Tag: India

Day 11 – Alwar

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Another blog late to the party due to wifi issues!

Day 11 was our last full day in India 😣 we started the morning off with a ride on a traditional camel cart to visit a local family who gave us a cooking demonstration. Chapati and a spicy chutney. What more could you want first thing in the morning! It was so lovely to see all the local children running around and getting excited seeing all us tourists.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing by the pool and having a cheeky massage. I say massage, it was more of a form of torture 🤣 never before has the masseuse got on the bed and put all her weight on my back and legs! I’m flexible but she bent me into some very odd positions…

We were treated to a Pakora demonstration before dinner so hopefully I’ll be able to whip some of these badboys up! Santa tried a deep fried green chilli. He soon needed a glass of red to wash it down.

The evening we were treated to some traditional dancing and lots of alcohol. The small boy dancer would make the most fabulous drag queen. He had the best cheek bones ive ever seen! Santa enjoyed more wine and whiskey this evening 🍷

 

Day 10 – Driving to Vanaashrya

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Today has been another day of travelling. Our guide decided it would be a good idea to give 40 people 3 bottles of gin to share. By the end of it I think it was safe to say we were all pissed as farts. I got to the hotel, face planted the bed and slept for an hour, but that might be due to the massive lack of sleep over the past few weeks.

Today we have visited more forts on our way here. They were both very different but the architecture was amazing. And as a bonus.. nowhere near as busy so was lovely to properly explore without pushing your way through loads of tourists. We were followed everywhere by monkeys hoping for a tasty snack, however we know better!!

The wifi is horrendous here so I’m afraid this is all I’m going to report of for today. I can’t even upload a photo! We’re getting a lie in tomorrow… 7am! What a treat!

Day 9 – Ranthambhore

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Today has been all about the wonderful wildlife that Ranthambhore has to offer.

We started the morning with the usual 05:30 wake up call to ensure an early start in the park. It is split into 10 zones and we were given zone 5. After driving for a while and seeing nothing but a peacock we were starting to think the animals had abandoned this zone. Then we saw our first animal, a Samba deer. This was quickly followed by a spotted deer, kingfisher, mongoose and an Eagle.
We continued round the track in our jeep and suddenly out of the bushes jumped T102 (the rangers know which one is which and they are all numbered) Our first view of a stunning Royal Bengal Tigeress. It really was one of those moments you will never forget and it almost brought a tear to the eye! She didnt hang around and continued her journey into the jungle, but we left the park on such a high. What a privilege to actually see her. Fortunately we had a 2nd safari booked for the afternoon. Could we be lucky and actually see another tiger?

Back at the hotel after safari round one and we actually got to use the facilities and have a relax by the pool. It ridiculously hot and I was sweating from places that is not ok, but this was short lived as it was back out for safari round 2.

I was sat on the outside of the jeep this time, which meant being constantly whacked in the face by branches and various other bushes. After about 45 minutes we heard the call from a deer that signaled a tiger was near by. Just to hear that was amazing. Then we spotted the grass moving and out of it strolled T39. What a total babe she was. She sat in the nearby lake for around 30 minutes sunning herself. This gave us the opportunity to take plenty of photos, as well as watch her and appreciate her beauty. She even took a slow James Bond style walk out of the lake, giving us chance to take more incredible photos before stalking off into the jungle.

It really has been the most magical day.

Day 8 – Driving to Ranthambhore

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Not much to report for today as we have spent the past 12 hours on a coach! But we have finally arrived in the most beautiful hotel in Ranthambhore. It has an outdoor shower which I plan on jumping in very soon.

We had a very early wake up call for our sunrise visit to see the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna River. Whilst it was amazing to see it again, the promise of a sunrise was a little disappointing, seeing as the sun was nowhere near it… we managed to get a faint pink tinge through the mist but it was lovely to see it without the hustle and bustle that was there yesterday.
After breakfast we visited an ‘inlay factory’ which still does the same art that can be found in the Taj Mahal. The intricate designs are incredible, but of course this and the hours of work comes at a hefty price. We therefore settled for some coasters, however the first salesman was a very naughty boy and tried to swindle us out of a fair whack of dollar.
We also visited the ancient village of Abhaneri, famous for its stepwell which was a fascinating piece of architecture. It was here I got my first mosquito bite of the holiday. So rude of it to not ask permission!

Aside from the lunch stop, the rest of the day has been sat on the coach. Unfortunately we took the wrong turn and ended up on what can only be described as a dirt track, which as you can imagine on a large coach, was an incredibly bumpy ride. It definitely kept the locals entertained!

Tomorrow is safari day, which means another very early alarm. Fingers crossed the wildlife behaves.

Day 7 – Agra

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Another day and another early start as we left Jaipur for Agra. The journey was a relatively smooth uneventful one and took just under 6 hours. The driver however decided to blast the horn at all times, even if there wasn’t anything in the road! This is clearly part of their driving test 🤣

This afternoon we arrived in Agra and headed for Agra Fort; the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638. Again we were treated to some stunning architecture and beautiful views, including our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal. There was plenty of selfies taken here – at least they asked and didnt just point the camera in my face!

After the fort it was the one we had all been waiting for; The Taj Mahal. It was absolutely stunning. It’s such an amazing feeling as you walk through the archway and more and more of the Taj gets revealed. We got there at 4pm and it was absolutely heaving. Everyone is trying to get the perfect picture therefore everyone is getting in each other’s photo, resulting in quite a few stroppy people. By the time we left around 6pm it was much quieter, so would advise a later visit!

You can get up close and have a look inside. It really is so pristine and incredibly well preserved. The intricate design of the inlays are amazing to look at. It really is a stunning place. The alarms are set for stupid o’clock tomorrow to head back out to the Taj Mahal to watch the sunrise. Hopefully there won’t be as many looky looky men… telling me I look cute doesn’t mean I will buy your purse!

Santa enjoyed the special deal tonight; 3 beers for the price of 4. There was however a mix up in the bar so he ended up for 5 for 3. One happy Santa.

Day 6 – Jaipur

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Another early start greeted us ready for a full day exploring Jaipur.

We started the morning off by boarding the jeeps to take us to the entrance to Amber Fort. Luckily this was single file traffic. Unluckily the roads had more potholes than the West Midlands which made for a very bumpy ride. We were greeted by plenty of looky looky men who didnt take no for an answer and followed our group round the majority of the first courtyard. After making no sales they finally left us alone. Amber Fort is beautiful which is why it is one of the most visited forts in India. It includes a series of archways made of intricate mirror pieces, known as the Hall of Mirrors and stunning views across Jaipur.

After another bumpy ride back down and more looky looky we were taken to a gem and carpet shop (yay…) I tried on a gorgeous aquamarine pendant, but nearly died when he told me the price. I think he nearly died when I told him my budget! But I did come away with a lovely rainbow moonstone ring. We also got double rum and coke whilst in the store, it was only 10am. And this was the start of a fair whack of booze today. Santa was hardcore and had his without the coke.. obvs. The 2nd rum came at the carpet shop but I would need to do a fair few bank shifts to afford one.

After lunch we visited ‘Jantar Mantar’ – a site featuring architectural astronomical instruments built by the Kachwaha Rajput king, including the worlds largest sun dial. Another UNESCO to tick off the list! A short walk from here (followed by more looky looky) led us to City Palace which was another amazing lot of architecture and another very popular tourist spot.

After all the sightseeing, it was time to board the rickshaw and head to the haveli where ‘the real marigold hotel’ was filmed. A BBC documentary which aired in 2016 featuring 8 pensioners who came to India to see if they could live here. The rickshaw was so much fun, although this time it was on main roads rather than the side streets of Delhi. I was travelling backwards and could therefore see all the buses and other traffic getting very close to us at all times during the journey. All the locals seemed to find this hilarious. Unfortunately, I didnt realise how low my top was… I think that nearly caused a few accidents!!

The haveli was beautiful. I could have happily stayed there for the night. We sat on the terrace, eating pakoras, drinking far too much gin (I got Santa’s, he didnt like it!!) and watched the sun go down.

To end the day we were treated to a lovely meal by a local family and their gorgeous dog ‘Jamie’ – he must work in a call centre with a name like that 😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 5 – Travelling to Jaipur

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Another early start ready for another day on the road; this time heading for Jaipur. This again meant more crazy driving. Cows on the expressway, cars driving the wrong way down the road, crumpled cars from crashing in to each other, utter roundabout chaos due to closed roads.. the list goes on!

We stopped mid journey for a spot of curry, just for a change 😉 as per the queue for the ladies was far too long, so me and Momma decided to use the gents. Bad idea… I’ve used a few dodgy toilets so far on this trip but the smell in this one was by far the worst. Fresh hot shit quickly burnt my nostrils. That was one of the fastest wee’s of my life!

This afternoon was one of the most fantastic experiences, as we got to feed, wash and walk with the elephants. Elephantastic is a sanctuary for elephants that have been mistreated. My elephant was born the same year as me which was quite special. Being so close to these magnificent animals and actually being able to stroke them and feed them was magical.

Tomorrow we are exploring Jaipur and heading to the haveli where ‘the real marigold’ was filmed.

Day 4 – Back to Delhi

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Today was another 05:30 alarm and another day of travelling. Being up early however means a beautiful sunrise!

In the previous days I have mentioned twitchy arse with the roads. Today however I think I spent the majority of the car journey touching cloth. I do not know how we made it back to Chandigarh alive! It really was the most terrifying drive. Luckily the lady who was sharing our car is off to NYC and Vegas next year, so I was in my element giving advice and therefore was distracted from what was going on outside.

Whilst we were sat at traffic lights, we saw lots of small children banging on car windows (including ours) trying to get Rupees. It really is heartbreaking to see the amount of homeless who are willing to wander through the traffic barefoot just to get some money.

Once safely (just) at Chandigarh we boarded the train for the 4 hour journey back to New Delhi. I was prepared with 2 episodes of Drag Race UK and The Apprentice so I had a lovely ride! Santa was opposite somebody very official, who had guards with guns and a sniffer dog. We decided to turn down the bizarre train food today.

Back into New Delhi and a further hour of terrifying roads, this time back on the coach. I have no idea how the driver manages it… being up high means you see everything going on below, although it is fascinating to watch!

This evening I dragged Momma & Santa to Maccies as part of my Maccies world tour, and treated myself to a Pizza McPuff and Spicy Paneer burger. My god the burger lived up to its name.. delicious, but wow it was hot 🔥

Tomorrow is another early start as we head to Jaipur. It is still a constant sound of horns outside the window so not planning on much sleep tonight!

 

Day 3 – Shimla

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Today we got a lie in which was music to my ears! After a delicious breakfast (which wasn’t curry based!) we headed into Shimla to see all it had to offer. Luckily they’re not as bat shit crazy so the drive around was a lot less twitchy arse.

We started the morning back on the toy train to Tara Devi. Santa was sat amongst a very nice Indian family and he enjoyed a good old chin wag about cricket, and a few selfies for their Facebook. Here we visited a Hindu Temple and enjoyed some stunning views of Old, New and Little Shimla.

We then headed to Viceregal Lodge; the former British retreat and the site of the signing of the treaty which led to the partition. I’ll be honest.. I’ve taken that from the guide book. I had no idea what it was, why I was there or what the guide man was on about! It reminded me very much of a Trust. Massive shame they couldn’t stamp my NT passport!

The final part of today was onto the Mall Road in Shimla. We were taken into the Gaiety Theatre for a talk from a poor man with man flu. Santa found him riveting.. and fell asleep within about 5 minutes. We walked the busy streets, got asked for more selfies and watched far too many naughty monkeys.

Dinner tonight was of course another curry #ringsting

Shimla has been fabulous and I would have happily stayed here another day! It’s another 5:45am alarm ready for the long journey back to Delhi tomorrow!

Day 2 – Shimla

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This morning was the dreaded early alarm as we spent most of today travelling.

New Delhi train station is like nothing I have seen before. The trains are so long you could probably fit the whole population of Worcester on them! There were people (and a couple of dead ones…) absolutely everywhere. Our train journey wasnt traditional squashed in indian style as we were in the executive car. The term executive being used loosely 🤣 we did however get a rather interesting breakfast of omelette, 2 chips, peas and carrots. I decided to brave the toilet after the 1st train and it was actually ok! The woman next to me in the queue decided to take her clothes off however.

Transfer to the next train station was by taxi. Santa got to ride shotgun and I think he nearly dropped a bollock a few times due to the no shits given of Indian roads.

The 2nd train was a narrow gauge heritage railway to Shimla, known as the toy train. Another UNESCO to tick off the list! Being in the foothills of the Himalayas means the temperature has dropped so Thank God for winter attire!

We get a lie in tomorrow! What a total treat 😍 ready for a day exploring Shimla and all it has to offer.