It's a long way to Tip a Rary

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The title of this blog arises from something I once heard on a BBC radio programme. The name of the programme escapes me, but it came to mind while waiting for my flight to Mumbai. In that programme, celebrities were secretly given a phrase or saying and had to concoct a long and elaborate story for the rest of panel to guess what it was before the tale was finished.

The story in this case went something along the lines of:

A man found a tiny bird, the like of which he'd never seen before. It was clearly sick, so he took it home and nursed it back to health. He searched everywhere to find out what sort of bird it was, but it seemed so rare that he couldn't find it mentioned anywhere. So, he named it a Rary. The little bird made no noise but ate an enormous amount of food. Soon, it was the size of a very large, but silent, dog. The man tried to set it free, but it didn't want to go and it was now too big to fly. When it had reached the size of a small car, the exasperated man rented a lorry and drove the bird to the high cliffs at Beachy Head. He reversed the lorry up to the edge, at which the bird looked despondently at the man and, for the first time in its life, sang out: "It's a long way to tip a Rary..."

In the Plaza Lounge at Heathrow's Terminal 4, while waiting for my call to the departure gate, I noticed a sign above the copious dinner buffet with a quote from JRR Tolkien:

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

I was certainly valuing the free food and wine, while the background music cheerfully, and somewhat bizarrely, played a miscellany of First World War tunes, including - you’ve guessed it - 'It's a long way to Tipperary'.* Hence the story... Apologies!

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So, here I am in Udaipur. It is a long way to go (more than 5,000 miles from London via Mumbai to be precise) and it’s also a long way from ‘the sweetest girl I know’ (my wife, Pat, who isn’t a fan of India). However, it’s definitely not a tip - it's a beautiful city, set on lakes with one of the world's top hotels on an island in the middle, a magnificent palace, fascinating temples and so many shops it would take a lifetime to see them all. I’ve been here several times before, most recently with the Grey Haired Nomads in 2013 and on the way to a very special occasion in 2012 . It hasn’t changed a bit.

Inevitably, I’ve done most of the tourist sights, so this time I decided to take a dawn walk to see what there was to see on the lakeshore opposite my hotel, the Jaiwana Haveli. On previous occasions, when I’ve stayed here and at another haveli close by, I have always admired the view of the shoreline opposite but never ventured closer to it.

So, this morning, before the sun rose above the palace, I wandered down to the lakes, discovering a footbridge tucked away down a deserted side street, which took me to that opposite bank. Along the way, I met a few early-risers, who greeted me with a cheery ‘Namaste’, saw flocks of pigeons being fed beside Gangaur Ghat (a religious bathing place), women washing clothes, children in school uniform waiting for their transport. Along the far bank, I reached a small temple, where men were cleaning their teeth and themselves in the cool waters of Lake Pichola, while others promenaded around a small garden as part of their morning fitness regime.

As the sun’s rays illuminated the scene, I enjoyed fabulous views of the gleaming white Lake Palace Hotel and the verdant hills amid the early morning mist beyond. Returning to the hotel, I enjoyed breakfast outdoors in the rooftop restaurant with a similar but more expansive panorama. I could never tire of that view.

Then, just a few hours later, I was joined by my dear friend Lajpal, who’d driven here to collect me for our week together. After a snack lunch on the hotel’s rooftop, we took a stroll beside the lake and had a cup of ginger and cardamom masala chai in the warm afternoon sunshine – I needed the Vitamin D after a dreary winter at home.

This evening, we had dinner at a friend’s restaurant, The Vintage Lounge, a few miles away with a terrific night-time view over Lake Fateh Sagar and the illuminated buildings around it. It's wedding season here in India, so there were some big fireworks in the inky black sky too. I was particularly pleased to be joined by Lajpal's cousin, Chottu. We hadn't seen each other for five years.

Today, we're driving north to Lajpal’s home in Sadri, where his wife and daughter are staying with his parents, and where we’ll spend the night. If time permits, we’ll stop off en route to see a hotel owned by another of his cousins amid lush gardens in the Aravali hills near the ancient fort of Kumbalgarh. Lack of internet connection for the next few days will mean a delay in publishing my next blog, but be prepared for news of my adopted Indian family, leopards and excavations of ancient cities.



*Colleagues from my previous life will know this better as ‘It’s a Long Way to Taormina – same tune, different words. I often wonder what happened to Stan Way!




Accommodation:

I stayed, for the second time, at Jaiwana Haveli in Lal Ghat, within easy walking distance of the palace, Jagdish Temple and a landing stage for boat tours on the lake. It's not only well-situated but it's well run by a friendly family and provides excellent accommodation at reasonable rates. It offers good facilities, including a rooftop restaurant and a coffee shop on the ground floor. The WiFi is sometimes good in the public areas but is not provided in the rooms. Those with walking difficulties are advised to ask for a room on a lower floor as it's an old building, nicely restored, but has many stairs. I heartily recommend it.





Regular readers will know that the panoramas at the top of this diatribe are actually a slide show and that there are more photos below. Please scroll right down to the bottom of the page. Clicking on any of the photos will enlarge them too.

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Comments

[gangopa]

Udaipur!
Mike, you sure have developed a close bond with India, I can sense from your readings. I been to Udaipur once, and I concur everything you said about the place...it looks like history written in every nook and corner of the city. While riding a cab to Ahmadabad, I still remember some lonely camels on the desert like terrain in the twilight...a picture perfect moment. All comes back to mind while reading your blog. Thank you. Waiting to hear about your adopted family in India.

[Keep Smiling]

Muskarate raho!
It never ceases to amaze and please me how my Indian friends, despite their busy lives, continue to give me their time so generously. I have very fond memories of the many meas, drinks and adventures we have enjoyed together - and this trip will certainly provide many more.

[David and Janice]

Fond memories
Hi Mike, The old ones are the best! Great panoramas and photos with the new camera. Say hello to Lajpal for us. Have a great trip. Big brother, David

[Keep Smiling]

Namaste Bro!
My other 'family' send you their warmest wishes too, raising a small glass with a hearty 'Jai mata di'. I've spent the past week with Lajpal, Rajshri and the cute Dhruvi and, along the way, met Khuman, some of his cousins and loads of his colleagues and friends. The end result has been lack of time for blogging, but I'm now alone for two weeks so should soon start to catch up.

[D MJ Binkley]

Lovely
Dawn is a special time of day

[pareekshit paliwal]

Fantastic Click All
Fantastic Click All