hi again...

hmmm where did we leave off...delhi? delhi was really crazy and cool but we were relieved to be getting away to somewhere quieter. on wednesday we had a SEVEN HOUR BUS JOURNEY on the local bus (no air con, cramped seating, staring,etc). the bus was extremely bumpy and the toilets at the rest stops were GROSS, but the scenery was gorgeous and very green in some places. the local people on the bus were really welcoming and chatted to us, and the kids were really cute. the bus ride was VERY EVENTFUL: we heard a great bang at one point, and realised that the bus driver had knocked a whole family off their motorbike: mum dad and children (yes four people on a bike: the women ride side saddle and the kids squeeze on or the woman holds them!). but instead of checking to see if they were okay, the bus driver drove off (egged on by the other passengers). apparently, if the driver had stopped, the locals would have thrown stones at the bus or set it on fire! luckily all four were up and moving which we noticed as we drove off, but it was a big shock to everyone. also on the bus one of the locals sat in front of lauren (australian girl) and touched her leg. our amazing indian tour guide (Mahi) gave him a big telling off and pushed him off the bus...

we reached Mandawa, the small town where we stayed two nights at Mandawa Haveli. havelis were owned by rich merchants, and there seemed to be a bit of a contest as to whose was the most ornate. The one we stayed in had beautiful frescoes of hindu gods, animals and birds in it, even in our bedroom. it was so cool!

once we were settled in, we had a walk around the town. the local children began following us, holding our hands and trying to persuade us to go to their fathers shops. they were really sweet, but became slightly annoying after a while! their english was PERFECT

we had dinner on the rooftop at the haveli, and each had a go at some indian dancing. our teacher was so good- his hands moved so quickly. randomly we met a guy from surrey who was on a gap year in india all on his own, so we made him sit with us at dinner.

the next day, we had a tour of the other havelis in mandawa, some of which were even more amazing than our hotel. it was strange because they sometimes decorated them with frescoes of aeroplanes and motorcars as well as hindu stuff. we also had a chai at the tour guides shop, full of GORGEOUS pashminas, bedcovers etc.

next installment to follow tomorrow xxxxxxxxxx