Ranakpur temple

 This morning we were granted a reprieve from the usual brutal 8am starts, instead only setting off at a frankly tardy 9.15.

It soon became apparent however that the late start was not without cost.

Our target for today was the city of Udaipur  (some 260km or 6 hours drive away), but what with the frequent toilet stops (most bladders on board are over 65) , lunch break and visit to Ranakpur temple, it was nearer to 10 hours before we finally arrived. We're here now, but as it's dark, I can't tell you what it's like.

Anyway, Ranakpur Jain temple. Built in the 15th century, it's famous for its marble pillars. All 1444 of them each one different, although I cannot verify this, having lost interest after the third one. It's made from white marble and the overall effect is like an extravagantly decorated wedding cake. Without the marzipan. Or fruitcake, come to that.

'But what about those Jains?' you ask. Well, as far as I can make out (and it's worth remembering here that I only scraped a grade C in RE) it's a religion based on spiritual purity and non-violence. Strictly vegetarian and avoiding leather, alcohol, garlic and onions it doesn't sound terribly tempting. How they'd manage in Benidorm is beyond me.

In other news, today is a national holiday in India as it's Gandhi's birthday. The government has decided that the best way to celebrate it is by having a country-wide alcohol ban for the day. The Jains will be pleased. Although I'm not sure they're allowed pleasure.

Jodhpur (the place, not the keks)

 Yesterday, we headed out for Jodhpur, a short hop of 5 hours.

Perhaps sensing the faint stirring of mutiny over the long journeys, our guide surprised us with a bonus stop midway.

And what a treat it was blogmates.  We had stopped outside one of the largest cow hospitals in the region (seemingly it's called a gowsala).

Yes indeed, you read that correctly. Our bonus treat was a visit to a sanctuary for old and /or poorly cows . Witness exhibit A:

Who could fail to be moved by this image?

Or this one?

A thorough search of the premises revealed no evidence of pie or sausage manufacture, so I guess it's legit.....

Then it was back on the coach, several of our party visibly moved by the things they'd seen.(indeed the 3 legged cow hopping pluckily along will stay with me for a long time)

On reaching Jodhpur, it was straight on to more sightseeing. Another fort was waiting to be photographed.

This one, Merangah Fort is actually spectacular. 

From the outside it bears a strong resemblance to Carcassonne.  (Regular readers may remember our visit there last year)

Inside however, it's a different tale. Every possible surface has been decorated with intricately carved stone. Think of a crazed stonemason let loose with a chisel.

Remarkable. 

There's a throne room and various treasures to ogle at as well. Here's a few of them.....

After an action packed day like this, all thoughts turned to our hotel and perhaps a reviving beverage. Or two.

But our trusty guide had other plans. Pushing aside our requests to check in, unpack and hit the bar, he directed us instead toward a fleet of no fewer than 17 tuk-tuks which were to take us into the old town.

We set off into the rush hour traffic at a fair old pace, mostly on the wrong side of the road. 

Thr drivers jostled for position between themselves and indeed anyone or anything foolish enough to get in our way. Our tuk-tuk was rear-ended which was a first for both me and JB. 

* Incidentally, a couple of readers have been in touch expressing concern over yesterday's lack of curry at breakfast time.  I'm pleased to report that it was back on this morning. 

Carry on- Follow that camel

 Last night we stayed in a fully restored 'painted house' hotel. It was absolutely beautiful, which just goes to show what can be achieved with a bit of elbow grease and free rein with the Dulux colour chart.

Full marks then, for decor, but disappointed not to see curry on the breakfast menu.

Moving on, and after another 7 hours of tedium, we arrived in the town of Bikaner. We were here primarily to visit the fort (not UNESCO).

Built in the 16th century, it's famous for never having been conquered despite being built on flat ground rather than the more usual hilltop.

Inside, we were led past various pieces of aging weaponry (bizarrely there was a biplane in amongst the scimitars.......)

The fort has also served time as a palace and so we dutifully traipsed through a few bedrooms before it was back onto the coach.

By now, it was early evening and it was time for the main event of the day. An outdoor evening of cultural entertainment, and dining under the stars. 

Situated in a desert landscape, there unfortunately seemed only one way to arrive:

Camel-cart.

For those readers unfamiliar with this particular mode of transport, allow me to explain. It's a cart. Pulled by a camel.

Yes. Exactly like this. In fact, this is our cart and highly qualified driver. 

Let me tell you blog-mates, this is not a vehicle built for comfort. My ribs took a right old bashing I can tell you. Not to mention my rear end. 

The entertainment began with a recital featuring that most feared of instruments, the bagpipes, and I began to realise exactly why the fort down the road had never been conquered. 

The music continued during our al fresco meal, along with a dancer who whirled around most impressively before her grand finale involving what appeared to be a fully lit candelabra on her head.

All in all, a remarkable cultural evening.

Mandawar and the painted houses

After another curry themed breakfast, we once again boarded our sub-luxury coach and set off for Mandawar. Much hyped by our guide as an 'open air art gallery' we were more than willing to submit to the 7 hour journey to see it. 

Halfway through, and with most of us having second thoughts about the whole outing, we stopped for a refreshing lunch of curry.

As a result, the remaing 4 hours of the journey flew by. Undeterred by the many cattle in the road nor by the suicidal intent of most of the other drivers, we soldiered on and finally reached Mandarwar.

Stepping from the coach, with a heightened sense of anticipation we prepared to be 'charmed by the colourful frescos'.

Seasoned readers of this blog ( those that aren't in some kind of institution) will have a sense of what's to come.

Stepping deftly over the steaming piles of sacred cow dung, we approached the first house.

To say I was disappointed is quite the understatement. 

I can't say I was overly charmed. The next house proved slightly better, but honestly, none of them are going to feature in an issue of Homes and  Gardens any time soon.

The 7 hour drive was not completely wasted however. We did see some baby owls......

By the way, the missing members of our party have finally turned up! (I know you were concerned).

Djelhi babies

 

Namaste blog-mates!  We're finally in Delhi. Our plane landed at around 04.30 this morning and after hanging about in the airport for a couple of hours, waiting for missing group members, someone casually mentioned that in fact,said members had actually missed the flight and would follow on later today.

Oh how we laughed...........

Once on board the coach, our guide introduced himself. Apparently his name is Lalit, although by this time it's safe to say that to the majority of us his name was mud.

We set off in search of breakfast and after a nourishing plate of curry and chips, we were ready for the first sightseeing jaunt.

Our target was the Qutb Minar, (no idea how you pronounce it) which as I'm sure you're aware, is the tallest minaret in Delhi. And a UNESCO World heritage site (obviously).

It's a whopping 73m tall and has no fewer than 379 steps inside leading to the top. However entry is now prohibited, following a grisly stampede in 1981 in which 45 people were killed.  

Sill, it's an ill wind and all that......

So, this minaret and ruined mosque complex thing. Quite impressive. Lovely brickwork,  Judge for yourselves:

 Once Lalit had decided we'd seen enough bricks, he let us back on the coach and brought us to the hotel.

Which is where I'm writing this, lulled by the gentle rhythm of full-on Delhi rush hour traffic.

And we're off ! (Again....)

 Welcome back blogmates! I hope you're all fit and ready (if not entirely willing) to join us on our Passage through India.

Currently, we're in Istanbul Airport, attempting to fill a mere 3 hours before our flight to Delhi.    

I'll be honest, there's not a lot of distractions on offer. And the airport services are blunt and to the point:

Needless to say, trusty JB has sniffed out a bar, but at a remarkable 16 Euros per pint, we've decided we're not that thirsty.  

In any case, we can amuse ourselves by thinking of fun facts about Istanbul.......

Well, that didn't take long. It's now only 2 hours and 47 minutes of waiting................

And no Turkish delight in sight.

Foreign Pie News

Cheese and Ham Pie: The Bakery Rhodes Old Town 

Despite the crushing disappointment of the spinach and feta pie from this establishment, we decided to give it another chance...

Pastry: 

Startlingly yellow, with a crimped crust possibly an attempt at suggesting a rustic origin. Taste wise however, it was a total dud. The crimping had created areas of extreme toughness, contrasting unpleasantly with the rest of the pie which had the texture of a well used flannel.

Filling:

Billed as a 'Cheese and Ham Pie', this came as a bitter disappointment.  The discovery of a layer of tomato ketchup (and not even Heinz) was as unwelcome as it was unnecessary.  Discerning no cheese whatsoever, I took the rash decision to lift  the pastry lid. The image of the pseudo ham that was revealed will haunt me for many a year.......

An absolute disgrace. 

I might add that it pains me to post this now, given that today is the  the start of UK Pie Week. 

Sadly (depending on your point of view) it's also the last post for this trip.

Thanks for your company blogmates, and stay tuned for the next chapter..........