Hitchhikers guide to india (this is really long)

Excerpts from the journal of a restless traveller

“the joy of travelling is not having a destination to arrive to”

4th of November to the 23rd of November 2005

These have been the most memorable and amazing experiences of my life.


There are just too many memories, places, experiences and people I have met to write about it. It is just too overwhelming. It is a task that I do not think I can undertake.
But what I will attempt to do is give you a snapshot of a few highlights and memories of my tour.
For further information and travelling advice and tips please do not hesitate to contact me on murtazais@gmail.com

Total duration: 18 days
Total states visited: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi


I can't show the cost break down by city but the total cost (includes extra shopping of pants, shirt, and shoes.) was 7315 INR

Average spend per day 400/- INR
SL rate for 1 INR was approx 2.4

The planning stage
Arun back at Leo had mentioned camel safari and Rajasthan. For some reason the place stuck in my head although I did not know too much about it prior to actually visiting the place. The other option that I explored was Jammu and Kashmir. The thought of seeing snow for the very first time and trekking in the mountains was very exciting.
When was I checked the internet to book my train tickets (which were an amazing breeze), I realised that I was running out of time for making my decision. The ticket was booked o the 18th of October. There were just a few seats left! If I had waited another day, I wouldn’t have got a seat at all and would have got delayed. Up until the last moment I was undecided about where to go. Kashmir had a tourist infor office at the World Trade Centre in Mumbai, but they were not of any real valuable help. Only gave me a book of packages. Also the tour places I called up were not flexible enough to provide me with what I wanted i.e. a hiking route for a lone traveller through Kashmir. Also what swayed me towards Rajasthan was an absolutely amazing website with all the information I could want. Even better than that was a chat room on 24 hours call to answer queries and give advice. That just about sold me on the state.
Having made the decision, I decided on the places that I wanted to touch base at. I skipped Mount Abu because it sounded very touristy. The Lonely Planet….my bible also played a big role here. I knew that I had to finish up on the 21st to Delhi so I worked backwards. I also knew that I would want to spend the most amount of time in Jaiselmer if I could find myself on a Camel. If not, I would explore elsewhere.
I was also advised to go to the Taj Mahal as I would be so close to it. I did not intend to try and go there, because I was told that it had become extremely touristy and commercialised, but since I was in the vicinity, I thought I’d do it anyway. I was also told to stop by at Ahmedabad and do Zayarat (pilgrimage) as it was on the way and make the most of that opportunity.
I did not worry at all about places to stay. Prior to departure, I had gone to a travel Agent in Mumbai representing the Rajasthan tourist office (as the building the office was at in fort had collapsed) – Tanishq Travels and Tours. They had helped my by giving me a list of RTDC hotels and the places that would have dorms which would cost around 50/-
I had decided to be as free wheeling as possible. Sleep on the buses (travelling in the night) as much as possible.

In preparing what to take, I had my hiking bag (gotten from House of Fashion for SLR 1200/-), my pouch, and a sling bag.
In the Haversack...
- I put in (with a bit of hesitation) Paren and Sayo – for use in Ahmedabad.
- An extra (long sleeved) shirt I put in at the last moment – which were all the clothes I had apart from my black longs and shirt.
- Cap and sunny’s.
- Jacket, blanket and thick woolly socks.
- Water bottle,
- In the side pockets, medicine (Vitamin C, a couple of panadols, a couple of tablets for shitting, plasters). Vicks Balm, Samahan tooth brush, Wintogeno, Rubber bands, a small bottle of liquid soap, a couple of shampoo sachets, a couple of sachets of liquid soap for washing clothes (which were never used) and my phone charger.
- I had taken with me 6 film rolls (bought 3 more on the way)
- A few very small disposable hankies, toilet paper that I had unrolled to save space, a couple of underwear and a very small towel.

In the belt pouch I had my journal, wallet, sunny’s and my survival kit.
In the sling bag had the lonely planet and camera. Had the passport too.
My money was divided thus:
- 3 thousand in cash (of which 1000 was in the haversack)
- 1 TC in the sling bag
- 1 TC in the haversack

Health
I was never seriously ill except for a cold that accompanied me most of the way and head aches if I did not eat. A thorn (as strong as an iron went in right thru my nail in Jodhpur). I had a bit of nose bleed. It was kinda bad when I reached Delhi in the night; I guess it had to do with the cold.
I used to apply balm on my chest and nose, Wintogeno in my back and feet and knees almost every night. I also tried to take a Vitamin C tablet everyday in the morning.

The Train Journey
I had boarded at about 10.30 pm. On the 4th of November. The only thing to do was get comfortable on my berth and sleep through the night. The best berth to sleep on is the upper. They had my name printed out and stuck on the train near the entrance. That seemed so cool. Tip. Always keep your bag close to with the zip facing inward and keep it on the opposite side of the corridor. This is so that people who try to steal it would have a harder (though not impossible) task of stealing it.
It is fascinating watching everyone and the world waking up. What woke me and most other up was the incessant calling of the Chai walla’s and the other food vendors. The food was amazing, but a bit monotonous after a while. Nothing substantial, but still better than our local Wadai’s. They also have people selling 1/- water sachets, Poun bhaji, singh, etc. Even basic fried dhal is never sold plain. They always add masala. They also have masala tea. It is very interesting chatting with people, and I learned that they become more interested to know that you are a foreigner, but can still converse in Hindi. But this area is Gujarat, so most of the people were speaking Gujrati. Such a powerful feeling to know that you can understand (roughly) what they are saying.
The kids here eat Badaam (almonds) like most other kids would eat toffees. No wonder they are so strong. It’s meant to be brain food.
As the day progressed, the train get more and more crowded. I got the perfect seat at the emergency exit; cuz the window doesn’t have metal grills. The only problem is that people getting in and out use this as a short cut to get themselves and their luggage in. The crowd became so bad that every seat that would normally seat 1 person seated 2. Berths are given up during the day. So my berth seat was not mine during the day. What smart people did was to climb up there and stretch out. Then they go to sleep or at least pretend to, so that they can keep the entire seat to themselves.
Tip: watch out for Hijra’s. They can be annoying if they pick on you…but otherwise quite entertaining. The 1st impression I had and one which never left was how huge the land looked and even felt.
Tip: Never take a tempo (tri-shaw) from a train or bus station. They charge pretty close to almost double.
Night 1 was spent lying down on a mattress with about 30 others in a big hall. I had 3 meals and quite a good time there.

Ahmedabad:
This city is split into 2 by the river. The old city is one side, with the new on the other.
There is quite a lot to see and I think I made the right decision in hiring a tempo to take me around.
Had a hair cut here, because lengthy hair is a no no while travelling. It was at this time and this very city in which Sri Lanka were playing their cricket match and loosing the series very badly. I’ve always had amazing and interesting conversations with the locals. What was very interesting was that with my hair cut I also get a face wash and massage with moisturiser to complete it. Temperature becomes chilly the moment the sun sets. It’s a bit like Kandy now. But can manage without the jacket.
The next day went on my tour. Began at 8.00 and completed at about 3 with a very late lunch. The guy probably never expected me to spend so much time at each location. There was quite a lot packed in. 9 religious sites and about 16 other interest sites. I made sure that I knew where we were going and kept checking with him and ticking them off to ensure we went every where. Again lonely planet to the rescue. If not, he would have mumbled out a number of locations and taken me to only a handful of places.
Along the way he also took me to the bus stand to get a ticket to Udaipur. I got a ticket straight from the RTDC stand instead of a travel agent. This left me with the impression that the public busses are cheaper. This was not really the case all over. But I used the public buses most of time because they were more responsible, on time and probably trustable.
The tour cost me 400/-
Unfortunately my first bus experience was an awful one. I had bought the 11.00 night ticket… or so I thought. I made myself nicely comfortable in the seat and then someone comes and says that the seat is there’s. The office tells me that I have got a ticket for 11 am, instead of pm. The fools. This is also the last bus. After a bit of letting off steam, the conductor tells me to get on anyway. I won’t get a seat, but at least I’ll get to Udaipur. So I’m at the back of the bus and I make myself pretty comfortable on the floor. There’s a narrow space in the aisle that I lie down on. After a bit of time, something extremely solid makes a loud bang as it hits something. I realise that the something is my head. After that realisation, the pain hits me and I am shaken and quite stirred for a while wondering what the hell just happened to me. A metal container fell from the luggage rack onto my head. The lady who owned it was very sorry and even offered to malish (massage) my head. She had a couple of kids. Noisy. Before I could lie down in my narrow space, she put one of the kids down there. So I had no choice but to squeeze myself with the kid. Squashing the poor fellow in the process.

Udaipur
Landed at 4.30 am. Was freezing. Like Hatton in the morning. Found out that I really didn’t have to book the bus in advance. In all my travelling, coming a couple of hours early to the stand was quite good enough.
Used what I thought was a popular landmark and began walking towards it. I learned that for someone who does not have a problem walking (like me – because, I would walk an average of about 10 km a day) the distances were not all that far. Even for a place that people say is at the other end of the town, it is walkable. You only have to make the decision of whether or not you can afford to spend the energy to walk all the way there.
I tried to time my travels so that I reach every city at about this time in the morning. Then I always made it a point to get to the highest location and catch the sunrises. They were absolutely always amazing and worth it and something I recommend every traveller to try and do.
What was amazing about this place was that more than the typical locations such as the City Palace, the Baag, Moti Magri to which everyone’s goes (I did too), it was more amazing to walk the side streets. I walked along each and every street I could find. It was amazing because they were narrow. Tiny. Wide enough for 2 bicycles at the most. The walls all had colourful paintings. There was Rangoli on a lot of the doors. I followed the newspaper man and the milk man as they did their rounds. Eventually I found my way down to Lake Pichola. Here the locals come and bathe themselves, their utensils and their clothes. Feed the pigeons; get ready for work or school. It was wonderful witnessing all this. In the morning after breakfast I was at a loss as to what to do next. Should I go sight seeing or find a place to stay? Found myself in a bhora district and on a whim asked a bhori if there was a mosque close by. Not knowing what I would do if there was one close by or even if I would go there. He said that there was a musafar khana that I could go to and there I would even find a place to stay and eat. After getting directions to that place I went sight seeing.
My load seemed so much more lighter every time I made a plan. Usually the plan was only as long term as the night. But it still made the day seem much better having a plan. I would go to Moti Magri…a hill a bit of a distance away and tire myself out if I have to….because I knew that I had a comfortable place to stay. I also would have a fall back option in case of an emergency which was to find the RTDC hotel. But I found out later that these places were quite expensive and hardly ever had dorms.
The other amazing thing that I did was to find a really amazing place to watch the sunset. I have become such a fan of these. Then after this I went for a cultural evening. Experienced dance and music that I have never before. It was so wonderful, I cannot describe it in words.
I realised what a huge advantage I have. I let people assume I am Indian. This gets me into places other people cannot. But more importantly gets me at a cheaper price. Sometimes the difference I save is enormous.
Learning the story about a historical artefact or location makes the object come alive. So I learnt to follow guides. If there is a tour group ahead of me, sometimes I become part of that group (never staying with the same group for long). I usually have my note book out and follow them around. Get amazing tips and save a hell of a lot of money.
There are two ways of viewing these buildings. Either you can just immerse yourself in them and guess what everything means or you can search for the story. I think both are cool. The story brings things to life.
Another thing I learned is that having the camera out can be a disadvantage at times. But a camera and a notebook is a super cool thing. People think you’re a reporter or what better is that people think you’re a student. Sometimes I went around pretending to be an art student.
I feel so sorry for the donkeys I see. They are usually slave driven doing hard work. On road construction for example they are seen carrying heavy loads of rocks. They are the typical Eeyore. Head down seemingly taking all the punishment people give them. The height of their servitude must be the way they are coloured in fantastically bright colours.
I also realised that I would never ever travel in a package tour. They absolutely eat into your appreciation time of things. Herding you from sight to sight without ever letting you appreciate things.

NOTE FOR JUGDISH> JUG MEANS WHOLE> AND DISH MEANS UNIVERSE> SO JAGDISH MEANS RULER OF THR UNIVERSE>

Jodhpur
Had slept in the bus and arrived here at 4.30 am. Here Sojati gate was my very friendly landmark. Walked and took a tempo here. From here walked inside towards what I learned people called the fort…ie killa. Was walking through the narrow streets of the market. Everything was still dark and closed. Was only about 15 – 20 minute walk although people had predictably said that it was a long walk.
The Killa was atop a hill. There was a Frenchman who was also there to greet the sunrise. And what a sunrise it was. Breathtaking. Amazing. The blue of the city. The golden fort. Another thing that I learned to do was get friendly with the tempo guys near these sights, because they would give me a great list of the sights. But more than that, they would give you the order of things you should see. And the locations and how to get there. That’s what important to find out, otherwise I would get lost and waste precious time trying to get from one place to another haphazardly.
Another thing that I used to do was always ask people what the speciality in food was. Because every place that I went to was famous for some kind of unique food item and the place to get them from. The delicacies of Jhodpur were the Kishori’s especially the mawa one.
Went on a horse carriage. These are not tourist attractions like I initially thought, but actual means of transport that the locals used. And so it was bloody cheap and fun experience.
The amazing thing about travelling in Rajasthan is the information they provide tourists. Each city has a tourist office. They provide you with maps directions, places to stay tours, etc. etc and answer any questions you have. Most are very helpful. This one recommended youth hostel and dorms. He also told me how to get a bicycle. So this is what I went and did next. Got a cycle. It was a good ting I had a photocopy of the passport, cuz that is what the guy asked for as security. I thought that I could easily run away with it and not loose anything. It cost me 35/- and I had to return it 24 hours later. It was good that I got the cycle. Had to get used to cycle with the bag and the crowded streets. Knee was giving me pains; thankfully not so much the back and I thought that I lost my Wintogeno. Colourful people, all over. In the evening I went to the heart of the old city going round and round in circles until I felt that I would never come out. I was looking for this particular sunset spot that no one seemed to know too well. The streets were such a maze that at each time i had to ask for directions. I was late for the sunset, but hung around there for a couple of hours.
Then I went looking for the youth hostel. That also took some time, cuz I couldn’t remember the directions too well and kept asking people for the YMCA. A night at the youth hostel cost me 60. Met some professors there and had very deep discussions with them. About Buddhism, about the power of stories and how through stories culture and traditions are carried from generation to generation. What love is, how it works, how language works. They were fun too. I could have listened and hoped that they would go on all night. I got the biggest compliment ever. One guy who couldn’t speak English (some one translated it for me) asked me what I had learnt was the difference between our 2 countries and the people. He listened to me and then said that he didn’t think I was a tourist. I was more than a tourist. He said that he could sense that at the back of my head was a quest to understand, learn, seek and experience.
After a night and 1 ½ days in Udaipur I went to Salawas. I asked the guy at the tourist desk if there was a village I could go to see the culture and experience rural life. He said that he would make a call to a friend and if I wanted to could go tomorrow. Gave me a number and some basic directions. I decided to go for it.
While looking for the bus to Salawas got a bit delayed because there was a huge fire in the row of Nepalese jacket sellers. So the roads had got a bit blocked. I got out of that area fast because the fire was quite close to a petrol pump.

Salawas
If you’re looking for the perfect location to get the rural village experience, this is it.
Not far away from Jhodpur (only about 35km away), but far enough to feel like your on the moon. The roads here are dusty; and there seems to be more goats than people.
Most of the people in the town square were clustered under large trees discussing, what I assume to be village politics, over an afternoon cup of tea.
Getting here was quite a breeze. An hour’s ride from town, though the bus stand is about a km away from the train station. You can get a bus from either the Olympic or Rotary Circle and the ticket costs Rs. 9 or Rs.10. It got pretty crowded pretty fast (remember that the last bus leaves at around 5.00 pm). That itself was a fun experience. The locals speaking in their colourful language, wearing their colourful attire…both the ladies with their Ghargra Cholies and the men in white with fascinating turbans. In addition, most men possess large moustaches and studded ears. Everyone seems to know everyone and I felt very much the outsider. As soon as the bus left the town limits, it stopped and about half the crowd got down before it started up again. I wondered why the men were all leaving the bus, until I saw their Mojri clad feet hanging down from the roof. Felt like I was in the Fevicol ad.
As soon as I reached town, I contacted Phukraj from a local shop who happened to have a phone. Luckily for me, Phukraj was well known and the shopman was kind enough to save from embarrassment and spoke on my behalf (when he saw me struggling with my Hindi). I went across the street to drink a cup of tea. I had become quite the village attraction. The tea man was the privileged one who could ask me who I was and from where I had come. He was thrilled to know that I was from Sri Lanka and could speak Hindi.
I was picked up by a young man. He could speak Hindi and a very basic English. He took me the 1 km or so to Phukraj’s home on his motorbike. He introduced himself as Chotu, Phukraj’s eldest son.
Once at home, I was given quite a warm welcome and a very hot cup of Masala Tea. I felt right at home. The children are as fascinated of me as I am of them. I am quite impressed that they are learning English and tried my best to teach them what I could. They were very interested in seeing me scribble in my diary.
Phukraj and Dariya have six children who are (from youngest to eldest) Asoka (4 years old), Om Prakass, Mamta, Sambu Ram, Geeta, and finally the eldest, Chotu (21 years old). Geeta is married.
I was given the choice of mineral water or well water. I chose the latter because I figured that if they do not fall sick, I also won’t. We also discussed the meal arrangements. I decided that I will have 2 meals with them, preferring to have breakfast in town.
I spent the rest of the evening talking to and getting to know the 4 kids, learning about the carpet making and relaxing. The night became very chilly but I was made comfortable. They prepared an amazing meal of Chappati’s, and Khaddi for me.
I had a small hut for myself which was actually Chotu’s room. They brought in an extra Bistar (bed) and made a very comfortable ‘nest’ for me to sleep in. The night air was chilly, but comfortable.
The next day chute my guide took me for a long walk to a nearby rocky outcrop to witness the sunrise. The land is barren, but beautiful. Along the way, we stopped to feed the pigeons. A very sacred and dutiful act. Coming back we visited a few Muslim families and I experienced pottery making first hand. Chotu dropped me at town for breakfast of Jalebi. This is quite unexpected because I usually only have this as a dessert. Before going back home, I helped Chotu with one of his chores. We went one of the many families making carpets and brought some with us.
One of the neighbours of Phukraj runs a small workshop making small oil lamps. These are the most unique that I have ever seen. It is made in a very unique and secret way so that any oil that is poured in through a small hole at the bottom will not fall out once turned the right way round.
I helped mum walk the buffaloes in the afternoon, tried my hand at a bit of carpet weaving and even helped gather peanuts from their field. In the evening Chotu dropped me off at the bus stand so that I could catch the 5 pm bus.
Visiting Phukraj is the ideal rural experience. He is flexible enough to be ableto accommodate 10 people, or even a single. In addition to giving his guests the opportunity to live with him, he can organise camel safaris for 150/- (without meals). There have been many satisfied guests from all around the world including Canada, Malaysia, Australia, UK and even Israel.
The best time to visit is between October and February. Salawas is a small town with only about 10,000 people in the village, though I hardly saw more than a 100 in our vicinity.
There is even something for the naturalist. I spotted a Eurasian Hoopoe close to our home.

The carpet industry of Salawas.

Durry weaving in Salawas is more than a 50 year old industry. Originally the Maharajah of Jodhpur – Gajaraj Singh – assisted the family though now the government plays a crucial role in supporting the Durry weavers. Now this is a blossoming cottage industry supporting many families in the village. A large number of families in the village pool their skill, resources and time to make the carpets. Phukraj has been weaving carpets for the last 35 years now. His expertise and skill have made the Salawas carpets famous and unique all over India. The thread used is the famous Rajesthani cotton although upon request the carpets can be made from goat, camel or sheep wool as well. The designs are a myriad of wonderful and bright patterns, all unique and all stored in the heads of the designers.
The carpets are made of a unique interlocking system that means that they are really strong. The weaving is so tight that water does not seep through at all. Another advantage of this style is that the pattern exists on both sides of the carpet.

Pukhraj Prajapat
Durry Udhyog, Durry Weaver
Kum Haron ki Dhani,
Near Gosala
Post - Salawas
Dist – Jodhpur 342804
Rajesthan
India
Tel: 0291-2696744 or 94147-20724

Ram Devra

Decided to try the train. Again was extremely impressed by the service Rajasthan offers tourists. They have a comfortable waiting room with someone to help tourists at the station with information. Here I decided to not go directly to Jaiselmer, but stop by at this famous city called Ram Devra’s. I was recommended to go here by Phukraj. Apparently it is a pilgrimage site visited by both Hindu’s and Muslims. Was lucky to get a berth, even though it was hard and uncomfortable. The train was filled with army personnel. One of these guys had even come to Sri Lanka on a mission to fight the LTTE. The toughest part was waking up and getting off the train at 3.00 am. I was very proud of the fact that I got up in time and forced myself out of the berth. It was biting cold.
Just outside the station, in anticipation for the pilgrims a number of tea and food shops had put out little bonfires that were very irrisistable in the cold morning air. This naturally was a hook to get people to their shop and patronise it.
I decided to walk up to the temple. It was absolutely and shockingly unimpressive. What was worse was that it would only open at 5.00. So I had to stand outside the door with an increasingly large crowd gathering outside. There was an interesting bunch of musicians seated playing devotional music which was about the only interesting and time pass thing there was to do.
I didn’t wait to see the temple open and decided to find out what time and how I could get to Jaiselmer. The few local shop keepers who had just begun to open their stores said that the first bus would leave only at 9.00. I had a lot of time to kill and nothing to do. What I did was to find a clean and quite corner behind the main road at the market, to sleep. I spread some newspapers and made myself quite comfortable bed to sleep in. I remember waking up around 7 and a local Chai wala telling me to not worry and go back to sleep, that there was still much time left for the bus to come.
The morning was my first view of the dessert. Being in this city meant that I was finally in the dessert. I was half expecting rolling dunes of sand but what I saw was a dry, brown, flat, hard, dusty and arid landscape with a road cutting through this going on and on and on. While waiting for the bus I had breakfast of potato roti and a free cup of tea.
The bright side of coming to this town was that for the first time I was travelling by day and this meant that I could see the country side. That was worth it.

In the bus, we suddenly braked to a halt. The conductor and another gut got down with a large sack. The road was fenced because with side was obviously private property. These guys jumped through the barbed wire and began collecting the large football (green) like things that seemed to be randomly scattered all over the ground. They brought these back and distributed it to everyone on the bus. I had a good time eating half a watermelon with my hand and then drinking the juice right off the empty shell. The flesh was icy cold and amazingly refreshing.

Jaislemer
I got here at 12.00. My first impression after seeing the amazing sandstone carvings on the road islands and roundabouts and the golden hue on everything was that this was an old beautiful city. The entire pace, rhythm and atmosphere of this town was unique. The fort hung over everything. An overriding presence of culture, dessert…the closest I’ve come to feeling that I am in ancient times.
I immediately went to the tourist information office. But for the first time I got the impression that this guy was trying to cream a buck off me by setting me up with hotels, safari’s and even money exchanges where he obviously got a commission. My Hindi understanding helped here. Including trying to send me to the Sam sand dune safari organised by the tourist board. But I also used him. Or at least used his toilet to freshen up.
Next I went to the Amar Sagar gate and Jawahir Villas (next to the Tazia Tower) where I had most of my meals and where I spent most of my time.
The city is highly concentrated with ‘gori’s’ and many fellow backpackers. It’s got a very tourist feel, but because people are so used to them, I could almost blend in. I spent the rest of the day looking for places to get my safari. Went to about 4 places but finally ended up at Ganesh Travels. Apart from being the cheapest and recommend by a few people I met, I got good vibes. Next I went looking for the sunset point. I was late so was really panting by the time I got there. But it was still really amazing. The colours were breath taking. Later on I noticed that through most of the journey through Rajasthan, I hardly saw many clouds. I also realised that clouds made a sunset much better. Rested as it got darker and spent about an hour lying down staring at the sky. Coming back to town via a short cut the locals told me about, I headed to the Dharmsala to inquire about rooms. Was told to come in before 11.00.

Opposite the Dharmsala next to the station was a huge mela going on. Basically a carnival. This was sponsored by a local newspaper. The mela’s were really a place where the locals could sell their ware. There were a number of stalls selling everything from sweaters, clothes, pickle, hand craft, music, and herbal products. There was one rifle shooting stall and I was very happy with my shooting skills because I hit every target I aimed. I did not win anything though cuz I think you only pay for the privilege of shooting the gun.

But my favourite was the rides. There was a bouncer, a giant wheel that wasn’t yet operational and an amazing boat ride. The kind of boat that that swings up and down. The best place was the tips of the boat. It was usually empty and I had amazing thrills. Unfortunately all the foreigners stay in the fort area and do not know about this. So it was filled with locals. The guys operating the boat ride I felt had a policy for how long the ride lasts. They would go on and on until they saw someone feeling sick. So the rides would last almost 5 minutes. I was addicted. I went many times on the ride. There was another mela closer to the fort that had a bigger but more crowded boat ride that I visited too. The other thing that makes the boat great and scary is the fact that its engine etc is outside and in a really bad state. There is a large rubber belt that I would think would break any moment. The swing is manually controlled. The engine could break down any moment. This was the first night so they had also organised a dance. There was a stage built in the corner. They had music, dance by the locals and even a comedian doing stand up. A few locals did some contemporary dances. The highlight of the show was a number of dances done by a huge broad shouldered and ‘pretty’ girl dressed in ghargra choli accompanied by another shorter ‘girl’. On closer examination I realised that they were actually men. But they danced so beautifully it was amazing. It was fabulous. The finale was the big ‘girl’ doing the pit on the head dance. All the people rushed and stampeded to get a closer look. They were really great.
I had to wait an extra day before leaving for the safari. This I used to explore the fort, walk around the sadly crumbly and shit infested boundary walls, and see the sights. It was great to walk through the narrow streets and get lost. Because not only are all the buildings amazing and old, people are actually living there.
Spent the evening talking to a local tempo guy and having fabulous hot badaam milk (almond flavoured milk). The first night was spent inside the hall. But I had to sleep outside on the second night because the hall had been booked. It wasn’t too bad at all.
The people are really lucky here. They all live in homes that look like heritage homes. In fact, most of the homes are heritage buildings. At night they light up the fort and it really looks stunning. Especially seen from the top end of a swinging boat or giant wheel.

The safari

I woke up. I am quite pleasantly surprised by this. How I can wake up really early when I need to. I had had to sleep outside this time because the hall had been booked for the night. It wasn’t bad, and 5 Rupees cheaper. Had b’fast before going to Ganesh's. Most of the crowd was already there. A huge group from Israel, Turkey etc. A couple of guys from UK and me. Left bags at Ganesh’s locker. We were taken by jeep about an hours ride into the dessert. I was to be with a couple from Canada. They have no knowledge of Sri Lanka. Don’t even know anything about cricket. Where I was feeling chilly, they tell me that their summers are like this.
How in the world can a dessert be cold? There are no mountains and yet it’s as cold as if there are mountains. That is unreal. Contrary to everything I have ever learnt and such an oxymoron. Doesn’t make any sense to me.
We reach some unmarked and seemingly random spot close to nothing. The road to get here was narrow, and really straight. No landmarks. Occasionally we would pass fields of humongous windmills. Very unreal and alien. Smooth steel, clinical and overpoweringly large and a landscape that was golden, arid, and so sparse.
We had to wait for the camels to come back from previous group’s safari. Till then we chilled under the shade. Got acquainted with the biggest problem of the dessert which were the prickly’s. Tiny balls covered in deadly, strong, sharp thorns that latch themselves on anything including skin. Everyone began rubbing generous amounts of sun tan lotion on themselves. My only protection was a tiny 5 gram bottle of lotion and my towel (go hitchhikers guide…your right about the towel) around my neck, my cap and sunny’s. My sunny’s were the only thing that I lost of value on my entire trip.
My first meeting with my camel “Mr. Lalu” did not go very well. I learnt very quickly that they are big, grumpy bastards. Which is what I named my own camel. I was cursed with the biggest one and the one with the most attitude and disobedience. On the whole though, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The advantage of this was that I was the leader. The others were tied up to me. The disadvantage was that he would only behave when the guide, his master was around. Our guide was ‘Daniel’ though his real name was Dhanny.
Our days were spent travelling the land. About 25 km on average per day. We were meant to visit three villages on the way every day. Stop for lunch and rest between 12.30 and 3.30 the hottest part of the day. You can get watermelons either from the villages or along the way. Its is amazing to see them growing on the ground.
On riding the camel. Just go with the flow. Move with it. Become a part of the camel. It’s a good idea to keep shifting. You can cross your legs. Ride side saddle anything to ensure that you but doesn’t get saddle sore. Always stretch. On controlling the camel…don’t even bother. But if you want to try. Make sure he knows that you are in control. Always talk to it. He listens. Keep the reins tight. Give him a shot or two once in a way.
The camel is one of the most beautiful animals I have seen. I am so lucky to have been able to ride it. He is so sweet. So cuddly. Has the most amazing teeth and ears. His face is like a dragons. But with a friendly smile. His teeth are really scary though. After lunch during the hot part of the day they smell the most. They are constantly expelling gas from the front and rear and sound like a steam engine. Then you really curse the fact that you are second and not in the lead.
During our breaks there always seemed to be some villager who manages to drift by. They usually hang around for tea, chat and smoke. It was a huge advantage that Dhanny could speak to me much more easily than the others. I became a translator at times. But this power had to be used carefully or I would alienate myself with my fellow foreigners. Dhanny is very wise. He has picked up many English idioms. My favourite is that Japanese are like sheep. You can’t tell one from the other. He sings “I’m a camel man, in the bloody sand…” to the tune of “I’m a Barbie girl.” He also sings amazing local songs.
When it came to cooking. Food for me was made separately and spicier. I always tried to help out with the cooking. Usually we had tea, chapatti and a vege curry. In the night there was rice and dhal additionally. We also had fruit. Water for drinking was carried in large containers (like the water containers in our office filter machine). Water for washing and cooking was taken from the villages we passed.
The nights were spent at the dune. These were large hills of nothing but sand. So amazing and so much fun. Sleep out on thick blanket. A similar on was used for a sheet. Didn’t have dew problems. Because the moon was full we didn’t see any stars until the moon set. The best time to see the stars was waking up at about 4.00 am. It was so nice to wake up and have the first thing you see a sky full of stars, or the sun rising. Such a lovely honey-moon spot ;) The only curse were the damn dung beetles. Everywhere you sit, they would somehow find their way towards you. They were not harmful except for the occasional nip. They were a bit scary like the scarabs in the Mummy. And they were so persistent. Like a cockroach who somehow finds his way back up even after being flushed.
There was one exciting moment when the Polish guy jumped up and screamed. Dhanny came to the rescue and killed it with one whack of his slipper. It was a scorpion. The other animals that I saw during my sojourn (nice word no?) in the dessert were wild camels, vultures, eagles, hoopoe, rabbits(at least the holes), chipmunks, peacocks, fox, cattle and lizards. In addition there are snakes cobra’s and deer.
The last day was nice because it was just me and Dhanny. None of the others wanted to spend more time. They were kind of complaining a lot so I was glad to get rid of them. I was really enjoying the ride and quite used to. Although the rising up never failed to shock the life out of me.

Came back to town in the evening. I had a few options of either leaving by bus or train. Either way I had to hang around a bit. I waited at the mela. Made friends with the organisers, got a place to sit, company, free tea and free rides…as many as I wanted. I also gave them an idea of what they could do to increase the attendance. For instance organise a foreigners vs. local cricket match in the evening.
I had a choice to make. I realised now slightly panicky that I was behind schedule. That I would only reach Delhi on Sunday night the 20th instead of 2 days before. So I had to cut down on a few places to go.
I also missed the direct bus to Ajmer. So I had to take the bus back to Jodhpur (I’m travelling the width of Sri Lanka!) and from their get into an Ajmer bus which would leave about an hour later. For the first time I travelled in a private coach. My touring time their would be highly rushed cuz I would only be able to spend one night there and complete Pushkar as well, before leaving for Japipur and spending the whole of Saturday their, Sunday morning in Agra and night in Delhi somehow.

Ajmer & Pushkar

I’m leaving the dessert behind. Very sad to do that. It was nice to see the landscape change. To become greener, with more fields animals and people. The drive to Ajmer was also lovely. Hills that soon became mountains were on either side of us. It became cooler, and the mountains excited me as the always do. Ajmer lies at the foot of a large wall of a mountain. It is a pretty city. Famous for schools and a good number of universities. I have reached here at 10.00 in the late morning.
The first thing I did was to go to the information office. I learned that because the Prime Minister (Abdul Kalam) was visiting Ajmer, it would not be a good place to hang around as the roads and many places might be closed. So he advised me to go to Pushkar. I hurried back to the bus stand. Finding a place to buy the ticket was really tough. The bus was there so I got in and sat hoping to buy the ticket once we were on the move. Then the driver gets in stead of starting the engine shouts at everyone to get down. So for about half an hour everyone was wondering what to do going from one counter to the next to find out when the next bus would be arriving and whether their tickets could be refunded. I felt sorry for a couple of tourists.
All of a sudden a bus was leaving and a man I was asking information from rant to it. So I followed it and was just able to get in before it speeded off. People were kind of unsure as to where it was headed but thought it was going to Ajmer. It was. I was lucky. The drive up was amazing. A steady climb up a curvy mountainous road like the Kadugannawa stretch.
I was hungry. Got shown to a famous shop for the Pushkar specialty of Malpuwa. These are really sweet as they are served to you deep fried in ghee and then immediately soaked in sugar syrup. But they are mouth watering. Like pancakes. No I had one afternoon to see Pushkar. The thing to remember is that most of the temples are open only certain times of the day. Since I had come here during Lunch time, the only time I would get to see them was after 4.00 when most of them would open. Here too is a very hippy laid back touristy town. It is built around this very important lake. There were large number of tourists, many on Enfield’s (bikes). The music here is really cool. Apart from that, there are a countless number of temples. The local population are Sadhu’s. And they are really scary. Walking along the deserted, less crowded part of the city is like walking along a deserted road and once in a while you come across these Sadhu’s seated under trees or walking about. It was very freaky. Went to the important Brahma’s temple(though he is the creator of the universe, this is the only temple in the world for him – something to do with a pissed off wife), and climbed a really strenuous (Adam’s Peak type) mountain (750 foot climb) to Savitri’s (the pissed off wife of Brahma) temple. Spent some time here checking out the views etc. It was evening when I got back to town. Headed straight for the bus stand. Had to wait a long time for the bus to Ajmer. Reached there late in the night. The ride down to Ajmer was amazing. The entire city is laid out before you and it looks like stars.
I therefore dubbed Ajmer the city of stars. And it is one of my favourite cities.
It was night when I got here.
I went to the (Lodha) Dharmsala immediately. Left my luggage their and left for a walk in the night. Everywhere I went, there was always a wedding celebration going on. This involved the groom on a horse followed and led by his friends dancing along on streets with a band and really loud music. This procession would finally reach the hall and here celebrations would go on all night. I also went into the park (still open at 10.00 pm!) in the moonlight and the Amar Sagar lake edge where the Baradari (Marble Pavilion) is built. It is too beautiful for words.
I had the morning to check out Ajmer. I first went to the Darga. This was crowded with many Muslims. All panditaya’s. It was also the first place that I saw meat being eaten. The Darga was amazingly crowded. I am glad that I left most of my luggage at the Dharmsala. I was warned by the security to take care of my pockets. Here too I found hijra’s in this holy tomb of all places. I ate a bit of the holy porridge that is made daily in 2 huge pots that are at least 15 feet in height.
From here I climbed up to Taraghar. The house of stars. A fort up in the mountains above Ajmer. It was a really long, tiring hour long climb and I was in a hurry. Many times I thought I would go back. I was suffering. Thank god I left my luggage. What was worse that at every bend there were stalls where shop keepers sold all sorts of charms and good luck thingy’s to the people climbing up. I realised later that there was another tomb up there on top that people were climbing up to (I was also forced to go towards the tomb even though I told them that I didn’t want to go there). These shop keepers had a weird way and awful way of selling their stuff. They would record their message and play it on a loud speaker at full volume over and over again. So that even before I would go out of the range of one, I would come into the range of another. On the top thankfully there was a road. I sat in a shared jeep with other people that cost me 15/- and dropped me off to Sai Baba’s very contemporary looking temple. The road down was so steep, narrow and amazing. It felt like we were floating down to the city of the Ajmer that was spread below us. Took a local bus through the city from the old part with roads that were more dirt tracks than roads and finally to the main city itself where I picked up my stuff. Before I went to the bus stand I wanted to check one more thing out. It was a beautiful red rock Jain Temple. Unfortunately I could only see a part of it. This part was a 2 story gallery in which was built a miniature version of the Jain concept of the Universe. It was beautiful and fantastic but visible through a dirty window sadly.
Reached the bus stand at 3.45. The ride would be around 3 - 4 hours and I would reach there around 7 hopefully. The road is an amazing 4 + 4 highway that goes all the way to Delhi.

Jaipur.

This city is big. So big that our bus driver got lost. He had taken a wrong turn and ended up going to up the Delhi road and could find a way to u-turn to go back to Jaipur. Got us late by an hour. This is a real city city and I’m quite nervous.
To make matters more challenging, I did not really have an idea of where to go and what to do. Kind of going blind. I asked the locals for a Dharmsala (after fighting off the touts at the bus stand). They told me there would be one near the train station. It was not much of a walk to get there. This place was out of rooms. He seemed to like me and told me to come here after an hour. I went to the train station and found the information office open. I got convinced into taking a package tour for half a day from the morning onwards. They were very helpful anyway and I’m glad I went there even though it was about 8.30 in the night. Went back to the Dharmsala. This guy had kept a room for me. As he was writing in my details to check me in, he asked me the code no. for the Masgaun - where I was staying in Mumbai. I didn’t know it and before I could even think of a good enough reason for this, he cut my name off and told me to go. More like get lost. I really cursed myself for not thinking fast enough. It was such a slap in the face the way he treated me after that. Would not even listen to me, so I turned on my heel and walked out realising that appealing to him would be a waste of time. Because they do not let foreigners stay in Dharmsala’s I was kind of stuck at 8.30 in the night. The RTDC Hotel nearby did not have beds any free dorm beds. Apparently it was because of the wedding season. The other 2 RTDC hotels I went to also were no help. The youth Hostel was about 60/- away by tempo. I almost got into a tempo that said he would take me to some Hotel for 5/- Better luck next time sucker.
Now I was looking up options from my trusty old Lonely Planet. After about 2 Hotels I was recommended a place down the street. They had rooms and were giving it for 100/- after some bargaining. Unfortunately a cycle man had attached himself to me. The guy at the hotel thought the tempo had brought me and suddenly said he can only give the room at 130/- I realised - and was quicker this time - and told him that the tempo had nothing to do with me and was only following me. Earlier he kept shouting out deals, prices, facilities at me to let him take me to a cheap place. He also kept saying that the Hotels I was going into didn’t have rooms, were really expensive etc. It was a bit scary cuz the streets were quite deserted at 10.00 pm.
The room I got was as big as the bed that was in it. Hardly more space than that. But I was happy and well rested. I had bought a 7-up bottle as a treat for myself. Into this I . emptied some salt and lime and kept it for later. It was the most amazing drink I had had in a while.
I booked my ticket Agra after dinner. I wanted to take the last deluxe bus as was advised to book early even though buses leave almost every hour.
It was worth missing out on the Dharmsala because I got the ultimate luxury in the morning. One free bucket of hot water.
The next day I broke my rule by taking the tour. And realised why I hated tours so much. They kept taking us from spot A, to B to C. The guide kept droning out information and we kept moving our heads in the bus from left to right. The advantage was that we had our own guide, and I got the story twice cuz he had to say it in English and Hindi. The other good thing was that the cost of travel and speed was taken care of. I saw about 8 places in all. If I was alone I wouldn’t have been able to see more than 2 or 3. the Jantar Mantar rocked. Such a fascinating place. It had the worlds largest sundial. One that could tell the time right down to 2 seconds (eg. 12.35 and 42 seconds!) I love anything to do with the stars.
I met a Dutch couple who offered me a Dutch sweet. They warned me that this sweet is usually only liked by the Dutch and wouldn’t be offended if I spit it out. I braved the thing as much as I could. I just had to spit it out. It was the most awful mix of flavours I have ever tasted. I can still taste it in my mouth. It’s sweet and at the centre, salty! and called Russian Brikatte – beware.
In the afternoon I got off close to the Hawa Mahel. I wanted to do a bit of shopping and See the Hawa Mahel closer up, cuz we had only seen it from the bus and not stopped. Then in the evening I went to the planetarium. Figuring that the founder was so much into the stars that the least I could do was learn something about it myself. This finished at about 7.30. I walked back to town along the posh streets. Went into a few malls, saw a McD’s and some Barista’s etc. Felt like I was in a world after all the rural cities I have been to. Felt like I didn’t belong here. Felt like all these people were missing out on so much. I also walked into the most amazing theatre I have ever been into. I was just dumbstruck staring from the doorway. It was more like a palace, with carpets, chandeliers and dim lighting. A security spotted me and chased me outside saying that I could not enter without a ticket. I also had a trim of my beard…all in preparation for coming to Delhi. It was funny cuz the man thought it very weird that I wanted to trim my moustache off too. Came back with an hour to spare before I had to check out. I took the 12 midnight bus to Agra. It was a very good coach. I was extremely sad to leave Rajasthan behind having spent the best time in my life there.
Toilet time…Realised something about toilets. Your time spent in there is measured in breaths, not minutes. In other words how long you can hold you breath or how many breaths you can take without fainting.

Agra

Reached Agra at about 4.30 in the morning. It was really bitingly cold. Quite a mist that I later realised was more pollution than mist. The tempo and touts were really aggressive. Making me realise that I wasn't in Rajasthan anymore. They unashamedly lied to me. Luckily I was forewarned by the Lonely Planet about this. They said that I could not go to the Taj Mahal in the morning. They said I cannot go with Bags. They told me to freshen up first. Gave me all sorts of excuses why I should go to the Hotel first. I began walking away from there as fast as I could. Mainly to get away from them fast. Asked direction from an old lady (who was speaking in some other language) but understood enough for her to be of huge help to me. The roads were deserted. Took a shared tempo for a nearby junct for 3/- The Lady had told me the price. Out of curiosity, I stopped a tempo and asked how much and he said 30/- I then told him I’d give 3/- and suddenly he brought his price down to 10/-
From there I took another tempo for about 3/- to the Park that surrounds the Taj. It must have been about 5.00 am. Pitch dark. A few people were walking in this park exercising. It lead me to the gates of the Taj. Tickets for Indians were 20/- and or foreigners 750/-. Thank god I was not a foreigner J
Taking Huzi Bhai’s advice I got a guide. After a lot of no’s and haggling he came down from 100 to 75. He had also assumed that I was a local. Otherwise he would have had to charge me a couple of thousand. When he guessed this he told me to keep my voice down or he would get into trouble. I had to keep my pen knife and back pack and phone and go through a mega security strip search before getting in.
It was a really good idea to come before sunrise. That’s not only the most beautiful tine you avoid the rush and the need to stand in long que's. Seeing it appear out through the mist is unforgettable. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I just sat there in front of it soaking it in. Absorbing in the beauty of the Taj. Breathing in and touching every magical piece of wondrous architecture. Trying to picture a time when all this would have been possible. Trying to imagine what would happen if someone tried to do the equivalent of the Taj in our time now. Some of the semiprecious stones came from Sri Lanka…yay. But nothing more. Not the marble as some people claim. Although I’m no expert on this. To think that the British almost auctioned the Taj for its marble.
2 things about it were special. One was its simplicity and minimalism. The other was its geometry. It did not require too many grand designs. Because if you look carefully, at every minute of the day as the sun rises and travels through the sky over it, it looks different. I was still there at 12.30 pm.
I began walking towards the fort. It must have been at least 1.5 to 2 km away. I should have taken a cab, but I didn’t like the fellows and the way they kept hounding me. Towards the end of my walk I was so pissed off that I blasted them. They meekly went off. At least walking along the road was really pleasant with a great climate. After the fort, went to look for a mosque. It was in a Muslim area and amazingly crowded. I also wanted to buy shoes. I looked at many shops and got really bothered by the buggers. Even got chased by a shop keeper who to my shock began to scold me. So I scolded him back and made a scene.
Saw the mosque. Juma Masjid. It was nothing much.
My slipper broke. My poor Bata health slipper that had been through so much with me. I realised that I had gotten really attached to it and did not want to throw it away. So I pinned it together. I actually thought that I could get away with it being pinned and so not having to replace it. I had to hold it for a little longer. I pretended to be limping cuz I was in the shoes selling market and didn’t want the people to think that I was desperate. People tried very hard to stop me from leaving their shop. If I said I would did not like anything, they would tell me to wait and show me everything they had, brought the pries down crazily and finally scold me. I hated it. Finally in one shop I said a price I though I would pay for a shoe. But I did not really want to buy it thinking that I could get away. But the guy brought his price down almost 100% and packed it for me. Just to avoid a scene I bought it. They are actually nice although not exactly what I was looking for. The people are an experience to avoid.
Even the cops are scary. On one hand they carry a thick bamboo stick and on the other hand a large metal spike. This cop bent down rammed the spike into the waiting tempo and walked off. Obviously he did not like the way the tempo was parked, but it was a scary way of dealing justice. Either their really strict or just damn bitches.
Huzi bhai messaged me and advised me not to go to Delhi becauei would reach there in the night. But I though reaching there in the night was much better than hanging around looking for a place to stay in Agra.
I took a shared taxi to the bus stand. This is where again I missed Rajasthan. There are 3 bus stands and I didn’t know which one I needed to go to. I left it up to the tempo guy. He suggested…something, and I said ok, even though I was not too sure about what he said. Cuz by now I was really tired and frustrated and wanted to leave Agra. I was quite shocked when this guy brought me to a railway station. I did not expect this. I though that I would be taken to another private bus stand. I just went with the flow. The train took about 3 hours. It was very crowded. For every seat that was meant for one person, at least 2 people sat. There were guys stretched out on the luggage rack! I now know why I preferred to travel by bus. There was some woman who made such an uproar getting all the men to stand and give seats to women. It would have been fine if she politely asked, but she forced the men to stand creating a fuss and scene.

Delhi

Reached here late in the night. At 9.00 pm ! Luckily the bus stand was nearby. Also luckily there was no touts trying to overwhelm me. I took a bus to the closest area to the Hotel Huzi Bhai had recommend to me. I was willing to spend about 1500/- cuz my stay here was sponsored. I don’t know why I took so much trouble, but I wanted to avoid tempos so I walked a long distance. I reached the area to find that the Hotel was under renovation and closed. The one close to it was too expensive. So I walked to Connaught place. This was one happening area with night clubs and expensive restaurants. The Lonely Planet said that there were a few Hotels in the area. I spent some time looking for it after going too a couple of other Hotels. Finally found it. Got a small room for 560/- Then had a good dinner and Kesar Badaam pista ice cream as a treat.
The next day was work. The scary thing was that until 8.30 in the morning I did not know the address of the office I was to go to. The mobile no. I had of the contact was wrong so I had to contact Colombo for the address. I was so relived when I got the message. I had contacted Colombo the previous week and there was still no message. Took a bus there. The rules for going on the bus are slightly different. The distance to go was very far. The ride was quite a rough. I could see why driving in Delhi was such an adventure. If Mumbai is Chaos, it is at least organised chaos. In Delhi, it is unorganised. He would not slow down over road bumps.
In the night I was put up at another better Hotel not far from office. Paid for by office. Yay. I thought that I would go out somewhere, instead of retiring directly to the Hotel and being boring. So I went to see Harry Potter. The cinema was quite nice. They had small stars in the ceiling. It was very nice. Finished at about 1 am.
I thought that I would take a bicycle man. Until then I felt really bad for these guys. Them suffering and straining trying to cycle their passengers all over the city. I took him cuz I realised that they were cheaper. I didn’t expect his to be so far away. But it was after getting to the neighbourhood with no idea where the place was that the cyclist said that he cannot go any further. Stopped a couple of drunks that we should not have asked for directions. He then dropped and I began walking. It was about 1.30 am and I had all my bags. I was really tired, so I stopped a tempo. Gave him 10/- to take me to the Hotel. It took me a few 100 meters away. He really ripped me off. He then stopped at the top of a narrow road and told me to walk down it saying that he would not go any further. I had to walk a long way before finally coming to the other end and the Hotel. It was very scary. I was really pissed off cuz the tempo could have easily gone around and dropped me at the foot of the Hotel.
The Hotel had hot water. It had AC. It was clean. It had a TV. It had cable. I never felt so surrounded by luxury. I basked in it. Thought about recuperating in the Hotel the entire day. I even had a paid for b’fast.
I had bought a plane ticket to take me to Mumbai in the night, so I had the entire day to see the sights. I had my bags with me and went to the Fort, Jumma Mosque and the India Gate, a fashion street type street and the Jantar Mantar. I had a bad experience at Jumma Masjid where after waiting a couple of hours there, they did not let me climb up to the minaret. All this involved a lot of walking. A bit of local bus travel. And even a bit of shopping. I was really getting late as I took the bus back to office. I should have been there at 5.30, but I reached at 6.00 pm. Then I had to wait for the cab to come.
I changed my clothes! For the first time in 20 days I was in new clothes. It felt good. Reached the airport at 7.30 and the plane left at 8.15. I had cut it really fine. But it was so much fun to breeze through with no luggage problems. The plane food was really good. They even gave me a Baskin Robbins ice cream.
I could have very easily stayed another day. But I really did not want to. The city was too big (I felt lost in it). The people were not trustworthy and the last 20 days of tiredness caught up with me. Felt good to be back in Mumbai. I had missed it.