Jaipur

There is so much to write about the park and other things happening in Bandhavgarh but never got any time and now time is too late to write. But I will record these things here sometime in future.

We were again in Jaipur. This was my third visit to Jaipur in last three months. some people did asked me that what is attraction in Jaipur and I am telling you now there is no attraction in Jaipur. Spent four boring days in Jaipur, saw most chaotic mismanaged Elephant Festival. it was so chaotic that one of our friends wife left the place earlier than us by saying that I don't feel safe here. Peoples were running everywhere around elephants. Elephants came from Amber at 1230 hrs did not had any water to drink or a shady place to stand till sun went down. They were not allowed to spray their saliva on their body to cool down because that might have smudged the painting. People who came early and taken the seat their view was blocked by the people who came late and local management allowed them to do so happily. Kay commented that she wont go again in fact she was ready to leave even before the show started. Everyone was after a photo to destroy the photo of others. I could not see a single elephant without a person with camera standing next to it. There is nothing much for us to see in Jaipur. Albert Museum was interesting unfortunately zoo was closed on Tuesday.

We decided to visit Kheechan again. One of our guest Mrs Renate Seidi asked Kay if she can join us for kheechan. I hesitated to tell her initially that we dont look for luxury on our visits simply we cant afford and second thing is that Kheechan has nothing to offer except Demoiselle Crane.

She joined us from Jaipur. The person to whom I asked to arrange the accommodation for us booked us in such a shabby place that Kay and me couldn't sleep. Renate said she slept well. I decided that very minute that on way back we will look for accommodation ourselves.

Next morning we went to a place near Jodhpur to see the Chinkara. I had been there before but that day light was not brilliant so another visit was necessary. Kay and Renate liked the place very much and seeing Chinkara, Blue Bull and Peacock from that close quarter was a bliss.

After chinkara's we decided to visit the Endurance place to meet Philippa. She was there keeping the timing of Endurance horses.

By the time we reach Kheechan it was time to spread the food grain for Cranes. They put about thousand kilograms of food grain per day for cranes. About 7 to 8 thousand Cranes comes to feed. Kay and another German couple helped the staff in spreading the food grain. One boy said he was watching India SA match played at Gwalior. I also wanted to see that inning but missed. Later on someone told me that Sachin played 50 overs not out on 204 without a runner. Great What a record. Who will break it. Chris Gayle Sehwag are the two names who can do this but when time will tell us.

We saw Cranes at waterhole but couldn't see any at their roosting grounds. They roost in salt pan area of about 50 sq km. Difficult to be at the right spot at right time and sometimes they don't land after seeing the human beings on their landing ground.

We all spent a night in a cosy little room. We were ready before sunrise to see the birds. It is an amazing sight of seeing flocks and flocks of Cranes landing on Sand dunes. Than they just walk towards Chugga Ghar and jump or u can say little hoping flight to cross the fence of Chugga Ghar. We could count more than thousand birds at once inside the chugga ghar. Within two to three hours time every crane in the vicinity visits Chugga Ghar for feed. They rest on sand dunes after feed. By this time light becomes too harsh for photography.

We left at mid day had lunch on way and reached Jodhpur before dark. I checked Rajasthan Tourism hotel just to check their standard. Staff behaviour was as expected, lazy - careless. Two rooms were shown to us. Both were smelly with dirty shabby curtains. We stayed in Pan Haveli. Nice place to stay, very cheap for its value. Few things goes against the location that i will write on tripadvisor.com but the whole Jodhpur is that dirty for that matter.

Train journey's were as usual. Mobile phones ringing till midnight, people throwing rubbish and food leftovers under the seat and then complain about mice and cockroaches in the train, kids screaming for no symbolic reason except they are tired and parents taking no notice of them annoys fellow passengers. In our journey from Jaipur to Jodhpur one 5 yr old boy was making more noise than rest of the compartment together.

That is India! my dear.