Palace on Wheels - 15th to 22nd Nov
Talk about being spoiled!! This train is fantastic - 23 carriages including two restaurants and a bar - it is half a kilometer long!! Red carpet, banners, band and garlands at the station to greet us. This happened at every destination!!! Also, red dots on foreheads and flower garlands round our necks (signs of welcome in Rajhastan). 14 of the carriages are for passangers, four en suite rooms per carriage - we had a great crowd in ours, four Americans and two more Brits. We got on famously and they certainly added enormously to the enjoyment.
Thanks Tim and Carole,
and
Barry and Merryl and Gil and Sharon.
Our carriage had two attendants - Devendra (known as DP) and Santosh. Nothing was too much trouble for them, they even got used to having a cold beer and gin and tonic waiting when we got back from being tourists. Also met some nice Kiwis who have invited us to visit when in NZ and a great group of people from Guatamala, but that will have to wait 'til the next trip.
Food on the train was very good - if interesting. Dinner first night - fish and chips and curry - all on the same plate! Pleased to say the soup and the puddings qualified for their own plates.
Day one Jaipur - the Pink City many of the buildings painted pink (which is the colour of welcome) when George V visited. We visited the Amber Fort via the Palace of the Winds. Ride up to the Amber Fort was on the back of an elephant appropriately called Champagne!! Also saw City Palace and Observatory. Long day.
This is the Palace of the Winds - just a facade (nothing behind)!
Detail inside one of the thousands of arches to be seen in the Amber Fort
Guess who - we are the ones on top!
Day two Jaisalmer - the Golden City - a desert city, very small but a World Heritage site. Fantastic fort known as the sand castle fort due to its shape. Afternoon shopping followed by sunset camel ride through sand dunes (name of camel unknown)!! Dinner at Palace Hotel on roof top overlooking desert with cultural" entertainment. A good day.
Outisde Jasailmer Fort
We have been learning a lot about Hinduism - and definitely our favourite god is Ganish... seen here. He is the god of good luck and prosperity.
He is depicted outside homes - painted on the wall as a sign that a wedding is forthcoming - alongside is an indication of whether this is the bride or groom's house, the date of the wedding and where the festivities are to be held. Apparently up to 2000 guests are likely to show up. This is the only invitation needed - and the most populare present is a
carving, painting or something with Ganish on.... our guide had 350 for his wedding - and is still giving them away to other fortunate couples.
One of the intricate exteriors to the
Palace inside the fort.
Day three Jodhpur - the Blue City - many of the buildings painted blue due to indigo content
which repels mosquitos and flies. Another magnificent fort - but completely different from Jaisalmer. Also Jaswant Thada - which is the Royal Crematorium - Hindus cremate. This was where we potentially featured in a Bollywood movie which was being filmed during our visit. Fantastic outfits!
Day four - Ranthambhore National Park - nice to see some countryside - hills, trees and rocks and residence of tigers. Early start 5.30 am here's our group in the open top jeep - we were first in the park and saw plenty of evidence - very big paw prints... but sadly no tigers. Our guide really let off verbally at a chap with a small group in a suzuki jeep who he reckoned had entered illeagally - since we were supposed to be first in the park. Certainly there was no-one ahead of us in the queue to get in. A bit disappointing needless to say - but Diane has got a wooden tiger toy to play with as a consolation prize.
Later in the day on to Chittorgarh Fort - the biggest in India. It was sad to see because it badly needs to have some serious money spent on renovating, but apparently it has been recognised as of great importance and in the future will receive some funding.
Many of the stations had their own special welcome for The Palace on Wheels!
The Victory Tower
Doug finds a long lost relative
Day five - Udaipur - City of the Lakes. Much more prosperous. Three enormous manmade lakes built several hundred years ago one of which contains the Lake Palace as featured in James Bond Octopussy film.
Started the day with a gentle walk around some beautiful gardens. Lots of flowers and fountains. Diane in seventh heaven. We then toured the City Palace and museum and had lunch at the hotel situated within the City Palace grounds. Today's ride was by boat - out into one of the lakes to a different palace fo
r afternoon tea! A really great day.
The Reflection Gardens - can't really do this justice with photos.... it was lovely to be in some greenery and relaxing fountains after the desert experience
This is the James Bond Octopussy Palace - now a Taj Hotel at about $800 per night minimum
City Palace - one of the rooftop cloisters
Day six - Bharatpur and Agra. This morning's transport - a cycle rickshaw - around the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary - from botany yesterday to ornithology today. Quiet and peaceful at dawn. We saw loads of birds we don't know including a couple of eagles.
Then off to Agra and first stop the Red Fort.
Then after lunch the jewel in the crown - The Taj Mahal. Words just can't describe it. You don't just see it - you feel it. It is exquisite. So many photos to share with you. 
The sequence of these photos helps to give some indication of how the white marble changes colour during the course of the day - we were only there for about 2 hours and look at the changes in that time!
Today the train returned to Delhi and we said a fond farewell to our new friends. It's been a real pleasure and surpassed all our hopes..... a truly unique experience.
Next stop Bangkok, via Mumbai.
posted by Doug and Diane at 4:28 AM
