We arrive in Madikeri in the evening and have time to settle into our new home, grab a bite and poke around the area before getting some shuteye.

Next day we’re off to a coffee plantation but it actually ends up being the most enjoyable jungle walk. Our driver takes us out of town and drops us by a path. Here we meet up with our guide,an amazing fellow who is a wealth of knowledge about all the vegetation of the area. We ask lots of questions as we walk the 4 hours, the time flies by.

Cotton pods, this is usually used for stuffing and bedding.

The path

Jackfruit

Therapy

We came to a large opening and the guys got the drone going which really freaked out the cows.

What is that thing? 

We do stop part way at a plantation which is actually the house of a lovely older couple who have us in for coffee.

Coffee beans drying in the hot sun

Catching the beans, apparently males pickers earn 400 rupees a day, roughly 8 Canadian dollars, females are better pickers but they only make 300.

Everyone agreed it was a really great day!

We have a private vehicle now and drive the twisting, winding road towards Madikeri. There is a system to driving these roads, as we pass we seem to be constantly narrowly missing other vehicles. Our driver is good and I have much confidence in him, least that’s what I tell myself.

We soon arrive at Namdroling Monastery, established for the Tibetan refugees who fled to India. This is now the largest teaching center of Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.  There is a peaceful calm here, a great place for some quiet mediation.

I was kind of sad to leave the laid back town of Hampi with its pink bolders and rice paddy landscape. It seemed the type of place to spend more time but then again I could say the same for many of the places we’ve been.

We’re off on another overnight train. I’ve actually come to rather enjoy train nights, the gentle rocking while drifting off to sleep part anyway.

We arrive in Mysore about 9:30 the next morning and head off to the hotel to freshen up before free time to poke around. We meet up later and go to a bustling market. Here rows and rows of vendors are selling amass array of goods from bracelets, cookware to vegetables and flowers and tons of other stuff. The place is hopping with people, cats and the odd cow who almost knocked over some people on her way through grabbing a carrot as she went.

After taking in the sights and chaos of the market we head over to the Palace. It’s a stunning place that is still home to the Maharaja but has a large portion of it open to the public. Sunday nights at 7:00 it becomes alive with lights. There are tons of people there talking and laughing, families, groups of friends but when the lights came on there was a hush then a collective gasp. They only remain on for half an hour but it sure is an amazing sight. 

We hop into tuk tuks to head to a restaurant. I’be been in alot of tuk tuks over the years, and lots in India but this one was by far the scariest. The 2 others with me agreed but we made it and well ahead of the rest. Dinner under the stars and the mayhem was forgotten.

The next morning it’s off to Chamundi Temple. It’s being painted and repaired so it is covered with bamboo scaffolding. I would hate to be the guy at doing work at the top. Several monkeys seem to be enjoying it, too bad they can’t paint. 

A monkey and a dog seem to be teasing each other.

A possession goes by and people seem to be following along, I have no idea what it all means but it is fun to watch. 

Some of us opt to go down the path and 200 steps to the Bylakupe or Bull Temple before meeting up with the others.

We meet up with the others and head back to last night’s palace. Here we get a tour inside this beautiful place. Unfortunately, as with many places, no cameras are allowed inside.

Peaks of the palace, interesting mix of architecture

One of 4 palace gates

Another gate

One of two statues guarding the palace

One of several temples throughout the palace, this one hidden slightly by one of the big, beautiful old trees. 

We arrive in Hampi around 3:30 and the first thing I notice is the landscape, boulders of all shapes and sizes surround the countryside and I half expect to see Fred Flintstone coming round the corner.

We check into our Guest House, a very relaxed place next to rice paddies. Every hut has a hammock outside, just the thing to spend lazing away the hot afternoons.

After freshening up and checking out our new surroundings a few of us head to Hanuman Temple. We climb the 575 steps to take in the amazing views and watch the sunset with the resident monkeys.

The next morning we load up on sunscreen and water, it’s going to be a hot one and we have lots of exploring to do. I didn’t know what to expect of this place that became a World Heritage Site in 1980 but I was more than pleasantly surprised. What a unique place, so many old temples and ruins to see, we really need a lot more time.

We cross a small river by boat hoping to see an elephant that comes daily to bath but we miss him. Several people are bathing however fully dressed I guess they’re doing their laundry at the same time.

This cheeky monkey stole a bunch of bananas from a man and sat there cramming them in until his cheeks bulged out while carefully guarding his stash.

This elephant gives blessings, for a fee of coarse which he collects with his trunk and gives to his keeper. I hope he’s well fed.

Cuddles

Ruins with the Hanuman Temple top of the hill in the background

Ah Bedrock, if only I had more time to explore your treasures and relax in the hammock but off we go again. We catch a night train to our next destination.

From Mumbai we head further south with an early morning flight to Goa, Calangute Beach to be exact.  We have one last day here together before some of our group leave. We’ve had fun getting to know each other and sharing our travels.   After an afternoon at the beach we head out for one last supper and drinks together.

The next morning we say our goodbyes and head off to enjoy some free time. We’ve all been on the go so much just to relax by the pool or beach is a treat.

Crowded but fun beaches

Our area is pretty busy with lots of tourists and the typical tourist shops but on the beach there are quiet spots to be found. The sun is warm, the waves fun and the sand so hot you just want to run right in. Beach umbrellas and lounge chairs are available for the cost of a drink and it’s a great way to pass the day away.

Streets are lined with tattoo studios
That night we meet a few new faces that will join us for the rest of the tour and a new tour guide who gives us a briefing on the next leg of our journey. We have more day of free time and opt for another beach day instead of a city tour. It’s also a chance to do laundry and catch up with emails.

 We’re all sad to leave the beach, just one more day would have been awesome but we’re off for new adventures with another early morning wake up call!

Sleeping on the train is quite the experience. We are 16 traveling together but always seem to be split up for the train often sharing the open compartment with total strangers. The train has come from Jaipur so when I arrive in our area with another guy from our group we find several people occupying our seats. Once we get it sorted out we settle in and enjoy the journey chatting with a father and his daughter. 

Around 9:30 we head up into the top bunks for some rest. The curtains are drawn and silence fills the car, sleep comes easily with the motion of the train and I’m soon off in dreamland.

We wake up about 30 minutes before our 6:30 am stop. Our new friends have left the train in the middle of the night barely making a sound. We arrive in Mumbai and head to the hotel to freshen up before we head off  sight seeing.

Walk by the water

An interesting visit to Gandhi’s home

This tower was built by a rich business man who lives here with his wife and 2 children…..they call the entire building home

Not far away the slums of Mumbai

Happy recycling workers

City laundry service…..really

Given the driving standards here I think this is appropriate.

Lovely park

India Gate

Overall I quite liked Mumbai. It seemed much cleaner and had more character than what I’d seen in Delhi. Perhaps I just haven’t seen the right side of Delhi!

There are two blue cities in India, Jodhpur and Bundi. We arrive in the latter after a late night train. We hop into open air jeeps and speed to our next hotel, where we’re treated with drinks before heading off to bed.

Our hotel

Refreshed after a good sleep and shower we go by tuk tuk to see one of the ancient stepwells. There are over 50 of these structures around Bundi built about 1690. Built to contain the ground water left from the monsoons, some were used for bathing and swimming, others laundry.  The one we’re at was used for drinking water up until the 1990s, purified with alum.

If you look carefully you can see a drone flying, courtesy of one of our group members
Back on the road again we make our way up the hill to the palace stopping for photos of the blue city. Many of the buildings are painted blue from indigo which apparently mosquitos don’t like.

We arrive on the street below the palace which is built on the side of a steep hill and begin our walk up. For a fairly small city of about 100,000 it’s a very impressive palace although a lot of it has not been well preserved. The guide explains that Rudyard Kipling got his inspiration for his famous Jungle Book here and had a great fascination with the palace. 

In one area much of the wall and ceiling artwork has been well preserved

After our visit to the palace we walk back through the town stopping at a very small shop for some delicious chai

Special recipe or technique, not sure but it was good

Later that day we drive to the another town to catch the night train to Mumbai. Standing in our group at the station we’re quickly surrounded by very curious locals. One of our group members had some Canadian pins which she gave out to some pretty excited people. Feels strange to be the center of attention, I wonder if that’s how celebrities feel?

We board the train at midnight after an hour delay, settle in and are gently rocked to sleep. As the day dawns we pull into the station, Udaipar, our next stop. 
After freshening up we head off to Rajasthans’s largest palace,  the City Palace. Here our guide takes us through this massive place explaining the history as we marvel at the beauty. 

Arm of a chair

Just a few pictures of this fabulous palace

The next few days here are relaxed, the town is easy enough to navigate and explore on our own.  I decide on a cooking class and was so glad I did, what fun!

Lunch is served!

Later we take in a cultural show

Sunset cruise

So far this has been my favourite place

We take a late afternoon train and arrive in Jaipur that evening.  As the tuk tuk winds its way through the streets, past a cow standing in the middle of a heep of garbage I can’t help but wonder what kind of hotel we’re in for. To my surprise we enter through metal gates and up the drive into a very different world. Our hotel for this stay is a lovely old heritage palace. The main building is full of amazing antiques and feels like a step back in time.  In the back there is a large pool and and chairs to relax in, an oasis from the noise and bustle just outside the gates.  There is an apartment for the family but the remainder is set up for the hotel guests. 

Guest house grounds

The next morning we’re off to see the Red Fort with a stop along the way to see the Wind Palace. Driving in a tuk tuk always makes me feel more up close and aware of what’s around as you weave through the traffic. You can’t escape the sounds and smells and occasional gasp as you come near inches away from a passing bus, car or cow. It’s amazing how these drivers do it but with a honk of the horn the chaos seems to sort itself out.  Other things we’ve passed by today are cows, goats, camels and elephants just on the side if the road!

Wind Palace

Arriving at the fort we hop out and gaze up the hill, this is a massive place. A parade of elephants ferry people up the path, no one in our group wants to partake in this activity. Seems unfair to the elephants as they aren’t really geared for climbing.

Really hard to capture the grandeur of this place

Up we go dodging elephants and fending off vendors wanting to sell their wares. This place is huge, the walls of the city visible in the distance hills. 
Jaipur is a great place, full of gems to find and explore. So different from Delhi with a way more relaxed feel. This is starting to feel more like the India I came to see and experience.

Water Palace

We have some days here to explore and take in the sights

A sewing machine shop

We catch a train and head to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. It’s an early train and there is time before we check into our hotel to look around the area. I am promised the best chai in town and am not disappointed.
After checking in a few of us head to see Baby Taj. A smaller version for sure but still very impressive and not as crowded as most tourist spots.

Best chai

Baby Taj

After an afternoon of sight seeing the group meets at a rooftop of a restaurant for drinks. Apparently the food isn’t great but the view of the Taj Mahal is worth the walk up. After a drink and lots of pictures we head over to another rooftop restaurant, no view but good food and more opportunity to get acquainted with our group.
The next morning is quite foggy so we delay Taj and head instead to the Amber Fort.

Detail work at Amber Fort

We finally arrive at the Taj along with hoards of other tourists. It truly is magnificent taking so 40 years to complete and over 4000 workers,no union.  It is built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mughal Mahal.  We should all be so lucky to have someone love us that much.

Afterward we went to a dinner with the best garlic naan most of us had ever eaten.