'Extreme sports. I don’t partake in any; it’s just not my thing. But Often I say to friends India is like free falling from an aircraft the first time its scary disorientating thrilling fear inducing and so quick its over in moments. Once you Land and have had time to reflect the experience you find yourself wanting to rush back and do it again just because it was so exiting and rewarding. Well that's India"
India just eight hours away, but so not what you expect. How right the publicity is, incredible India
Its different shocking and opinion changing also. Wide chasms between rich and poor. A million gods, cows’ dogs and children living in squalor in the streets.
But for all the bad stuff I still am drawn back.
This was my third visit and this time we decided to spend a little more and have a few luxury nights to offset the cheap hotels and overnight trains, (more of That later).
We have been to Udaipur two times before and each time we spent gazing across the lake to the palace hotel. So, this time we chose to be gazing in the other direction.
Set in the middle of the lake and reached by a motor launch, it would be mean to call it a boat.
Even where you board is luxurious, a pavilion with a view looking through some intricate ironwork is just breathtaking.
The arrival at the hotel is wondrous as you step ashore the shining immaculate marble tiles almost too clean to walk on. Rose petals drift down onto your head as you proceed though into the reception area, the manager welcomes you and chilled guava juice is proffered.
We are given a guided tour of the hotel by one of the charming staff across acres of gleaming floors across an open mezzanine with views to the lake and finally to our room.
The room was about perfect and most unusually a small carriage clock was beside the bed a small but lovely detail.
As dusk fell thousands of swallows chirped and sang in the water filled courtyard audible visual bliss.
The hotel has always been famous for being featured in the James Bond Movie Octopussy, so settled in the courtyard bar I ordered Martinis and enjoyed a performance of music and dance by Rajasthan musicians and dancers, while the Martini worked its magic.
A bumpy and scary drive to Jaipur in the evening to connect with our train driving in the dark in India is a whole new experience, no sleeping in the back of the car, the adrenaline keeps you very much awake. The driver appears to have no fear passing convoys of trucks in the pitch dark on corners in the face of oncoming traffic and unlit carts being drawn by camels and donkeys.
We arrive stirred and shaken and early for our 11.30 pm departure in hindsight perhaps a more leisurely drive would have been in keeping.
At one am the train has still not arrived, disappointments seem to be every half hour when they announce yet another delay.
A twelve-hour overnight train journey on a hard,moving bed preceded by a three hour wait on a platform with its own colony of friendly rats and Chai wallas (tea Sellers).
Finally we board the train and try to find our cabin we are directed to the non-sleeper 2nd class carriage.
This enrages my normally calm wife and grabbing the bull buy the horns, well the train manager, she insists that we have the correct ticket for the first cabin, which seems to be fully occupied. the incumbents are swiftly moved out and we are moved in much to the annoyance of the American couple who are trying to get some rest, they had been on the train since Delhi some five hours before after stowing our luggage and clambering up to the top bunk we drifted off to sounds of the train. Dawn seemed only moments away from night, but I was awake and browsing the scenes rushing past the window.
Soon we were chatting with our American bedfellows two new Yorkers, shortly there was a tap on the door and the Chai man appeared, offering breakfast.
We all thought about the bad stories of food on Indian trains, and immediately said yes please, our hunger paid off rather well, a large fried flat cake was taken from his bag wrapped in the days newspaper, it glistened attractively and finally crunched under my bite delicious potato and masala spiced gift from the gods inside slightly warm and all to soon gone.
The train rattled on through the Indian tundra as we were approaching Jaisalmer a dessert state, dunes camels and the third largest dessert in the world.
The heart of the city a a sandstone fort rising out of the sprawl we were to be staying within the walls of the fort a small hotel with views of the city and dessert beyond.
Was this to be another great experience, well that's another story…….