Yatrika Mangala Hotel Rajsamand

... out of our arms and legs as it seems every bush tree and flower in the region was going to take a pint of blood each!! On the up side that wouldn't leave much for the mozzies :o). While we were sitting there Martin points out to the centre of the lake, and asks what's that??? I don't know I reply, I laugh and say perhaps it is a crocodile then we both look at it again. Then we get the binoculars out, and lo and behold it is an enormous ...

... the car just wandered around the road!!!!! Often in to the path of oncoming traffic :o

We made it safely to our destination and after dropping Sara at the temple we went to the hotel. It was only 12pm and after the long car trip we wanted a bit of a wander, so we try and find out what there is to do. The short answer is nothing. Martin is sitting in a corner quietly weeping at the fact there is no tv in the room, not even a tv room, so we decide ...

... t believe it! We were both so mad with him that we threatened to call the agency but after a while we decided that this would be counter productive.

From 10 am - 11.30am we had to visit the temple and look at the nearby lake to wait for him to sober up. We were thinking great we have hired a driver for a ridiculous price, who is an alcoholic, driving on some of the most dangerous roads we'd ever seen. JUST OUR LUCK!

... made from marble and with the main one housing 1444 individually and
differently carved colums. Many of the ceiling pieces are so
detailed that they appear to come alive and move as you search
through their individual elements.

Despite, or more
likely because of the beauty of this place, the difficulty that every
major religious building has of balancing the needs of ...

... to allow llight into the interior. The roof of the main temple s supported by a forest of 1445 carved marble pillars, each one an individual, no two alike.

In all Jain Teples, you are required to remove your shoes, remove any leather objects, and carry no water. They also do not allow smoking, eating or drinking of any kind. As I wander around in these sacred places in my stocking feet, I always try to maintain a reverent attitude. I inevitably will be ...

After breakfast today we headed straight to Jodhpur fort and spent several hours looking around. We went down to the gardens which were beautiful and full of pretty and colourful flowers. Then we climbed all the way to the top of the fort and looked out at the view. It was amazing. 95% of the city's buildings have blue walls, hence the name "Blue City". This area of the city is clustered together and looks amazing from a height. There is also still a moat ...

... stuffy car, with little to look at than tumble weed, cows, cactus and dust it took its time getting to Ranakpur and when we arrived there was little more than a small town and it wasn't typically a jungle. We checked in to our hotel, a basic place but its all we needed and got ourselves booked onto a jungle trek for the following day. The rest of the our evenign was sat ...

... colors and hues, a great mountainous backdrop, and clear skies. We finished the evening by dining lakeside with Jag Niwas in the moonlight before taking a sleeper bus to the desert city of Jaislamer. Travel Advice: Kumbhulgarh is definitely worth the visit. We arranged this trip and our bus ticket through Travel Planet (near jagdish Temple), 0091.294.2428448, omsairam1918@yahoo.co.in; the guy was straight-forward and there were no surprises. :)

Kumbalgarh in an incredibly strong looking fort 1100m high on the Aravalli hills. Built by Maharaja Kumba in the 1th century, the collosal structure practically touches the sky. It was the most important Mewar fort after Chittor (see entry in a few days). Unsurprisingly it was taken only once in history, and even then it took ...

... show us the few erotic carvings - but he quietly disappeared at the end when it was time to give him a tip. After 10 years since her last visit to India, Victoria is increasingly confused about how laid back it all is. Much hotter today and so we were glad of the breeze during the boat trip round Lake Pichola, home of the rather fancy Lake Palace Hotel - the one that James Bond made famous in Octopussy. So famous in fact, that every Hostel and B & ...