the "PALACE", the TRAIN & (oops!) Jodhpur

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the moment we stepped into the "palace" grounds, we experience the long awaited peace and tranquility ~ no more kids pulling relentlessly on our sleeves, no more desperate mothers shoving their babies into our arms, no more tourist touts to fend off, no cows and camel carts laden with rotten vegetable to navigate around, and no more pigs to avoid on the streets.

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Our day started at 4:30am when WT promptly woke us up (as usual). Taking turns at the bathroom, we got ourselves changed and stuffed our remaining gear into our bags before checking out of our functional and characterless hotel in Agra (Hotel Amar Yatri Niwas* - a last minute change as our initial choice of hotel was fully booked) to catch a ride from a Persian carpet maker, who kindly volunteered to send us to the Agra Cantt train station after his morning prayers.

Upon arrival, we did the usual - look out for the train station's notice board with the printed train schedules for our seat and cabin numbers (a schedule which Indian Railways prints 4-6 hours before a train departs the station). Navigating between countless of sleeping passengers on the floor, we were relief to spot our names, which stood out like sore thumbs as we were the only foreigners who took the train**. With only 15 minutes to wait, we decided to brave India's winter and waited on the train pavement... a move we regretted soon after as the train was delayed for two hours.

Arriving in Jaipur an hour late (typically the trains will pick up speed along the way), we missed the hotel's pick-up and bargained our way with the taxi drivers. Deciding to settle for a rather decent guy - Ali - who did not take advantage of the fact that we were living in a heritage hotel ~ Hotel Bissau Palace, we made our way (ala "Italian Job" chase scenes) towards the gates of the Pink City via countless of back lanes in a rather large auto rickshaw. Getting a bit worried as the ride was taking longer than expected (not that we knew how far it was other than our gauge from our experiences in Agra where the drivers tended to exaggerate distance), and with Ali taking one too many turns into a web of back lanes, WT started asking for clarifications - to which he received none. Feeling as if we were deliberately left in the dark, we promptly paid Ali and dismissed his services at the hotel's entrance.

Upon arriving at the reception desk (which was a hole in the wall), we were presented with a HUGE book that must have measured 2' x 3' unopened to fill our particulars ranging from the expected name, permanent address, passport particulars right to visa particulars (#, date of issue, expiration date, place of issue), date of arrival in India, departure date, cities/places visiting ...etc. by which time WT's patience was teetering and decided to take on the duty manager on the hotel pick-up. Sensing that WT was not a willing participant in filling up what must have seemed like Moses' tablet, I took it onto myself to make up the particulars (including signature) as I went along right under the duty manager's nose!

With Nepalese porters promptly lugging our bags and camera gears at a mere hand gesture from the duty manager, we made our way across the back garden and pool to our room with Reza hanging on to his RM25K camera, which bemused the porters.

The room and bath was exceptionally spacious with high ceilings; furnished with carefully selected pieces of antique furniture and lovely block print fabric. Other than the strong rose incense, it was heavenly: not only that each quarters had at least two windows that opened out into a private patio with wicker chairs for relaxing while gazing at the open garden or pool, the atmosphere was airy and tranquil. It was as if we have been transported to a magical land, out of Jaipur, where air pollution that chocked our lungs a few moments ago and honks were of a bygone era.

Feeling much calmer, WT exclaimed "this is going to get some getting used to. No television. No traffic noise. [pause] It's actually so quiet, I don't think I can sleep tonight!"

The smoking room and dining room (restaurant), which we explored that night, were also intricately painted from wall to ceiling like the external patios and courtyards with Indian motifs. Murals showcasing hunting scenes were also depicted on focus walls with servers dressed in Jaipur-styled long coats and turbans ever willing to explain not only the scrumptious offerings on the menu, but the paintings and antique pieces found in both rooms. Hand painted by two resident artisans, we were told that a 200 square foot room would typically take 1 month to complete. Depending on the surface and the type of paint utilised, the wall paintings would need to be repainted every 3-4 months, keeping the two artisans on their feet!

Surrounded by beauty befitting the king, and in a quiet and tranquil environment, we slept through the night - contrary to WT's statement - like a baby. In fact, it was the only night that Reza sparred us from his snoring ...

which by the next mid-morning we were not too pleased by it!

The train had departed while we were sleeping!!!

and would have quite like to have been awaken by his snore, though unlikely it would have hit us then, either.

Indulging in a hearty (but healthy) breakfast in the garden, we decided to take it slow and easy in the morning before making our way back into the congested Pink City to tour Jaipur Palace behind the famous Hawa Mahal. After all our train for Jodhpur (we thought) would only depart past midnight.

So, while I was reading Shashi Tharoor and the morning papers, WT was going through our accounts (our appointed Treasurer for the trip) and enjoying his pot of Darjeeling tea with custom made Bissau chinaware.

By noon, we checked-out of the lovely Hotel Bissau Palace and left our bags at the cloak room.

Negotiating our way to Hawa Mahal, we visited Jaipur Palace and managed two of the museums; the last one being the textile museum where cheerily I rejoined the group at the palace's courtyard half an hour latter and chirped "Did you know that that Maharaja was actually 7' tall, 4' wide, weighed 250 kilos and had one-hundred-and-eight wives?" ...

When it fell on silent ears with two pairs of tentative eyes staring at me directly, I knew in my gut that something was wrong. So I looked at them hard, one after another, and said, "What?" [ pause] "What did I say?" in my slightly whinge-ing womanly voice.

WT, responded with a quite, measured voice, "Can I have a look at the train tickets?"

... the rest was H-I-S-T-O-R-Y. CONFIRMED! WE MISSED THE TRAIN and should have been sitting at some palace or fort in Jodhpur at that moment and not Jaipur.

Leaving me to feel absolutely guilty and silly (especially when I have been known to be the meticulous-one-heck-of-a-travel-planner even during the heydays void of the worldwide web), the boys took their time to admit that they were secretly relief. Having decided that they wanted to return to our lavish abode in Privthiraj Road, New Delhi (secured and distanced from the harsh realities of India's street life), it took them 20 minutes to reconsider their hasty decision when I said, "But... but the Jodhpur hotel*** is even nicer than the one we had. It costs more and it's truly heritage."

Oh yeah, deep down, we are still creatures of comfort and far from capable of leading a Gandhian lifestyle. Though Reza would mask it by saying that it was stressful having to strategize toilet breaks and meal consumptions to avoid using the toilets on the trains, I knew he must have had enough of the torturous 5 to 8km per day walks WT makes us take all because the variance between his desired pricing and the auto rickshaw driver's is Rs10!

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{This is not intended to be a hotel preview or advertisement. To all hoteliers who have sent in their comments and advertorial, I thank you and will keep your establishment in mind, but I regret that I will not be publishing them in the blog under comments.}

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* Hotel Amar Yatri Niwas is your typical no-fuss, business hotel where minimal housekeeping maintenance is provided. Do not expect the room to be sparkly clean, the bath does show aged-stains and the breakfast room was characterless (so was breakfast) without any windows. However, having Costa coffee and Pizza Hut (which costs an arm and a leg by Malaysian standards) at the ground floor is comforting and the fact that the Taj Mahal gates are literally 10 minutes away by foot across the road makes it ideal. (oh, both our window latches/handles fell off while I stuck my head out to communicate in Chinese with WT who was negotiating with our "taxi" on the road side)

** typically foreigners will stick to the 1st or 2nd Class of Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains only. Some useful Indian Railway sites:

e-ticket (online) train bookings, checking of ticket reservation status, train schedules, travel planner, ticket availability, this site is user friendly and efficient: www.irctc.co.in

Indian Railway map: www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/india-railway-map.htm

novices who needs the comfort of an actual person answering any questions pertaining to railways in India (e.g. how does it look? what routes should I go? which of the 8 classes should I take? ...etc.), please seek honourable Stevern Behr in www.indiamike.com

*** Krishna Prakash Heritage