07: Day 2: Ahmedabad - Jaisalmer (532 km)

Well begun is half done.

- Aristotle

It was indeed a good beginning. The longest day behind us, no fatigue, passengers comfortable, drivers enjoying. And we were more than half done in terms of reaching the farthest point of our trip - Jaisalmer. To save time, we had completed the check out formalities at Hotel Ginger in Ahmedabad on Saturday night itself. The plan was to get up early, have a quick breakfast and hit the road as early as possible. We contemplated another night drive but quickly shot down the thought - it was essential to get rest.

We all got ready by 7:30 am. Anant, Mukul and I were now getting used to the routine of tying the luggage on the roof carrier. Mukul and I would climb on the roof of the car. Our responsibilities were to arrange the luggage on the roof carrier and secure the same with the rope. Anant would help us by looping the loose end of the rope around his hand in a bundle to save us from handling the entire rope length of 20 metres. We used to pass the rope from the handles of the duffle bags and pass the rope horizontally as well as vertically over the bags and tie the rope to all 4 base brackets of the roof carrier so that the luggage wouldn't move. On top of all this, we would lay the tarpaulin covers to protect against dust and heat and finally secure the luggage with the cargo net with hooks fastened to the roof carrier.

All of us had a good breakfast and we were on the road by 8:30 am. We had to cover 532 kms to reach our hotel in Jaisalmer city. Before exiting Ahmedabad city, we had a refuelling stop at a Hindustan Petroleum (HP) fuel station. As soon as the cheetah had a tank full of diesel, we hit SH41. In about an hour and half, we were about to approach Mehsana. We had Google maps as well as Mahindra's navigation (which uses MapmyIndia under the hood) suggesting two different routes. The cop on the road suggested to take the Mehsana bypass. This road was 6 kms longer as compared to SH41, but we decided to trust the cop. Being local, he would know the situation better. The bypass was a two lane road but had very light traffic, so we were moving pretty fast. We rejoined SH41 about 4 kms ahead of Mehsana. In another hour, we had reached Palanpur and merged onto NH27. Half an hour later, we had crossed Deesa and decided to halt for freshening up. Anant's location tracker data indicated that we had stopped at 11:15 am at the HP petrol pump at Kansari, around 36 kms from Palanpur.

Photos taken at the HP Petrol Pump, Kansari

We were a little hungry by now, and we had carried Indian Masala Puris, popularly known as "Tikhat Mithachi Puri" ( तिखट मिठाची पुरी ) - TMP for short. In addition to this, we also were carrying Pumpkin Sweet Puris, popularly known as "ghaarga" ( घारगा ). We helped ourselves to enough servings of both, along with some nice cake that Mukul had brought along. Ruhi and Trisha were enjoying by themselves, Rama seemed to be sleeping most of the time. I was behind the wheel for almost 3 hours now and we had covered 180 odd kms out of our day's total of 532 kms. It was a good time for a driver changeover as well. Anant took the wheel while Pallavi took over as navigator.

Soon afterwards, we had crossed the Gujarat - Rajasthan border and had entered the state of Rajasthan. A formal announcement to that effect was made and everyone cheered the fact that we had entered Rajasthan. After crossing towns like Sanchore and moving ahead, the landscape changed distinctly. There was hardly any barren land to be seen, it was covered with sand. Mukul and I took a peek outside of the sun roof to get a feel of the changed landscape. Despite being peak afternoon time (around 2:15 pm), the outside temperature was still a bearable 34°C.

Landscape changed as we entered Rajasthan

Anant continued driving on SH168A and then SH68 till we got close to Barmer in Rajasthan. The changed landscape was pretty inviting and I wanted to take over the wheel again, which I did. There were camels being spotted regularly now that we were in the desert region. We were 150 kms short of our destination and it was well past our regular lunch time. There were no hotels or "dhabas" on this stretch of the road and I mooted the idea of skipping a formal lunch break. Folks were okay with the idea, and we had another round of TMPs and cake. Credit goes to the gang for being so adaptive to the situation.

It was a monotonous yet enjoyable drive across the arid desert landscape. The road had been pretty good all along and we could manage good speeds because of the same. Continuing onwards, we soon entered Jaisalmer district and another announcement followed. It just helped in lifting the spirits of the travellers. We were around 15 odd kms from our destination for the day. In the distance, I spotted some sort of a large bird on a wooden pole just beside the road. Upon slowing down, we were surprised to see that it was India's national bird, the peacock. There were a few more peacocks and peahens around. We stopped for a moment to take a few photos before moving on.

Interesting to spot some peacocks and peahens close to Jaisalmer

Soon, we entered the golden city of Jaisalmer and the first sight that caught our attention was that of the Jaisalmer fort. It looked majestic and the navigator showed that our hotel was less than a kilometre away. By 5:08 pm, we had reached Hotel Moonlight in Jaisalmer, where we were going to spend the next 2 days and 3 nights. 2 days and 1200 kms later, we had reached the focal point of our trip - the golden city of Jaisalmer in the Marwad region of Rajasthan. Once again, Mukul, Anant and I took about 10 minutes to untie the luggage and after parking the car, we had checked in to the hotel.

I must say that the hotel had done a good job of marketing themselves. The hotel was average but looked stunning in the pictures on their website. We would have loved to get rooms on the first floor than the ones that were allotted to us on the ground floor just around the reception area. Since it was the holiday season we were told that there were no other free rooms so we had to make do with what we had at hand. Since we intended to spend most of our time in roaming around, it wasn't going to be much of an issue. After getting fresh, we moved to the terrace of the hotel from where we got a good view of the Jaisalmer fort wall and the sunset as well.

Views of sunset and Jaisalmer Fort as captured from Hotel Moonlight

Anant had carried a bottle of Kahlúa, which is a coffee-flavored sugar-based liqueur from Mexico. The drink contains rum, corn syrup and vanilla bean. We checked with the hotel staff and they did not have the necessary permit for serving alcohol, so our room became a make shift bar with yours truly bar-tending. We enjoyed a few drinks. I had missed going to the gym in 2 days, and did some crunches and planks to strengthen my abs. Ruhi and Trisha found that to be interesting and gave me company. It was a good way to spend the evening together - drinks, chit-chatting, exercise and fun. After about an hour, we were hungry and it was time for dinner.

Dal-Baati-Churma and ghee

All of us chose to have Dal-Baati-Churma for dinner. This three-in-one dish is a typical Rajasthani treat. The Rajasthanis specialise in serving sweet and savoury dishes in combinations that steal the heart and delight the taste buds. A platter of semi-sweet Churma, spicy Dal and deep-fried Baati, is one such traditional combination. Fresh baatis drowned in piping hot dal is a perfect accompaniment for churma. Ghee (a class of clarified butter) is sumptuously poured over the Baati which is crushed and the Dal is had by pouring it over the crushed Baati.

It was a fulfilling and very heavy dinner for most the gang. I never have a heavy dinner hence Ruhi and I retired to bed, while the gang chit-chatted for a while. The gang wanted to discuss the plan for the next day for which they tried to wake me up, but I had slept like a log already. Folks just decided to discuss the plans after breakfast the next morning, and that marked end of Day 2.

08: Day 3: Jaisalmer local travel

The word “Jaisalmer" is broken down as Jaisal-mer. It literally means the Hill Fort of Jaisal. Because the yellow sandstone and the yellow sand used in almost all architecture of the city, it is also called as “The Golden City”.

It was 26th December, the 3rd day of our Rajasthan road trip. The first two days were spent in travelling from Pune to Jaisalmer via Ahmedabad. After a good night's sleep on the 25th, we slept till about 8 am and had breakfast at around 8:30 am. Although most folks had a heavy dinner the night earlier, it was winter and folks were hungry for breakfast. We had quite a few options including Aloo Paratha, Upma, boiled eggs and bread. We were ready to leave by 10:00 am in the morning.

Our plan for the day was to visit local places around Jaisalmer city. Specifically which ones was still being determined. The list of nearby places included Jaisalmer fort, Salim Singh ki Haveli, Patwon ki Haveli, Gadisar lake, Bada Bagh and Kuldhara village. We decided to start with the Jaisalmer fort as it was the closest and one of the top attractions in the city.

Jaisalmer fort

The fort of Jaisalmer is a breathtaking sight: a massive sandcastle rising from the sandy plains like a mirage from a bygone era. Jaisalmer’s unique fort is a living urban centre, with about 3000 people residing within its walls. It’s honeycombed with narrow, winding lanes, lined with houses and temples – along with a large number of handicraft shops, guesthouses and restaurants. You enter the fort from the east, near Gopa Chowk, and pass through four massive gates on the zigzagging route to the upper part. The final gate opens into the square that forms the fort’s centre, Dashera Chowk.

- Lonely Planet 

We decided to take the services of a guide to show us the fort. Built in the 12^th century by the Bhati Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, the Jaisalmer Fort is a massive yellow sandstone fortification that houses the Raj Mahal (royal palace) and several havelis, gateways and temples. It appears brownish yellow during the day and turns into honey-gold at sunset, justifying the name “Sonar Quila” (Golden Fort). It is an architectural marvel having intricately carved windows, doors and walls, making it one of the fine examples of the rich heritage in India. Located on the Trikuta Hill, it overlooks Jaisalmer city. The canon point, located at a vantage point within the fort, gives one an amazing panoramic view of Jaisalmer city.

Jaisalmer Fort: Views of structure, panoramic view of city from cannon point

We had spent a little over 2 hours at the Jaisalmer fort. It was past noon and had started getting hot. We decided to skip Salim Singh ki Haveli which was right next to the fort, and preferred to go to Patwon ki Haveli instead. Driving to Patwon ki Haveli through the narrow, congested lanes of Jaisalmer in my XUV 5OO was pretty tough. By the time we reached the parking lot of Patwon ki Haveli, the kids Ruhi and Trisha said they were too tired and were in no mood to visit any other place. They wanted to stay put in the car itself, understandably so. Not being a "sight-seeing" fan myself, I immediately vouched to stay in the car along with the girls. Anant, Mukul, Gauri, Rama and Pallavi went ahead to visit Patwon ki Haveli.

The ladies Gauri, Rama and Pallavi decked up in local Rajasthani attire at the Patwon ki Haveli and had a good time taking photos inside. A few foreigners (and local tourists) also wanted to take pictures along with them. Anant and Mukul skipped dressing up in Rajasthani male attire as I was missing and they wanted to do this together. I wish Anant and Mukul had gone ahead as we didn't get another real chance during the rest of the trip.

Patwon ki Haveli: Rama, Gauri and Pallavi in Rajasthani attire

It was past 2:00 pm and the girls were getting hungry. We were carrying enough stock of the Indian spicy puris (tikhat mithachi puri) and the Pumpkin Sweet puris (ghaarga) which I shared along with Ruhi and Trisha. The girls were busy playing games by themselves, in the comfort of the air conditioned car. I did not want to end up spending whatever time we had in Jaisalmer city doing what can be classified as "sight-seeing". I am not the run-of-the-mill tourist and I like to visit off-beat places. The place need not necessarily have some great history associated with it, but the experience should be such that the visit should be etched in one's memory.

Upon searching for such off-beat places on Google, I figured out that one could visit the India - Pakistan international border in Jaisalmer. I found references to the India - Pakistan Border Pillar 609 (BP 609 in short) being open for civilians so long as they sought permission from the BSF (Border Security Force) in Jaisalmer. The only day we had in hand was Tuesday the 27th of December i.e. the next day. Too late to seek permission, but I decided to take a chance nevertheless. A school friend of mine happened to be a Major in the Indian Army and I knew he was posted in Rajasthan at the moment. I casually dialled his number to check if he could help and he said he would get back to me if he managed to contact the BSF. It was too short a notice for him but he graciously offered to try and I thanked him for that.

Folks were back from visiting Patwon ki Haveli by 3 pm. Everyone was very hungry and the girls had luckily held up until then. We chose to go to a nearby restaurant named Sky Plaza for lunch, and then retreated to the hotel to take some rest. Even though it was winter, days in Rajasthan are always hot because it's an arid desert landscape. It was time for a quick nap, at least for the kids.

After the kids took a nap and we all rested, the plan for the evening was to visit the Gadisar Lake which was a 5 minute drive from our hotel. The Gadisar lake, built as a water conservation tank in the 14th century, encircles several temples. The most notable being the Krishna Temple that is located on top of the Tilon Gate. It was past sunset and the lake area was decked up in lights. We first did boating at the Gadisar Lake. There were rowing and paddling options for boating, but since we all wanted to be together, we chose the row boat. During the winter season, migratory birds flock the lake region. We saw a few ducks and geese in the lake.

Gadisar Lake

After boating, we roamed around the lake area which was a typical tourist spot. We found that getting photographs decked up in Rajasthani dresses was a standard offering at all tourist locations. This time around it was the kids Ruhi and Trisha who dressed up in Rajasthani attire, and they looked really sweet in the dress complete with all the accessories. Doesn't take more than 10 minutes or so to deck up. On the spot photo prints provide for instant gratification, apart from the "photo shoot" session thanks to smartphone cameras, digital cameras and the likes.

Trisha (in red-yellow) and Ruhi (in pink-blue) decked up in Rajasthani attire

Meanwhile, we were awaiting formal confirmation about the visit to the India - Pakistan international border from my friend, who had earlier signalled that the visit would be definitely possible but I would have to wait for the confirmation. Anant's school friend is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army as well, and Anant had contacted him. He was on vacation and reaching the concerned folks was going to be difficult for him at such a short notice.

As we had to depart from Jaisalmer city the next day afternoon for our Desert Safari camp, I had suggested we leave early morning at 4:00 am to drive till the Tanot border post, wrap up the border visit and get back to the hotel by noon. With that plan in mind, Ruhi and I went off to sleep by 9:30 pm. Anant and Rama were game for this plan while Mukul and family didn't seem to keen for the early morning visit. Anant, Gauri, Mukul and Pallavi decided to go for a walk. Ruhi and I had already retired to bed. Trisha was tired too, and Rama wasn't interested in going for a walk either, hence she vouched to look after Trisha. After they came back from the walk, the gang wanted to confirm the plan for the next day for which they tried to wake me up, but I had slept like a log already. That marked the end of our Jaisalmer city tourism day.

09: Day 4: Jaisalmer - Tanot - BP 609 - Sam Sand Dunes, Jaisalmer (320 km)

It is not down in any map; true places never are.
- Herman Melville

It was 3 am and I was fast asleep. Pallavi woke me up asking what the plan regarding the border visit was. I immediately checked if my friend had sent any message about the formal confirmation regarding our border visit. Since I had slept off early the previous night (at 9:30 pm), I had not read the message that my friend had sent at 10 pm. He had confirmed our border visit, saying that we were supposed to reach Tanot border check post at 09:00 am, prior to which we were supposed to call the Deputy Commandant at 07:00 am.

I sent a message to Anant conveying the confirmation, and did some quick calculations regarding the time this border visit would take. We were still in good shape to visit the border, be back, have lunch and then leave for the Desert Safari in the afternoon by 3 pm. Anant agreed to the plan, and I wanted Mukul and family to join as well although he was reluctant as per discussions the earlier evening. I woke Mukul up at 5 am to confirm once again but his reply was still in the negative. So the final plan was that Anant, Rama, Pallavi, Ruhi and I would be visiting the India - Pakistan border.

I called up the Deputy Commandant at 7 am sharp as per my friend's suggestion and he confirmed that we were good to visit the border. We got ready and left the hotel shortly afterwards. It would take us 2 hours to reach the Tanot border check post, which was 125 kms from our hotel. Being winter, the sun had still not risen and we managed to capture the sunrise on our way. We took the Jaisalmer - Ramgarh - Tanot road, which was constructed and maintained by the BRO (Border Roads Organisation). An odd peacock or two were spotted on our way. For long stretches, it was an arrow straight road and there was no traffic at all.

By 8 am we had reached the village of Ramgarh (not to be confused with the village bearing the same name from the famous movie Sholay). We were 43 kms away from Longewala and 54 kms from Tanot. Longewala is a border town in the Thar Desert in the western part of Jaisalmer district. It is very close to the border with Pakistan and is most notable as the location of the Battle of Longewala during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The Battle of Longewala was depicted in the 1997 Bollywood movie Border. Longewala reminded me of the famous scene from the movie Border showing Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri walking right up to the Boundary Pillar 638. In another half hour the landscape had changed considerably. The colour green was now totally missing, there was sand and yellow colour all around. We spotted a lone deer in the sand beside the road. At 8:47 am sharp, we had reached the BSF check post at Tanot, which was adjoining the famous Tanot Mata temple. We decided to visit the famous Tanot Mata Mandir (temple) on our way back from the border visit.

Views enroute Tanot: Sunrise, lone deer, arrow straight roads

BSF check post at Tanot

At the BSF check post, I got down and told the defence personnel that we wanted to visit BP 609 and had sought permission for the same, citing the key references as suggested by my friend. The defence personnel validated their records and told us to show our identities. Since I would be driving right up to BP 609, my identity card was retained, to be returned on our way back. An "out" entry was made in their register which keeps track of those leaving the check post for the border. The India - Pakistan international border was 16 kms from this check post. We were given directions to BP 609.

On our way to the border, we saw a lot of camels, sheep, cattle, donkeys, deer and a lot of birds. Barring the camels and deer, it was surprising to see so many animals in the desert region. It was still early morning and the animals were out in search of some water. On the way, I made sure Anant took the picture of every milestone indicating how many kms we were from BP 609. As we hit the last milestone indicating BP 609 was 0 kms, we saw the Indian Army check post in the distance and stopped to take some pictures.

Milestone indicating that we were at BP 609. See the actual boundary pillar highlighted at the center.

After taking some pictures, we proceeded till the end of the road, which took us to the Indian Helipad. We got down and I was told to make an entry and sign the visitor's register. BSF personnel from Battalion 135 were manning the check post at BP 609. We saw double fencing, a gate and presumed that it was the international border. The BSF personnel however told us that the actual border was a further 100m away and pointed us to Boundary Pillar 609.

India - Pakistan international border along BP 609

Legend:
1: BP 609 - 0 kms milestone
2: Indian Helipad at BP 609
3: Gate on the fence
4: The double barbed wire fence
5: The actual Boundary Pillar (BP) 609
6: India - Pakistan international border

In the distance, we could spot the Pakistan check post. We also spotted some Pakistani Rangers (Indian BSF counterparts) patrolling the border while riding on camels. Photography was not allowed at this point. We spent about 15-20 minutes at the border, speaking with BSF personnel and they generously addressed whatever curiosities we hurled at them. They mentioned that some times there are flag meets and joint patrolling along the border (not open for civilians as in the case of Wagah border at Amritsar). After saluting them for their efforts in being the first line of defence, we left the international India - Pakistan border.

I had driven my cheetah to the international border and it felt really great. Being on a road trip is one thing, driving right till the road allows you to, on an international border, that too an India - Pakistan one is surreal. On the way back, I let Anant drive as I knew he would cherish the experience too. Well if you ask me what's there to visit at the border - the answer is "nothing touristy". To me, it is something rare. It gave me a sense of pride, a different rush, a feel of what it means to be at the real controlling point. This is what our soldiers protect. Jaisalmer, and Rajasthan in particular shared a very peaceful, largely eventless border. Nothing compared to Kashmir. It still was the highlight of the trip for me - securing the permission to visit, the formalities at the border check post, driving on a road that very few people get an opportunity to be on, meeting and talking with BSF personnel while on duty, exchanging information with them, spotting Pakistani Rangers - it was an experience worth cherishing.

Along with the cheetah at BP 609 border post

We reached the BSF check post at Tanot at around 10:30 am. I collected my identity from the defence personnel. We then spent half an hour visiting the famous Tanot Mata Mandir (temple). It is said that during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Pakistani Army dropped over 3000 bombs targeting the temple but not even one exploded. After the war the temple management was handed over to Border Security Force of India on their request and to date the temple is maintained and manned by the BSF soldiers. The temple has a museum which has collections of the unexploded bombs that were shot by Pakistani tanks. In 1971 again when Pakistan and India went to war this area was again targeted by the Pakistani Tanks for 4 days but in vain. This Temple has protected the area that is only 16 km from the border outpost and the faith is such that the army and BSF soldiers still stop at this temple and pay their respects.

Tanot Mata Mandir: Entrance, Victory Pillar, Tanot Mata, Unexploded bomb shells

Meanwhile, Mukul and family had breakfast and then visited Bada Bagh. Also called Barabagh (literally Big Garden), it is a garden complex about 6 km north of Jaisalmer on way to Ramgarh. It contains a set of royal cenotaphs, or chhatris of Maharajas of Jaisalmer state, starting with Jai Singh II, whose cenotaph was set up by his son in his honour. I remember Gauri sharing an interesting piece of information - for a Maharaja (royal ruler) to have a cenotaph (chhatri) dedicated to him, he had to have at least one grandson in his lifetime.

Bada Bagh views: Cenotaphs / chhatris of royal members, wind mill farms in the background

The Kunte family at Bada Bagh, Jaisalmer

Mukul and family also finished their visit to Bada Bagh while we were on our way back and both of us reached our hotel for having lunch at the same time (around 1 pm). The owner of Hotel Moonlight Jaisalmer told Mukul and family to check out at 11 am when Mukul went to inquire about the visit to Bada Bagh. We were all supposed to depart for Sam Sand Dunes by 3 pm and had booked a 3 nights package including Desert Safari with the same hotel, so we were assuming that we would have the rooms till we left for Sam Sand Dunes. After discussions, we did get to keep the rooms but it left a sour taste.

We had lunch and by now had gotten used to the luggage securing part. Since we had our own car we had not opted to take transportation facility from the hotel. Hence we carried our luggage to Sam Sand Dunes, which was around an hour from the city. The silky Sam Sand Dunes are located 45 kms west of Jaisalmer along a good sealed road (maintained by the Indian army). They are one of the most popular excursions from the city. The band of dunes is about 2 kms long and is undeniably one of the most picturesque in the region. Some camel safaris camp here, but many more people just roll in for sunset, to be chased across the sands by tenacious camel owners offering short rides. Plenty more people stay overnight in one of the several tent resorts near the dunes, and we happened to be part of those. Enroute Sam, there were a few places where we saw parasailing being conducted.

Our stay was booked at one Camp Oasis at Sam. There was another camp with a similar name and we were told to look out for Camp Oasis and avoid Camp Oasis India. The entire place was strewn with camp sites, each with almost identical offerings. Upon reaching Camp Oasis, we were given one Swiss tent per family. It was 5 pm by the time we had settled down and the great Thar Desert was beckoning us. The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent that forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. About 85% of the Thar Desert is in India, and the remaining part in Pakistan.

Swiss Tents and entertainment area at Camp Oasis, Sam Sand Dunes

Since there was some time left for sunset, we decided to go dune bashing in a jeep first. It was an open top jeep, and the driver asked us if we were ready for some real thrill. He told us to hold on tight and get ready for some adventure. Blaring local folk music in the jeep was making it impossible to be heard. We literally had to shout at the top of our voices and seemed like it was by design. It took us a while to get from our camp to the actual dunes, and once we did, it was fun. We zigzagged across the tracks left behind by previous vehicles. We managed to hold on, and ensured that the kids Ruhi and Trisha were taken care of. The most thrilling part was slowly climbing up a tall sand dune and then driving down a steep slope, making it seem like a mini roller coaster of sorts. Overall, a memorable experience.

The gang enjoying jeep safari at Sam Sand Dunes

After the dune bashing (aka Desert Safari), we took to camel rides that were part of our package deal. We got a camel per family. Anant and Rama rode on one, Pallavi, Ruhi and I on another, while Mukul, Gauri and Trisha got on the third. Mounting on the camel back, then the camel standing up having us on his back, the ride itself, the camel sitting down and finally dismounting from the camel back was another memorable and enjoyable experience. One doesn't get accustomed to being on camel back - it is not exactly a balanced ride. To top it, the camel is wading through the desert sand. It was fun overall I must say. What the camel must be going through is another story altogether! We just managed to see the sun set on the horizon in the golden yellow desert. It was a beautiful sight.

L-R: Kunte family, Anikhindi family and Kulkarni family enjoying camel ride at Sam Sand Dunes

Sam Sand Dunes views: Camel rides, sunset, Camp site in the background

Finally, we opted for a ride in a camel cart, where a camel pulls a wooden cart on 2 wheels. There is a person who rides the camel himself, much like a bullock cart or horse cart. The camel cart took us through the Thar Desert, and we were shown locations where certain scenes from a few Bollywood movies were apparently shot. On one particular sand dune, we were told to get down and experience the desert sand. It was surprisingly chilling.

Sam Sand Dunes: Camel cart and sand dune

The sand was very fine, soft and we all spent some time playing around in it. Rama decided to bury herself in the sand (barring her head of course) and after a while we all helped in the endeavour. Anant did not seem to like the idea at all and appeared sad, and Rama tried to console him saying this was not the end. Anant later shared that he was upset because the thermal clothing that Rama was wearing would get dirty but Rama preferred to make the most of it. It took us a while to cover Rama completely with sand. Her laughing during the process wasn't helping at all, but we were eventually successful.

Sam Sand Dunes: Rama covered in sand

The camel cart dropped us back to our campsite. The place acquired something of a carnival atmosphere as the evening progressed, making it somewhere to avoid if you’re after a solitary desert experience. At the camp, there were tents all around laid out along the border of a large rectangular area. In the central area, a campfire was organised and there was Rajasthani folk music and folk dance presented by the locals there, decked up head to toe in their famous Rajasthani attire. Booze was being served at a counter to beat the cold. Anant, Mukul and I helped ourselves to a peg of Old Monk rum each. It helped us keep warm during the winter night in the desert region, which was especially cold. The folk dance was followed by the DJ dishing out some popular local and Bollywood numbers as well as some English songs. We all enjoyed dancing - it seemed to be a good exercise in my opinion.


Dinner followed soon after, and we were pretty exhausted because of an event packed evening. Anant was quick to ask his favourite question: "So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" As much as I told him that we never really stuck to whatever plans we made - it was mostly situation that took over, Anant always liked to have some plan. And so it was decided that those interested would wake up at 5 am, get ready and go spend some time in the desert and be back by 7 am. We had to depart for Udaipur the next morning, and to be able to make the most of our evening at Udaipur, we decided to depart from Camp Oasis by 7:30 am after having breakfast. With that, curtains were drawn on probably the most interesting day of our trip.

10: Day 5: Sam Sand Dunes, Jaisalmer - Udaipur (571 km)

As discussed the previous night, Rama called me shortly after 5 am to ask if I was interested for an early morning desert safari. I checked with Pallavi who said she would have loved to join as well but someone needed to look after Ruhi hence she vouched to stay back. Gauri joined us, and Mukul stayed back to look after Trisha. So it was Anant, Rama, Gauri and I who ventured out at 5:30 am. It was pretty early for camel safaris to start their day. A jeep was waiting right outside our camp and offered to take us on a desert safari. We told him that we needed to be back in an hour, and that meant he could be back for another trip much earlier than a regular desert safari round trip which lasts at least an hour and a half.

Being early morning, we managed to reach the sand dunes pretty early. It was an open top jeep like the day before, and since it was pretty cold, we were covered from head to toe. The driver was taking us at breakneck speed through the desert in a bid to get done as quickly as possible. Their income totally depends on the number of trips they make. After a few roller coaster sections through the sand dunes in which we had to use all our strength to stay put in one place, we finally came to the top of a large sand dune and the driver stopped. He told us that the Bollywood movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan (featuring Salman Khan) was shot at the base of that dune. I couldn't relate for I had not watched the movie. Gauri and Rama seemed to agree.

We decided to get out of the jeep and get a feel of the sand for a while before returning back. While Rama, Gauri and Anant were busy in clicking photos, the driver thought he could have some fun at my expense. We were all sitting at the top of a sand dune on a slope. He told me to sleep on the sand, and as soon as I did, he pushed me down the slope. Before I could realise, I was tumbling at high speed, with my face hitting the sand every time I rolled. Sand entered my eyes, nose and mouth. I came to rest at the base of the dune, with a lot of sand in my face. My eyes were hurting, and I asked for a bottle of water. Anant was a bit scared initially. A couple of days ago, I had earned the name Anikant (putting Aniket and Rajnikant together) because of my cheetah driving skills. The episode covering me in sand earned me the last name Anisandy (a play on Anikhindi and sandy). During the remainder of the trip I was often called Anikant Anisandy :)

Sam Sand Dunes: Early morning desert safari

I got a bottle of water and washed my face, clearing as much sand as I could, mainly from my eyes. It was close to 6:30 am and I remember pushing Rama and everyone else to wrap up our desert exploits, as we needed to get back by 7 am. Rama wanted to stay back and enjoy for some more time, but I insisted that we go back. We got back to our camp by 7 am and planned to get ready, have breakfast and leave for Udaipur.

I learnt that Rama was not too happy with us returning so soon and hence Anant took her back to the desert. They enjoyed sunrise and spent some time there while my family and Mukul's family were busy getting ready. I am generally not the one who likes to be a disciplinarian, but there were 2 things folks needed to remember here. While were out for some enjoyment, half the gang was back at the camp, not being able to join because of the kids. More importantly, we could all have been enjoying the desert safari had we started a little late (say 6:30 am instead of 5:30 am) but that would have meant starting late for Udaipur, which would have been contrary to what we had planned. Since Anant kept insisting on planning and sticking to plans as much as possible, I just thought I was being fair in wrapping our early morning desert safari. To me it seemed like Anant was contradicting himself by speaking about making plans and then not honouring his own word. At an individual level I was not bothered that Rama and Anant went again, however, I was irked because half the gang who desperately wanted to spend some more time in the desert were deprived of that opportunity.

Finally the breakfast at the camp site was served late. Anant and Rama took their time to get back. Trisha wanted to have a camel ride so she did. Later Ruhi insisted that she wanted to have a camel ride, and not wanting to disappoint her, I suggested that everyone who wanted to have one last chance at the desert should go. Anant, Rama, Pallavi, Trisha and Ruhi went for a ride in the camel cart. Gauri, Mukul and I stayed back. We reorganised our luggage a bit, moved one of the backpacks to the roof carrier. By 8:40 am, we had departed Camp Oasis at Sam, and were enroute Udaipur.

Sam Sand Dunes: Early morning view captured during the last camel ride

Mukul took the wheel. We took the same road that we had taken the previous afternoon to reach Sam. We bid adieu to the golden city and hit NH11 aka Jaisalmer - Jodhpur road. The road was pretty good, however patches of the road were bad because it was under repair. As a result, our average speed was impacted. It took us about 3 hours to cross Pokhran, which was about 150 kms from where we started. We had a quick driver change over as we got on to SH 125. Anant took over from Mukul at the wheel, and Pallavi took over from Gauri as the navigator. I was busy in the middle row spending time with the kids Ruhi and Trisha. We played games, took pictures and were giggling away. I had some good time taking a break from driving.


The cheetah has a feature where it emits 3 loud beeps when the speed crosses 150 kms/hr. It is supposed to serve as a warning to the driver as 150 kms/hr is almost twice the maximum permissible speed limit of 80 kms/hr on most Indian highways. We had defined the term "take off" to signify that the road (and traffic) was favourable for crossing 150 kms/hr. Despite traffic being low, we had not been able to "take off" since the morning. Some time later, on a good stretch of the Jaisalmer - Jodhpur road, Anant managed a hat-trick of "take offs". That was a solitary good stretch thought. Thereafter, Anant continued driving for over 100 kms and at one point wanted to give up because the drive was too patchy - it involved a lot of stop-start driving. We were close to Jodhpur, and instead of entering the city, we stopped short since it was past 1:30 pm. We chose to have lunch at Hotel Badri Palace.

After lunch, we had a driver change over. It was 3 pm. I had not driven since the morning, and I took over, intending to cover the remainder of the drive for the day, till Udaipur, which was 265 kms away. It took us a while to bypass Jodhpur city. We then hit NH62 and luckily the road was great. I was immediately able to "take off" and did so about 5 - 10 times in a short period of time. It was pretty good until we hit RJ SH 67. Despite being a state highway, it did not seem like one, and at times the road got narrower than by-lanes in the city. There were cattle strewn along the road at regular intervals and we had to keep an eye out to avoid bumping into one. We then got on to RJ SH 16 and finally on to NH 58. It was interesting to note that the toll plazas on NH 58 had a dedicated lane for ETC / FASTag which was closed for all other traffic with a barricade. When we saw the lane marked ETC / FASTag and went near the barricade, we were signalled to use the other lane, but upon indicating that our car did have a FASTag, they let us go. Probably there weren't many cars using FASTag crossing Rajasthan, but it was good to see that they had a dedicated lane where non-FASTag commuters were strictly not allowed.

It was now well past sunset and driving in twilight was always odd. Whatever limited natural light is present tends to scatter, the eyes are just getting used to headlights coming on. One needs to calibrate oneself to night driving mode as the vision reduces. We zipped through till we were on NH 58 but as soon as we entered Udaipur city, traffic slowed us down. Our hotel was about 12 kms inside the city. After travelling for a total of 571 kms during the day, at 7:12 pm we had reached our destination for the day - Hotel Swaroop Vilas in Udaipur, the city of lakes. The palace themed hotel was situated on the lake Swaroop Sagar, giving the hotel it's name. We checked in and I was pretty tired from driving for 4 hours. I contemplated getting a massage at the hotel's spa. Since I was more hungry than tired, we all took a quick bath and stepped out for dinner at Hotel Moti Mahal Deluxe, which was a couple of kms away. We were back by 10:30 pm and called it a day.

11: Day 6: Udaipur - Chittorgarh - Udaipur (260 km)

Chittorgarh Fort, now a World Heritage site, has a history that epitomises Rajput romanticism, chivalry and tragedy, and it holds a special place in the hearts of many Rajputs. Three times (in 1303, 1535 and 1568) Chittorgarh was under attack from a more powerful enemy; each time, its people chose death before dishonour. After the last of the three attacks, the fort ruler Rana Udai Singh II fled to Udaipur, where he established a new capital for Mewar.

We chose to wake up late in the morning at Udaipur, preferring to take rest and recoup from the hectic events of the last couple of days. After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we got ready and decided to go for an excursion to Chittorgarh fort. Just next to the hotel reception, there was a small footwear shop which had some unique and authentic Rajasthani footwear. Ruhi reminded me that I had promised to get her footwear in Rajasthan. I kept my promise and got her a pair of sandals. One by one, almost all of us ended up purchasing some footwear as it was good, authentic and affordable at the same time. We left from the hotel by 10 am.

Anant chose to drive. It was a smooth drive on NH 27 all the way. In about an hour, we had crossed the Narayanpura toll plaza, once again using the exclusive ETC / FASTag non-stop lane. In a little over an hour from there, we had reached Chittorgarh town. The fort stands on a hill about 180m high, and rises abruptly above the surrounding plains. A winding hill road of more than 1 km length from the town passes through seven gates (in local language a gate is called Pol) viz. Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jodla Pol, Laxman Pol finally leading to the west end main gate of the fort, called Ram Pol.

Chittorgarh Fort: First views

I got entrance tickets to the fort for all of us and a parking ticket for the cheetah. There were a few government appointed guides wearing identity cards to prove their authenticity. I checked with a few of them and picked one who would be officially taking us on a tour to Chittorgarh fort. At a location that involved a lot of history, it made sense to have a guide explain the significance of each point.

Within the fort, a circular road provided access to all the gates and monuments located within the fort wall. Our guide started with gusto, explaining at length the history of each and every point. It seemed interesting initially but very soon we got bored. He drove us to irritation, citing time and again that he was named "Raju guide" after the character by the same name portrayed by the Bollywood hero Dev Anand in the movie Guide. In the first half an hour or so, we covered Rana Kumbha's palace, most of which was in ruins. Being a tourist season, all the official guides seemed to be hired, and hence another group of tourists also joined us. Ruhi and I quickly got bored and after Kumbha palace, decided to wait in the car till the rest of the group covered visiting the Meera temple. It was a welcome break from Raju guide's constant yapping.

Chittorgarh Fort: Rana Kumbha Palace and around. The person in the white shirt is our "Raju guide"

Chittorgarh Fort: Meera temple

After about half an hour, Ruhi and I joined the gang in visiting the next section of the fort, which covered the Vijay Stambha (victory pillar), Gaumukha reservoir and a garden where the biggest Rajput festival called "Jauhar Mela" is held. It was past 2 pm, and the scorching heat was making me want this tour to get over at the earliest. Ruhi was extremely frustrated and I would not blame her for that. I treated her to an ice cream and soon after I was glad to hear that the tour was over. Raju guide told us that instead of driving back from the road we had taken, we could continue driving along the same road, look at the other places of interest from the car itself, and the circular road would take us to Ram Pol (where we started).

Chittorgarh Fort: Vijay Stambha, Gaumukh Reservoir, garden where "Jauhar Mela" is held

We thanked Raju guide for his history session of Chittorgarh fort and the Rajput traditions, and concluded our fort visit by around 3:30 pm. We all were very hungry and had lunch at one Hotel Pratap Palace in Chittorgarh town. It took us a while to finish lunch thanks to the waiter who erred as many as 3 times by getting us something which we had never ordered. We all ended up having Dal Khichdi and were on our way back to Udaipur city by 5 pm.

For the second time in as many days, we were on the same stretch of NH 27 at almost the same time. We crossed Narayanpura toll plaza in an hour, and reached the outskirts of Udaipur city in under an hour. From there on, it was a hectic drive through insanely small roads, into the heart of the city to reach Udaipur city palace. That such a grand city palace has approach roads so narrow was unimaginable. We reached the city palace shortly after 7 pm, only to find that entry closes at 7 pm. It was very hard to find a parking spot for a vehicle like the XUV on those narrow streets, and I had to drive about half a kilometre to get lucky. We then visited the Jagadish temple, raised on a tall terrace.

Udaipur city: Jagadish temple

We were right in the heart of Udaipur city, and the local market had a lot of Rajasthani stuff on offer for tourists. Handicrafts, Rajasthani dresses, bags, jewellery, silverware - it appeared endless. We got a nice little skirt for Ruhi. Pallavi wanted to get herself a "jhola" (traditional hand bag) but didn't find a good one. I was bored to death soon and wanted to take some rest. Pallavi, Ruhi and I chose to drive back to the hotel while Rama, Anant, Mukul, Gauri and Trisha chose to spend some more time shopping. While they were shopping, I chose to get a full body massage at the hotel's spa in order to relax. I joined the folks who had started with their dinner while I was having my massage. We had some tasty Mutton Rajputana for dinner. It was pretty cold in Udaipur, and I remember being covered from head to toe before going to sleep. With that, it was the end of Day 6 of our trip.

12: Day 7: Udaipur - Mount Abu (165 km)

Since our destination for the day was just a couple of hours away, we decided to visit the City Palace at Udaipur, which we had missed out visiting the previous evening. After having breakfast, we got ready, tied our luggage to the roof carrier and completed the checkout formalities at Hotel Swaroop Vilas, Udaipur. That way, upon return from our City Palace visit, we would be able to depart without wasting time. Having experienced the narrow and congested city roads the previous day, we took an auto to the City Palace, starting from the hotel at 9 am. It was our aim to complete the City Palace visit in the next 2 hours.

Udaipur City Palace: Front view

City Palace is a palace complex situated in Udaipur. The entire complex was built over nearly 400 years by several rulers of the Mewar dynasty. Construction began in 1553, started by Maharana Udai Singh II of the Sisodia Rajput family as he shifted his capital from the erstwhile Chittor to the new found city of Udaipur. The palace is located on the east bank of Lake Pichola and has several palaces built within its complex.

Udaipur City Palace: Tripolia Pol (Triple arched gate)

Mukul got the entrance tickets for all of us, and upon entering the majestic City Palace, we took the services of a guide to show us the various sections of the City Palace. The main entry from the city is through the 'Bara Pol' (Great Gate), which leads to the first courtyard. Bara Pol (built in 1600) leads to the ‘Tripolia Pol', a triple arched gate built in 1725, which provides the northern entry.

The palaces within the complex are interlinked through a number of chowks or quadrangles with zigzag corridors, planned in this fashion to avoid surprise attacks by enemies. Erected in the complex, after entering through the main Tripolia (triple) gate, are the Suraj Gokhda (public address facade), the Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), the Dilkhush Mahal (heart’s delight), the Surya Chopar, the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of glass and mirrors), the Moti Mahal (Palace of Pearls), the Krishna Vilas (named after Lord Krishna), Shambu Niwas (royal residence now), the Bhim Vilas, the Amar Vilas (with a raised garden) that faces the Badi Mahal (the big palace), the Fateprakash Palace and the Shiv Niwas Palace; the last two have been converted into heritage hotels. The entire complex is the property of the Mewar royal family with various trusts maintaining the structures.

Udaipur City Palace: View of the Tripolia gate and city from the palace, the Suraj Gokhda, Chetak horse, Amar Vilas

Udaipur City Palace: The gang, Taj hotel on Lake Pichola, Mor Chowk, panoramic views of the city from the palace, Sheesh Mahal

Ruhi was not so keen in observing the various structures within the complex, and I could relate to her boredom. Trisha on the other hand was keen to know the history and tried to follow our guide as much as she could. Mukul was busy taking pictures as he was our designated camera-man. I was seeking a break whenever possible. Anant, Gauri, Rama and Pallavi were following our guide and seemed pretty keen in the history as well as the various intricacies.

By 11 am, we wrapped up our visit, thanked our guide for his services and returned to our hotel. After freshening up, we bid goodbye to the city of lakes and were enroute our destination for the day, which was the hill station of Mount Abu. Our first stop at Rajasthan was the Marwad region golden city Jaisalmer with a desert landscape. We had then moved to the Mewad region capital city Udaipur, the lake city with an urban landscape, royal heritage with a palace theme. Finally, we were heading to the only hill station in Rajasthan, Mount Abu, away from the heat, with a green forest landscape.

I chose to drive and soon we were zipping through NH 27. In a little over half an hour, we had crossed the Gogunda toll plaza using the ETC / FASTag lane. The road was winding through the hills, at times passing through tunnels. I was able to maintain consistent good speed throughout, having to brake occasionally for someone crossing the road at intersections. Another hour saw us get past the Undvariya toll plaza, again in the exclusive ETC / FASTag lane. Shortly afterwards, we had to take an exit to get on to Abu Road.


The final part of the road was a winding road through the hills (called 'ghat' in Marathi), and we couldn't stop noticing the similarity between this 'ghat' and the Pasarni 'ghat' in Maharashtra, which leads to the hill station of Panchgani. I slowed down in the 'ghat' section so as to avoid anyone getting motion sickness. Monkeys are a common sight in most 'ghats', and we saw many of them here as well. By 1:45 pm we had reached our destination for the day - Hotel Gorbandh at Mount Abu. I parked the car, we untied the luggage, checked in and headed for lunch.

Mount Abu is referred to as 'an oasis in the desert' as its heights are home to rivers, lakes, waterfalls and evergreen forests. The first thing we felt at Mount Abu was a distinct change in the weather. Despite being peak afternoon, it was pretty cold. Ruhi had developed a sore throat and we had to order some hot water and honey for her. Because of the dry landscape and the sudden change in temperatures, Ruhi had developed a dry cough which would worsen over the next couple of days. Trisha had cough too but she was holding up much better. Thankfully the adults had no complaints.

We had just one day at Mount Abu and hence we decided to go visit a few places after lunch, starting at about 3:30 pm. Our first halt was at the famous Dilwara temples which were merely 4 kms from our hotel. These temples (there are 5 of them dedicated to the Jain Tirthankaras) were built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD and are world-famous for their stunning use of marble. The five legendary marble temples of Dilwara are a sacred pilgrimage place of the Jains. Since Ruhi was feeling unwell, she decided to take a nap in the car. I accompanied her while the rest of the gang spent a little over an hour visiting the temples.

Mount Abu: Dilwara temples

By 5:30 pm, we were on our way to Guru Shikhar. It was a winding road leading to the top of the mountain. Being a popular tourist spot, a lot of vehicles were plying on the road, and we found ourselves stuck in a major traffic jam. Intervention by some Army folks helped in sorting out the situation. Guru Shikhar is the highest point of the Aravalli Range. It rises to an elevation of 1,722 metres (5,650 ft). It is 15 km from Mount Abu and a road from there leads almost to the top of the mountain. It is named Guru - Shikhar or 'the peak of the guru' after Dattatreya, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. A cave at the summit contains a temple dedicated to him, and another one nearby dedicated his mother, Anasuya, wife of sage Atri.

Mount Abu: Guru Shikhar: Views from the top, steps reaching to the temple atop the hill and views of the temple from the hill top

Starting from the base, there are close to 300 steps that lead to the summit where the temple of Dattatreya is. By the time we reached the summit, it was close to sunset and the view was majestic. A panoramic view of the Aravalli range was on offer, with the sun setting on the horizon. Adjacent to the Guru Shikhar peak was the Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory, specifically designed for ground based infrared observation of celestial objects. After taking a few pictures, we visited the two temples.

Mount Abu: Guru Shikhar: The 3 families, Mount Abu Infrared Observatory, sunset view

We then had tea and the kids wanted to have Maggi noodles. It was past 8 pm by the time we left, and we noticed that we were the only ones around. It was pitch dark, and negotiating our way through the winding ghat road downhill was somewhat tricky. Once again, to ensure that folks did not end up getting motion sickness, I drove very slow. We reached our hotel around 9 pm. Ruhi was not in a very good shape because of her cough, and she wanted to go to bed without having any food. I gave her company in our room and ordered food for both of us while the rest of the gang had dinner at the hotel restaurant. We had to wear layered clothing and had to cover ourselves from head to toe in order to keep warm. Anant, Mukul, Pallavi and I finished off whatever Kahlúa was left. It seemed like the perfect drink to have on a cold night at Mount Abu. With an intent of leaving very early the next day, we were in bed by around 11 pm. That marked the end of Day 7 of our trip, and our last night in Rajasthan.

13: Day 8: Mount Abu - Surat (502 km)

It was a chilly morning in Mount Abu, and waking up at 5:30 am was one of the hardest things to do. After dismissing ideas of night driving or starting at 4 am, we had decided to start at 6 am. First, the kids needed rest. Second, even if reached Surat by evening, it would give ladies a good couple of hours or so to go shopping. The staff at Hotel Gorbandh packed some sandwiches since we were leaving early (couple of hours before the regular breakfast time). Mukul, Anant and I had to step out on a cold, chilly morning to tie the luggage, which we did in 10 - 15 minutes, being used to the routine by now. We left Mount Abu shortly before 6:30 am on the morning of the last day of the year, and the penultimate day of our trip.

I took the wheel and started slow, having to descend along the winding road (ghat section). There was no traffic at all because we had left early. As we crossed the forest, we could see the sun rise in the distance. Upon finishing the ghat section, we came to a junction where the map told us to continue on Abu Road instead of taking a left (which would have led us directly to the fast paced NH 27). Instead, we had to drive for about 10 kms through the narrow roads of the town, till Abu Road finally merged on to NH 27. As soon as we reached NH 27, we managed to "take off". Abu is a town on the Rajasthan - Gujarat border, and it took us no time to cross it and enter Gujarat state. We bid adieu to the state which we called home for 6 days and 5 nights.

Being early morning, there was hardly any traffic. We were cruising at good speed which was interrupted only because we hit the Khemana Toll Plaza on NH 27. Anant was the navigator and spotted the ETC / FASTag lane. In Gujarat, it was not exclusive for those with a FASTag, so we had to let the vehicles ahead of us pass. However, we did not have to spend time in paying toll. Soon, we crossed Palanpur and Mehsana a while later. This time around, we did not take the Mehsana bypass which we had taken enroute Jaisalmer.

After crossing Mehsana, we encountered a little traffic which brought down our average speed. Since we had to go to Surat, we took the Sardar Patel Ring Road to bypass Ahmedabad. There was a toll booth every 10 kms or so on the Sardar Patel Ring Road, and they had no ETC / FASTag lane. One of the rare occasions where we had to stop for toll. It was good to see however that they were accepting payments through debit / credit cards as well as digital wallets like PayTM. We needed to refuel, and stopped at the HP Petrol Pump on the Sardar Patel Ring Road. We had covered 224 kms in around 4 hours, and it was time for a driver changeover.

Mukul took the wheel and got lucky right away as he got his chance to "take off" multiple times on the super fast NE1. In an hour and a half, we were close to Vadodara. We crossed the Vadodara toll plaza and merged on to NH 48. It was past 12:30 pm and decided to take a lunch break at Banyan Paradise resort on the outskirts of Vadodara. There was a covered parking where Mukul parked the car, but the roof happened to be low and our luggage on the roof carrier just brushed against it.

Having lunch at Banyan Paradise Resort, Vadodara

I must say that Banyan Paradise was a very good restaurant, and we helped ourselves to some Punjabi cuisine this time around, having had enough of Gujarati and Rajasthani cuisine over the past week. Pallavi had some mocktail while we ordered hot water and honey for Ruhi. The poor kid was suffering from dry cough and I hoped she would feel better soon. She didn't feel much like eating because of her sore throat. We enjoyed some nice Punjabi dishes. A little after 2 pm, we were done having lunch.

Anant took the wheel this time, and instead of backing the car out from the covered parking shade, he went ahead. The luggage brushed against the parking shade once again. I opened the sun roof of the car and found that the luggage was dislodged a bit, hence Mukul and I climbed on the car roof and secured the luggage. By 2:15 pm, we were on the road again. It was a steady drive on NH 48. No opportunities to "take off", as the traffic had picked up. We took the diversion after crossing the Narmada river bridge at Bharuch (before Ankleshwar). It was another tiresome afternoon drive for Anant, but he drove up to Surat. Our stay was at Hotel Ginger Surat, which was at the outskirts of the city. Instead of showing us the fastest route that bypassed the city, the map made us go through the city, slowing us down further. At 5:20 pm, we had reached our hotel - and our last stop on the trip.

In the parking lot of Hotel Ginger at Surat, I recall mentioning to Mukul that it was the last time we would be untying the luggage on our trip. Ruhi's condition had worsened and she was running high temperature. We gave her some medicine and I called up her pediatrician, who suggested some medicine which I got from a medical shop nearby. Ruhi needed rest so I put her to sleep. Others took some rest as well, and the ladies then decided to go shopping. Trisha was tired as well, so Mukul stayed back to look after her. Anant, Rama, Gauri and Pallavi visited the Rangila Park Shopping Center in the Surat city marketplace. The ladies shopped for some sarees while Anant gave them company. Ruhi and I both slept off, while Trisha had some food and felt better. After the folks returned at around 9 pm, we had dinner at the hotel restaurant. Ruhi slept off immediately after dinner, and I was beginning to get worried how she would cope up the next day - we still had to drive back home the following day.

Celebrating 2017 New Year's Eve at Hotel Ginger, Surat. We missed Ruhi..

Trisha and Ruhi had cooked up a plan to get a cake for celebrating New Year's Eve and to usher in 2017. Ruhi had slept off but Trisha was awake. Mukul got the cake as per the plan, and we all chit chatted till midnight. We then cut the cake and took a few pictures as the clock struck 12. Ruhi was dead tired and didn't budge when we tried to wake her up. She was later upset that she couldn't join us but that couldn't be helped.


Wishing each other a Happy New Year, we went to sleep by 12:30 am on January 1, 2017. That marked the end of our last night on this marvellous trip.