The ride from hell...Bhuj to Mandvi

Hiring a motorcycle proved to be impossible, however a guy who works at the hotel kindly offered to lend us his spare vehicle. So, we happily hopped onto to it for a ride to Mandvi Beach. The ride took us through vast tracts of bleak, unforgiving scrub land with pitted roads that had me, sitting behind DH, leaping up in the air like a surprised circus performer. As if that wasn't bad enough DH began to make leaping motions and at one time stood up entirely as he continued to ride...needless to say I was alarmed out of my mind and yelled at him and he goes..."but my butt's aaaaaching"...well really sweetie....we can take breaks you know...this is not exactly a rally nor is it a circus!! But anyways...it was a long ride to and fro...about 150 kilometers and I must say, I am getting kinda tired of my crazy ideas...especially now that my innards are so scrambled and I feel so topsy turvey that I don't know if I am standing on my feet or my head!

Mandvi is a cute little place, with a pretty beach where you can either jet ski or ride camels and horses depending on your tastes. We wanted to visit a palace that is apparently up for sale but has no takers due to water problems. However an auto driver who gave us directions effectively dissuaded us from going there, saying that the place was not worth the trouble and time of getting there as it had been stripped of all its beautiful things and lost its former glory. We were in a hurry to get back to Bhuj on time for the evening festivities, so we decided to skip it and head right back.

The Kutch Mahotsav was something of a mixed bag. The huge surging crowds made it impossible for us to stand still enough to appreciate it and also the emphasis was more on tableux rather than cultural programs, which had been my hope. That was disappointing, however, the colors and carnival atmosphere more than made up for dashed expectations.

Tomorrow...we try to get to the White Rann and the Indo-Pak border....

Losing my mind in artisans' land...(Kutch, Gujarat,India)

The process began with a mode of transportation that I had never tried before, sleeper bus. Travelled overnight from Amdavad to Bhuj shacked up in a berth over the seats and freaking out from time to time for fear that the bus would topple over as it felt so top heavy where I was! However, DH(dear husband) and I made it safely to Bhuj early in the morning, checked into a hotel, slept some more and spent the day exploring this quaint old city.
The narrow streets, tall buildings and plentiful remains of ancient walls and forts gives it an intriguing look, as though the modern veneer might fall off any moment and you might find yourself once more in the walled city of ancient Bhuj.
The dilapidated grandeur of the Pragmahal, a gorgeous palace central to the city is a heartbreaking sight and makes you wonder at the lethargic authorities responsible for its upkeep.
Spent the afternoon scouting for handicrafts in a little village outside the city and had a hardtime controlling my urge to shop ourselves into bankruptcy. Among other things, we happened upon one of the artisans supplying FabIndia stores and he even gave us a tour of the looms where the weavers were in the process of making lovely shawls with merino wool brought in from Australia. After splurging on stoles, shawl, fabrics and other odds and ends, we caught a tempo, huddled inside with tribal women, squalling babies, cute kids and made our way back to the city.
Spent the evening exploring the city, walking in a garden and then dragged DH off to the bazaar because I had a strong urge to buy a Kutch Bandhej saree...after trying in vain to convince DH that a pink or lavender silk bandhej would be an awesome buy, I finally had to give up the idea as he seems to hate Bandhej with a vengeance. But hey! I found an outfit that happily for me DH liked as well, so my trip to the bazaar was not a waste after all!
Good dinner and I am ready to slumber away...tomorrow is a long day...a trip to Mandvi beach, hopefully on a motorcycle and an evening of cultural splendour in Bhuj...as it is the beginning of the Kutch Mahotsav.

Culture Fun

This blog is all about enjoying culture, be it in museums or markets, monuments or hotels, road trips or international plunges or maybe even in your very own kitchen or living room by snatching moments of cultural experiences from any corner of the world...