Prehistoric Rock Paintings, discovered by OP “Kukki” Sharma near Bundi, Rajasthan, India
A small mountain range was where we stopped after an hour drive. Marching for another hour on parched lifeless grounds took us to a beautiful gorge with lots of green trees at the bottom, once the hunting ground of the Maharana. Continue Reading →
Young girl in a village near Bundi, Rajasthan, India
With a big smile, the receptionist of our hotel brought to our attention the existence of pre-historic site art near Bundi. Alerted we did find a small entry in our travel guide. Before we could wreck our brains as how we could possibly find those – help was offered. Again by our receptionist. Continue Reading →
Dhabhai-ka-Kund, one of the 60 Baoris or step-wells of Bundi, Rajasthan, India
We did not really know what to expect when we set out to find Bundi ’s famous stepping wells. Considering we had only a vague idea of where to look, we did pretty well. Our little expedition took us through the bazaar and some busy market area. It was a constant struggle – taking in the chaos that surrounded us or to move forward. Continue Reading →
Taragarh Fort, Bundi, Rajasthan, India
Given the temperatures, we headed for the fort first. So high up, we could only see its walls from the distance. Before that, we had to fend off a young man who offered to show us around the fort and keep the monkeys at bay. Not that we didn’t want a guide, but he was a real turn off. The mumbled, incomprehensible words kept pouring from his mouth like an avalanche and demanding 400 rupees for his services made it easy to put our foot down and say no. To put things in perspective, we paid 350 for an excellent three-hour tour of the Taj Mahal the year before. Continue Reading →
Taragarh Fort, Bundi, Rajasthan, India
Being on a rumbling rain riding through the pitch-dark countryside of southern Rajasthan can be a soothing experience. When we saw bright golden lights on the top of a hill, we race to the open door of our train. These are always open in India – even in air conditioned cars. It is the Indian way of getting rid of the trash and enjoying a better view of the countryside, since the windows are often too dirty to really see what’s outside. Continue Reading →
Holi Festival, when Indus celebrate the beginning of Spring, by throwing coloured water and gulal (powder) at anyone within range, Bundi, Rajasthan, India
We could not wait to see what this color throwing was all about and stormed into the street early morning. Whether this was a good or bad idea we will never know… This early start made us the first and actually only tourists in the small streets of Bundi… And hence a prime target for anyone. Continue Reading →
Holi Festival, when Indus celebrate the beginning of Spring, by throwing coloured water and gulal (powder) at anyone within range, Bundi, Rajasthan, India
After having been inside temples, castles, forts and the tourist industry around it for days, we emerged into something genuine Indian – the Holi Festival of Colors. Something we had not dreamed to experience, simply because we neither had a clue that it was celebrated during full moon in the lunar month of Phalguna nor what that translated into. Continue Reading →
In the streets of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
After two days of temples, castles and tourist ghetto, it was finally time for a somewhat more genuine Indian experience… So we decided to hit the road and simply walk far enough to discover the “real” Udaipur. It did not take long until we reached what seem to be a huge bazaar, first with a construction material section, then a mix of everything that one needs or doesn’t need, starting with all kinds of food, clothes and what not. Continue Reading →
Kumbhalgarh Fort and the “Indian Great Wall”, Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan, India
The huge fortress of Kumbhalgarh rests on a hilltop, 1.100 meters above sea level. Most remarkable indeed, but its 36 kilometer long wall makes it unique, the stand out among so many other stunning forts in Rajasthan. The walls of Kumbhalgarh don’t just encircle the fort, no they extends far into the hills. Very much like the Great Wall of China. There is one big difference though – we had the whole thing to ourselves! An Indian family and a couple of foreign tourists crossed our path, but otherwise our only companions in this maze of a castle were some groups of monkeys. We had first heard of this fort reading one of our favorite travel blogs by Darren Crawford, more than 18 months ago. And it stuck! Continue Reading →
In the streets of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Lal Ghat, on the eastern shore of Lake Pichola, is a maze of alleys and lanes sprawling through a sea of crème-colored cubic houses. Inside traffic can be mad: scooters, motor-rickshaws, cows, pedestrians and even cars try to make their way through the labyrinth. Pedestrians are at the low end of the pecking order and constantly frightened by scooters cutting by within an inch and blowing their deafening horns. Continue Reading →
