My dream vacation for many years...to visit India. I had read all about the palaces and the opulence of the Mughal Empire. During our stay, we spent time visiting the Palaces, forts and marveled at the extravagant way of life. The four of us have reflected on the experience and we most enjoyed our time interacting with the people, whether it was our guides or the people in the villages. It is a COMPLETELY different world. In the US, we do not know what it means to live off the land or to be poor like the people of India. The people we encountered were happy.
Our travels: Delhi-- Agra-- Ranthambore-- Jaipur-- Chhatra Sagar-- Udaipur
India often attracts generalizations and stereotyping...now that we've been there, we can share with you...No, it does not smell! We never smelled any B.O. until we met our 2nd to last guide. Lucky for us, he didn't smell as bad the next day. It didn't take long to forget focusing on the sing-song type of English that is spoken. I really did get used to seeing our driver slow down for the cow that was in the middle of the road. I never tired of the wonderful curries, paneer and Indian breads. From day 1 til we left there were only two things that still kind of jolted me: the honking horns and the beautiful saris. No matter what vehicle (motorcycle, car or truck) the driver is constantly honking! There is so much noise pollution. The horn is used to communicate "everything" about driving: I'm approaching, I'm passing, you're driving too slow, I'm passing you, etc.
The saris are beautiful! I realized while Camille and I were shopping in Delhi for kurtas (long tunic tops) that there is no such thing as muted colors in India. All the clothing is brightly colored, including the saris! The saris are most magnificent when seen on the women working out in the fields or walking down the road. The bright colors against the green fields or brown dirt roads.
Day 1-A VERY long journey, two flights and layover time
(24 hours, not including 11 hour time change)
Day 2-we arrived at our hotel in Delhi at 3 AM local time.
We had a few hours to sleep before meeting our guide for our 8:30 AM tour of Old Delhi. Old Delhi is a walled city within Delhi.
We were so excited that next morning that we felt surprisingly refreshed!
We drove a short distance to Old Delhi and got into our rickshaws. We drove through the streets in shock as we encountered all the people, cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, COWS and more people! India is the most populous country, right behind China. It was incredible. There are very few traffic laws. LOTS of honking ALL THE TIME. That is the way everyone lets everyone know that they are driving behind or beside them. Lots of fruit and vegetables being sold roadside.
Our first stop was to Jama Masjid- the great Mosque of Old Delhi. It is the largest mosque in India. It was built in 1644. This one is currently being used for prayer. Non-Muslim are not allowed during prayer time. We had to remove our shoes before entering and all women were given robes to wear. This was our first experience with the wonderful architecture of Shah Jahan.
Back on the street headed to the markets.
Chandni Chowk is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi.
The streets are separated by section of what is sold: spice market, fabric, jewelry, paper goods, etc.
Chandni Chowk is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi.
The streets are separated by section of what is sold: spice market, fabric, jewelry, paper goods, etc.
So many flower vendors through each city...many take flowers (lei) when going to a Hindu temple to worship. Hinduism is the primary religion of about 80% of India.
Our first stop was the spice market. Our guide gave us a wipe to cover our noses if aroma was too strong. It WAS! We were coughing and some sneezing. The aroma was incredible! It reminded me of being in my mother-in-law's kitchen when she was roasting chili for her salsa. The photo below shows a guy making/ selling chai underneath a counter. There were sacks full of turmeric, coriander, chili pepper....
Lots of red chili peppers
Dates...everyone super friendly, even when they didn't speak English.
Here we are after our spice purchases...India is crowded! The population is 18 million just in Delhi! That is why there are people everywhere!
At the end of our rickshaw tour, we were met by our guide that would accompany us the remainder of the day. A short drive from Old Delhi to Raj Ghat, site of Ghandi's cremation.
We continued on 45 minute drive South to visit Qu'tub Minar. A tower that is 75 meters tall. It has five distinct storys...The first three storys are made of red sandstone; the fourth and fifth storys are of marble and sandstone. I cannot imagine how the construction occurred back in 1193. The red sandstone resembles wood with all the intricate carvings.
We spent the next while shopping. Camille and I only packed a few things. We were told that especially in the smaller villages, modesty was an issue. Not that we dress immodestly but, it's best to cover our entire hip area. We decided that we'd purchase kurtas (tunic-style top) once in Delhi. We had fun trying on clothes- they were $5-12 each. Some we'd wear again once returning home.
We wanted to do some souvenir shopping also. We asked our guide to take us to more stores.
Of course, so many stores selling beautiful Persian rugs. It was a challenge for a few days converting rupees to dollars. We got used to getting out our phones to divide prices by 66. Ryan was our walking calculator later in the trip. I had to include this photo of our trip to the rug showroom. This particular store (photo below) cornered us in their showroom, asked if they could show us how the rugs were made. We were excited for the education. They seated us and offered tea. This was all nice until the sales pitch came on...four guys rolling out rugs to find one that we would love. It was hilarious because they kept showing rug after rug, even after we said we weren't interested in purchasing! I have to give them credit for being tenacious.
Dinner that night was so good. We did not tire of Indian food after two weeks. Below is what was commonly served at the end of a meal; a digestive/ mouth freshener. It is shaved coconut, rock sugar and fennel seeds. You scoop a small amount of each to eat. It was pretty good. Definitely lower calorie than dessert or After Eight mint.
The front of our hotel in Delhi...still decorated for Christmas with all the poinsettias.
Day 3- met guide at 5 am to leave for the train station. He hired a porter to carry our luggage. I cannot believe how they did it! Our train left the station at 6 am. It was a two hour ride to Agra. We met people from all over the world during our stay in India. We sat facing three ladies and chatted for a bit. Two were from Switzerland and the other travelling with family from Mexicali, MX. What a small world- that's where Jose was raised from birth to 8 years.
She was so excited to talk with him.
She was so excited to talk with him.
It was too early to check into our rooms so we left our luggage at front and headed out to the Red Fort. Besides the Taj Majal, this was what I was most excited to see. I have read novels of when Shah Jahan ruled the Mughal Empire. This fort was so opulently designed. Red sandstone on the outside walls and white marble on the inside. The white marble was painted in some areas, inlaid with precious stones in others and so many intricate carvings.
There is so much pollution and poor air quality in India- the Taj Majal can be seen from this balcony. From every angle there was another beautiful picture to be taken.
This woman was sweeping the grounds- using a short broom. Such a different world.
Back to our hotel, ITC Mughal for lunch and nap. Below is something new for us: papadum lentil cracker. It's served as an appetizer along with onions and chutney. We were served this many more times throughout our stay.
This is mine and Jose's room. Notice the divan by the window. We took a short nap then I spent some time reading there. It's unfortunate to have great rooms and not spend much time in them.
Met guide at 3:30 for Kachpura Heritage Walk. It's a small village near Mehtab Bagh. We had our first glimpse of the Taj Majal. It was great to learn about how the people (@ 150 people) in this small village lived, ate and worked.
These boys followed us and asked me to take their picture.
Kids jumped around and asked us to take their pictures- then they laughed when they saw themselves on our phones!
This is a traditional bed...still used today
These guys were sewing together the top portion of sneakers. The stack is what he's completed so far that day. The tops are then picked up and taken to a factory to be put together with cushioning and to add the sole.
The village had a program specifically for the girls. Training the girls and women of the village to sew. They sewed small bags that hotels use to hold laundry and other items. It teaches them a skill where they can make money while caring for children at home. We were welcomed by them placing a tilak on each of our foreheads. It's a powder made out of a red vermilion paste (turmeric & other stuff). It's a sign of blessing or greeting. Camille is posing with some of the girls.
We continued to walk around the village area learning about their way of life (farming, caring for animals, cooking, etc.). We said goodbye and headed to see the Taj Majal during sunset from across the river.
This family walked by us- we had to ask them to pose for a picture! So many brilliant-colored saris.
We headed back to the hotel @5:30 PM. The kids went to the room because they both weren't feeling well (Ryan had a cold and Camille, tonsillitis). Jose and I went across the street to a store to shop for scarves, saris and daggers. I found two beautiful scarves for Camille and I. I had to be measured so that the tailor could make the blouses for us. Thankfully, Camille and I are close in size. He trimmed the end of the scarf to make the blouse. They would be ready to pick up the next morning. There were hundreds of scarves to choose from; it was very difficult shopping. I wanted to take a picture of the tailor. The sales guy walked us out of the store and around to the side and down a small stairway to the tailor's workroom. It was a very small space where he had already begun to work on Camille's sari.
We were gone for 1 1/2 hours and found the kids both asleep upon our return. Any chance we had during our drives in the van or down time, we napped. The days were long and very full of great experiences. Just needed to get the kids healthy to better enjoy the days.
Day 4- Our guide met us at 6:15 AM to head to the Taj Majal. There already was a long line forming. Cows were everywhere. Cows are sacred animals and are free to wander anywhere. We waited for about 45 minutes until sunset and the gate opened. Men and women are separated in almost all lines. The women need to be searched or screened by women. There was a metal detector prior to entering the grounds.
Here is a mosque that was built next to the Taj Majal. Shah Jahan was a superior architect. Everything was symmetrical. He had another building that matched the mosque to be built on the other side of the Taj. It had the same design as the Taj, except it was red sandstone. It was built in 1630 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to enshrine the mortal remains of his beloved Queen Memtaz Mahal.
The intricate carvings in the marble and the inlaid precious stones look spectacular. It is definitely worthy of the 7 wonders of the world.
No photos were allowed to be taken inside. "Someone" in my family didn't listen and took a picture of the filigree marble. I'm glad they did because it's unbelievable! Imagine carving this and making an error- the entire piece of marble had to be discarded.
It was 9:30 AM when we returned to the hotel for breakfast. Afterwards, we stopped at the store to try on our blouses and saris. We wore a petticoat (thin muslin skirt) underneath the scarf. We also had to learn how to wrap the nine yards of fabric and make sure it stayed in place. The boys made good use of the time, shopping for daggers. Ryan found a beautifully engraved dagger with camel bone on the handle. Great Indian souvenirs.
Camille was not improving so our guide took us to a pharmacy to get antibiotics. So grateful to not need a prescription for Z-pack. We then said goodbye to our favorite guide, Sudin. He has been our favorite so far.
We started our drive to Ranthambore. Busy traffic turned into quiet countryside and back to traffic when driving through the small towns. It was two hours til our stop for lunch. Our driver didn't speak really good English. Fortunately, he understood when we needed to stop to use the washroom! The bathrooms are an interesting subject. There wasn't any surprise for the guys but, an entirely different story for Camille and I. Most restrooms did not have toilet paper (had to bring own) and lots of bathrooms did not have toilets! This was VERY surprising! There was a "toilet" on the ground. Basically plumbing for "squatting" on side of road. After several hours of driving I didn't care what the plumbing looked like.
Our lunch stop was at a hotel in the middle of nowhere. We walked into the dining area to find only one other table being used. Most all of the hotels used to be palacial homes and have been converted into hotels. I ordered the lime soda. The waiter brought my glass with an inch of yellowish-green syrup. He then poured club soda into the glass. Voila- lime soda!
Had to include some pictures of us in the van. Lots of time to sleep, read and listen to music with all the driving. Yes, Jose is sleeping on the floor. Seemed strange but, he was the only one without a sore back.
We drove by this guy...look closely- the back of his bike had a double-decker chicken cage!
As we left the loud, crowded cities we enjoyed the peaceful countryside. Still there were women working out in the fields, walking along the road carrying water or sticks, and others selling fruit.
Our driver got lost a couple times and kept pulling over to ask for directions and to make phone calls. I got a little worried as we were nearing the time frame we were told we should be arriving at our hotel. He got us there safe and sound and shortly after the scheduled arrival time. The last 40 minutes were on a narrow, bumpy dirt road that led up to Khem Villas. We were far from the crowded, busy city now. We were in the country. It was so quiet and peaceful. This property was so different than our previous hotels. The photo below is my and Jose's bedroom. The ceiling is draped with muslin to look like a tent. The exterior had a thatched roof. The rooms had no telephone, tv or wifi. Wifi was only available in the reading room. It was about 6 pm. We were tired and ready to eat, then head to our beds. Dinner wasn't served until 8 PM. You can imagine where the kids spent the next while!
Dinner was buffet style. I can't identify what I ate but, it was yummy! Most of the food was vegetarian. NO BEEF is allowed in India. Lots of chicken, goat (mutton), fish and lamb. It was funny to see Fish and Chips commonly being served. Makes sense when remembering India was under British rule for many years.
Day 5- Our first game drive. Jose and I woke early without an alarm @ 5:15 AM. It was crazy. Our "wake up" call was to be at 6 AM. With no phones, we were curious to see what this wake-up call would be! At 6 AM, a doorbell sounded in our room and a minute later the porter knocked on the door holding a tray with coffee and biscuits (cookies).
Goofy picture below but, I love it! I wanted to remember how peaceful it was that morning. Just me and Jose reading and enjoying the room early in the morning. The doors on the left was a closet. The latch and padlock was common in several of our hotels. So different from the keycards in the US.
We met our driver @ 7 AM to head out. We drove a short distance to the Ranthambore National Park entrance. Right inside the gate there was a traffic jam of jeeps. There was a tiger about 30 feet away sleeping in the tall grass. Once the other jeeps moved up, we could see through the grass. No figure of a tiger, only the stripes told us what we were seeing.
We continued on through beautiful trails of ruins of temples and lovely scenery. I was happy to capture photographs of the landscape as much as seeing all the animals.
It was really cold in the morning. Our hotel gave us each a wool blanket and a hot water bottle to keep warm. Luckily I brought extra scarves. It was so dusty during the drive.
We shared the jeep with a fun couple from Holland. It wasn't long before we sighted a second tiger. We parked, along with ten other jeeps for about 40 minutes to look at the tiger. It was incredible! Glad to have had a good zoom lens to see the detail of her stripes. We were about 50 yards away.
Our guide kept telling us how lucky we were to see the tigers. I thought he was just being nice and making the experience more exciting. As we continued our trip through India and spoke to people, we realized how lucky we really were!
Many people visit and go on multiple drives and never see a tiger- we saw TWO!
Many people visit and go on multiple drives and never see a tiger- we saw TWO!
Other animals we encounterd: spotted deer (our guid called it "tiger chocolate), sambar deer, languor (black-faced monkey), crocodile, blue bull antelope, spotted owl, parakeet and a sloth bear (another rare encounter).
Those are the crocodiles in the two photos below.
We had a great morning drive which lasted about 3 hours. We returned to Khem Villas for a quick breakfast. We had a yoga instructor meeting us at 11:30 AM. We had to do some yoga- afterall, yoga originated in India. Camille was still feeling sick so she retreated to the reading room for some wifi. Ryan joined us as a result of some strong persuasion. I'm sure he's glad that he did. It ended up being relaxing and also very funny! We were led to a beautiful patio area near the back of the property. I could have just sat there, it was so serene. We met with our instructor, Dr. Pradeep Mohan Sharma. He is a highly intelligent, educated man.
He shared a lot of yoga that neither Jose nor I were familiar with.
Dr. Sharma developed many of his own yoga exercises- some great and others quite odd.
I got the giggles several times when Dr. Sharma was instructing Jose and Ryan how to sit. He kept telling Jose and Ryan to relax. He would say "oh, you're in pain." Ryan and I were holding back from laughing out loud. It was a fun, relaxing class.
After the class we headed back out for the afternoon game drive. We drove to a different zone of the park. It was close to 45 minutes from our hotel. So much to see along the drive.
Guava fruit was sold along all the roads.
More animals...warmer afternoon but, still very dusty.
we were close to exiting the park when we came upon a sloth bear. So fun to see.
We heard about the Village Women Crafts in the village of Ranthambore. The director of the program was at our hotel the night before. He explained how the organization empowers low-caste village women by giving them employment. They make quilted pieces, scarfs, bags, etc.
80% of the money goes directly to the women. So many great pieces and low prices!
We got back to Villa after dark. We enjoyed dinner and then sat by the fire enjoying the music. It was New Year's Eve!
Day 6- We were booked for another early morning game drive. Because kids both not feeling 100% and because of our great luck on the previous day's drive, we skipped. It was nice to sleep and enjoy breakfast and explore the beautiful property. Below is the entrance to our room.
Breakfast...the blinds were closed to keep area a little warmer. The archways are open to the outside. They placed coal buckets all around the tables for warmth.
Here is our front patio out from our room.
We stopped back at the Village Women Crafts so we could meet some of the women and see them working. Below you can see we the road was blocked by all the goats. We got our of the van and walked down the street faster than our van could get us there.
We didn't know what to expect when arriving. The women were sitting together working on quilts and saris. None of them spoke English yet proceeded to keep asking us questions. We had to call our guide over to translate. They wanted to know how many kids I had, I then asked them. As they told how many kids they had, they would begin to laugh. They kept asking us why we didn't have henna. They wanted to do the designs for us. We had so much fun sitting with them that we decided to stay a little longer to get Mendhi (henna) designs. We were surprised at how quickly they were done! All the women had hennas. Most of them had small designs and had their fingertips stained with henna (as seen in the picture below). The henna dries after 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness). Afterwards, we rubbed it off to reveal an orangey color. The color deepened into a brown over the next 24 hours. They last 9-14 days. I loved watching them sew the beads onto the quilted fabric. I bought a table runner- great memory of this short visit.
We drove approximately 3 hours to Jaipur. It is known as the Pink City, thanks to the color of the buildings in the city. We checked into our hotel, Samode Haveli. Each of our hotels were so unique and so beautiful. We could have enjoyed our vacation just by staying put! We went down by the pool and had lunch on the divans. We felt so fancy. These hotels are so opulent. It was New Year's Day and the walkways were decorated with flowers.
We freshened up to leave for our cooking demonstration and dinner at The House of Dera Mandawa. We were met by Thakur Durga Singh and his daughter-in-law. He shared with us the history of his family. His father was a Freedom Fighter and very involved in the politics of India. This hotel was once his family home. It now has been converted into a hotel with nine suites. It was beautiful! We went out into the courtyard to enjoy their evening puppet show. This is a Rajasthani artistic tradition where song and story reflect traditional folk tales and ballads.
After the puppet show, we went into the original women's zenana (women's quarters) for the cooking demonstration. Mr Singh's daughter-in-law, Yuvragi spent the evening with us cooking, talking and sharing/ answering questions about their culture. We made Baingan Bharta (eggplant dish),
Masala Aloo (potato-cauliflower dish), Paneer (cheese), Chicken Masala, Roti (flatbread made with wholemeal flour) and Paratha (stuffed roti with ghee). It was so fun to cook and talk. I was impressed that Ryan helped prepare a dish also. I loved the interaction with Yuvragi, my family enjoyed the food! Yuvragi is from a more progressive generation of Indian women. She has a Master's degree in Engineering and met her husband through an arranged marriage. Her story is different than expected. They were "introduced" yet dated for four years while finishing college. Her husband is a pilot and they reside in _________.
After cooking, we sat and ate and continued to talk. We said goodbye at 10 PM to head back to hotel. She sent us home with some beautiful wooden serving spoons and recipes.
Masala Dabba- a traditional Indian spice box that is found in everyone's kitchen. It holds the 7 authentic Indian spices (salt, cumin, black mustard seed, turmeric, garam masala, coriander and red chili pepper).
Day 7- We drove to the Amber Fort (about 11 km from Jaipur). It once was the ancient capital of the Rajput Empire. It was built in 1592. It is a magnificent site to see, reflecting off the water. As we disembarked the van, there was a snake charmer. I had forgotten all about the chance of seeing one. It was really strange. The guy starting playing his instrument and removed the lid of his basket. The cobra came out, stood up with hood expanded and did not dance at all. It looked fake! The guy poked it a couple times to get it to move. It moved when poked but didn't want to dance.
Jose posed with the snake charmer at first. We were adventurous but nervous; that is, until our guide said the fangs were either removed, plugged with a material or the poison sack was removed.
Everyone wanted to pose with the snake...except me. I was satisfied just being the photographer.
The road leading up to the fort is not too long but is rather steep. Most everyone gets in long line for elephant ride up to the fort (we returned by way of jeep). We spent time admiring our Mehndi designs and trying to ignore all the men selling souvenirs. They are tenacious. We were told from day one to completely ignore the sales people and the beggars. There were tons!!! As soon as you say "no thank you" they keep bugging you, trying to offer a price you'll agree to. It worked to just ignore.
It was our turn to head up the hill. Jose and I were right behind the kids but arrived at least 15-20 minutes behind them! We were on the slowest elephant. The driver kept saying that our guide told him to give us a long, relaxing ride not the quick 10 minute ride! Oh really??!!!? Is that right?
The Kesar Kyari (saffron garden) is best viewed from the top of the hill.
It looks like it's floating on the lake.
This is two pieces of marble- the top and bottom connected together.
How difficult would that be to carve?!!
I love the Mirror Room in the Amber Fort. The entire ceiling/ walls are covered with inlaid tiles and small cut pieces of mirrors. All the arched doorways have low openings- this is to slow down any attackers of the Mughal Empire.
After leaving the Amber Fort, we went to discover Block Printing. Jaipur is a huge exporter of block printing. Below the man is printing onto a scarf. He initially prints (like an ink stamp) part of the design the goes back over with another stamp to fill in another color.
Weaving rugs...
cleaning...
trimming down to reveal the design more clearly...
then tying the binding and maybe adding a fringe...
We were led into their showroom....invited to sit and have cup of tea while they showed us their rugs. We learned from our first experience in a rug showroom. We said "no thanks" and got the heck out of there!
The Pink City...the Old City of Jaipur is surrounded by a city wall.
The City Palace and the Royal Observatory- built in the 17th Century by Jai Singh, a famous astronomer. Below is the 900-foot-high sundial. It was amazing to see how they built the structures to get the most accurate time, also date. We each posed by our astrological sign.
We were tired and wanted a short break. We went back to our hotel for lunch and nap (1 1/2 hours) then met our guide for walk through town. Below is one of the city gates into the old city.
The Pink City...
This is the courtyard and pool at our hotel.
Our first stop was to see where precious stones are cut. India is the largest exporter of cut stones.
Below is a box with lapis, malachite, sapphire, amethyst, turquoise, etc. rocks. They are cut down and placed onto the end of a wax "pencil". That is how they hold the rock to cut and add facets for the "sparkle".
Camille and I both found sapphire rings that were a fraction of the cost as a ring in the US.
The Hawa Mahal also known as the "Palace of Winds". This is along the edge of the City Palace. The ladies of the court used this to watch the daily goings on in the street below. The pink sandstone carvings are extremely intricate. It's very shallow, like a façade of a building. It consists of only balconies for the ladies to stand and see out from behind the screens.
We spent the next few hours wandering through the Old City of Jaipur.
Enjoying the energy on the streets.
So many fruits available...
Jose buying a few locks similar to ones we've seen everywhere (hotel room doors, closet doors, etc.)
All day long there is honking.
Here we are crossing the street to find henna shop. The guide grabbed my hand and wanted us all to hold hands. No one else held hands! It was so funny my family had to video me. You can hear Camille getting Jose's attention after a car came close to him while he was filming me.
We found a spot for henna. We sat on short buckets on the edge of the sidewalk. Everywhere in the city is close quarters. We had to carefully walk back to our van with wet henna, careful not to bump into anyone.
More great roti and curry for dinner.
Day 8- Here we are for another crazy experience. The kids posed in front of the hotel entrance.
You can only imagine who lived in this house centuries ago!
We were heading out to Elefantastic Camp, an elephant village. We spent time with two elephants, Lexmi and Chanchal. The elephant Camille and Jose cared for was rescued from a circus 3 1/2 weeks ago. We were nervous at first to touch the elephants. They are huge. It took some time to be comfortable touching, rubbing their trunk, ears and neck and feeding them the sugar cane. We spent about an hour with them. We learned the command "le, le" to get them to take the sugar can from us.
The boys enjoyed some of the sugar cane too.
Lucky they gave us an umbrella to take along for the ride because it got so hot in the sun. The umbrella was nice to keep us cooler. After the 45 minute ride we returned back to paint the elephants. We used naturally ground stones mixed with water. It wasn't as easy as we thought to get the paint to go onto the elephant's rough skin. The brushes were a stick.
We spent some time giving the elephant water. We filled up it's trunk then it sprayed the water into it's mouth. Listen to the sound of the elephant spraying water into her mouth.
We had an hour ride out to Samode Palace. We drove through small village after village. Then we finally arrived at this spectacular palace. We all were greeted by receiving a tilak on our foreheads. We arrived close to 3 PM for lunch. We ate then had a tour of the palace.
Waiting for our camel to arrive. Good thing there's some games on the phones- no wifi or internt'l data plan. We climbed onto the cart that was led by the camel and rode down from the palace through the city. Whenever we rode through the villages, the kids always saw our "Tourist" van and watched. Some were shy then waved others jumped around waving at us. This was the same as we rode the camel cart. It's so fun to see the happy kids.
Our driver was so good to get us snacks for the long drives.
Day 9- We left Jaipur at 10:30 AM and drove @ 4 1/2 hours to Chhatra Sagar. It was a nice reprieve to leave the action of the city and arrive at another serene space. This area is a desert. In the late nineteenth century, Thakur Chhatra Sagar, a powerful noble of the desert kingdom of Marwar (Jodhpur), decided to dam a seasonal stream flowing through his estate. His vision was to create a water reservoir which would harvest the monsoon rains. It was an ambitious project and a great drain on his resources but Thakur Chhatra Singh remained true to his vision.
The dam was completed in 1890 and changed the dry scrub into prime agricultural land. Farmers struggling for sustenance on parched lands were invited by Thakur Chhatra Singh to settle
around the reservoir. The reservoir was named Chhatra Sagar in his memory.
By early twentieth century Chhatra Sagar had developed into a lush green oasis. With its wide
open spaces and enchanting views, it became the entertainment venue of choice. To capture the outdoor “big sky” feel of the place, permanent construction was deliberately kept to a minimum.
A fresh luxury tented camp was created for each party. For many dignitaries visiting Nimaj, “Camp Chhatra Sagar” was the highlight. Legendary sporting parties with high tea and exotic dinners
became a regular feature.
The famed “Camp Chhatra Sagar” has been recreated by the great grand children of Thakur
Chhatra Singh.
The previous monsoon season in India brought very little water so, the reservoir is completely dry this winter. Not shocking to us as we have been experiencing a severe drought in California.
As we looked out from the tents, we could only imagine the reservoir filled with water. It was just as beautiful with dry land. While checking in we were greeted with a warm towel and some lemonade.
The dirt is smooth and compacted and decorated with white paint. They had mixed the dirt with camel dung and spread it by hand. The ground was then painted with beautiful designs. You will see in pictures from the village, the grounds around their homes are decorated in the same manner.
Here is the inside of my and Jose's tent. The shades open to reveal the beautiful sunrise and view of the reservoir. This camp/ resort is only open six months of the year- it gets too hot in the summer. We turned on space heaters in the evening. The shower was completely open. We were told the tents are designed to be taken down in the summer and everything stored within the bathrooms.
Our lunch...everything spicy. We loved it! There are eleven tents on the property. The dining area is also under a tent. At dinner, the waiters came by with each pot to scoop onto our plates while the owner described each dish being served.
View of the property from across the reservoir. We went on a hike to bird watch before dinner.
Dinnertime was our opportunity to dress up. Camille and I didn't have much difficulty tying our saris- we were worried. The boys also bought white kurtas and pants.
It was such a magical evening together!
It was such a magical evening together!
showing off our hennas.
Most dinners ended with the service of a warm bowl of water with a lemon slice.
Traditionally meals are eaten with fingers- no utensils.
Day 10- We woke early to the sounds of jackals crying- yes, we were camping! For breakfast we were served yogurt topped with cornflakes, pomegranates, bananas and honey. We also had eggs and toast. After breakfast, we left to explore the village of Chhatra Sagar. The owner of the resort accompanied us. His family all grew up here. Our first stop was to see the farm land. The farmers wear their turban based on their status. Red= working farmer, Pink, yellow or patterned= semi-retired, and white= retired. We asked if they wear the turbans at home. The answer was "no, they use them as their pillows." Like any farmland, they grow different things by season.
Winter time the fields here are full of anise, cumin and chili.
Winter time the fields here are full of anise, cumin and chili.
There was more excitement in the village than usual. Many people were visiting from surrounding communities as they were celebrating the marriage/ betrothal of 3 kids the following day. A man came up to share with our guide that his son is one of the grooms (he is 14 years old). As of 1955, the Hindu Marriage Act allows girls to not marry prior to age 18 and boys age 21.
We were told that sometimes younger kids are "betrothed" and have wedding ceremony prior to those ages for financial reasons. I can understand that; weddings are expensive! After the ceremony, the kids return to live with their families and do not "see" or "date" their "spouse" until moving in with man's family after their 18th birthday.
This particular celebration cost the village @ 2 million rupees, which is @ $29,850 (of that cost @400,000 rupees was spent on Opium alone). Drugs are not legal but, very much a part of wedding celebrations. It's like in the US, not legal but if you want it you know where to find it.
The men were sitting and smoking and talking. We thought they were smoking the opium. They showed us how they took it. It came in a large barrel. It's a dark brown sludge material. A small spoonful is mixed with water then one man pours some into his hand and offers it to another to drink.
The kids loved following us around. The resort brings tourists here daily so the kids get used to seeing foreigners. They shared how they were learning the English alphabet, they kept asking our names so they could learn them and played clapping game. They were so cute.
The women do not sit and drink the opium- they are hard at work in the kitchen! Reminds me of many of our homes during the holidays. These women are preparing lunch for the entire village today. They're expecting to feed @150 people. They've got potatoes, tomatoes and chilis. The large pan over the fire was sizzling with spices.
I couldn't get too close because the spice aroma was so powerful.
We visited the village potter's house. Notice the painting on the grounds. He showed us how he made the pots and his wife would paint them. He used a stick to wind up/ make the wheel spin super fast. Only then did he place the clay to begin making a pot. The potter's grand-daughter played with the scarf while we talked.
Lots of babies/ toddlers have kohl placed under their eyes to protect them from the evil eye.
Here is their local silversmith. He had several pieces of jewelry set out. They were all for sale, of course. I asked what the costs were. I was told he needed to weigh the piece; the cost depended
on how much silver was used and also the detail of the work. Ended up buying two bangles.
Back to the camp @ 1:30 PM for lunch and nap...
At 4:30 PM we joined the owner of the property to hike up the hill to watch the sunset. When we reached the top, this guy was standing there with drinks, real glasses and small snacks.
I said "oh my gosh, he climbed all that way with the drinks?" His response was, "No, there's a lift in the back." I was relieved because it was a long climb and only a small section with wood slats for stairs; the rest of the way was dirt. Later he said, yes, the guy climbed the same way as us. I couldn't believe the effort to make our experience so wonderful! We sat on the stone bench for quite a while talking about the differences in the cultures of India vs. the US (cell phones, marriages, driving, etc.).
Between guests tents and the dining tent there was a huge open patio. Each night there were three large campfires. The four of us sat by the fire tonight for almost an hour talking prior to dinner.
For dinner, we were served yellow curry lentils, tomato chutney, coriander chicken and rice served with two kinds of roti and side of raita (yogurt & veggies). It was all really good.
Back to our tents...here's a picture of kids in their tent. They joined us in our tent for a fun game of heads up then bed at 10 PM.
Day 11- leave Chhatra Sagar @ 9:30 AM for Udaipur.
We travelled about 4 hours then stopped at Ranakpur to see the White Marble Temples.
Construction began in the 15th century. Over 1,444 white marble pillars support the temple.
Again, no shoes to enter the temple. This temple is the largest Jain Temple.
Jainism is one of the oldest Indian religions.
Again, no shoes to enter the temple. This temple is the largest Jain Temple.
Jainism is one of the oldest Indian religions.
Greeted with a tilak again when arriving to our location for lunch. So fun to see the clothing up close. This was a quick stop for us. It was already close to 3 PM and we knew we still a drive til arriving in Udaipur. It is only about 50 miles but, on narrow roads through the hills. It took us about 1 hour 45 minutes to arrive in Udaipur.
The scenery for the drive was great. Lots of monkeys along the way and a Persian water wheel still in use by farmers to irrigate their fields.
Udaipur, known as the Venice of the East, is a very romantic city. There are several lakes against a backdrop of the Aravail hills. Our hotel was right on Lake Pichola and a full clear view of the City Palace. This hotel was the most extravagant place we'd seen on this trip. The photo below shows the landing where we will board a boat to take us out to the hotel. We had to send our luggage through security first (just like at the airport). They are serious here! City Palace is right behind us in the photo. As we disembarked the boat, we were greeted by a man holding a "royal umbrella". He waited for all four of us to stand beside him. He then walked us to the front door of the hotel while rose petals fell from the sky. We didn't know what was going on! Another woman came up to welcome us by applying the tilak. Jose took a video of another couple arriving the following day. They had to have walkie talkies to "cue the rose petals". We loved it!
We had a tour of the hotel- this is the first 5 star hotel we've ever seen or stayed in! They earned every star! Below is the courtyard out from two of their restaurants. Next is the pool. Too bad we weren't here to just hang around at the hotel!
Everywhere we went (to the lobby or to breakfast) we were greet by name.
We seemed to have the best room location at the hotel! Both our rooms were right off this little courtyard. When we came out of our rooms to leave for dinner, these candles were all setup.
Jose and I had a special dinner planned for the following evening; the kids were going to order room service. We thought we would be ordering from the restaurant menu but, were told the chef would meet us in the lobby to discuss the menu. We were thrilled to help plan the menu. Of course, we were basically just listening to his ideas for the menu (otherwise, we would be eating chicken curry!). The kids once again had wifi and were catching up on social media.
Afterwards, we walked out to the restaurant, Jharoka for dinner.
Our table at the restaurant was set in one of the minarets. Great view of the Lake from the windows.
We missed the Jacuzzi- it closed at 9 PM. We just headed back to our rooms to prepare for our last full day of fun! I got a few pictures of the kids' room. The window above the kids' divan opened. They could've jumped into the lake!
Day 12- We decided to have a quieter day today without our planned bike ride and hike. I was really motivated when planning this trip! I didn't give us a lot of down time except when riding in the van between cities. Below is the same courtyard that had all the candles (just from a different direction). Our room is the door on the right and the kids' room on the right. Breakfast here is a huge buffet of fruit, breads, meats, yogurt and eggs. They also have a hot menu that included many Indian specialties. I ordered something from the menu that we shared. It was a savory pancake with vegetables and masala curry on the side. The waiter brought us a fritter to try. The other plate had mint and chili chutney and raita (yogurt) for dipping.
There are flowers everywhere. Not stems in vases but, designs with such exquisite detail. This one was on either side of the front door. The kids sitting on the front patio while we waited for our boat to tour the City Palace (seen in the distance).
Below is our view from the City Palace to our hotel. City Palace, Udaipur is a complex palace in the Indian state Rajasthan. It was built over a period of nearly 400 years, beginning in 1559. Some of the palace has been converted to a museum and hotel. The royal family of Udaipur resides there today. They do not have any power, just royalty by name alone.
The front gate to the palace has studded doors. This is to keep elephants from ramming the doors open. The Ganesh is prominently displayed close to the entrance.
He is one of the best known and most worshipped deities in Hinduism.
He is one of the best known and most worshipped deities in Hinduism.
He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. All through India we have seen many buildings decorated with swastikas. This symbol means "life" and "all is well".
Unfortunately in our world, we all equate that symbol with the Nazis. Hitler has ruined that beautiful symbol for a lot of the world.
Unfortunately in our world, we all equate that symbol with the Nazis. Hitler has ruined that beautiful symbol for a lot of the world.
The Palace is filled with intricate mosaic tiles, stained glass and mirrored walls.
The peacock is the national bird of India. We saw so many while in Ranthambore and Chhatra Sagar. I could never get my camera out fast enough for a picture.
We exited the City Palace walls and walked through the streets of Udaipur. It was nice being there in the city, as it was 1/4 the size of Jaipur. Still seeing lots of cows, motorcycles and people.
Some graffiti...
Ryan shopping for sandals.
Many people come to the ghats (steps leading down to water) of Lake Pichola. They can be seen doing their laundry or bathing. These women were washing clothes. Later in the afternoon we walked by again and saw men bathing. For them it was very natural but, I felt like we shouldn't be walking by looking at them bathing; I felt like a "Peeping Tom". We did see men bathing just off the roads while traveling through India. They are never naked. They are seen bathing in underwear using a hose or a large bucket. Same here at the lake- men only in their underwear.
I don't know when the women bathed- we never saw them.
I don't know when the women bathed- we never saw them.
Back to our hotel @2 PM...some beautiful blossoms near the boat entrance.
Lunch at Amrit Sagar- a tea room at our hotel.
We laid back on the divan while we ate. True Indian-style.
We went back to our rooms to nap, read & use the wifi. It's been such a wonderfully, exhausting vacation! Sensory overload with all the sights, food and experiences.
A few pictures of us enjoying our rooms.
We met our guide at 5 PM for a boat ride around Lake Pichola and a stop on the Jagmandier Island. This is known to be a party island Because it has been a popular party venue from the time it was built and continues to be used for weddings and parties ; a very expensive party venue, for sure. We wandered around and posed for some pictures. Really soaking it all in- tomorrow we begin our journey home! It was wonderful to see our kids still having fun together. We've been together 24/7 on tours, in the van and in our rooms AND they are still enjoying each other. Warms my heart!
As we approached our hotel, we could see where Jose and I would be dining in an hour. Our first night's dinner, we were seated in the lower portion of the left minaret. Tonight we would be dining on the Mewar Terrace- the top floor with towers.
There was a show in the courtyard, right out from our rooms with singing and dancing.
After the show, we were escorted to the Mewar Terrace for our dinner. We asked the kids to join us so they could take our picture. As we walked through the doorway to the terrace I was in shock! This is what we saw: flower petals and candles leading our way to our table. There were waxed flowers holding votive candles. It truly was breathtaking! We felt like royalty; we couldn't believe this was set up ALL FOR US! It really took my breath away. We wandered very slowly over to the table and we could see a large flower decoration on either side of the table. The view of the lights reflecting on the lake...I have no more words that can accurately describe how wonderful everything looked. This was the most romantic dinner Jose and I have ever shared.
It got chilly later so our waiter brought us wool shawls to wear.
Papadum (lentil crackers) and vegetables
Appetizer: chicken stuffed with vegetables, stuffed shrimp and mushrooms with mint & chili chutney
Needed a hand-holding photo to accompany our romantic meal
Two soups: braised lamb broth and almond soup
Our main course served on a thali- rice, curried lamb and chicken, spinach w/ tomato, yellow lentils, paneer with tomatoes, roti and naan.
Dessert: cannot even remember what each was....
Day 13- We ate breakfast then met our driver and guide to head to Udaipur's airport. We had a flight that was leaving at 3:25 PM to Delhi. We said goodbye to our driver of the last eight days. Delhi has a lot of fog ( and smog) so on occasion flights are delayed; today was one of those days. No flights going in or out since early morning. People had been sitting in the airport since 9 AM that morning. I was a little worried that we'd not fly out that day. Fortunately we had a long wait in Delhi til our flight. We settled in to wait and see when flight was leaving. I ordered us Tikka Paneer/ Chicken wraps for lunch and we sat and read and people watched. Our flight was only delayed 2 1/2 hours. It was only a little over an hour flight. We arrived in Delhi at 8 PM. Our flight was not leaving til 3:15 AM. Our travel agent booked two rooms at the Holiday Inn by the airport for us to sleep/ relax instead of waiting all those hours at the airport. She said that is normal for travelers out of Delhi. Most international flights do not leave Delhi until midnight or later. We checked into our rooms then went back downstairs for dinner. It was not like the Holiday Inns in the US. It was pretty fancy. There was a huge buffet of Indian food and some other international foods. We ate then went up to our rooms. We set our alarms for 11:45 PM. This was the beginning of getting our internal clocks all messed up! Our guide and driver returned to pick us up at midnight. Check-in and security for international travel recommends you arrive three hours early. Our flight from Delhi to Amsterdam was 8 hours. Three hour layover...had Dutch breakfast of eggs, pan puffs and pastry then boarded plane for our flight home to San Francisco (11 hours).
Home Sweet Home....what an incredible experience!!!! I don't know how to respond to my friends when they ask what my favorite part was...ALL of it.
