Well well well- it's been a week and a half or so since I last wrote and Dan and I have now been in India about 2.5 weeks. With all we have experienced in this short time it feels like we've been here forever, yet at the same time its speeding by in a blur. We last left off as we were saying our farewells to Pushkar. Since then we have traversed through most of Rajasthan- visiting the small, working man's town of Bundi, the lake city and palaces of Udaipur, and the desert sandcastles of Jaisalmer. We rest now in the bustling Blue City of Jodhpur, our last Rajasthani stop before we leave for other Indian states.
After loving the quaint, spiritual vibes of Pushkar, (above), we decided a stop in Bundi would further our small town luck. Although the town was empty- we have come right before tourist season and its yet too hot for most - we could still feel the magic and authenticity of Bundi's narrow streets, colorful murals and peaceful mentality. An abandoned hillside fort and palace provided a morning of exploration, hiking and red faced monkey patrol, and we refreshed with the most delicious lassi afterwards: a yogurt smoothie with vanilla, saffron, cardamom, pistachio and raisins. (Bundi palace below).
It was all smooth sailing until a final meal the night before we left. Finally our game of Indian food Russian roulette ended with a bang. Delhi belly. With a full day of travel ahead and two train rides in the hot sun to reach Udaipur in front of us, we saddled up and headed toward the train station. I'm convinced these kind days hit every traveller here... The days where mother India tests you - where she gives you a little taste of the suffering that many Indians, I presume, feel regularly. The morning train was fine... but hungry, ill and not prepared, we landed ourselves on a 3 hr locals train into Udaipur. Oh how I would kill for a pic of Dan and I staring out those open, grated windows- our little red, sweaty faces silently wondering if coming here was actually the worst.idea.ever. Alas we survived to tell the tale, and laugh- and collapsed onto our fresh bed in our beautiful room looking out on a sunset over the big lake in Udaipur. Yet another day in the land of extremes- this country elicits every emotion- happiness, sorrow, frustration, awe, love and rage. She has it all, ole India- and she doesn't apologize for it. Never have I been somewhere so authentically it's own, and with its own set of rules. Our camel safari man said : "you tell Indian not to throw the rock, they throw the rock." I suppose that sums it up.. Kind of. But truly there are no words to describe it and its hard to even make sense of what you are feeling within each moment. The sheer array of things coming at you at once makes it hard to decipher if you love it, hate it, can't get enough of it.. I've determined one just has to ride the waves. And that day on the train, as down trodden and mad at India as we were, we knew the storm would pass.
Needless to to say the waters have been pretty calm since Bundi. Udaipur was by far the most pristine city we have visited, with beautiful architecture, abundant green foliage and a general lightness to it that refreshed our spirits.
Sunset in Udaipur from our room and Dan in our room after a long day of travel!
We took an evening sunset boat ride around the lake, sat on the roof of our haveli taking in the views with beers in hand, and did some serious shopping. I've been on a quest for vintage art prints of gods and goddesses and we happened into a little antique store one afternoon that was the gold at the end of the rainbow. A quick walk and we were now exploring rooms and rooms of Indian antiques at this man's house, and sorting through 1000s of prints. One of my favorite india moments thus so far. Four hours and a huge monsoonal rain storm later, and a box was on its ways to the states! I settled on a large 1950s print of Krishna and cow, embossed in gold and vintage glitter- to always remind me of the straying cows that wander the streets here, and the blessings of flute playing Krishna. So excited.
Our last night there, we journeyed by motorcycle with a man ( yes 3 adults on one) to Shashi's house for a 4-hr cooking lesson. We made three types of breads (naan and paratha), cilantro and mango chutneys, veggie and cheese pokhara; learned how to make paneers, curries, Indian style rice- you name it. Lingerings of our illness made for a bit of a comical scene when it came time to eat- but we tried to savor it and brought a little home for the buck-toothed hotel dog. Rest assured- these delights will be coming to a table near you this holiday season!
It was hard to leave Udaipur- our little German breakfast spot, our sweet rickshaw guy Shaheed, and the almost European feeling of the town, but sand castles in Jaisalmer called! Off to the far western deserts of India we went- by bus- overnight. Picture you are in a coffin, in the bed of a truck, on a dirt, pot holey road for 12 hrs. This was our ride- but nothing a little Dramamine cant help (an ole j.lo trick)! All the sudden we were there! Now.. Picture a sand castle city you make on the beach... now picture it life size! This is Jaisalmer. Everything, and I mean everything, is made of this golden sandstone- and in the middle is a fort with spires and a palace.
Surreal, unique and HOT! Wow. Temps right now average 102- 106.. But I recommend visiting in June when it's 125! No prob. Anyways- Dan and I spent one day exploring the fort and the next day in the desert and sand dunes. We also rode a camel. It's kind of a must to do this here, so much that they have a camel festival every year- but the animal lover in me of course felt sad. Those sweet faces and long eyelashes- I dreamt of sneaking out in the night and cutting them all free!!! Anyways- it was a ride- bouncy and not quite comfortable but another notch in the old belt. Our sunset dinner out in the dunes afterwards was the special part. Not only did a brilliant full sun sunset take shape before our eyes, we also had a full moon to the other side lighting up the sands. The silence surrounding us was the first we have had in two weeks, and the crisp air of the cooling desert sand felt glorious.
Our guide, Devi, has been leading desert trips since he was 14. He has spent countless nights under the stars there showing foreigners his land. Not a bad gig, I would think. And he was so sincere. We have longed for more genuine interactions with the Indians (most view us as $$ signs), and it was refreshing to connect, hear his story and get a small window into life in India.
We are now at our last stop in Raj, jodhpur, and have found a lovely little oasis outside the city that feels like staying in a botanical garden. Flowers, trees, butterflies- we know now that its worth it to pay slightly more for the peaceful, relaxing guest house. Touristy places in india are not a bad thing, and roughing it here- is truly roughin it. The serenity of a nice place keeps us sane.
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