Driving through Rajasthan '08

If you are wondering if our ‘to do’ for the travel plan on our application is a little too ambitious then you may be right and we shall naturally have to play it by ear based on how much distance we cover and how fast each day. Going from previous experience though we should manage to do as much as we can pack in at each place.

I base this on the fact that we had a really eventful trip last November. We decided to drive through Rajasthan taking the incredible desert route getting in via NH 15. Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur and back. As we had done Udaipur and Jaipur on our previous drive in February last year, we did not stop to ramble at either this time.

We did about 3,200 kms and quite a substantial amount of sightseeing too – with baby in tow in seven days. He was just under two, talking, walking and already being a little individual. I could write another post about travelling with an infant with information and learning’s from our Auli trip, Rajasthan drive and more but that will be on a baby blog. If you do want tips on travelling with an infant however, write to me and I shall be happy to assist. I will say however that this Rajasthan drive just drove home the point that it is best to travel with a baby – no need to entertain too much, they sleep long hours, are light enough to be carried, don’t have a say in the itinerary and don’t object when faced with another exhibit at a fort or museum. By the end of Jodhpur, Tarun learnt that rooms in an imposing structure meant boredom for him and so on approaching the entrance itself would shout ‘outside, only outside.’ So yes we did see many exhibits in turns but we certainly saw a lot.

First stop was Barmer a small town famous for block printing and carved wooden furniture. We decided against staying at this town as it was a mess and seems the type that has seen haphazard urban planning/development too soon and is unable to cope. It is dusty, dirty and crowded. The block printing workshops however are a must see. Tucked away in the gullies are small shops with walls of shelves bearing bed spreads, covers, table cloths and kurtis in mind boggling designs. Yards of cloth from the store we visited (Panihari hand prints) along with ready made kurtis make it to the Fab India stores around the globe. The owner was kind enough to take us on a tour of the workshop where we saw the karigars actually printing, the drying and the dyeing process. After selecting and paying rock bottom rates for our wares we headed off to Jaisalmer for two days at Hotel Desert Moon.

Jaisalmer is magical and the fort by night is an image that will stay etched in memory.
We visited the fort, one of the few living forts left in the country, meaning that people still live within parts of the fort which is located on a hillock. The three famous havelis were next on the agenda followed by continental lunch at Natraj and siesta at the hotel. We visited the cultural museum run single handedly by an elderly gentleman (whose name I cannot remember) in his attempt to encourage the local artisans and highlight their talents. The museum visit ended with a typical puppet show which was enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Gadisagar lake by dusk was an interesting experience - we fed the ever hungry fish and watched the ripples they created while almost leaping out in fits and starts. The chattris within the lake are lit post 7pm and are a beautiful sight.
Our first taste of authentic Marwari cuisine was at Trio a delightful terrace restaurant overlooking the Raja’s current palace. While the folk musicians took Tarun under their wing and were happy to have a new member on the dhol, we sampled Ker saangri sabji and mutton done with Rajasthani masalas. Ker saangri is a vegetarian dish made with desert beans and capers and is delicious and unusual.

The next day’s itinerary included a visit to the Government Museum which is in a very sorry state but does have a good collection of fossils. Bara Baug was another interesting sight especially when the backdrop was Suzlon windmills. The old and new so stark across the barren, brown sand.

An excellent restaurant for a lunch pit stop was Desert Boy’s Dhani, tucked just off the main road. It has an open air section under a huge bora tree with wrought iron garden benches and furniture completing the casual chic feel and an indoor air conditioned section too. The outdoor area has squirrels and birds hopping around and was the ideal location to delve into the most sinful preparation of Dal Bhati Churma, one of the most popular Rajasthani preparations.

A visit into the Thar Desert was next on the agenda. We were fortunate not to have been swayed by touts wanting to pre-book us on camel safaris. As we needed to be flexible with our plans due to Tarun’s schedules, we decided to drive up to the dunes and take it from there. As we approached Sam dunes we were mobbed by the camel riders who all back off the moment you select one for your safari. We had RajaHindustani who took us all the way into the dunes for sunset views off the powder sand. We even sighted a fox and the very elusive Chinkara.

Happy with our journey thus far we set off the next morning for Bikaner where after a quick lunch at the old world charm ‘Gallops’ we were just in time to see the fort from the outside and visit the cultural museum before it shut. Chancing up Bhairon Villas however was a treat. This heritage hotel offers charming rooms that transport you to a different era with high ceilings, plush though brightly coloured upholstery, old photographs, swords and guns on the walls along with prize hunt trophies – we had a tiger looking down on us.

Jodhpur was our next halt. This blue city has the best kept fort I have ever been to. Ushers in traditional wear, clear signs and info boards, well maintained exhibits and breathtaking views from the top of the cliff-side fort make this a very exciting tourist spot. The Clock Tower and market square were the other highlights but the top of the list has to be the zoo. The animals are well looked after and the zoo is spread over a large expanse. You may have read about my tiger experience here in an older post. If you do visit Jodhpur do not miss a visit to the tiger enclosure.

As we had ticked off our main locations of interest we were now homeward bound and ready to head back. After a few days in the desert your skin gets dry and parched, the grit and sand follows you everywhere and even those with straight hair get a permanent frizz. I believe that is the reason women in the desert cover their heads all the time. Introduce conditioner here and maybe the permanent ghungat style will change.

The state highways we found ourselves on were narrow one lane paths but incredibly beautiful offering views of camels, vultures, neelgai, peacocks, langurs and villages between miles of open land. Getting back onto the NH 8 that leads past Udaipur and onwards to Mumbai was almost a disappointment after the less frequented highways like NH 15 which are well maintained and allow the cars to do speeds we can not imagine trying on Mumbai’s roads. 150 kmph was the average while on the inner roads for our trip.

At Udaipur we halted for a lunch at our favourite thali restaurant named Natraj. This place is frequented by the people of the area and so is not touristy and maintains the authentic local flavours in all the preparations. Worth the detour off the highway.

Pushing ourselves, we pit stopped for the night at Ahmedabad before heading back almost non stop the next day to Chembur – tired but happy.

Since we are talking about the desert let me also include a little bit about Udaipur and Jaipur here though we visited them on an earlier drive.

Udaipur - A fairytale city with its palaces, narrow streets, rooftop cafes, crystal museum, lakes........ charming. The City Palace is a must on the sightseeing agenda - Maharana Arvind Singh and family truly keep the old world charm alive with all its pomp, glitter and grandeur. The Crystal Gallery, at The Fateh Prakash Palace has the most exciting collection of crystal treasures.
Around 1877 A.D., Maharana Sajjan Singh ordered various pieces from F&C Osler, England. The collection is vast and exquisite. From a crystal footrest to a crystal four poster bed. The very well produced audio guide also states that the Maharana with a penchant for beauty did not live to see his collection as he met with an untimely death at the age of 25.
Hashim was in his element at the Vintage Car museum at the Garden Hotel. The guides are passionate about the collection and have an interesting story about almost each of the classics on display-“This Buick was the Maharanis favourite. Hard top was for her and the convertible for her husband. Her car had an opaque glass partition. And most were made to order.” Or “This is the Rolls Royce that James Bond used in the movie Octopussy”. There even is an old now unused Shell petrol pump within the Hotel premise.
Driving into Udaipur, guides were the first people we encountered. A tourist guide is an information packed warehouse and most importantly, they usually zip around the gully laden old city on scooters and they know the fastest and best way to get to the sights. A very useful fact if you are driving yourself and don’t have too much time on hand.
Our guide Mr Singh was very amusing. He chatted with us about life while getting to the sight and then his whole persona underwent a radical transformation as we reached the entrance of our destination. His voice and stature changed, eyes glazed over and he launched into “in the year 18…..King….battle….” in a monotone as we tried to pick out the highlights while diving for the Lonely Planet.
As for the accommodation and cuisine, Hotel Pichola on the banks of Lake Pichola has a great view of the City Palace and the Jag Niwas Island.

Udaipur to Jaipur is a good 400 odd kms in and around the enchanting Aravali mountain range. This highway did not take us through any desert routes but it was a very scenic path especially with the Flame of the Forest in bloom. In sections, these orange flowers on leafless branches seemed to explode from the centre into sprays that looked like a Diwali sparkler. Boulders and shrubs as well as marble and stone warehouses mark this route.
Jaipur in comparison to Udaipur, is like any other big, dirty, noisy city. Granted the Jantar Mantar is mind boggling and The Amer fort with its Hall of Mirrors spectacular, but the pink city is quite a mess. This land of Blue pottery requires at least a couple of days to do justice to the place.

Please cut and paste this link into your browser for more images from our Rajasthan sojourns:
http://picasaweb.google.com/priya.fonseca/Rajasthan#