2nd February 2015 – Home to Dubai (transit)

 

We had a pleasantly uneventful journey to Birmingham this morning and arrived with lots of time to spare which was just as well as the wheelchair service turned out to be one man and his wheelchair! The flight was also uneventful and we reached Dubai airspace on schedule but were then held in a holding pattern circling the airport (with at least 6 other aircraft visible) for something over an hour.  Our scheduled layover was four hours so we should still have had plenty of time to make the departure gate but the “Special Services team” at Dubai were playing the game they’ve invented called, “let’s get the passengers to their gate as late as possible without missing the flight”!!! Each time we’ve flown through Dubai it’s been the same but it’s such a big airport there is no way Graham could walk it so it’s something of a fait a compli.

 

 

3rd February 2015 – Dubai to New Delhi.

 

We arrived in a very misty, cool Delhi after a further 2 ½ hour flight and, this time, were met by a flock (or whatever the collective noun is) of wheelchairs.  What a difference a day makes.  We had an easy transit through immigration & customs, collected our bags and were met, as promised by a Rep. from Trailfinders.  It was only a 45 minute trip into the centre and our hotel and it wasn’t as death defying a drive as we’d expected (yes, we do know its early days).  We were able to check in to our hotel straight away which was great as we were both shattered.  After a few hours’ sleep and a refreshing shower we went in search of food and settled on a vegetable Kathi each in one of the hotel restaurants (rather like a hot vegetable wrap) and they were really, really nice, if a little spicy, but far too big.  Once we’d eaten we went for a short walk around the local area which turned out to be dominated by a huge Hockey stadium.  As there wasn’t much to see (mainly because we haven’t got our bearings yet) we made our way back to the hotel bar for a drink and as we’d eaten too much earlier decided to just have some snacks there (vegetable and cheese pakoras) which was a great idea but they were still too much.  The hotel itself is okay, probably about what we expected, a bit tatty on the outside but okay on the inside the only slight problem we’ve had is the electric shock I got when trying to unplug the hairdryer – I shan’t be doing that again, it can stay plugged in!  We’re going to have an early night tonight ready for a 9am pick up and a real insight into Delhi tomorrow.

 

 

4th February 2015 – Delhi.

 

We enjoyed a very good and varied breakfast this morning before being picked up for our tour of Delhi.  We were shown around by a very knowledgeable guide and started our visit at the Jama Masid Mosque, a huge open air mosque which is still used today.  Unfortunately Graham only got to see it from the outside as he wasn’t able to remove his shoes and still walk but I had a look around with our guide and got very, very cold feet in the process (note to self, take a pair of socks with you). From there it was on to the Red Fort, a huge complex built by the Moguls part of which is still used by the military.  We also visited the chaos which is Old Delhi, Raj Ghat – the cremation site of Mahatma Ghandi, A huge Hindu temple, a very tall freestanding tower and we finished off with a brief stop to see the Bahai Temple shaped like a lotus flower and lastly the Official residence of the President of India (who, by the way, held up the traffic for 20 minutes as the road was closed to let his cavalcade go past).  All in all it was a good day but with a lot of walking involved, Graham did really well but did draw the line at one or two of the climbs at the various sites.

 

I’d mentioned earlier in the day that I’d like to buy a Shalwa Kameez at some point during the trip and, surprise surprise, our guide knew just the place I should go.  He offered to take us there but as he isn’t allowed to take clients out on unscheduled trips in the company vehicle he rang his friend who works for the Government and asked him to drive over so we went shopping that way.  The store he took us to was huge, with every type of clothing and material you can imagine and, to cut a long story short, I got just what I wanted.

 

The traffic today was, errr, interesting.  It seems that normal rules do exist but are largely ignored by everyone, in places a 3 lane highway turned into an 8 lane highway as that was how many vehicles fitted across it.  There are roundabouts in places too but no one seems to stop and everyone seems to have right of way.  I don’t think I’d want to drive here and I did feel for the learner driver we saw, I can’t imagine a worse place to learn.

 

It has been quite cool and very misty for much of the day although we did see the sun briefly around lunchtime.

 

 

5th February 2015 – Delhi to Mandawa.

 

We left our hotel at 08:15 this morning and headed out into the Delhi rush hour (just as bad as yesterday) and slowly made our way South West to Mandawa.  Initially the roads were rather like very congested motorways but we soon left those and made our way through lots of small bustling towns full of people, cars and a variety of animals.  For the most part the road surfaces were pretty awful and there was one particular section where there was just a single lane of tarmac on a two lane road, that was fun!  The journey should have taken around 6 hours but we had a half hour break for lunch (very nice) and our driver got slightly mislaid (they’ve added a new road since he came this way last) so we didn’t arrive at our hotel until around 3pm.  The hotel is extraordinary, it’s an old Castle built in the 1700’s part of which has been restored and turned into a hotel, I’m just hoping the photos I’ve taken do it justice.  The room we have is enormous and the bathroom even bigger, it’s all marble floors and carved wooden furniture, the only slight issue is that as it’s an old stone castle it’s a bit on the chilly side but you can’t have everything.

 

There was a tour included in our itinerary for this afternoon which the local guide said was a walking tour lasting around 1 ½ hours but, once we explained Graham’s problem he arranged for the driver to pick us up and drive us around to most of the sites.  The tour of Mandawa is designed to show off the Haveli’s (Painted houses) and they are worth a look; some of the paintings have been restored and others not, some of the Havelis have been turned into hotels and others are still lived in.  The town itself is probably more what I expected of India, pretty grubby and a bit on the smelly side but certainly an interesting place to visit. 

 

Once again our guide offered to take us to a shop he knew, one where they designed and made fabrics, pashminas etc.  We said we’d go and ended up spending again (after some good haggling) as we saw some cushion covers we wanted and these were on our list to buy whilst in India.  In a second shop we visited we tested our bartering skills again and I got a very nice pashmina which I suspect I’ll be using tonight if the restaurant is the same temperature as this room!

 

Once we left Delhi behind (which was still cool & misty) we drove into some very pleasant warm sunshine – here’s hoping for more of the same.

 

 

6th February 2015 – Mandawa to Bikaner.

 

We had another interesting drive this morning.  We left Mandawa at around 8:30 and spent the first hour of our journey on mostly unmade roads (they may have had some tarmac on them once but not anymore).  When we eventually joined the main road it was a bit of a building site with sections of road works, bits of good dual carriageway which had traffic travelling in both directions on either side and a multitude of different beasts wandering across it.  After a brief refreshment stop we reached Bikaner at around 12:30 and were met at the entrance to our hotel by the Royal Security Guards; we were aware that the hotel formed part of a palace complex but hadn’t realised that members of the Royal Family still live in another part.  Once we reached the entrance to the hotel itself we found that we were being showered with flower petals and serenaded as we made our way into the hotel. The hotel, the Laxmi Niwas Palace, is again beautiful and we have another huge room with a four poster bed, its own balcony etc. etc., it seems we made a good decision going for the Heritage Hotels, they may cost a bit more but it’s definitely worth it.

 

We had lunch outside in the inner courtyard before being picked up for our afternoon tour.  Our first port of call was the Fort which is a huge very ornately decorated building and we spent the best part of two hours exploring that before making our way out to a Government run Camel Farm and research facility (researching cures for disease, genetics testing etc.) we then had the obligatory visit to a craft shop (didn’t buy anything) and an art studio where they specialise in miniature paintings.  The work the artists do is incredible and the artist we spoke to has an entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the most intricate miniature painting, he showed us the painting and it is not much bigger than a large postage stamp but has something like 2000 ‘objects’ on it (30 birds, 150 flowers etc.), he also made a miniature painting on one of my finger nails, it’s a shame in a way that it will wash off!  We then made one final stop to see the memorial area for past Royals before heading back to the hotel.

 

We are booked in to the ‘Specialty’ restaurant this evening which looks like it might be expensive but hey ho, we’re not likely to come here again (and it will make up for last night’s meal which was pretty bland having been tailored too much to the tourist pallet), there is also some sort of entertainment at the poolside this evening so we may well go and see what that’s about too.

The weather has been great today too, sunny and quite chilly this morning but getting decidedly hot by this afternoon, no complaints there.

 

 

7th February 2015 – Bikaner to Jaisalmer.

 

Last evening’s entertainment was very pleasant, we were seated at the edge of the swimming pool and there was a band and two very pretty dancers to entertain us whilst we watched the bats dipping into the pool.  We even tried some Indian wine which was surprisingly pleasant if a little on the expensive side.  We had dinner in the ‘specialty’ a la carte restaurant it was all very pleasant and nicely presented too with the Executive chef visiting each table to see if the customers were happy. Breakfast was also very well done, very varied and much of it freshly cooked.

 

We’ve had a long, hot & sunny drive today, around 330kms, and for the most part it was a fairly uninteresting journey as we were driving through Desert scrubland for the best part of 6 hours.  The only things of note along the way were the huge herd of camels we saw and the enormous military training camp and army base which is quite close to Jaisalmer and forms a part of their defence against attacks from Pakistan (we are only 80kms or so from the border).

 

This hotel (The Rajwada Palace) is a smaller, modern replica of the Laxmi Niwas but the room is still pleasant enough if not quite to the same standard.  We haven’t had much of a chance to have a look around yet so will reserve judgment until we’ve been here over night.  The one thing I did notice though is that hot water is restricted to certain times of the day but we are in a desert after all.

 

 

8th February 2015 – Jaisalmer

 

We were met by our guide, Kamal, at 09:00 this morning and driven to the edge of town (our hotel is a bit out of town alongside one or two others), our first stop was a manmade lake which, until 1964 provided all of the water for the town. As there is no other water source in the vicinity it was also used as the sacred place for bathing etc.  From there we drove to Jaisalmer Fort which is effectively a walled city which is still occupied by quite a few thousand people, two of them being Kamal and his wife.  The Fort is full of very narrow alleyways, small shops and houses and a number of very ornate Havelis and temples.  During our visit we were invited to take tea at Kamal’s house where we met his wife who made us some Chai from scratch (crushing the Cardamom, Black pepper etc. etc.) and very pleasant it was too.  Kamal had told us that one of the specialities of the area was fabrics so we mentioned that we were interested in buying a tablecloth.  Naturally he knew just the place where we could buy one and, after looking at quite a few we did invest in one, all we need now is some napkins to go with it.  There was a lot of walking involved in this morning’s visit and Graham coped admirably but when we realised there was another walk up a slope to where our driver was parked we decided to take a Tuk Tuk, another interesting journey avoiding the cows, pigs, dogs etc.  From there it was a short drive back to our hotel and another very pleasant lunch which we took by the pool in the warm sunshine.

 

We were collected again at 16:45 and drove a further 45kms towards the Pakistan border to the edge of the Thar Desert where we took a camel cart ride up into the dunes to watch the sunset.  Unfortunately it has been fairly windy today (cold to start, then pleasantly warm but windy) so there was quite a bit of sand/dust blowing around which obscured the sunset somewhat.  Before we set out we had asked Kamal if he could recommend a local restaurant (one which isn’t full of tourists) so that we could try a real Indian meal and he obliged by dropping us off at what appeared to be a very popular vegetarian restaurant where we tried the Rhajistani Thali which was interesting even if we didn’t know what half of it was !  Our driver then brought us back to the hotel where we finished off the evening by trying two of the local liquors which, incidentally cost us twice as much as the meal (2 Thali consisting of 9 dishes and three breads each and two Cokes was around £6).

 

 

9th February 2015 – Jaisalmer to Osian Camel Camp.

 

The first part of today’s drive took us back along the route we’d followed to get to Jaisalmer so, once again, there wasn’t much to see. We then turned (after first overshooting the junction by about 5 miles and having to turn back) towards the South East where the countryside got a little greener, but only a little.  Once we’d reached the town of Osian we were dropped off so that we could take a self-guided tour of the Temple but, as it was up lots of steps and there was the usual problem of having to remove shoes, Graham stayed outside and guarded the shoes whilst I went up with Heather & Ian who are also on a Trailfinders tour and who we’ve been seeing frequently along the way.  Once we’d had a quick look around we returned to the car for the short drive to the camp where we got on to a Camel carriage to take us along the Camel race track and up to the property (which was a bit odd really as we were overtaken by our cars en-route).  It is a big sprawling camp with lots of different seating areas, patios, a very nice swimming pool and only 4 guests, yes, really there are only the 4 of us staying tonight and they’ve still laid on the musicians/dancers for this evening!!  The tent we’re in isn’t really a tent; well it is but it’s inside a thatched ‘shed’ and it has an en-suite, a slightly odd en-suite but perfectly usable.

 

 

10th February 2015 – Osian to Jodhpur.

 

We decided to deviate slightly from the original itinerary today as we had a massive 60kms to cover to get to Jodhpur and we were supposed to check-in to our hotel and go on a City tour ‘Later’.  Instead we decided (along with our driver etc.) that it would be sensible to do the City tour first as we were unlikely to be able to check in at 10:30 in the morning.  We met our local guide on the edge of town and made our way to the Mehrangh Fort for a very informative visit and where, once again Graham did remarkably well as there were steps everywhere.  Our next port of call was the Jaswant Thaada a marble Memorial to one of the Maharajah’s and it was then on further in to the City and a lunch stop which although pleasant wasn’t what we had asked for; we had asked to go to a locals restaurant away from all the tourists but there were more white faces than brown in there (including a bunch of Australian women eating pizza and chips and drinking imported lager – what is wrong with some people?). We then moved on to the Sadar Market which was pandemonium with people, Tuk Tuk’s and motorcycles everywhere.  This is the only place so far that the people have been pushing and shoving to get past so it’s certainly not my favourite town.  Out hotel is, once again, a historic palace converted to a hotel and on arrival we were told that we had been upgraded to a suite so that we could be on the ground floor and close to reception, very thoughtful.  We have had a brief look around and it all looks very pleasant but feels a lot more enclosed than some of the others we’ve stayed in.  We have a free day tomorrow here in Jodhpur so we may get our driver to take us somewhere we may not, we’ll see how we feel.

 

 

11th February 2015 – Jodhpur.

 

We had a slightly lazy start this morning and had our driver pick us up at 11:00 to take us to a few sites we had been told about.  The first was the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the home of the current Maharajah of Jodhpur, which is part Royal residence, part museum and part Hotel.  We had a look around the museum, the classic car collection and part of the gardens before moving on to the Marwar Gardens which we had been told were worth a look.  We were dropped at the gate and took a mostly leisurely walk (there were quite few beggars to contend with) to have a look at the temple and wall carvings.  We then returned to the Hotel for a light lunch before walking out to the local shopping centre to see what was on offer. On our way out the doorman (who, incidentally sports an amazing moustache) told us that the next entrance along was that to the Royal residence and he offered to show us inside, as it would have been rude to refuse, we went in to see some of the Maharajah’s hunting trophies and the inner courtyard, very interesting (although we could have done without the stuffed animals).  I have been trying to buy a Kurti (a shirt/dress) but an inexpensive one and saw a few potentials in the shopping centre next door but none in my size, a short walk in the other direction brought me to another shop with quite a good selection but, again, none that I liked in my size.  As we are intending going out to eat I’ve arranged with the shop that they will bring some more in in my size for me to see this evening so with a bit of luck I’ll get what I want this time.   Earlier this afternoon we were sat on one of the patios having a drink and minding our own business when we realised we were being showered with feathers and it turned out that they were being discarded by what I believe was a sparrow hawk sat in the tree above devouring a smaller bird, thankfully it kept all the gory bits to itself!

 

 

12th February 2015 – Jodhpur to Rohet Garh.

 

We had a massive journey of 40kms this morning so were a little surprised when our driver said he would pick us up at 9:00am but we went along with it as we understood there was something to see on the way.  As it turns out we arrived at our hotel at around 10:00 just as last night’s guests were checking out and were met by the Hotel General Manager who after offering Graham a wheelchair (they’d obviously got a slightly skewed message re his disability/needs) showed us around this very impressive converted fort and then to our room which is another stunning one with a view of the lake behind the property.  Once we’d settled in we took a walk into the town of Rohet which is pretty small and much more like we expected India to be (open fronted shops, open drains and very, very friendly people).  Once back at the property we had a light lunch and started to prepare ourselves for this afternoon’s Jeep safari to some local Bishnoi villages.  We were picked up at 3:30pm in a fairly rickety jeep and I wasn’t at my most elegant as the back door didn’t work and I had to clamber in over the tailgate, thankfully Graham was able to get in the front.  We were driven a few kilometres out into the brush where we stopped at the home of a Bishnoi (A Hindu Sect) elder and 4 generations of his family and we were greeted by a group of ladies who were absolutely fascinated by Graham’s artificial leg, partly because one of their son’s has just ‘lost’ part of one of his legs so there were lots of questions being asked and answered.  We also met the Patriarch of the family and had a look around their settlement before moving on to another, more developed village where we were shown inside a more up to date (by their standards) home.  Our next stop was to see an Opium ceremony (something we could have done without) before we moved on into the countryside to see some Black Buck Antelope.  Finally we made a stop at the home of a Potter who, using a hand propelled wheel, made 4 different items within about 15 minutes whilst we watched him work.  Once back at the hotel we called in at the very pleasant bar for a drink before dinner and were also shown into the main lounge of the property where a number of their ‘old’ items of furniture and photographs are; they seem to be very proud of their property and rightly so. 

 

 

13th February 2015 – Rohet to Udaipur.

 

We left a 10:00 this morning and were expecting a 4 hour drive along mostly main roads but it turns out that there had been an addition to our itinerary which entailed leaving the main roads and heading for the hills (much nicer).  The plan was that we would visit the Jain temple at Ranakpur only there was a slight problem as you can’t enter with shoes on or with anything made from leather and as Graham can’t walk without shoes on that counted him out.  I thought I’d go and have a look on my own, but that attempt failed too as they wouldn’t sell me a ticket as I had ¾ length trousers on.  I mentioned this to our driver and he seemed puzzled but I wasn’t too concerned at seeing inside so we didn’t query it, however, I met another lady later in the day who had been allowed in wearing very similar attire so I’m not sure what was going on there.

 

From there we drove on into Udaipur through the new part of the city and in to the old.  The old part has some incredibly narrow streets and it was havoc trying to get 2, 3 and 4 wheeled vehicles through at the same time as no one here seems to understand the give way principals.  Our hotel is another converted Palace and again very nice.  We had the same slight confusion over Graham’s need for a wheelchair but no matter, we have another really nice room overlooking the lake (in fact it’s right outside the window, couldn’t get much closer without getting wet).  We had a light(ish) lunch overlooking the lake and then went for a short walk into the old town but gave up fairly quickly as you couldn’t get past the traffic which was at a standstill.  On our way back we passed a tailors shop which had some very nice Kurti outside so I went in to take a look and after some deliberation found one I liked but, once again not in the right size “no matter” says the owner “come back in a hour and I’ll have one made for you !!”.   As it was, after some further discussions, I went back two hours later and picked up the Kurti and the trousers he had made me, not bad for around £22. 

 

 

14th February 2015 – Udaipur.

 

We were collected at 09:30 this morning for a half day tour of the City.  Having been driven a short way down into the City we were dropped off outside a very large temple which, once again Graham couldn’t visit so he sat and waited whilst I went inside with the guide. This turned out to be one of the more interesting temple visits as there was a ceremony going on with lots of ladies playing finger cymbals and someone else ringing a very loud bell.  From there we walked what was, thankfully, a fairly short distance to the Palace and despite it not being very far it was a difficult walk as the streets are very narrow, there are open drains at the side of the roads and no one wants to give way to anyone else.  The Palace turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for Graham as the stairways were steep, narrow and full of people so he sat out most of the tour which was a shame but the most sensible option.  From my perspective it was worth a visit but not as nice as some of the others we’ve seen and there were far too many people visiting at once for my liking (lots of families all queuing up to have their photographs taken at every single point of interest – aarggh!).  After the Palace we took a short walk to the lake side where we picked up our boat for a trip around the lake.  We had a 24 seater boat all to ourselves which was very pleasant after the crush of the Palace.  The boat trip included a short stop on one of the island palaces (this particular one is where the James Bond film ‘Octopussy’ was filmed if you remember) where we had a light lunch and a very interesting conversation about life in India with our guide.  Another reason the boat ride as so pleasant was the relief it provided from the heat, it’s been up to about 32C today.  After a short car ride around the new part of the City it was back to the hotel for a short break before heading back out in to town where we visited the same tailors where my suit was made yesterday (it fits really well and was better made than I had expected) and Graham has now been measured up for a pair of lightweight trousers which I will be collecting at 08:30 tomorrow morning (I could definitely get used to this sort of service).  This evening we are going out to eat at a restaurant recommended by our guide who tells us that the restaurant he has booked for us has some of the best Indian food you can get. I’ll let you know if he was right !

 

 

15th February 2015 – Udaipur to Deogarh.

 

I’m not sure we’d agree about last night’s restaurant providing the best of Indian food, it was perfectly alright but we’ve had better.  The nicest thing about the evening was that we were to only white faces in the restaurant and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful, in fact when we told the waiter what we wanted to eat he said “you don’t want that, it’s not nice” and then proceeded to give us his opinion on what we should order which we were happy for him to do (if anyone had said we’d be ordering a tomato & sweetcorn curry I wouldn’t have believed them but it was really nice).

 

This morning’s journey was only around 150km but was dogged by major road works and diversions.  Even when we did find a completed bit of the dual carriageway they’re building we had to contend with traffic driving in both directions on both carriageways.  We also got caught up in a number of wedding processions along the way.  We arrived at our hotel at 12:30 and were once again offered a wheelchair which would have been absolutely useless in the room they’ve given us.  It’s another historic building but this one is not in quite such good condition (think Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but clean) and the “special” room they’d kept for us has a very large lounge area and bedroom at one end and bathroom at the other which isn’t ideal for Graham as the lounge area is around 30’ across and each room has a step up and over plus the doors are very low.  It appears they saved this room for us as it has all original paintings on the walls and it’s close to the (ancient) elevator which is good of them but its miles from anything else, oh well it’s only for one night. 

 

We went for a short walk into the town this afternoon and it appears that, once again, we’re the only tourists to brave it.  I really don’t know what people are worried about as the locals were nothing if not friendly and the hotel has an agreement with them that they won’t hassle the tourists and in exchange they employ around 85% of their staff from the village.  We also spent an hour or so sat by the swimming pool watching a number of interesting birds (the feathered kind) and chatting to a few other guests.  We are something of a captive audience here tonight so we will be seeing another music and dance show before heading down the stairs, up the stairs and back down again to get to the restaurant.

 

 

16th February 2015 Deogarh to Jaipur.

 

We had a 5 hour drive (with a couple of stops) across country to Jaipur today and it’s been a relatively uneventful journey with just the usual traffic chaos in places.  We are now ensconced in another Historic hotel which is part occupied by the current Maharaja of Jaipur and very nice it is too.  There are lots of very ornate paintings around the place some of which are currently being restored as we sit here.  We will shortly being going up to the rooftop restaurant for dinner and (yet another) dance show but to get there we have to be escorted.  Most people have to use the stairs but we have been offered the use of an elevator which runs through the Maharajah’s quarters, not sure if he’s at home or not but I guess they can’t take any chances.

 

 

17th February 2015 – Jaipur.

 

When they said that we’d be using an elevator that went through the Maharajah’s quarters to get to the restaurant we didn’t realise they meant we’d be walking through one of his sitting rooms (which, incidentally was beautiful) but that’s exactly what we did and our chaperone had to make sure the room was clear before we could go through.  We had a very pleasant dinner and were then escorted back the same way which meant disturbing one of the family members so, this evening we’re going to walk up.

 

We’ve had a very busy day today.  First we drove to see the Palace of the Winds which is actually only a façade so is just a picture stop.  We then drove on to the Amber Palace where we picked up our transport to the top i.e. an Elephant; it wasn’t the most comfortable journey but certainly different.  The Palace was well worth a visit and, thankfully, less crowded than the one at Udaipur.  Our next stop was another brief one for a snapshot of the Palace on the Lake which, although currently empty, is scheduled to be turned in to a hotel.  Next was the Observatory which was fascinating and, amongst other things, has the largest sundial in the world (accurate to two seconds).  After a stop for lunch we moved on to the Jaipur City Palace which was, again, worth a visit and not too big to cope with at least, that is, until we left the palace and found ourselves surrounded by a busload of students who all wanted their photos taken with us which was all a bit odd really (it seems they come from a small town and most hadn’t seen Europeans before).  Our final stop was to a jewellery factory where we were shown the process of cutting, polishing and setting precious and semi-precious stones before we hit the salesroom.  They had some absolutely beautiful jewellery on offer and I was sorely tempted by a sapphire & diamond ring but as it wasn’t quite what I wanted we left without it (which is probably just as well). 

 

 

18th February 2015 – Jaipur to Agra.

 

It was foggy when we left at 08:00 this morning and stayed that way for the first 2 hours or so of our journey which meant that there wasn’t a great deal to see.  We made one short stop along the way before picking up our guide at Fatehpur Sikri the early capital of the region which was abandoned after only 12 years because of a shortage of water.  Much of it is still being restored but what was there was well worth the visit.  From there we made a stop for lunch (unfortunately at a place overrun by coach parties) before driving on to Agra and checking in to our hotel.  This one is another historic building and definitely more ‘Marigold’ than many of the others we’ve stayed in, the room is okay if a little basic but it has everything we need; it’s also in a rather noisy part of town so I’m writing this to the serenade of the Indian car horn. We were picked up again shortly after checking in ready for our sunset tour of the Taj Mahal.  It took around 30 minutes to get to the parking area but when we did we found that the area the tour company usually uses was unavailable as there is a local festival going on so it meant a bit more of a walk to get on the electric bus that transfers visitors to the entrance to the Taj (motorised vehicles are banned to try to prevent damage from pollution).  After some security checks we walked through the very large courtyard and then the Main gate to see the world famous view of the Taj Mahal.  It was pretty busy but not uncomfortably so and we managed to get a number of reasonable photographs including (as near as we could manage) a picture of Graham which mimics the one of his Dad who visited here during the war years.  As it was quite a walk to reach the monument itself Graham decided to sit and take in the view whilst I walked down with the guide.  We have both said that Agra as a city isn’t up to much but it’s definitely worth coming just to see the Taj Mahal.  We made one more short stop at a workshop that specialises in marble inlay and there were some absolutely fabulous items on display but none that would have suited our house (which is just a well as they were quite pricey).   We’ve just had dinner at the hotel (nice but quite spicy) and will be having a fairly early night as we’re going to be up early to return to the Taj Mahal for sunrise.

 

 

19th February 2015 – Agra to Overnight train.

 

It was just as well we got up early this morning as there was already a queue to get in to the Taj Mahal when we arrived.  The security checks had a slightly different twist to them this morning as the local population of Rhesus Maquacs have learned that many of tourists coming to visit have their backpacks filled with tasty morsels that aren’t allowed in to the Taj (you can’t take in anything edible) so the security guards who confiscate the goodies throw them into a large bin which is then ransacked by the monkeys, which is fine except that they are climbing all over the canopies above the visitors and they aren’t exactly fussy where they take a poo !!  We didn’t spend a great deal of time at the Taj this morning, just long enough to see the different hues as the sun came up, we then returned to our hotel for breakfast before heading out again to see the Red Fort.  This was a relatively short visit too as around 85% of the complex is still occupied by the Army but, once again, it was worth the effort.  Once we’d seen the fort we had lunch at a very nice modern restaurant before being driven to another hotel to wait for our afternoon transfer to the Railway station, our first experience of Indian rail travel was certainly an experience!  Our train was originally scheduled to depart at 15:58 but had been delayed by around 30 minutes so it was nearer 16:30 when we left.  As this train service didn’t offer any First Class accommodation we had been booked on to the Second Class sleeper carriage which turned out to be pretty much what we expected i.e. one upper and one lower bunk separated from the rest of the carriage by a very iffy curtain.  The ‘beds’ turned out to be rather short and as Graham had no hope of lying down we decided to use the top bunk for luggage storage (there really wasn’t anywhere else to put it anyway), convert the lower bunk to two seats and sit up all night.  It wasn’t our best ever nights rest but it wasn’t really as back as we’d expected either; there were people coming through the train regularly selling all sorts of food & drinks, offering sheets & blankets and even the toilets weren’t as bad as we’d feared, not great but not as bad as they might have been.  We had been left to our own devises as far as making sure we got off at the right stop and although we had a timetable showing where we would be stopping none of the stations appeared to be lit so it was pretty much impossible to work out where you were, especially after you had dozed off for a while, but as we got fairy close we accosted some locals to check where we were and managed to get off at the right station. 

 

 

20th February 2015 – Overnight train to Bhandavgarh National Park.

 

We were met on the platform by a local driver who brought us across to our accommodation at Tigers Den which is just outside of the National Park. We are booked in to a cottage which although fairly basic is perfectly adequate and pretty much what we were anticipating (the power has only been out for 3 brief spells this evening).  Despite arriving so early (we were here by 07:30) we were able to check in to our room straight away so after a good breakfast we had a few hours’ sleep before taking a much needed shower and then taking a walk around.  All of our food is included whilst we’re here so we were soon eating again before heading out for our first Game Drive into the park.  We have been luckily enough to be able to arrange for a private tour i.e. just the two of us + driver and guide, it is costing us extra but is worth it for us as Graham isn’t able to sit in the back row of seats in the jeep and this had given us the extra room we need.  Getting him in to the Jeep was fun as there are no opening doors and we had to use a small step to climb up and over the side but he made it and when we returned to the camp the driver pulled up close to a low wall so that Graham could climb out on to that.  Our first trip in to the park was really interesting but, unfortunately we didn’t see any Tigers, plenty of monkeys, deer and birds but no Tigers.  Oh, well we’ve still got 5 more game drives before we leave so there’s still time.

 

 

21st February 2015 – Bhandavgarh National Park

 

We had tea and biscuits delivered to our room as a wakeup call this morning (at 5am) before heading back into the National Park for another attempt to see the Tigers.  Unfortunately despite seeing plenty of Tiger tracks we were unsuccessful at seeing any Cats but we did see plenty of other wildlife so it was still worth the trip despite the err, interesting toilet stop (three ‘cubicles’ with footplate toilets, no doors and no nothing else either – not nice.  It was then back to the Camp for breakfast, a much needed shower and a rest before going back again this afternoon.

 

This afternoon’s game drive also failed as far as seeing any Tigers goes.  Once again we saw tracks including some very fresh ones heading in the same direction as us so we held on very tight and took a fairly hair raising drive to see if we could find it but to no avail.  Once we arrived back at the Camp we found that others who had gone into the park via a different gate had had some good sightings so we’ll keep our fingers crossed for tomorrow. 

 

 

22nd February 2015 – Bhandavgarh National Park

 

It’s been an interesting day today; it started out very much as yesterday with a wake up tea delivery and a 6am departure for, this time, a different zone of the Park.  We have had the same driver for every game drive but a different guide every time and we stopped along the way to complete the formalities (you have to have a pass to get in to the Park and have your passport checked each time you enter) and to pick up this morning’s guide.  The entrance for zone 2 is quite a bit further than the main entrance so it took a little while to get there but we were still quite close to the front of the queue to get in.  Once in the Park we had a fairly brief drive around before our guide told us that there were two Tigers in the thick bamboo stand close by so we decided to sit and see if they would show themselves but they chose not to as they had other things on their mind.  Despite not seeing them we certainly heard them as they were having what we were told was a post coital ‘tiff’.  The noise was phenomenal with both a male and female sounding as though they were trying to rip one another’s throats out, it was really quite a scary sound particularly as they seemed to be only yards away.  At one point we could hear both their roaring and their movements in the bamboo but we still couldn’t see them despite having sat there for over 2 hours.

 

After a return to camp and another very good breakfast we went back to our room to freshen up before taking a stroll in to the local village which is very small and very friendly.  We did a little souvenir shopping and returned in time for lunch (yes, more food) before heading out for our second safari of the day.  This time we returned to zone 2 and, with the assistance of another guide, did a quick recce. for any signs of Tigers before taking up a similar position to this mornings as both the driver and guide were convinced that the Tigers were still there as there were no signs of fresh tracks on the road to be seen. A further 2 hours or so later we started to hear roaring again but this time just from one Tiger and it sounded a bit further away so our driver started the jeep and took us a little further down the track.  It was as we were slowly making our way along with no other vehicles in sight that I looked to my right and spotted a very large male Tiger in the undergrowth.  I shouted (fairly quietly) to the driver to stop and he managed to back up to a point where we could see the Tiger making his way through the bamboo, it wasn’t the clearest view but a great one none the less.  Shortly after we first saw him he sat and settled himself in a pretty awkward place for me to take photos but I did manage to get one or two before a bunch of other jeeps arrived and started muscling their way in (some even drove right in front of us and stopped which was pretty damn rude) but our driver managed to position us as best he could so we could see him for a while before the sound of so many vehicles got too much for him and he started to move off, which is not surprising really.  We had also heard another Tiger in the vicinity, probably the other one we heard this morning, but we didn’t manage to see her this time.  Tomorrow our driver is suggesting that we return to the same place as these two Tigers seem to be frequenting this area quite regularly, so with a bit of luck we’ll see one or both of them on our last safari before we leave the Park.

 

 

23rd February 2015 – Bhandavgarh to Khajuraho.

 

We made out last trip into the National Park this morning and although we heard a Tiger roaring (somewhat further away than yesterday) we didn’t manage another sighting but, there again, neither did anyone else anywhere in the Park.  After a quick shower back at the camp we were packed and on our way.  Unfortunately the driver who collected us spoke no English at all and we encountered a bit of an issue when we asked to stop to use the washroom en-route.  It was 6 hour drive in total and although we had been assured (by the local agent who arranged the pick up) that there was a toilet break along the way when we asked the driver to stop we were told that there was only an ‘open’ toilet i.e. a ditch at the side of the road in a village somewhere.  As I was already attracting attention (being European and fair haired) I declined the use of these ‘facilities’ and told him I needed him to find somewhere with a toilet.  After a couple of telephone conversations with his company who also said there was no toilet available and that we would be better off using the jungle we spotted a petrol station with a sign advertising toilets so told the driver quite firmly that he should stop, he did and although they weren’t the best toilet facilities we’ve used it certainly beat using a ditch at the side of the road.  The rest of the journey was also a bit of a drag as the road was awful and the driving not much better so we finally arrived at our hotel at around 6pm feeling a bit worse for wear.  This one is a modern hotel (a Radisson) and although it is supposed to be a 4* it isn’t a patch on most of the others we’ve stayed in largely because every inch of it echoes and the only restaurant was so incredibly noisy that we chose to eat in the bar which wasn’t entirely comfortable but served a purpose.  I’m now sitting in our room listening to a cacophony of sounds from the bar/reception area, I just hope it dies down soon.

 

 

24th February 2015 – Khajuraho to Varanasi.

 

We were up reasonably early again this morning as we were being picked up at 08:30 for a tour of the temples which Khajuraho is famous for.  Unfortunately it turned out to be rather a rush as the breakfast arrangements were complete chaos, there appeared to be only one poor man running around trying to clear tables, get everyone seated and serve teas etc., it also seemed that everyone had gone for breakfast at the same time which didn’t help.  We managed to meet our tour guide on time and drove the short distance to the first set of temples which were well worth the visit and although Graham didn’t go inside he was able to get a good view of the temples as they are in a very pretty park. The second set of temples was less impressive but still worth seeing as they provided an insight into the different sects (Jainism etc) and we were able to get some sensible answers from the guide regarding the Hindu belief system.

 

After our tour we returned to the hotel in time to pack our last few bits and check out before heading to the airport for our first internal flight (with Jet Airways).  All went smoothly at the airport and within a short time we were on-board and heading for Varanasi and in an even shorter time we were on our way back down again (it was a 35 minute flight) but despite this the cabin crew managed to serve everyone with a complimentary sandwich and bottle of water – quite impressive really within the 25 minutes or so that they had.  We were collected at the airport and drove for approx. 45 minutes to get to the hotel which is in the business district rather than close to the River and the Ghats.  Having settled ourselves in, sorted some laundry etc. we decided to go and check out a few shops we had seen across the street but as we left the hotel the doorman told us of a shopping mall just a few minutes away which he said offered better shopping.  It took us around 10 minutes to get to the mall only  to discover it really wasn’t what we wanted, it had a McDonalds and a Pizza Hut and we had wanted to find some Indian shops.  On the way back we took one of the side streets next to the hotel where we’d seen the shops earlier, they were much more what we wanted but as it was, by now, getting dark we decided to leave it until tomorrow to have a proper look.  One thing we did do on our way back was to call in at the local motorcycle dealers which seemed to throw the staff somewhat especially when I asked to sit on one of the bikes, that certainly turned a few heads !! 

 

 

25th February 2015 – Varanasi.

 

We had another early start this morning as we were due to see the sunrise over the Ganges whilst taking a boat trip on the river.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided that that wasn’t to happen as there was a thick mist which stopped us seeing much of anything, it did start to clear as we left the riverside but it has stayed murky just about all day. Once we left the boat (which was a rather dilapidated row boat) we were ‘treated’ to the delights of a walk through the old City.  I can honestly say we have never seen a dirtier City anywhere on our travels.  The ashes from the funeral pyres which lined the river didn’t help but the worst of it was the abundance of faeces, both animal and human, which we had to pick our way through to get anywhere, the dead rats, rubbish and wall to wall stray dogs didn’t help either. 

 

After a return to the hotel for a spruce up and breakfast we hit the newer part of town to view some of the many temples and the enormous university campus they have on the outskirts.  One further stop we made was to a silk factory which we had expected to be yet another friend of the guide who was going to try the hard sell but it turned out to be a very interesting visit as they still make some of their fabrics using the original two man hand loom which was absolutely fascinating to see. After another short break we decided to take a walk to the shops further down the street next to the hotel which didn’t take as long as expected as we fairly quickly came to a dead end.  There were one or two interesting shops though so a little more money was pumped into the local economy.  We now have a few hours to spare and some time for a well-earned rest methinks.

 

 

26th/27th February 2015 – Varanasi to Darjeeling via overnight train.

 

Our day started off okay with a leisurely breakfast and then a short tour of Sarnath a large Buddhist centre 15km or so from our hotel, after that we were due to be collected at 5pm to drive the 20kms to the train station for our overnight train. Now, the first thing to say here is that if anyone ever suggests that you use the overnight train from Varanasi to New Jalpaiguri to get to Darjeeling tell them to get lost !!   Initially we were told by the local Trans India rep. (who was decidedly strange and something of a pain in the butt) that the train had been delayed by 1 hour so our departure from the hotel was delayed a bit.  Once we were on our way he received a call from his office advising that the train was now at least 2 hours late so we called in at another hotel to sit and wait for a while.  We finally left at around 7pm for what should have been a 45 minute journey but which turned into a 1¼ hours including being driven the wrong way across a one way bridge which was interesting and not a little worrying.  Once we reached the station (Yuk!) the information board was showing a 3 hour delay and over the evening/night that finally notched up to 8 hours (which became 9 hours en-route) so we spent over 5 hours sitting on a tiled plinth on a ghastly station which was full of people, mosquitos, stray dogs and the occasional cow walking along the platform. Once the train finally arrived (at 1:30 in the morning) we boarded without any problem and found our ‘compartment’ which during the journey we shared with various Indian gentlemen, lots of beetles (not the singing kind) and at least two mice !!  The staff on the train also turned a blind eye to the beggars who boarded/left the train as it slowed and who, at times, were a pain.  We eventually arrived at New Jalpaiguri at around 5pm on the 27th and were met by our guide who said “I’m not even going to ask you how the train was, I know how it was”, he later told us that the local guides try whenever they can to dissuade the travel agents from putting people on that train as it is always delayed (the previous day it was a 12 hour delay) so we will definitely be feeding this back to our agent in the UK.

 

Once we’d arrived in New Jalpaiguri we still had another 3½ hour journey by car, it is only 90kms or so but the roads are very twisty and very slow, it was just a pity we couldn’t see the views along the way and that we were so tired, having had very little sleep, and hungry, as we hadn’t eaten properly, that it felt like a chore. Once we’d arrived at the hotel we just had time to eat and crash out as we have to be up really, really early to go to see the sunrise tomorrow.

 

 

28th February 2015 – Darjeeling.

 

We were up at 3:00 am this morning as we were being picked up at 4:30 and desperately needed a shower before leaving as we’d been just

too tired to bother last night. We managed to stay awake for the journey to the Tiger Hill, Hill station where there is a fabulous view of Kanchenjunga the third highest peak in the world.   The name apparently means Crystal Mountain and it is so called because of the way it changes colour with the sunrise.  It was pretty chilly up there at that time of the morning but it was well worth the cold and the early start as we had an almost uninterrupted view of the sunrise and the effect on the mountains.  From Tiger Hill we drove to the Ghoom Buddhist monastery to take a look and to learn a little more about Buddhism, it was then back to the hotel for breakfast before heading out again at 10:00 (who said this was a holiday?).  Our second trip out took us to the Himalayan Mountain Institute and Zoological gardens both of which were worth a visit (even if it did mean some steep slopes for Graham and a little breathlessness for both of us due to the altitude – 2100 metres).  It was then on to visit the Tibetan Refugee Self Help Centre which has been in existence since the 1950’s and where around 300 refugees still live and work in the old traditional ways.  After another return to the hotel for lunch we walked to the town square (lots of slopes again) to a tea tasting where we tried 6 of the locally grown teas before settling on a couple to buy.  We’re now back at the hotel, which by the way is another very nice Heritage Hotel this time from Colonial times where we even had hot water bottles placed in our beds, taking a much needed rest and contemplating the possible need for another early start (there is apparently the threat of some sort of transport strike tomorrow and we may have to try to get ahead of it by leaving at 05:30).

 

 

1st March 2015 – Darjeeling to Pelling.

 

We were given a bit of a reprieve this morning; we left at 07:30 which still meant getting up rather too early and having breakfast on our own (the hotel arranged a 07:00 breakfast for us when they usually don’t start serving until 07:30).  The reason we left early is because of a strike by the local taxi drivers who are protesting about the treatment they receive from the local police, they were due to meet in Darjeeling this morning and we were told there was a likelihood of road closures (and maybe some confrontation) so we needed to get away ahead of the meeting.  The drive this morning was only 76Kms but we were told to expect that to take 3½ hours or so as the roads were very steep, twisty and in some places bumpy and they were not wrong!  In large parts the road was dirt and in others very badly worn single track tarmac.   We spent the first part of the journey making our way slowly down the hill (I’m not allowed to call it a mountain even though that’s what it looks like to us) in to the bottom of the valley and the second part climbing back up the other side and into the province of Sikkim.  As we are now very close to the borders of both China and Tibet (as well as Bhutan) there are considered to be some security risks so we had to get permission from the local district judge to enter, this was done for us whilst we were in Darjeeling but we still had to stop at the border to have our papers checked.  We then continued upwards through a number of very interesting hillside villages and to our overnight stop which is another really pretty historic property perched right across the valley from Kanchenjunga, unfortunately it has been somewhat hazy all day so we don’t have a great view of the mountains at the moment but we’re told it should be better tomorrow morning.  After a brief stop for a very nice, very large lunch we were taken to visit the Tibetan Buddhist monastery which is almost next door to the hotel.  It is made up of a large group of buildings occupied by around 150 monks and which houses some stunning statues and artefacts (no photography was allowed inside so, sorry no pictures) the largest of which occupies a whole room on the third floor and which was well worth the visit.  After seeing the monastery we made a quick stop at the hotel to drop Graham off as our guide Kabir suggested the next part of our visit would not be suitable for him and he was absolutely right.  We went to visit the ruins of an ancient capital city called Rabdantse which entailed a fairly long, steep and in some places slippery walk through some woodland as well as a number of uneven steps, I was also starting to feel the effects of the altitude on the climb up. It made a very pleasant visit but I’m sure it would have been even nicer if we had been able to see the mountains behind the complex, oh well, never mind.  We are now sitting in the lovely lounge area of the hotel watching the rain which is supposed to be clear of here by morning, fingers crossed.

 

 

2nd March 2015 – Pelling to Gangtok.

 

Unfortunately the weather has not been on our side today, it has been raining steadily for most of the day so the views that we know were just outside our window have eluded us this time.   It did make for an interesting drive though, the roads which yesterday were narrow, twisty, steep and dusty were today narrow, twisty steep and slippery!! Not long after we left our hotel we came across a truck stuck in the mud which had apparently been there since yesterday afternoon and as they had been unable to remove it the locals had cut a section of roadside away so that smaller traffic could get through, there were however a number of trucks just sitting at the side of the road waiting to get through and it looked like they were going to be in for a long wait. Despite not being able to see a great deal en-route it was still a fairly pleasant if rather bumpy journey and Kabir, our guide was his usual informative self.  We arrived at tonight’s hotel in time for lunch and after we’d eaten I decided to do as Kabir had suggested and take a walk into town (he quite rightly said that it would not be a sensible walk for Graham so I went on my own).  As I left the hotel the security guard on the gate pointed me in the right direction but by the time I’d climbed the very long set of stairs to get to the street I was already puffing (which shows how unfit I am as we’re now only at 1600m) and that climb was followed by a long and in some parts very steep walk to get to the centre of town.  It turns out that this is definitely not a tourist town, there were no tourist tatt shops and I saw no other white faces at all which caused a bit of a stir with the local school children who were on their way home and who wanted to shake my hand!  Once I’d made the return walk I found Graham sitting in the rather plush hotel lounge trying to upload some photos on the laptop, so I joined him and ordered some tea.  Whilst we were relaxing there we were approached by a very pleasant couple who turned out to be the hotel owners Diamond & Nimmi Oberoi (they actually own this hotel and the previous two we’ve stayed in and appear to be part of the family who own the chain of very expensive Oberoi hotels) who asked us what we thought of their hotels, about our trip and gave us their contact details in case they can be of any help with future travel arrangements.  They have also given us the name of a gentleman to go and see at the hotel next door to ours whilst we’re in Calcutta (the Oberoi Grand) as this is owned by his cousin and they have suggested we should tell him Diamond sent us and that we would like to take tea there.  This was a most unexpected and pleasant interlude.  

 

 

3rd March 2015 – Gangtok.

 

The weather was kinder to us this morning, partly cloudy and not too cold, so we enjoyed some good views as we started our tour of the area (including of some fresh snow on the mountain tops which form the border with Tibet and which are only 50kms away).  Out first visit was to the Rumtek Monastery around 25Km away across the valley and a very pleasant drive it was too.  We arrived at the Monastery at a fortuitous moment as the Monks were just starting prayers, consequently we were treated to the sounds of their drum, trumpet and chanting which was quite hypnotic.  From there we moved on to a centre for Tibetology which, just as it sounds, provides information/teaching regarding Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism.  This included a small museum with a good number of artefacts which were rescued from Tibet when the Chinese destroyed the Temples there.  We then moved on again to a handicraft centre where local people are being taught the old, traditional methods of working.  Our final stop was then to the Enchey Monastery, the oldest in the area which although rather smaller than Rumtek was worth the visit as you could see some of the old and some of the new as part of it was destroyed in an earthquake in 2011 and has subsequently been rebuilt.  Originally the plan had been to visit some of these sites this afternoon but as the weather looked to be closing in again we decided to concentrate all of the sightseeing in to this morning, have a late lunch and then relax for the afternoon so we’re now fed and watered (Graham having tried a second Sikkimese beer, the first having been sampled at Pelling’) and settled into the Hotel lounge although, unfortunately, the internet isn’t working so we won’t be uploading any more photographs today.  

 

 

4th March 2015 – Gangtok to Kolkata.

 

Yesterday evening we were treated to a fairly spectacular sound and light show courtesy of Mother Nature. We were in the restaurant having dinner when we started to see lightening, then hear the thunder and finally the torrential rain started, as I say it was quite something.

We had another early start this morning as Kabir had told us that although the journey to Bagdogra airport is scheduled to last 5 hours it can sometimes take considerably longer.  As a result we were on the road by 07:30 and, as it turned out, we made easy progress through the area he thought might cause a problem (a few days before we arrived he and some other guests had been sat at some road works for two hours waiting for some recently blasted rocks to be moved) and we were within 10kms of the airport before everything came to a grinding halt.  It seems that someone had been given the task of felling a roadside tree and they had made a complete pig’s ear of it as it had fallen right in the road.  The Indian drivers then followed their usual pattern and, instead of trying to follow some sort of system, they drove up to the tree, made as many lanes across the road as they could and sat and blew their car horns!!  It took us almost an hour to over those last 10kms but we made it in plenty of time and had an uneventful journey to Kolkata even arriving a few minutes early after being served a sandwich and drinks on board.  We were met at the airport and driven to our hotel in the centre of the city.  We had been told by a number of people that Kolkata wasn’t very nice, full of slums and not a particularly safe city but from first impressions it doesn’t seem all that bad (time will tell), there certainly were quite a few people living on the streets and it is grubby but as the roads are wider and they have better public transport (Metro and Trams) there doesn’t seem to be quite the volume of traffic and certainly less livestock on the roads, although sitting here in the hotel room the sound of car horns below seems to suggest otherwise.  This time we are staying in a typical city hotel, okay but nothing special and it feels like a bit of a let-down after the properties we’ve got used to.

 

We have a half day tour of the city tomorrow but we are not being picked up until 2:30pm as the Holi festival (where everyone throws paint at one another) starts a day early here and most things in the city are closed in the morning so it looks as though we won’t be going too far as we don’t really want to get too involved in this particular event.  At least this will give us a chance to have a bit of a lie-in.

 

 

5th March 2015 – Kolkata.

 

Why is it when you don’t have to be up early you still wake up early (05:35)?  Despite waking early we still had a leisurely morning, breakfast followed by trying to sort the bags out for the flight home (not quite so relaxing) and then a short walk along the road to the Oberoi Grand for morning coffee.  Unfortunately Mr Sarkar the gentleman Diamond Oberoi had told us to ask for, was on holiday today but a very friendly young lady showed to the restaurant where we had coffee and cake.  When we were ready to leave we spoke to another young man and asked for the bill but were told that “it was taken care of”, once again, very unexpected and very welcome.

 

We were picked up at 2:30 by our local guide and driver and were warned that some of the sites we were due to visit could still be closed.  The first we tried to visit, St Andrew’s church, was indeed closed so we had a brief look at the outside before moving on to the Victoria Memorial Museum.  The museum building itself was still closed but the gardens were open so we had a very pleasant stroll through whilst hearing about the history of the place.  From there we drove through almost empty streets (which felt really, really odd this being India) to the banks of the Ganges to see the Howdah Bridge which is, apparently, the third largest in the world.  The river was by this time being used by many of the locals who were trying to remove the paint after this morning’s celebrations and it places the river was running a rather fetching shade of purple. As the traffic was so light and we had gained some time as a result of places being closed, we were taken on a rather longer drive around the City than is normal so we actually went across the Howdah Bridge, through many of the back streets to see some of the old Colonial Buildings and then on to visit a very opulent Jain Temple.  Next was a brief visit to Mother Theresa’s House which is still used as a training centre for novice Nuns and where Mother Theresa’s tomb is.  The last visit on our tour was to another Temple, this time a Krishna Temple.  It was then back to the hotel and another really, really nice Bengali meal (chosen for us by the waiter) and a fairly early night as we have to be up a 4am to leave for the airport.

 

 

6th March 2015 - Kolkata to Home.

 

We were picked up at 05:30 this morning and made the journey to the airport without incident as the traffic was, once again, almost non-existent because of the holiday.  The check-in wasn’t open when we  arrived so we sat and waited for signs of activity before joining the queue only to be told that we should have had our luggage scanned before we checked in so I joined the end of a very long queue to get this done before heading back to check in.  As we walked across to the check in desk I spotted a member of staff with an empty wheelchair and asked if we could get some help for Graham and without further ado Graham was seated and we were whisked along to the special services queue and on through security.  After some slight confusion over boarding times we were on board and ready for the off with a delay of around 30 minutes.  The flight was uneventful but when we reached Dubai we had the usual rubbish service from the ‘Special Services’ team, I won’t go in to all the boring details but suffice it to say I have been asked to make a formal complaint (as have a good number of others from various flights who were affected) in the hope that something gets done about it (yeah, right!).  We made the flight to Birmingham with a few minutes to spare (unlike a lady on the Heathrow flight where they actually had to hold the flight up to get her on board) and after a boring 7 ½ hour flight we were back on UK soil where we faced another fiasco with the wheelchair service.  The car we had booked was waiting for us and after another (thankfully) uneventful journey we arrived home at 9:30pm to find that Bob & Sue had very kindly left us some very welcome provisions. Thanks guys.