South to Rajasthan - Cars, Chaos and Camels

"Horn Please" 

After a day back in Delhi touring magnificent ancient monuments, riding in style through the narrow streets of Old Delhi via bicycle rickshaw and experiencing the city’s brand new metro system we headed south to Mandawa.

Fresh vegetable stall in Mandawa

Passing through the chaos of the toll booths we saw the call centre phenomenon first hand - a whole district catering to a multitude of foreign corporations.  The highway was under various stages of construction, in fact all over greater Delhi massive infrastructure projects were underway.  Soon the highway narrowed to potholed tarmac that twisted and turned through small dusty towns.

Pilgrims en route to the temple
add colour to an already colourful road

The first camel drawn cart was a fascination but soon it was commonplace. The town markets were vibrant - every description of carefully stacked fruit and vegetable, all intensified by the bright saris worn by the local townswomen.

Ladies prepare to collect kindling

We soon got the hang of the driving technique. Come up behind another vehicle, whether camel or tractor drawn, beep the horn and attempt a pass on what often is nothing more than a lane and a half’s width. Oncoming traffic does the same, flashing their lights in the dance of brinkmanship for their place on the road.

Lots of smiles and waves from
passing tractor drawn workers

Our driver assured us that by the third day on the road we’d think nothing of it. The scenery had changed to arid desert and the road through Mandawa became a cloud of dust. We wondered what our accommodation would be like after the comfort  of the Delhi Oberoi.

Our cottage sanctuary at the
Mandawa Desert Resort

Deceptively comfortable bed - the
mattress on a slab of concrete!

The Mandawa Desert Resort was certainly one of a kind. Guest cottages are designed along the lines of a Rajasthani mud hut.

Forgiving the rock hard bed, the room was spacious and comfortable with a well-equipped bathroom that delivered lots of hot water - eventually.  Despite intermittent power we embraced our latest experience.  The ancient one-bar electric fire was put to good use as the temperature dropped.

However, I am still not up for the full Indian breakfast, not yet.