Sardargarh - Meter Gauge Train

Friday, 14 November 2014 , Sardargarh  

Today Pati and BeeBee rode on a meter gauge local train between two villages, a distance of 44 km. They boarded the train at the small Sardargarh station. Their traveling companions from the hotel were the Dutch foursome, plus a guide. All 7 of them sat on two opposing bench seats, which had berths above for sleeping (no one used them but BeeBee saw Pati considering them). BeeBee had a window seat for excellent picture-taking opportunities. Each train window had 4 horizontal metal bars, which were not a problem, because their camera was small enough to fit between the bars. The first part of the trip went through and stopped at other villages. At the first stop, the rails split into two sets of tracks. Another train was waiting on the other set of tracks, and some villagers switched between trains.

At one stop, an elderly man in white with a colorful turban got on and sat at the end of bench, diagonal from BeeBee. He and the guide chatted, be graciously posed for pictures, and then he demonstrated how he tied his turban (BeeBee has video). He offered the turban to one of the Dutchmen, who posed in it. Then the other Dutchman and Pati tried the turban and posed, and then finally all three women - BeeBee included - did the same. 

At another stop, the guide got down from the train and took pictures of each couple peering through the bars of the train window, using their cameras. Finally, the Dutch group left the train at the Manwar stop, where their driver and guide were waiting to take them in some further adventures. Pati, BeeBee and their guide remained on the train for even more exciting scenery.   

The train passes through the Ravli Sanctuary, with 100-foot-high bridges, two long tunnels (where the guide and other passengers made erie sounds for the echo effect), a (now dry) waterfall, and thick jungle. The track was cut out of the side of the cliff, with steep drops to left side of the train. There is a change of 1000 feet in elevation, downward. This railroad was built in 1928.  

One of the first stops was to test the brakes. Pati, BeeBee, and the guide got off, and he showed them the various parts of the station and explained its history. Reboarding, the guide opened a window so that BeeBee could take pictures without the bars. She took many pictures of the gorgeous scenery and of the train as it curved toward a bridge or tunnel. The train paused at the Goram Ghat flag station, where the monkeys were waiting for their treats. Villagers tossed them chipatis, while the guides gave Pati and BeeBee crackers to toss. Finally arriving at Phulad, Pati, BeeBee, and the guide left the train. Deepak was waiting with the car, and they all drove back to the hotel, following the same route they had traveled yesterday.

Meter Gauge Train

Sardargarh - Evening Safari

Friday, 14 November 2014, Sardargar

At 4 pm, Pati and BeeBee climbed into the Gypsy Jeep once more (Gypsy is the model name). Their driver/guide was a man they had seen with other groups, but they had not interacted with him before. The purpose of this evening's safari was to visit local tribal villages. As they set off through Sardargarh on tbeir way to villages, every child they passed called out to them, whether "ta ta",  "hello", or "goodbye" (but not "money"), and waved, and many of them ran after the jeep, taking shortcuts to catch up on another street. The guide stopped to interact with local citizen in the town.  At one point, as he was driving up a local street, they came upon a group of women working on a huge pile of gravel at least 30 inches high, extending from curb to curb and and several feet across. Backing up was not an option. The women retreated to the sides of the street and the guide simply drove over the gravel, the tires leaving two grooves behind the jeep.

Once out of town, their guide went off-road, looking for wildlife, and pointed out antelope and birds. He had asked how their wildlife safari had been, and seemed to want to make up for any shortcomings there (Pati and BeeBee did 't think there were shortcomings). Returning to the road, such as it was, he stopped to point out some owls in a tree. His real purpose in stopping, however, was to introduce Pati and BeeBee to a local "holy man." This man had become disillusioned with his life and gave up everything to live by the side of the road, where he created two primitive shrines. He sleeps on a hammock in the trees. He has three large bells, which he rings , similar to a call for prayers. He has not talked for 25 years; the guide thinks he has lost the ability to speak. He wears only the traditional simple white clothing, if only because he would not be allowed to be naked and still live there. He invited Pati to sit down on his simple mat, and they communicated by words (Pati) and gestures, although he did not understand what Pati said. At one point, he retrieved a ragged bag from the side of his camp, opened it to retrieve a box, and opened the box to retrieve a pack of cigarettes and matches, which he offered to Pati. Of  course, Pati could not accept that, and tried to explain open heart surgery. BeeBee asked the guide to interpret, which he did, so the holy man then tried to offer water, which started a new round of explaining why it could not be accepted, either.  

The next stop was to visit a marble processing plant, where marble blocks are sliced and then shaped. Here, the cost for 6 marble tiles that are 1 foot square would be $1. It is so inexpensive here that it is commonly used to build dry-stacked walls around property to keep antelope and cows out. (That and lines of  tall cactus plants).   After that, it was off-road again through shrub and deep pools of water to reach a wall which forms one side of the man-made Lake Monohar Sagar. Pati took some beautiful pictures of the sun about to set above the fort, which was about 1 km away. They climbed to the top of the wall (a few feet above the road surface there) and walked to a section that rose 20 feet above the wall. There were steps on the side, to climb to a viewing area above. These steps were about two feet wide, with a stone wall to the left, no handrail or barrier on the right side, and water below. The guide urged them to climb these steps. BeeBee took some convincing. The guide went ahead and held BeeBee's hand all the way up. Pati bravely climbed with no hand-holding. The view was stunning. They got good pictures of the sun setting beside the fort. 

Pati then asked the guide how long he had been at the fort, and he said "I own it." He is the Maharaj. He also owns the place where they were sitting and everything between it and the fort. He is the 10th person in his family to own it; he and his wife have been renovating it for 10 years. He then served Pati and BeeBee juice bottled by Coca Cola ; he only buys Coke products, finding Pepsi too sweet. They watched swifts darting over the water and other birds coming home in waves to roost in trees on the other side of the lake. They discussed his plans to buy a boat so that guests could have dinner on the water and enjoy the sunset. Finally, as it was getting dark, they climbed down the stairs again and drove back to the fort, where Pati and BeeBee appear to be the only guests this evening.

Sunset over Sardargarh Fort

Holy Man with Bells

Sardargarh - First Afternoon

Thursday, 13 November 2014, Sardargarh

This morning Pati and BeeBee got up at 6 am for breakfast and departure at 9 am. They had a quick sandwich lunch at a restaurant just off their route at  1:30 and arrived at their hotel, Sardargarh Heritage Hotel (a former palace), about two hours later. The roads they traveled ranged from level limited-access highway to steep single-lane with lower berms. On the way, they saw the exact local train that they will be riding tomorrow. Until 4 pm, when a young couple arrived, they were the only guests in the hotel. The hotel has free wifi that can be accessed in only one courtyard. Pati and BeeBee sat in a large opening in the stone wall to use the internet; the manager brought them cushions. The manager also brought them a dinner menu so that they could pick their meal for 7 pm. By dinnertime, there were 4 more guests, traveling together, from Holland., bringing the guest total (as far as BeeBee knows) to 8.

At 8:30 pm, Pati and BeeBee were picked up for their jeep safari. This involved driving 10 km (6 miles) from the hotel and then going off-road (and on roads that might as well be off-road) looking for wild animals with a searchlight operated by a young man standing on the tailgate of the jeep. They spotted deer (two kinds), 2 owls, 1 rabbit, a family of foxes, a small animal  bigger than a mole but smaller than a hedgehog, and a small herd of camels plus herder. The herder was surprised by the searchlight and had a friendly conversation (long distance) with the young man with the searchlight. The ride was the bumpiest so far in India. The night was cool enough for jackets, for the first time since Shimla. It was pitch black dark and very peaceful. The driver and spotter spoke in low voices only when necessary, and the driver maneuvered the jeep as quietly as possible. The two men had only limited English, reserving their conversation mostly for naming animals. The peace of the night, the darkness, and the late hour made it difficult to stay awake, even with the rough ride. Finally, Pati and BeeBee were returned to the hotel just before midnight.

Setting the alarm clock for an early start tomorrow, they fell into bed, exhausted.

Jodhpur -Touring

Wednesday, 12 November 2014, Jodhpur

Pati and BeeBee started their full touring day at 10am. First they visited Jaswant Tara - the royal crematorium- and the massive fort above Jodhpur. The fort is the best preserved fort in India; it is part of the national trust and is supported by UNESCO, the US, and Germany. The guide rushed through the fort so quickly that Pati and BeeBee lost him a few times when they stopped to take pictures. However, the guide provided buying opportunities in the fort's gift shop (although he steered them to the expensive part of the shop and skipped the parts that, from a distance, looked interesting to BeeBee) and later in a jewelry store.  After this, they made a short stop at their hotel, where their guide left them after collecting a review and his tip.

Their driver then took them quite a few miles out of Jodhpur to meet up with their jeep safari. The first part of the safari was a bumpy ride along dirt tracks and through a dry river bed. It was like driving in deep snow. They visited a private home very similar to the one visited on the jeep safari at Manvar. There is no electricity at this home, except for that generated by a solar panel mounted on a short pole: the exclusive use of this solar power is to charge their cell phones. (Except for some very remote areas, all of India has excellent cell phone coverage - even in the sand dunes.) This family had five children. The older daughter, age 22, was married and living in the next village with her husband and new baby. The younger daughter, age 14 or 15, was also married but living at home still; she is not old enough to live with her husband as a wife. The custom in that area is to have many marriages at the same time, coinciding with some event when many people would be together anyway, such as a death in a family. Such gatherings are very expensive, because possibly a thousand people have to be fed for many days, so it is an economic decision to get as much out of an event as possible This girl knows who her husband is, but does not have regular interactions with him. Two other tourists, older American women, also showed up for this visit, along with the guide for the safari. They all had a very nice Indian lunch while they were there.  One of the other women "thrilled" the group by describing other vacations she had been on in the dim past. That was certainly more exciting than being on vacation in the present.

After lunch, the two groups went together to visit a town of a few thousand. At this town, the "mayor," a Brahmin, invited them to witness/participate in a local ritual. After this, the two women went with Pati and BeeBee's jeep driver back to their drop-off point, while the guide took Pati and BeeBee to a very small village. Here they were surrounded by every child in the village as they visited the carpenter and the shepherd's penned-up lambs (but not the shepherd). They saw the shepherd's wife (who provides school lunches every day) when she took a long stick to chase the children away.  They were led around by the head man of the village, who was accompanied hand-in-hand by his small grandson. Leaving the village, they looked for wildlife along the road, without any luck.  By the time they got back to their own driver (Deepak), they had traveled 60 kilometers (36 miles).

Before they started back to Jodhpur, they visited two craftsmen in a small area near where they had met the jeep safari.  The first craftsman was a potter, whose largest product is the water vessel they had just seen at the private home. This pot keeps water cool even in the hottest weather, through evaporation. He demonstrated making many clay items, using a 100 kg (220 pound) wheel that he propelled with a sharp piece of wood. Once he got the wheel up to speed, he could make many objects while momentum kept the wheel turning. He demonstrated the durability of  a pottery lamp by bouncing it off a concrete floor (or mud and cow dung floor - they look pretty much the same).

The second craftsman stamped patterns onto cloth, using natural products, including mud. He was actually selling products made by his village, because his village was too far away for tourists to visit easily. These craftsmen were more genuine than those in the city, because they actually demonstrated their craft.

The drive back to the hotel took about a half hour.  Pati and BeeBee had dinner in the hotel restaurant, and then stayed awake long enough for their laundry to be delivered back to them.

Jodhpur - Hotel Ratan Vilas

Wednesday, 12 November 2014, Jodhpur

The hotel Ratan Vilas in Jodhpur is very well laid out for finding your way around and has several nice courtyards for sitting and relaxing or eating. There is a fine water fountain on the entry walk.  The hotel also has a beautiful swimming pool, which Pati has been looking at longingly. Pati and BeeBee's room is large and comfortable. BeeBee said to Pati yesterday that this would be a wonderful place for a large family.  This morning they went to the restaurant (under a tent almost identical to the one at Manvar) for the buffet breakfast. While the meal was good, and the European-style items were filling, the Indian-style food in the covered pots was almost gone. Pati and BeeBee arrived during the early part of the breakfast period, and they have only seen European guests, so who ate all that food?

After breakfast, Pati went to test the temperature of the pool water. It was cool, and the outside temperature was cooler. The pool is beautiful, and there are dressing rooms and showers nearby. Pati will have to enjoy the sight rather than the actual swimming.

Walking back to their room, an elderly Indian gentleman seated on the veranda called out "namaste." They responded with the proper hand motion and "namaste."  As they climbed the steps, BeeBee asked how he was this morning. He was pleased to be asked, stood up and talked with them. He told them he is the owner of this hotel. His grandfather built it in the 1920s and he was born and raised here. He, a son, and a grandson still live here on the first floor. Given the history of this place, that means he is descended from Rajasthani royalty.

And, happily for BeeBee, she has turned in another load of laundry to be cleaned while she and Pati are out for a full day of touring.

Jodhpur - First Afternoon

Tuesday, 11 November 2014, Manvar and Jodhpur

Pati and BeeBee had a cold night in the tent at Manvar. Luckily, the bathroom was warmer than the bedroom when it was time to shower. At breakfast in the tent, many people came wearing sweatshirts and one woman even had one of those puffy winter jackets. Wimps. The Americans (Pati and BeeBee) and the British were comfortable enough in shirtsleeves. Pati and the Englishman were able to exchange photographs each took of the other pair riding the camels, using the wifi capability of their cameras.

At 9:50 am, the staff arrived to carry luggage to the truck that would take them to the main resort. It was almost no distance to get back, unlike the trip to the tents yesterday afternoon. The drivers for Pati and BeeBee and for the British couple were waiting, and so they went off in opposite directions, the British to Jaisalmer and the Americans to Jodhpur.

Pati and BeeBee arrived in Jodhpur just before noon and their driver dropped them at Ratan Vilas, promising to be back at 4 pm for the afternoon tour. The guide was not there to meet them, but showed up at 1:30 for the usual meet and greet. Pati and BeeBee had a quick lunch, then rested until 4 pm.

At 4pm, the driver dropped them and the guide in the market in the middle of town. They walked around, with the guide pointing out some of the old architecture, but mostly talking about textile crafts. He introduced them to some buying opportunities, and at the second such stop, the merchant was so dissatisfied with their 400 rupee ($6.40 USD) purchase that he turned off the fan and the lights  before the purchase was concluded.

Continuing their walk, they saw the clock tower, which was pretty and kept time. Leaving this, they climbed on the back of a carriage pulled by a horse. The driver and the guide faced forward, while Pati and BeeBee faced backward looking at traffic crowding behind them, on a much narrower seat. Pati got some good pictures. After some time riding inches from traffic without a good handhold on the carriage, BeeBee remarked to Pati, "Where is Deepak [their driver] when we need him? I bet he's right behind us." Pati looked up, and there was Deepak directly behind them in the car. Happy waves were exchanged. Deepak stayed behind the carriage as a buffer between them and the other traffic. After a few more minutes, the carriage stopped, and Pati and BeeBee (and the guide) rode in the car back to the hotel.

Now the reader may have realized by this time that Pati and BeeBee are very pleased with their driver. He will have been their driver for 13 days, having picked them up at the airport in Jaipur, and intending to drop them off at the airport in Udaipur. He has taught himself English, and improved his skills by interacting with those English-speakers that he drives around as an employee of the travel agency.  He is an excellent driver, friendly, conscientious, always there when he is needed.  Pati and BeeBee are not always pleased with their guides, especially when they try to provide buying opportunities (they get kickbacks). After Deepak dropped them off at the hotel, the guide stayed to query Pati and BeeBee about Deepak. "Is his English good," he wanted to know. They assured him that Deepak's communication skills were excellent. The guide has excellent English, and seemed to want to promote himself by disparaging others with lesser skill. Pati and BeeBee think that how they interact with their driver is none of the guide's business. They think that he must be Brahmin. (Jodhpur, the Blue City, is a Brahmin city.)  BeeBee expects that that they will get a lecture about caste tomorrow; every guide that has done this has also self-identified as Brahmin.

Being very full from lunch, Pati and BeeBee had only dessert (custard and fruit) for dinner before heading off for a much-needed night's rest.

Manvar

Monday, 10 November 2014, Manvar

This morning Pati and BeeBee had their last breakfast at the Hotel Pleasant Haveli and set off at 10 am with their driver for their next destination: Manvar. They stopped at the same rest stop as before and had coffee/tea while their driver had a quick breakfast. Shortly after continuing their drive, they passed the turnoff to Phalodi and were happy they weren't headed in that direction again.

At about 1 pm, they arrived at Manvar Resort and Camp and checked in. Their actual room was a tent just a little farther into the Thar desert. They were grouped with an English couple for the drive to the tents. They didn't know it at first, but this drive was the jeep safari. As the ride continued, they began to wonder just how early they would have to get up on Tuesday to get back to the starting point for a 10 am checkout. The jeep safari was 99.9% off-road through scrub and sand. The best parts for Pati and the Englishman were the unexpected rollercoaster-like steep drops down through scrub and dunes. Reminiscent of the Pushkar ferris wheel, there were no seatbelts, just rollbars.

They saw Indian antelope, deer, birds, and the occasional cow. They also visited the home of a local Rajasthani woman and observed her cooking hut, concrete house, lamb pen, and storehouse. The paving on the ground was a mixture of cow manure and mud, dried to the appearance and hardness of concrete. Since the group had taken off their shoes for the visit, this was information that Pati and BeeBee could have done without.  She was preparing dinner. She was dressed in traditional clothing with a veil; she kept her face covered when any of the tour group was near her. As the group was about to leave her cooking hut, where she was at the time, she received a call on her cellphone. She pulled the phone from somewhere inside her costume and took the call. It was a startling juxtaposition of modern with medieval.

The jeep dropped them off at the tent camp, and their luggage arrived an hour later. Pati and BeeBee were in tent #2 and the English couple were in tent #3. There are approximately 40 tents for guests, a large meal tent, and a concrete circle for the night's entertainment, with low cushions set in a semicircle for viewing the entertainment. (This seating is only there in the evenings.)

At 5 pm, Pati and BeeBee, the English couple, and some other campers set off on their camel safari to view the sunset from high sand dunes. Ths time, Pati and BeeBee were both on the same camel, and he had a definite list to one side. For the second time, they held on tight, but this time the trip had more up-and-down to it: more climbing and descending, more drop-offs. Finally at the top, the group of 5 camels and drivers, 9 riders, and 2 small boys enjoyed the sunset. The group returned to camp the same way and arrived before total darkness.

Pati and BeeBee then sat on the terrace beside the meal tent for quality internetting. That's where the signal is strongest. The entertainment of traditional music and dancing began after dark, and the guests were treated to (also traditional) snacks during the performance. The stars overhead were clear and beautiful. Entertainment was followed by a good meal in the tent.  At 9 pm, most of the guests (including Pati and BeeBee) had retired to their tents.

The tent has a light-colored stone tiled  porch about 6' by 14' with steps, a bedroom about 14' square, and a modern permanent bathroom about 6' by 14' with sink, toilet, and shower. The walls of the tent are double canvas, white on the outside and decorated on the inside. The outer door zips shut from either side, and can be rolled up. The bathroom door is a reed hanging plus a canvas door that can be rolled up. There are 4 windows that can be pulled up like roman shades with non-moving screens. There are electric lights and ample outlets. The concrete floor is covered completely by sisal rugs in the bedroom, and by dark stone tile in the bathroom. The furnishings are elegantly simple. This is one of BeeBee's favorite "hotels" so far.