Adventures of Venom - 11!!

Day 11 – 22nd November 2007
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After the night’s adventure, the day began late. We woke up lazily around 10.00 AM (OK.. I had to be clicked and woken up). I finally woke up to some grumbling in the background. I guess VS was mumbling to himself as to how he will never get me on any trip ever again and all that I do is to sleep and sleep and sleep… it didn’t take long to shut him up.. The “shut up kiss” did the trick.. ;)

We reached Pushkar at about 11.00 AM. It’s only 30 KM from Ajmer, and by now that was more like next door for us. The Pushkar Mela is very colourful and there are only 2 kinds of people evident there – the rural locals, and the firangs. We are clearly out of place. We do some time pass, eat extremely unhealthy food and stare at the much decorated camels with an open mouth!


We click some brilliant pictures, not suspecting that the memory card would be corrupted and all pictures lost. We tried to salvage some, but the damage was already done. I insisted on doing everything that I shouldn’t have done – paid 50 bucks to sit on a merry-go-round, which 2 men were manually operating (now how much fun could that have been!!), paid 200 bucks to sit on a camel for 10 minutes, almost cried when VS didn’t let me eat that horrible looking poori-alu. I chatted away to glory with the Camel owner (a small boy of about 16-17), his camel was called Moti (see I remember), and a camel costs 30K – 5L depending on the age!!!!

I wanted to see the horse racing, but I guess it was over for the day. We could only see the horses parading – WOW. I instantly fell in love with one of them and threw a tantrum on the spot. VS had to go and enquire about the price – he came back grinning and said “Chalo, let’s buy it, its only 11 Lakhs”. “Very Funny”
This is the one that I fell in love with, but couldn’t afford.

Some day baby, for sure, I promise!!


I also wanted to get the Mehendi done, but VS put his foot down. :( I had to content myself just looking at the lovely designs that those young girls make with their mehandi cones, in no matter of time. And the firangs just love them. I was tempted to tell them that they shouldn't be paying more than 50 bucks for the designs on both their hands, but the fear of getting beaten up kept me shut. They actually ended up paying 300 bucks per hand!!! (what the heck, its just 7.5$ for them!!)

We also went to the animal trading section of the fair – now that’s exactly what Pushkar is famous for!! I have never seen so many horses together in my life. In fact I have not seen so many animals together!!!! We lost the snaps of the camel section :( The horses are a beauty and the Mare is more expensive than the horse (the feminist in me loves it!!)

We finally wound up at 1.30 and left for our hotel. We had to pack up and leave for Udaipur. The objective was to cover as much distance as possible bofore sunset!
We left the hotel at around 2.30 PM. Decided to have lunch on the way. At around 3.30 PM, I had created a ruckus - Yes, I also feel hungry!! We stopped by at a dhaba where VS insisted that I try out Besan ki sabzi. He says it is a Rajasthani speciality. I try it out and I need lots and lots of water to douze the fire in my mouth!!
The rest of the journey is regular. The standard stuff of VS not listening to me when I tell him to refuel and then we running around for a petrol punp in the middle of nowhere.

We reach Udaipur at around 8.00PM. We are booked into the Rajasthan Tourism Hotel.

After last night adventure of hotel finding, it was heavenly to walk into a pre-booked hotel!!!
We have plenty of time on hand, and VS takes me out for a romantic dinner to Ambrai - its an old haveli converted to a heritage hotel.. its by the lake and the view is beautiful. We could see the Udaipur Lake Palace from here and VS promised to take me there for a vacation someday, when he has made it big in life!!!

I will eagerly wait for that day - not coz I want to vacation in Lake Palace, but coz I want VS to make it big
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Day 11 ends beautifully with memorable dinner

Adventures of Venom - 10!!

Day 10 – 21st November 2007
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The day starts early – I am up and ready at 7.00 for a change. Then starts the exercise – trying to accommodate the luggage on the bike. Well, the greedy me wanted to carry all that we had purchased the evening before. But it’s a no brainer as to how much luggage anyone can carry on the bike. So we have to leave the bag (the one which has all my precious shopping) at my fren’s place with instructions to my brother to carry it back with him to Pune, and that we shall pick it up from there. (sob sob)

Its already 8, and we should be leaving by now. So we are well on our way. The next destination is Jaipur. We ask for directions to the delhi-Jaipur highway, and then it’s a straight road, we assume. Well, the straight was actually a little right – we realized that after we went straight on our way to Rewari. We ask for our way back, and a smart arse tells us to retrace our steps. But, riding in the wrong direction (on a one-way highway), is nothing but suicidal. So we decide to take the longer detour. Trying a short-cut on the way, testing the bike’s strength with some off-roading. Finally we are back on track after some adventure.

The way to Jaipur is fairly routine and boring. We spot a biker (of course on VS’s favorite Royale Enfield) struggling with his bike. VS promptly stops by to help, but it isn’t needed – before VS can reach him, his bike is fixed. They both wave at each other (so much for the biker fraternity!!) and we go our way. A few meters away the bikers group is waiting for him, and they wave at us for the help offered!!! Nice of them. I want to stop by and say hi, but VS says we will meet them again – they must be on their way to Jaipur. Well, we never see them again in the whole trip! Never mind.

We stop by a good looking restaurant – this is our first non-dhaba breakfast in so many days. But the food is so much worse than the dhaba, I instantly regret it. I believe that in the restaurants hygiene and taste don’t go hand in hand!!!

We reach Jaipur at around 12.00 noon. The first stop is the Amer Fort (just outside Jaiour). We spend a good hour here. The guide shares some interesting facts, including the story where a group of drunk boys drove inside the fort and fell off the high wall and how since then vehicles are not allowed in the fort. This is a private fort still owned by the “king” of Jaipur. (WOW, why didn’t I marry someone like that!). This fort also has the Jaivana cannon, which is supposedly the 3rd largest in the country.


We then push off to the City Palace – again privately owned. Beautiful!!!! We didn’t find a place to keep our luggage and VS is tired carrying it around. There is a grand display of cannons and chariots used by the kings. I am told that they are still used by the now "king" once a year.



The intricate paintings on the wall are too good to believe. I would love to meet the people who actually do it!!! The entire palace is painted pink, with hand paintings on the wall. The walls seem to be freshly painted. We spend more time than we had planned - couldn't help it.

Also its almost 4.00 PM. All monuments close at 5.00 PM, so we gotta rush!!!


We briefly see Jantar Mantar (briefly = 15 minutes), then push off to the Hawa Mahal. Hawa Mahal is a disappointment, I must admit. It could have been beautiful if only they maintained it properly. We spot an old couple in Hawa Mahal who were holding hands (wow man, romance at this age!!!). I am impressed and insist that we click a picture with them – just to remind us that we can still love each other when we are 50+!!

I am tired and hungry by now, and VS will vouch for how irritable I can be when I am hungry. So the next mission to find daal-bati. (I insisted that I eat Daal-bati – after all I was in Rajasthan)
We stop by at a restaurant at around 6, and ask for daal-bati. The restaurant owner thinks we are mad, and takes what seems ages to get us some food…. but the daal bati is worth the wait!

The last visit in Jaipur is for JK Temple - built in While Marble. Must watch. We spend only 10 minutes here, and then push off to Ajmer. We plan to spend the night at Ajmer and go to Pushkar in the morning. We reach Ajmer at around 11.00 PM. We stop by a motel, where we like the room and then the manager comes running and says -"Sorry, can't give the room". Now this is wierd!! But it doesn't take us long to realize that he hadn't seen me till then. And now he thinks something wierd about us. We tried to tell him that we are married, to which he says - "haan haan maloom hai". This is when VS loses it, holds the manager by the collar and almost gives him a punch!! I have to intervene and tell VS to just get out of the place.
We have to stop by 3 hotels before we can finally find a place to sleep. That's what happens in small towns. They are not used to women wearing jeans coming over to spend a night!! For them - respectable women would be wearing sindoor and chhori and god knows what!!!

Finally after the day's adventure, all that I want to do is sleep!!!
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Day 10 ends, Enough adventure already, who cares for the trip meter

Adventures of Venom - 9!!!

Day 9 – 20th November 2007
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We had resolved to carry on with our trip, as too many days were being wasted just chilling. So last night we swore to wake up at 6 and leave.
For all our plans to leave early in the morning, I wake up at 10.00 AM. VS never wakes me up, when I am sleeping (he says he loves me more when I am sleeping, but something tells me that it is only coz I am not talking while I am sleeping!!!).

I quickly dress up and am ready to leave, but its already 12.00 noon (so much for my hurrying up!)
It is clear that we cannot leave on our trip, so we chill around, have home-cooked muli ka parathas.. and decide to go shopping to Sarojini Nagar. The day suddenly seems worthwhile. I have very fond memories of Sarojini Nagar. I was there with VS almost every Saturday, when we were in college and were “JGF” (Just-good-friends).

I shopped crazy like the old days; the only difference being that in those days I used to shop for skimpy clothes, this time I shopped for curtains, cushion covers and the likes – how life changes…

I ended up shopping so much that we had to shop for a bag to carry those :) That’s SO me.. and I guess that what VS loves about me (I like to believe that he loves everything about me)

We shopped dead, and by the time we were on our way home, I couldn’t even stand straight.
Reached home at 11.00 PM. Decided to watch Saawariya. It was a blunder. If you haven’t watched it, you are lucky and I envy you! For days to come, I was to get nightmares about this movie!!!
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Day 9 ends. Loads of shopping and daaru

Adventures of Venom - 8!!!

Day 8 – 19th November 2007
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The day starts early for us – remember we had planned to go to the Taj. OK. Early means 6.00 AM. (Now, that’s midnight as far as I am concerned).
We planned to visit Agra and come back at night, so no luggage (what a relief!). We finally manage to leave home at 7.30 AM. It is freezing outside and more so, on the bike. Within the first 10 minutes, I realize that fashion will get me killed. So we stop by and I wear my jacket and gloves.

We stop by at a road-side dhaba for breakfast at 9.00 AM. The cook is still sleepy and it shows in the parathas that he makes. We eat the so-not-meant-to-be Gobhi parathas without much complaining and proceed on our way.

As is ALWAYS predictable, I need to use the loo, in the middle of nowhere. So VS is back on job again, hunting for a place. But there’s nothing available and I have to wait till Meerut. The McDonald’s on the highway is like god-sent for me. We order a thick shake so the usage of the loo looks genuine.

We reach Agra by around 12 noon. The first look at the Taj proves that the entire trip was worthwhile. The Taj is so much better than what we see in snaps and pictures. There is nothing as marvelous compared to this monument of love (I love to believe of Taj as the monument of love, even when VS eats my brains out on why Taj was built and how ShahJahan built it not coz he loved Mumtaz but coz he thought he was God, and blah blah)



We get our pictures clicked – you can’t go all the way and not click a picture of this marvel. I also clicked a picture of some stupid arse having carved her name (or maybe it was a guy who carved his girl fiend’s name).



We then went to the DayalBagh temple. On the way we briefly saw the Red Fort (yeah, before this day even I thought that Red Fort was in Delhi – but this one is much larger, and cleaner than the one in Delhi).
The Dayalbagh temple is a work of beauty – the pillars and the ceilings and the stairs are carved out of single slabs of marble. The work is more intricate and grand than that of Taj (that was a different era all together, so wrong comparison) or any of the Jain temples (again, wrong comparison – the Jain temples were even before the Taj).
No cameras allowed so no snaps.




By this time my shoes are in such shape that I could pass off as a begger. On our way back, we just stop by and pick up a pair of shoes for me – a much needed thing!








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Day 8 ends, I have lost track of the trip meter.

Adventures of Venom - 7!!!

Day 7 - 18th November 2007
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Well, this day wasn't really an adventure for venom - she was happily parked in the garage.

Didn't go ANYWHERE.. spent the day at home - drinking (of course!!!!!), playing carrom (VS more than me), playing with Rohit (or is it Arush now - the oh-so-famous 10 month old baby of my fren, who still doesn't have a name)

Watched Om Shanti Om - good fun, especially when you are watching it with a bunch of crack pots like me!!!!


Resolved to go to see the Taj the next day, and went off to sleep at 2.00 AM.
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Day 7 ends, nothing to mention, chilled and relaxed