The Colors of Rajasthan-Day 14 & 15 (Overnight train back to Delhi)

Monday & Tuesday January 27-28 —Day 14 & 15 (Overnight train back to Delhi)

Today was the last full day of our trip. I went out to breakfast with the group and had a delicious pineapple lassi (with fresh pineapple) and a Nutella banana pancake. The pancake was rolled around a warm banana then drizzled with Nutella. Not a bad way to start the day!

After doing some last minute shopping and browsing through the markets, we headed back to the hotel, played some cards and relaxed in the sun.

The night before, our tour guide surprised us and told us that we’d be going to an Indian wedding reception on our last night here! So after packing up the last of our bags (and I swear, my bags gained at least 10 pounds on the trip!), we hopped in our mini-bus and headed for the reception. As awkward as it was to be the white foreigners coming into a person’s wedding reception, it was a great way to end our trip. As soon as we walked in, we were surrounded with food. A popcorn machine on one table, a cotton candy machine on another….waiters coming around with tomato soup. And the women in their beautiful saris and salwar kameezes were another sight to be seen! Beautiful pink and gold saris, high high heels, and all the gold jewelry you could imagine! If I have a few million dollars lying around when I get married, I definitely choose to do an Indian one!

After saying goodbye to one of the Australian couples on our trip, who were going to do some more traveling around before heading home, we headed to the train station and prepared ourselves for a long overnight train experience back to New Delhi.

We ended up getting seats/beds in a 3-tiered, overnight train. Not the most comfortable sleep I’ve had, trying to scrounge up to the top tier but managed to sleep a few hours. When we got back to Delhi, I took a nice hot shower in the hotel, had some breakfast then said my goodbyes to the group. Since I had accumulated so many gifts and bags on my trip, I decided to take a car back to my flat. I thought I would have an easy car ride back, but I’m in New Delhi after all! The driver had me stop at two shops, not for a commission but apparently for petrol (gas) coupons. I was too tired to care or to argue with him at that point, so I just went along with it. By the time I got home, I tried watching a movie, but only got 30 minutes into it before I fell asleep for the next 8 hours!

This trip was exhausting but one of the best trips I’ve had. Travel always makes for a bonding experience and this was no exception. As a solo traveler, I could’ve gotten stuck with some not so nice people on my trip, but I lucked out and was able to share my two week trip around Rajasthan with some remarkable people. We all had gotten close over the past two weeks and it was sad to see everyone go. I’m going to miss them!

Hearing about everyone’s experiences and stories has really made me think about life, but in particular, my bucket list. Being surrounded with world travelers certainly helps when you’re trying to plan your next trip! As for my next trip, I’m thinking a trip around Europe for a few weeks :)

The Colors of Rajasthan-Pushkar (Day 13)

Sunday January 26—Day 13 (Pushkar)

We left super early this morning in order to catch a train to Ajmer. We had had a great time in Udaipur and were sorry to see the town go, which made for a long 6 hour train ride. After arriving in Ajmer, we then had a 30-minute drive to Pushkar.

Pushkar is a very holy place in India and is famous for their camel festival, which happens in November. Since it’s very holy, there’s no alcohol, meat or eggs available in the town. The town surrounds itself around a holy lake, where it was said that Brahma (a Hindu god) dropped a lotus flower. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims (and lots and lots of Western hippies!) come to Pushkar each year to visit this holy lake and many of the temples in the area. When we were walking around the town, we saw so many hippies dressed in tie-dye and donning long dreadlocks.

Some colored powder they were selling

This was our last stop on our trip so we decided to make the most of our last few days of vacation and wandered up to the rooftop of a café and had a delicious breakfast. The lassis were the freshest I ever had! And you can’t even imagine all the kinds of lassies they had…..chocolate coconut, mango, pomegranate…and they were all so good! 

The view from the rooftop cafe 

After sitting in the sun for a few hours on the rooftop, we decided to do what any person would do after a big meal….go shopping!

Then in the afternoon, we took a camel ride out to the sand dunes and then around the town. I’ve never ridden a camel before but it sure was an experience! The camels were beautiful though. Decked out in fabrics and tattoos that were painted on the camels from the festival in November, they were truly a sight to be seen!

The colors of Rajasthan--Fort Madhogarh (Day 4)

Friday January 17—Day 4 (Fort Madhogarh)

This morning we checked out of our hotel room and left Agra on a local Greyhound kind of bus. We had a 5 hour bus ride ahead of us to Fort Madhogarh, a village in Rajasthan. The bus ride was freezing cold, with the door and windows having air openings—and man was the bus driver horn happy! Indians use their horns how Westerners would use their indicator/turn signals. They even have a Morse Code kind of language (with long and short horns) to indicate if they’re passing on the left or turning or whatever else.

I’ve found that some cultures are more visual while others are more auditory. While India is an explosion of sights, smells and sounds—it’s rare to find peace and quiet with no honking sounds or loud firecracker sounds in the background in India.

When we got to the fort, we were welcomed with a necklace of flowers and ushered into an outdoor kind of living room. 

The fort itself and all the rooms in it were gorgeous, although I soon realized that this would be the perfect place to sleep and be in in the summer, not the winter. When I ventured upstairs to my room, I saw that the windows were in the shape of portholes, with no glass enclosure, only a screen….which in the end, made for a very cold night.

After getting settled in the fort, we ventured out into the village and took a walk around. Since a kite festival had just been a few days ago, we saw so many colorful kites stuck in the trees and even some people still flying them in the sky. On the day of the actual kite festival, apparently there were so many kites up in the sky that you could barely see the sky itself. Pretty cool!

The artsy part of me just loves these doors!

They all just wanted to greet us!

So cute!

Stairway to heaven?

The fort itself was up high on a hill so we had some pretty spectacular views when we were making our way down the hill for our walk into the village. Despite the cold weather, it was still a great day!

To Rajasthan I Go!

On this trip to India, I knew I wanted to see more of north India since I had seen a lot of south India back in 2008. Even in 2008 when I was living in Mumbai, I knew I wanted to visit Rajasthan some day. It's a region in northern India that is known for their gorgeous colored buildings (think pinks, blues and yellows) and their mirrored embroidery. The fabrics and handicrafts that come from this region are known around the world. They're just gorgeous!

Once I started to research places to go in Rajasthan and how easy or not so easy it was for a white woman to travel alone, I began to have some fears about traveling alone. The culture and "social climate" is a lot different in the north compared to the south. In order for me to actually enjoy myself on the holiday, I knew I would have to book an organized tour. I'm not always one to want to book a tour through a company but with northern India, I knew it was safer and less of a hassle to do it this way. The beauty with booking through Intrepid Tours is that each tour is 12 people or less, which allows you to still travel with others but also not travel with 3 tour busses. 

Once I shelled out my credit card, I got so happy that I was actually going to Rajasthan! It'll be an amazing 15 day adventure for sure. And with the majority of my Master's degree work out of the way by end of January, I'll actually be able to enjoy myself!

For all you out there that are wondering what I'll be doing around Rajasthan, here's a snapshot of my trip:

Days 1-2 Delhi

Chaotic Delhi is awash with historical sites, museums and markets. Visit the wonderful walled city of Old Delhi and see one of its most impressive buildings, the Jama Masjid. Join the crowds to explore the bazaars; everything is for sale here from fireworks and silks to copper and spices.

Day 3 Agra

Travel by train to the Mughal city of Agra. Learn the tragic love stories and mysterious legends of the Red Fort. Visit the iconic Taj Mahal - constructed from marble and inlaid with jade, crystal and sapphire, it must be seen to be believed.

Day 4 Rural Heritage Stay

Journey to rural Rajasthan to stay at a royal family residence. Explore the village, meet villagers and chat with traditional craftspeople for a unique insight into local life.

Days 5-6 Jaipur

Visit the Amber Fort en route to Jaipur, Rajasthan's 'Pink City'. Jaipur is bursting at the seams with markets filled with jewellery, textiles and folk-based arts. After bargaining for souvenirs, there's an opportunity to laugh, shout and cheer with locals at a lively Bollywood film.

Day 7 Ranthambhore National Park

Safari into the heart of the Indian bush to discover lakes and ruined palaces. Keep an eye out for deer, monkeys and reclusive Bengal tigers.

Day 8 Bundi

Journey through rural Rajasthan to Bundi. Admire stunning murals at the palace that presides over the town's Brahmin- blue rooftops, explore the enchanting alleyways and experience life in remote Rajasthan.

Days 9-10 Rural Heritage Stay

Journey through rural Rajasthan to the quaint city of Bassi. Spend the first night in a beautiful fortified mansion then spend the second night in a deluxe tent camping under the stars.

Days 11-12 Udaipur

Rolling hills, white marble palaces and lakes come together to make Udaipur the most romantic city in Rajasthan. Visit City Palace, one of the largest royal palaces in India.

Days 13-14 Pushkar

With India's only Brahma temple and a holy lake, Pushkar is the place to rub shoulders with pilgrims and sadhus (holy men). For a change of pace, take a camel ride into the desert and witness a magical sunset among the dunes. In free time, shop, explore or head to a hilltop temple for views over the town. A hot chai at the top makes the effort worthwhile!

Day 15 Delhi

Come full circle on return to the hum of Delhi.