India 97 Travelog : driving to Rajasthan / the Mandawa palace (2/8)

<BODY BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT = "#ABCBBE"> <BR> <FONT SIZE=4> Our first step in Rajasthan is in the little town of Mandawa 250 km from Delhi. After 8 hours drive, we reach this town, in the heart of Rajasthan's Shekhavati area, famous for its painted havelis and exquisite frescoes. We stay in the Mandawa Castle hotel, in authentically furnished rooms and original murals, which is in fact the only hotel or guest house of the region.<BR> Some of us woke up at 06.00 pm, to try to get this unforgettable sunrise view from the castle highest tower on the surronding landscape, but it was a fiasco as the sun didn't show through the morning mist...<BR> The best time in Mandawa was with the fireman dance ! This guy performed a kind of great indian twist, had an incredible look !!<BR> The 3 hours camel ride, with a break for the Chai (the traditional indian tea) with an indian family, were as well a quite interesting experience !! Contrary to what you could think, the most critical times are not , when the camel stands up or goes down, at the start and the end of the ride, because you are expecting these sudden moves down or up, but it is most likely when the camel stops near the first water point and try to drink.... Then you really think, you are going to end up in this mudly water point !!</FONT><BR> </BODY>