Dec. 8 Bundi

I sit on the roof top and watch the green conures with their red neck ring and orange-red shoulders push each other off the highest perch around, the pinnacle of the adjacent temple, as the chipmunks lay spread-eagle on the rooftop sunning themselves.  A large flock of conures just flew past; loud screeches shattering the peaceful morning.  It's 7:30 am and there are dogs on roofs chasing monkeys, shopkeepers with poles chasing monkeys, a man with a long hooked staff scoops debris from the open gutters, women in saris sweep the pavement and I sit drinking chai on a bench, in the street, with the old 

men.  A baby monkey clings to its 3-legged mother's belly as she outruns the dog on the roof.  The troop of monkeys scampers by and runs out of sight.

There is an impressive waterfall approx. 36 km outside Bundi with a picnic area as well as a lovely pool at the base of the falls for swimming.  After breakfast, 4 of us got on 2 motorcycles and headed out to explore.  The place was massive with large square black basalt boulders leading to the precipice of the falls that were approx. a 120 ft. drop to the pool below.  As we walked around toward the bottom and looked into the pool, I saw a water snake making its way across the water.  I think I will just sun on the rocks and let everyone else swim if they want!  We spent most of the day walking around exploring and just lazing around before the ride back to town - great day!

Back in town the hogs root in the garbage pile while cows nibble alongside.  These huge hogs have 6" stiff spines coming up from their back making them look like wild boars.

Dec. 6, 2011 Bundi

Gate to the City Palace

I arrived in Bundi at 11 pm and went to my chosen guest house.  Lonely Planet should be ashamed of themselves for recommending this place!  Between the dirty sheets that I made them get out of bed and change, and the nasty communal toilet, I hardly know what to say.  I can say I didn't get much sleep as the owner, a rather large disheveled woman, shouted to the help on the next floor through the overhead grate earlier than anyone should be waking the guests.  The only good news is that it only cost me 150 Rupees; approx. $3.00.



City Palace

 After walking the town in search of a decent hotel, I got my bag and checked into the Haveli Tarragarh Palace, a lovely old haveli with marble staircases and slick tile floors located below the city palace, which is the view from my window.  At 250 Rupees, it's a much better deal with a private bath, hot water shower, clean sheets (yes, 2 sheets as they normally only have a bottom sheet and blanket), and a towel. I opened the shutter style window to be greated by a Macaque monkey baring its teeth at me...I guess we suprised each other! 

After a shower, food, and a nap, I went out to explore Bundi, a town of approx. 89,000 inhabitants.  I headed toward the sound of drums beating as the Muslim celebration of Moram began.  I have never been a huge fan of percussion, but the drumming demonstrations were brilliant.  There were young boys & teenagers beating small drums, large bass drums, and kettle drums.  They twirled around in step with the bass drums and very energetically beat the kettle drums covered in camel hide, with hair still attached where it had not been beaten off.  The conductor/teacher did a fabulous job both teaching and motivating the boys who ranged in age from seven to seventeen.  When I caught his eye, I gave him a thumbs-up and he smiled.  After the performance, he came over to shake my hand...so sweet!

I stood on the ledge next to the police station with the policemen (a nice safe place) above the crowd.  There were only a few other westerners at the parade, mostly with large cameras; it was a local religious event not particularly for tourists.  The floats consisted of large mosques made from paper mache, cardboard, and aluminum foil with minarets topped by the quarter moon and star of the Muslim faith.  Old men with small grandchildren in their arms, women in saris nursing babies, vendors selling sweets, young girls with heads covered, men with henna died beards, all touched the floats and brought their hands over their faces, symbolizing bringing the light of the devine to open their eyes to the teachings of Allah.  It was a spectacle not to be missed as it happens only once a year.  I felt lucky to have been here to experience it first hand.  Of course, I forgot my camera....

Dec. 5, 2011 Udaipur



Sadhu (Holy man) at Jagdish Temple

Back in Udaipur, I found a great tailor and had my favorite travel shirt copied and a pair of skinny-leg black linen pants made.  They will be ready tomorrow!  He's fast and does excellent work.  What a luxury at a cheap price.  And he will wait for the money until I get my card!





The days here melt into one another as women beat clothes on the ghats.  Children dive into the lake while their fathers bathe.  Tourists come for a few days and leave. Aid workers have lengthy stays in hotel rooms.  Restaurant workers and shopkeepers hope for a better tourist season next year. Life rolls on.

What I would find repetitive and boring, they are content with.  Even the poor are quick with a smile and appear happy.  Men & women come to the communal water pump early in the morning to fill buckets, ceramic pots, and jugs of stainless steel with the days water.  The cows gather at the trash cans to forage for food competing with dogs and chipmonks for prime morsels.

My card arrived today from Florida to Udaipur, India in 5 days! I am impressed!  I now have a stomach thing going on however, and don't feel like leaving.  As soon as I got a break in the "faucet", I went to the pharmacy to get meds.  Here you can skip the doctor and just go straight to the pharmacy.  I am so sick that I went back to bed and my friend from the UK, Niki, brought me porridge.  It is so nice to have friends!  My stomach better get well soon as I have a train ticket to Bundi tomorrow.

Nov. 21, 2011 Jaipur

Jantar Mantar

I went to Jantar Mantar today to see the astrological site built in the 16th century to measure the movement of the planets.  It consists of concrete, stone and wires that measure the exact time, astrologic signs, and predicted eclipses, etc. all very acurately.  It was fascinating!

Back in Tripoli Bazaar in the old city, I stopped in a temple and bought a cuff bracelet in the gift shop and headed to the ATM.  OMG!  I don't have my debit card!  It must have fallen out when I pulled out my passport in the hotel...of course, no one found it.  I spoke to the bank and they will send another...to my home!  I don't even have money to get out of the hotel where a mouse ran across my pillow!  Sent my nephew, Albert whom I bought a house with, an email to wire me some money to get me through until the card arrives.  At that time he can DHL it to me. 

Since I am looking at another 2 weeks before I get the card, I will have to get to someplace cheaper than this 3 mil. population city or I will end up on the streets like this homeless man!  After I pick up the glasses and get the crowns, I will catch the train back to Udaipur where I have friends, to sit and wait on the card to arrive.  Since money is now very tight, I will just change rooms in the same hotel and hope for the best...no mice!

Nov. 18, 2011 Jaipur - The Wedding

The Bride!

I went to the old city today to meet with Rama, my new "friend" who is trying to sell me jewelry.  He took me on the back of his bike to the optometrist to get my new glasses and waited to help me pick out the frames.  They will be ready on the 23rd and at 1/2 of the U.S. cost.

Rama also found me a computer repair place and I dropped it off on the way to Vandu's house.  He will call me Monday with the prognosis.  I got to the house, and no one was there!  How was I to get into this sari?  Oh well, the driver will try to find the venue, the Shreeji Palace, and I will take it from there.

I arrived at the wedding after about an hour of the driver being lost and immediately looked for someone to help me with the sari.  I found a young girl who spoke English and she said her mother could help me; her mother only spoke Hindi.  After much ado, I was in the sari and looking quite spiffy!  I bought it in Delhi and it is made out of Kashmiri silk in teal blue and gold.

The party was a bit slow, as there was more photo-taking than anything.  It actually went on for many hours as the bride and groom sat on the main stage in what could only be called thrones.  Everyone and their mama (including me) had their photo taken with the couple.  The surrounding tables were packed with food, cooks, and chai and everyone enjoyed good food and conversation.  As it turns out, the auspicious time for the actual ceremony, 7 turns around a fire as the priest chants, would not take place until 2 am, way past my bedtime.  Rama was at the airport dropping off a client and offered to come pick me up and take me to my hotel, so I left about 10:30 pm.  It was a bit anti-climactic as the best party was yesterday.

Nov. 17, 2011 Jaipur - The Wedding

Vandu, husband & baby

I arrived at Vandu's (the sister-in-law of the groom) home way out by the airport at 1 pm to prep for the wedding of her brother-in-law. I met Vandu on a traveler's website called Couchsurfing.com. She invited anyone who was in the area to come to the wedding, and so far, 18 CSers have shown up. They are all staying in the basement of her unfinished house - bare concrete, dust & noise - on mats on the floor, with the exception of one bed. The 2 girls who arrived first occupy the bed. I am glad I got a hotel rather than just show up here. Vandu asks me, "aren't you staying here with us?" I don't know what to say.... And the bride and groom are moving into the house after the wedding!

It's mayhem and disorganization - no one can find their things, and food is being served in a bucket (veggie meatballs of some kind in curry sauce) with flatbread. None of us know where the venue is located, what time the party starts, or in fact, anything about the wedding that is to to take place over the next 2 days. The girls have bought sari's with no petticoat or top; I am not sure how they will wear them without the pieces to tuck the sari into or pin it up.

Vandu is a bit harried, but manages to look stunning in a 12,000 rupee, sequin decorated sari and loads of gold jewelry. Her husband wears a long white and silver jacket with Neru collar and large silver lame' pants. I help the groom with his cuff links as he pulls on the jacket to his rather dashing sharkskin suit with fitted pants. He looks great!

We pile into a jeep and are off the the Shreeji Palace where a large stage with professional lighting & DJ is set up and a smaller one with 2 thrones for the bride & groom. There are tables of food and approximately 10-13 cooks preparing fresh dishes. The women are decked out in their finest saris loaded with sequins, pearls, and rhinestones. They wear elaborate "gold" jewelry; necklaces, rings and bangles stacked half-way up their arms, and look brilliant!

After eating a little of everything, the ceremony started. The priest chanted and performed a ceremony with the groom, then the bride arrives - hands and arms covered a an elaborate henna design, a stunning sari, jewelry covering her ears, arms, neck and chest and looking so very beautiful. She looked demure and submissive with her head bowed and downcast eyes. It is an arranged marriage and the bride and groom hardly know each other.

Groom

 

Another the ceremony takes place, many gifts are bestowed and the dance performances begin; one after another for about 2 hours. There is a couple, brother and sister, who are the best performers having had many years to practice. Friends and family went onstage, waved money above the heads of the performers, then deposited the money on a plate at the side of the stage. Everyone got onstage to dance to dance at the end, disco style. All in all, a fun night!

The trip back to the hotel was a bit scary as I was not so sure about the rickshaw driver, the streets were dark, and with the construction for the new metro, was at best, bone jarring as I bounced at least 2-3 inches off the seat at times. I think I will get the number for the regular taxi and pay a bit more for comfort and safety tomorrow!

Nov. 14, 2011 Udauipur

It was 8:45 am when I climbed on the back of a motorcycle along with Nicola, my friend from England, and the driver wisked us away through the countryside to the Animal Aid facility on the outskirts of town. 

The Animal Aid hospital was started by a couple from the UK to help with the local street dogs and other discarded animals that are no longer able to produce an income for their owners.  There are seperate areas for dogs with mange, paralyzed dogs, recent amputees, puppies, and the severly injured. Other areas house cattle, burros, pigs, 2 turtles who have cracked shells and are unable to live in the wild, and even a large monkey that was abused by its owners and now has no nose and is blind.  It was the first time I have ever seen large animals (cows, burros) with amputated limbs rather than being put down.

The day started with a service for a recently deceased dog.  People talked about the dog's rescue from the streets after being hit by a car, his recovery and life at the center, and his 3 years of life there.  I spent the rest of my day assisting the vet's assistant with his daily rounds, petting paralyzed dogs, and walking puppies.

I ate a supposedly "safe" salad today and picked up a bug, so I am off to the pharmacy for meds and electrolyte packets.  Hope I feel better tomorrow as I am booked on the night train to Jaipur, a nine hour trip, for the wedding there.

Nov 6, 2011 Udaipur

Maria from Spain and I decided to take the boat tour of Lake Pichola today from the City Palace.  It circles the Lake Palace Hotel made famous by the film, Octopussy, and docks on Jagmandir Island, which hosts its own hotel and spa.  Built in 1620, and flanked by a row of stone elephants, it has a fabulous view of the city and its golden palace.

 After lunch we went to the ghats.  Groups of women in saris performed pujas as the men bathed in the lake and young boys dove from the walls above.  I felt like I had strolled into someone's home; the rituals and baths were too personal to linger in the area and we quickly exited.

Nov. 1, 2011 Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Standing on my balcony, I watch as the bright green conures leave their perch in the tree and are making green streaks across the sky.  Several chipmonks / squirrels scavenge the rooftop across from me as pidgeons flex their irridescent purple and green necks balancing on the wires below.  It's early and time for baths and laundry at Ganguar Ghat on the other side of the lake.  I can hear the slapping of boards against concrete and stone as the dirt is literally knocked from the fabric.  The city looks so serene at this time of the morning.

City Palace

I went to see the City Palace and got lost on the way back for over an hour...I am exhausted!  The City Palace is huge and dominates the skyline from the east side of Lake Pichola.  I can't even imagine living in a place that large...the children must have had a blast running the halls and courtyards.  What a great place for hide & seek!  The main part of the palace hosts a museum, with lavish mosaics of peacocks, many glass and mirror works and ornamental tiles.  There is also a pleasant central garden in which to relax after winding through the many narrow passageways.  The rest of the palace fronts the lake and has been partly converted into two luxury hotels.  The grandiose Durbar Hall was added in 1909 and is one of India's most impressive.  It holds hundreds of people and can be hired for special occasions.

Oct. 31, 2011 New Delhi to Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Spent the day trying to solve my computer problem - I lost the cord! Although I had no success getting another, the guys in the shop invited me to eat lunch with them. So, here we stood at the counter with everyone's food tins spread out and dipped flat bread into the various containers of dal (lentils), spicy potatoes, paleek paneer (spinach sauce with cheese, rice, and more. Delicious!

Dropped by the internet shop to check my email and found out they are requiring a copy of your passport and a photo of you to use the internet! It seems someone used Facebook to provoke violence in the country and they are keeping a close check on whomever logs in.

It's time for the night train and I arrived at the Nizamuddin station in plenty of time. You have to pick your way through crowds of people, not only standing, but some looked like they were camping in the station and on the platforms. A small child squatted on the edge of the platform to poop on the tracks below as her mother went to fill her bottle of water from the tap. The group next to me were having a picnic of sorts and we all waited for the Mewar Express to Rajasthan. I booked a 2nd class AC, which is a sleeper bunk with 4 people per compartment; not to be confused with the Sleeper class which is 6 people per compartment with no AC and open windows. It was rather nice with clean sheets, pillows, and a blanket. I shared the compartment with 3 other tourists; one from England, one from New Zealand, and the other two from Spain. It was a peaceful 12 hour journey and I slept!