Day Twenty

I didn’t get much sleep. The Jain Buddhists get up super early once every other week and have some massive chant-fest. There’s music and prayer and all kinds of nonsense. Yes, everything’s nonsense when it’s at 4:30am in the morning. Luckily Areya was up and kept me well entertained.

At 9:30am I met my guide for my horse safari. I wasn’t sure if this was a safari where I’d be looking for horses, or riding one, but I was game either way. What I did not anticipate was the guide first needing me to get on the back of his motorbike to make our way to the stables. Fine by me, I’ve seen a gang of guys get on these little bikes and putter around the city. But when his helper person got on the bike behind me, I did get a little uncomfortable. Why is it that all the three-ways I get are in India… with dudes. (As reference, see my last blog when I was in Delhi two years ago. Dark days.) The stables are about 10 km away, but it feels like 100. When we get there, we’re out in the middle of the farmlands. There are six or so horses and a bunch of cows. The horses are small as is common in India, but they’re well groomed and shine with luster in the sun. Mine is saddled up and I mount it off a low stone wall to make life easier. I like these small horses. They’re more comfortable and easier to control. We set out along a loose trail through the plains and make our way back to the hotel. My horse is a boy and seems particularly interested in the rear end of my guide’s horse. I pull ahead and lead the way to keep him focused.

It’s a joy being out on the open land. For all my appreciation of the hotels and spas and five star restaurants, the best parts of this trip have been on back roads, working hard, or playing with animals. I need to rethink my priorities for vacations in the future and not be lulled by the siren song of the sweet life.

Mostly the land is deserted. We pass field after field, but they’re dry and untilled. I’m not sure what that means. It could be due to the dry monsoon season, or that crops have been rotated to another location. We pass quite a few small herds of cattle, so maybe it’s used more for grazing these days. We’re trotting side by side when a bull up the path starts acting funny. He turns this way and that and lowers his head. I don’t see it, but my guide said he started stomping his front hoof in the sand. All I see is my guide raise the rains and pull a quick charge on the pull before reigning his horse in abruptly. He lets loose a loud yell and the bull crouches down like a dog ready to pounce, but then takes off down the path. The whole things over in an instant, but it was very exciting. He says the bulls are not too smart, but if you let them start a charge, there’s no stopping them. We continue on, but every time we pass a bull, I try to avoid eye contact and hold my breath a bit.

Most of the time we discuss modern Hindi literature. My guide has a PhD and teaches a few classes. But its his work with tourists that pays his bills. He recommends a few writers in the realist school. I’ll look for them at the airport tomorrow. He also introduces me to the Hindu myth on the origins of the horse (Churned up from the ocean when the gods and the devils we’re playing tug of war with a giant snake wrapped around Mt. Everest. Obviously.) He’s careful to mention that he doesn’t know if the myth is true or not…

The rest is just quiet walking. I listen to a little music. I take it all in. It’s a good morning.

Soon after we arrive at the hotel, I leave for Udaipur. This is the most exotic of the cities in Rajasthan. It’s palace, set on Lake Pichola was featured in the James Bond film Octopussy. It’s definitely better maintained than most of what we’ve seen, but it’s still feast or famine. The manicured parks, lush with greenery are surrounded by run down strip malls interchangeable with the rest of Rajasthan. Even the five-star hotels are bordered by the grit and grime we see elsewhere. I take a quick boat ride around the lake and the water looks green and filthy. I cringe as I see people walking down the steps of the seawall and splashing the water on their faces. The boat ride lets us off at a little palace on an island in the lake. It’s been converted into a restaurant and event space and is one of the few places I’ve been with seamless beauty. It’s a small island. There’s no room for neglect to take hold and make a mess of things.

We also visit the City Palace, but at this point I’m toured out. There are some beautiful courtyards and interesting displays of artwork from the 16th century, but I’m tired of these narrow corridors and throngs of people. I head back to the hotel early and take my dinner in my room. For the first time since I’ve been to India I turn on the TV. I watch Bruce Almighty and it gives me a headache.

Early tomorrow I take a plane to Goa. I’m ready to leave Rajasthan, but I don’t know that a beach resort is what I need right now. I’d just as soon come home but it’s all paid for and I want to see if the South is any cleaner than the North. I suspect I’ll last just a few days. I’m planning to come home to New York before the New Year.