We have been slack with our blog posts. We are now in the Tanzanian town of Moshi, having flown here (via Cairo) from Mumbai just over a week ago. We plan to stay here for about a month, volunteering with kids during the week and going on safaris—meaning trip in Swahili—on weekends.
Future posts give more details on Tanzania while this post tells of our final few weeks in India—which were action-packed. We rode camels, explored forts, and walked streets in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Mt Abu, and stopped off in Ahmadabad before acting in Mumbai.
Camels safari in Jaisalmer
Eli here.
Jaisalmer is impressive. A golden fort, stone walls, merchant-commissioned havelis, and tourists—all surrounded by the Thar Desert and hundreds of wind turbines stretching all the way to the Pakistani border. We stayed five nights, four in the city and one in the desert.
Our first stop was the Jaisalmer Fort—our favourite so far. Built in 1156, its crumbling walls and bastions stand atop a hill, high above Jaisalmer city. People still live inside manning hotels, restaurants and sari stores. There are several Jain and Hindu temples, a Maharaja palace museum, a post shop, and numerous auto-rickshaw drivers. We spent several hours wandering the fort’s stone-paved alleyways; spying cannons on corners, and the Jaisalmer standard high above.
The palace itself is well restored and maintained. The carvings were spectacular and the paintings and mirror work stunning. Overcoming our aversion to audio guides, we greatly enjoyed donning the headphones and hearing the history of the place.
Rain is not common in Jaisalmer. But it was when we where there. One particular downpour while we were in the fort led to a flash flood. Foot-high waters raced down the fort’s steep entry ramp as bystanders sought shelter among alcoves. Exciting as this was, it was not our only adventure...
Camels are unique beasts. Hairy with attitude. Lanky with a rhythmic, lurching walk. Why would anyone want to ride them? And into the desert no less? Well that’s what we did on a two day safari. And we loved it!
Heading west, we rode into the sandy scrub that is the Thar Desert. Passing goat herds, foxes, and vegetable plantations, we arrived at our campsite set against a collection of Sahara-like sand dunes. Our guides made meals of Marsala chai, chapatti and curry as the camels swatted flies. And our camels carried us with limited complaint.
We slept on the dunes. A sunset, a sunrise, stars, and a spectacular lightning show kept us entertained. While rain and accompanying winds kept us busy holding the makeshift tent together. But we slept well. Well I did at least, Claire not so much.
Before returning to Jaisalmer, we stopped at the small village of Kuldhara. Now abandoned, villagers left in the 1600s after then Prime Minister Salim Singh pushed for higher taxes. Some houses have been restored for Bollywood film sets.
Our next stop was Jodhpur—a seven hour bus ride away.
Forts in Jodhpur
Jodhpur is dominated by its huge fort and blue buildings. Its streets bustle with traders selling fresh vegetables, hot chai, and cell phones. Cows slow traffic and leave mess. And children ask for money and pens. We stayed three days in the city taking in the major sites.
Set high above Jodhpur on a rocky ridge, Mehrangarth Fort is enchanting and popular. Its large gates and 36m high wall guards a collection of palaces and courtyards. A large collection of relics, including weapons and armour, adorn many rooms. And comfortable interiors show off the Maharaja’s extravagance. The fort also houses an important Hindu temple.
Our other major site was Jaswant Thada—a peaceful white marble memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. Built in 1899, the memorial has views of the city and intricate lattices. Many Indian tourists visit the site.
There are other minor sites in Jodhpur, but we gave these a miss. Instead, we spent the rest of our time wandering the streets. One of our favourite stops was the Shri Mishrilal Hotel—a popular hole-in-the-wall shop selling creamy makhania lassis: a yoghurt drink laced with saffron, cardamom and cashew nuts.
From Jodhpur, we bussed further south to Udaipur.
Romance in Udaipur
Claire here.
Supposedly India’s most romantic spot, Udaipur is popular with Indian tourists. There are lakes to walk around and palaces to explore.
The Lake Palace hotel; one of India’s most expensive hotels (we didn’t stay there) and famous for its starring role in the James Bond movie Octopussy dominates the lake around which the city sits. Once again the city consisted of winding narrow streets bustling with activity and loud noisy colourful temples.
We explored the surrounding area on foot and bikes visiting gardens left over from the maharajas rein and a neighbouring lake overflowing with water for the first time in many years—much to the joy and marvel of the locals.
Eli’s top choice of sights in Udaipur was the Maharaja’s collection of classic cars including...(I’ll let him tell you)...a 1938 Cadillac with modifications, a 1956 Mercedes Benz 180D and the 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II used in Octopussy.
My top choice was an Indian cooking class. Run by the lovely Sashi—a woman who has overcome many odds. We learnt a huge variety of Indian dishes and then proceeded to stuff ourselves silly eating the results.
Walking in Mt Abu
Our last stop in Rajasthan was Mt Abu where we headed to escape the heat. At an elevation of 1200m, Mt Abu is the only hill station in the state and thus is a magnet for Indian weekenders and honeymooners. Knowing we were nearing the end of our trip we used the opportunity to eat as much Indian food as possible and visit just one last temple complex.
The Dilwara temples are Jain temples on which building began in 1031. For some reason the carvers who completed the decorative work on the temples were paid by the size of the pile of dust they created resulting in some of the most intricately carved stone work you will see anywhere in the world.
Being so high, Mt Abu has some impressive viewpoints. Most importantly, its sunset points—of which there are a few. The only downside is that every other tourist—western and Indian alike—find these sunsets equally appealing and clog the roads with people trolleys and horses racing to find the best spots.
Next we headed south to Mumbai, stopping off at the main city of Gujarat province, Ahmadabad.
Stopping over in Ahmadabad
Eli here.
Ahmadabad is a useful stop off when travelling north or south, but not much else. There are few attractions and the city is relatively boring. We stayed only one night and visited only one site: Sabarmati Ashram.
This ashram was Ghandi’s headquarters as he fought for Indian independence from the British during the 30s and 40s. Now it is a museum dedicated to his life—and his successes. His house is here, complete with cutlery and a chair. And much of his library remains, as does a copy of a letter he wrote to Hitler in the build up to WWII advising against aggression.
Acting in Mumbai
Mumbai was a blast. We stayed five nights, making the most of Mumbai’s clean footpaths and orderly traffic.
We’re not ones to boast, but we are now movie stars...well, Bollywood stars at least. As India’s equivalent to Hollywood, Bollywood turns out an impressive number of movies—most involving a compilation of dramatised songs tied together by some tenuous love / action story. As such, there is a constant demand for extras, including foreigners. And this is where we come in.
Every week casting agents prowl the streets for tourists to put on black suits and flashy dresses and stand (or dance) in colourful movie sets. Some agents—the smart ones—even target tourists before they check in to hotels. This happened to us. We were given roles in a movie about a wedding, which is presently called Shaadi Fast Forward. (Movie names tend to change many times before they screen).
Our scene was set in a London nightclub; where the famous Indian actress Bipasha Basu danced in the centre dressed in white while we held fake drinks made of coke, water and food colouring around the outside. The set was orange, green, and white and the music became repetitive as each take only lasted a few seconds. There were dancers, extras, stage crew, and a very particular director—over 100 people in total.
Organisation was an issue, however. First, there was a lack of clothes and makeup. Second, we didn’t get on set until after 8pm—having arrived at the studio at 9am. And third, there was confusion on set about whether we should dance or stand still during filming. But despite the confusion, we enjoyed the experience.
Eating food is one of our favourite past times—and Mumbai did not disappoint. On our first day we were taken on a tour of parsi cuisine by our dear friend Sarosh, eating such foods as patra ni machhi (steamed fish wrapped in banana leaf) and mutton dhansak. On other days we ate Afghani kebabs, south Indian dosas, and Guajarati thalis—all in an effort to leave a lasting taste of India in our mouths.
Walking is also a pass time, but I would be lying if I called a favourite (especially for Claire). Mumbai is home to many Victorian buildings that can be (and were) seen on foot. The Prince of Wales museum, the High Court of Bombay, the Victoria Train Terminus, and Mumbai University are all stunning examples with high arches and stain glass windows. The nearby Monetary Museum gave an intriguing 2600 year history of India’s monetary system, including the world’s smallest coin—which is only a few millimetres wide.
Other sites included: the washing Ghats of Mahalazmi Dhobi where hundreds of shirts, dresses, and sheets hang in the sun; and the markets of Mangaldas and Crawford where Indians come to haggle over everything from animal cages to sari material.
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India was great, but it had to end sometime. And it did with our Egypt Air flight to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania via Cairo.
Love to all,
xxx
