It was still very dark when the bus arrived in Bundi. I had met a Chilean couple on the way and we wandered towards the few dim lights in the city. There were two touts from guest houses waiting so we followed one of them to look at his rooms. This was the "Elephant's Stable Haveli" - which was so named as it was attached to the side of the palace wall and used to be exactly that. It was very cheap - but we decided to look further. On the street we met a man who said he was the "cook" at another guest house - this was the "Paradise". It was a little more upmarket than I had been using but as the tourist high season is over I was able to negotiate a very reasonable price for a nice big pleasant room.
I did a long relaxed walk around the town, it was very pleasant. People greeted me but were not continually trying to sell things. The town itself is in the shadow of the ruins of a palace and lies within the walls of it. There are many temples (what a surprise) and a some large Step wells / baths (Baoli). The usual narrow streets with many small shops, the occaisional cow wandering along, noisy autorickshaws and motorbikes. There was thriving busy produce market all in the shadow of the fort.
I chose not to pay to go into the palace itself which is a small museum but instead walked around the yards and up to the other ruined buildings that make up the complex. First was an 18th century building Chitrasala which had some good views and some remaining wall paintings that were free to look at buy only accessible with a key, which the paid guides carried and opened up from time to time when they were showing people through. Fortunately they were open when I went through.
Higher up is Tanagarh - I had two false starts at climbing to it. The first time I went back was to change from my sandals to my working shoes the second I turn a corner to find a couple of nasty looking monkeys baring their teeth at me. I had been warned particularly about the red face monkeys (as distinct for the black faced monkeys) - so made a hasty retreat. Taking the advice from the guide , I returned wielding a big stick - the monkeys are afraid of this and left me alone.
Taragarh was abandoned many years ago and has not been restored or maintained at all. It is overgrown and falling apart but therefore was interesting and was something of an adventure. I was reminded of Famous Five stories and was expecting to stumble on a hidden doorway with an underground tunnel the smugglers used (wrong country, wrong century I know but that was the feeling).
I enjoyed the walk it was hot and took a few hours, but reminded my that I should spend more time walking and moving around and less inside. (less time on the internet writing a journal perhaps).
I spend some time walking the streets talking to shop owners, who were very chatty not just because they wanted to sell things but I think they were bored as there wasn't much going on. Very few customers.
I had dinner upstairs at the guest house with the Chilean couple - I drank my first bottle of Indian beer for the trip which tasted - but which also doubled the price of the meal.
