Our stay in Varkala was relaxing and we didn't do a great deal except sit on the beach, by the pool or stroll along the vast amount of bars and stop at the odd one for a beverage. We stayed at a place called 'Inda Hotel', 6 hexagon-shaped cottages run by a lovely and welcoming Ukranian couple who travelled here last year and decided to stay! They were very welcoming and went out of their way to make us feel at home. His accent sounded like a Russian/American film star which was pointed out to him and it wasn't the first time he'd heard the similarity. The breakfast here was amazing, a huge bowl of fresh fruit with honey glazed muesli and yogurt; it's strange after just over a week, curry becomes too familiar and you crave fruit!
It was a 100 metre walk to the beach where there was an 'Indian' side and 'Western' side, it was most odd as everyone seamed to abide by it and knew it. At the far end of the beach was where Indians travelled from far and wide to have their deceased families ashes blessed. A ceremony then ensued where a member of the family has to walk into the sea with the said ashes on their head (in a terracotta urn that is on fire) and sprinkled with flower petals, and then the whole family follow and bathe their feet in the sea as it is now holy and they have paid their respects.
Our other experience whilst at our hotel was a Tibetan one. Another Ukrainian lady who had been taught to play/perform with 'Tibetan Singing Bowls'. They are used across Asia in religious ceremonies but also during meditation, for which we were unaware, was the case! We were told by our hosts that they had a performance on at 4pm so we thought it would be interesting to watch. The time came and we took our shoes off and entered a grass-matted area with insense sticks filling the air's aroma. After the introduction, which was in Ukranian, we followed everyone else and had to lye on our backs with our heads near the middle; where her 'Singing Bowls' were. She then started 'playing' them and mid-way through, starting to sing also...after nearly an ear bleeding hour she stopped to our relief! To say this was a surreal and strange experience was putting it politely!
We opted to fly to Jaipur as we didn't want to spend 53 hours on a train journey after our 25 hour journey to get here.
We arrived in Jaipur late evening to arrive at our hotel which was beautiful, a small, boutique hotel which is renowned for backpackers with an added bonus of an amazing restaurant on the roof rated #3 of 170 restaurants in Jaipur!!!...which sold ice cold Kingfisher beer...enough said!!
The following day we venture out to the 'Pink City', which Japiur is known for due to the stone used to build the old city resembles a pink colour. It is much cleaner and friendlier here than Mumbai and we immediately feel more relaxed and excited for the time ahead. The following days we visit the Amber Fort (below) the Wind Palace (known locally as 'Hawa Mahal') and Nahargarh Fort, all with 'our' rickshaw driver named; Vishu. A 22 year old man that is very smartly dressed, spoke excellent English and who was the campest Indian we've met so far, although he told us he has two girlfriends (perhaps in denial)?
Amber Fort is an incredible place. It is huge beyond imaginable. We arrive to be asked whether we wanted an elephant ride up to the main gate which we declined as the elephants didn't seam well cared for and looked very unhappy. As you enter through the main gates you are greeted by a massive courtyard where, on a balcony opposite, live Indian music is being played on a drum, symbols and an Indian trumpet. Being British we were immediately drawn to the music to find we can go up to the balcony and watch! A huge drum played with sticks (not the nicely shaped sort you and I know) and the noise was deafening. The player of the drum offered us to play...to the whole courtyard/Fort...?! We hastely accepted and started to play our 'out of tune' drum to the visitors standing in the courtyard; it was awesome!
After some exquisite musical instrument playing, we entered into the main palace where again, we were drawn to music like bees to honey or flies to feaces! It was a true and our first real experience of religious prayer/praise. The noise nearly made our ears bleed; by two men playing huge symbols with a hammer made of wood. Three men, behind railings, had lit candles and were offering them to the gods. Dozens of Hindu's were standing and watching and praying, whilst the closest to the rails were, with their hands, beckoning the heat from the flames (now it had been blessed) and brushing it over their heads. We where then ushered over by one of the Hindu 'priests' to be given a flower necklace and a red spot on our foreheads; it was surreal and magical at the same time.
We also came across a chimney type structure where water urns were tied to to allow for water to be lifted up to the upper floors of the fort from the ground via a huge wheel at the top. Alongside some roosting pigeons in a couple of them, bats inhabited the walls; we didn't initially realise what they were until they periodically opened a wing or flew off from the wall.
After a number of 'historical sites' visited, the next day we had planned to visit 'Elephantastic'. Yes, you guessed; a day spent up close and personal with elephants! It was incredible!! We arrived to be introduced to 'our' elephants for the day, named Massakali, which translated into English meant, Rosebud which ironically Rosie's mum used to call her when she was younger.
My personal highlight but Rosie's worst part was climbing on to her; you had to put one foot on her trunk, hold onto both her ears and at that point she knew to lift her head upwards and backwards allowing us to climb up into her neck and back. This sounds easy but it wasn't, Rosie however was a pro albeit she didn't feel comfortable or stable whilst sitting on her back trying to scrub and wash her!
Our last day in Jaipur we visited the 'Monkey Temple'; any guesses? Yes, it was overwhlemed with monkeys. Prior to walking up the arduous 'path' we were accosted by a man offering to sell us nuts to feed the monkeys which we thought was a good idea, so we bought two small bags. Arriving at a half way point was a roofed platform where hundreds of monkeys were grooming and playing with each other, it was brilliant to watch and we were mesmerised for a while before moving on up. We arrived at the top to find a tiny temple where two men in their senior years were sitting and chatting, in broken English they informed us the temple was 350 years old and still used on a daily basis. It wasn't as well kept as the previous temples we had visited but it was extremely high and not a tourist attraction high up on most peoples list.
On the way down we we had our monkey nuts, so on a wall I strategically stood at, I proceeded to open a bag, where numerous monkeys must have heard the noise, along with goats because out of nowhere monkeys and goats turned up. One monkey ran towards me and grabbed the plastic bag containing the nuts but I wasn't having that so I was, playing tug of war with a monkey over a bag of nuts, needless to say he won when the bag exploded open allowing them to be scavenged, whilst Rosie stood back laughing. One goat got a bit too close to stealing some nuts off a monkey and so the monkey hit the goat on the head and pulled its horn; it was hilarious and the goat kept going back for more!
So Jaipur, up to now, has been our favourite place to explore and gain the sounds, smells and sights of 'real India' but we are ready to move on now; off to Agra to marvel at the majestic Taj Mahal.
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