After Rathambore we set off for the far eastern corner of Rajasthan to Bundi (est. 1241) (photo above), a village well off the beaten track rarely visited by those on the classic 2-week Rajasthan tour. Most homes are painted blue as it is believed to keep mosquitoes away. Bundi is a haven of tranquility with no hustlers and hawkers chanting, "Please come see, looking is free".
Garh Palace described by Rudyard Kipling as the work of goblins, is one of the few examples of pure Rajput style. The exterior is astounding but sadly the once-glorious interior is falling apart.
However, if you search around there are some beautiful hand-painted murals in remarkably good condition as in this photo of Krishna and his worshippers.
Happy Diwali! We spend a night on a rooftop drinking beer and nibbling Indian sweets in celebration of Diwali with our driver, Pappu. Diwali is a huge country-wide Hindu celebration of light lasting for five days involving the giving of gifts and the lighting of fireworks. Sandi joins in, albeit pensively.
Then onto Bijaipur where we stay in a 16th-century castle. The castle has been inhabited by the same family since it was built. The present owner has made it into a magnificent heritage hotel with a fabulous pool. At $55/night including breakfast it's a real bargain. The agile 61-year old owner, Rao Saheb Navendra Singh, gives us a private yoga lesson at 7 a.m. on the rooftop. He is remarkably fit as he sits in the lotus position and stands on his head with ease while Tim walks funny the next day.
The goat herders are a common sight along the back country roads to Udaipur. The colourful turbans of Rajasthani men denote caste and status.
The famous Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur, known as the City of Sunrise, is often described as the most romantic city in India. We agree! Unfortunately our budget doesn't stretch to the required $800/night rate but those staying there don't get magical photos like ours, taken from the rooftop terrace of our $70/night hotel, the Raj Niwas, a converted haveli with just three rooms.
The Lake Palace Hotel by night.
A detail from the City Palace in Udaipur. The palace is adorned with 17th century mosaics and the worlds best crystal collection originally purchased from England in 1877 where we drooled over beds and chairs made entirely of crystal.
As we leave Udaipur we stop briefly at Kumbhalgarh Fort built in the 15th century—one of the most impressive sights Rajasthan has to offer. The impenetrable walls snake 22 miles along 13 mountain peaks making them the second longest unbroken walls after the Great Wall of China.
We walk through the tiny village of Narlai and are met by a family who thought Sandi would succumb to purchasing a piece of silver if they got her in the mood by dressing her up like a local.
A local woman from the village of Narlai. We'll post the final leg of our tour of Rajasthan in a few days. But now we're heading back for tea then a sumptuous buffet dinner at our fabulous heritage hotel, The Neemrana Fort-Palace before heading to Delhi tomorrow to catch the train to Amritsar.
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