Jaipur and Pushkar
Trip Start
Jan 14, 2008
1
2
4
Trip End
Feb 16, 2008
Jaipur,
India
Sunday, February 3, 2008
'2AC is approximately eight carriages.' One of men said in that very polite Indian manner.
Jo was having none of the hour wait in our current seats. She looked at the train timetable which indicated a two minute stop about ten minutes away.
'Are you going to make a run for it with me at the next stop, JM?' Jo asked.
With my masculinity on the line - what more could I do but agree?
As the train started to stop, I put on my large backpack on the front and my smaller backpack on my front, waited for the train to slow then busted out of blocks like Ben Johnson at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Nothing was going to stop me from getting on 2AC this time. I stampeded through the crowds of locals all busting to find the best spot in cattle sleeper class; men, old women and children knew to make way for the westerner hunting the 2AC carriage. Those that didn't skittled to the platform concrete with blows from my elbows or my backpacks. Poor Jo had to sidestep or jump around the fallen, not knowing whether to offer help, apologise for my blatant disregard for their safety, or just keep moving. She chose the latter.
Remember the Indian men estimated it was eight carriages. Well it was more like sixteen. We made it though, welcomed with a lukewarm train dinner of cold curries and lukewarm rice that said, 'Eat me and you will spend the next three days on the toilet!'
We stayed at this rather plush hotel in Jaipur, complete with hot showers and freshly cooked breakfasts. The only problem was that it was near a bend in a road. This meant that every time a rickshaw, car or truck went around the corner, it beeped its horn - a common practice in India. And guess who choose the front room closest to the street. Me. Silly me! I hardly got any sleep on that first night.
Jaipur is okay, a relic of the old Rajasthan state, some parts keep in immaculate condition, others withering under the pressures of modern thriving India. There is also a battle between the maharajas and the Government about the upkeep for the old palaces and forts. If they were in Australia, they would be preserved liked Don Bradman's batting gloves. It is just one of those things about India that you just have to accept. Still it appears things are on the up - repairs were taking place at a number of tourist places while we were there. The Rajasthani Government is probably cottoning on to benefits of the tourist dollar.
On the night by myself, I went to the Raj Mindar, a famous Hindi film cinema. Architecturally, it is gaudi as buggerey. I could not help but be amused by the fact that they did not serve chai tea inside - just expresso coffee! What the?
I got a little bored of Jaipur after three days and caught the bus to Pushkar, a hippy touristy place, famous for its lake and ghats and general beautiful surroundings. Hindu pilgrims come here to bathe in the lake. I loved it. Could not have been happier. I caught local buses to get there (cheap as chips) and was the only non-Indian on the bus. However, I recommend that you get a taxi to pick you up from the local bus stop - traveling on the back of a motorbike with a heavy backpack on you back and a smaller backpack on your front through windy streets is a sure way to void your travel insurance!
I got up early to climb a nearby mountain with the Savitri temple atop (thanks Lonely Planet - one hour? bullshit, make it two!), blocking out my lack of sleep headache caused by an Israeli couple arguing about something next door (probably money) and a Spanish couple on the other side, I had earlier shared a 'herbal refreshment', doing the horizontal salsa in a rather loud fashion. You pay 100 rupee a room ($A3), you pay the price...
In fairness to Lonely Planet, my route to Savatri was not straight forward. Large dogs guarding the makeshift cafes near the bottom of the mountain snarled and took swipes at my legs, causing me to backtrack and bush-bash around them. The fear of rabies was not lost on me.
The view was spectacular as the sun rose over the lake and nearby snake mountain. Treasured moment. Pushkar is way cool! After breakfast and hot water (the hotel was okay, I had to wait a ridiculous amount of time [Indian time] to get breakfast and hot water) I had to make my way back to Jaipur to catch the 2pm train to Mumbai. I got a taxi to nearby Ajmer and got on the next bus to Jaipur, hoping the bus took its stated two and a half hours to get there. Luckily it did and I got on the train to Mumbai with a little over ten minutes to spare. Not up there with my best time management, but I got on the train!
