Rajasthan rambling from Nepal
Trip Start
Nov 01, 2010
1
12
Trip End
Jan 11, 2011
Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Bus from Pokhara to the Indian border at Bhairawa was only just endured with some pringles and mentos soothing the stomach. Just quietly, don't expect any value for your money at any of the hotels in Bhairawa, it is a dump. We traipsed between hotels on the way into and out of Nepal looking for one which looked like it had been cleaned in the last decade and struggled. We slept at one of the ones closest to the bus station as I was not feeling great. Cycle rickshaw to the border crossing at Sunauli the next morning, where we witnessed some Tibetan monks (from Myanmar) on a pilgrimage to Lumbini being asked "how much they would pay to cross the border without passports"! Abby had been feeling a bit sick in the stomach from her previous night's dhal dinner, but we were in a little bit of a rush to get the bus to the train station (for the overnight train to Delhi) so we wandered to the bus straight away. Tactical error as 1/3 of the way in she decided she was sufficiently sick she needed to ask the bus to stop to go to the bathroom, asap. Setting the scene: there was a bus full of males pulled over on the side of the road, a young lady and a ditch. Some modesty was saved with constructive use of a yak wool blanket but you get the picture right, bit of embarassment but she survived it. Made the train to Delhi but this was the first attempt at "sleeper" as opposed to the next class up and this was a tactical error, they should be called "NOT sleepers". Ended up sharing a single bed while a "wedding party" partied (mainly consisting of taking the piss out of the chai wallah and giggling like school girls). Arrived around 5 hours late on a 13 hour trip, so a total of 18 hours. On a positive note, we bought heaps of good chais and some pretty good samosas from the guys selling food on the train. Found the post office to send some of our trekking clothes home, and some lunch in Delhi before heading to the other major train station in Delhi (old delhi station) for the train to Jaipur, with a very serious tuk tuk driver with a henna dyed beard... little comical but we didnt die, just nearly. I feel like each time we are on the road in Delhi I would be safer tongue kissing a brown snake.
This train was supposed to take 5 hours (on at 3.30pm) so arriving at Japiur at 830, enough time to work out how to get to our accomodation (the first one booked on the internet, MAJOR error, piss poor value for money), however it never arrived, thats right never. We were told about 5 hours into the trip that the train no longer went to Jaipur, that it was diverted around and we would have to get off at Phulera and catch another train from there! Arrived at Phulera (after a rude family basically sat on top of us in our seats) and proceeded to the platform we were instructed to use to get to Jaipur, but the porter informed us that there was no other trains to Jaipur and we would have to catch a taxi... a haggle and a possible rip off later we (and 2 koreans and 2 japanese guys who we somehow became the spokespeople for) were in a taxi to Jaipur for about A$40. We arrived at about midnight to a fairly chaotic train station (central point for all 6 of us) to negotiate with tuk tuk drivers to take us to our hotel, only problem being none of them had heard of the hotel, or knew where the street was, or could read a map. We drove around the town in the middle of the night with the driver asking, pretty much anyone on the street if they knew the hotel or the road it was on. Finally we made it to the cops station for them to tell us roughly where it was and we arrived at about 1 am and went to bed.
We went on a walking tour on our own on the first day in Jaipur and hung out in the "pink city", which was fun once we oriented ourselves. Jaipur is quite an interesting city and the bazaar is organised in sections so you can go to where you want to buy what product (i.e. marble section, silver section, bangle section etc). We mooched around the shops looking but not touching until we found the sweetest most perfect and soft sultanas, and splashed out. The next day we fought with the hotel staff to have breakfast at 7 to have time to walk to the tourist office for a tour starting at 9, we left without breakfast at 8 completely pissed off (stupid hotel). Went for the government sponsored tour of Jaipur taking in the main sites: palaces, forts and temples. Monkeys and the worlds largest cannon were highlights and I think the life of a Maharaja would have been fairly acceptable, mainly consisting of polo, hunting meetings, the major downside would be multiple wives to satisfy... Bus to Johdpur yesterday (31st) to great guesthouse, where we had chai and toasted sandwiches by the fire at the roof top restaurant, with a view of the fireworks being let off at the fort nearby, before heading to bed before 12 to listen to more fireworks (going off all over the city). First day of the new year spent walking the blue city whose narrow lanes reminded us of Italy, (with a fair few extra cows, dogs, and the occasional elephant thrown in, that is) and being treated extra nicely by the "students" in the bazaar who (obviously) wanted to sell us spices and pashminas and God knows what else. Probably a tour tomorrow of the fort, palaces and gardens and then on to Jaisalmere the next day.
Comments
Hey big brother and sister.
Happy new year!!
Sounds like you've had an eventful "festive" season :). Bummer about all the icky-sickies, but it's all part of the adventure I spose. The markets sound pretty spectacular.
I'm just sitting and watching the last Ashes game. England have retained the Ashes series, but Australia still have an opportunity to save face, if it stops raining in Sydney that is!
Much love, xo