lulu
There was never a doubt that this beautiful meticulously handwoven runner from India would be the inspiration for a tablescape and dinner for our gourmet group when it next met at our house.
The design elements in the piece are many, but the primary ones are symbolic of the images seen again and again in Rajasthan. I still marvel at its artistry and treasure the runner as a favorite possession.
My first thought was for the table to be as elegant as if it were in a maharajah’s palace which meant bringing out the china, crystal and silver. Good idea but it proved to be a bit much so began the process of simplifying.
I wanted nothing to take away from the beauty of the fabric so glass candle holders and vases as a centerpiece allowed the colors and pattern to show through.
Gold chargers did survive the cut and became the backdrop for varied colored plates that not only played off the thread colors but were more subtle and took nothing away from the beauty of the runner.
With napkins of gold and burgundy and etched stems with different patterns, the table was simple with touches of elegance that fit my comfort zone.
To this point the only thing missing was the flowers. Choosing roses was a no brainer as in India we were showered with rose petals upon arriving at every hotel. As luck would have it, Trader Joe’s had the perfect colors, and the tea roses nestled beautifully in their globes.
With memories of India swimming in my head, there was never a doubt that the food would also be inspired by that adventure. I opted for chicken tikka masala seasoned with spices gotten in Dehli, and to my delight the hubby found Kingfisher ale at Total Wines.
I have to admit that Indian food met with resistance from some of the group, but the ale was a big hit! Hey, isn’t challenging the taste buds part of the planning for a gourmet group meal?
Joining
India is not for everyone. Based on what we experienced in Rajasthan it is noisy, dirty, crowded and chaotic. The infrastructure is deplorable, and I marvel at the ability of people to survive on roads where everyone is competing for space. It’s not enough that that applies to every kind of wheeled vehicle but add cows, elephants, camels and goats to the mix and it gets more than a little frightening.
For the most part, women are illiterate and according to one guide, cell phones have provided them a way to communicate with their friends and family. They may not be able to read or write but they have learned to identify numbers. Hopefully, the fact that young girls are now attending school will change that in time. Again quoting a guide, women who are educated and working outside the home are often castigated by family and friends for having broken with tradition. All this leads me to believe it would be difficult being a woman in India.
Cremation is the norm except for children and unmarried young women whose remains may be buried or with girls between 12 and 18 set adrift on the Ganges.
Business is conducted on the street or in nondescript store fronts. There is little evidence of malls or department stores yet there appears to be no lack of available goods and services.
There are many historically interesting sites to visit all of which add to understanding the culture.
If you are a textile loving person, India is heaven. The beauty of the work is breathtaking though I can’t say much about the working conditions or the equipment. When it came to weaving, I was blown away. Compared to my sophisticated setup the looms are primitive yet I can’t imagine creating the intricate designs that were common. Interestingly, much of the textiles are created by men though women working at home do most of what is hand stitched.
Let me conclude this rambling by saying that if you go to India, treat yourself to great hotels. Some are palaces formerly occupied by maharajahs with decor that is over the top. In addition, the staff is attentive, courteous and kind in a gentle way that is not always a characteristic of westerners.
Despite all its differences, I totally enjoyed the experience of India and am glad to have gone now when it still retains much of its old culture. I suspect in years to come that will change and India will be a different place. If you are one who enjoys immersing yourself in place and taking away what it offers, then India is a place to consider.
As we navigated our way through traffic, I noticed something very different about Udaipur. It was clean, the sky was clear, there was more green and in the distance could be seen mountains and water meaning we had left the desert behind.
After a nerve wracking ride, we left the bus to board a boat that would take us to our hotel, the Leela Palace. 
Seeing it in the distance made my heart beat a little faster as it appeared we had saved the best for last.
And so it was. Rooms were sumptuous with a comfortable sitting area
and inviting views in every direction.
At every turn, the hotel was beautifully appointed making me want to stay there for days. It would take days just to learn one’s way around!
As much as I hated to leave the hotel, there were sights to see. Again by boat, we headed toward the City Palace, an enormous complex dominating Pichola Lake.
It is impossible to describe the majesty of this place with its graceful arches and stained Venetian glass,
its stunning works of art done with exacting detail
and breathtaking painted surfaces telling the story of the culture that had existed there. Photographs don’t begin to do the City Palace justice.
Across the way and again accessible only by boat is the Jag Mandir Palace which was used as a summer place by the royal family. Today it is a hotel and a popular site for weddings and other social events.
Having had our fill of sightseeing, we returned to the hotel for a wonderful evening of shared friendship, good food and entertainment.
All too soon our stay was over and once again we boarded the bus for the airport and flights that would return us home. For each of us the experience was different, but there is no question that every one of us has memories indelibly inscribed in our heart. That is the gift of travel.
Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital, is the Pink City so called because of the pink painted buildings lining the streets of the old walled city. A highlight here is the fortress/palace of Amber built in the 1500’s.
It sits high on a hillside which means a long walk to the top or opting to take the trek on an elephant.
As with other sites we have visited, the architectural details are magnificent. One can wander for hours taking them all in.
A unique feature of the Amber fortress is the use of mirrors on walls and ceilings. Their glimmering surfaces cast reflections in every direction.
While there is much more to share about Jaipur, let’s move on to Jaisalmer, the Golden City located in the desert near India’s western border with Pakistan. 
Here, too, is a fortress, and unlike others it continues to be inhabited, and its alleyways are alive with activity.
Ornate havelis dating back centuries and once home to wealthy merchants are still intact.
I love the color that changes from place to place
and signs of life that abound.
The main tourist attraction in Jaisalmer is a camel ride in the desert. I have to confess that the experience won’t go down as a highlight of this adventure!
The third J is Jodphur, the Blue City. Blue is said to be the color favored by Lord Shiva as well as a way of identifying property owned by the Brahmins, members of the highest caste. Speaking of caste, I am somewhat confused by the difference between it and class which were the terms used by guides to define social structure.
In Jodphur, as in other places, what strikes me most are sights of people doing everyday things.
I’m taken in by its vibrancy 
displayed in so many ways.
Here and elsewhere I am continually amazed and sometimes frightened by people and vehicles vying for space in what seems to be a most disorderly fashion. While that may seem unusual to me as a visitor, I suspect those who live here see it as nothing more than a way of life. 
It didn’t take long for us to find ourselves in textile heaven!
Piece after piece was thrown on the floor in front of us. Each one was handmade exemplifying astonishing skills from weaving to appliqué to embroidery.
Some were of the finest fibers with the very softest being those from a baby camel. I never would have thought camel hair to be suitable for weaving.
Much of the work is done by women working at home, but here we saw these ladies sitting on the floor doing their lovely handwork. While I was in awe of their work, I did not envy their sitting on a hard floor while doing it.
I can’t tell you how long we were in this one shop, but I can tell you that we purchased so much that we were presented with a gift, a sari. Now that is something we weren’t going to buy for ourselves, but we are very happy to have this special memory of India and had fun going native that evening at dinner.
Back at our hotel, we were welcomed by this gentleman who was only too happy to have his photo taken. I was quite surprised when he pulled from behind his ears the rather dramatic extension of his mustache. I must say we’ve seen some pretty spectacular facial hair during this adventure!
Speaking of hotels, the ones we have experienced have been spectacular. Several are palaces that have belonged to maharajahs. In fact, some still claim ownership and lease the property to hotel operators. Quite a nice way to have all those rooms become income producing, wouldn’t you say?
In addition to being very plush the service is amazing. Every employee goes out of his or her way to be helpful and pleasant.
And let me not forget the food, always freshly prepared
and beautifully presented.
Getting around in India is a bit of a challenge as means for traveling from one place to another are limited. On this journey, we ladies traveled mostly by bus. While our driver was very competent, there were some pretty scary moments on roads so narrow that it seemed as if vehicles traveling in opposite direction were playing chicken! Add to that the deplorable condition of most roads and travel becomes a nightmare! Bumping over them made my teeth hurt or maybe that was due to my jaws being so tightly clenched!
Speaking of cows, they strike me as pitiful. They are undernourished with most of their food appearing to be whatever they can forage on the street. When they are hot or tired, there’s nothing more than dirt or a hard surface on which to lay. I wished again and again for them to have someone to care for them.
Perhaps it was the more fortunate who had homes as there were a number of tents serving as shelter. The tent was often no more than cloth thrown over a pole and fixed to the ground with stakes.
Except in market areas we didn’t see as many women as men. Men gathered in groups beneath shaded areas. Women drew water from pumps, did laundry, cooked over open fire, bathed children and all the other things wives/mothers do.
Sometimes they were observed herding goats providing yet another obstacle on the narrow roads.
While it was not uncommon to see men dressed in western clothing, women were always attired in colorful traditional garb the colors of which changed from area to area.
The tent camp Sher Bagh was magical.
Accommodations were as nice as in any hotel you can imagine though it was a bit of a challenge to navigate the mosquito netting at night.
In the evening the grounds glittered in the light of kerosene lamps lighting paths and hanging from trees making it seem like fairy land.
The evening meal was served around a bonfire which only added to the romance of place. I was in absolute heaven and celebrated with a martini! I did miss the hubby at that moment.
There were two safari rides, one in the late afternoon, the other early morning. As we began the afternoon excursion we saw first a mongoose which our guide said was a good luck sign.
And good luck we had. Only minutes into the drive we spotted a Bengal, but he moved so fast it was hard to get more than a glimpse. Minutes later came the real thrill, a large male resting by a stream.
After a few minutes, it got up and stretched
giving new meaning to the yoga pose cat stretch!
Then he walked away moving ever so gracefully.
He didn’t go far before he found a new place to lay down. I couldn’t have been more excited than in those few minutes, and I was so lucky to have a zoom lens which allowed me to capture the entire sequence of movement. As the drive continued, we saw 2 more tigers but only from a distance which made the close encounter even more special. The guide was equally pleased and very grateful to the mongoose!
The morning drive was not as rewarding when it came to tigers, but there were other interesting animals and birds that made the excursion worthwhile. Sambar 
and spotted deer were plentiful.
Spotting a brown fish owl was unusual said the guide so again we felt very lucky.
Some birds were very colorful, but it was hard to capture them because they were always on the move. A rose ring parakeet was good enough to pose
and a rufous treepie wasn’t about to be excluded from a photo op!
We were thoroughly entertained by the monkeys’ antics. Little ones frolicked like energetic children.
When a mother sensed danger from an oncoming vehicle she quickly snatched up her young and held it close until all threat had passed. I couldn’t help but think how similar her behavior was to a human’s.
Though the forest holds many more species than we saw, I felt no disappointment.
Returning to the camp in beautiful morning light,
I took in all its special features and thought that no matter what the rest of the trip holds I would be happy having had this experience.