Days 43 & 44 travel and general impressions

We left the hilltop fort and went to the airport for a flight back to Delhi, 2 hours in lieu of a 14 hour drive, best $60 we ever spent. 

The crabs hated to leave the infinity pool and the wisdom of Budha:

We have driven over 500 miles in total over the last 9 days and encountered almost every imaginable horrendous road condition, which I have tried to describe in the daily reports, so enough already.

We have seen a small piece of this country, from gigantic Delhi to small villages of rural families and variations between the extremes.  The density of population packed into living space is so compact that it is difficult to describe; it seems oppressive to us but not to the people who live there.  The villages look primitive.  Homes are small stone spaces mostly the size of a one car garage, with roofs of tile/ thatch/tin/ or blue vinyl.  They open on the road under a covered space where the family does business.  It could be selling food, clothing, pottery, shoes, etc., or a repair shop for scooters, cooking pots, machines, shoes, everything imaginable because little is thrown away.  It all looks cluttered and shabby but there is also a vitality here that's best seen in the children going to and from school in crisp uniforms on foot, bikes, and all kinds of overloaded vehicles. 

This scene is repeated in every small town and for miles leading in and out of the cities.  These shops are not for tourists but are part of the fabric of the community - sure there are loads of shops near the temples and other tourist sites, but even we could tell them apart.
 
Everywhere cows and dogs wander freely with no limit to where they go or what they do, but once I did see a fruit vendor shooing off a cow trying to eat his apples, so there are some limits.   People love the animals - they'll cook 3 extra breads so they can feed the cow one and dogs two, even though the dog is neither sacred nor functional. 
 
Our schedule was filled with the antiquity of India mixed with some modern aspects.  The history of the region can be traced back about 5000 years and is full of early marvels that rival every ancient culture that has been studied.  We saw so much that I have to look at the posts to remember the time and place and details but every palace was different in its own beautiful dimensions and artifacts. Amazing, overwhelming and astonishing are all words that apply; I will leave more to the pictures and remembrances at a later time. 

Lectures on life from the elephant god:

Some things that help me put India into perspective: all of the people in California equal the population of metro New Delhi, the metro area has more population than all of Canada, each near 35 million.
Two thirds of the population lives in rural villages where old traditions release the grip on behavior very slowly.  But the country has a 60% literacy rate and government policy is encouraging more schooling that we were told is welcomed in all areas. Education along with the rate of adoption of technology (150 million new cell phones in 2010 - that is one for every other person in the US) makes me feel good about the future of this amazing country.
 

Last view from hotel before leaving for Dubai:

Day 42 Udaipur, the Venice of India

We did not realize just how stunning our hotel actually is until we saw it anew this morning.  The drive up is thru a stone paved road cut thru the mountain and the building is also carved into the rock. 

Gate and 2-way road up to the hotel:

Entrance way with mountain rock visible:

View from hotel lobby – infinity pool with lake and Udaipur in background:

There's even an article on Fateh Garh in Conde Naste, the pool outside our room was rated #2 in the ten sexiest hotel pools! 
 
We drove 20 minutes into Udaipur, the city of lakes.  It has over 40 manmade and natural interconnected lakes, all fed by monsoon rains.  They're at high levels right now but a few years ago, they were all dry lake beds with NO water - hard to imagine when looking at them today.  The water is processed and supplies the half million people in the city.  They also use the lakes to bath and wash clothes.

The many uses of the lake:

Our guide today was very good and showed us the great diversity of this lovely city.  We started at the Jagdish Mandir, a temple of carved white marble with a black marble god dating back to 1500s; the Mughals cut a lot of heads off the outside wall carvings but never got inside. 

Temple with carvings all over it:

It is a small working temple with prayers 4 to 6 times a day, nestled in the midst of a shopping market area.  We saw the different streets decorating for a street celebration; at the end, the best street wins a cash prize. 

Street festival preparations:

Today was also special because tourists got leis and red dots for National Tourism Day.  We also saw fireworks over the market area from the hotel tonight marking the beginning of the festival.
 
The City Palace Museum has the old fort, royal chambers, hotels and the lake boat launch. 

City Temple main gate:

Emperor’s viewing platform:

They loved peacocks, so does Chris:

City palace from the lake (with our leis and red dots):

The dynasty Mewar can trace its lineage without a break to 566 to today, making it the oldest continuous dynasty in the world.

Genealogy chart:

It has loads of ancient artifacts and also new things like an elevator that a paralyzed Maharana (title of high king in all of Rajasthan) used in 1970.
 
We took an hour boat trip on the lake.  It was a hot day, but not on the lake.  We could see many hotels and palaces on islands and we could even see our hotel on its mountain in the distance.  We stopped at one island with an expensive hotel and spent as much on cookies and drinks as lunch yesterday.

Hotel on island in lake, even Venice doesn’t have this!

Our hotel from the lake:

Summer palace island:

Our last stop was the garden of maidens, constructed by the emperor to give the Queen's attendants a place to relax outside of their palace quarters.  The multiple fountains makes this park a welcoming and lush place to visit and relax.  The Maharana donated it to the city government when India became independent of Britain in 1947.

Lotus petals on pond with school children visiting:

Main maiden garden fountain: 

Back up the hill to our hotel and a chance to regroup and get ready to go back to Delhi and then on to Dubai. 

And just because they are so cute, and they loved their own personal elephant ride, here's one more of the crabs:

Day 41 to Ranakpur and Udaipur

The day started with a Skype session with Shelly and then Jen and Jack, first time we connected with the Canadian family.  Love this new technology!
 
The drive today was thru the most undeveloped section we've seen.  We took small rural roads thru one-block towns and then had to pay at a toll booth jammed with trucks and busses.  The last 20 mile trek took an hour and half on a washboard road with craters every half mile.  We finally made it to an ancient Jain shrine but our guide never showed! We walked around the temple but did not go inside; I guess we're in temple overload.

Jain Temple:

Monkey at the car park:

The trip on to Udiapur was as pleasant as the trip before was unpleasant.  We had a good lunch and a cold beer and arrived in this city on the lake about 4:30.  This hotel is spectacular.  It was recently constructed from a 150 year old fort that was moved to this mountain top.  Views are awesome and the place is like a palace.  We're here for two nights.

Arriving at hotel:

Sunset view from patio:

Day 40 Jodhpur and getting there!

After breakfast on our porch overlooking the lake in Pushkar, we set off for Jodhpur, a 5 hour drive thru mostly rural countryside. Even though the roads and traffic was the same, the chaos seemed more intense - Chris closed her eyes a couple of times!

Jodhpur is a city of 1.3 million, called the blue city for the color of the homes of the Brahim, the highest cast.

Blue city houses:

The city was founded in 1450 by a clan which claims to be descended from Rama, the epic hero god. We saw the marble tomb/shrine of a maharaja built in 1900 with other family tombs added.

Tomb:

We were told the marble is translucent in Taj and lots of places – well, the sun shines thru!

It seemed modern, with formal photographs of all the men, and was very accessible to tourists for a price, with an additional charge for cameras.

There was a 6 mile wall built in 1450 that's still in good shape enclosing the city and fort which was built on a high hill 450 feet above the city. This is a desert so water is a big deal. The fort/palace was home to the royalty, 2000 soldiers, 500 horses, 50 elephants and camels and servants. A lake was built at the mountain foot and an elaborate water system to bring the water in stages up to the fort. They brought enough for daily use plus had enough in cisterns to survive a 12 month siege.

Fort / Palace:

Elephant saddle – solid silver:

Mughal chair, took 12 men to carry him in processions:

These kids posed and asked us to take their picture (so of course we did):

Next stop was the city center with this British clock tower built in 1750.

What a market place! A maze of narrow streets and even more alleys with thousands of shops!  Here is the city market gate:

It had every kind imaginable, from major wholesalers of grains and bulk commodities to sidewalk food vendors, from high-end textile exporters to discount cloths for locals.

Wholesale grains and spices:

People walked in every direction and competed with dogs, cows, scooters, busses and tuktuks for the street, contributing to the atmosphere and smell of the place. This place was made for locals, and it made the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul look orderly.

Large market streets:

Our hotel was again like a fort in its decor with foot-thick cement walls, spiked doors which can't be forced open, and sliding bolt latches with old padlocks. But THIS hotel is well equipped and beautifully set into the hillside. We had a lovely dinner in an outdoor garden with Indian music and a puppet show for entertainment. Good food, attentive service, cold beer and free wireless  - what more could one ask for in a hotel.
 

Finally, something our size (and they let us out of the room for a change):

Day 39 the road to and Pushkar

I had decided that I was done with the road reports because I had covered everything imaginable - wrong!  We set out on a trip that was to be just over 2 hours max on good roads, so we had a leisurely breakfast and we were off about 9:30. 

Chris leaving Jaipur with the hotel doorman:

Leaving Jaipur was as expected with traffic and construction and took a long time to get out of town.

Most photographed site in Jaipur on the way to Pushkar:

When we did, there was a beautiful divided highway that was almost boring, until we turned off to Pushkar:  20 miles of road that made the road to Wananavu in Fiji look like it was lovingly maintained.  It was a narrow path with cars and trucks and farm animals and people walking, full of ruts, broken pavement and mud holes that looked like they would swallow a bus!  What's next?
 
 After a total of 4+ hours we arrived at the Pushkar Palace Hotel, a 500 year old fort that was converted into a hotel about 2000.

Our hotel room:

Notice the door height and the door lock – very cool:

Its 19th century elegant, with antique furniture, doors and locks, but only window A/C, no internet or hair dryers, and no liquor or meat dishes because it's a Hindu holy city.  Our room overlooks a lake with palm trees partially blocking the view of people bathing in the holy lake. 

Our dining room for all meals, except breakfast, which is delivered to the room porch:

The view of the sacred lake from our room:

Sunset from the porch in Pushkar (I think they keep taking the same photo of us, slightly different background): 

Pushkar means lake and as a natural lake on the edge of the desert it became home to over 1000 temples and is a pilgrimage destination. The small city has only 20,000 people and totally surrounds the lake; it also hosts a camel fair once every year that brings 500,000 to buy and sell horses as well as camels.  Thank God it's in October after we are gone.
 
This was our first (and hopefully only) guide who was disappointing.  He called to say he'd be late and then gave us a brief tour.  Actually, he only showed us the temple of Lord Brahma, one of the 3 highest Hindu Gods.  He's the creator, one's the destroyer, and the other is the maintainer/ processor.  The lake is supposed to have been made by a lotus petal he dropped to find the spot for his temple.  There has been a statue of him and his second wife here for 1200 years; 500 years ago, a mararhaja donated a small cupola to protect it - that's the temple.  I think his first wife cursed him with never having any worship in the temple and with never having any other temples devoted to him; she was mad because she was late for their wedding here and he married #2.  We couldn't take a picture near it, but saw lots of holy monkeys outside.

Path to Lord Brahma Temple: 

Our guide couldn't explain what that story teaches us now (like our other guide with the Elephant God).  He just emphasized how many people of all religions have come for the priests' and Brahmin's blessing and donated lots of money to feed the poor, even Queen Elizabeth.

Lots of people making the trek to the lake for a blessing:

When a priest in street clothes approached us at the lake and offered to bless us and family with no pressure of contribution size, we agreed.  He used the water, said Hindu words we repeated, put red paint on our foreheads and string bracelets on wrists, and gave us petals to throw in lake.  Then he tried to get a lot of money, but Chris reminded him about no pressure, so he settled for 1000 rupees ($20).

Our blessing:

 We walked back to the hotel through the market, where we were NOT surrounded with hawkers.  We relaxed, had vegetarian dinner, and went to bed.  Considering how hard it was to get here, it was disappointing.

Day 38 Jaipur

We began with the trip to the Amber Fort that was begun in the 950's and worked on over the next 700 years.  It's really yellow because the dynasty here believes they are descended from the Hindu Sun God.

The Amber Fort:

The wall around the fort sits on mountains that surround 3 sides of the area and provide excellent fortifications, somewhat reminiscent of the Great Wall of China but no where the size.  The steep path to the fort was accomplished on the back of a female (better attitude than males) elephant who made 3 trips per-day before going off duty.

The ride up:

Very spectacular views of the lake and gardens surrounding hillside.  The main gate is topped by the Hindu blue Elephant God who displays wisdom (large head), ability to listen (large ears), uplifted trunk (ability to smell/feel the truth), and large stomach (because he slowly digests the facts before acting).

This elephant is a symbol to describe how to live ones life:

He has 4 hands holding the axe for battle and leadership, the lotus blossom for goodness that blooms despite muddy water, prayer beads to help meditation leading to God, and wheat bread to feed his people.  The Fort was built with excellent cross ventilation catching the mountain breezes and with really thick walls to insulate from the heat.

Queen’s bedroom gate, only for spring, one for each season:

On the gate to the fort castle:

Faces in the mirror:

They have no natural water source, so the Emperor built a lake from the rainfall runoff from the mountains.

Lake, herb garden, and drinking water collection pond:

 
Next we went to the City or Pink Palace, located in the heart of the planned city of Jaipur.

City Palace or Pink Palace:

Prince Charles the 7th visited the place in the late 1800's and the locals repainted all the buildings pink so the media named this the Pink City.  The  Prince liked everyone so much that he invited the Emperor to his coronation  in 1902 in London, but Hindus are not allowed to cross the ocean (Ghandi was labeled an infidel when he went overseas).  The Emperor consulted with priests and had 2 large silver pots made to carry sacred Ganges water with him to London so he could wash in the river every day as required.  The pots are in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest silver pots.

Largest silver pot in the world, 900 gallons:

There is a World Heritage site next to the Pink Palace, the Jantar Mantra.  It is an astrological wonder, built in the 1724.  It consists of 17 sun instruments, the largest and most accurate sundial ever created.

They observed shadows' consistent placement over time and used mathematical formulae to determine the exact placement of all astronomical bodies; this was important because Hindus have a deep belief in astrology determining our destiny.  They believe happiness comes from accepting their karma instead of trying to change it.
 
This was a short day out because Chris wasn't feeling well.  She loves the flavors and all the vegetables, but her body was a little off.  It was a good excuse to skip the shopping afternoon - it's hard to keep saying no to beggars and peddlers.  The hotel staff was very helpful and she was feeling better by dinner.

Summer palace on lake in front of our hotel:

Staying in this lovely garden and nearby pool is SOO much better than being out there with elephants and other beasts that could step on us!