Day 7 and 8: Monkeys and Pigeons

Day 7

This morning is our first lay in of the trip and it's bliss. We only sleep in till 9 but that extra hour recharges us after our first full on week in India. For all its noise when we first arrived, the hotel room is actually really quiet at night and it's only at about 7am the honking and drumming starts up again. 

We are on our own this morning and the first part of today's programme is the City Palace, a huge building we can see from the window in our room. But first stop, as nothing is free, is off to an ATM where we find out we have no money on our credit card, ah. Luckily we have 100 (£1) rupees in our pocket so we settle for a couple of parattha's for some brain food and managed to work out a plan involving several bank accounts and a couple of emails to the UK and it's sorted but it means we've missed out on a morning exploring. 

Harpel picks us up at at 1pm for another day guide free and we start off at a monument on a top of a hill which great views of the city. There is also a bunch of very cute puppies which we follow around for a bit, generally aww-ing at them. Next we are whisked off to the Ladies Garden inside the city which is where the queen and her ladies would go when it got too hot for them in the palace. I get proper garden envy at this place, with its beautiful fountains and pretty flowers and I could stay there forever. It's laid out in a grid system with each section full of colour and water and I can see why the ladies are so comfortable here.

We had heard from a passing tuk tuk that the monsoon palace was worth a visit so we persuade Harpel to take us, I couldn't understand his reluctance till we reached the base of it, it was a near vertical and his car struggles to climb the steep winding hills. But God it was worth it. The monsoon palace's purpose was to be a look out for the monsoon rain clouds so the city could be warned and it's views are spectacular, from all angles you can see an absolutely beautiful view from the city to the mountains behind it. It might be a bit difficult for a Sainsbury delivery man to get to but it would make quite a vista to wake up to each morning.

As we wander back to the car, we spot a family of monkeys who Ben takes a shine to, showing off his monkey prowess, they aren't impressed. 

We come back to the hotel and I gear myself up for another evening walk, determined to conquer my fear of the outside madness. Ben knows how to quell my worry though and gets me a map so I can feel a little less lost when we go out. A short stroll takes us to the lake behind the palace and we hit it just right with the sun setting behind the buildings in front of us. 

We carry on wandering as our tummies are rumbling at this point and find a great little restaurant on the water front with Indians playing cards out the front and back packers charging inside. I've got a bit of a thing for Thali's now so order up my special. I've never seen so much food and it's so cheap at £1.80 for the lot. 

My choice must be a good one as, as soon as it arrives, a group of Japanese tourists start frantically pointing at me, wanting the same. We've been out for about 2 hours at this point and as the darkness sets in my nerves are back so we wander our way to the hotel, getting caught up in the jam of traffic and people all trying to do the same.

Day 8

We are on the road again today, leaving the mountainous Udaipur with its strange smells and busy people to make our way to Pushkar for the last city on our trip before returning to Delhi. The drive consists of steep mountains roads and open country in India's ever changing landscape. 

We stopped off at one of Harpel's motorway choices and got to experience first hand how rude some tourists can be. One grumpy Chinese lady apparently couldn't get the perfect latte and decided it was the poor waiters fault and shouted and flayed at them. Once she had got her message across that she wasn't happy, she got out a packet mix, stirred it in to her cup and then sat with her head in her hands for the rest of the lunch, I don't think diva quite covers it.

The conversations have gotten a bit weird now we are at day 8 and I spend a good hour telling Ben about what I would want if I could have any super power (the short version, the ability to collect all rubbish, store it in a cloud network and then auction it off to people who want it) and Ben countered with narrating a monkey trying to get a ride off a goat.

Before we reach Pushkar we have to go through the very, very busy down of Ajmer, where, I'm surprised it didn't happen before, someone bumps into the back of Harpel's car, it was the slightest nudge but you would think someone had insulted his mother the look Harpel gave the driver as he got out. A couple of grumpy stares later we continue with a stoner silence.

The arrival in to Pushkar is typical of India, we get stopped by a group of men, nothing to do with the government Harpel chirpily tells us, who are asking for an unofficial tax to get into the city. Harpel pays and we drive into the serene and small town of Pushkar. Our hotel is about half a mile from the centre and so quiet that I couldn't believe we were still in the same country. Our hotel looked like a castle and after admiring the turrets, we wandered into the town to see what it's like and it's the first time on the trip I've actually wanted to walk.

Harpel has told us there are a few temples we should go and look at but as we are starting to feel a little temple-d out, we just wander instead and I test out my new found confidence with India streets. The first thing we find is the typical market full of beads, elephants and material all being pushed at you by eager salesmen but we walk on, head high and success, they leave us alone. In the centre of Pushkar is a huge holy lake, surrounded by several different gates which we wander through, having to be pretty forceful with the "flower sellers" as we go. "It's rude if you don't bless the lake, take them"

The scenery is beautiful and we sit for a while and take it all in. We've been out for about an hour when the combination of a lot of pigeons, hunger and the hawkers sends me over the edge again and we go back. My frustration at myself at is point is huge, why does the chaos panic me so much? I can feel it rising as soon as we leave the hotels and it just mounts. If there is one thing I want to combat on this trip, it's this.

Back at the hotel, I have my usual Thali and we are accompanied by a very bassy Indian wedding with bright lights and loud music, when one plug finally has too much and blows the whole power to the party, our hotel and all the places around is. They must be used to this as candles are swiftly given out and the dinner is still cooking on its gas stove. We eat up and get ready for going back to the beginning, Delhi.