OUR VISIT TO JAIPUR, AGRA AND UDAIPUR
From 31-Oct-11 to 6-Nov-11, my wife and I visited Jaipur, Agra and Udaipur. We took 413 photos of which I uploaded 60 of them in Google Plus and Flickr. Somehow, I am not a big Facebook fan, but to be honest it is far superior to Google Plus, currently. In my opinion, Flickr is the coolest photo hosting site, though. If you are part of my friends and family group in Flickr, you will be able to view the set http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/sets/72157628097305692/ which has restricted access. If not, you should be able to view another set with public access at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/sets/72157628122398470/.
Despite the huge number of photos, there are still a lot of memories and experiences that require the written word. So, I decided to blog any way. My initial thought was to let the pictures "speak a thousand words" and not write a blog, but those words still leave something unsaid !!
So here is a day-by-day account of our trip !
NOTE: THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY LONG BLOG, EVEN BY MY STANDARDS. My request is to read it one day at a time. Otherwise, there are high chances that large portions will be skippped and (PERHAPS !) something important may be missed !
31-Oct-11:
We had booked a SpiceJet flight to Jaipur that leaves Bengaluru at 05:55 a.m. This meant that we had to be at the airport by 04:50, which meant we had to leave the house at around 3:45, which meant we had to get up at around 3 a.m.
Neither my wife nor I slept much in the night, though she insists that I slept like a log ! Anyway, we got up, got ready and then bade good bye to my mother and uncle. My uncle routinely asked whether I had taken cash and the ticket - and that is when I realized I had forgotten to take the print out of the e-ticket to get entry into the airport ! I rushed upstairs and collected the ticket. Hoping that we had not forgotten anything else important, we left. In the wee hours of the morning, the bright lights on the empty main roads made the oft-used roads unfamiliar. It felt wrong to even raise our voices and we found ourselves whispering about the traffic - or lack of it ! We were in the airport by 4:40.
This was when we realized I had forgotten something important : for the proof of identity, an original document - i.e., either a passport or a driving license, etc. is required. We had brought only the photo copies. The security officer asked us to get our ticket endorsed by SpiceJet. We duly did that and thankfully got in. By 5:20, we had cleared security. We picked up cups of coffee and just as we finished, boarding was in progress already.
There were two stops for the SpiceJet flight : at Pune first, at around 7 a.m. and then at Ahmedabad. So, we saw three take-offs and three landings. I read the SpiceJet magazine from cover to cover and by the time we landed on time at Sanganer airport, Jaipur, I was almost bored of the touchdown process !
As we came out of the airport gates, we saw Swaraj, our driver with a placard which had my name on it. Swaraj is a middle aged Punjabi and our cab was an Indica which would be with us for the next week. I asked him how far the hotel Red Fox and he said it was only a few minutes.
The main roads in Jaipur did not have much traffic, but then it was 12 p.m. on a Monday morning. We reached Red Fox as promised in around 20 minutes on Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The hotel is primarily meant for business travellers, but we found it a good place. http://www.redfoxhotels.com/hotels-jaipur.asp?links=hj1 has information about it.
After freshening up, we went for lunch at around 1:30 p.m. I requested Swaraj to come at around 2:30 p.m. and he was there on the dot. The protocol was that he would give a missed call after he came. We used it pretty much for the whole trip, though at times I would call back if we were behind schedule. The lunch service was delayed slightly and it was around 3:00 p.m. that we set out for Albert Hall. Maharaja Ram Singh constructed the hall, named after the husband of Queen Victoria. It is a somewhat grand building and it brought to my mind, memories of Jagan Mohan palace in Mysooru. The museum contains ample evidence of the kind of contact that Jaipur had : there is an Egyptian mummy, paintings from Sri Lanka and France and also a painting from Rome (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6341959449/in/set-72157628122398470/). Of course, some of the works of pottery (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331319797/in/set-72157628122398470/) and the statues and the carpentry are a treat for the eyes.
There were pigeons that fluttered around the Albert Hall. Swaraj informed us that the flapping of the wings of the pigeons kept the place cool and that it was also good for people with asthma, etc. While I can't vouch for that information, the sight of the pigeons was good to see ! We also saw a lot of sparrows in Jaipur - something that we miss in Bengaluru now :-( !
In the evening, we went to Bapu Bazaar do a first reconnaissance of the shopping that Jaipur offers ! Immediately, an analogy came to our mind : this was the Chikpete of Jaipur ! Shop after shop sells saris, dresses for ladies, shoes, kurtas for gentlemen, lassi, chaat, phew ! I thought I was doomed to spend the rest of my day there, but my wife was more practical than I thought. She looked for an hour or so and then said that she would return. Those words sounded ominous to me, something like Arnold Schwarzenneger's "I will be back" in Terminator ;-) !
We visited Birla Mandir, a clean temple made of white marble and then went to Choki Dhani in the outskirts for dinner. http://www.chokhidhani.com/village/index.html has information about the place. We love the concept : the place is set up like a village fair. There is a magician demonstrating his tricks on one side, a chaat seller on the other, a maze some distance away, bullock cart rides, shops selling souvenirs of Rajasthan, ladies applying mehendi. It is a fun filled atmosphere and the aromas of eatables like chaat and other savouries only make the atmosphere that much more enjoyable ! There was a dance performed by a woman with several pots balanced on her head (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6342730104/in/set-72157628122398470/). After taking a look at all that this "haat" had to offer, we went for dineer. We had opted for the Royal Rajasthani thali at Rs. 650/- and while the price is steep, the value that the place offers makes it worthwhile. Like kings we entered a special hall while the rest of the "common people" stood in fairly long queues ! The food served was also fit for a king : the khichda was an unusual sweet, like the pongal of South India. There was also daal bhaati churma and kadi. The glass of "chaach" which we took at the end of our meal settled the food. One unique experience we had was when we saw a 2 minute reel in a bio-scope after dinner.
At 10, we went back after eating paan outside the resort while waiting for our taxi. We realized that it was a long day after we reached Red Fox and stretched on the bed. It was a long day, but it was exciting and the slumber that we fell into was a satisifed one !
01-Nov-11 :
We got up and ate breakfast at around 8:30 a.m. The poori bhaji and the tea were tasty ! At 9, we were outside the hotel and saw that Swaraj had brought his son Yuvraj along. Yuvraj studies in the 6th standard and since he had Diwali holidays, he would be with us on 01-Nov and 02-Nov.
We set off with Swaraj showing us construction of a tunnel that would go through the Aravalli range to reach Agra faster. Soon, we entered a National Highway. The road was smooth and Swaraj maintained a constant 80 kmph. We stopped for tea at Khandelwal Bhojanalaya. We purchased ground nuts ("time pass kadale kaayi" as my wife terms them !) and a local fruit that grows in lakes.
The journey from Jaipur to Agra takes around 5 hours. 20 km before Agra is Fatehpur Sikhri. The place has its own history, but only CNG buses are allowed near the forts. Swaraj parked the Indica 1.5 km away and my wife, Yuvraj and I took a CNG bus along with others to get to Fatehpur Sikhri. A Muslim guide followed us despite our refusal to engage him and continued to drop his rates until we said yes !
I feel that the price was well paid. He showed us the tunnel from where Akbar is alleged to have smuggled out Anarkali. The world thought she was walled to death, but Anarkali's mother had helped Akbar earlier. When her daugther was being judged by Akbar, she requested him to spare her daughter's life in return. Akbar had 3 wives: the Hindu Jodabhai, a Muslim woman and also a Christian named Miriam. In one place, our guide showed us influence of all three types of architectures: there was a dome that resembles the domed ceilings in Roman churches ; the corner in the same place has a triangular step like structure which resembles the construction in Hindu temples and of course there are the Islamic arches. I admire Akbar's tolerance and his willingness to learn from other religions. The links http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332074036/in/set-72157628122398470/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332073952/in/set-72157628122398470/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331319981/in/set-72157628122398470/ show the three architectural influences.
We also saw Salim Chisti's dargah after whom Akbar named his son Salim. Akbar believed his son was born by Salim's blessings. So after Salim Chisti passed away, he built a dargah of white marble, with 52 different types of patterns on the walls. By this time, it was past 2 p.m. and there was no restaurant in sight for our hungry stomachs ! Luckily, my wife had brought dehydrated "avalakki" which her mother had prepared - just in case. That day and the day after, we thanked her mother fervently for her thoughtfulness as we ate it outside the Diwan-e-khaas. We saw the Buland Darwaza and the Diwan-e-Khaas quickly.
It looked like the return CNG bus would not come at all. When the bus came, there was quite a rush for getting in. We managed to enter and I even got a seat in the last row. We reached our taxi by 3:30 p.m. and then we were off to Agra.
We reached Agra soon, but entered the city. In my experience of cities in India, the poorer parts of Agra are the dirtiest parts that I have seen (and smelt !). It is unfortunate that a city that a city that hosts one of the seven wonders should also contain areas that are so ugly. On the positive side, the radishes and vegetables looked very fresh. Also, the cattle in Uttar Pradesh look extremely well fed and strong compared to the cows and buffaloes in Karnataka.
Locating Hotel Utkarsh Vilas on Fatehabad road took us longer than expected. It was just a few minutes before 5 when we found it. Fatehabad road is one of the main link roads in Agra. Utkarsh Vilas (http://www.utkarshvilas.com/) is a posh hotel. We freshened up and ate a sandwich. When I enquired at the reception, I learnt that the Taj ticket counter closes at 5 p.m. Our rendezvous with Taj was deferred by a day. Instead, we went to Agra Fort.
The fort is a massive structure in red stone, similar to the Red Fort in New Delhi. At 6:30 p.m. there was a sound and light show on the Mughal dynasty in Hindi. The narrative brought back a bygone era of Babar, Humayun, Akbar, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. For one hour, we immersed ourselves in the history of a long lost age.
After that we returned, ate dinner at a restaurant in the TDI Mall opposite our hotel, watched television in our room and wound up for the day.
02-Nov-11 :
Swaraj and Yuvraj spent the night in the car itself, but they had freshened up and also finished breakfast by 6:30 a.m. itself ! We saw the sun rise behind Utkarsh Vilas.
We went to the Taj Mahal at around 6:30. Again, we had to walk for a kilometer or so. Like in Fatehpur Sikhri, we met a persistent guide called Mohammed. Mohammed quoted shaayiri, answered our questions and was insistent on photographing us in many poses in front of the Taj ! We spent an interesting hour in his company.
We purchased tickets and went through security with him. Mohammed said that 22 was a favourite number of Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal took 22 years to complete as seen in http://www.tajmahal.gov.in/creation.html. There are 22 steps to get to Mumtaz's cenotaph. For each of the years of construction, there is a small minaret on the main gate. Thus, there are 22 minarets in all and the holy Quran is engraved on the gate in Arabic.
Marvelling at the structure we stepped in and saw the Taj. This was my second visit to Taj Mahal, but last time it was past noon when we had come. Today, the golden rays of the rising sun cast a yellow glow on one side of the Taj Mahal and made for a beautiful sight. Mohammed said that in the pale moonlight on Sharad Poornima, the stones inlaid in the marble make for an even more magical sight. We missed that of course, but the sight of the Taj bathed in a golden glow was still an awesome one (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332074372/in/set-72157628122398470/).
Mohammed took several photos of us and also ensured that he himself took the photo of the Taj and its reflection. We approached the marble structure where he pointed out an optical illusion. From far, the minarets seems to dwarf the dome. As we approach, the dome seems to grow until we reach its base when it appears taller than the minarets !
The Taj Mahal is symmetrical and appears the same on all four sides. The minarets lean slightly outwards. Mohammed told us that this was in case there is an earthquake, the minarets would fall away from the main central structure.
Inside the main structure, we saw that the marble contains a lot of precious and semi-precious stones. Mohammed momentarily flashed his mobile torch on one of the stones and the orange stone gleamed ! Some of the precious stones came as far as Belgium according to him.
Having taken our fill of the Taj Mahal, we returned back to get ready and leave. We finished breakfast by 10 a.m. and left shortly later.
Our next stop was Bharatpur. There is a bird sanctuary here. Bharatpur bird sanctuary is a marshy place. The monsoon has failed for the last few years and after a protest, water from a dam some distance away was released. So we saw that there was some water and some birds, despite it being noon. Cycle rickshaws take us inside for Rs. 70/- per hour.
Our driver was Amar Singh, who said he had worked with Dr. Salim Ali, the famous ornithologist. We saw a monitor lizard swimmming across the water (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331320685/in/set-72157628122398470/). There were several turtles and we also saw a rat snake slither across astonishigly quickly. Amar Singh was pretty knowledgeable about the birds and showed us a kingfisher and storks and snake birds. He also showed and told us about a kotwal bird which guards the young ones of the koel if an eagle attacks and even dares to challenge the eagle !
Like the previous day, our lunch was avalakki and Lays chips topped off with tea. My wife and I walked on our way back to the gate so that it would be easier for Amar Singh to cycle as seen in http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332075112/in/set-72157628122398470/. It seemed unfair for three of us to be in his cycle. Besides, when we walked along, we were faster. The sun was pretty much at its peak, but the trees and the lake provided an ample diversion for our eyes. It was 2:30 p.m. or so when we left Bharatpur. On our way back, we again stopped at Khandelwal Bhojanalaya. The bathrooms here are OK and we ate snacks before leaving.
In the evening, we went to a restaurant where we ate yet another traditional Rajasthani dinner. We ate kadi, the ubiquitous dal baati churma and some chillies also. It seems that my wife was famished. Whenever any waiter passed us, she would point to her plate and request helpings of the dishes served ! We ordered salt lassi to finish our meal and it was superb, as was to be expected.
03-Nov-11 :
We woke up at the Red Fox Hotel room and drew the curtains aside. We saw a rising sun from behind the Aravalli range from the hotel window. Today's special in breakfast was parathas.
Our plan was to cover Jaipur this day. We entered the old city via Johri Bazaar. The old city has various gates and inside it all buildings have to be pink. Actually, it is more orange than pink, but it preserves the old appearance. The boards are also white with black Hindi letter. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332075338/in/set-72157628122398470 shows the look. Since all shops look familiar, the shopkeepers simply refer to shop 53 or shop 61, etc.
We passed Hawa Mahal on our way to Amber Fort (pronounced Amer Fort) and also saw Jal Mahal, a palace built on a lake which is not opened to the public, according to Swaraj. We reached Amber Fort at around 10:30 a.m. or so. It is situated on a hillock as seen in http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332078028/in/set-72157628122398470/. One can either walk, take an elephant ride or take the car (but this is charged steeply).
We walked up. There was already a crowd building up. We saw several elephants busy transporting people up the hillock when we arrived there. Amber Fort is a yellow structure that sprawls across the hillock. Like other palaces in Jaipur, it is privately managed. We saw Surya Pol and Ganesh Pol, two gates to the palace. There is a small garden for the royal family and the construction of the fort includes natural air conditioning achieved by means of high ceilings, khus curtains and pipes circulating water. We saw the same method being used in Fatehpur Sikhri as well.
There are quite a few intricate carvings and low entrances and lots of twists and turns. This was so that if enemy soldiers entered, they would have to stoop and the turns would disorient them. Again, this is a feature used in all forts. In one of the rooms, we saw a mini-bar with recesses built for glasses of different shapes and sizes, as seen in http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332075850/in/set-72157628122398470/.
It took us around 90 minutes to cover Amber Fort. Swaraj had informed that we can go to the Jaigarh Fort from Amber itself. We took up the walk. It is around 30 minutes away and we did have to climb for most of the time. My wife insisted there was nothing to see in Jaigarh and began criticizing me for taking up a "waste of time" activity.
When we took tickets and entered, it appeared her words were justified : there was only a cannon foundry and good views (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331322195/in/set-72157628122398470/). We were about to leave when we noticed a passage that went inwards. Curious, we went in - and that was just as well ! The passage led us to Jaigarh Fort proper. In the fort, there are life sized models of people eating, cooking and the lifestyle of the kings is shown. There were also preparations in progress for a wedding going on. There are two passages of art galleries also.
Glad that I was vindicated, we spent some time in Jaigarh Fort, drank a diet Pepsi and went downstairs later. Jaigarh Fort is a more traditional reddish black colour.
We ate lunch at a restaurant in the city and then went to Jaipur palace in the afternoon. We immediately remembered Mysooru palace when we entered one of its halls. There are the same paintings covering the walls, the same regalia and photos of the royal family. Jaipur palace also has a collection of buggies. We also saw a museum devoted to textiles and a huge pot for ganga jal.
Our next stop was Jantar Mantar. We went without a guide and though the sign boards in the observatory explain the working, we were unable to understand most of the instruments. What we did understand was a giant sundial (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332076134/in/set-72157628122398470/) that told the time to the accuracy of a few seconds ! We were left marvelling at the knowledge and skill of the Rajasthan kings.
In the evening, we shopped for dresses in Bapu Bazaar. My wife had found a shop she liked on her earlier visit and we spent time there until 8:45 p.m. She bought a couple of dresses while I also purchased a kurta. She used all her bargaining skills and knowledge of Hindi to bring down the price to nearly half what was originally quoted ! I admire how women can judge the right price while bargaining. Had I been shopping alone, I am sure I would have paid the full price, no questions asked ! We ate dinner at Red Fox Hotel itself. Just like there are Nandini milk parlours in Bengaluru, there was a Saras parlour a few buildings away from Red Fox. After dinner, we walked there at 10 p.m., drank "chaach" and then came back to the hotel for our final night in Jaipur !
04-Nov-11 :
There was another lovely sunrise to view from our room window. We ate delicious poori bhaaji for breakfast and set off for Udaipur at around 9 a.m. I recall the brown landscape of Rajasthan at first just beyond Jaipur. There is a lot of open space in and around the city and the primary colour is brown. My wife noticed a lot of restaurants on the tolled highway, called either as "bhojanalaya" or simply "Hotel" whatever, like in the rest of India.
We stopped for tea at a place which had a couple of ducks moving around freely. My wife sat in a swing and enjoyed the tea swinging slowly ! We saw a couple of cement factories on the route. We entered the Mewar province which is greener compared to Jaipur and ate lunch at Bhim. The kitchen of the hotel here was pleasantly clean, which we could see while we waited for lunch to come. I was surprised to see people stay in the hotel. When I asked Swaraj why they stayed in such an outlandish place, he informed us that the temple of Sreenathji (Vishnu) is near.
At around 3:30 p.m., we passed Kalwa. Before that, we had entered marble territory. For nearly 10 to 15 km around Kalwa, we saw endless shops of marble dealers. At least 20 lorries passed us with monolithic blocks of marble recently cut. Swaraj informed us that the dealers just dig and extract the marble from this region and then it is transported. The waste marble is dumped on the ground. According to Swaraj, it destroys the fertility of the soil. We saw white marble, green marble and also yellow marble dealers on this stretch.
At around 5 p.m. we entered Haldighati, so called because of the colour of the mud, which is yellow and the colour of "haldi" (turmeric). Haldighati has a small museum which shows a 7 minute video on Rana Pratap of Mewar, who fought Man Singh, Akbar's representative. Rana Pratap along with the Bhil tribes in Mewar took heavy toll of the Mughal army. The story is that it rained after the battle of Haldighati and the blood of the soldiers and the water caused the Rakht Talai (Lake of Blood) to be formed. Meanwhile, Rana Pratap's faithful horse took him to safety, leaping around a chasm that was 22 feet wide despite being injured itself. There is a memorial called Chetak Chabutara at Haldighati.
We reached the outskirts of Udaipur at around 6:15 p.m. and began asking for the Royal Retreat on Village Hawala Road. In the twilight, we passed Fateh Sagar Lake. The lights were few and there were few people we saw on the roads, as we enquired for Hawala village. The village is around 6 k.m away and is full of narrow roads. At one stretch, we passed a chicken neck that allows one car to just about pass through ! After passing it, only one thought crossed our minds in the taxi : Where have we come to ?!
Finally, we came to the gates of the Royal Retreat, village Badi, Badi - Hawala Road. Inside the gates, we were transported to a different era. There are several bungalows in Royal Retreat. Each bungalow has ancient statues, all from the collection of the owner. We were told that the hotel was farm house converted into a hotel. The bungalow has four rooms, but to call them as rooms would be a gross injustice.
To begin with, the doors were a solid 4 inches thick ! The room length easily extended to more than 14 feet, as seen in http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332076456/in/set-72157628122398470/ ! Even the width was also around 13 feet ! It appeared that we were alone in the bungalow. The old door to the cupboard made an eerie creaking sound and I remembered Hindi movies like Bhool Bhulaiya ! It was a little spooky that night but it was a good sensation : it made us more aware of our surroundngs !
We ate dinner at the hotel itself and lit a candle before going to sleep - not out of any romantic notions, but more as "night lamp" :-). Thankfully, modern conveniences like a mini-refrigerator, geyser and TV were all available.
05-Nov-11 :
We woke up early and heard the chirping of many birds. In the light of the morning sun (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331322891/in/set-72157628122398470/), everything changed and our apprehensions of the previous night appeared little more than overactive imaginations ! We spotted a peahen at the edge of our hotel and saw the sun rise. The hotel property is green and it was even a little cold in the early morning before the sun came out.
We went for a walk, looking at the marble statues placed everywhere and came back refreshed. We ate breakfast and were ready to visit Udaipur.
Our first stop was Fateh Sagar, which we had passed the previous evening also. Next, we went to the Rana Pratap smarak where the story of Rana Pratap has again been reconstructed. Opposite it is Udai Sagar lake. We watched the boating there briefly and went to Udaipur palace.
The price of the privately administered Udaipur palace is pretty expensive. The ticket to view the crystal museum was Rs. 525/- per head and I felt that it was too expensive. We visited only the palace itself. We saw different weapons like swords, guns, etc. in the palace and also the dynasty of the Mewar kings described in the palace. Just behind the palace is Like Pichola (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331323049/in/set-72157628122398470/). The palace took up our time for two hours.
We ate lunch at Gol Ghar. The place contains vintage cars, including a Cadillac (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332077150/in/set-72157628122398470/), a Mercedes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331323341/in/set-72157628122398470/) and a Morris Minor. We were informed that the cars are in working condition and participate in the Jaipur vintage car rally.
We went to Lok Kala Mandir, at Hathi Pol. Swaraj parked the car at Delhi gate and we took an auto to Hathi Pol. The treat here was the puppet show by a pupeteer of international repute. The puppet was a female dancer and it appeared to come alive at the skilful manipulation of the pupeteer. It was just a 10 minute show (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332077216/in/set-72157628122398470/), but it captivated us completely. The museum also has masks from all over India. It depicts the Bhil lifestyle also.
We did a bit of shopping before heading to Udai Sagar Lake. We walked around the lake as the sun set slowly. Just watching the sun dip (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332077372/in/set-72157628122398470/) brought a sense of calm and peace. After that, we went to the Udaipur market area where we purchased an extra bag to accommodate our purchases. We also bought chikki and mixture.
06-Nov-11 :
We woke up and got ready by 8:30 or so. Our plan was to leave for Ahmedabad by 9:30 a.m. but by the time we finished breakfast and settled the bill, it was 10 a.m. We took a few final photos of the splendid reception and the paintings (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331323625/in/set-72157628122398470/) in our bungalow before we left. I was to regret the 30 minute delay later in the afternoon.
Leaving Udaipur took us quite some time. Just after we filled diesel, Swaraj stopped the car : our car had a tyre puncture. He replaced the tyre but we had to get the puncture fixed. Most of the road to Ahmedabad is full of small hills that make for pretty scenery (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331323747/in/set-72157628122398470/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332077800/in/set-72157628122398470/). There are hotels near the hills. Swaraj told us that due to prohibition in Gujarat, the people from that state come to such resorts or hotels during holidays, weekends, etc.
We stopped for lunch at around 2 p.m. still around 100 k.m. away. It should have been a 90 minute ride, but what I had not factored in was the fact that we did not know where the airport was ! Our flight was at 5 p.m. and we had to be there by 4 p.m. The SMS that I received from IndiGo was that latest check in was by 4:15 p.m. Swaraj had to ask directions to the airport at least 3 places, go slow to check that we were on the right track and then there was a toll gate ! This was when I wished we had left half an hour earlier.
Finally, we reached the Ahmedabad domestic terminal at around 4 p.m. We quickly bade Swaraj good bye and went in. The formalities were completed quickly and we were ready to board by 5 p.m. IndiGo does not have any good reading material, but that was a small inconvenience. On the way, my wife pointed out clouds that looked like cotton. It felt like we were in it. We also saw flashes of lightning in the skies. We landed in Bangalore on time at 7 p.m.
Thus ended our week long, unforgettable holiday. The puppet show at Udaipur, the unforgettable view of Taj Mahal bathed in the golden rays of the morning sun and the memory of asking the waiters to serve multiple helpings of the dishes in Jaipur are a few incidents that we will always remember !
From 31-Oct-11 to 6-Nov-11, my wife and I visited Jaipur, Agra and Udaipur. We took 413 photos of which I uploaded 60 of them in Google Plus and Flickr. Somehow, I am not a big Facebook fan, but to be honest it is far superior to Google Plus, currently. In my opinion, Flickr is the coolest photo hosting site, though. If you are part of my friends and family group in Flickr, you will be able to view the set http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/sets/72157628097305692/ which has restricted access. If not, you should be able to view another set with public access at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/sets/72157628122398470/.
Despite the huge number of photos, there are still a lot of memories and experiences that require the written word. So, I decided to blog any way. My initial thought was to let the pictures "speak a thousand words" and not write a blog, but those words still leave something unsaid !!
So here is a day-by-day account of our trip !
NOTE: THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY LONG BLOG, EVEN BY MY STANDARDS. My request is to read it one day at a time. Otherwise, there are high chances that large portions will be skippped and (PERHAPS !) something important may be missed !
31-Oct-11:
We had booked a SpiceJet flight to Jaipur that leaves Bengaluru at 05:55 a.m. This meant that we had to be at the airport by 04:50, which meant we had to leave the house at around 3:45, which meant we had to get up at around 3 a.m.
Neither my wife nor I slept much in the night, though she insists that I slept like a log ! Anyway, we got up, got ready and then bade good bye to my mother and uncle. My uncle routinely asked whether I had taken cash and the ticket - and that is when I realized I had forgotten to take the print out of the e-ticket to get entry into the airport ! I rushed upstairs and collected the ticket. Hoping that we had not forgotten anything else important, we left. In the wee hours of the morning, the bright lights on the empty main roads made the oft-used roads unfamiliar. It felt wrong to even raise our voices and we found ourselves whispering about the traffic - or lack of it ! We were in the airport by 4:40.
This was when we realized I had forgotten something important : for the proof of identity, an original document - i.e., either a passport or a driving license, etc. is required. We had brought only the photo copies. The security officer asked us to get our ticket endorsed by SpiceJet. We duly did that and thankfully got in. By 5:20, we had cleared security. We picked up cups of coffee and just as we finished, boarding was in progress already.
There were two stops for the SpiceJet flight : at Pune first, at around 7 a.m. and then at Ahmedabad. So, we saw three take-offs and three landings. I read the SpiceJet magazine from cover to cover and by the time we landed on time at Sanganer airport, Jaipur, I was almost bored of the touchdown process !
As we came out of the airport gates, we saw Swaraj, our driver with a placard which had my name on it. Swaraj is a middle aged Punjabi and our cab was an Indica which would be with us for the next week. I asked him how far the hotel Red Fox and he said it was only a few minutes.
The main roads in Jaipur did not have much traffic, but then it was 12 p.m. on a Monday morning. We reached Red Fox as promised in around 20 minutes on Jawaharlal Nehru Road. The hotel is primarily meant for business travellers, but we found it a good place. http://www.redfoxhotels.com/hotels-jaipur.asp?links=hj1 has information about it.
After freshening up, we went for lunch at around 1:30 p.m. I requested Swaraj to come at around 2:30 p.m. and he was there on the dot. The protocol was that he would give a missed call after he came. We used it pretty much for the whole trip, though at times I would call back if we were behind schedule. The lunch service was delayed slightly and it was around 3:00 p.m. that we set out for Albert Hall. Maharaja Ram Singh constructed the hall, named after the husband of Queen Victoria. It is a somewhat grand building and it brought to my mind, memories of Jagan Mohan palace in Mysooru. The museum contains ample evidence of the kind of contact that Jaipur had : there is an Egyptian mummy, paintings from Sri Lanka and France and also a painting from Rome (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6341959449/in/set-72157628122398470/). Of course, some of the works of pottery (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331319797/in/set-72157628122398470/) and the statues and the carpentry are a treat for the eyes.
There were pigeons that fluttered around the Albert Hall. Swaraj informed us that the flapping of the wings of the pigeons kept the place cool and that it was also good for people with asthma, etc. While I can't vouch for that information, the sight of the pigeons was good to see ! We also saw a lot of sparrows in Jaipur - something that we miss in Bengaluru now :-( !
In the evening, we went to Bapu Bazaar do a first reconnaissance of the shopping that Jaipur offers ! Immediately, an analogy came to our mind : this was the Chikpete of Jaipur ! Shop after shop sells saris, dresses for ladies, shoes, kurtas for gentlemen, lassi, chaat, phew ! I thought I was doomed to spend the rest of my day there, but my wife was more practical than I thought. She looked for an hour or so and then said that she would return. Those words sounded ominous to me, something like Arnold Schwarzenneger's "I will be back" in Terminator ;-) !
We visited Birla Mandir, a clean temple made of white marble and then went to Choki Dhani in the outskirts for dinner. http://www.chokhidhani.com/village/index.html has information about the place. We love the concept : the place is set up like a village fair. There is a magician demonstrating his tricks on one side, a chaat seller on the other, a maze some distance away, bullock cart rides, shops selling souvenirs of Rajasthan, ladies applying mehendi. It is a fun filled atmosphere and the aromas of eatables like chaat and other savouries only make the atmosphere that much more enjoyable ! There was a dance performed by a woman with several pots balanced on her head (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6342730104/in/set-72157628122398470/). After taking a look at all that this "haat" had to offer, we went for dineer. We had opted for the Royal Rajasthani thali at Rs. 650/- and while the price is steep, the value that the place offers makes it worthwhile. Like kings we entered a special hall while the rest of the "common people" stood in fairly long queues ! The food served was also fit for a king : the khichda was an unusual sweet, like the pongal of South India. There was also daal bhaati churma and kadi. The glass of "chaach" which we took at the end of our meal settled the food. One unique experience we had was when we saw a 2 minute reel in a bio-scope after dinner.
At 10, we went back after eating paan outside the resort while waiting for our taxi. We realized that it was a long day after we reached Red Fox and stretched on the bed. It was a long day, but it was exciting and the slumber that we fell into was a satisifed one !
01-Nov-11 :
We got up and ate breakfast at around 8:30 a.m. The poori bhaji and the tea were tasty ! At 9, we were outside the hotel and saw that Swaraj had brought his son Yuvraj along. Yuvraj studies in the 6th standard and since he had Diwali holidays, he would be with us on 01-Nov and 02-Nov.
We set off with Swaraj showing us construction of a tunnel that would go through the Aravalli range to reach Agra faster. Soon, we entered a National Highway. The road was smooth and Swaraj maintained a constant 80 kmph. We stopped for tea at Khandelwal Bhojanalaya. We purchased ground nuts ("time pass kadale kaayi" as my wife terms them !) and a local fruit that grows in lakes.
The journey from Jaipur to Agra takes around 5 hours. 20 km before Agra is Fatehpur Sikhri. The place has its own history, but only CNG buses are allowed near the forts. Swaraj parked the Indica 1.5 km away and my wife, Yuvraj and I took a CNG bus along with others to get to Fatehpur Sikhri. A Muslim guide followed us despite our refusal to engage him and continued to drop his rates until we said yes !
I feel that the price was well paid. He showed us the tunnel from where Akbar is alleged to have smuggled out Anarkali. The world thought she was walled to death, but Anarkali's mother had helped Akbar earlier. When her daugther was being judged by Akbar, she requested him to spare her daughter's life in return. Akbar had 3 wives: the Hindu Jodabhai, a Muslim woman and also a Christian named Miriam. In one place, our guide showed us influence of all three types of architectures: there was a dome that resembles the domed ceilings in Roman churches ; the corner in the same place has a triangular step like structure which resembles the construction in Hindu temples and of course there are the Islamic arches. I admire Akbar's tolerance and his willingness to learn from other religions. The links http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332074036/in/set-72157628122398470/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332073952/in/set-72157628122398470/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331319981/in/set-72157628122398470/ show the three architectural influences.
We also saw Salim Chisti's dargah after whom Akbar named his son Salim. Akbar believed his son was born by Salim's blessings. So after Salim Chisti passed away, he built a dargah of white marble, with 52 different types of patterns on the walls. By this time, it was past 2 p.m. and there was no restaurant in sight for our hungry stomachs ! Luckily, my wife had brought dehydrated "avalakki" which her mother had prepared - just in case. That day and the day after, we thanked her mother fervently for her thoughtfulness as we ate it outside the Diwan-e-khaas. We saw the Buland Darwaza and the Diwan-e-Khaas quickly.
It looked like the return CNG bus would not come at all. When the bus came, there was quite a rush for getting in. We managed to enter and I even got a seat in the last row. We reached our taxi by 3:30 p.m. and then we were off to Agra.
We reached Agra soon, but entered the city. In my experience of cities in India, the poorer parts of Agra are the dirtiest parts that I have seen (and smelt !). It is unfortunate that a city that a city that hosts one of the seven wonders should also contain areas that are so ugly. On the positive side, the radishes and vegetables looked very fresh. Also, the cattle in Uttar Pradesh look extremely well fed and strong compared to the cows and buffaloes in Karnataka.
Locating Hotel Utkarsh Vilas on Fatehabad road took us longer than expected. It was just a few minutes before 5 when we found it. Fatehabad road is one of the main link roads in Agra. Utkarsh Vilas (http://www.utkarshvilas.com/) is a posh hotel. We freshened up and ate a sandwich. When I enquired at the reception, I learnt that the Taj ticket counter closes at 5 p.m. Our rendezvous with Taj was deferred by a day. Instead, we went to Agra Fort.
The fort is a massive structure in red stone, similar to the Red Fort in New Delhi. At 6:30 p.m. there was a sound and light show on the Mughal dynasty in Hindi. The narrative brought back a bygone era of Babar, Humayun, Akbar, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb. For one hour, we immersed ourselves in the history of a long lost age.
After that we returned, ate dinner at a restaurant in the TDI Mall opposite our hotel, watched television in our room and wound up for the day.
02-Nov-11 :
Swaraj and Yuvraj spent the night in the car itself, but they had freshened up and also finished breakfast by 6:30 a.m. itself ! We saw the sun rise behind Utkarsh Vilas.
We went to the Taj Mahal at around 6:30. Again, we had to walk for a kilometer or so. Like in Fatehpur Sikhri, we met a persistent guide called Mohammed. Mohammed quoted shaayiri, answered our questions and was insistent on photographing us in many poses in front of the Taj ! We spent an interesting hour in his company.
We purchased tickets and went through security with him. Mohammed said that 22 was a favourite number of Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal took 22 years to complete as seen in http://www.tajmahal.gov.in/creation.html. There are 22 steps to get to Mumtaz's cenotaph. For each of the years of construction, there is a small minaret on the main gate. Thus, there are 22 minarets in all and the holy Quran is engraved on the gate in Arabic.
Marvelling at the structure we stepped in and saw the Taj. This was my second visit to Taj Mahal, but last time it was past noon when we had come. Today, the golden rays of the rising sun cast a yellow glow on one side of the Taj Mahal and made for a beautiful sight. Mohammed said that in the pale moonlight on Sharad Poornima, the stones inlaid in the marble make for an even more magical sight. We missed that of course, but the sight of the Taj bathed in a golden glow was still an awesome one (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332074372/in/set-72157628122398470/).
Mohammed took several photos of us and also ensured that he himself took the photo of the Taj and its reflection. We approached the marble structure where he pointed out an optical illusion. From far, the minarets seems to dwarf the dome. As we approach, the dome seems to grow until we reach its base when it appears taller than the minarets !
The Taj Mahal is symmetrical and appears the same on all four sides. The minarets lean slightly outwards. Mohammed told us that this was in case there is an earthquake, the minarets would fall away from the main central structure.
Inside the main structure, we saw that the marble contains a lot of precious and semi-precious stones. Mohammed momentarily flashed his mobile torch on one of the stones and the orange stone gleamed ! Some of the precious stones came as far as Belgium according to him.
Having taken our fill of the Taj Mahal, we returned back to get ready and leave. We finished breakfast by 10 a.m. and left shortly later.
Our next stop was Bharatpur. There is a bird sanctuary here. Bharatpur bird sanctuary is a marshy place. The monsoon has failed for the last few years and after a protest, water from a dam some distance away was released. So we saw that there was some water and some birds, despite it being noon. Cycle rickshaws take us inside for Rs. 70/- per hour.
Our driver was Amar Singh, who said he had worked with Dr. Salim Ali, the famous ornithologist. We saw a monitor lizard swimmming across the water (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331320685/in/set-72157628122398470/). There were several turtles and we also saw a rat snake slither across astonishigly quickly. Amar Singh was pretty knowledgeable about the birds and showed us a kingfisher and storks and snake birds. He also showed and told us about a kotwal bird which guards the young ones of the koel if an eagle attacks and even dares to challenge the eagle !
Like the previous day, our lunch was avalakki and Lays chips topped off with tea. My wife and I walked on our way back to the gate so that it would be easier for Amar Singh to cycle as seen in http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332075112/in/set-72157628122398470/. It seemed unfair for three of us to be in his cycle. Besides, when we walked along, we were faster. The sun was pretty much at its peak, but the trees and the lake provided an ample diversion for our eyes. It was 2:30 p.m. or so when we left Bharatpur. On our way back, we again stopped at Khandelwal Bhojanalaya. The bathrooms here are OK and we ate snacks before leaving.
In the evening, we went to a restaurant where we ate yet another traditional Rajasthani dinner. We ate kadi, the ubiquitous dal baati churma and some chillies also. It seems that my wife was famished. Whenever any waiter passed us, she would point to her plate and request helpings of the dishes served ! We ordered salt lassi to finish our meal and it was superb, as was to be expected.
03-Nov-11 :
We woke up at the Red Fox Hotel room and drew the curtains aside. We saw a rising sun from behind the Aravalli range from the hotel window. Today's special in breakfast was parathas.
Our plan was to cover Jaipur this day. We entered the old city via Johri Bazaar. The old city has various gates and inside it all buildings have to be pink. Actually, it is more orange than pink, but it preserves the old appearance. The boards are also white with black Hindi letter. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332075338/in/set-72157628122398470 shows the look. Since all shops look familiar, the shopkeepers simply refer to shop 53 or shop 61, etc.
We passed Hawa Mahal on our way to Amber Fort (pronounced Amer Fort) and also saw Jal Mahal, a palace built on a lake which is not opened to the public, according to Swaraj. We reached Amber Fort at around 10:30 a.m. or so. It is situated on a hillock as seen in http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332078028/in/set-72157628122398470/. One can either walk, take an elephant ride or take the car (but this is charged steeply).
We walked up. There was already a crowd building up. We saw several elephants busy transporting people up the hillock when we arrived there. Amber Fort is a yellow structure that sprawls across the hillock. Like other palaces in Jaipur, it is privately managed. We saw Surya Pol and Ganesh Pol, two gates to the palace. There is a small garden for the royal family and the construction of the fort includes natural air conditioning achieved by means of high ceilings, khus curtains and pipes circulating water. We saw the same method being used in Fatehpur Sikhri as well.
There are quite a few intricate carvings and low entrances and lots of twists and turns. This was so that if enemy soldiers entered, they would have to stoop and the turns would disorient them. Again, this is a feature used in all forts. In one of the rooms, we saw a mini-bar with recesses built for glasses of different shapes and sizes, as seen in http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332075850/in/set-72157628122398470/.
It took us around 90 minutes to cover Amber Fort. Swaraj had informed that we can go to the Jaigarh Fort from Amber itself. We took up the walk. It is around 30 minutes away and we did have to climb for most of the time. My wife insisted there was nothing to see in Jaigarh and began criticizing me for taking up a "waste of time" activity.
When we took tickets and entered, it appeared her words were justified : there was only a cannon foundry and good views (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331322195/in/set-72157628122398470/). We were about to leave when we noticed a passage that went inwards. Curious, we went in - and that was just as well ! The passage led us to Jaigarh Fort proper. In the fort, there are life sized models of people eating, cooking and the lifestyle of the kings is shown. There were also preparations in progress for a wedding going on. There are two passages of art galleries also.
Glad that I was vindicated, we spent some time in Jaigarh Fort, drank a diet Pepsi and went downstairs later. Jaigarh Fort is a more traditional reddish black colour.
We ate lunch at a restaurant in the city and then went to Jaipur palace in the afternoon. We immediately remembered Mysooru palace when we entered one of its halls. There are the same paintings covering the walls, the same regalia and photos of the royal family. Jaipur palace also has a collection of buggies. We also saw a museum devoted to textiles and a huge pot for ganga jal.
Our next stop was Jantar Mantar. We went without a guide and though the sign boards in the observatory explain the working, we were unable to understand most of the instruments. What we did understand was a giant sundial (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332076134/in/set-72157628122398470/) that told the time to the accuracy of a few seconds ! We were left marvelling at the knowledge and skill of the Rajasthan kings.
In the evening, we shopped for dresses in Bapu Bazaar. My wife had found a shop she liked on her earlier visit and we spent time there until 8:45 p.m. She bought a couple of dresses while I also purchased a kurta. She used all her bargaining skills and knowledge of Hindi to bring down the price to nearly half what was originally quoted ! I admire how women can judge the right price while bargaining. Had I been shopping alone, I am sure I would have paid the full price, no questions asked ! We ate dinner at Red Fox Hotel itself. Just like there are Nandini milk parlours in Bengaluru, there was a Saras parlour a few buildings away from Red Fox. After dinner, we walked there at 10 p.m., drank "chaach" and then came back to the hotel for our final night in Jaipur !
04-Nov-11 :
There was another lovely sunrise to view from our room window. We ate delicious poori bhaaji for breakfast and set off for Udaipur at around 9 a.m. I recall the brown landscape of Rajasthan at first just beyond Jaipur. There is a lot of open space in and around the city and the primary colour is brown. My wife noticed a lot of restaurants on the tolled highway, called either as "bhojanalaya" or simply "Hotel" whatever, like in the rest of India.
We stopped for tea at a place which had a couple of ducks moving around freely. My wife sat in a swing and enjoyed the tea swinging slowly ! We saw a couple of cement factories on the route. We entered the Mewar province which is greener compared to Jaipur and ate lunch at Bhim. The kitchen of the hotel here was pleasantly clean, which we could see while we waited for lunch to come. I was surprised to see people stay in the hotel. When I asked Swaraj why they stayed in such an outlandish place, he informed us that the temple of Sreenathji (Vishnu) is near.
At around 3:30 p.m., we passed Kalwa. Before that, we had entered marble territory. For nearly 10 to 15 km around Kalwa, we saw endless shops of marble dealers. At least 20 lorries passed us with monolithic blocks of marble recently cut. Swaraj informed us that the dealers just dig and extract the marble from this region and then it is transported. The waste marble is dumped on the ground. According to Swaraj, it destroys the fertility of the soil. We saw white marble, green marble and also yellow marble dealers on this stretch.
At around 5 p.m. we entered Haldighati, so called because of the colour of the mud, which is yellow and the colour of "haldi" (turmeric). Haldighati has a small museum which shows a 7 minute video on Rana Pratap of Mewar, who fought Man Singh, Akbar's representative. Rana Pratap along with the Bhil tribes in Mewar took heavy toll of the Mughal army. The story is that it rained after the battle of Haldighati and the blood of the soldiers and the water caused the Rakht Talai (Lake of Blood) to be formed. Meanwhile, Rana Pratap's faithful horse took him to safety, leaping around a chasm that was 22 feet wide despite being injured itself. There is a memorial called Chetak Chabutara at Haldighati.
We reached the outskirts of Udaipur at around 6:15 p.m. and began asking for the Royal Retreat on Village Hawala Road. In the twilight, we passed Fateh Sagar Lake. The lights were few and there were few people we saw on the roads, as we enquired for Hawala village. The village is around 6 k.m away and is full of narrow roads. At one stretch, we passed a chicken neck that allows one car to just about pass through ! After passing it, only one thought crossed our minds in the taxi : Where have we come to ?!
Finally, we came to the gates of the Royal Retreat, village Badi, Badi - Hawala Road. Inside the gates, we were transported to a different era. There are several bungalows in Royal Retreat. Each bungalow has ancient statues, all from the collection of the owner. We were told that the hotel was farm house converted into a hotel. The bungalow has four rooms, but to call them as rooms would be a gross injustice.
To begin with, the doors were a solid 4 inches thick ! The room length easily extended to more than 14 feet, as seen in http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332076456/in/set-72157628122398470/ ! Even the width was also around 13 feet ! It appeared that we were alone in the bungalow. The old door to the cupboard made an eerie creaking sound and I remembered Hindi movies like Bhool Bhulaiya ! It was a little spooky that night but it was a good sensation : it made us more aware of our surroundngs !
We ate dinner at the hotel itself and lit a candle before going to sleep - not out of any romantic notions, but more as "night lamp" :-). Thankfully, modern conveniences like a mini-refrigerator, geyser and TV were all available.
05-Nov-11 :
We woke up early and heard the chirping of many birds. In the light of the morning sun (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331322891/in/set-72157628122398470/), everything changed and our apprehensions of the previous night appeared little more than overactive imaginations ! We spotted a peahen at the edge of our hotel and saw the sun rise. The hotel property is green and it was even a little cold in the early morning before the sun came out.
We went for a walk, looking at the marble statues placed everywhere and came back refreshed. We ate breakfast and were ready to visit Udaipur.
Our first stop was Fateh Sagar, which we had passed the previous evening also. Next, we went to the Rana Pratap smarak where the story of Rana Pratap has again been reconstructed. Opposite it is Udai Sagar lake. We watched the boating there briefly and went to Udaipur palace.
The price of the privately administered Udaipur palace is pretty expensive. The ticket to view the crystal museum was Rs. 525/- per head and I felt that it was too expensive. We visited only the palace itself. We saw different weapons like swords, guns, etc. in the palace and also the dynasty of the Mewar kings described in the palace. Just behind the palace is Like Pichola (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331323049/in/set-72157628122398470/). The palace took up our time for two hours.
We ate lunch at Gol Ghar. The place contains vintage cars, including a Cadillac (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332077150/in/set-72157628122398470/), a Mercedes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331323341/in/set-72157628122398470/) and a Morris Minor. We were informed that the cars are in working condition and participate in the Jaipur vintage car rally.
We went to Lok Kala Mandir, at Hathi Pol. Swaraj parked the car at Delhi gate and we took an auto to Hathi Pol. The treat here was the puppet show by a pupeteer of international repute. The puppet was a female dancer and it appeared to come alive at the skilful manipulation of the pupeteer. It was just a 10 minute show (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332077216/in/set-72157628122398470/), but it captivated us completely. The museum also has masks from all over India. It depicts the Bhil lifestyle also.
We did a bit of shopping before heading to Udai Sagar Lake. We walked around the lake as the sun set slowly. Just watching the sun dip (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332077372/in/set-72157628122398470/) brought a sense of calm and peace. After that, we went to the Udaipur market area where we purchased an extra bag to accommodate our purchases. We also bought chikki and mixture.
06-Nov-11 :
We woke up and got ready by 8:30 or so. Our plan was to leave for Ahmedabad by 9:30 a.m. but by the time we finished breakfast and settled the bill, it was 10 a.m. We took a few final photos of the splendid reception and the paintings (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331323625/in/set-72157628122398470/) in our bungalow before we left. I was to regret the 30 minute delay later in the afternoon.
Leaving Udaipur took us quite some time. Just after we filled diesel, Swaraj stopped the car : our car had a tyre puncture. He replaced the tyre but we had to get the puncture fixed. Most of the road to Ahmedabad is full of small hills that make for pretty scenery (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6331323747/in/set-72157628122398470/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/fromkiran/6332077800/in/set-72157628122398470/). There are hotels near the hills. Swaraj told us that due to prohibition in Gujarat, the people from that state come to such resorts or hotels during holidays, weekends, etc.
We stopped for lunch at around 2 p.m. still around 100 k.m. away. It should have been a 90 minute ride, but what I had not factored in was the fact that we did not know where the airport was ! Our flight was at 5 p.m. and we had to be there by 4 p.m. The SMS that I received from IndiGo was that latest check in was by 4:15 p.m. Swaraj had to ask directions to the airport at least 3 places, go slow to check that we were on the right track and then there was a toll gate ! This was when I wished we had left half an hour earlier.
Finally, we reached the Ahmedabad domestic terminal at around 4 p.m. We quickly bade Swaraj good bye and went in. The formalities were completed quickly and we were ready to board by 5 p.m. IndiGo does not have any good reading material, but that was a small inconvenience. On the way, my wife pointed out clouds that looked like cotton. It felt like we were in it. We also saw flashes of lightning in the skies. We landed in Bangalore on time at 7 p.m.
Thus ended our week long, unforgettable holiday. The puppet show at Udaipur, the unforgettable view of Taj Mahal bathed in the golden rays of the morning sun and the memory of asking the waiters to serve multiple helpings of the dishes in Jaipur are a few incidents that we will always remember !
Really very nice article. As well as helpful to gain knowledge about the tax accountants. Thanks to update us.
ReplyDeleteVintage Cars Jaipur | United Restoration Jaipur
Nice blog. Thanks for sharing. Udaipur is home to numerous historical monuments, palaces and forts that stand as a remembrance to Maharana Udai Singh II who was the founder of the city. Check out direct Delhi to Udaipur flight also.
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