| The drive from Udaipur to Bijaypur was
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| | bright red, green and gold saris.
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| nothing if not interesting. En route, we
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| | Dinner, too, was a surprise, being a very
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| visited Chittaugarh Fort, a huge
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| | tasty, mainly vegetarian buffet
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| fortification with a whole town within
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| | consisting of boiled rice, an aubergine
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| it. Built on a one hundred and fifty
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| | curry, an egg curry, mixed vegetables,
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| metre high plateau in the Aravalli Hills,
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| | dal and a mutton dish, which, although
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| it is in ruins but well-restored. The
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| | not vegetarians, we didn't try. There
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| entrance is on the north west side and
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| | was also nan bread on offer, which was
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| the road winds up through seven
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| | very welcome.
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| individually named gates, each with its
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| | Next morning, the staff had gone back to
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| own guardhouse. The first gate is known
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| | sleep, each of three separate waiters
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| as Padal Pol (lowest gate) followed by
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| | asking what we wanted for breakfast and
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| Bhairav Pol (Bhairav being an attendant
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| | none of them getting it right - oh well,
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| of the Goddess Durga), Hanuman Pol (this
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| | you can't win them all.
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| gate has a temple and a shrine dedicated
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| | After breakfast, we set of for Jaipur,
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| to the Monkey God Hanuman), Ganesh Pol
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| | taking an interesting short-cut to the
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| (for the Elephant God), Jorla Pol,
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| | freeway past grazing camels and wonderful
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| Lakshman Pol and finally Ram Pol (Gate of
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| | orange-flowered flame trees, through tiny
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| the God Ram) which was built in AD 1459.
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| | villages, over rough ground without
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| The gateway located on the eastern side
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| | tarmac, better suited to a
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| of the fort is known as Suraj Pol (Sun
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| | four-wheel-drive vehicle!
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| Gate).
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| | Some six hours later, the welcome respite
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| The exploits of the Rajputs place in
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| | of our hotel in Jaipur and some lunch -
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| Indian folklore compares with that of the
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| | Indian-style wraps containing spicy
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| medieval knights of Europe or the Samurai
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| | chicken.
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| of Japan, to the extent that individual
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| | Dinner was a quite spicy mutton curry for
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| Rajput heroes have the place where they
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| | my husband and Malaysian noodles for me,
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| fell in defence of the fort, marked with
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| | incorporating chicken and prawns and a
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| stones.
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| | fearsome amount of chilli!
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| The palace of Kumbha and Padmini's Palace
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| | Next day involved the obligatory visits
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| are but two of the beautifully carved
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| | to the Jantar Mantar observatory, the
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| edifices, which have been subject to
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| | Chandra Mahal (City Palace) and the Hawa
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| restoration.
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| | Mahal (Palace of the Winds), an
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| Onwards from the fort and having
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| | interesting structure, tall and very
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| travelled some distance on a very good
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| | narrow, ornately carved from pink
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| road, our driver realised that he had
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| | sandstone and built solely so that the
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| missed our turning and wasted about an
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| | royal ladies could watch the world go by
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| hour. Around we turned, eventually found
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| | without being seen. The City Palace,
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| the right turning then spent a further
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| | too, is well worth a visit, with seven
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| hour winding our way further and further
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| | stories and seven courtyards, partly
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| uphill, until, if it weren't for the
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| | still occupied by the present-day
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| frequent signposts to our hotel, we would
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| | Maharajah. There is a large museum which
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| have assumed that we had gone wrong
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| | gives some insight into the past days of
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| again.
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| | the maharajahs, including costumes,
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| On arrival in Bijaypur, the hotel
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| | weapons, pottery, musical instruments and
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| certainly didn't live up to its photos on
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| | the two fantastic silver jars used by
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| the internet, being more than somewhat
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| | Nadho Singh II to carry Ganges water for
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| dilapidated with an all-male staff who
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| | bathing on his visit to England in 1901.
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| were trained in a very different school
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| | All that sightseeing naturally brought on
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| to that of the other hotels we stayed in!
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| | hunger and thirst, so spring rolls and
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| However, we managed to acquire beer, a
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| | spicy prawns by the pool were the order
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| sandwich (awful) and towels for the pool
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| | of the day but so good and plentiful were
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| so whiled away the afternoon happily
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| | they that I could only manage a tarka dal
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| enough.
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| | and nan bread for dinner while my husband
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| With some trepidation, we ventured back
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| | had the interestingly-named Southern
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| to the courtyard of our arrival to find a
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| | Railway Lamb curry. There was no real
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| transformation. The odd tables covered
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| | clue as to the contents, but we surmised
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| with pieces of hardboard now sported
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| | the use of the normal spices and
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| bright cloths, the place buzzed with
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| | flavourings which resulted in quite a
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| people (a convention had arrived) and the
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| | red-coloured and extremely tasty dish.
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| stage was set for entertainment. The
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| | Our next few days will be spent in
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| staff seemed rather more awake and soon
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| | Ranthambhore National Park, so I hope
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| we were seated with beer and poppadoms to
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| | you'll be with us then to hear our
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| watch the dancing of successive ladies in
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| | experiences, both culinary and wildlife.
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