My Travel Diaries

Departed Ujjain comfortably, as the run was not too long. Had the left over sandwiches from Sterling for breakfast. Got into the MPTDC Hotel at Tawa by 1030. Absolutely awesome property.  With a fantastic view. That keeps changing with the sun moving across the horizon, from across the water body to behind us. The rooms face East.   This is a place you go to when you want absolutely nothing to do. No phone, no internet. Just good food, clean room, and maybe, some wildlife.  That evening I went on a drive in the Thar on the back roads within the buffer zone.  The intent was to try and spot a leopard. But, that did not happen. We got to see a few Sambar deer, and a large Civet. Decided it was a Civet after much debate with some wildlife experts, who took the trouble of sending pictures of all possible feline dark grey, long animals. The drive was fun. Can be done only if the vehicle is a jeep, as back roads are not for the low slung. The next morning took the speed boat safari. It is sup

Sterling Mount Abu was a pleasant experience. They had a bar. It stocked good beer. And, decent whiskey. Their chef was accessible. Flexible enough to make food out of the menu card. And, they packed me a breakfast box. Complimentary.  Before that, my lunch plus dinner bill at Sterling cost less than the curd rice lunch at Mahindra Jaisalmer !!!! Had mutton for lunch and Fish for dinner at Sterling. Went to hand in my key before I left this morning. Was handed my breakfast pack. Got to look in only when I got down from the mount. Had asked for two sandwiches and two boiled eggs. The pack had 6 sandwiches and ten eggs. Maybe they felt I was undernourished !! The road took me east past Udaipur, till Chittorgarh. About 70 kilometers from Chittorgarh, google maps did it's thing. Sent me up a left swinging ramp onto a highway heading directly north. Then made me do a U-turn 10 kilometers up the road. Then, wanted me to do another U-turn. Serious piss off.  Saw a lorry parked. Stopped an

The run into Rajasthan started 70 kilometers south of Agra from a place called Baag. The first stop was Jodhpur, west and north of where I was starting. Keep the map of India in mind when you read this part of my cruise. Went in from Jaipur, directly west to Jodhpur. Then south to Kumbalgarh. Then North north west to Jaisalmer. From there we went east and north to Phalodi. Then came down south to Mount Abu on the way out of Rajasthan. The drive took me to the Agra Lucknow Expressway. And, maps led me into the heart of Agra. Why ?? Because the shortest route for it was the old highway that went thru the heart. Not the expressway that went around Agra and landed you on the other side. Which the Thar map wanted me top take. But, the board read - Outer Ring Road. So, I took it !!! Fortunately, at 0630 in the morning, most of the city was asleep. Only the autos in the middle of the streets were up and causing my blood to boil. But that settled down, onec I got past the limits of the city. T