CRAZY DRIVERS, FABULOUS SIGHTS AND HOT HOT TEMPERATURES

 

It’s that time again. Yes, time to fly across the world to India to collect GR2, who is hopefully still there. It has been concerning that we have not had any photos or reports of our truck as promised. Our storage guy has been totally elusive! A final crazy hunt for our keys (signs of aging in our house!) and we head to the airport. But again, dramas with my visa. An hour later we have approval, and I am allowed to fly. On arrival more queries re my visa. I am applying for a new one ASAP

It is late so we head to the lovely GM Hotel in the city centre. We have only booked one night but stay two so that we can see the sights. We do a walking tour inside the old walls – not a place to tackle in a car and no way with our truck! We love the stunning old homes that are starting to crumble away. The wealthy people have moved out and the area is now full of tiny commercial businesses. In the afternoon we grab an Auto Rickshaw and get a Sim card (that experience takes over an hour! Say no more! So much red tape here!), then a tour of more sights. Wander through Gandhi’s Ashram, gawp at the lovely white marble Jain Hatheesingh Temple (no photos inside), explore the technicolor Swaminarayan Temple and fall in love with the amazing Dada Hari Wav Step Well which has been built with incredible precision in 1499 and is still amazing today.

After two nights it’s time to collect GR2. We are surprised how different the area looks with flood waters everywhere, Fortunately GR2 is still on dry land and starts first pop. We pay the guy who did the storage and head off.  We get onto the ring road around Ahmedabad and locate the Vintage Car Museum which has a large concrete carpark where we can camp. Here we unpack and clean our very dirty truck before heading into the museum to admire over 100 vintage cars.

The rain starts in the night and continues the next day as we continue past the massive city and onto yet another stunning step well at Adalaj. Then it is time to hit the road as we want to reach Udaipur today. The motorways are not too bad but at every intersection there is chaos as traffic goes in every direction and absolutely no rules apply. It is just push and shove! Fortunately, the rain has cleared, and we head into a hillier area as we near the city. Then drive through the chaos and locate Lake Fateh Sagar just north of town. Our app shows a great waterfront carpark where we camp, but it is also a popular spot for locals to walk, so very busy. Lots of people stop to chat and we end up going home with a friendly family. They cook an amazing meal for us – non spicy as promised. Its late by the time we get back but there are still people out walking, so it’s a hot noisy night.

We have someone coming to look at our fridge that is not working very well at all. A lovely couple we met last night have sent him to us. So, to fill in time we find an ATM for the all-important rupees, then take a trip on the nearby cable car for city views. The next few hours are spent getting repairs done and YAY we now have a cold fridge and a freezer! Vitally important. In that time John manages to give a TV interview while I am, fortunately, am stuck in the truck by the fridge that has been pulled out. When it starts to rain, we decide stay put and later join the locals on the waterfront watching the sunset.

In the morning, we head to the city in a tuk tuk to tour the City Palace. It’s not open yet so another tuk tuk driver offers to show us the sights. Funny how we end up at his family home looking at paintings. They are amazingly intricate, but the hard sell is always a turn off. We do get to see a stunning temple with gloriously painted ceilings and lovely mirror tile work. (no photos again), and finally get dropped into the old town, which was only a stone’s throw from where he picked us up. Hmmm! Oh well. We wander up and down some streets with tall old houses all haphazardly squashed together in various states of repair. Then pop out beside the intricately carved Jagdish Temple where we find the tourists. We head inside to admire the craftmanship before we head to the Palace. Well, wow and double wow! What a stunning place. We wander around admiring all the rooms. Finally feeling very hot and tired we stop for a drink. I fancy a boat trip out to the Lake Palace, but John isn’t keen. So instead, we walk to the lake front through a stunning Gnat (rather like a very elaborate archway), then head back to GR2. And just as well, because our electrician has just arrived back with parts to fix the washing machine which had stopped working completely.

Washing machine fixed (amazingly as they chopped the mother board and added bits and pieces) we decide to drive around the lakes and up to Monsoon Palace, but at the entrance at the bottom of the hill we are told No. We are too big, so we give it a miss and head back to camp where we find more friendly locals, but even better some Polish Overlanders who have just come through Pakistan. A good chance for a long chat. In the morning an early start as we head to Jodhpur. A good move as there is virtually no traffic through the city. Then onto the motorway, which are surprisingly good, but we must pay double at the tolls, so finally we find a guy who manages to navigate the system, bypassing the need for an Indian bank account and get us a transponder only meant for Indian registered vehicles.

Much later we roll into the big city of Jodhpur and locate the Dev Guesthouse where we can camp in their garden. It’s pretty scruffy and a tight fit through the gates (lucky my driver is amazing!) but we can plug in to power and get water. Its too hot to see the sights so we relax and later walk around the corner to the amazing Khaas Bagh Hotel. It has been stunningly restored and decorated with some pristine vintage cars. John loves it! And we both love the air con and then the fabulous meal.

In the morning, we head to the city in a tuk tuk (We do love using these in the tight windy streets, especially in this heat) and head up the rocky hill to the inspiring Mehrangarh or Fort. And yet another wow place. The interior rooms are some of the most stunning I have ever seen. Those Maharajahs lived in style! (and still do) At the top we met up with an Aussie couple who saw us on the road yesterday. Isn’t it a small world. It was lovely to chat to you Sharon & Richard. Anyway, finally out of the Fort it is stinking hot, so we grab another tuk tuk. He takes us to yet another Step Well, through the colourful markets and past the Clock Tower and on to the Umaid Bhawan Palace where the Maharajah currently lives. It is huge – in fact they say it’s the biggest Palace in the world, and one of the newest. After wandering the small area that is open to us ordinary people and admiring a row of lovely vintage cars we head back to our camp spot. A cold shower and huge glass of water is needed. Of course, John can’t sit still for long, so when he spies a solid ladder he takes our broken awning off (it got damaged in the shipping process) and leaves it near the rubbish pile.  

The next morning, we head off bright and early, but there is still plenty of crazy traffic to dodge.  The biggest challenge is the cows or Kings of the Road, as they have top priority and can wander or sleep anywhere! I am sure they are laughing at the human race and enjoy their power! We finally reach the motorway for smooth sailing all the way to Jaisalmer, a honey-coloured fort in the desert. But this desert is rather green now after lots of rain. Apparently very unusual. On the way we see many pilgrims trudging for miles with tall flags and some carrying huge highly decorated horses. Along the way there are free food stops, plenty of water points and camp beds under the trees. We discover that they often walk from 6 – 10 days to reach the temple to request for blessings on various aspects of their lives.

At the city of Jaisalmer we find a great spot to camp in a restaurant carpark right beside the Maharajahs Palace, settle in and catch a tuk tuk to the Fort perched high above us on a rocky outcrop. We head up through the 3 gates to reach the Palac which is still in the restoration stage, but still impressive. Then we wander the maze of narrow streets finding lots of exquisitely decorated Haveli’s/mansions We have to gaze upwards to get a good look. We also dodge many of the shops because the hard sell is on. Thousands of embroidered mats/runners/bedspreads, hundreds of scarves and many more souvenir items all been flogged.  Once out of the maze we head out the city walls and down through more streets of shops, finally emerging in a large square where we spy an impressive Palace/Hotel. Of course we tour through the section that is open to the public, Much later it’s a short tuk tuk ride to GR2, Phew its hot.

In the morning, we pack up and head to the viewpoints at Gadi Sangar, which is a small lake with a mish mash of small temples. On a sidetrack there are lovely views of the entire Fort, perfect for a few photos. Time to head out, but one final stop at the War Museum. A very impressive display of Indian war heroes, battles won by India and confiscated Pakistan tanks etc. The Motto here is Cut Hard, Cut Deep. Rather brutal!

We are now heading north through more desert to Bikaner.