Jaipur

The capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is a popular stop for those triangulting between Agra and Delhi. Known as the Pink City, it is bursting with people, eateries, shopping malls and, of course, rickshaws.

Emma was still recovering from her illness whilst in Jaipur and had to spend yet another day in bed suffering with a migrane. Therefore our story in Jaipur is a short one, but it is not without it's sweet bits.

On our first night we decided (much to Emma's delight) to use some left over Rupees to indulge oursleves. As listed in the Lonely Planet (otherwise known as The Gospel), we contacted Kerela Ayurveda Kendra and arranged an appoitment. We both booked in for a Full Body Massage, Emma also had a Facial whilst Shane chose to have an Allergy Relief Treatment.

It was Shane's first visit to a Spa and he was a little taken back by the paper thong which his massuse kindly helped him to put on. We both found it most ammusing how quickly one strips when an authoritive voice in an apron tells you to. Although not intensive, our massages were thorough (bum cheeks were included) and the warm oils used smelt wonderful. The Facial which Emma had was divine and consisted of a facial massage, exgoliating scrub and rejuvinating face mask. She distinctly remembers thinking 'We should do this more often.' Although Shane was not overly impressed by his second tratment, we both left feeling relaxed and pampered.

On our second day in Jaipur (the first being spent in bed with the affore mentioned migrane) we visited Jantar Mantar. Built by Jai Singh in 1728, Jantar Mantar is a collection of bizzare looking structures which make up an Observatory. From here Astonomers and Astrologists can observe stars, planets and constelations in order to make judgements, predictions and calculations. Each structure has a specific purpose, calculating eclipses being one, the most noted structure is a huge Sundial which remains accurate to the second and moves at approximatley 4M per Hour. We both really enjoyed visiting Jantar <amtar, it was refreshing to be somewhere other than a Palace or a Temple and we would certainly reccomend a look should you be in Jaipur.

In truth, we barley scraped the surface in Rajasthans capital - Our lost day would have been advantageous. The City Palace is supposed to be superb, but we are all Palace'd out at the minute. Our next stop is Agra, and you know what that means...The Taj Mahal!

Jodhpur

On recommendation from the Co-Owner of Dev Niwas we stayed with an Indian family whilst in Jodhpur. They were relatives of his and so he kindly arranged our stay in their family home.

On our first evening in Jodhpur we headed to the Clock Tower and its surrounding Bazaar. The market was fantastic, an exciting mix of colours, sounds and smells congregate in a bustling area packed with life. Jodhpur is known for its spices and one segment of the market is entirely dedicated to it. One of the shop keepers invited us in to sample some Saffron Tea and showed us his treasure trove of herbs and spices. It was every cooks dream, bursting with flavours that we simply wouldn't know what to do with. The shop keeper exports his stock to England and we left his place with a business card and a shopping list.

Although we managed to resist the spices, the array of bangles we (well, Emma) could not. Women in India wear bangles as a sign that they are married and therefore unavailable to other men. We found this interesting as one could understandably mistake the wearing of jewelry as a way to attract men rather than deter them. We managed to barter a woman down to a good price (so good that she glared at Shane in a way only a scorned woman can) and Emma now merrily jingle-jangles her way round in the comfort that everyone knows she is spoken for.

The following day we visited Mehrangarh which is a huge fort built by Maharajah Man Singh in 1806 following his victory over Jaipur and Bikaner. The Mehrangarh is a huge complex of forts and palaces which are a treat to ramble around. We took an Audio Tour which we would certainly recommend as it contextualised the Mehrangarh, really bringing it to life.

A part of the tour which struck a chord with us were the hand prints of Maharajah widows who had committed Saati. We had only just learned of Saati, it is the act, usually performed by women, of throwing oneself into the flames which cremate your loved and lost one. The idea being that you go with them into the next life. Seeing the hand prints made this unimaginable act feel real. Emma held her palm over the prints and tried to imagine how these women must have felt when they were made. A deep sadness seemed to seep out of the wall they were printed on.

We had a couple of hiccups at the Mehrangarh, none having anything to do with the complex itself. Firstly, we discovered that our Bank Card had gone missing - this is a long and boring story with little to do about India and therefore we shall skip it. Secondly, Emma was closely surrounded by a large group of Indian men (Shane was at the Ticket Office) who found something about her most amusing. The group was led by a man who approached Emma, said something whilst pointing at her at which point the group burst out laughing for what seemed like an eternity. As we have reported, attention is something that foreigners will get whilst visiting India. Mostly this attention is harmless and, at times it is plesant, but on occasion it has been quite upsetting. One has to remind themselves that this is not personal, you are something quite different to many of the locals, but when you would not act in such a way yourself it can be difficult to understand.

Our stay in Jodhpur was extended from two nights to six. In part due to our Bank Card saga, but mainly because Emma was ill. After two days in bed we decided to take her to the Hospital and the family that we were staying with kindly pointed us in the right direction. After a thorough examination and some tests it was found that she had contracted both a Urine Infection and an Intestinal Infection. She was prescribed with more pills that we have room to mention and enough Hydration sachets to water a Camel.

The Hospital was a world away from any we have visited before. Keeping in mind that this was recommended to us by a family of considerable fortune, it was by Western standards, quite alarming. One could not help but wonder what the lesser vacinities must be like. Being Hopitalised in India would be frightening for most travellers, seeing this acted as a stark reminder of how different India is to England and how fortunate we are to have the NHS.

The Indian family with whom we stayed could not have made us feel more at home, particularly whilst Emma was ill. We simply could not have felt more welcome. The mother of the family, or Mumma-Chappati as we have named her, fussed us like we were her own. She was a gentle lady with a big heart and an amazing array of Indian dishes under her cooking belt. She made Shane a delicious home cooked Thali every day and brought Emma rice and curd to ease her stomache.

The Father of the family, Bhupendra, was equally hospitable. He helped us in every way we needed him to and he even taught Shane how to tie a turban (this was like a Father teaching his Son how to knot a tie for the first time). Knowing our background in Videography, Bhupendra invited us to watch a family Wedding Video. Unfortunatly we did not get to see the ceramony (the video only showed the days in the run up to the wedding), but spending time with the family and learning a little about their traditions was lovely. Marriage celebrations in India often commence two weeks before the wedding itself, they involve lots of blessings, gift giving, dancing and family orientated fun. One particular part that we found most ammusing involved Mumma-Chappati dressed as a Groom (curly moustache and all) in a traditional mock ceromony. It's always the quiet ones that you have to watch!

Whilst staying with the family we spent quite a lot of time with Vindeshwari who was the elder of two sisters. She was an absolute angel. With a fantastic sense of humour, quick wit and playful nature, Vindeshwari certainly put her excellent Engliash abilities to good use (girl can talk). Vindeshwari has inherited her Mums big heart and she worked very hard to make us feel at home - Perhaps in part because she was procrastinating from her fastly approaching final exam.

On our last eveing at the house Mumma-Chappati cooked us a feast and Vindeshwari supplied us with copious amounts of cake. Sadly Bhupendra was away, but we did get to spend a little more time with Vatsala who is the youngest of the two sisters. Like many of us, Vatsala is somewhat obsessed with Robert Patterson (she has two postal addresses for him) and takes after the other women in her family with her kind and playful nature. That night we ate like Royals, giggles like schoolgirls (Shane included) and then left for Jaipur with fond memories and heavy hearts. The family surprised us with parting gifts, we now own two turbans and a table setting for our first home. As Vindeshwari kindly said, we have all formed a beautiful relationship on firm foundations. So heres to the future and a friendship surley built to last.

Bundi

Only in India can two Backpackers on a humble budget afford to stay somewhere so beautiful as The Dev Niwas Heritage Hotel. Once a Haveli, the building has been lovingly restored to its former glory, and whilst lavish, it retains the tasteful charm one would expect from such a place.

We stayed out of season and therefore were able to barter a room down to R500 per night. Although small, the room was perfectly formed, dripping with character, cosy as home and cleaner than most. We were invited by the owner to explore the rest of the hotel and we did so excitedly. Including Wedding Suites, Dev Niwas has many spectacular rooms situated around a beautiful courtyard. It has a wonderful terrace with amazing views over Bundi and is situated in a central location. The restaurant is excellent, both the service and the food are first rate. We felt most welcome and were looked after beyond all expectation. We were even entertained by the Manager who showcased his cheeky dance moves for us whilst we ate. The hotel is due to be reviewed in the next edition of the Lonely Planet Guide to India. Speaking from experience, we can certainly say that it is an affordable treat if you are planning to visit Bundi.

The main attraction in Bundi, and the principle reason why people visit, is to see Bundi Palace. It is a beautiful building which was left to rot before finally being leased to a private company. Some of the painted walls and ceilings have kept their vibrancy and this allows one to imagine the Palace in its former glory. There is a beautiful Garden which is well maintained and a room which is decorated with peacocks and depictions of Lord Krishna.

As you may already be aware, we love Chai Tea (in truth, being from the North, we just love Tea, but in India this happens to be of the Chai variety) and Bundi is home to the self proclaimed but popularly recognised 'Best Chai Seller in India.' Krishna has been running his Chai stall for years and in that time has collected letters, cards, paintings and photographs from customers around the world all raving about his Chai. On meeting Krishna you are quick to see why people hold him in such regard, he has a kind smile, warm laugh and a mischievous charm that few could resist. His Chai isn't bad either, in fact, its beautiful. Made with Cinnamon, Clove, Massala, Cardamon, Black Pepper and Ginger it is a wonderfully spicy blend that leaves you firmly refreshed. Understandably Krishna is very proud of his trade and swears that his heady mix of herbs and spices has holistic qualities which will help to heal bodies and soothe minds.

Krisha asked us to return that evening for a Lassi which he proclaimed would give us 'The Power of Shiva.' Apparently it is a drink he will only make once the sun has gone down. Obeyingly we returned and Krishna served us with a frothy Lassi designed to make us strong and help us sleep. Like his Chai, the Lassi was deliciously spicy. It was made with Buffalo Milk and therefore was extremely rich. What we did not know, but later found out from Dev Niwas, is that Krishna's Shiva Lassi contains an ingredient that is a derivative of Cannabis and is otherwise known as a Bhang Lassi. These Lassi's can be quite dangerous and tourists are advised to avoid them. Krishna's promise of good sleep suddenly felt less holistic. We had a long bus journey ahead of us and were initially a little worried about the effect the Lassi might have. Luckily we were fine and Krishna was quite correct, drained from all that power we slept until late afternoon the next day.

We decided to visit Bundi because it is one of the towns in Rajasthan which is off the travelers trail. Unlike neighbouring places it offers a lot without asking for much. It is not saturated by tourism but we expect that this will change. Bundi is certainly worth a look if you are planning to visit Rajasthan.

Udaipur

Udaipur is a City which has the relaxed feel of a town. It is far more tourist orientated than most places we have visited, comparable perhaps to Hampi, but this came as a welcome break for us. Quiet, clean, market-lined streets weave together in a way which makes Udapiur a great place to ramble around. A more recent claim to fame for Udaipur is being the setting for the James Bond movie, Octopussy. Thus many restaurants play the film every night at a set time for (some) enthusiastic tourists.

Our first excursion was to a local Museum called Bagore-Ki-Haveli which houses a rather ecliptic mix of artefact's, including the worlds largest turban. The building had only been part renovated and was charming for it, there was a central courtyard off of which many ram shackled rooms made for great exploring. Although the Museum is not worth a visit to Udaipur by itself, it is a lovely way to spend a few casual hours getting lost in local history.

After visiting the Museum Emma had her hand hennaed by a young lady in the Museum Ticket Office. She did both sides of the right hand for R150. The beautifully intricate design took her about 15 minutes to complete, she did so without stencils or props and the end result was lovely. Should you decide to have some Henna done whilst visiting India, you must leave it on your skin for about 2 hours (longer if possible), you can then gently brush it off. Do not use soap on your Henna for the first 24 hours after application. It should last for approximately 7 days.

The following day we visited the City Palace. A glorious and well-maintained complex, it sits at the top of a hill overlooking Udaipur and is Rajasthans largest Palace. We spent a few hours exploring the place, admiring its artwork and architecture, learning its history and fancying ourselves as part of the next Royal Family. From the Palace you can take a boat ride to Jagmandir Island which is home to another Palace (now a Hotel) that is said to have inspired some of the architectural design behind the Taj Mahal. The island is flanked by stone elephants cloaked in red robes and from it you can see impressive views of the City Palace. Where possible, visit City Palace and Jagmandir on the same day to avoid paying additional fees to reach the departure point which is housed in the Palace grounds.

It was Mewar Festival (Festival of Women) whilst we were in Udaipur and in the evening it really came to life. It was fantastic, women and children paraded the streets, families gathered at the large variety of street vendors, death-defying rides scared people silly and the evening rounded off with a glorious firework display. Indian people really know how to celebrate! For dinner we had a Rajasthan Thali at The Little Prince which is situated on the river. The Thali was divine, it consisted of Cooked Vegetables, Paneer Massala, Lentil Stew and Butter Chapattis. We drank Kingfisher from fantastically ugly mugs because the owner did not have a license (our beer being referred to as Cappuccino *with a wink*) and enjoyed a 90's soundtrack that included George Michael and The Backstreet Boys. 

Good Times.

Ahmedabad

Our stay in Ahmedabad coincided with Shane's birthday. during the day we decided to visit a local Art Gallery and Museum. We haven't seen much Indian art work whilst here and thought this an ideal opportunity to do so.

The Gallery was devoted to Miniature Paintings. Each piece of art was wonderfully intricate and colourful and most depicted scenes of Hindu legend. Although we could not fully understand each scenario (there was little to explain them), we were impressed by the originality of the works - their style being unlike any we had seen before.

The Museum was well presented and housed items which were familiar to us from previous excisions in India. Lines of excavated sculptures and carvings are spread over the space and showcase Hindu, Buddhist and Jain works. We both liked the intricacies of the Jain pieces in particular.

That evening, to continue our celebrations, we went to the As Agashiye Restaurant which is recommended by Lonely Planet. The menu changes on a daily basis dependant on what is available from the local market, the premise is always the same, a freshly cooked Gujarati Thali. The evening is marketed as an indulgent one, and although pleasant enough it was not quite what we had hoped for. A Thali can be quite a complex dish which varies dependant on the area you are in. Instead of explaining the Gujarati Thali as expected, the restaurant supplied us with a leaflet that we were not given an opportunity to read. The experience was quite rushed, overpriced and a little disappointing. To be honest, we have had much better Thali dishes from local eateries for a fraction of the cost.

If you are coming to India, you must sample a Thali. When done well, they are fabulous! A Thali consists of several small dishes served on a metal plate and is traditionally eaten using your right hand. It should consist of food native to the region but typical dishes include: rice, dhal, vegetables, roti, papad, curd and pickle. Many restaurants offer a vegetarian Thali and some include bottomless refills on all components of your meal. They are enjoyed by locals and are generally a tasty meal at a bargain price.

For our last day in Ahmedabad we took the short trip to Sabarmati Ashram which was Gandhi's headquarters during his fight for Indian Independence. There was a wealth of accessible information about this remarkable man and we strongly recommend spending some time browsing the Ashram's archives and galleries. There is an on site store in which you can purchase many Gandhi related articles. We left with a book called An Introduction to Gandhi for Children and Beginners - we all have to start somewhere!

Aurangabad (Ellora and Ajanta)

Slowly working our way north, we arrived in Aurangabad after a night tossing and turning on the train. The principal reason for being in Aurangabad is that it makes an excellendt base for visiting the world heritage sights of Ellora and Ajanta. Our three-night stay extended in to five due to some sickness. Our bodies are taking a real beating whilst here. Thankfully the hotel was comfortable enough for us to rest up in.

On the third day we woke first thing and made the one hour journey to Ellora. Ellora is home to thirty-four caves comprising of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain. The caves were chipped right out of the mountain in labour spanning five centuries. It is believe that their coexistence signals a time of relogious tolerance.

Cave 10

We started our tour at the Buddhist caves. There were twelve in total, most were simple but the more ambitious caves were impressive. By far our favourite, so much so it is our favorite sight in India so far, was cave number 10. It was the only Chaitya (temple) in the Buddhist group and is considered one of the finest in India. It's arched ceiling once held wooden panels where now there are only grooves. It had two side isles lined with pillars and a central nave where a gigantic Buddha sat. Although relitively simplistic in comparison to other temples, the Chaitya instantly drew us in and we sat in its cool, calm sanctuary for a while. One of the incredible aspects of the temple was its acoustics, sound reverberated in the most beautiful way. We tried to imagine how incredible sermons would have sounded. Once we left the temple, we tried to describe how it had made us feel. Words included; safe, calm, small (but in a good way) and humble. The temple was such an unexected treasure, it really impacted on us both and we feel honoured to have seen it.

For us, there is less to say with regards to the other caves. We enjoyed exploring them, they are magnificent achievments, but none grabbed us like the Buddhist temple. The Hidu caves are described as dramatic and exxciting in contrast to the calm, contemplation of the Buddhist.

The grandest of them all is called the Kailasa Temple. It is the worlds largest monolithic sculpture and it took 7,000 labourers over 150 years to complete. As the numbers would suggest, the Kailase is very impressive. It is both enormous and detailed, with a level of drama which is grandeous enought to hold its own anywhere. But ask us to describe its detail more closely and we cannot, ask us to describe how it felt to enter the temple and the mind goes blank. The Kailase although impressive, as were all of the temples at Ellora, for us was not a spiritual experence. For whatever reason we are not connecting with the Hindu religion on a spirital level. This is perhaps due to a lack of understanding, some confusion with regards to their Gods, or just that it is so far removed from what we have been brought up to believe.

The folloiwing day we visited Ajanta. The journey is a somewhat grueling 3 hours by bus. Ajanta is much older than Ellora, its caves date back to 2nd Century BC. The 30 caves which make up Ajanta are all Buddhist and so, given our experience the day before, we were really looking forward to seeing them.

Again the caves were beautiful, lining a horse-shoe shaped gorge and carved directly in to the rock face, Ajanta is really something to behold. However, and rather unfortunately, the large crouds of noisy sight-seers did ot allow for the quiet connections of the day before. The caves were impressive but we were not spellbound. During the visit we became a little confused about the principles of Buddhism. Many of the temples refered to various Gods and we saw lots of depictions, that reminded us of Hinduism.

We are looking forward to learning more about Indian religions and gaining a greater understanding of their principles, practices and people.

Hyderabad

As we've mentioned before, India's culture is remarkably different to that of the Western world. Although this is exactly why we came, and why most people visit, at times you find yourself in need of a breather. Feeling this, for our first night in Hyderabad we decided to head to the Banjara Hills area which is know for being quite cosmopolitan. It has to be said that Banjara Hills is not as glamourous as we had naively expected, but it is still a world away from the chaos we have become accustomed to.

Shane and Mr. Motivator

After a meal in a mediocre and somewhat overpriced restaurant we spotted a British pub. It was very mch a parody and quite over the top which we found most amusing. We both felt like extras in an Indian episode of Cheers. A chap sat next to us catching peanuts in his mouth seemed over the moon that he was sat next to a British couple in a British pub, authenticating his whole experience. Pitchers of beer were our drinks of choice and these went down easily. The dance floor opened and we were on it with the locals for the rest of the night. We got a work out trying to keep up with a pint sized man who was pulling out all the moves. If he brings out an exercise DVD we will be the first to buy. The night finished at 12 as per the local drinking laws. We thoroughliy enjoyed the whole experience and it was even worth our sore heads the following day.

Really Big Buddha

One of our aims in visiting India is to learn about the fascinating religion of Buddhism and the next day was to be our first experience of this. We visited one of the worlds largest free-standing Buddha statues situated in the middle of Hyderabad's Hussain Sagar Lake. The statue had an interesting start in life, having stood at the bottom of the lake for two years after the barge which was transporting it sank. It was raised again, cleaned up and now stands proudly on a man-made island.

To geth there, we boarded a small boat from the poplar 'Eat Street'. The statue itself was a marvel of craftmenship, standing tall and weighing a massive 358 tonnes. The ambience was somewhat dampened by the stench of the lake. In fact, the smell, which we can only assume was raw sewage, was near vomit inducing. Not quite the experience of enlightenment we had hoped for, but worth a look for those visiting Hyderabad.

Recently we had splashed out on meals that were disappointing and so we both still craved a little luxury. We decided it would be third time lucky for us and visited the Waterfont Restaurant on Hussain Sagar. Having gone from recommendation we can cheerfully say it delivered in all areas. The restaurant itself was a beautifully lit modern building, with a raised stage on which a live band played. The food was heavenly. Again on recommendation we opted for Thai food, which was beautiful,  and we certainly recommend the Spring Rolls. Excellent food combined with attentive service and a lovely location added up to money well spent.

The following day we visited Indias famous Ramoji Film Studios, which boasts the title of 'World's Largest Film Complex. Given our background in Media we felt it would be perfect for us. We boarded a local bus and took the 1 hour trip to the famous Film City. Once there, you eter through a grand archway and board a private bus which takes you through a mass of countryside. Finally you arrive at the prestigious, glamorous, world famous Ramoji Film City........... Theme Park! Our expectations were quashed. What we thought would be an insight in to the inner workings of Bollywood Cinema turned out to be a tourist attraction comparible to Cleethorpes Pleasure Island. However, we did find the place fun. Indian entertainment retains an innocence you may have seen in Britain 50 years ago.

Butch Cassidy and the Samosa Kid

The variety of shows on offer were short and sweet, they were very loud, a little cartoon like and didn't really go anywhere. We particularly enjoyed the Western Stunt Show. Nevertheless, the locals loved it and in the end so did we. Later we boarded a tour bus which took us around the complex, this was actually very interesting. The bus took us around the many film sets with fake houses, streets and railways. A highlight was the multipurpose hospital / airport terminal which also housed the internal structure of a plane. Overall it was an enjoyable day, but not quite what we had expected. Visit the Film City if you want a break from Temples and Museums but not it you want an in-depth look at Indian Cinema.

Charminar Street Market

On the final day in Hyderabad, before boadring the train to Aurangabad we visited the city's principle landmark, the Caharminar. This is a four-collumn structure which commemerated the founding of Hyderabad at the end of an epidemic caused by Golkonda's water shortage. It was an impressive building. But for us the real joy in visiting the Charminar is seeing the vast and colourful market which surround it. A matrix of tiny alleys are lined with every material in every colour with every pattern one would ever need. We did not buy anything because ready-made garments are limited. If you want to purchase such materials you can then take them to a Tailor. But if you want to do this in India you will need to allow a week for the garment to be made.

That's it for Hyderabad. Next we board the train to Aurangabad.