Stay a little hungry .....: December 2007

Gwalior - Indore - Drive - 1st Dec 2007

1st December 2007 (Saturday)– Gwalior – Indore Drive

This is a day we would not care to ever repeat …. We were near victims of a fire .. and we are thankful that we escaped lightly with no injuries … just smoke tinged sooty baggage !!! [ Which is currently requiring 2 rounds of washing for each load to get the damn smell and black marks to go …feel like a dhobi ….…still … it is could have been worse ]

We were to leave to Indore in the morning from Central Park Gwalior [supposedly a good hotel !!! ] – since we had heard that this route could be a problem in the night .. we were all set to leave at 6:30 am … when we saw little smoke in the bathroom .. well we called the reception and they told us it was smoke from the near-by marriage which had gotten into the duct ….. and it would be taken care of and it was not serious … This is where frankly we were lied to .. if we had known it was serious .. we would have walked out then and there.

As it is we did the last minute stuff just before we were to leave and only when we saw and inhaled the acrid smoke come of the bathroom plus it coming out of the electrical sockets.. we realized it was more serious than we were told to .. [ The gap between the call and the smoke must have been only around 5-7 minutes ]. To our bad luck the corridor out of the room was already full to smoke and we could not get out from that side … the room soon was smoked out .. we were lucky in that we were able to get onto a 1.5 feet ledge through the window, keep the window open and stand there … for more than an hour … and there were ppl who had been evacuated (looked like ppl least affected were evacuated first !! :) ) and were sitting and sipping tea outside in the garden and wondering what we were doing on narrow 3rd floor ledge of a room. Are educated ppl really this stupid? I mean couple of them actually asked us this !!! What did they think ? That we wanted the morning air and so we chose to stand outside a window that was spewing black acrid smoke like a damn industrial spire and that too with our baby daughter … wow !!! Common sense is really not so common …. !! Anyway … we saw the hotel ppl was having enough foresight to take the gas cylinders out … and hoping that we would soon be able to get out of the place in one piece …. More worried abt smoke getting to our daughter … can’t say I prayed though ! ;)

Ouch … did not panic since well … we were still able to breathe .. no idea what we might have done otherwise …there was this guy in the room next to us … who had no ledge.. could not get to our ledge.. no pipes to help him down ….. so he actually jumped from his window since the smoke was getting to him…..… to the 1st floor …. Poor guy … his leg was sprained ( lucky it did not break) …we were thankful we had this little ledge .. I cannot think what we would have done if we had been in that room … .. esp with a baby in tow ….

So there we were .. no shoes , no wallet ( not mine .. luckily Sudhir had his ) .. baby was fully and warmly dressed thank God … Sudhir’s glasses were in the bathroom … just waiting for the fire to be taken out and hoping there would be a chance that a ladder would made be available … soon … After the smoke lessened we were able to get out of the fire exit from the window of the room near by which was opened to us by the hotel ppl.

Then started another kind of game .. instead of helping us .. they were more interested in keeping the news out of the newspaper … When we went to the room to collect the luggage … phew !!! We could not see the white covers on the bed … it was completely black … so much soot had accumulated on it. Obviously our luggage had the same fate !!! Smelling of soot … we did the best we could with our stuff … and started to Indore a full 3 hours late ….

Like I said .. we were just thankful to have gotten out of a near disaster … with nothing but valuable lessons …

- If there is smoke just get the hell out of that place, take ur child, money , credit cards and scram

- Do not trust hotel ppl too easily … they are mainly trying to avert a publicity disaster. In fact they begrudged us plastic bags to keep some of the sooty clothes in and a waste cloth to wipe off some of the soot off the bags ….. phew !! You would think they were distributing money !!!! Jeez !!

- It is not so easy to get out of top floors … so check out the fire exit …. [ This is so basic we often forget it]

- Do not expect help ….

When we reached Indore … travel fatigue finally caught up with us …. I think by then since we were on the home stretch so to say … we were looking forward to coming home !!! :):)

Gwalior - 29th, 30th Nov

29th November 2007 (Thursday)– Gwalior
Just near Morena on the way to Gwalior from Agra ....there are the undulations that are a facsimile of the Chambal ravines … they were not extensive in this region which was a very big disappointment to us … we were looking forward to seeing the ravines in all their austere beauty …I guess the ravines are not along the highway …

Gwalior fort is beautiful.. there is the Man Mandir palace inside with sunlight reaching the underground about a 100 ft below the surface …. Very scientifically built …... there are very striking carvings .. very very symmetrical [ On a side note – for carvings/sculptures the Belur Halebidu temples in Karnataka are simply marvelous ] We got a bad guide unfortunately who was more interested than we were in taking snaps ….. we were keen on learning more abt the fort and he was telling us the best points to take the snaps from … The carving in the Sas-Bahu temple are also very intricate and beautiful .. we got a bird’s view of Gwalior too from this point … cannot believe it is so large ! :) Certainly Gwalior is less dusty than Faridabad … Moved on to Teli-ka-Mandir as well as Suraj Kund (6th century)…

Once inside the Gwalior Fort area – one can see the fort itself , Sas Bahu temples, Teli ka Mandir , Suraj Kund, Gujari Mahal and its archaelogical museum plus sculptures by the Jain Tirthankars on the way to the fort .. some of them so old it is unbelievable they are still intact … amazing …. :)

30th November 2007 (Friday)– Gwalior

We first visited Sun Temple here which is supposed to be a replica of the famous Konark Mandir in Orissa. It is known as Sur Mandir in Gwalior – it closes at Sunset ….. very clean gardens although one is not allowed to go anywhere near other than to the temple …
Went to the Tomb of Mohammad Ghaus – nobody seems to understand the historical importance of that place … it is a mosque in use currently and we find ppl staring at the tourists when they take snaps of the lacy screen work in stone ! :):) The work is very delicate and ethereal. Nearby is Tansen’s tomb – austere with plenty of squirrels !! We had a tough time finding this place – nobody seems to know the tomb ( I guess it is known as a mosque ) We asked first for the place Hajira and then for Tansen’s tomb …. And there is no place for parking either !! :) Still it was worth the trouble we took for find the place.

Lastly went to the Scindia Museum – lost of snaps of the marriage of Madhav Rao Scindia .. some old sculptures .. (quite a few of them damaged unfortunately) part of the museum is currently under renovation … so did not have that much to see.

Agra - 28th , 29th

28th November 2007 (Wednesday)– Agra

We found it beneficial to park and take an auto to the Taj .. we gave 30Rs to go and 20 Rs to come back to our hotel which is in the Tourist Complex Area. A guide offered to take us to the Taj , Lal Qila and backto the hotel for 100 Rs at 3pm in the afternoon. It is also good to plan to visit all places in the North by 4:30 pm during the winter months .. it is dark by 5 pm ….

There are too many touts near the Taj for food, marble articles …

As for the Taj … what is there left to say ??? :):) It is beautiful and mesmerizing … One does not realize how big the edifice really is until one sees it … We spent 3 hours there .. and loved it … Obviously took lots and lots of snaps … I did think it was darker then the pristine white it is supposed to be … I guess the pollution is really getting to it …

We were disappointed there were no moonlight tours , we were told those are held only on full moon days .. Still we saw the Taj by day and twilight … :):) What more can we ask for ? :):)

Faridabad - 25th , 26th , 27th

25th November 2007 (Sunday)– Jaipur – Faridabad
At Faridabad … ppl with dust allergy are goners … be prepared for a dusty haze that never settles .. call it perpetual smog, fog, mist etc…. it just never goes … Don’t bother cleaning ur car either .. it will look dusty in 3 hrs !! :):)
Layers and layers just settle down on it ….
We had to change the high beam light for our car and we found Nitin from the Classic Honda showroom on the Mathura Agra road very helpful ….There are no hotels on the Mathura Agra Road so don’t bother looking for one there …

26th 27th November 2007 (Monday)– Faridabad- Pankaj’s wedding
Punjabi marriages are certainly an experience worth being part of …. :) We had the time of our lives at the Sangeet, the baraat and of course the wedding… :) The games when the bride groom arrives and the fireworks .. wow !!! Definitely the day to feel like a hero ! :):)
The food was great … so many varieties !! Phew !!! It was nice to sample from the wide range of choices …… yummy umm … ! :):) Definitely a gastronomic delight ! :)
The reception was over by 12 midnight and the actual wedding ceremony began somewhere around 1:30 am .. and went on till 4:30 am … we relaxed on 28th November , a nice lazy day … :)

Jaipur - 21st, 22nd , 23rd , 24th

The Golden Quadrilateral road to Jaipur is very good !! Can do 90-100 km/hr …. We ate at A1 – Plaza of Reliance and found the food fresh ….

21st November 2007 (Wednesday)– Chittaurgarh
On the way we stopped at Chittaurgarh Fort – It is fabulous .. can easily plan to spend the day there with a picnic basket … !!! We found it gorgeous .. definitely a must see …. We wished we had more time than the 2 hrs we spent there ! :):)

Jaipur Driving/Roads
We thought Pune driving is crazy .. Jaipur opened our eyes … nobody stops at a red light [ Unless the police is present ] !! :):) Since u might be the only one to stop chances of being hit from behind are high .. ! :) If u can, stay away from all vehicles .. they do not mind touching ur vehicle with theirs while passing … it is a common occurrence ! :):)
Driving to sight seeing places is easy in Jaipur .. just take the Tonk Road from any point in the city and you will find offshoots from it to the landmarks … :) Even to the highway out of Jaipur … Easy ! :) And you will easily pass Hawa Mahal 2-3 times in ur rounds ! :):)
Be careful while parking at Jaigad… and ensure u park so u can get out … ppl park left right center … ! :) Roads to Amber fort are winding again and don’t panic in a jam .. 2 buses manage to pass on a cycle track if though they may take 15 minutes to do so …. :)
Ppl are still helpful at Jaipur .. may be not to the extent of Udaipur but still very nice …

22nd November 2007 (Thursday)– Jaipur
Visited the Hawa Mahal first .. ( Jantar Mantar is close by too ) .. heard it was built on a 6.5 inch foundation … scary to climb it ! :):) It looks beautiful in pics … not very imposing in reality but appealing nevertheless .. ( The artisan’s hands were cut off after building this …. ) To capture its front view you have risk a limb literally … it is right in the middle of the Pink city market ! :):) Car parking is tough here …
Guides are polite and don’t keep looking at their watch and their rates are reasonable .. All guides suggest you shop at Rajasthan Shilpa Gram .. they are very good at this and in fact lead u there in their tour so keep ur wallet in ur car if you don’t want to shop !! ;) It is easy to spend on something u may never use … :):) They go to the same school of marketing I think .. their spiel is exactly the same ! :):)
They do say that these places have been opened to provide employment for genuine artisans ( by members of the royal family) and provide visitors genuine articles at reasonable(?) cost … We have not validated this… but it might be worth taking a chance with these goods … We found that within the Pink city it was not easy to bargain at the local shops … :):)
At Jaipur depending on who you speak to – different places become most important to visit … Opinions are multiple (aren’t they always ?? :) ) so u may want to decide on ur places before u get completely confused ! :)

23rd November 2007 (Friday)– Jaipur
Visited Jaigad Fort – it is huge … a palace within the fort opens from an unassuming door and we wrongly thought it was small place … but it just goes on and on !!! :):) Huge ! Might easily lose the way ! :) We saw a small puppet show inside …
There is a cook at Jaigad fort who was once the Maharaj’s cook and while the food that is served in his place is good .. we felt the price was too much for the kind of seating arrangement he had .. again the guides .. try to lead u to a place to shop here … :):) with the same marketing spiel of course ! :):)
Amber fort is beautiful …. the jaali work is very intricate and fine-looking … found it very picturesque …
Sheesh Mahal within it …. is very attractive in its details … Lots of peacocks are easily visible on the way to Amber Fort and back … Amber fort is very strict wrt its timings … 6 pm it closes down … sharp …
Royal family is even now treated with a lot of respect and reverence ..
We feel Jaipur city can be covered in 2 days …. But abt 3 hrs for every fort / palace to be visited… seems required …

24th November 2007 (Saturday)– Jaipur
Went to Jantar Mantar – would definitely suggest a guide here [ See if u can get one from outside .. they are cheaper ] … cannot understand anything otherwise …. The huge sun dial was very impressive …
Parking is expensive here – 50 Rs ! More than MG Road / Camp in Pune …
Lastly went to Chokhi Dani … Good dances , most ppl suggest 8pm -12pm as good time to go .. but we recommend 6pm – 10 pm .. Dinner was yummy … their sweet khichdi was really good … I think it is better to try to get a camel ride outside since here it is only a 2 min affair ! :) Still that did not stop us from taking a camel ride inside ! :):)

Udaipur - 19th , 20th Nov

19th November 2007 (Monday)- Udaipur

Visited Udaipur City Palace – It is definitely a must see – with the mirror room, another room with blue and white ceramic work , stained glass etc etc etc … The part I liked best was dressing my baby in Rajasthani dress and getting her snap in front of the palace. They do not allow us to take any other snap other than the one they take !! That was disappointing but still the photo of her with the dress was cute !!! She too loved it ! :):) It also distracted her from her crankiness for sometime … :):) There is also a light show in Udaipur City Palace…. We caught a glimpse of it on the way back from Crystal Museum …
We loved the Crystal Museum .. (which is next to the City Palace) the entrance price is steep ( Rs 525) but it was worth it …. The crystal was clean, gleaming and maintained so beautifully … Just sparkling … it is good to know that we can take care of our heritage well given adequate funds …
The Lake palace is a hotel ( can be seen from the City palace ) and booking for dinner there needs to be done around 24 hrs before which we did not know. Jag Mandir is also a restaurant – going to this place is not as difficult. The view of Jag Mandir is better from another point in Udaipur called the sunset point / Dudh Talaya .. especially at twilight …
The people of Udaipur are very very very friendly … no matter how many times I re-iterate that I think it will be less. When we entered the city a youth came to us and asked us if we were looking for directions ….. other ppl got down from their vehicles to give us directions … Another affable soul not only told us where to go for a memory card but also helped us find a parking space plus reverse park there !!! Amazing !!!! At the crystal museum we were not made to feel like we would snatch the pieces (which happens in quite a few places actually !!!! :) ) All in all .. a very good place ppl wise ..

20th November 2007 (Tuesday)- Udaipur
Visited Saheliyon ki Bari – which was a garden for royal ladies … our baby had a nice time there …. So many fountains and open space to run about … :):) The water fountains work on water pressure and not electricity .. There is a small science museum kind of place inside which was fun too … couple of crazy mirrors and its reflections .. brought about gales of laughter from Nakshatra ! :):) There were some interesting puzzles too … :):)
Moved on to Sajjan Niwas Garden and enjoyed the mini train ride … it goes via the zoo – where u can see the bear, tiger, cheetah, peacocks etc ….. the zoo is closed on Tuesdays …. So we could not have a closer look …
Sunset point at Dudh Talaya was good … as mentioned before Jag Mandir looks much nicer from this point .. u can get camel rides here too ..
Rajasthani thalis at Rs 18/- can be found near hotels at the Chetak circle …. a known landmark
It is a good drive around the Fathesagar lake .. just put ur vehicle in 2nd gear and enjoy the scenery … very pleasant ..
Lots of places to take snaps ….!!!! :):)
Our bad experience in Udaipur was at a shop called Regal at Bapu Market … God knows what he tried to do while copying our snaps to a CD .. all he did was corrupt all the snaps …. We would instead suggest take a laptop or sufficient memory card for all ur snaps ….

Udaipur Driving/Roads

The roads in Udaipur are very narrow almost felt like only 2 wheels were touching the ground at any point of time ..!! It is easier to take local transport ( even though they charge quite a bit ) since u can reach your destination faster !! If taking your 4 wheeler definitely learn reverse parking ! :)