Turning 29 ain't so bad after all (:

After planning for over two months, Bhutan came crashing - in my face two weeks before we had to leave. From a duet, it became a solo sojourn. Best way to backpack, to be honest.

After three days of sleepless nights, crying, tossing, working everyone around me up because it looked like I was going to feel old in good ol' Mumbai itself, my colleagues helped me pick a place... Ranthambhore and Jaipur, to go.


So the checklist included:
Accommodation - check
Agenda - check
Travel tickets train and flight - check
Safaris - tripple check!
Food - Wing it (:

Took a train to Sawai Madhopur and reached Bombay Central an hour and a half early. One thing I learned from my Kolkata Krazzziesss - have one hour to spare but just get there!!! The train journey was lovely - clean, comfortable and decent people. I expected to feel lonely but everyone kept calling to see if I was fine. Sometimes I feel people mother and worry about 'independent' me too much - but it's a nice feeling knowing there are people who care enough to call. Whether I pick up or no is a different tale :P

Sawai Madhopur:
I got off the station and headed to the Tourist office on the platform to get some souveniers for Pudlu and bugged them with a 100 questions and they obliged by answering them politely and offering their contact numbers in case I got lost or 'confused'.

The driver came to pick me up and we headed in the jeep to The Ranthambhore Bagh. Good thing Imran is sooo close, and yet sooo far! He recommended a really comfy place to stay at in Sawai Madhopur and I'll always cherish the memory. I loved the ambiance from the moment I got to the reception. My room was nice and cozy, the water took awhile to get hot since it was friggin cold! But I think I adjusted well enough - I had packed a decent amount of woolies.

My backpack was the best - I mean I actually bought a backpack and I've quite made up my mind to do more trips in the future. I had about 5 pieces of clothing in all and one outfit for the night which I ended up doing a safari in also... Canadian jacket zindabad man!

The first safari was in the evening and was hilarious and I'll admit confusing since we had eight South Bombay 21 year olds in our Canter with five girls coming in bum shorts and one fool who came in stilettos. I died, internally, as the foreigner couple who were also from the Bagh stared at me, wondering how come I wasn't idiotically dressed like them, I guess. They delayed us by a good 20 mins forgetting to carry ID proof but finally we were on our way.

This was my first safari and I'll always remember it for the jaw dropping look I had on my face throughout the three hour drive into Ranthambhore National Park. I've never seen so many heavenly beings here on earth. It truly was a humbling experience to be one with nature especially when we waited patiently to listen to "Tiger warning calls".

Had a lovely dinner at the Bagh and the foreigner couple and me bonded and swapped some interesting tales of India and the UK. Next morning was the start to my amazing 29 and honestly - I felt like a 19 year old!!! My best birthday gift - seeing a Leopardess - Up. Close. In Person. She'd just killed a male Sambar Deer and he was lying on the road and she'd waited for over 4-5 hours to get close to her kill and I guess she couldn't stay away anymore so came out in the open and enthralled all of us. Leopards are extremely shy we were told and you're considered extremely lucky to spot one. Much more easier to spot a tiger... which I didn't spot though... But I was on a major high by the time we got back as I'd seen a freakin LEOPARDESS!!!

Decided to do one more safari and this time had a mini-celebrity guide - Salim who by the way also shared my birthday. Salim was a co-anchor in an award winning documentary Broken Tail. He's also part of the team at the Bagh, I guess, cause he knew people there well. It's a different experience every time you enter the forest because every turn offers you something, I dunno - hope, maybe? - that life is so beautiful if only you grasp it in its entirety.

The Rufous Treepie is officially my all time favourite bird along with the Jungle Babbler not to forget seeing tons of squirrels. The war between these three creatures for crumbs from people was hilarious! I've got an amazing NatGeo video clip on my camera. So now I've officially seen the Sambar Deer, Cheetal or Spotted Deer, Spotted Owl, partridges, the smallest duck, a type of Mongoose, a type of Crocodile, Leopardess (woot woot) and some gazillion kinds of species...

The evening ended with a bonfire, a lovely meal and a beautiful birthday cake prepared especially for your's truly :P Salim was around too so we both cut the cake, fed each other and NO - we weren't pronounced husband and wife...

I went to bed by 11 as Salim offered to take me to Ranthambhore Fort in the morning. We spent a lot of time photographing the amazing birds around the fort. I didn't know Peacocks could fly... ha ha ha. I stood all mouth wide open kinds when one glided past me... We spent a good three hours at the Fort and I was just trying to gobble everything up. I actually envied Salim at that point - doing this for a living - that ain't working - that's LIVING!

Went back to the hotel, with a heavy heart bid adieu to my lovely tent-styled room and walked about 3 km to the railway station. Waited quietly for the train to take me to Jaipur.

Jaipur:
My first instinct of Jaipur (usually my first instinct is always wrong and it was proven again) was ewwww and ugh! People lying around the station almost dead types, the chaos (you're probably thinking, how can someone from filthy Mumbai call Jaipur chaotic?) but yeah, it does get overwhelming for a tourist.




My first hotel - Krishna Palace, I felt was a rip off. For 1500 bucks, while the room was nice, albeit cold, all I got was a tiny bar of soap. I'm particular about toilet paper and if it's not there, it ain't worth it. Namshit booked me another hotel for the remaining two days which was a palace compared to that .... Rani Mahal Palace (yep, all palaces - what can I say) for 800 bucks was my queendom and efficient with everything. I really loved my stay here.

When I landed in Jaipur I rearranged my schedule (one of the perks of travelling alone) and decided to visit Choki Dhani in the evening. I had the most terrible person for Jaipur Tourism as my taxi-auto driver!

Everyone was his "dhooshman" and he had somehow been involved in all kinds of stories revolving around Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, Jaswant Singh and I was stupefied but dutifully said "uh huh" and a couple of "ooohhhh - appne sahi kaha". I asked him what kind of famous Jaipur sweets should I take back to Mumbai? "Madam, yaha pe kuch bhi acha nahi hain." LMFAO. Okay, bye bye.

Choki Dhani was bleh. I had visited it in Indore as well and didn't enjoy the food and it still left a lot to be desired even after a good eight years. I made a lovely pot and an incense holder which reminds me - I need to collect it from someone. Got some souveniers for some pains in the asses back home and left by 10.30 and reached the hotel at 11.

Next day I visited Ahmir Palace and had an excellent guide, Rajesh, who took me and another couple through the 'ins' and 'out's of the Palace, often mistakenly called the Fort and even got a buddy of his to take me to Jaigarh Fort by bike (: I saw this huge cannon and the history behind it and the cannon ball is really something.

The view from the very top - perfect. My first proper view of Jal Mahal was from up there. After a couple of sneaky photos, we headed back down where they took me to a sounvenier store and I bought myself my first lehenga - very sober but looked pretty cool - especially in my sneakers :D I had a mini heart burn when the store keeper swiped my Amex for 200,000 rs instead of 2 grand - and i even punched in my chip!!!



The next morning was the shocker! It's 7am (I know cause I checked my watch) and the landline is ringing frantically and I told myself "I'm gonna yell at the desk guy when I leave" - rolled over to the phone's side and said "hello" - and the desk guy says "Madam, aapka koi mehman aaya hain" (Madam, you've got a guest here). I sat up straight in panic. I'd been giving my phone number, email ID, where I'm staying in Jaipur, what my plans are to every Tom, Dick and Jane...I thought one of the Tom's had come. So in full panic mode I told him "mera yaha pein koi mehman nahi hain!!!" and then I hear a slight scuffle and a voice which says "Harami darwaja khol" GUESS WHO SCREAMED!!!

Miss Commander in Chief of Jet comes and shocks the shit out of me!!! Bestest craziest lady ever! Can't meet me in Goregaon but flies from Mumbai to Jaipur just to spend a day with me. I bet you don't have an awesome friend like that - I BET!!!! We covered the whole of touristy Jaipur and ate some lovely aloo chat and craptacular pani puri and binged on some kulfi to keep ourselves from melting. It hurt to drop her at the airport - I mean, I really didn't want to let her go. She was my reminder that I had to get back to Bombay the next day (Ugh!).

I had planned to finish the Albert museum the next morning before I headed to the airport but all I did was loll around in my big fat bed with my nine pillows... princess - Something I haven't felt like - ever, probably.

Finally, it was time to bid adieu. Head to the airport by rick and just drinking everything that Jaipur had to offer.

Trip takeaways:
One of the learnings on this trip is if you dress sober, talk politely, conduct yourself and address people with dignity, make the effort to fit in, and in general are kind - people in turn are much more friendlier. NO ONE - no, really, NO ONE - is out to get you or take you for a ride, unless you give them opportunities to do so (:

I really believe having a professional guide does wonders for a historical or cultural experience. Having a guide who is fluent with wildlife is another high altogether. Both the guides I had were exceptionally smart, well mannered and knew their history well. I even shook my guide's hand in appreciation at Ahmir Palace when he told me some fascinating story about a carving. It's the small things that count and showing appreciation really shows people's genuineness.

Another learning from this trip is the rapt silence which follows. Can you hear it? In the still ness of your room, the forest, in the fort, in the bus, the train... it was all around me. I was at peace - far far away from family, from work, from worry, from Mumbai, from everything. I just didn't want to come back and be part of the routine that is my sorry existence.

There are times when you get emotional, especially when you see people happy with the little they have and you thank the heavens for the humility by which you can view this and still feel greatful that you can witness their peace.

I felt safe in a city where most people told me I was crazy to go to. I felt more comfortable than Mumbai. People didn't stare at me, didn't oggle me, didn't make fun of me or my clothes, they got on with their day as I did mine. Why the hell can't the rest of this country be like this? I really do wonder.

For now... merci and adieu~