Riding Marwari horses

I mentioned in my last blog post that Pushkar is the sort of place you could easily while away a few days in. Just as well really because Di has been too sick to move on so we have spent a record breaking four nights here (our longest stay in any one place was two nights prior to this). I have been filling my days exploring the town - managing to resist the urge to do any shopping due to lack of space in my bag - swimming in a nearby hotel pool, and having an ayurvedic massage. This is an invigorating type of massage that is supposed to restore your mind and body – apparently Camilla is currently in India at an ayurvedic retreat, although I imagine her experience to be somewhat more expensive and plush than mine!

This morning, I decided to go on a horse ride to explore the surrounding area. You are never sure what to expect when you book these things. Riding on the back of a moped through the streets of Pushkar to get to the stables was quite a fun way to start the day (it made a pleasant change to be on one rather than dodging them which is what any normal day in India involves!). I have to say when I arrived at the “stables”, I was so unimpressed by the horses and the appalling tack that I almost had second thoughts about going. Particularly as I wasn’t even sure that the horse they led out for me was actually sound. Anyway, I decided I would ride the horse a little way and see how it felt. As it was just me and a guide, I would just turn round if I didn’t think the horse was okay.

I’m glad I went as it meant I got to experience riding a Marwari horse. They have the strangest inward turning ears such that when their ears are pricked, the tips touch each other. They also have a very unique gait (the horse wasn’t lame, this is how they move). They don’t have a trot, but the pace in between walk and canter is fantastically comfortable. Since getting back from my ride, I have done some more research on these unique horses. They are a rare Indian breed that is essentially a cross between the native Indian pony and an Arabian horse making them incredibly hardy. The comfortable fast gait makes them brilliant for covering long distances in the desert with ease. Apparently, Marwari horses performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee too. So all in all, overlooking the badly fitting tack, it was a very enjoyable ride through villages and farms, and then into more desert type scenery and sand dunes. My horse might not have looked anything special, but she was fit, fast and fun.

Onwards to the blue city of Jodphur tomorrow – so called because of the milky blue colour of the buildings in the old part of the city.

Pushkar

Well, we didn’t see a tiger. Unfortunately, as a result of the tiger attack on a park worker the previous day (the third one in 2012), much of the park was closed to visitors thus lessening our chances of seeing one still further. Despite that, our stay in Ranthambhore was really quite pleasant. A nice hotel with amazing food such as potato and tomato curry with vegetable rice and chipatis served on the rooftop restaurant whilst we watched camels, pigs and cows wandering along the road below. Just watching the world go by in India is always fascinating, particularly from the serenity of a roof top.

Onwards to Pushkar which meant a two hour train journey back to Jaipur, once again in cattle class travelling with the locals. The train we got was the Mumbai to Jaipur express and consequently, boarding it towards the end of its journey, meant it was absolutely packed. There was literally not a single spare space – people on the floors and hanging out of the doors. They don’t give any thought to health and safety in India that’s for sure! On arrival in Jaipur, a massive cheer went up from the passengers and then there was the most chaotic surge to disembark. I’m not sure exactly how long it takes from Mumbai to Jaipur but it must be around 24 hours so those who had been sitting cramped up on the floor were more than a little relieved to escape. The guy who had been sitting on my rucksack for the journey insisted on carrying it off the train for me. The sad fact of travelling in India is that you really can’t trust anyone because so many people are just trying to rip you off. So although he was just being nice, I was also desperately concerned not to let him or my bag out of sight during the crush to get to the platform.

Fortunately, the next leg of our journey – another two hour train ride from Jaipur to Ajmer – was a little more civilised as the train wasn’t nearly so full. The one bonus of travelling in second class is that it is ridiculously cheap - about 70 pence for the two hour journey. Once in Ajmer, the plan was to get the bus to Pushkar but we settled for a taxi for the 30 minute drive when Di got off the train and promptly vomited in the gutter. Strangely enough, she didn’t fancy a bus ride whilst feeling sick.

Pushkar is a very holy place that devout Hindus are expected to make a pilgrimage to at least once in a lifetime. It is also famed for the camel fair that takes place each year which is the largest tribal gathering of its kind in the world. 50,000 camels are bought to Pushkar for the fair! The town surrounds a lake and there are 400 temples and several bathing ghats where pilgrims can bathe in the sacred waters. The main street is essentially a tourist bazaar with a myriad of jewellery and clothing on sale. We’ve certainly seen more tourists here, but as the centre of town is closed off to cars and autorickshaws, it doesn’t seem as hectic and busy as other places we’ve been. If only they also banned mopeds from the streets, it could almost be relaxing to stroll around! The town has a very hippie vibe and it would be easy to while away several days here, just relaxing and enjoying the sounds of drums, music, chanting and prayers at sunset and sunrise.

Yesterday morning, I made the hour long trek up to the hill top temple of Saraswati which affords fantastic views over the town and lake of Pushkar. Also visited the Brahma Temple which is one of only a few in the world.

At Saraswati Temple with the town and lake of Pushkar down in the valley below



Indian trains

 

 

Rajasthan - escape to the country

Left Utter Pradesh behind and now we are in Rajasthan – the “must see” state in India. Nice air conditioned bus journey from Agra to Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. So far it has been fun just arriving in a place and not really having much of a plan as to where to stay or what to do. Not so in Jaipur! Had the most annoying rickshaw driver who very much had his own agenda about which hotel we would like to stay in, i.e. the one he gets commission from. Five hotels later, we eventually found one suitable, although at this point, feeling like death warmed up, I would have been happy to stay anywhere.

Jaipur, it has to be said, was a bit of a write off for me. Still suffering from my cold, I really just needed a day in bed. The plan to quickly sort out onward travel and find a pharmacy just didn’t happen. Jaipur is a huge sprawling chaotic city, hardly anyone seemed to speak English, and the rickshaw drivers can’t read maps and don’t know where anything is. Eventually, gave up and resorted to an afternoon relaxing, sleeping, reading and doing laundry.

Both keen to escape Jaipur (apparently, it has lots of amazing historic sites, such as the City Palace and Amber Fort – we skipped them all!), we headed to the train station the following morning hoping we could wing it and buy a ticket for that day to get to Ranthambhore National Park. Thus followed what I believe the guide book describes as the “quintessential train experience”, travelling in cattle class with the locals. It was actually really fun and I’m glad we did it, although had the journey been more than two hours then the fun factor might have worn off rapidly. Like the novices that we are, when the train arrived on the platform, we wasted valuable time looking for the ladies only carriage (Indian trains are huge and finding the carriage you want is a challenge). It appeared there wasn’t one on this particular train so we just got on where we could. Whilst there are some bench seats in second class, by this time it was standing room only, even the luggage racks were being used as seats. We got a lot of strange looks and stares when we got on as we were the only foreigners and female. Very few Indian women seem to travel. Eventually someone took pity on us and insisted on making room for us to sit. Six to a seat that was clearly only ever made for three or four at most can best be described as cosy! However, once underway, with the wind blowing through the carriages (there are no windows or doors), watching the countryside whip by, women working in the fields wearing brightly coloured saris, it was actually quite fun.

Arriving in Ranthambhore was literally a breath of fresh air - green fields, less noise, less pollution. After over a week in Indian cities, it is great to be out in the country. Ranthambhore National Park is the most famous park in Rajasthan and supposedly the best place to see tigers in the wild. Having arrived a little late to make the afternoon safari, we went by jeep to Ranthambhore Fort – a 10^th century fort with temples and mosques in the middle of the park. After climbing the 120 steps to the top, you get fantastic views over the entire area which is made up of lots of jungle, rocky ridges and lakes. We also got to see quite a bit of wildlife on the drive to the fort – antelope, monkeys, peacocks, wild boar and Sambhar deer (nowhere else in Asia can you see this particular type of deer during the day time).

Tomorrow, we go tiger hunting! To be honest, I am not really expecting to see a tiger as they are rare, a lot of the park is dense jungle, and October isn’t the best month as the grass is very long. However, there are most definitely tigers out there as a ranger on walking patrol was attacked by one this morning. It would be incredible to see one in the wild – watch this space…

 

The Taj Mahal - photos

Me sat on the bench in front of the Taj Mahal

Agra and the Taj Mahal

And so to India’s most iconic and most photographed site. Before that, I must just mention that on our last day in Varanasi, we were taking an early morning stroll along the Ganges and we saw not one, but two, dead bodies floating along the river. Perhaps not that surprising given this is a holy place to die. What I found quite astounding was that no one cared. Families washing continued without even looking up as if it is in some way normal to wash in a river with dead bodies floating just feet away from you. Clearly in India, this is normality! After all, they are washing to remove their sins rather than to get physically clean. Death is viewed differently here and Hindus believe that dying in the Ganges allows you to escape the constant cycle of life and re-birth.

Anyway, the following morning was infinitely more pleasant. After the overnight train journey from Varanasi to Agra, we found our first clean budget hotel of the trip. I certainly did not expect to end up staying in a hotel with such a fantastic view of the Taj Mahal. It was quite a treat to have breakfast in the roof top restaurant overlooking the Taj.

Having been told that it is best to visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise, we devoted the rest of the morning to sorting out our onward travel plans. By necessity, this seems to have become our routine. As soon as we arrive in a place, we figure out how we can leave and get to the next place. We have to do this simply because the trains are overbooked and, in fact, we are actually taking a bus to get to our next stop, Jaipur.

Bus sorted, we then took a walk around Agra and visited the Fort. Walking in India is not relaxing. You are constantly harassed by rickshaw drivers as they want business and don’t want you walking. Agra, being such a touristy place, is particularly bad for hassle from all angles – shopkeepers, restaurant owners, taxi drivers. Apparently, Indians no longer view foreigners as guests in their country but simply as a means to make money. Hardly surprising that they try and rip you off when they see how much money foreigners have in comparison to them. The cost of a ticket to enter the Taj Mahal for a foreigner is 750 rupees compared to 20 rupees for an Indian. To put this into context, the fine for pulling the emergency stop chord on the train is 1000 rupees or prison. 1000 rupees – which is not even £15 – is so much money for many Indians that they might have to accept prison as the alternative punishment.

The Taj Mahal did not disappoint. It genuinely is the most beautiful building I have ever seen. The different shades of white and cream marble changing colour as the sun came up. You can tell that this building was created purely for love. The signs inside amused me greatly stating “Please be Quite”. Considering the Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the seven new wonders of the world, they could at least spell “quiet” correctly!!

So Taj visit complete, we are now waiting for our bus this afternoon. Time for more lemon ginger tea, more wifi, and more sorting out photos. By the way, I have not eaten meat for over a week now which I feel must be a record as I can’t think of any other time in my life when I have not had meat for more than a few days. I was rather dreading the food in India, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far. Most of the dishes you would find in an Indian curry house in the UK are nowhere to be found on the menus here! There is a lot of really tasty veggie food that isn't hot and spicy. Don’t worry, I have not decided to become veggie (I could murder a medium rare fillet steak), I am just trying to avoid getting “Delhi belly”. Whilst I have been successful so far, I have instead succumbed to a really bad cold which just goes to show that being veggie isn’t good for you!

Varanasi - photos

Typical Varanasi street scene

Varanasi viewed from the River Ganges

Doing laundry in the Ganges

Buffalo eating rubbish from the Ganges

Cremation ghat

Varanasi - holy city of cows

There really is no place on earth like Varanasi. I have dubbed it the holy city of cows because I’ve never been to a city so full of them! The tiny little streets are lined with cows which are regarded as holy and not eaten, only used for milk. Varanasi is revered by Hindus as one of the holiest cities and sits on the banks of the River Ganges. Along the river side, there are numerous ghats (stone steps leading down to the water). I have never witnessed cows walking down steps before but here they do and they also spend a lot of time grazing rubbish tips. Walking the streets, you frequently bump into cows and calves, not to mention the buffalo, goats, sheep, chickens, dogs and cute puppies. Suffice to say, the streets are filthy… Aside from all the animals, walking in the Varanasi back streets, you must also watch out for the mopeds zooming around, the rickshaws, the beggars, the touts. It is a crazy place and every turn brings an even more bizarre sight.

Varanasi is best viewed from the river itself by taking a boat ride along the Ganges. In the evening, one of the ghats is host to a daily ceremony of fire, dance and light to worship the river. During the day, especially at dawn, the ghats are used for Hindus to perform their daily ablutions. A few ghats are set aside as cremation ghats (many people choose to come to Varanasi to die so that their ashes end up in the holy Ganges). You frequently pass bodies being carried down through the streets to the cremation ghats. The body is then doused in the Ganges before being cremated at the riverside in full public view. The Ganges must be one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Aside from all the litter, excrement, and ashes, it is not unusual for bodies to be dumped in the river by those who can’t afford the cremation ghat. Not a place to take a swim which makes it even more incredible that the Indian people bathe in it each day and wash their clothes. I am not getting any laundry done here that’s for sure as I know it would be washed in the river!

I am struggling to put into words some of the sights I have witnessed. It is probably a place you need to see for yourself to believe it. Life and death is starkly on public display, along with extreme poverty. On our sunrise boat ride today, people were routing through the cremation ashes looking for items of value. One guy was even in the water sieving ashes presumably trying to find items of value to sell such as jewellery or gold teeth. Varanasi really is a mind boggling place – fascinating and awful all at the same time.

The train ride from Delhi to Varanasi took 17 hours. A couple of hours longer than scheduled but as we were due to arrive at 4.45am, it didn’t really matter that it was later. Indian trains are surprisingly good, depending on which class of travel you opt for. Best is 1AC, then 2AC, 3AC, sleeper and unreserved. Unreserved appears to resemble a cattle truck in that there are no seats. Sleeper is very basic and probably okay for shorter journeys. We took 3AC which is air conditioned carriages with 3 tiers of bunks. Di and I both got one with windows so at least we could see the countryside for the day time section of the journey. We were impressed with the bunks as they had curtains and clean linen was provided, which is more than can be said for the hotels we have been staying in. Essential item number one for travel in India is a sheet sleeping bag as budget hotels either don’t provide any bed linen or it is filthy and you wouldn’t want to sleep on it. Unfortunately, despite the relative comfort of the train, sleep did not come easily mainly due to very noisy passengers and the various food and drink sales people walking up and down the carriages shouting out what they had to sell. I got very tired of hearing “chai, chai, special chai”.

Loved arriving in Varanasi at first light, taking a tuk tuk (auto rickshaw) from the train station across town, watching the city coming to life. The accommodation options are plentiful but finding a suitable room at a suitable price is hard work. Nothing has a fixed price in India so you have to bargain for everything. Even when you are being shown hotel rooms, the manager will show it to you then ask how much you would like to pay, and so the negotiations begin… Apparently our hotel has a view of the Ganges. Well yes, if you stand on the rooftop of the hotel you can just about see the river but I think to describe it as having a Ganges view is stretching it a little. Budget hotels don’t really do clean and often rooms don’t even have a window. Definitely basic, but it’s somewhere to lay your head and take a shower (hot water not guaranteed but India is very hot and humid so that is not a major issue). On the plus side, most hotels do have free and fast wifi, and at around £5 per person per night for a bed you can’t expect luxury.

Tomorrow, a final day in Varanasi and then an overnight train to Agra – home of the Taj Mahal.

 

 

Delhi in a day

Arrived in Delhi late at night on Tues after a seven hour flight direct from Nairobi. Impressed by Delhi airport – very clean and modern. Whizzed through passport control, bag waiting already, dollars exchanged for rupees and the driver waiting when I exited – smooth. May be it’s because I’m used to African roads but the roads in Delhi seem amazing and much of the city is very modern and developed.

My taxi driver spoke very little English other than they word “tip” which he must have mentioned at least five times. I get it – you are expecting a tip! Our budget hotel is in the cheap touristy area known as Paharganj near the New Delhi train station. Most of the hotels are down tiny little alleyways off the Main Bazaar so the taxis can’t get to your actual hotel. So if you want a tip Mr Taxi Driver, then I suggest rather than stopping the car and vaguely pointing to your left that you actually get out of your car, carry my bag and escort me down the side streets to the door of the hotel. With the promise of rupees, the taxi driver duly obliged.

One thing that strikes you on arriving in Delhi is how very unfriendly people are and how they have no concept of personal space. The national pastime seems to be spitting. Throughout the night, I could constantly hear men spitting in the streets (and dogs barking). Apparently, they are trying to cleanse themselves of evil spirits. Walking around the streets of Delhi the following morning, I narrowly missed being spat on several times. As you would imagine, Delhi streets are buzzing with people, taxis, auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws everywhere. People constantly trying to sell you something, the sound of car horns, the smell of incense and street food mixed with urine (not so pleasant – Delhi seems to have numerous street urinals).

After meeting Di for breakfast in the morning, we took a stroll around the Main Bazaar area, drank delicious lemon and ginger tea, then took an afternoon tour around some of the city’s main sights such as Lakshmi Narayan Temple, India Gate, Qutb Minar and Lotus Temple. The Lotus Temple (or Bahai House of Worship as it is also known) was built in the 1980s as a modern place for any religion to go and worship. It is supposed to represent a lotus flower but actually looks quite similar to the iconic Sydney Opera House. The best site of the day was Humayun’s Tomb – the red sandstone and white marble colours looked beautiful as the sun was starting to go down.

We had planned to spend two full days in Delhi and then take overnight train to Varanasi tonight. However, due to limited train availability, we have taken an earlier but very slow train to Varanasi. That means no time in Delhi for the Red Fort or Old Delhi area, although I’m assured by Di that the Red Fort was rather run down. Di arrived in Delhi a couple of days before me so given the choice of taking this train or waiting a few days, there is no contest. And to be honest, I would be bored in Delhi as big cities bore me quite quickly. Can’t be wasting time as there are too many other places to go in India!

India - here I come!

I’m flying to Delhi tomorrow! I have wanted to visit India for years and finally the time has come. I have just over six weeks to explore this vast country. What makes it even more fantastic is that Dianne and I have no schedule. The extent of our concrete plans so far is booking an airport pick up and a room for the first night. I love the freedom of backpacking - not knowing where each day will take you and just enjoying the adventure.

I think I have escaped from Lewa just in time. The rains, which I was assured by numerous locals would start on 15^th October, actually started last week. Absolutely crazy thunderstorms all night long. One thunder clap was so loud that we all agreed at breakfast the next morning that it sounded like a bomb being dropped. Whilst the rains are fantastic for Lewa, it is quite miserable being there in that weather because you literally cannot go anywhere or do anything. Within hours, the roads (I use that term loosely) are impossible to drive on without getting stuck. Much of Lewa is black cotton soil which vehicles just sink into. The only hope of getting through it is just to drive really fast (which is quite fun but quite scary). What is incredible though is how the grass is already starting to turn green. It is hard to believe that a few days ago, Lewa was dusty, parched, dryed up yellows and browns and before our eyes, you can see green sprouts emerging.

You would think that the horses would enjoy the rain, but clearly they don’t make the connection between rain and green grass. They virtually had to be pushed out of their stables the first morning as they did not want to get wet! They soon got into it though and several took mud baths completely caking themselves in mud from head to toe.

Luckily, the rain has not been constant and it has mostly been at night. When I left Lewa today, it was a beautiful sunny day. As always, sad to leave the horses behind and the kittens who have grown into gorgeous little cats. Everyone loves them. I’m still convinced that they will be eaten by leopard one night but so far, so good. Whether they will be there when I return from India is another matter…

It seems that whenever I plan to leave Lewa, the horses decide to be sick. They must know that I am leaving! When I came back to the UK in April, Champagne (foal number 1) had colic the day I was departing. This week, Santa (foal number 2) has had colic for three days straight. The drugs work for a few hours and then he is back to rolling round on the floor in agony. Eventually, he had to be stomach tubed and he now seems to be back on track. As I pointed out to him, I did not spend six months bandaging his legs for him to die on me now! Note to self, do not let the foals near freshly baled lucerne. That said, his little sister, Sheba (foal number 3), ate it and was absolutely fine. I think Santa was just being a bit gutsy and overdid it. It also appears that foal number 4 could be on the way. Somewhat unexpected as the vet did not think this mare was in foal when he checked back in June. However, she did go to the stallion 11 months ago and looks suspiciously pregnant to me with her fat belly and udders full of milk! Watch this space.

We are also getting a new horse - a yearling colt coming up from Zimbabwe who we plan to keep as a stallion as he comes from a long line of polo ponies. Poor little boy has been cruelly snatched from his mum (his owners go in for natural weaning so he was still with the mare) and put on a lorry with a bunch of other horses for the six day drive from Zim to Kenya. He arrived in Nairobi last night after a particularly gruelling 20 hour driving day! We own two of his aunties so they have been dispatched to Nairobi to accompany him on the last leg of his journey to Lewa. So sad that I won’t be there to see him arrive.

Anyway, I too am in Nairobi tonight where it is pouring with rain. Time for bed now and, best of all, I won’t need to get up at 6.20am as my flight isn’t until lunchtime. Every single day on Lewa my alarm goes off at 6.20am. Much as I love the horses, I am very much looking forward to a lie in!