Two common sights in Rajasthani roads are overloaded trucks and camels. We passed by this camel heard yesterday. How exotic! Wonder where they were taking the camels? 
PS Love Rajasthani turbans!!
Typical Rajasthani Road
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Monthly Archives: April 2014
Ranthambore National Park (Tiger Reserve)
Ranthambore Park was originally used by Jaipur maharaji for hunting and it became a Tiger Reserve only in 1973. The number of tigers in the park has been increasing in the past years and today there are forty plus tigers (fyi: there are approximately 40 places in India where one can spot a tiger).
According to our guide, one has a 30% possibility of spotting a tiger in the Ranthambore Park. But even if one doesn’t fall under the lucky ones, the park is great for observing sambars, other types of deer, sloth bears, monkeys, crocodiles and many different types of birds to mention a few.
In addition, in the middle of the park, there is a tenth century old fort and a Hindu temple that we did not visit, but they seemed very popular among the locals.
We spent two nights at Ankur Resort hotel near the park and did the morning safari. The car (for 20 people) left at 6 o’clock and we returned to the hotel at 10 o’clock. It cost 1100 INR (14€) per person. Immediately after the main gate there was a tiger resting in the grass and we waited and waited, but the tiger did not move. So, we did not really see a tiger, but some jeeps that were on the other side of the tiger saw it. It was a nice four-hour drive and I would do it again!
PS According to our guide, the best time to see tigers is from April to July (the hotter the better).
India Travel Essential
I am pretty sure that most of you would list water, hat, sun cream and sun glasses as travel essentials in India, but I argue that the most important item is something less obvious. It is ear plugs!!
We left our Hotel Godwin in Delhi last Friday morning at 11 o’clock. Our first stop was Mehrauli (see Eight cities of Delhi) where we stopped for 1.5 hours. After the visit we returned to the old Delhi-Agra road (see Road from Delhi to Agra), which I now highly regret. The reason why we didn’t take the new road was that I wanted to show Mathura to my parents but unfortunately by the time we reached this famous Hindu site (Krishna’s birthplace) it was so dark and late that we observed the complex only from outside. So, total waste of time!
The journey was worse than I remembered (I took this same road in 2008). It was noisy, hot and dusty. By the time we reached our hotel in Agra (just before 9 o’oclock in the evening!!) I was ready to go and buy an hearing aid. My ears were blocked and now, after three days, I still don’t hear well.
This journey put me in a very bad mood and it worsened when we realized that our hotel (Amar Yatri Niwas), booked by a travel & car agency, was appalling. To make things worse, we had the most disappointing dinner ever, which to me is the worst! Had I had a decent meal, I would have been just fine, but no, we were eating a lamb curry that contained liver and who knows what else… What a pity! 
This said, yesterday we drove from Agra to the Ranthambore National Park and even if it was close to 40C, it was better in some aspects. Roads in Rajasthan (the state where we are now) are generally good, so we were a bit more relaxed. There were some overloaded trucks and occasionally we saw camels crossing the road. All this was much better than motorcycles, tuk tuks, private cars, tourist vans, trucks, buses, etc. all combined!
PS Do not think that ear plugs are only for road trips. In most cases, unless you are paying more money and staying at resorts, usually located a bit outside city centers, your hotel will be noisy too. I have slept every single night with ear plugs…
Religion Talks at Lal Qila
Indians love talking and meeting foreigners. Sometimes the purpose is trying to make money out of the tourist, but in most cases (at least in my experience) it is out of sincere curiosity. Where do you come from? What is your country dollar? Are you married? Where do you work? What do you think of India? Etc. Etc. Questions never end.
This morning we started by visiting Lal Qila, the famous Red Fort of Delhi. Before entering the fort, my father started talking to a young man from Jharkhand region and eventually four of us spent two hours getting to know each other while visiting the magnificent fort. There is one particular topic we discussed during our time together that I will always remember, so here you go:
Friend: I am Hindu. Have you heard about it?
Me: Yes, I know a little bit about it.
Friend: Good. A big religion. And you, what is your religion?
Me: I am Christian.
Friend: What is the name of your God?
Me: ummm… The God is called the God… ummm
Friend: But what is his name?
Me: He really is just called the God…
(pause)
Me: Well, he does have a son too..
Friend: I don’t understand, your God has a name, doesn’t he?
Me: Yes, there is the God, the father, the main God, and then he has a son called Jesus. So, we have two Gods you can say.
Friend: I know Jesus! He is well known among Hindus! But is that all? Only two?
Me: ummm.. well, technically, if you are a Catholic like the French are, then you also have something called Virgin Mary…. She is kind of like a God, too. But in Finland we don’t believe in her. Not like the French do. She is not our God.
Friend: Ok… (visibly puzzled)
(pause)
Me: So, what is your Hindu God?
Friend: My God is called Bajrangbali. I am single so like all Hindu singles, I believe in him. When I get married, I can change my God.
Me: Ok, I don’t know him. But my husband believes in Hanuman.
Friend: (all happy and smiling) Hanuman and my God are the same!
***
After this conversation we moved onto another one, but that story is for the next time! I am now going to get a glass of red Grover wine from Nandi Hills and eat some tandoori chicken. Adios and be well everyone.
Return to Delhi
Delhi is much cleaner than it was in 2008. Have not even seen any cows yet (monkeys yes). People are as friendly as I remembered.
Waiting for the 5 o’clock prayers to stop at Jama Masjid. Air is thick, feels like a sandstorm is approaching us. Prayers end, we walk in. The huge, orange sun sets, the rain begins. Tomorrow is an other day.
.
India –here I come!
Apologies for the unusual blog silence. My Emirates flight (380 of course!) to Delhi, India leaves in a few hours’ time. Been busy packing and taking care of things that require attention during the month of April when I am not in Paris.
I will spend the first week with my parents pretty much along that same route that I have recently been writing about in my blog (Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan). It is a new travel concept to me (to take my parents to such an exotic destination) and I am even contemplating on adding a new tag word “traveling with parents”. Do you think it would be interesting?
My husbands joins us exactly one week from now and all of us will spend few days together probably at the Neemrana hotel I also already wrote about. After my parents leave, my husband and I hit the road from Delhi toward Varanasi. From Varanasi we will fly to the South India for the rest of the time I think. Free birds go where the wind takes them!
PS Unfortunately I did not have time to finish my India series that I have been writing about (missing posts are about Jodhpur, Pushkar and Udaipur), but I promise to complete the series in May. Meanwhile, I hope you will enjoy this new India trip with me!
pearlspotting 