Daveywavey70

And the pics that didn't make the last post! T'internet can be a bit scratchy. DJI_0795.MP4 DJI_0795.MP4 DJI_0795.MP4 DJI_0795.MP4

Jodphur, The Blue City.So a tour of Mehrangrah Fort, Jodhpur this morning. Sitting on a hilltop 120m above the town. The two most striking things that stay with you are the sight of the Tomb of the man that was buried alive to ensure the good fortune of the fort and the Sati handprints on the wall of the Fort taken from the Wives of the Maharajas just before they threw themselves onto their husbands funeral pyre. The Fort is filled with fascinating artefacts and incredible examples of the miniature paintings that took years to complete.Next was a visit to Jaswant Thada, the marble mausoleum for the family of the Maharaja. An absolutely breathtaking place. It was paid for by the wife of Maharaja Sadar Singh who sold her wedding necklace to pay for it. It is a mixture of Hindu, Muslim and Jain styles. Whilst we were there they were preparing for the cremation of the Maharajas cousin who had died during the night. Members of the Royal family were arriving as we departed. Obv I didn't take any pics of that. A 3 Hour journey followed and arrived at Ranakpur Mid-afternoon. I Visited the Jain Temple in the village. Pics to follow.

Jaiselmer. The Golden City. So named because of the beautiful golden sandstone that many of the intricately carved buildings are made from. Sonar Fort, dominating the skyline above the town, dates back to 1155 and is very much a living breathing town inside the walls. The incredible stone carvings are everywhere. Particularly striking are the Jain Temples within the fort. A Quick stop at a drug dealers house (built on the proceeds of Opium) and then a Visit to Lake Gadisar was a must too. What a magical City.The dog taking in the view of the city below from the top of the tower particularly tickled me.

She’s a beauty Embt. I Wish you many happy years together.

Deshnok, Karni Mata, The Rat Temple. The 25,000 rats at the Temple are revered. They are believed to be the reincarnated souls of the faithful in the town (of 25,000 people). It is believed by the followers of Karni Mata that when a person dies they are reincarnated as a rat in the temple and vice versa. They are actually really sweet, not like the big chavvy rats you get in London! DJI_0501.MP4 DJI_0500.MP4

Bikaner. A City surrounded by the Thar Desert. Dating back to 1488. It was on the trade routes and was favoured because of the natural springs in the area. General Maharaja Ganja Singh who served for the British Army had a huge influence on the city in the early 20th century. He introduced trains and to deal with famine in the State had a 600 mile canal built to bring fresh water from the Punjab. Since the last Maharajah died 8 years ago without a son, only 3 daughters, it's up to his mum who is crowned and she doesn't seem to be in any hurry to name his successor.

Just had a fascinating conversation with a group from Austin and Dallas that were recently on another line where Branson was celebrating his birthday. They said that they’d completely not caught onto the adults only part until a couple of days into the cruise, didn’t attend many of the “parties” and felt the need to check under their bed each night. Made me chuckle. Anyway, here was the sunset over Jaiselmer tonight.

Thanks Jazz, I’ll look it up. Just wait till my book comes out!

It was a long walk back to the bar! 🥳 A Power cut for most of the night and a wild dog howling outside my tent didn’t do for the best nights sleep. Skipped the cold shower and onto the next port of call, Jaiselmer, The Golden City. Named because of the beautiful golden sandstone that captures the setting sun beautifully. The Hotel was quite a surprise. Only 2 years old but crafted with the most intricate carvings. I Didn’t think that there were craftsmen still capable of creating such beauty. A Visit to the lake and Sonar Fort today. Pics will follow tomorrow. The beauty of a 5 hour ride is the “free time”.

Well a 5 hour drive today into the Thar desert. I managed to pick up a new sd card reader in Jaiselmer on the way through so more pics tomorrow. Camping in the desert tonight but I do have AC in my tent. Just been on a Jeep safari through the sand dunes and a camel ride. The bonfire is being lit and the musicians are warming up. Just watched the sunset from my verandah with a glass of Old Monk.

Looks amazing JP and happy belated birthday Chris. I’m off to breakfast now. Glad people are enjoying the journey. Will try and catch up postings in a bit.

Still catching up. Last night I sat in the Bar at Castle Mandawa and was dumbstruck by the beauty. Five artists have painstakingly, so far, been restoring the Frescoes in this one room for 5 years.

I Was reflecting today Lola on how difficult it must be on a whistle stop of the area to get a true feeling for the absolute majesty of this place and it’s people. I Specifically booked this tour with a small independent agency in Delhi that uses mostly locally owned heritage hotels (with a few exceptions) that are genuinely struggling, using local drivers and guides also. Magnificent ruins that are being rebuilt that would otherwise have crumbled. Okay maybe you have to go to the reception area for Wi-Fi and hot water might not be there for a couple of hours but if I can show my gratitude for being allowed a glimpse of this truly fascinating place then I’ll be eternally grateful. Walking shoulder to shoulder with people that are grateful for the, in our eyes, very little that they have poses great challenges to us. I’ve only been here a few days but every hour reminds me of how lucky I am to have been born where I was and every hour I spend amongst the beautiful people here makes me happy to be alive.

I'm conscious that my posts might be clogging up the cooler a bit as the pics make them quite long. Please let me now if they're being a nuisance. This was yesterday........ Mandawa. So I've just finished a walking tour of the old Havelli's of Mandawa. Mandawa was on the Silk Route and a lot of very rich merchants built beautifully decorated homes here. The craftsmanship in incredible from the carved wood and stone to the frescos on the walls. Sadly most of them are abandoned and many are in quite a state but the old opulence shines through. One room that I visited had 3kg of gold leaf adorning the paintings. Because they are privately owned the Government does nothing to help save them. Hopefully Tourism will pick up here soon and help go some way to restoring them. A Walk through the town with my guide, Taj, kept all of my senses on their toes. There isn't a second that one sense or another isn't taking a battering and you do have to mind where you step. The video is of an Havelli that has been partially restored. DJI_0436.MP4

A Very slippery slope. Soon they’ll just be taking us around the looky looky men on the beach and waiting for their backhanders.

Just catching up a bit now, busy few days and wifi is spotty, its just like being on a cruise! Delhi A few pics from my tour of Old and New Delhi, it’s a bit delayed but I’d had an issue downloading some pics, nothing a trip to the market and 200 rupees for a new card reader couldn’t sort though. Firstly was a visit to Jana Masjid, the largest Mosque in India, where I met my excellent guide for the day, Gurwinder, from there we took a Rickshaw ride through to the spice market at Chandi Chowk, I can’t wait to use the spices when I get home. We then took a Motor-Rickshaw for the next leg of the tour past the Red Fort and onto Gandhis’ memorial. Very serene. Next was Humayuns Tomb, the practice run for the Taj Mahal. A Quick loop of the Lotus Temple next and then a drive around the Parliament district. In the evening a visit to the Grand Aksardham Temple to see the fountain and light show (no cameras allowed).

The road to Neemrana. I Skipped breakfast this morning as I prefer my food cooked on a stove, not tickled on top of a radiator. Set off From Delhi at 10. Sometimes 2 hours in a car can be a bit boring. Not in India. Once we made it to the Highway it was anything but boring. The sights that you see on an Indian motorway remind you constantly of how different India is. Cows crossing the motorway, a dog making off with a chicken (not a plucked one), an overturned wagon, ladies carrying trees down the hard shoulder, camels pulling carts loaded with oil drums. The outside lane seems to be exclusively for the use of slow moving jalopy wagons racing on at speeds of nearly 20mph, daubed in catchy slogans from the Highway Code such as "Blow Horn", "use dippers at night" and "drive slow". Arrived in Rajasthan at the incredible Neemrana Fort Palace, a 15th century fortress built into the hills of Neemrana, it is utterly incredible and exactly the sort of experience I was hoping for on this trip. Just been out for a spin in the Hotel "Bentley" I'm not sure it really was though.My room is the quirkiest Ive ever seen, entered through a padlock door, and a twisty staircase. My Shower cubicle even has a door to waist height which opens onto a terrace overlooking the surrounding hills. DJI_0244.MP4 DJI_0247.MP4 DJI_0274.MP4

A Shelter must mean something different there than in the uk. Here you would have people running around trying to feed people and make them as comfortable as you can for the night. Oh wait a minute…..

Oh 😉. I’ve just received the very disturbing news that my iPad thinks it is Thursday. Easy day tomorrow, today, a 2 hour drive to the Neemrana Fort Palace and no sightseeing stops on the way. Sounds like a bit of a spa day.

I’dhope that isn’t underwater too! 😂😂😂

Evening/Morning/Afternoon all. Well after an amazing (somewhere between 72 and 96 hours but I honestly can't quite work out how many right now) Ive finally found 10 minutes to sit down somewhere other than in a car, plane, airport train, lounge, boat or monorail for 10 minutes. I Set off for Dubai at Some point on Sunday and after a fairly good flight with Emirates and an hours sleep I arrived in Dubai I think probably on Monday. Met at the airport by the hotel driver and was whisked away in no time to Raffles the Palm. Check-in was seamless, they offer check in in the Club Lounge for Suite guests, in my room for around 9.00am, quick shower and ready to explore. The Hotel is absolutely stunning. The Suite was beautiful and the service throughout was impeccable. DJI_0020.MP4 I had a little breakfast and then was off for a wander. Took a car to the Atlantis, clambered onto the Monorail and visited the View on the 52nd floor offering an excellent view of the Palm and the Dubai skyline. Pre Dinner cocktails were superb in the club lounge watching the sunset. Then off to the Atlantis for Dinner at Ossiano. It was the most incredible meal I've ever had. The Chef is an absolute genius. Unfortunately he knows it. It's a very theatrical experience even before you consider the 65,000 sharks, rays and other assorted fish that are constantly swimming past you in a multi storey aquarium. Looking beyond the theatricals, the flavours and combinations were utterly out of this world. It deserves a post on its own really but that will have to wait.There was an excellent bar there too, Arabian Terrace I believe. My pre-conception of Dubai was if you dipped Blackpool in gold paint and knocked a few chandeliers up you wouldn't be far wrong. I Take it back. DJI_0020.MP4 DJI_0020.MP4 DJI_0020.MP4 I Think it was probably yesterday I flew to Delhi but I could be wrong. Ive had a full day tour today of Old and New Delhi today which I'll update later but have included a few holiday snaps for now of the journey so far(apparently in no particular order)! DJI_0020.MP4

Isn’t that just a burger? 😁

There’s no such thing as overpacking. I’d rather call it undertravelling.

Seishin for dinner was our favourite spot on the Spirit. The food was absolutely superb and it is a world of difference from lunchtime. It’s worth checking out the menu, it was absolutely worth every penny of the upcharge.

I’ll be eating at Ossiano, Atlantis Palm Dubai on Monday, allegedly one of the best in the City, at the Bargain price of £256GBP (Not Monopoly money). It seems a bargain in comparison even though you can pick up a jellyfish on most beaches for free, I wouldn’t be quite sure how to cook one though. Air fryer maybe?