Sat at sunset cafe for a while before heading back to bed ... read more

Decided to leave Bharatpur, as not a great deal to do and no where to go apart from a couple of e-mail places and fed up of being the only ones there!(had definetley gone at the wrong time) We both had iffy tummies (this will be a theme for our 5 months in india!!). Had minimal breakfast- plain toast and honey toast! Set off to catch the bus- rickshaw wallahs flagged one down for us thankfully; we got the "superior bus" (Mmmm!!) The bus was Rs 90 and took 4 squashed hours. We got a rickshaw to "pearl palace"- "top hotel"; aircooled, bathroom, tv for Rs 350. Had lunch at 17:00! (had my first vege burger) . Wonderful roof top garden- lush in the evening. Bri had nowt and I had yet another tomato soup for ... read more

Bri's poorly day today- we are only on day 5 and delhi belly has already hit... Had our first ghekko join us for the evening last night- could sit and watch them for ages (fab!) After a late start we went for lunch at the Sunbird- had tomato soup !! and cheese pakoras. Went to the keoladeo ghana national park- hired 2 ramshackle bikes for Rs 50 and a guide for Rs 70. We saw egrets, spotted owl, several varieties of heron, 2 large stark types, kingfisher, parakeets, loads of small exotic birds, antelope, turtles (huge) , monkeys, watersnake and a minotaur lizard (it appears that we saw a lot, in reality however, if Bri and I had been on our own I don't think we would have seen anything!!!!) The guide kept taking us off ... read more

I got a place to stay near the train station and headed to the Golden Temple where I bumped into the Austrians right away. It wasn't too hard since the couple of tall pretty Austrian girls usually attracted a crowd so large that police would be called. They were taking a taxi to the Waghar border - India's main border with Pakistan - to watch the border closing shennanigans at dusk. I joined them to watch the guards in their dress colors frogmarching around to the cheers of the crowds on both sides of the border in the specially constructed stands (the frog marching was no joke - I saw both Pakistani and Indian Soldiers get their feet above the height of their heads). It seemed a little provocative, but I guess it is good for ... read more

Up at 04:00 hours! Got our taxi at 05:00 hours to the railway station. Our train was an eye opener to agra (it was the express) We were given water, tea bags a vacuum flask of hot water, biscuits, newspaer and brekkie (spicy bahji, chips and peas!) all included in our price (now know where british rail went wrong!!) We decided to stay at the tourist guest house- comfortable , aircon( when it works!!) room for Rs 500 Decided to go and sight see, so we went to 1- Agra fort- impressive; actually hired a guide (oh, how things changed a year later!) 2- Itimad-ud-abulah; a maousoleum. We had dinner at the Maya restaunt (stuffed tomatos, which were very nice) - recommended by our rickshaw wallah. I then e-mailed all and sundry ( this became a ... read more