Bundi

Serenity Now.

Mike – Bundi still doesn’t seem real. Challenging all of our pre-constructed notions of busy-busy India, it seemed we had stepped into a realm of supreme relaxation and utter simplicity. It couldn’t of come at a better time. For me, personally, I was running out of steam: India had me bagged. I’ve been sick, for what seems like, the majority of the trip, which led me to have intense cravings for the familiar staples of the Western diet. Most of all, I was getting tired of the daily swarming and outlandish expectations that goes with being a white foreigner in India.

Then, we arrived in Bundi, and everything changed.

In a valley overlooked by ancient fortifications, blue “lego-like” buildings saturate the Bundi town-scape, resembling a town of sky blue painted fingernails. It was most surreal. From sunrise to sunset, different angles of the sun superimposed entirely different perspectives on the town, to the extent that the Bundi at dawn was entirely different then the Bundi at dusk.

Beyond simply “being there”, and soaking up the chilled, layed-back atmosphere, there was a ton to explore. The fort was really cool because we were literally on our own to meander through the vine-infested battlements and fortifications. Wait, let me clarify, we weren’t entirely alone; we were constantly surrounded by hundreds (no exaggeration) of monkeys. It was kind of unsettling, and almost felt like we had stepped into “King Louie’s” lair from Disney’s “The Jungle Book”. Funny enough, Rudyard Kipling lived here for an extended period of time. I’m not sure when he wrote the stories that formed the rubric for the movie, but there are some striking similarities with the fort and the Disney interpretation of his stories.

Scattered amongst the hillsides were the remains of the fort, and these little pagodas (or maybe cenotaphs – not sure), which I’m guessing were built for contemplation or meditation. They were usually on the peak of the hill, and could be quite the hike to get to, but, totally worth it when you arrive. Teg and I spent a whole afternoon just reading and soaking up the rays. In India, you really learn to cherish the time when you can be by yourselves for a little while, a long thirsted silence, far removed from the hustle bustle of modern life. It was great to just sit, knowing that there’s no place you need to be, nothing you need to do, as you sit there, looking below, watching the world go by without you. It was very peaceful.

Teg- Ya. What he said. lol

There’s not much more to say really about Bundi, I’m really quite satisfied with how Mike puts it.

Though, I must give props to the guesthouse we stayed at - Lakeview. Managed by this cute elderly couple, our room was on the top floor so that when we stepped out of it, we were on the rooftop, with great views all around us. The Palace and Fort seemed so close! This guesthouse was located on the edge of a large tank, so having breakfasts metres away from the water was nothing to complain about either!

If we weren’t up on rooftop patios relaxing, having a cold lassi with unbelievable views of the blue city just below us, we were up even higher away from the city, looking down from the hill-top Palace, Fort or pagodas. It was great. I didn’t feel guilty at all about our lazin’ around up on the rooftops because the days adventures’ getting up the hills definitely brought on a sweat. Of course, well worth it!

OKay, I must say, THE MONKEYS!!! This was unbelievable!! At the entrance to the Palace/Fort, I (on a whim) paid 10 rupees for a bamboo stick, which, as I was told would be needed to scare of the monkeys. At the time I just got it cuz I wanted to use it as a walking stick and maybe hit Mike on the legs once or twice with (playfully of course!). Once up at the top at the fort, man was I thankful to have gotten one. There were certain paths that couldn’t be walked without bagging the stick on the ground to clear some room for yourself to pass!