India: Bundi
Well, I thought I would just end up staying in Bundi for two days before heading west to Jodhpur, but that ended up not happening! After a bumpy right in a sweaty public bus for five hours, I arrived in Bundi in the late afternoon on Saturday. I walked a few kilometers from the bus station, threading my way around the central market and through the ancient city walls before checking into a family-run guesthouse. As it is low season in Rajasthan (apparently, only a fool would travel here in mid-summer's sweltering heat!), I scored an amazing room, complete with a huge balcony with mesmerizing views of the great Bundi Palace. I had a wonderful rooftop dinner, then finally, after much searching, found a small internet shop to watch England sadly lose to Portugal.
Bundi has been around for centuries, most of its enchanting charm is still intact, and it has managed to remain a relative secret from the throngs of tourists. It is a small village of modest boxy mud homes built in the 17th century, known as "Havelis", painted in light shades of blue. These homes rest at the base of a large hill; atop this hill sits a magnificent, enourmous storybook castle that was built in the early 1600s. Only a few parts of the castle are open to visitors, as much of this massive palace is home to thousands of bats, cobras, and other creepy crawlers.
After a late breakfast at another nearby guesthouse, Haveli Parihar, and a few hours chatting it up with a brother and sister that ran the place, I set off for some local sightseeing. I wandered through the enchanting palace, gazing at the intact wall paintings, colored-glass, and mirrors of the Chitrasala, all the while keeping a close eye on the cheeky monkeys that swarm the castle grounds (one started chasing me, but the caretaker scared him off! I HATE monkeys!!!). The views from the castle windows overlooking the town were enchanting and amazing, and I found peace gazing at the nearby dry lakebed filled with grazing horses. It is easy to see why Rudyard Kipling called Bundi his home while writing "Kim".
That night, at the request of the family at Haveli Parihar, I joined in on cooking a scrumptious dinner of spinach and paneer, dahl, rice, and chapatis. Sashi gave me my first Henna tatoo on my left hand, I drank some local wine (strong whiskey!) with the five brothers and sisters of the house, laughed with "Mama," and finally set off back to my guesthouse.
I had every intention to leave Bundi on July 3rd and head to Jodhpur, but that just did not happen. After a little bit of deliberation and much persuasion from the Parihar family, I checked out of my balcony room and checked into their family guesthouse for another night. I spent the day visiting the future family of Sashi, the Parihar daughter who I instantly bonded with, meeting the man that will soon be her husband, thanks to the family's arranged marriage. Later that afternoon, Sashi, her sister Minu, and I went to the market to buy bangles and ice cream, and I bought a gift for her future mother-in-law. That evening, before dinner, Sashi and I compared cultures, painted our nails, swapped clothes, all while learning much about arranged marriages and what life is like for an Indian woman in Rajasthan.
After another huge dinner, I went to bed. I tossed and turned as I tried to sleep, thinking about the glimpse into Rajasthani life I had received that day. Arranged marriages to a man you do not love, the prohibition of women leaving their homes for any reason other than buying food or bangles, women not allowed to go into public in "Western" clothing...it was all too much for me to grasp! Let's just say that I am proud to have been born in a Western society!
Yesterday, other than a quick trip to the ATM, I spent the day again with Sashi and her family. At dusk, we sat atop the rooftop of their guesthouse and watched the nightly procession of the palace bats as they flew their way to the forest. I won a bet I had made with the three Parihar brothers (they said it was impossible to completely eat five milk cookies in the count of 100...I showed them!), ate one final home-cooked meal, and sadly said goodbye to the whole gang.
On another note, the Parihar family has asked me to come back in August, after my yoga course, to live with them for three months. I would be sharing a room with Sashi and Minu, helping out in the kitchen and guesthouse as needed, and I would probably volunteer my extra time teaching English lessons at the local school. It is a huge offer, and I am seriously considering it. Half of me would hate to turn down the offer to really experience Indian life, and it is possible as I will have three months left on my visa. However, I really miss my own family, and can feel the toll that six months of two days here, three days there of traveling has taken on me. Also, I am beginning to feel lazy and am ready to start a job again, make some money, and get on with my life. I will see how I feel after my month of yoga before making any decisions!
Bundi has been around for centuries, most of its enchanting charm is still intact, and it has managed to remain a relative secret from the throngs of tourists. It is a small village of modest boxy mud homes built in the 17th century, known as "Havelis", painted in light shades of blue. These homes rest at the base of a large hill; atop this hill sits a magnificent, enourmous storybook castle that was built in the early 1600s. Only a few parts of the castle are open to visitors, as much of this massive palace is home to thousands of bats, cobras, and other creepy crawlers.
After a late breakfast at another nearby guesthouse, Haveli Parihar, and a few hours chatting it up with a brother and sister that ran the place, I set off for some local sightseeing. I wandered through the enchanting palace, gazing at the intact wall paintings, colored-glass, and mirrors of the Chitrasala, all the while keeping a close eye on the cheeky monkeys that swarm the castle grounds (one started chasing me, but the caretaker scared him off! I HATE monkeys!!!). The views from the castle windows overlooking the town were enchanting and amazing, and I found peace gazing at the nearby dry lakebed filled with grazing horses. It is easy to see why Rudyard Kipling called Bundi his home while writing "Kim".
That night, at the request of the family at Haveli Parihar, I joined in on cooking a scrumptious dinner of spinach and paneer, dahl, rice, and chapatis. Sashi gave me my first Henna tatoo on my left hand, I drank some local wine (strong whiskey!) with the five brothers and sisters of the house, laughed with "Mama," and finally set off back to my guesthouse.
I had every intention to leave Bundi on July 3rd and head to Jodhpur, but that just did not happen. After a little bit of deliberation and much persuasion from the Parihar family, I checked out of my balcony room and checked into their family guesthouse for another night. I spent the day visiting the future family of Sashi, the Parihar daughter who I instantly bonded with, meeting the man that will soon be her husband, thanks to the family's arranged marriage. Later that afternoon, Sashi, her sister Minu, and I went to the market to buy bangles and ice cream, and I bought a gift for her future mother-in-law. That evening, before dinner, Sashi and I compared cultures, painted our nails, swapped clothes, all while learning much about arranged marriages and what life is like for an Indian woman in Rajasthan.
After another huge dinner, I went to bed. I tossed and turned as I tried to sleep, thinking about the glimpse into Rajasthani life I had received that day. Arranged marriages to a man you do not love, the prohibition of women leaving their homes for any reason other than buying food or bangles, women not allowed to go into public in "Western" clothing...it was all too much for me to grasp! Let's just say that I am proud to have been born in a Western society!
Yesterday, other than a quick trip to the ATM, I spent the day again with Sashi and her family. At dusk, we sat atop the rooftop of their guesthouse and watched the nightly procession of the palace bats as they flew their way to the forest. I won a bet I had made with the three Parihar brothers (they said it was impossible to completely eat five milk cookies in the count of 100...I showed them!), ate one final home-cooked meal, and sadly said goodbye to the whole gang.
On another note, the Parihar family has asked me to come back in August, after my yoga course, to live with them for three months. I would be sharing a room with Sashi and Minu, helping out in the kitchen and guesthouse as needed, and I would probably volunteer my extra time teaching English lessons at the local school. It is a huge offer, and I am seriously considering it. Half of me would hate to turn down the offer to really experience Indian life, and it is possible as I will have three months left on my visa. However, I really miss my own family, and can feel the toll that six months of two days here, three days there of traveling has taken on me. Also, I am beginning to feel lazy and am ready to start a job again, make some money, and get on with my life. I will see how I feel after my month of yoga before making any decisions!
posted by Tiffany Joiner at 12:12 AM
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