Just returned from an amazing trip to India!
 

Hi, everyone,
I just wanted to write a brief note, having just returned to our home just 2 hours ago. I promise a trip report, too, but for now, letting you know that we have a fabulous trip to India, seeing Delhi, Varanasi, Agra and Rajasthan in 3 weeks.

Thanks to everyone here for feedback - it was invaluable for my trip planning. The trip went incredibly well, no snags until the end (and these snags had nothing to do with trip planning) - our flight home got cancelled because of the storm, and and negotiating the interruption was a bit challenging. Ultimately, we got on the next day's flight, but it was very up in the air (so to speak!) for the first day and a half.

I booked hotels directly, but worked with Nikhil, of TGS to coordinate all other aspects of the trip - drivers, guides, activities, specific recommendations - and he did an amazing job for us. He provided us with a wonderful driver, Rajendra, who drove us through Rajasthan, and we hired guides in most places. One nice touch was that we were also met by a TGS rep in most of the locations, which really made us feel safe and taken care of. Nikhil would generally call each day while we were driving, just to check in to see how things were going and to review upcoming plans.

As far as clothes -- you guys called it well! Very casual, and in layers, layers, layers. I ended up wearing 2 pair of pants exclusively, and my comfortable Brooks sneakers throughout most of my trip. I had short sleeve t-shirts and longsleeve t-shirts, a warm sweater, a lightweight safari-style jacket, and a black zip up sweatshirt. They were black and pink, and I alternated them every day or so, but believe me, no one is going to care what you're wearing.

Temperatures varied - evenings and mornings were generally cool, but warmed up to the mid-80s in some places by the afternoon, although generally in the 70s for much of our trip. The temps were unusually cool this year, and when we arrived in Delhi, the evening and early morning temps were high-30s/low 40s. So wearing layers is essential.

I'll definitely write a more thorough trip report as I acclimate to being home, but I did want to let you all know that our trip was fabulous.

Paule

Looking forward to more.

Welcome back!

It sounds like you had a great trip. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Navigating through flight cancellation is a harrowing experience. It's a good thing it did not affect your trip in India.

Welcome back.

Thanks...looking forward to your report. We leave for India 2 months from today.

Can't wait for more!

I posted photos and brief blurbs regularly on Facebook. If anyone wants to view these, you're welcome to email me and I will be happy to add you to my list of Facebook friends!

[email protected]

In the meantime I will work on my report and get it up as soon as I can.

Paule

I just love it when people come back from one of my favorite places and really enjoyed their trip! Looking forward to reading more about your travels!

Looking forward to your report.

India trip report

The conversation about traveling to India began over a year ago, shortly after we returned from Greece. Our travels have generally been in Europe and a wonderful trip to Turkey, but we both felt that it was time to travel beyond the usual stops and see part of the world that is less familiar and comfortable to us. We both agreed that India was the place to go. I scoured the travel boards, concentrating on Fodors, TripAdvisor, and IndiaMike, and quickly settled on Rajasthan, Varanasi and Agra.

After reviewing countless trip reports (many thanks to all the wonderful trip reports that I read obsessively), I developed an itinerary that, for us, worked very well. I was able to carve out 3 weeks from work, which allowed us to have enough time for a good trip. We have always been independent travelers, and we’re generally moderate budget travelers. I like to say that I’m a “value” traveler – I don’t mind an occasional splurge, provided it gives me something worthwhile, although I generally try to keep costs down. India was a great place to be a value traveler, as many of the hotels we stayed in were quite elegant and classy, and our “splurges” were no more than $100/day.

One thing we both quickly realized is that we wanted to have someone in India that we could depend upon to help oversee the trip. Again, I read many travel reports and reviews, found TGS receiving excellent reviews, and made the decision to work with Nikhil and his team, a choice that both my husband and I were extraordinarily pleased with.

The itinerary:

Delhi – 2 nights
Varanasi – 2 nights
Agra – 1 night
Jaipur – 2 nights
Bundi – 1 night
Udaipur – 2 nights
Fort Dhamli – 1 night
Jodhpur – 2 nights
Jaisalmer – 3 nights
Jodhpur – 1 night
Delhi – 1 night (turned into 2 because of flight cancellation)

No surprise, we tweaked the itinerary many times. We wanted a mix of small villages as well as the larger, main cities in Rajasthan, and on reflection, it was near-perfect for us. It’s easy to second guess one’s self, but we came away with such a sense of satisfaction from this trip, that I really feel we did the best we could’ve done in the time we had. I came close to eliminating Bundi, and am so glad that we didn’t, as it was one of our favorite places – a small gem, well worth visiting. It was the one place we wish we had another day, but were so glad we got there at all.

Hotels and guest houses:

Delhi/Colonels Retreat – I began booking my hotels and guest houses last summer for this past January, and was greatly disappointed when Saubhag B&B, my first choice, was booked. Colonels Retreat, in the Defence Colony, was recommended, and overall, we found it a very good place to stay and came to appreciate the location of the guest house, as well as the hardworking staff, who were very accommodating and helpful, especially when we had a flight cancellation at the end of our trip and had to book an additional day. Initially, I was disappointed - I had hoped for the more personal experience of a small guest house, with an owner who we met and welcomed us, but this didn’t happen. It’s also larger than I first realized, with at least 4 floors of rooms, with each floor having a shared living room area. We ended up staying in 3 different rooms, and found it to be a very comfortable place. They also served an excellent breakfast and the best coffee of any place we went! Recommended. Rs 5,300, breakfast included


Varanasi/Kedareswar B&B – We were very pleased with this guest house. Simple, basic, but well run, with proprietors who were very warm, gracious and accommodating, and were as helpful as they could be. The room was small but comfortable, with a shared balcony, overlooking the Ganges. Nice terrace roof, we had breakfast one morning (the other was too cool). The staff was very respectful - they call Michael, Papu, and me, Mama! It’s a very simple place, but for what it is, I recommend it highly. Ganges facing room/Rs 2,400

Agra/Garden Villa guest house/homestay - Did not find it a particularly welcoming place, although it was perfectly adequate. The owner was businesslike, and not particularly warm.. The dinner (we paid extra for it) and breakfast were again adequate, but minimal. We arrived at a time when it was quite cool and the rooms were freezing, although he eventually found a heater for us at our request. To get there, we drove a long way through the middle of nowhere to get to the gated community. Still, the price was good and the rooms were clean and comfortable. Standard room 1,900, dinner – Rs 300x2.

Jaipur/Pearl Palace Heritage - Despite the large and stylized rooms and extra amenities (bathrobe, large glassed-in shower), we found the place poorly run. They are clearly trying to be a luxury hotel, but it isn’t there yet – a personal computer is set up in the room but it didn’t work, and the room safe didn’t work. Construction was going on into the evening. The room decor was truly garish, did not look like a heritage hotel with its red pillows and blue lighting! Surprisingly, the basic lighting was very poor although there was a lot of effort to make it a design element. The staff was extremely disorganized, spoke minimal English, and were generally lackadaisical bordering on rude. We got the sense that this was the second tier help, because when we went to breakfast at Pearl Palace (the original hotel), the staff - and the owners - were there and present and it seemed very well run.. I didn't realize that the restaurant was at the other hotel until we arrived, which we also found annoying, although they did get us a tuk-tuk very quickly to get us to breakfast. I do not recommend the Heritage until they improve the staff and work is complete, although the original hotel, Pearl Palace seemed very nice and had a great rooftop restaurant. Luxury room/Rs 2000 + 7.42% tax.

Bundi/Bundi Haveli – Absolutely loved it. We fell in love with Bundi and we loved the hotel. Small, elegant heritage hotel, wonderful, attentive staff. We really felt welcomed by the charming manager, who spent a lot of time talking with us and making recommendations -- this is what we hope for in the places we stay! Decent restaurant in the hotel. Recommend highly. Super Deluxe room Rs 2,500 +7.42% tax.

Udaipur/Jagat Niwas- Without a doubt, the place that made me feel pampered and spoiled, as I completely fell in love with my large window seat overlooking Lake Pichola! The room is spacious and comfortable, and there is a separate nook for our suitcases. The extra cost of the lake-facing room was worth it to me, as it gave me the opportunity to fantasize and really feel like royalty. The only odd thing about this place is the open shower in the bathroom (but I didn't mind it). The restaurant on top is also a wonderful amenity of the hotel. The hotel is elegant, with a very polished and professional staff. Highly recommend. Raj lake-facing room Rs 4,200 + 8% luxury tax + 7.42% tax =Rs 4,950 (breakfast extra).

Fort Dhamli - An odd but very worthwhile experience in a very off-the-tourist path village in the Pali district (near Jodhpur). This is thanks to Julies, whose trip to India last year to smaller towns and villages was inspirational. Fort Dhamli is a very small village of about 2000 people, with nothing to offer a tourist, except for the experience of being in a rural village with minimal tourist traffic. There were no other people staying there when we were there - my sense is that the occasional guest comes, but it's not a regular occurrence. The building is a one-story building surrounding a courtyard, with bedrooms along one side. The owner (or Thakur – thanks, Julies!), is a descendent of the family that had been the feudal lord, but though he no longer “owns” the villages, his role very much is still the lord of the manor. The room is comfortable, and the meals were very good and generous. We are here because of the village tour, which we do in the morning. Getting here was a long drive through small towns and roads that seemed to be endless. I had been quoted Rs 4,750 for a package of dinner, breakfast and the tour (which took about 2 hours), but it ended coming in somewhat less than that.

Jodhpur/Ratan Vilas - I think this wins for best in show! Comfortable room, great amenities and staff that could not do enough to make one feel welcome. Lovely house and grounds. The owner is there and as gracious and welcoming as can be. The exceptional nature of the staff was apparent when we returned for our second stay. My one scheduling error had me confirming the room for the next day, so when we arrived (and thanks to the TGS rep, this all was resolved before we showed up), they were extremely apologetic that they didn't give us the same room we had, but were still able to give us another perfectly lovely room which was absolutely fine with me. And no one gave me any grief over my mistake. I could've stayed here for days just relaxing. Highly, highly recommend! Superior room: Rs 3,600 + 7.42% tax

Jaisalmer/Garh Jaisal: One of our 3 favorites -- this is a beautiful hotel in the fort, fabulous views of the city, and incredibly well run by the boys from Nepal! They are warm, gracious and helpful, and we ended up really enjoying this place. The few quirks of the place are understood as part of the old and fragile nature of the place, but we adapt and feel very much at home in this place. The room was very comfortable with a window seat overlooking the city and the rooftop a spectacular place to sit and have chai or meals. Great breakfast, lots of extra masala chai! Highly recommend. Rs 5200, including breakfast.

Booking: I decided to book the hotels directly to save the booking fees, and I also booked all flights. Domestic flights were booked through Cleartrip, and I booked directly with United for the international flights. I watched for months until the price was fairly reasonable (around $1200+). In retrospect, I really should’ve let TGS take care of booking the hotels, because it was far too time consuming staying on top of all the details.

Transportation

International flight:
We flew nonstop from Newark to Delhi, leaving Newark at 8:40pm and arriving Delhi at 9:20pm. We were pretty much on time, and had no problems with flights due to fog. Our return flight was cancelled because of the northeast snowstorm, but we were ultimately able to rebook the next night (although getting through to United was a major effort!). We left Delhi at 11:35pm and arrived at 4:35am (again pretty much on time), coming in before the customs officers were there to clear us!

Domestic flights:
1) New Delhi to Varanasi/Spicejet, left @ 9:35am, arrived at 11:00am. On time! No fog delay!
2) Jodhpur – Delhi/JetKonnect – departed 12:15, arrived 13:45.

(I’ll have to look for the rates)

Train: Varanasi to Agra:

We took the overnight train from Varanasi to Agra, leaving at 17:20, scheduled to arrive at 5:55 am. Now THIS was delayed by fog! And not just by a few hours! We ended up 8 hours delayed! Apparently, the other trains are kept on schedule, but the delayed train falls further and further behind, and is only freed to go when the other trains have completed their run. Our wonderful driver waited the entire time for us at the station! TGS booked the train for us when they were first released, so we got the lower berths. Surprisingly, we slept well, as the train gently rocked us during the night!

Small correction on our itinerary:
Udaipur - 3 nights

Great report!! thank you!!! I am learning a lot.

I am surprised by some of your hotel /guest house choices. How did yo decide on them?
Saubhag and Meera ARE wonderful, but there are many similar,quiet owner-welcoming guest houses, for future ref for you and other Fodors readers.

thanks for warning of open shower at Jagat Niwas. I simply cant get over my dislike of water all over the floor around the toilet, in whatever country it is.

CaliNurse,
As far as choices, I looked for a range of places and experiences,from a very pampered experience to a more personal and intimate experience. The latter was what I hoped for by considering Saubhag B&b,which is listed as #1 on tripadvisor, and reviews speak about Meera's attention. Though we didn't end up there.

As far as the other choices, what are you wondering? I chose Jagat Niwas and Ratan Vilas because of the reviews here, and were very happy with them. I chose the guest house in Varanasi because I didn't' want the Rashmi Guest house .....and again, it was the right place for us. Overall, I was looking to have a range of experiences when I chose where I stayed, but I don't have the budget for an Oberoi. None of my places cost me more than $100/night.

If you don't want an open shower, avoid Garh Jaisal as well.

More practicalities...

Many others have put together extensive packing lists, so there's no need for me to repeat what's been done so well before. For us, the items we found most useful were a small bottle of hand sanitizer and the small packages of tissues. I had 2 8-packs of them stuffed throughout my luggage. And when we ran out, we found that they are readily available in the small shops.

The single smartest thing I did before my trip.....was to get a 3 week supply of scopaline patches for motion sickness. I do suffer badly from this, and the patches allowed me to travel on the planes, the train and 2 weeks of often bumpy driving on rough roads with nary a moment of nausea! I'd been concerned about the traveling, and this was the best case scenario. I had used them for brief traveling periods successfully before, but never for 3 weeks. So this made the trip manageable for me.

We also got malarone from the doctor (paid by my insurance!) though we really do think it was overkill, as the areas we were in have a very low risk of malaria. Still, with no noticeable side effects, we chose to take the precautionary medication.

ratan villas was amongst my favorite places to stay... i left my very expensive plug adapter there---darn it..

Hi,
If I'd known that, I would've collected it for you!

I thought of you when we were there, and agree completely that they are the best. I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay in the city or not, but after arriving at Ratan Vilas, and after going into the old town, I was very, very happy to come back there! They couldn't have been nicer! I still find it amazing that they apologized to me for not giving me the room that they were intending us to have, even though I was the one who made the scheduling error!

The trip!

Friday, January 18/Saturday Jan 19…following an uneventful flight, we arrive in Delhi at the scheduled time of 9:20pm. After going through customs, we look for the driver…and I can’t find him anywhere! I manage to find Nikhil’s number, who reminds me that the driver is waiting for us at Gate 4, which he had written to me before we left – and sure enough, he is there, waiting patiently, a trait we see over and over in Rajendra, our driver for much of our trip.

We are in India! We can hardly believe that we’re really here! Driving through the night into Delhi is surreal. We are hit by the smog in the air – it is overwhelming, an acrid smell of burning. I was prepared for this after reading a recent travel report, but it still hits hard when we first arrive.

We arrive late at night at the Colonel’s Retreat. The drive here, too, is startling, with roads that seem to go every which way, and horns blaring constantly. We are in the Defence Colony, but the roads coming here are confusing, and we can’t quite make sense of where we’re going. When we arrive, we are greeted by staff, who bring us to a modest-sized room, and then leave us. We look at each other with a sense of disbelief – where are we? This feels like we’re suspended in some strange time warp somewhere. We finally fall asleep, waking up sometime around 5:00am.

Sunday January 20 – Our room is on the same floor as the dining area, so we head out for breakfast by 7 or 7:30am. The staff serve us promptly, providing a menu of options. The masala omelet and the coffee is wonderful, as is their banana bread. We are alone throughout breakfast, but finally, others show up!

At 9:30am, we meet our driver and our guide, Unil. He is very pleasant and polite, and we make the plan for the day. We only have the one full day in Delhi, so our itinerary is prioritized. First, we visit the Jama Masjid, the largest and oldest mosque in Delhi, built by Shah Jihan. The structure is quite beautiful, but neither of us can quite absorb any information yet, though I love looking at the many Indian families who are also touring the site. I’m loving the visual experience.

We then take a rickshaw ride through the Chandni Chowk market. Loved it! Crazy, intense, overwhelming – the crowds, the shops, the different “trades” that are available, such as the street barbers – just a density of activity that is fascinating to watch. This was wonderful, getting a feel for the people who live and work here, tasting the “aliveness” of the market.

Our guide recommends that we bypass the Red Fort in the interest of time, knowing that we’ll be seeing many more in the upcoming weeks. So we drive by the fort, admiring the walls from the outside, and drive on to Mahatma Gandhi’s tomb. The tomb itself is an open space, with a building structure surrounding it. There are many families here strolling here as well, and again, I’m especially enjoying seeing the women and the beautiful colors of the clothing. Throughout the trip, I’m just taken by the styles of dress, the fabric, the patterns and the color combinations. Gorgeous!

Our guide then takes us to the Indian cottage industries, where we are to be given an orientation on the crafts of India; we end up leaving before someone is available to speak with us.

A note: throughout our trip, each guide would bring us to a factory or shop where a particular good or goods are produced; in each case, we’re given a little lecture, offered tea, and, to everyone’s credit, we are never given a hard sell. It’s clear that the goal is to purchase something, but after the first couple of times, we occasionally come to appreciate the visit, as it’s all done politely, and we even get to see something we might not have seen otherwise. And, once, when we were not interested in going to a particular place, the guide was respectful and accepted our choice graciously.

Off to Humayun’s Tomb! It is very beautiful, a superb example of Mughal architecture, built for the Mughal emperor Humayun by his wife in the mid-16th century. The design of this building and the grounds that surround it are thought by many to be a precursor to the Taj Mahal.

On the way to the Qtub Mnar, a bit south of Delhi, we are brought to the Red Onion for lunch. The food is good – not fancy, but satisfying. It’s also a place where tourists are brought to regularly for lunch.

Qtub Mnar was wonderful! The day had started off quite chilly (high 30s or low 40s in the morning) but had warmed up considerably by the time we arrived in mid-afternoon, and with the bright sun, we found the architecture remarkable and, being Sunday, there was a festive atmosphere with the many Indian families and foreign tourists who were there. The Qtub Mnar complex was built during the beginning of the Islamic rule in India, and once formed the center of the Muslim city. Construction on the tall tower began in 1193, and is a remarkable sight. Michael and I found this site exceptionally moving, and though a bit outside of town, well worth the visit.

We drove by the India Gate, although weren’t able to go up to it today, as the roads were closed in preparation for Republic Day. We also drove past the Lotus Temple, a stunning contemporary building that is a Bahai temple, shaped like….. a lotus!

The end of the day, and we go back to our guest house, later walk over to the Defence Colony market and pick up some snacks to eat, as we’re too wiped out to sit down to dinner. Our first full day in India and we’re starting to get acclimated. Tomorrow we’re off to Varanasi!

Monday January 21

Our driver, Raj, picks us up at 7:30am to bring us to the airport; our flight to Varanasi leaves at 9:30am, and we’re there about an hour early. Nikhil calls to remind us that we’ve got a driver to meet us at the airport. Wonderful! We’ll also be meeting our guide later today.

We arrive on time, and, just as we were promised, there’s a driver holding up my name. As we drive away, I asked about the guide, and the driver didn’t seem to know anything about this. I was surprised, and asked to speak with Nikhil. The driver puts me on the phone, and I’m even more confused, because I’m not sure who I’m speaking with. I soon realize I’m talking to the hotel, and it turns out that they sent a driver, even though I let them know that this was unnecessary. No problem! We turn around, and we quickly find the driver and our TGS rep, Sumit.

On to Varanasi! Never have we experienced anything like the traffic getting into Varanasi! Cars, trucks, bicycles, motorbikes, rickshaws, tuk-tuks – and the occasional human or cow, dog, goat, going anywhere and everywhere! 3 million people going everywhere at once! Traffic careening in all directions! Cars, trucks, bicycles coming at you, and somehow, one or the other drivers swerves to avoid crashing into you! Amazingly, there doesn’t seem to be any accidents, as everyone understands the rules! Lanes are dispensed with entirely! Honking is constant, with everyone honking all at once, making it impossible to know who is really doing the honking! There are traffic jams, though, with traffic at a standstill, when vehicles converge at the same spot, and no one can move forward or backward. There may be some order or logic to it all, but it’s hard to make sense of it. This is the real culture shock!

The distance from the airport to Varanasi may only be 12-15km away, but with this traffic, it takes well over an hour. But arrive we did, at last. We can’t drive up to the hotel, as the streets behind the ghats are pedestrian-only, so our rep coordinates with hotel staff, and they gather our luggage, leading us to the hotel. Kedareswar, is a modest place, but comfortable. Small room with a shared terrace looking onto the Ganges! The bathroom has a tiny sink with a rubber hose draining into the floor. The shower is open to the room. There are few spaces to leave anything, but we manage to make do.

One thing that is a real challenge is to brush our teeth with bottled water only. I can’t rinse the glass or brush with sink water, so organizing the many steps is a real work in progress!

Time for lunch! We walk along the ghats, taking in the life on the river. Right in front of our hotel, a group of men are working on a large wooden boat. We walk further up and note the many activities: men and women washing laundry against stones in the river; laundry being hung up or laid out on the steps; men washing and bathing, even brushing their teeth; cows and water buffalo roaming freely, alone or in large herds along the steps; goats wandering; dogs run freely. There are many beggars, too, often young children, coming up to us and begging – they are very persistent, following us for a while, until they see that we don’t respond. Or the many touts who are selling their wares, and they are very aggressive. This is, in fact, one of the most difficult aspects of being here – having to tune out the poverty, which is so in your face.

The Lotus Lounge is recommended to us, and the hotel gives us directions. We couldn’t find it, and end up going back to the hotel, where one of the staff leads the way. We sat outside on a low table – a popular place, it seems, for tourists. The food was okay, nothing special, but we did enjoy sitting there.

Back at the hotel, it’s late afternoon/early evening when we meet our guide, who is a lovely young man, very warm and open, and we develop a real bond with him over the next 2 days.

We board a small row boat at the foot of our ghat, and row over to the main burning ghat. The experience is surreal – there are many cremations taking place simultaneously. Our guide explains the ritual process to us, and we see it all taking place on the steps. Bodies, wrapped in cloth, are carried down to the river to be dipped in the Ganges, before the fire is set. There are huge piles of wood sitting on the ghat. It is one of the many images that stay in my mind (no photos are allowed). We note the many fires that are taking place on the steps, each fire representing a cremation. There are at least 7 going simultaneously while we’re there in different stages of completion. These people have now attained Moksha, or release from suffering.

We then row toward the Dasaswamedh Ghat where the Aarti ceremony takes place nightly. It is a spectacular event, with 7 pandits, or priests, performing a highly elaborate and ritualized ceremony, in which fire, in the form of a lamp, is offered to the Goddess Ganga.

We decide to go to the ceremony on the ghat, rather than remaining in the boat, and I’m glad we did. Sitting there, right in front of one of the priests, amongst the many pilgrims and tourists who are also attending, is exciting and moving. The open air ceremony was amazing to watch, and though it was theatrical, it also felt authentic, with meaning for the religious observers, and a beautiful and spiritual performance for the rest of us. The ceremony lasted over an hour, and we returned by boat to the foot of our ghat, and we returned to our hotel room. We were exhausted but completely absorbed in the remarkable experiences of the day.

Jan 22/Tuesday

The morning is cloaked in fog, creating a mystical ambiance that sets the experience off perfectly. We meet our guide at 7:00am, early enough to still catch the sun rising on the water. We are in the same boat with the same young man who rows us; we like him, too. He is 17 years old, and goes to school, rowing the boat here on the water when he is not at school.

We take the boat to see the early morning activity along the ghats. Men bathing, women bathing their children, others doing laundry – the practical and the spiritual integrated fully. We row out to the burning ghat and see more cremations being held.

We are one boat among many. Some boats have large groups, while others, like ours, have a guide and 1-2 people. One boat carried a goup of elderly men and women, singing songs that sounded religious or spiritual. Our guide explains that Hindus come to Varanasi from all over India, and we guessed that this group came from South India. Riding in the water as the sun was rising, viewing the activity in and along the Ganges was incredible. It’s hard to wrap one’s mind around the activities that are taking place here – it’s all very alien to us, and it almost feels like we’re watching a movie. At the same time, there’s a sense of feeling something of the energy here, although I wouldn’t say we feel a sense of the spiritual, either. It’s hard to describe, yet we are very taken with Varanasi.

Afte the boat ride, we are taken to Varanasi’s Golden temple in the old part of town. Walking through the streets and alleyways is unbelievable, with crowds of people, cows, dogs, goats – and don’t forget the cow dung! – while people on motorbikes ram their way through these tiny streets!

The temple is an important religious site, now very secured after multiple bombings and attempts, and we have to go through security pat downs to enter. Once through, we walk the small street to the temple, and peek in, though, as non-Hindus, we’re not allowed in.

We return to the hotel, where Michael and I have breakfast on the roof terrace. It’s plenty warm by now, and it’s pleasurable to be sitting on the roof. Our breakfast companions (who take no notice of us) appear to be 3 women from the States who look like they are here for some kind of spiritual enlightenment. On the other side was a single man reading Ram Dass. Too spiritual for my taste!

By 10am (we have seen much by this time of the morning!), we rendezvous with our guide, and we’re off to Sarnath, the site of Buddha’s first sermon. First we visit the reconstruction of the Sarnath temple, and then head over to the site of Buddha’s first sermon, which is commemorated by the stupa, built by Ashoka. There are ruins of the dormitories and other buildings, which had been a site of Buddhist learning, destroyed by the Moghuls, and later excavated by the British. It is moving to us both, and we reflect on how Buddhism once was an important religion in India so long ago. Finally, we go through the Sarnath Museum, a small but excellent museum, which shows many statues and artifacts found in the archeological dig.

After that, we head back to Varanasi. Our guide suggest a visit to a silk factory, but we politely decline, and he acknowledges that this is part of his job, but he respects our choice and doesn’t push his clients. We very much appreciated his attitude.

The traffic returning to Varanasi was, if anything, even worse than the day before. We hit that “traffic jam” with all vehicles converging at one point, nowhere for any of them to move. After several minutes of a standstill, someone takes charge, directing the vehicles, finally helping to get things going again. Gridlock indeed.

Our guide gets us back to the hotel, leading the way through the streets. We say goodbye, with a tinge of sadness, as we really formed a connection with him.

That evening, we went to dinner at the Dolphin, the rooftop restaurant at the Rashmi Guest house. It took a while to find the place, and then walked up endless stairs to get to the restaurant. I had looked forward to it, as it got generally good reviews, but our choices were poor, and service was extremely slow. We both were a little frustrated with dinner.

And then, there was the walk back. We walked along the ghats, and the lights were completely out, making this the march through hell. There was a creepy, sinister feeling in the air, dogs and humans were out, but only seen as vague shadows and silhouettes. By the time we got back to our guest house, we were a little bit weirded out by the experience.

Jan 23/Wednesday

Check out day today, although we are not leaving until 5pm this evening, when we take the train to Varanasi. We have no plans for sightseeing, just packing up and looking for an ATM for more cash. Walking through the streets of Varanasi - amongst the people, cows, dogs, goats, bicycles, motorbikes, cow piles, dog poop, goat droppings, and generally filthy streets is not for the faint of heart.

The afternoon is spent walking through the back streets, looking at shops and vendors – fascinating to be in the thick of it. Heartbreaking, too – we see beggar women and their children begging, and they can be aggressive, too.

We wander up to the large market area off the large D. ghat, and overwhelming doesn’t begin to describe it! The noise is constant, the vendors aggressively trying to sell their goods – this really does feel like a constant assault, vendor after vendor after vendor! And, with the number of vehicles, the horns are constant, and by the time we left, we are completely worn out.

We stopped for lunch at the German bakery. This looks like a foreigners gathering place, with young and not-so-young spiritual followers and hippie wannabes, along with a large group of Japanese tourists! Lunch was so-so, the sevice took a long time, but it helped us pass the time.

Finally, back to the hotel to wait for the driver and Sumit, our TGS rep, who valiantly leads us through the chaos that is Varanasi! We arrive at the station at last! Another sea of humanity, watching and waiting at the train station. I get the distinct feeling that I’m being stared at by many, and now I wish I was wearing some traditional clothing. At one point, there are several young men who are staring at me and making comments, and our rep moves us to another spot to wait. Finally the train comes into the platform, and Sumit settles us on the train. We feel well-taken care of!

A few thoughts about Varanasi - we loved it, consider it one of the highlights (among many) of the trip. It is a difficult place to be, and the garbage and filth can be off-putting. But there's no doubt that it's a remarkable place to be, and the convergence of the spiritual and matter-of-factness of daily living along the Ganges makes being there one of the most remarkable experiences of my life.

Some folks say that it's better to go to Varanasi after traveling through India for a while. We, on the other hand, went right after arriving. We were glad we did, despite the culture shock, we had the energy to absorb it. And it prepared us for the rest of India, which was nowhere near as hard to adjust to after Varanasi.

The 3 days/2 nights was perfect. We didn't feel the need for more, and we felt like we had acclimated pretty well by the time we left.

Jan. 24/Thurs, day 5
The train cubicle is plain, but comfortable enough. We both have the lower berths,which makes it easier to sleep. There's a small party of young Chinese women who have an Indian guide, and they are pretty loud for the early part of the evening. Michael falls asleep early, and then I do soon after. Thankfully masks and ear plugs do the trick here! At 5:30am, we are near our destination. Out the window, it is dark with deep fog.

We are supposed to arrive at 5:55am, but at 8:17 am, we are still on train. Fog has caused a slowdown, and the estimated time of arrival keeps changing. At one point, we are stopped outside a small village:. Several children walk by on their way to school, a small bus, people walking by on foot and by bicycle. All rather dreamlike in the mist.

Train finally arrived 8 hours late! We were told it was the fog, only the other trains are moving! As we leave the station, there is Raj, patiently waiting for us, having waited all these long hours. It’s great to see him again!

Raj took us to our guest house, Garden Villa, which is in the middle of nowhere. We drove through areas of shanty-like villages, a large swathe of land with the worst road yet- more like a roller coaster, until we came to a small gated community, and turned in there. We were greeted by Raj, the owner, and we are shown to our room. Very cold! Like an icebox! The owner wasn't especially warm- rather a retired businessman who opened up a b&b.

After settling in, Michael and I met our driver, Raj, with our Agra guide, Arif. Off to the Taj Mahal! Approaching the Taj Mahal was incredibly moving. One of those iconic structures that exist in the imagination, but not in real life. It is spectacular, and soaking in the image was thrilling. We went inside, which was impressive, but the exterior is the real deal. The shimmering marble, the absolutely beautiful proportions of the building are there in front of us. And, like everyone who comes there, we have our picture taken in front of the Taj Mahal by our guide, who has perfected the photo op from his many visits as a guide. He takes many shots, but after reviewing, I discover that he has taken a shot of us that we love!

From the Taj Mahal, we went to the Baby Taj, the mausoleum/tomb of the grandfather of the wife of Akbar. Also beautiful, though not nearly,as grand as the taj. This structure is thought to be the "test" for the Taj.

Back to the guest house. We had dinner there and we sat with a pair of retired women from Montreal, and a German couple. We were all surprised when there was no after dinner dessert or tea. I think we all felt the dinner was a little chintzy. I enjoyed the dinner, but felt it a bit overpriced for what we were served.

Friday, Jan 25

After breakfast, we meet our guide, Arif & Raj to visit Agra Fort.

Agra Fort was much more interesting than we had expected - a very splendid & handsome Mughal fort, begun by Akbar, with additions made by his grandson, Shah Jihan. It was both a military fort, but later turned into a palace by Jihan. It was one of the more remarkable structures, and we found it well worth a visit.

Leaving Agra on the main highway was quite something, with small villages & open-air shops lining the road. All traffic was funneled to one road and we passed a small parade in honor of Mohammed, who was born & died on this day.

We then drove to Fatepuhr Sikri, a fortified ancient city built by Akbar as the capital of the Mughal empire for about 10 years, following the successful prediction of the birth of an heir. The city was abandoned after Akbar’s death, however, because of water shortages in the region. This is another fascinating site.

Continuing to Jaipur, we have lunch at the Rajasthan Motel, which was very good. I ordered paneer in a sauce, while Michael ordered potatoes. We also had banana lassi, which was delicious.

Shortly thereafter, we stopped at Chand Baori, a beautiful stepwell in the town of Abhaneri, just outside of Jaipur, which was wonderful. Truly remarkable structure, as elegant as anything we’ve seen. This well was built in the 9th century, and is one of the deepest and largest in India. It’s 13 stories deep and has 3500 steps!

After a brief visit to the TGS office in Jaipur, we arrive at our hotel, the Pearl Palace Heritage. What a weird place this is- an ostensible luxury hotel, but nothing works the way it's supposed to, and we’re too tired to deal with it. Construction is going on, and we are in a room that is supposed to be a boudoir, but looks like something out of the wild wild west. We’re here for 2 nights, however, and it’s just not worth getting too irritated. We are settled in and collapse for the night!

Saturday, January 26/Republic Day
Raj and Sharma, our guide for the day, arrived around 9:30 am, and we are off to the Amber Fort! First we passed the Palace of the Winds for a quick photo op. then through more traffic! And traffic! Saturday in a big city plus a holiday as well = noise and traffic!

At Amber Fort, we decide not to go up by elephant, so drove up instead. Amber Fort is a handsome & solid structure, well-sited, 11 km outside of Jaipur, with wonderful views of the countryside from the top. This is truly glorious Rajput architecture!.Magnificent with elaborate decorative work (I loved the Hall of Victory, with its inlaid panels and multimirrored ceiling).

Back to Jaipur, where we saw the City Palace, another extraordinarily elegant structure, with many fine details. The 4 entryways to the courtyard are especially beautiful. I’m becoming a little blitzed with all the beautiful structures beginning to run together, so we take a break from the building tours and plan for a little shopping therapy!

After an unmemorable lunch at a tourist restaurant, we go to the bazaar, where our guide takes us into a saree shop. I was really having fun looking at the pashmina and silk scarves, with more and more gorgeous things being pulled out. Our guide then said he would take care of the bargaining for me, and I made the mistake of letting him do this. Unfortunately, he only offered a small percentage less than the starting price, but by now, I was locked into price he offered. My husband reminded me that he has no incentive in getting me any significant bargains, since he is getting a commission on whatever is sold. I really felt a bit taken at this point, although I genuinely don’t think he was trying to cheat me. The price was not bad, although I really could’ve bargained harder on my own.

We then wandered a bit through the market. Michael checked out some spice stores, giving him a chance to do his own bargaining!

After this, we needed to chill out from the noise, traffic, the blur of too many sights, and the hard work of shopping!

During our short stay in Jaipur, we had the opportunity to meet both Nikhil and his wife; they are both very welcoming and good company.

Sunday/Jan 27/day 7

Today, we are on our way to Bundi!

Getting out of the hotel took far too long, as the staff couldn’t figure out the bill. I still can’t believe how inefficient the staff is, although I do believe that we’re at the new hotel, the Pearl Palace heritage, at an unfortunate transition point, and that these are not the usual staff. After going to breakfast at the Pearl Palace, the original property, it’s clear that this is a well-run place, and the staff are excellent. So I just think we’ve arrived at an unfortunate moment, and the new hotel will probably be a good one in the future.

Stopped for tea with Raj, and that was the only stop we made until we got to Bundi. We fell in love with the town the moment we arrived. A perfect small town, lovely heritage hotel, the hotel manager (Kooky jr) was genuinely warm & welcoming, and we found the local people were generally friendly. The town sits on a small lake and has a fort and palace above the town.

After lunch, we go off to the palace. What an amazing sight this is! The paintings and murals were gorgeous and in surprisingly good condition. What a treasure!

After that we had a lovely stroll through town, going through the marketplace, a vast network of stalls and shops. A very lively atmosphere!

I’d debated throughout my planning whether or not to include Bundi, and am so glad we did. It is worth a visit, and my only disappointment is that we didn’t stay 2 nights. It was much more relaxing than the main cities, but much to explore.

Mon, Jan 28/day 8

There are around 60 stepwells in Bundi, although we managed to see only 2 of them before leaving for Udaipur! One was especially beautiful.

After that, we took off for the long haul to Udaipur. We went on a wild goose chase for the Bhimlat waterfall (recommended by our hotel manager), but when we found it, it turned out to be a dam, and a dried out one at that! We all had a laugh over the trip.

We then stopped at Menal, an old temple complex dedicated to Siva, with few tourists around. Very lovely setting, lovely carvings, though it says there is an erotic panel, but we couldn’t find it.

We ate lunch at the Menal Resort, next to the temple complex.. There were 2 British couples driving 2 gorgeous vintage cars who we exchanged pleasantries with.

The ride took a long time, passing many small villages along the way. The first stretch out of Bundi was also a very poor road, making it feel even longer than the actual distance. We also passed small opium fields (white flowers) along the way.

We stopped off at Chittorgarh fort, one of the largest forts in India, though by this time, we were completely exhausted and didn't feel like really looking very much. This site is in multiple sections, so Raj was able to drive us from place to place.

Arrival in Udaipur was crazy. Narrow streets with huge numbers of motorcycles, it was impossible to move much. We finally got to our hotel, the Jagat Niwas, and what an amazing room we have! Spacious room with large window seat looking out onto the lake. One of our splurges, but still under $100, and absolutely luxurious to relax in. We ate dinner here (biryani & lamb rogan josh. After dinner, we settled into the room and to sleep.

Following along - a great read so far with excellent detail. Inspires me to finish my report about my September trip. Re: Overnight train - can't tell if you're just great sports or it was truly not so bad.

A theme is emerging in your report: It seems you were not thrilled with your meals. Did your guides choose the restaurants? Do you think they were second guessing tourist tastes?

Crosscheck,
You're right, we were not especially thrilled by many of our meals. We're not foodies, don't go out to high end places, but we live in NYC and are used to Indian food, so did not find many of our meals significantly different or better than what we have here at home. We did have a few meals that stood out, but as a rule, our food experience wasn't that exciting.

The guides or driver generally brought us to established restaurants that are geared toward the tourist palate. We weren't asked where we wanted to go, and we never really took up the issue, as it often happened that we'd be brought to a place when we were between sites, and suddenly, we'd arrive somewhere. If I were to do it again, I would ask for more "authentic" places, but we didn't really think about it. Sometimes we'd be on the road, and the options were also limited. Part of the concern, of course, is making sure we're eating a meal that is not putting us at risk, so we also accepted that eating cautiously was a necessity.

Then again, we ate at the restaurants at most of the hotels we stayed at, which many people speak very highly of, so I imagine that we are more critical about what we like. While we found many of the hotel meals okay, we didn't find them very exciting or interesting.

Toward the end of the trip, we began eating occasional street food, which we did enjoy -- and in Udaipur, we did have a wonderful meal. More in the next installment!

And the train - surprisingly, was not that bad at all. What we realized, however, is that we were traveling with other tourists, so it didn't have the drama or the color one thinks of when looking at pictures of Indian trains. The amazing thing was that we slept well because the train actually rocked us gently, lulling us to sleep!

I'm enjoying your report and reading it with find memories.

loving the report...

disappointed that you did not ride the elephants--it was a world class experience in that setting--next time..

Enjoying your excellent report as I'm on my last night in Udaipur (well...Devi Garh). I definitely agree with you on the food. I've had Indian food that was just as good in New York and Hong Kong. My husband insists the paneer here is much better, and I agree, but aside from that, no difference. We have eaten in hotels and the tourist restaurants our guide took us to, so maybe that's why. Even after being cautious my husband did come down with a 24 hour virus and stomach bug so maybe it's all for the best....

india is really a great place. welcome you if you come again..

Thanks for the nice comments!

Bob, I hope I get back your approval when I describe our camel ride adventure! I agree, though, we both regretted not taking the elephant, but the moment had passed, so we let it go. Next time....

Tansmets, it's good to know that we weren't the only folks somewhat disappointed in the food (not that I'm happy, mind you!). I also realize that we often ended up not having a normal dinner on days that we had large lunches. Often we weren't hungry, and would end up with a small meal or snacks.

Have a good rest of your trip, tansmets! Where are you going next?

More to come later.

Tues, Jan 29, Udaipur

Udaipur is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the East”, and we are lucky that Lake Pichola is very full, and the view out the window from my room leaves me with wonderful romantic visions of a bygone era. Depending upon monsoon season, the lake can be very low.

Up for the day at a respectable 7am and had breakfast at the hotel - a little pricier than other places, but pretty good. Elegant & classy rooftop restaurant with a gorgeous view.

At 9:30am we meet our guide, Uma. What an interesting character! Uma is of a Brahmin caste, says his family has multiple villages in the region, and he is still responsible for them. He then told us a heartbreaking story of a lost English love, but did not marry her to appease his father, who arranged his marriage. He is 31, has been married 8 years and has 2 children, yet still carries the torch for her. This is the first guide who even spoke about a desire to marry for love and to consider marriage outside the tradition. Uma spoke for a long time about the loss of his English love-- although it wasn't "the program", it was interesting to get a more personal perspective, and we found him to be a terrific storyteller.

We first visited the Jagdish temple, with people praying & singing inside. Up a long flight of stairs, beautifully carved, it’s centrally located and there is a great deal of activity in and around it. I liked the feeling of the place a lot.

We then went to the City Palace( huge!) and in between the usual tourist speeches,, he tells us another family story, this time, about the death of his uncle who had been cursed by someone. His telling was on the order of a grand Shakespearean tale, with intrigue upon intrigue! Rather odd but very compelling tale, and he is an entertaining companion. He gives us the necessary details of the sights, but he is far more interesting for the tales he tells! Will I remember when a particular building was built? No! But his story of his poor cursed uncle is very much a vivid memory for me! The City Palace is stunning, with some of the most ornate rooms yet, though to tell the truth, I’m starting to have a hard time keeping track of the many forts and palaces we’ve been visiting. Uma then takes us to the City Palace museum, which has some wonderful picture galleries, and he gives us a really good overview of the paintings.

I’m obsessing over shopping, as I keep seeing women tourists wearing interesting looking outfits, yet I can’t seem to find them in the markets that we are visiting. So, after the city palace, Uma takes me to a shop for clothing. Everyone shows me pashmina, they don't even ask what I want. I'm trying to figure out what I want, and I'm overwhelmed. This is an ongoing theme! I didn't buy anything in the store, although they seemed to have good quality. I find the Anokhi store in the City Palace complex, but don’t see anything there that really appeals to me, either.

However great the sights were, our favorite activity of the day was lunch! We ate at Natraj, by the train station, and this was an amazing experience! This was very much a local place (there’s another Natraj listed in the Lonely Planet, but it’s not the one we went to), no foreign tourist in sight. This was filled mostly with businessmen, and some families. They served one dish only: a vegetarian thali, each person getting an aluminum tray with a total of 20-something items; waiters constantly filling the dishes and bringing various breads out. It was outstanding, as much for being in a non tourist place as well as for the food itself. And the cost: Rs140/person! This was the type of food experience that we love, and we really were appreciative that Uma took us here. It was also one of the few times we ate with our guide.

After that, Raj met us and drove us to Sahleyion ki Bari, the Women's Garden. A nice break several kilometers outside the city, pleasant garden grounds, with a small eclectic museum which had the most absurd displays with no overriding theme. It looked like a room filled with school projects done in the 1950s, and I loved it! We then went to one of the “stop and shop” places, a place specializing in modern miniature paintings. It was a pleasant stop, and, as usual, we looked but didn't buy. I’m used to this by now, and have come to view it as an opportunity to learn about an art or craft, and really, no one is pressuring us to buy.

Back to the hotel, and goodbyes to Uma and to our driver, Raj. Arrangements made for the day after tomorrow with Raj. Uma recommended that we take the footbridge across to the other side of the lake for dinner.

After a rest at the hotel, we set off to look for the footbridge and see about dinner. I was not especially hungry, having eaten a large meal earlier.

After crossing the footbridge, we discovered that a movie was being filmed so some of the restaurants were closed..It was fun watching the locals gather for the sight of the film star, though we don't know who it is.

We ended up back at the hotel at the restaurant, mainly because I wasn't hungry and it was easy. We had a vegetable biryani dish that we liked very much with another lamb dish that was okay.

Wed, Jan 30/Udaipur

Today was relatively low-keyed, yet busy. Slept late, then had breakfast at another nearby hotel with a roof top restaurant, which was surprisingly good and cheaper than the Jagat Niwas. We then took a walk down to the market area on the other side of the clock tower. There were many gold shops here, and we saw what looked like people buying jewelry for important occasions. This felt like a less-touristy part of town.Still on my shopping mission, I found a small shop near the hotel called Mystique, with an older gentleman who had a gentle demeanor and his son who tailor clothes right there. After searching through many shops, I opted to get some tunics made for me. The shirts are lovely, and I really enjoyed the interaction. They were ready for me later that day!

We went on the the boat ride to Jag Mandir island, which was very pleasant, if a little short. The island is pretty but there’s not much to see, so we came back shortly after arriving.

We then ran into Uma as we got off the boat. A pleasant surprise to bump into him, so walked with him for a little while and got some chai masala and a samosa (yum!). This was the first time we actually had street food, and it was a wonderful treat.

We strolled through town and took lovely breaks at the hotel, taking full advantage of our huge window seat.

That evening, we went to the performance of Rajasthani dances and puppets at the Bagore-Ki-Haveli that was absolutely delightful! It happens every evening at 7pm, and though it is a touristic event, it’s in a lovely setting in an outside courtyard, and the performers have real charm. The costumes are fabulous and the dances are quite impressive. Well worth attending!

Tomorrow we are off to Kumbalgarh & Ranakpur, and then Fort Dhamli.

Enjoying your report!

Thanks, Marija! I'm determined to get it all up by the end of the day!

31 Jan Thursday/Udaipur to Fort Dhamli

A long and twisty drive through the Aravelli hills to Kumbalgarh - a large, beautifully sited fort high up in the hills with great views of the countryside. This is the most remote of all the forts we visited, and is removed enough from the city that it’s not crowded with tourists. It’s a large site, and we stay for a while, although we only explore a tiny bit of the fort and its many structures, but really enjoyed the place.

Next stop, Ranakpur, a Jain temple complex, open to non-Jains after 12:00 noon. Truly beautiful, the main temple, the Chaumukha Mandir, is spectacular, with 1,444 beautifully engraved white marble columns under many smaller and larger domes. We visited two other temples in the immediate vicinity, although the main one was the primary sight.

On our way to Fort Dhamli, we drove, it seems, forever, down roads that seemed to go nowhere. We go through several larger and smaller villages, wondering just how far we are going off the beaten path. We come to a dirt road, with some dilapidated-looking haveli- style houses, and Raj says, "We're lost" -- when I see a sign that says, Fort Dhamli. Michael said he freaked out when we entered the gate and saw the dusty looking court yard. Then thakur Inder Singh, (feudal lord), the descendent of the aristocratic family that used to own the village, walked out and welcomed us, and brought us inside the building, settled us in the room, and then sat with us for quite a while. The place is actually quite nicely renovated, and surprisingly comfortable, given our first impressions. We're the only ones here, and it is a very odd experience! He tells us about his family, the property and the nature of the village life.

Why Fort Dhamli? I had wanted to get a sense of small village life with the minimal tourist filter, and remembered reading about it in a trip report last year. It filled the bill completely, as it really is way off the beaten path, yet has a lovely hotel. We’re there only for the one night, so it’s a quick stop, but it was a fascinating and different place to be.

After a cup of Masala tea, Michael and I venture out of doors. We are told that a wedding will be starting that evening, and within moments we are greeted by some village locals, including one man who calls himself Inder's nephew. His brother is the one getting married, he says, and then, as others gather, he introduces us to another brother, his SIL, and numerous other folks and children, who come out of the woodwork to view us, the foreigners! It was a delightful interaction, only somewhat frustrating due to the language barrier. I took lots of pictures, and they had asked if we could give them to them somehow. We told them we'd email them to Inder, and hopefully, they will get them. They invited us to something at 8pm, but we were unable to go then because of dinner.

Inder sat with us throughout dinner, and Michael and he talked about the nature of religion and its meaning, especially in India and its conservatism. Dinner was good (cooked by Robyn, cook and general assistant), the vegetables were delicious, and the roast pork was tasty ( shot by Inder himself!) although a bit tough.

After dinner, Inder got a horse ready for the wedding procession, which was supposed to start at 9pm. We then went back to the area where the wedding activities were taking place, and hung around with a lot of kids and other folks. After about a half hour of waiting, we decided to call it quits, as we were starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. The language barrier is difficult here, and it’s now more awkward, standing around waiting. So we came back and, shortly after we’re back in our room, we hear loud music, mostly new music with a touch of traditional. It was time to go to sleep!

Feb1/Friday/Fort Dhamli to Jodhpur

Up for breakfast @ 8:30; Inder then took care of paperwork, explaining that the strict monitoring of tourists really began after the attacks in Mumbai. The paperwork is quite overwhelming for the tourist industry, and now I have a better understanding of the reasons for it. Each place has to make copies of passports, which are sent to the police station and tourists have to identify where they are coming from and where they are going to next. And it's all being written in large ledgers! We also take care of the fees, which end up less than the original quote.

The village tour was fascinating. Inder was not really giving a "guided" tour so much as we accompanied the village head around the town as he did his rounds. We went into a few homes, and he showed us certain aspects of the lives of the locals.

First we went into the compound of the untouchables, interacting with the children, mostly, who were flocking around us, the foreigners, and posing for the camera. There were some strikingly beautiful children, and it seemed a shame that they would have little opportunity to move beyond their caste. We also,went into the tiny rooms of a few of them, saw how they lived with the barest amenities.

We continue our walk through town, and though Inder doesn’t explain too much, the opportunity to stroll with him is enough, as he is clearly the head of the town and people greet him wherever we walk. We went to a higher caste home, where 2 girls were getting ready for school. Their house, too, though more modern, has a cooking area outside, and though they have plumbing, they still need to fetch drinking water from the well. It’s a world that continues to astound me, the contrasts that exist.

We were shown how families have a flour mill to press their own flour, and they have their own oil presses, too. Sometimes, these things are used for barter. Inder said the town is completely self- sufficient, growing or making everything that they need.

Then we walked to the girls school, which Inder had established about 10 years ago. I took many photos! Inder had them sing a song that shows off the English skills. Then he had them pose with me! I love the photo!

We asked about the girls' opportunities, and Inder told us how some people had wanted to create a scholarship for the girls to go on to college, but that the families don't want them to go. Such a conservative, old- fashioned culture. We entered the school, and the older girls excitedly showed me their classroom – it was clear that they were very proud of what they’d accomplished. Some of the younger boys also attend the school.

We walked through the village some more, and showed us the newer construction going up for some wealthier families. And, he took us to a public bath/basin where the women go to wash clothes.

Finally, time to leave, but we’re both glad that we made the effort to visit. It really gives us a good snapshot of life here in Rajasthan.

The drive to Jodhpur is less than 2 hours away, and we reach our hotel by 1:00pm. A brief lunch, and we are off to the Jodhpur market with Raj.

This is the most intense market yet – huge, many different types of things, from food,to new clothing, and everything in between. Many people hustling to get us to buy for them. I ended up buying a couple of scarves from some women who were sitting on the ground, piles of scarves all intertwined,with no stall or table and everything cheap. These are not your quality goods! And still I bargain!

We walked a bit outside of the market to get a bit of a flavor of the old city . Then, back to the car, where Michael gets,some saffron from the shop that let Raj park in front of their place. Michael bought 2 gms of saffron, but the shop owner did everything in his power to get Michael to take at least 10 grams!

Michael and I decide that we want to visit some of the Bishnoi villages, and a quick call to Nikhil and it is all arranged for the next day. We will get a private guide to take us on a brief tour of several villages.

Back for an afternoon rest. Ratan Vilas is a lovely place, just outside of the busy downtown, a real oasis in the chaos that is Jodhpur. This hotel has the most amenities so far, and is spacious, comfortable and relaxing. The shared spaces are beautiful. It has wifi, but, I’m having intermittent luck getting on with my ipad. I’ve had difficulty accessing the internet throughout my trip, however.

After lazing about the hotel for a few hours, we had Raj pick us up at 7:00 to take us to Indique, the rooftop restaurant on the roof of the Pal Haveli. It looks pretty grand, and would be good place to stay in town. Michael and I were very happy to have a quiet oasis to return to, however.

The evening was beautiful and the rooftop views spectacular, with the Mehrangarh fort and the clocktower lit up, and the city spread out. Really lovely. The food was very good, one of the best meals so far, especially the traditional eggplant dish. A great end to the day.

Feb.2/Saturday – Jodhpur/Bishnoi village tour

Up at a reasonable hour, we had the large breakfast buffet in the garden tent. Very luxurious, very colonial.

We met Raj and our guide, Ragu, at 9:00am. From the first moment we met him, Ragu was a real pleasure to work with. His English is far and away the best of any of the guides we've had, and he had a wonderful sense of humor, and really appreciated Michael's humor, too.

A note here: Michael gets lots of attention in Rajasthan because of his mustache, a thing of pride for the Rajasthani men, and we have many wonderful photos of Michael posing with them.

We visited several small villages of the Bishnoi tribe. These are people who don’t believe in killing any living thing. Each of the different villages are known for a particular product, which sell to tourists like us! The trip to these villages was wonderful, as the people are really warm and welcoming. We visited both a village of potters and of weavers, and we bought something at each. We didn’t find the commercial aspect of this a problem, as the people had a genuine openness to them. And we were especially lucky with our guide, who knew them well.

The first was a potter family. One man was working on already thrown pots, forming them into larger containers. We then watched a demonstration by another man making several small pots on the manual potter's wheel. No electricity! After the demonstration, we bought a small dish and our own small Ganesh.

On to the next -- and best! This traditional family was introduced to us, I guess, to be shown the opium ceremony. And of course, we did partake, though it was so diluted that neither of us felt anything. But the head of this family was a character -- a lascivious, mischievous fellow with a bawdy sense of humor, and he and Michael hit it off like they had known each other for years. There was much laughter but much sweetness in the exchanges. When he brought out his pipe, Michael took out his, and Michael ended up giving him his tin of little cigars. Mr, Bishnoi looked very happy with his new toys! I have a series of photos of the 2 of them that are priceless.

Finally time to leave, and we were taken to a weavers’ village, where we watch a demonstration of weaving and are shown a number of dhurries. After much back and forth, we decide to buy one of the smaller dhurries, though I really love the larger ones, too (no room in a small NYC apt, I’m afraid!). The head of the village cooperative is a very sharp, well-educated man who seems like he'd be at home in a business or academic setting, and seemed oddly out of place in the very rural Bishnoi village. But perhaps that's my bias. Nonetheless, we are very happy with our rug - having a personal connection makes it special.

After the tour, we are dropped off at yet another tourist restaurant and say goodbye to our favorite guide. We head back to Jodhpur, where we are on our own.

First stop: Jaswant Thada, the cenotaph, or crematory ground for the maharajahs of Jodhpur. Attractive structures on the hill, with good views of the fort.

And then the fort! It is an amazing structure, stands grandly on top of the hill. We got the audio guides to tour with, and they were fine. The fort was fun - there were numerous musicians performing throughout the fort, which really added to the total experience, making it a lot more alive and personal than many of the fort tours.

Finally, the day's activities come to an end and we return to Ratan Vilas, with no desire to return to town. We stayed at the hotel to rest and revive ourselves, and then had dinner at the hotel. We opted to have the buffet dinner (and noticed that everyone else did the same), although we found it a mediocre meal. Too bad, because in all other respects, the hotel is a wonderful place to stay.

loved indique and that general area...

anxious to read about your time in the villages... we liked that very much... i have a great rug next to my side of our bed that i bought from there..

the fort stop sounds perfect...maybe next time for us..

Our rug is lying right in front of the door! It arrived the day after we came home - couldn't believe how quick it was. And the packaging was incredible -- the packaging was sewn around it.

We loved the villages, both the Bishnoi villages as well as the very untouristy Fort Dhamli. We also really loved Bundi, which was a smaller town, but with much to offer.