Goa, Hampi and sore in Mysore

Posted on 26th October 201828th October 2018 by Andy

It was an early start, leaving the hotel at 05:00 to catch the 07:12 train to North Goa. There was a little contingency built into this time which was lucky as a few of our group got separated on the way to the station and were dropped off at a different entrance, but we met up shortly after following a frantic search.

The train was over 1km long and had several classes but fortunately our A1 carriage wasn’t at the other end of the platform. The train took 15 hours to reach North Goa and although it was a ‘day train’, there were bunk beds in our air conditioned carriage so I was able to catch up on some rest.

Surprisingly the train left on time, was smooth and wasn’t overcrowded which was all unexpected but it seemed that every 5 minutes, someone would walk down the carriage selling various food items from “chicken lollipops” to “mixed fruit” and “chai”. All of which looked and smelled very good. I had some mixed vegetable noodles for lunch which were nice and not bad for 70p.

The time passed quickly on the train, even with two 1.5 hour unexpected stops along the way. I couldn’t help wonder how people would have reacted back home with these added delays. No doubt people would have taken to social media citing ‘outrage’ and ‘travel chaos’, and demanding compensation but here it’s part and parcel of the adventure and we didn’t really notice the delays.

Arriving in North Goa in the dark, we got taxis to the hotel which should have been a 45 minute journey, however the taxi driver must have thought he was on a Grand Prix circuit as it only took 20 minutes. We dropped our bags off at the hotel some of us wondered up the street to a little restaurant called The Mango Tree which had a good mix of food on offer. I ordered a margarita pizza as I just fancied something simple and plain. When it arrived there was hardly any tomato on there and it had at least a 1.5cm thick covering of cheese all over. I managed to eat about half of it but had to admit defeat before retiring.

Next day we walked to the fort above Vagator beach which was ok, very hot and sweaty. You could see several beaches from the fort but the smog seemed to dull the colours a bit.

Walking back to the hotel later, we went a different way passed some local houses and down some steps to cross a small river. Five people had crossed ahead of me and then it was my turn. Just as I was about to cross the river something caught my eye to the right, a movement in the undergrowth, now at head height. It was a snake! I only saw it because it moved. It was about 2 ft long and about an inch thick, brown with a yellow stripe the length of its body. Googling the description when I got back to the hotel, the closest I could find that resembled it, was a garter snake which are usually found in USA. But the good thing is nobody got bitten and it was non venomous.

A couple of days later, we caught a bus to South Goa and to perhaps one of India’s finest beaches (so they say), Palolem Beach.

We stayed in beach huts that were set back from the beach in a holiday park resort complex but they were more like portacabins than beach huts. Still, beds were comfy and the air con worked. I think we are about a month too early to see it at its best but even with slightly overcast weather and sand in suspension in the sea, it was pretty nice. There were two fantastic beach front restaurants though and the caipirinhas were excellent 🙂 We had no plans here, it was just free time to relax so had a wander up and down the beach and went for a paddle. Red flags were flying so couldn’t go for a swim even though some locals did.

While having lunch and overlooking the beach, I downloaded the November 2018 edition of Wanderlust magazine (the 25th anniversary edition) and was flicking through and was pleased and surprised to see me on the top left of page 9. I had submitted a photo to their ‘from the road’ section and they published it. 🙂 There’s also an article about Dragoman in their – one of their guides won guide of the year, an article about Mumbai where had just been and a few other articles about either were I’m planning to go or when I have been so quite an enjoyable read.

Was actually quite glad to move on from South Goa, it wasn’t as stunning as I expected, maybe various brochures had built it up too much. We left South Goa at a reasonable time after breakfast and we split into two buses to take us to Hampi. While we were on the train from Mumbai to North Goa, the truck developed a couple of technical issues which couldn’t be fixed roadside which is why we are using chartered buses. It was another long drive but the seats were large and comfy and there was ample leg room too so the journey wasn’t too bad.

Once again it as dark when we arrived in Hampi, but the restaurant at the hotel served good food and beer. The rooms were little round bungalows with thatched roofs and a hammock on the porch. Small but comfortable and the beds had mosquito nets which worked and were necessary. In the morning we walked down a little lane, crossed the river, which looked as if it belonged in a Tarzan film, in a little boat powered by a spluttering outboard motor and visited the ruins of Vijayanagara which was the ancient capital of the Vijayanagara empire, now a UNESCO world heritage site. The site as huge and took until mid afternoon to explore.

On the way to Mysore, we stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant, like we had most drive days, and I ordered a paneer tikka masala. But on the bus later in the afternoon I didn’t feel quite right. There had been a cough going around over the last few weeks and I was fortunate enough to not have it but suddenly it started. Still full from lunch, I skipped dinner and went straight to bed, but at 02:00hrs was up with sickness and diarrhoea, mixed with a cold and a fever now in full swing. Needless to say I got no sleep and with energy levels depleted, I just stayed in bed switching between full sweats and uncontrollable shivering with visits to the bathroom. I took various medications but my body just rejected them, so it was a case of let it settle for a bit and then take some. Even a week later am still ‘delicate’ and I have got some strong cravings for some English food, or anything without a curry flavour. Just the thought of curry makes me feel sick still, which is frustrating as still have over a month in India to go.

So didn’t see much in Mysore, only the hotel room and that wasn’t much to write about. But I seem to be on the mend now. Am able to keep food in and am keeping hydrated. Still, given I have been travelling since the beginning of July and have been in India for over a month already, this is the first time I have been what I’d call ill which isn’t bad.

Udaipur to Mumbai

Posted on 22nd October 20182nd February 2019 by Andy

One of the last days in Udaipur was spent exploring the city palace (it’s the largest palace complex in Rajasthan) along the shore of Lake Pichola. I chose to go with an audio guide so I could wander around at my own leisure which is a better way of doing these visits as you can actually hear the guide, rewind a little or even skip a little further forward if needed.

It was fascinating to see a ‘portable cage for trapping and keeping tigers’ in the palace garden. The cage was really big and there looked nothing portable about it. So I took the opportunity to sneak inside it, at least it not being used nowadays, except for maybe the odd tourist photo…

After a spot of lunch at a rooftop restaurant, it was back to the hotel to pick up laundry and pack ready for an early departure the next morning. The truck was parked a few kilometres away from the hotel due to the narrow streets so we got a tuk tuk transfer back while most of the city was asleep. Strangely it looked dirtier without all the hustle and bustle.

Once loaded onto the truck we drove 400 km to Mandu, an ancient fort city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The accommodation was camping in a hotel grounds but I decided to upgrade as I fancied a comfortable bed (after a 7 hr drive). Dinner was a camp cooking vegetarian option and it was really good, but it didn’t take too long for mosquitoes and dogs to come out. I was so glad I upgraded to a room and was not sleeping in a tent. I was really surprised to see how green and lush the vegetation had become – a stark contrast to the dry, barren sandy desert further north of Udaipur. Equally, I had noticed how much healthier some of the animals looked, as if they were very well nourished.

In the morning, we visited an abandoned hill top fort consisting of many palaces (mahal’s), including Jahaz Mahal and Hindola Mahal.

It’s surrounded by stone walls dotted with darwazas (gateways).

Leaving Mandu behind it was another few hours in the truck passing various Indian settlements which now all look the same, driving to our overnight bush camp near Kharwand Dam. It was getting quite late by the time we arrived and the sun was ready to set. Fortunately there were still some cold tonic waters in the fridge to go with my gin 🙂 The bush camp was fun, gathering firewood and camp cooking. Despite a slight risk of a shower, the rain held off which kept the temperature up. It was a fairly remote location with zero facilities, but thankfully nature didn’t call.

Continuing next day, we drove to Ellora where there are ancient Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves which were hand carved into the rock and contain several temples back dating back to between 6th and 11th centuries. Some of these caves go in excess of 100m into the rock so it must have been a real effort to produce. Outside every cave there seemed to be a family of monkeys waiting for any opportunity to grab some food of unsuspecting passers by.

The next evening we arrived in Mumbai. Well, we arrived at the city outskirts by 15.00hrs. By the time we negotiated the traffic and dodged a few low hanging cables it was close to 19.00hrs before we arrived at out hotel. It wasn’t the best hotel, but it was a comfy bed for a few days and we said goodbye to three of our group and hello to two more, so there’s a fairly constant number on the truck.

Mumbai is a pretty interesting place and had some free time to explore. In trying to find an ATM I ended up stumbling across cricket training grounds so actually spent the morning watching the locals play. It all seemed very civilised, albeit roasting hot. In the evening we had a fabulous meal at Leopold’s Café made famous by the novel Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts which is about an Australian bank robber and heroin addict who escapes from jail and flees to Bombay, as Mumbai was formerly called. The cafe was also an early site of gunfire and grenade explosions during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks by terrorists. The terrorists sprayed fire inside the restaurant from outside killing 10 persons and injuring many others. The restaurant was extensively damaged and you can still see the bullet holes in the restaurant walls.

The next day we did something very upmarket and had high tea at the 5 star, internationally renowned Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. It was a luxurious buffet for 3 hours without a sausage roll or cheese and pineapple on a stick in sight. I don’t know if it’s just because I had been on the road for so long, but the tea was amazing (tasted like proper tea back home).

Delhi to Udaipur

Posted on 9th October 20189th October 2018 by Andy

The hotel was a little different to Claridges but it was ok and full to capacity with the other over-landers on the same tour as me, or at least part of it. I was sharing in a twin room with a Canadian guy, Jeff, and we get along really well. After the introductory meeting / briefing from Dragoman, we ventured out into the busy streets of Delhi to try and find a working ATM. A lot of the ATMs are only for locals and do not often accept international cards. After several failed attempts we succeeded and then returned to the hotel and had a few beers with dinner.

Next morning was quite an early start, on the road by 06.00, which meant getting up about an hour earlier. Unfortunately it was raining hard and where the truck, Daisy, was parked was muddy. There was a tarpaulin down to put bags on but where some locals helped to load, the bottom of my my bag was dropped into a muddy puddle. Luckily everything inside is packed in vacuum bags so was kept dry. But as it dried out, it became quite dusty. The truck, built by Tata, used to be a South African safari truck and seats 20 passengers, has two tables and a fridge on board. Underneath the main cabin are various cubby holes which contain everything for life on the road; a drinking water tank, chairs, cooking equipment, maintenance equipment, luggage storage, and also camping equipment which is stored on the roof. All passengers are assigned a job to do on the truck and mine is ‘stairs out’. This doesn’t mean my job is to stare out of the window, but every time we stop, I have to pull out the stairs from underneath the truck to allow everyone to be able to get out. They weigh an absolute ton and are heavily greased but the good news is, it’s someone else’s job to put the stairs back. I share the ‘stairs out’ job with an Australian fireman as it takes two people to do it safely.

It was a ‘drive day’ to Bikaner, 460 km from Delhi. It was estimated to take between 8-9 hours but it ended up being close to 14 hours, excluding stops because of the Indian roads and traffic. By now the rain had stopped and it became dry and hot as you would expect in India. The hotel (Harasar Haveli) was quite nice and there was an excellent buffet dinner laid on for us of mostly familiar Indian food. The paneer (cheese) tikka masala was especially good.

Next day we stopped off at Karni Mata – the rat temple where thousands of sacred rats are worshipped. The legend goes that Karni Mata’s stepson, Laxman, drowned after falling into a pond when trying to take a drink, and Karni Mata convinced Yama, the god of death, to allow him and all of her other male children and descendants to be reincarnated as rats. We had to hand our shoes in and wear foot covers, but the smell in the temple wasn’t great as you may imagine.

After that visit it was back on the road again, driving almost 400km to Jaisalmer – the ‘Golden City’ as it is built from yellow sandstone, dodging cows, tuk tuks, on-coming vehicles and people along the way. The scenery so far looked more African than Indian, quite desert like despite the huge amounts of litter strewn on the sides of the road.

Once at Jaisalmer we checked into a really nice hotel (Golden Haveli) which served great food, cold beer and had a lovely pool in which we cooled off in, just the job after a long day on the road. Shortly after, we got tuk tuks to the main town, although it was less than a mile away, it was really too hot to walk and as the tuk tuks were dirt cheap, it seemed the obvious choice. Explored the markets and found a decent bottle of gin for only 650 rupees (about £6.50), some tins of tonic water for 60 rupees each and some oranges too as nowhere seemed to sell lemons or limes.

The reason for buying the gin is that night would be a bush camp in the Thar desert after a 1-2 hour camel trek. Am not a huge fan of camels and have ridden them before so elected to skip the camel safari and go in a 4×4 instead. Watching the sun go down over the dunes was very similar to the Sahara experience.

There was no need for tents as it was too hot. Just as the sun had set, with no light pollution, you could clearly see the Milky Way and millions of stars and a few planets. However as the moon rose, it shone so bright it was virtually impossible to see the stars. At one stage I though I was going to get a ‘moon tan’ instead. Quite difficult to sleep as it was so bright and various noises from the camels. It was fun watching the dung beetles do what they do all night. In the morning, after sun rise and breakfast it was back to Jaisalmer to the same hotel and back to the same pool 🙂

After a wash and clean up, we took tuk tuks into town again and explored the old fort.

Just as we found our way to witness sunset, a sandstorm blew in from the desert and obscured all vision. We held up in a small bar waiting for it pass before getting back to the hotel. Fortunately it didn’t take too long to pass.

Leaving Jaisalmer the following morning, we drove to Jodhpur which is roughly 300km, and on the way stopped at a local charity (Sambhali Trust) which teaches life skills to girls and young women of Rajasthan in a safe environment. It was quite nice to see all the crafts they make and that it gives them a good opportunity to work in the future.

Up until arriving in Jodhpur, I didn’t feel as if I was in India. Difficult to describe why, but what I had seen so far is more similar to North Africa except maybe the food. But when we turned down this one street it was pandemonium, huge volume of traffic, cows, litter, shops and stalls, people, heat, smells, and here it felt more like the India I imagined. The truk went down another small side streets, where cows were eating plastic rubbish, and took out an overhead cable – apparently the locals are used to it and it was back up in under 5 mins.

We stopped immediately outside the Mandore Guesthouse which was a real garden oasis where we stayed for two nights. Once again there was a great buffet dinner laid on, cold drinks and a great pool with a waterfall fountain.

In the morning we visited the Mehrangarh Fort and Palace which was really nice. We had an audio guide so could wonder around at your own pace and was there for about 3-4 hours. It was good we got there when it opened as by the time we left it was really busy with big queues of people outside.

Then it was about a 30min walk down the hill to the town centre clock tower. The square was busy and quite an intense experience so quickly moved on and found the Omelette Man, recommended in Lonely Planet, who has been selling omelettes in the same place for over 18 years from a single frying pan / burner so had a quick snack, and it was really nice and then found a cafe for a decent cup of coffee – something have been craving for a while.

I was disappointed not to have found a pair of Jodhpurs in Jodhpur as thought they would be quite prolific due to its namesake. As it was, it was time to load up the truck and hit the road again, this time driving about 260km to Udaipur. On the way, stopped off at Ranakpur and visited a Jain temple. It looked like something out of Kipling’s Jungle Book, especially with all the monkeys around.

I had a bit of an argument with security here as you must be covered up to go in and although I was wearing shorts and had ‘hired’ a pair of over-trousers, they didn’t fit. So they weren’t going to let me in. So I went back and forth to various huts to try and find a pair that would fit me, eventually they produced a pair of khaki trousers that vaguely fitted so I was able to go in. Seems silly to me.

I was really looking forward to Udaipur mainly because it was where the Bond film, Octopussy, was shot. There was a couple of days of free time here and found roof top restaurants to have a drink, something to eat and enjoy the views.

We had a boat ride on Lake Pichola around the floating palace and our hotel, The Tiger Hotel, was literally minutes from where most of it was filmed including Jagdish Temple where the tuk tuk jump was done.

Obviously there were a few places showing the movie, so took the opportunity to watch it again with a beer and was surprised by how much of the immediate surrounding streets were used in the film.

In the evening we caught tuk tuks up to the Monsoon Palace on the hill. The drive up there on very steep and tight, twisting roads was more interesting than the Palace itself as it had fallen into a lot of disrepair with most of it boarded up for renovation. However, it did offer a uninterrupted views over Udaipur, even with large crowds gathering for sunset.