My Flights Have Been Rescheduled!!!!!

Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008--Udaipur (Continued)

I went to the Udaipur Gardens, a large park in the city. It has a zoo, but it has the usual Indian dual entry fee--7 rupees for locals and 50 for foreigners, so I refused to enter. But I had my novel with me and just sat on a bench at a crossroads in the park and read and watched people entering and leaving. Eventually, I talked to two interesting people. One was a tourist from Spain. He had red hair and was a teacher. But he was leaving soon. And as he left, a Frenchman who happened also to be a teacher walked up and started talking. He was delightful. We visited for an hour, I guess. We both seemed to enjoy each other's company. He is 44 and married, but he was here without his wife. I gave him my card and invited him to visit me in San Antonio some day. He had been to the U.S. and had seen only Dallas in Texas. He suggested that I should make a stop in Paris on my next trip and see him again and meet his wife, especially since it has been about 8 years since I was in the city.

After thinking about my problems with my air reservations, I made a list of things to do. Then I returned to the cyber cafe and wrote Thai Airways. I had checked and the Mumbai to Istanbul flight was still flying, so I asked them to reinstate it. The flight from Istanbul to Tblisi was not available, so I told Thai I would come to their office when I arrive in Mumbai to see if it had been reinstated and to make alternative plans to go elsewhere if not.

Then I walked around the city. I went to the ghats, a set of steps beside one of the lakes to watch the sunset. I saw a man there who had been at the park earlier. We had not spoken then. I had assumed him to be Spanish because he had brownish skin and dark hair braided in a long pony tail. I approached him at the ghats and told him I remembered seeing him at the park and asked if he was from Spain. What a surprise when he said he is from the U.S.!! I never meet U.S. travelers, it seems. Anyway, he is half Chinese and half Irish-American. He lives in Oakland and just finished his master's degree in social work. His wife let him take two weeks to come to India to celebrate, since he has lifetime cheap flying benefits from Lufthansa Airlines where his father works. We talked about an hour. I really enjoyed it.


From there, I went to a rooftop restaurant with a view over the Jagdish Mandir Jain Temple at the center of Udaipur. It was dark, and the temple was lighted with colored lights. A recording of chanting was being played. I ordered Kashmire Biriyani and sat on the rooftop watching the temple and the people there. My food was quite a surprise. It was just rice with pineapple. I've had biriyani in Kashmire, and it is usually with raisins, cashew nuts, and a boiled egg. When I was paying and the man asked about the food, I told him the truth. They are so used to serving tourists who have never been to India before (Rajasthan being the first stop of most tourists coming to India) that I think he was surprised to find someone who has been to India 6 times and has actually been to Kashmire. He called the owner. They said for me to ask what was best next time. And they promised not to charge me next time if I didn't like the food. Of course, they knew there would never be a next time for me. What they didn't know is that I will probably write Lonely Planet and tell them about how bad the food was there.

I went to bed early, since I knew it would be an early day tomorrow and that I would have lots of traveling to do. I read for a while, then slept by 22:00.

Monday, Aug. 18, 2008--Udaipur to Ajmer to Jaipur

I was up at 5:00. And I left for the train station at 5:30. I'm having trouble with my Delsey suitcase I bought at Sam's Club. The wheels are not of good quality. They are the padded, layered kind rather than being like skateboard wheels. They are already wearing out on me. One axel seems to be bent. And the outer layer of the wheels are pealing off. This is the same problem I had with Samsonite before. So now I know TWO brands to never buy in the future. My suitcase drags a little because of the wheel problems, but I still pull it along.

The train trip was nice. I sat beside a pharmaceutical sales representative. We talked a lot until he got off the train. I think he could be a friend if I lived here in India.

At Ajmer, I got in line to buy my ticket from Jaipur to Mumbai. It would be easier while already at a train station than to go to the station later in Jaipur. As usual, Indians pushed in from the side. When I told the man at the counter that I had been in line before the man pushing in, he told me the man had been with the man in front of me. I told him he was not in line with the man when I got in line and that he had come up later--after me and after the man behind me. They didn't like this and insisted that he had been in line. I said, "Okay, I can see it's the typical Indian attitude that he thinks he is more important than anyone else and can walk up and say he is in line with someone who is at the head of the line. Go ahead and serve him since he is so important. I am sure he has things more important to get to than any of us who were in line before he came up. If he had been around earlier, he should have stayed in line." Then there was a stand-off. They wanted to serve me first. I said, "No, this whole matter has come up because he is so important. I insist that he be served first." It took a while. Finally, I gave in and bought my ticket first. I'm also sure they thought I was wrong and the other man was right. At least they learned that a foreigner will not always stand there and mumble under his breath as many often do as people cut in line. Anyway, I couldn't get my ticket for the 20th, which I wanted so I could get to the Thai Airlines office in Mumbai on Thursday and Friday. I had to wait until the 21st to go, since no seats were available until then.

I walked to the bus station in Ajmer and caught the next bus to Jaipur. I sat in the front row with a very tall young man who is an engineering student. The two of us hit it off, too. I've been lucky lately with meeting nice people and getting to know them. We talked almost the whole way. But there was also a young boy about 12 who liked me and ended up standing beside me the last half of the trip. He couldn't speak much English, but he kept communicating with expressive eye movements, sounds, and arm movements. He was cute and nice.

I was in Jaipur and headed to the hotel where I wanted to stay this time. I had walked only about 5 blocks. A motorbike came up to me. It was Adnan's oldest nephew and Adnan's youngest son!! They wanted to know what I was back in town for. What a surprise to arrive and meet someone I know! I told them I returned so I can go to Mumbai from here. Adnan is gone to work on the pipeline in Qatar now, but it was fun to see them. I'm sure they will tell him they saw me, and I have written an e-mail to tell him myself.

My hotel is a little more expensive and a LOT more attractive than were I stayed when I was here before. It is the Sunder Palace Guest House. From there, I came to town to eat and visit the cyber cafe. I ate a thali plate at a regular place--$1.25 for two chipatis, rice, two sauces, a potato curry, and a tomato curry.

GOOD NEWS!! There was an e-mail from Thai Airways. Both of my canceled flights have been reinstated. Since there is a ceasefire between Russia and Georgia, flights are resuming, I guess. I didn't want to miss Georgia. I think I will wish I had more time there. And it's wine season when I will be there. I'm so glad I will be able to go now.

Now, I am so tired. I must go to my room and rest well. I have no plans for tomorrow yet. I may just read and relax!!