DESERT STORM: A TOUR THROUGH RAJASTHAN PT.II (The Land of the “PUR's”)

Monday, February 16, 2009 @ 20:05

Kevin and Idalis:

Welcome back! We have decided to write this blog post together from the comfort of the only couch we have sat on in India. It is conveniently situated at the foot of our king size bed and within reach of the wall outlet. Bollywood music from the wedding at the hotel next door is blasting and permeating every open nook and cranny in our 500 rupee a night room. It seems as if this is high wedding season in India. There are at least four separate weddings going on withing a stone's throw of each other. We have seen a virtual fleet of highly decorated vehicles, horses and elephants comprising the various forms of transportation available to Indian newlyweds. Sorry, we digress...

Jodhpur






Another several hours in our Fiat and we were lucky enough to arrive in Jodhpur, also known as the blue city named as such due to the blue tint of the houses belonging to the Brahmin (Priestly) cast. They are clearly visible from the top of the Meherangarh Fort, where we arrived only two hours before closing time, which turned out to be just enough time to complete the surprisingly excellent audio tour, walk a portion of the bastions and visit the Temple of Chamunda, which is perched on the edge of a cliff and affords striking views of the city below. Having arrived in the city so late and having only one evening to spend, we were not able to see all that the city of Jodhpur has to offer, aside from seeing both the Royal Palace, known as Umaid Bhawan Palace and the marble monument known as Jaswant Thanda from the top of the Fort, a great distance away.

We did have time, however, to walk amongst the tight and narrow city streets, even being invited in to one of the Brahmin's blue houses for a quick visit and barrage of questioning. The streets near the center of town are loud, crowded, hustling and chaotic. They are strewn with markets, vendors and of course, touts! We did stop, however, to enjoy one of the city's famous makhania lassis, made with cream saffron and cardamom. We also stopped into Shriganesham to purchase a silk and wool combination shawl. We concluded our extremely short stay in Jodphur with dinner on the roof top restaurant of Shivam Guest House and retired into our immaculate 300 rupee ($6) a night room at the Ganpati Guest House.

Ranakpur





In the middle of our transit from Jodhpur to Udaipur, we stopped for exactly one and one half hour to marvel at the Jain temples of Ranakpur. They were built in 1439 according to measurements based on the number 72, the age at which the founder of Jainism, Mahavira, achieved nirvana. The most impressive of the structures being the main temple which consisted of marble pillars, shrines and domed ceilings showcasing some of the most amazing and intricate carving patterns we have seen to date. The main temple was peaceful, quiet and sobering, allowing us a short time to sit in absolute stillness and once again give thanks for our many, many blessings!

Udaipur






At first glance our next destination was a bit of a let down. Udaipur is considered India's most romantic city. According to the guide book, majestic palaces appear to float in the center of the vast Lake Pichola, which is buffeted by ornately balconied hotels and white washed havelis. The truth is far less ideal. Lake Pichola is far below its normal water level exposing the mass tangle of trash, debris and muck. The Lal Ghat area, where we stayed, is very loud, including the speakers for the local mosque which were right outside our window and began their melodic call to prayer at 5:30am and at about 125 decibels. And the beautiful floating palaces did not seem quite so beautiful once we realized that the minimum for a one night stay is approximately 500 US dollars!

It was not all bad though. We had a great time and ended up actually liking Udaipur very much. The people were friendly and accommodating, including the shopkeepers at the myriad of shops that we found ourselves shopping in. We purchased more things in our two days in Udaipur than we have in our entire stay in India. And, best of all, did not have to negotiate even once as the prices, we felt, were very fair for what we were getting. We stopped shopping just long enough to actually catch the sunset at the decaying, yet under renovation, Monsoon Palace, formally named Sajjangarh. We shared this special moment with a small group of tourists, including a very nice French couple, and two small groups of curious, ogling, prepubescent acting Indian men.

On our last day in Udaipur we visited City Palace, which in itself was not all that fascinating, however, we were privy to the goings on of the preparations for an Indian wedding that was scheduled to happen that evening. It was clear from the level of décor and bling that this particular Rajasthani father was in debt up to his eyeballs! We also were witness to the complete meltdown of a blonde haired foreign tourist girl, in the street, as we sat in an adjacent internet cafe. She just kept yelling, “Why does everyone want to know where I am from? Just leave me alone! I do not want to see your shop!” Needless to say, we felt her pain! That evening we concluded our most memorable stay in Udaipur with a most memorable performance at the Bangore-ki-Haveli when we were guests of the traditional Rajasthani music and dance show that culminated with a middle aged woman dancing on glass with nine clay pots balanced precariously on her head and then an impromptu dinner at Savage Garden restaurant with our new French-Canadian friends, Jean-Francois and Annie. We had a great time and enjoyed your company and our numerous encounters along the Rajasthan tour. We wish you the best and hope you get around to taking that year off to travel!