We had no trouble waking at 5am for our taxi to the airport and as usual we were a good 30mins earlier than we needed to be. The airport wasn’t even open until 6am! It took a while to get checked in and no one seemed to be in a hurry and we quickly realised why, our plane was going to be at least 3 hours late! Well there goes any chance of us meeting our connecting train. We moped around for an hour or so and eventually the airline allowed us into their lounge where they served us complimentary breakfast and we frantically set about messaging Tom who we were supposed to be meeting at the train station and trying to find alternative trains. We really had to get to Ranthambore National Park today as we were booked on a tiger safari first thing in the morning. After what seemed like an age of waiting around we finally bordered and had a pleasant flight complete with a chicken curry and Everest beer. Like seasoned pros we navigated our way to New Delhi train station and boarded a train bound for ranthambore. We had to fork out the big bucks for AC 3 class but it made for a relatively peaceful journey which was nice given the day we had had. We finally were reunited with Tom and hit the hay just before midnight so it was a quick nights sleep before our tiger safari.
We had both a morning and afternoon safaris booked to maximise our chances of seeing these stealthy cats. We piled into an old camogreen Tata bus which had had the roof cut off and chugged off along a bumpy old dirt road. Most of the national parks in India are old royal hunting reserves so not terribly big. Ranthambore is one such reserve and is reputedly one of the best places to see a tiger. Long story short we didn’t see one. Our morning safari was in zone 6 where apparently 5 tigers live including a mother and her two cubs which were spotted the day before. We did see plenty of small white spotted deer, some huge antelope which were about the size of a moose and the huge samba deer. The vegetation was fairly dry and open especially on the ridges and we stopped frequently to listen out for warning calls and look for any sing of these cats but had no luck. By 9:30am we had already left the park even though our permit was valid until 10:30 so we arrived back to our hotel in time for breakfast and feeling pretty disappointed with the whole adventure. The afternoon session was a little different as we headed off into zone 5 which is a huge zone with a couple of big watering holes and a bony old stream. In contrast to the mornings safari where it seemed like we were just stopping to kill time this one was an all out race. We screeched around the bumpy roads stopping only briefly at the watering hole for a photo of all the deer grazing both in and around the lake. A mother and cub had been seen in the morning by one vehicle so we speed over there but when they didn’t jump out on the road in front of us we hooned back again. Going on safari and not seeing the animals you hoped for is all part of the game but when the guides and drivers show little interest and put no effort into delivering a good product it leaves you feeling rather disappointed. We did have a very good feed at a tiny wee roadside stall outside the restaurant though.
Time to say goodbye to Tom again who was heading to Cambodia while we jumped on a train to Jaipur, the pink city. We had no problems finding a hotel close to the train station and bargaining a good price and since we still had an afternoon free we headed on an aimless walk towards the city centre. Once we hit the huge terracotta walls of the central city things became more lively and exciting. Covered bazaar were filled with every imaginable wares including lots of very brightly coloured sari and dress shops and bangle shops were everywhere, stacked to the ceilings in grotesque fake gold and jewels. Having got our bearings we found a great talhi for dinner. There seems to be a much greater variety of food in Rajasthan and the prices are noticeably cheaper than Delhi which we found hard to believe.
It was time for a mission, we jumped onto a local bus bound for the old city and had no worries finding our way to the Amber Fort which sits on a steep hill surrounded by huge walls that traip up over the adjoining hills. It’s a short walk up the Royal lane to the entrance and we horrified to see so many western tourists riding brightly painted elephants up to the top. The poor elephants looked so sad and must have wrecked backs from all the weight (it’s not uncommon for their backs to break from being ridden). The palace was more tasteful, with elaborately decorated entrances and courtyards, the royal assembly pagoda was decorated in thousands of gem stones and mirrors which reflected the light in crazy patterns. Like the other palaces we have visited it was easy to get lost inside all the tiny room and alcoves but we did manage to find our way to the rooftop which gave great views out onto the surrounding hills and palace lakes below. At the rare of the building we took the turnoff to the underground tunnels and secret passageway to the nearly impenetrable fort which sat prone right on the crest of the hill. This fort had a very successful foundry which cast huge cannons including the biggest every which was whopping! There were also hundreds of busy bees buzzing around building sets for what I can only imagine a very expensive Bollywood film. The temperatures were so pleasant for exploring and unlike last time we were India we could spend all morning on our feet without dying of dehydration. Back at the bottom of he hill we found a very nice samosa man and refilled on the greasy goodness of these treats and washed them down with hot ginger masala tea. In the afternoon we made the most of our composite ticket and saw the royal astronomical garden which had some ginormous monuments for measuring the time and celestial bodies one was accurate to 2 seconds. It was a long day on our feet but our path home took us past the famous Bollywood movie theatre so we stopped in a booked tickets for the following evening, apparently it’s a must do so we will endorse the experience.
We were rudely awoken before 6am and couldn’t get back to sleep so had a relaxing morning reading before bracing ourselves for another day on the mean streets. We took the local bus back into town and then climbed slowly up the twisting path to another royal fort. This one although built much more recently was no way near as impressive though it did have a nice open air feeling and good views back down over the huge expanse of smoggy Jaipur. Back down the hill we had a nice stuffed naan for lunch and killed some time at the Albert hall come city museum which was an impressive pigeon covered building. We ambled along to the theatre and had a pre game lassi before joining all the very dolled up locals and a few other whities in the reception. There were plenty of selfies being taken in the grand old building which must have sat a few hundred people. We had to stand for the national anthem before the movie and the movie was actually rather entertaining though very long and it didn’t matter that there were only random english words used every now and then. Plenty of people didn’t feel the same way and left while other talked non stop and phones rang frequently.
Jaipur was enjoyable one we got our bearings and became accustomed to its huge size but it was time to move on, Pushka was our next stop. We took a government bus there which was very comfortable and a pleasure to be back on smooth well built motorways after the shambles of Nepal. We had pre-booked accomodation and once again it proved a mission to find. The app maps me and booking.com just don’t have India sorted and they are terribly inaccurate. I think for the remaining few nights we will just find a place once we arrive, you get a better rate and don’t have to wander around searching for the place. AND you can leave again if they have been a bit optimistic with their description online (our hotel left a lot to be desired).
Pushkar is a small holy town full of mostly Indian pilgrims but a fair few western tourists too. In the middle of the town is a man made lake which is surrounded by ghats (steps to the water) used for bathing and religious ceremonies while perched high on a hill is a temple with a very dubious looking cable car. The town has a relaxed feel and the stall holders were not at all pushy which is a nice change though it may bargaining a bit difficult. We had a great thali for lunch after we had walked up to the hilltop temple which got the heart rate up and nose running as we both had developed a pesky cold. Luckily the fruit was super cheap and a dairy just around the corner so we ate plenty of fruit and yoghurt. Like every other building in Pushkar our accomodation did have a flat rooftop where all the locals young and old would fly there kites from. It was just like the book Kite Runner. The kites cost 2 rupees for a plastics one and 3 for the better paper ones and have very thin cotton strings with the idea that you fly your high and then attack and try and cut other kids kite lines if they come close. Nick tried to fly one but though the locals make it look easy they are actually pretty hard to fly as you have to jerk the string at just the right moment to get it to fly higher and then release the tension on the cord so it floats down a bit before repeating when the nose is pointing skyward again.
From Pushkar it was a bit of a long hall to Udaipur though the bus was very comfortable. At one stop just around lunchtime we had a smorgasbord of food shoved through the window for us to purchase which saw us right for the rest of the journey. We arrived on time for a change and set about finding a hotel which proved much harder than expected. All the hotels around the bus station were for Indians only (they need a tourist licence) so we lugged our packs down to the old town. Wow what a maze, all the little alleys twisted and turned for no apparent reason and went off in all sorts of strange angles. It took a good hour before we found a nice guesthouse up a small hill with a great view onto the huge royal palace. Dinner proved to be nearly as difficult as a hotel, Udaipur must be the only city in India where street food and small local restaurants are non existence.
Udaipur is apparently the place to get married for Indians and we saw and heard plenty. We were kept awake at night as the terrible music blared and huge fireworks were constantly let off and then woken well before sunrise as the parades started again. It was highly amusing watching two parades, full of hired dancers, MC’s and umbrella twirlers meet headon in a narrow alley and have to try and pass by each other.
We took a long walk around one of the lakes which was very nice by Indian standards before getting lost again in the narrow streets clogged with irritating motorbike horns looking for a bite to eat. It was 4pm by the time we made it back to our guesthouse and we wanted to catch the sunset over the lake so we put our feet up for an hour before setting out once again. Now for the day Nick had been dreading, shopping day! After 3 years of traveling in the same clothes they had become pretty tatty to say the least so we set out to find a tidy outfit or two for summer. Finding trousers that fitted Nick’s non existent arse and huge calves was a challenge as all the Indians have tiny wee chicken legs. It took some time and plenty of grumbling and haggling from Nick but we got him sorted and even managed to find a store selling woman’s fashion and not just saris. Shoes was easier and cell phones much cheaper so by the days end we had accomplished everything and can now look somewhat respectable when we return to society!
We packed up our now ladened packs and killed some time in the botanical gardens before boarding our last train, a 17 hour night train to Mumbai. We had one of the best and by far the cheapest thali from the train station café before getting a good nights sleep on the train. There was a serious lack of samosa sellers for a change and for the first time the train arrived on time. We navigated our way through some horrible ghettos to the old colonial heart of Mumbai where we found a very overpriced (but cheap for Mumbai) hotel and plonked ourselves down for the last time. Mumbai is a city of complete contrasts with some amazing old buildings and treelined streets next to some horrible seaside slums. We took a long walk along marine parade which is a nice long boulevard with good views across the bay to the central city high rises and had the newest street food craze hitting Mumbai, toasted sandwiches. And for 25 rupee they were damn good, not a single hint of masala spice or curry! Lucy has a friend working in advertising in Mumbai so we headed over there with all our stuff for a few drinks before our flight. It was great to hear a kiwi perspective of life in Mumbai and the corporate culture that goes with the upper classes. We were out of drinking practise and we kinda made it to 2am when we took a tuk tuk to the airport. And just like that our travels were over, done!
The 3 flights we took to get home were all very easy and Nick was even pretty relaxed at the airports (must have been the rums) though we had bugger all sleep not that we needed any. The excitement of seeing friends and family and bright blue skies kept us wide awake and fizzing.
The last three years have been amazing, as you can imagine. We didn’t count the countries whilst on the road and have only just figured out that we visited 49 countries with some 37 flights! It has been a blast. We have met some lifetime friends along the way who we hope will come on down to Middle Earth for a visit. Thank you to everyone who has offered us a ride, a place to sleep, a good yarn, solid advice (that we probably didn’t follow) or shared a beer with us and put up listening to all our travel stories. It’s now our turn to host people and we can only hope we can give back as much as what we’ve received. If you’re lucky there might be the odd blog post now and then.
What are we doing next you may be asking yourself? Well we are moving back to our University stomping ground in Dunedin! Nick’s going back to school to become a teacher doing a one year masters course. Lucy has the frightful thought of going back into work looking at any sort of management job she can find. We are both excited at turning over the page and starting a new chapter. For sure there will be more adventures in the future, in NZ and overseas. But maybe it won’t take us 3 years to complete this time around…
Adios amigos, thanks for following and all your support and patience! And I'll leave you with our favourite kiwi video ever!
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