Thursday, December 15, 2011

Last Stop: Cape Town

My last stop - South Africa. My third visit to this beautiful country in less than two years was less extensive and action-packed than the previous visits, but still special nonetheless.

My illness in Mauritius really knocked me off my feet, and was still lingering by the time I arrived in Cape Town. I was tired, but excited to see friends and just relax. It was a good way to make the transition from tourist back to regular life. Just chilling out and putting down my camera for a while.

My 4 days were spent at the fabulous Cape Royale hotel - where I had spent my first visit to Cape Town. I spent my time shopping, getting a much needed pedicure, relaxing with friends by the pool and having some great dinners and a few nights on the town. We also checked out an amazing Sunday market at the Biscuit Mill - a must see for any foodie. Despite the coughing and exhaustion, I still managed to have a blast.

I didn't take many photos on this trip, but on one very memorable dinner, I took this snap of the sunset from the beach at Camps Bay...which was followed by drinks at the famous Cape Grace hotel in the pretty harbour. A fabulous way to end the trip of a life-time.


 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Mauritius

After a short 2 night stop-over in Paris that mostly involved laundry and shopping for some warm weather clothes - I once again took off on another adventure, this time to the island of Mauritius.

Why Mauritius, you ask? Well for one, after the cold in Russia, I was craving some beach time. Secondly, there are lots of cheap charter flights to Mauritius, or Isle Maurice as the French call it, out of Paris. Lastly - I had recalled seeing on a family tree my aunt had put together, that some ancestors of mine had lived on Mauritius in the early 19th century for two generations. For this reason alone I was extremely curious to find out more about this tiny little island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

The 13 hour flight was not fun. It was a jam-packed charter without any in-flight entertainment and I was stuck beside a very sick mother-daughter duo. But arriving in the warm weather made it all worthwhile.

I grabbed a taxi on arrival and made my way to my hotel - Hotel Tamarina - on the western side of the island. I had booked a last minute stay online knowing very little about what I should expect. But who could resist a hotel that offered an all inclusive package that covered off food, drinks and spa! Yep...one free treatment per day. Heaven.

The hotel itself was incredible. On a stunning, quiet stretch of beach and the sight of the most beautiful sunsets each night. The staff were so lovely to me - especially when I became incredibly ill (no doubt thanks to the mother-daughter duo on the plane). I was brought food in my room when I was too sick to get out of bed, and was made fresh ginger lemon tea at the bar to soothe my persistent cough. They also helped me get to a pharmacy to get some much needed medicine.

Despite being extremely sick for pretty much my entire visit I tried to make the best of the situation. I took a day trip out to sea to swim and snorkel with the local dolphins. Literally, we just jumped in the ocean with hundreds of dolphins. Afterwards, we had a beautiful picnic on an island where I got to practice my French skills with my fellow travelers.

I tried to spend some time at the pool in the day when I felt up to it, but I was truly too sick to enjoy the amazing cuisine and the spa treatments.

Some highlights of the trip: for starters the absolutely delicious Mauritian beer, Phoenix Fresh. Also, the very sweet Mauritian people who look Indian, speak French and are so welcoming. But my favourite part of the trip was an island tour I did on my final day. Before heading to the airport I booked a taxi driver for a 4 hour visit along the coast-line. Hearing about my family history, my driver took me to the oldest graveyard on the island where all the French settlers, who immigrated here when Mauritius was a stop on the Spice Route, were buried. While I have no idea of my family members journey and adventure in Mauritius, it was fun to wander amongst the ancient gravestones, smoothed away by years of sea salt and monsoons.

Mauritius was exotic, beautiful and friendly - but I was now headed to my last and final stop on my adventure - Cape Town, South Africa!






Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Moscow

We set out for Moscow on an overnight train. And since I didn't know what the sleeping circumstances would be when I originally booked, it turned out I was set to be in an upper class cabin away from the rest of the group. While at first I was a bit bummed to be away from my new friends, I decided it would be a welcome experience to fly solo for the night with some real Russians. I got to my cabin before my 3 other fellow guests - Olga, a nice, older Russian "Baboushka" and two young Russian men. I took a lower berth and read some magazines while everyone settled in. We communicated in broken Russian, English and hand gestures but all went smoothly. As the train pulled out at around midnight, we tucked in for sleep soon after. I could barely sleep a wink the whole ride. Breakfast (bread, cheese and salami) was served in the morning and I bought us all cappucinos from the coffee cart going by.

We arrived at our hotel - a former residence built for the Olympics in 1980 - to check our bags before making our way to Red Square by subway. After many photo ops with beautiful St.Basils we headed over to a very cool, new attraction. A secret Soviet cold war era bunker, only recently discovered, that sits 18 stories under the city. Apparently built in complete secrecy as a communication headquarters, there was even a fake apartment building sitting above it to protect its location. This was one of my favourite attractions ever - not only did we tour the facility, we could touch the artifacts and even try on some of the gear. Which, as you will see in my photos, I quite enjoyed.


After a delicious late lunch of Russian food at a local cafeteria style restaurant, we made our way underground to tour the beautiful subway stations - filled with statues, chandeliers and mosaics. I learned that superstitious Russians find it lucky to rub the golden statues as they pass - so I joined in too. 

That night I laid low and ordered in food to my room. This was extremely challenging to do in English - but the salad and plemeni (dumplings) were good. And though I can't be certain of the type of meat was in the plemeni, I ate every drop.

Day 2 was very cold, even by a Canadian's standards and I was very happy to have my mink hat and my warm Icelandic wool gloves. We toured the Kremlin - which was incredible - but I skipped out early to grab a beer and warm up with some Borscht at a cafe in Red Square.

Our afternoon was spent at the amazing Moscow Circus where I definitely felt like a kid again. It was a real highlight of my visit and I would encourage anyone (of any age) to put it on their list if heading to Moscow. Backed up by a Big Band, the performers put on a colourful, exciting and funny show that included trapeze artists, elephants, horses and a very funny monkey! Before the show - you can have your photo taken with cute animals like a leopard, baby lion and a monkey (wearing a track-suit and socks!).

We followed up the Circus with a delicious farewell dinner in Red Square...and with lots of vodka shots. As I had a late flight the next day, I chose to experience a Russian Banya (sauna) so I booked a private sauna room at the facility in our hotel. For about $40 I got a private area with a TV room, sauna and access to the pool. Wet birch twigs are provided to hit yourself with while in the steamy sauna room and then plunge into the cold pool. It sounds torturous, but it is very refreshing.

Refreshed and ready, I made my way to the Moscow airport to return to Paris before heading south to Africa, the third continent in my amazing adventure.

 



Monday, December 12, 2011

Vodka Shot

I tried to be somewhat practical about planning my two month trip of a life-time. It would be unlikely that I would ever have this much consecutive time off again for a long time, so I tried to include destinations that might be challenging to get to in the future if I were working or have a family some day. Russia was on that list.

I decided to travel with an organized tour - On the Go - as it is difficult to organize a Visa without having an "invitation" to visit. So the Russian leg of my trip was booked before I left Canada. I would spend a very fast one week, starting in St.Petersburg and finishing up in Moscow. Just a shot of Vodka, so to speak.

The flight from Paris was smooth and fairly uneventful despite the threat of an Air France strike. I was met at the small airport in St.Petersburg by Katia, our group leader and a few of my fellow passengers. A larger size group this time, there were 11 of us including Thacker, a fellow Torontonian who was an amazing 82 years old and traveling alone.

After a brief introduction at the hotel, a few of us made our way out of the hotel to have some dinner (plemeni and beer) and get to know each other.

I had a great sleep and awoke fresh and ready to see St.Petersburg. With a later start, I was able to sleep and adjust to the time change. However, when I opened the curtains I was surprised to see that it was still pitch black. At 10 am. I checked my blackberry. I checked my computer. And then I phoned the front desk. Yes, it truly was 10 am and pitch dark. I guess that's the deal this far north in the winter months.

Our first day kicked off with a tour along the Nevsky Prospect (the main drag of the city) and a visit outside of the Church on the Spilled Blood - a beautiful church city at the foot of one of the city's many canals. After lots of photo-taking of this stunning church and the pretty canals, we headed throughout the city to check out key monuments along the Church of St.Nicholas, a beautiful blue orthodox church that required me to cover my hair with a scarf.

We stopped for hot chocolate by the sea and did a drive by the university where people like Putin and Dostoyevsky studied before our big trip to the Hermitage.

For anyone who has studied art, like me, the Hermitage is a very important place to visit. A baroque palace filled with some of the most exquisite art treasures in the world - including some of the most famous impressionist and expressionist works. A dream come true.

After the Hermitage, a few of us went off to walk the Nevsky Prospest and stopped in for beer and snacks at a pub. We then made our way to meet the rest of our group at a small palace for a cultural music and dance show. We sipped champagne during intermission and sat at the back during the performance to avoid awkward audience participation moments. The music and dancing was really good - encompassing traditional folk styles as well as ballet and classical music. Not something I probably would have picked to do on my own, so it was fortunate that it was part of the itinerary. Still hungry after the show, we made our way to a burger place just off the Nevsky Prospect "St-Petersburger" which perfectly hit the spot! We grabbed the subway back to our hotel and did some people watching over coffee in the lobby. A long day - but a really great one.

Our next day was just as action-packed. We started out at the Catherine Palace, a bit outside of the city centre. The palace is magnificent - very grand, with sweeping grounds and is just as colourful as the exterior of the Hermitage. Though I didn't get a chance to see it, a short walk from the palace is the smaller once home of Nicholas II and Alexandra Romanov and their children. For those of you who don't know their story, I highly recommend reading: The Last Tsar by Edvard Radzinsky which tells the story of their love, their family and their execution all in the backdrop of the Russian Revolution. We also visited the Peter and Paul Fortress where I did see their final resting place (their remains were recovered years later). All of the Russian Czars are buried here in the church.

Afterwards - a Vodka tasting with traditional Russian fare like Borscht and Beef Stroganoff. And after that, a tour of the interior of the incredibly stunning Church on the Spilled Blood. Named so for it being the site of the assassination of a Czar, it is filled with gemstone mosaics from floor to ceiling. Partially destroyed and pilfered during WWII, it has now been lovingly restored and is a beautiful thing see. Next up - some shopping, where I purchased a gorgeous Russian mink hat to keep me warm in the cold as well as some treasures for my family, and a pretty set of Matryoshka dolls for me.

A few of us ventured out to a cozy cafe for dinner before catching our overnight train to Moscow. We ordered rounds of Vodka, plates of the most delicious french fries and what we thought was Chicken Kiev...but turned out to be just chicken wings. I guess we needed to work on our Russian...which we could continue to do in our next stop, Moscow!







Sunday, December 11, 2011

Paris Halloween

After an overnight in London at the myHotel, I made my way to St-Pancras Station to catch the Eurostar to Paris. Yes, Paris - my absolute favourite city in the world.

I splurged a little and sat in first class, enjoying some wine and making new friends. Robert, my seat mate, was also headed to Paris for the weekend to visit some friends. It was nice to have a chat through the scenic two hour train ride, and we made plans to meet for dinner later that night.

After arriving in Paris and taking a quick taxi to my hotel, I was pleased to just relax in my room after the long journey from India. My hotel - Mama Shelter in the 20th - was perfect! A tiny but functional room with black walls, a fluffy white bed and funky lamps made of superhero masks. I watched a bit of TV before making my way on foot to meet Robert at Bofinger - a famous brasserie in the Marais. I arrived early and charmed my way into a great table at the front of the restaurant. Robert ordered a nice bottle of wine and spoke perfect French while I fought my jet-lag tooth and nail. It was nice to have a night out in Paris but sleep was calling my name so I called it an early night and bid au revoir to my new friend.

I started my second day with a walk back to the Marais to have a lovely breakfast at Cafe de Paris overlooking the beautiful Place des Vosges, one of my absolute favourite spots in Paris. From there, I made my way on foot past Notre Dame and the booksellers by the Seine to the Louvre. And from there, through the Jardins de Tuileries and up the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Then over to Trocadero. All that walking for just one perfect glimpse of the Eiffel Tower.

That night I ordered in pizza from the hotel restaurant (amazing!) and headed to the local laundromat to clean my clothes for my up-coming trip to Russia.

I woke up early on my third day - which just happened to be Halloween. To celebrate, I decided to take a short walk to Cimetiere Pere Lachaise to visit with the Ghosts of Paris Past. A beautiful and haunting place, Pere Lachaise is filled with cobblestone lanes, crumbling statues, weeping trees and lots of shadows. I easily spotted the very famous grave of Jim Morrison, as there were a few tourist parked out front taking photos. His marker is covered in lipstick kisses, graffiti and wilted roses. The tree beside his grave is also covered in carvings and paint and is very cool to look at it. But it was cold, and I had to keep moving so I wandered around the Canal St.Martin area to take photos before of the beautiful bridges before heading back to the hotel to pack for Russia. Despite the fact I'd be coming back to Paris once more, in just another week, it is always sad to leave. But...a new adventure was awaiting me in Russia!









Saturday, December 10, 2011

Upper Class!!!

After 3 amazing weeks in India I was sad to leave. I had splurged a bit to fly in Premium Economy with Virgin Atlantic in and out of London, and was very happy with the service I had received on the way to Delhi. Lots of space, comfortable seats, decent food...as good as it can get on an airplane. Or so I thought.

After spending all my left-over rupees in the airport gift-shops and having a taste from home (a Subway sub!), I boarded the plane for my 10 hour journey back to London. I was psyched to have a front row which allowed me to have a bit of extra room...but was even more psyched when a lovely flight attendant came and got me to bring me to my new seat...in Row 7. As in...Upper Class Row 7. Lucky. Lucky. Lucky. How can one girl possibly be so lucky?

I cannot even describe the smile that must have been plastered on my face for the next 10 wonderful hours. I imagine the flight attendants must love it when someone is especially grateful for the experience of Upper Class. "Would you like some Champagne?" Ummm....YES! There's a wine list, a cheese platter for a snack, a bar where you can go have a cocktail. Free magazines to read. My seat reclined and turned into a bed with a duvet and pillow. But, seriously, who could possibly sleep in a situation like this!? The sad part is, I may have very well been the only one really enjoying myself. I mean, I was happier than a dog with his head out the window of a car. How could you not be?

I will forever be indebted to Virgin Atlantic for their random act of kindness and hope I will someday have the opportunity to fly with them again.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Diwali

Part of planning my trip to India revolved around Diwali. If I was going to be in India in October, I wanted to make sure that I'd stay long enough to witness the celebration of this holy festival. Diwali - the festival of lights - is named so because of the practice of lighting diya's (lamps) to welcome Lakshmi, goddess of wealth into one's home. Celebrations include fireworks and the exchange of sweets. Fireworks and sweets - two of my favourite things!

During my stay at Ananda, I decided that I would hire a driver to take me to Rishikesh for a night to witness an evening Aarti ceremony on the holy river Ganges. But because of the timing, I decided to do this the night of the Diwali celebrations and I could not have picked a better night.

I had a driver pick me up in the late afternoon and take me down the mountain into Rishikesh. We parked and walked through the city, admiring the Ganges which flows through the centre. A narrow suspension bridge connects the two sides of town and is filled with people, bicycles and, of course, cows. The late afternoon sun was beautiful and I managed to snag a few pretty photos.

I arrive at the Parmath Niketan Ashram on the banks of the river just in time to grab a seat on the steps with a great view of the Aarti ceremony festivities. The ceremony - which lasted an almost two hours over the setting of the sun - kicked off with a ceremonial fire (called a Yagna), songs, prayers and chanting. All the while, I could see tiny lit candles and fresh flowers floating by on the river.

It was truly a special experience that can't be shared with words alone, so here are some of my favourite photos from the evening.




Thursday, December 8, 2011

Paradise at Ananda in the Himalayas

The next part of my grand adventure in India took me north to the Himalayas - to a dream come true called Ananda.

India is well known for it's luxury hotels and Ananda in the Himalayas is one of the best there is. A luxury wellness retreat, Ananda is built on the property of a Maharaja's palace high in the clouds and overlooking the city of Rishikesh. The grounds, which are pristinely manicured, are filled with flowers, roaming peacocks, trouble-making monkeys and butterflies. The spa is one of the best in the world. The guest rooms are a haven of relaxation. And the food - to die for.


Have I painted a good enough picture yet?
Probably not; I should start from the top.

I am met at Dehradun airport by a driver after my short 1 hour flight from Delhi. He is regally dressed in a white uniform and turban. I am carrying my back-pack and am looking like I'm in dire need of a spa break. He points out the local attractions to me - the national park where tigers roam free in the wild, local markets and the small town of Rishikesh - before we snake our way high up the side of a mountain, just a few short kilometres from the Tibetan border. I literally catch my breath when I see the hotel.


I am met in the circle drive of the palace by the staff and am greeted with a blessing and some beautiful prayer beads. I am brought into the tearoom of the palace to take care of the paper work for my check-in and to review my schedule for the week. I am then escorted to my room by golf-cart and am almost brought to tears of joy at the sight of my luxurious room. After two weeks of backpacking through the desert, the king-sized bed in my room was a welcome sight. So much so, that I decided to spend my first night pretty much in my room. After an Ayurvedic consultation and a Salt Scrub treatment at the Spa, I drew a bath in the enormous tub overlooking the golf course, ordered in my dinner and watched TV in bed. Paradise.

After that ultra-relaxing first night, I started my first day bright and early with ginger-lemon tea brought to me in bed by my butler. Yes, I did say butler. While sipping my tea, I read the paper in my Kurta - a white pyjama style outfit that all the hotel guests wear throughout their stay. Each day a new one arrives in your closet and you don't ever have to get properly dressed. I wore mine the whole time - with the exception of evening dinners - and enjoyed every single minute of it. After tea, I reviewed my schedule and readied myself for a rigorous day of breakfast, a private yoga session, lunch, Abhyanga (a 4 hand massage) and a nap by the pool. The yoga session took place outdoors with a lovely yogi who was surprisingly quite impressed with my skills. My massage took place at the spa - the absolutely most incredible spa I have ever laid eyes on. After changing into my robe and relaxing in the change area reading Indian fashion magazines and sipping tea, I was taken through the spa past the flower petals laid out on the floor, the sculptures and water treatments, past the man sitting on the ground playing a sittar in the candlelight, to a private treatment room where two masseuses gave me a Hindu blessing before starting my massage.

And this was only day one.

I could go on and on about my time at Ananda. I am pretty sure I could write a whole post just about the amazing blue colour of the resident peacocks' feathers. Or the gourmet meals and beautiful staff. About my Himalayan Honey Facial and my private Meditation session. About being chased by a monkey through the gardens. About seeing the twinkling lights of Rishikesh at night. But there is just too much to say...so I think I'll let my photos do the rest of the talking. Enjoy.



Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Agra

We arrived in Agra in late afternoon and made our first stop at the Red Fort. A beautiful structure, it is here that I got my first glimpse of the white ghost that is the Taj Mahal. That first peek of its beauty was special but it did not really prepare me for my actual visit.

There is no way that I could properly muster the perfect phrase to describe it. I mean, I was expecting to enjoy seeing one of the wonders of the world, but I was not prepared to have my breath completely taken away by the (hands down) most beautiful building I have ever seen. These photos were taken early morning as the sun was rising. Enjoy. Hopefully you will get the chance to marvel at it up close one day too.



Delhi Dancing

After an incredible two weeks travelling with my new friends, we spent our last night exploring the modern side of life in India. After a delicious farewell dinner at the same place we had our first meal together, we popped a bottle of good French champagne to celebrate. This was followed by a hilarious rickshaw race back to the hotel for some more drinks. Which was followed by a fabulous night out clubbing in Delhi!

Which was followed by an enormous hangover the next day. But totally worth it!

After some goodbyes and a promise to meet again, I made my way to the airport to catch my domestic flight north to Rishikesh - yoga capital of the world, a source of inspiration to The Beatles and my home for the next week.



Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Step Wells

On our way from Jaipur to Agra, we visited some Step Wells. Ancient - yet perfectly balanced and symmetrical. Unbelievable.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Jaipur: Pretty in Pink



In the same way Jodhpur was a blue city, Jaipur is pink! Its city-centre filled with rosy coloured, intricately carved buildings. A true mix of old and new – with KFC and street food vendors on the same strip, and big trucks and old fashioned wooden carts traveling on the same roads. It is said that in the late 19th century, the entire city was painted pink to celebrate a visit from The Prince of Wales. Now that's what I call hospitality!

We booked into the Jaipur Inn for our 2 night stay and enjoyed the first night drinking beer on the roof while watching a beautiful Indian wedding below – complete with a groom on a white horse followed by a procession of lit lamps and musicians. The reception, just a short distance from our vantage point, afforded us some spectacular fireworks. A truly magical way to start our visit to this pretty, pink place!


Our second day was spent visiting the Amber Fort. Stunningly beautiful – it’s a place that recalls the kind of exotic desert locales you'd find drawn in children’s storybooks. A golden fortress perched high on a mountain, surrounded by winding walls, gates and the desert. We make a regal climb to the top by elephant. Not too shabby.
After some haggling for jewellery in the market, we stop for lunch at one of Jaipur’s famous restaurants and I order the Punjabi Thali platter. In the evening we then make our way to the famous Raj Mandir theatre for a Bollywood movie! The Raj Mandir is a beautiful art-deco style theatre with a large spacious cinema. We see the film "Rascals" and the only thing more enjoyable than the movie is the crowd who really get into things by cheering wildly throughout the film. And while I don't understand a word of Hindi, I am fairly confident I totally understood the plot. A good time…and a taste from home (popcorn!) had by all.


Sunday, December 4, 2011

Udaipur

I was psyched to visit Udaipur even before I knew much about it's beauty. As you might know from reading this, I'm a lover of all things Bond. And if you happen to have seen Octopussy, you'll know that Udaipur's Lake Palace was quite famously featured in the film. Naively, I thought I could work a bit of magic by emailing the Palace, now a very exclusive hotel, in advance to arrange a visit for a cocktail (shaken, not stirred) at their bar. This type of magic email has worked for me in the past, but this time I was denied, albeit, in the most polite manner. No big deal. I still managed to get close to the stunning white hotel, which is completely surrounded by a lake, on a sunset boat ride. And although I was wearing an awkward, orange life-jacket instead of some glamorous Bond Girl ensemble, it was still pretty cool and an amazing thing to see.

Udaipur is very, very beautiful. Watching the sun set on Lake Pichola is like stepping into some expressionist painting - wild purples and blues streak the sky and reflect off the shimmering lake. A view so pretty you'd think it was photoshopped. 


My time in Udaipur was extremely chill. Our group attended a cultural show featuring musicians and dancers which was followed up by a fun dinner on a rooftop. We met another group of travellers and there was an impromptu chile pepper eating contest, and lots of glasses of rum. When there was still no winner after two dozen or so chiles were eaten, it was called as a draw.

Our second day was spent visiting the City Palace - a beautiful historical site , high up on a hill in the heart of Udaipur. It was a stunning site to see with beautiful views of the lake, colourful mosaics and glass windows. One favourite part was the charming "elephant parking spaces" next to the palace.

Afterwards, I relaxed back at the hotel with a massage and had my hands and feet painted with henna. The Henna artist came to my hotel room to apply the die - a bit of a shady set up but I was really happy to have the beautiful designs on my hands and tops of feet. Dinner that night was on a very cool outdoor restaurant patio where we ordered up an apple flavoured hookah after our meal. Definitely one of my favourite meals of the trip.




Saturday, December 3, 2011

Jodhpur the Blue

I have never felt farther from home than in Jodhpur, India.
And, although I loved all of my time in India, Jodhpur has a special place in my heart. The romantic in me loved its blue facade that looked so beautiful under the setting sun, and the almost full moon that hung in the sky just beside the incredible fortress of rock that keeps watch over the city. Every street was like a movie set - perfectly lit, props and extras in place and painted walls perfectly chipped. The old part of the city had streets so narrow (and filled with cows) they are not even accessible by car.
We started our visit with an afternoon at the spectacular Mehrangarh Fort perched 400 feet up overlooking the blue painted homes of the city. Although the colour is certainly striking, it is actually said that the blue paint serves to keep the mosquitos away. We did a self-guided audio tour which was really incredible as we moved at our own pace through each intricately decorated room in the fort which is made up of multiple palaces. As this was my first visit to a cultural site in India, I was truly overwhelmed by what I saw. Some of my favourite photos of my entire trip were taken here, including this one - a man who was sitting in the fort and offered me some opium to smell.






Towards the end of the tour, a few of us came across a fortune teller who read our palms in his little office. He used geometry equipment - a protractor, a small ruler and a compass - to tell my future...in between not-so-secretly snapping photos of me on his cell phone.








After our visit to the Mehrangahr Fort, we made our way to an amazing little hotel in the centre of old Jodhpur. It was perfect! Something right out of a movie set with quirky, exotic decor (a swing hanging in the lounge) and a beautiful rooftop deck where we drank cold beer, listened to music and watched the sun go down. For dinner we ventured into the busy main drag for good local food (I got the vegetarian Thali platter) and some delicious ice-cream. Afterward - more beer on the roof under that big, beautiful moon.