DAY THIRTY TWO… 47.41 miles (76.30 km)

We arrived from Gangapur on easy, and thankfully beautifully surfaced roads through peaceful rural areas and small, though nothing is really that small, villages. Some pretty significant hills.

India Cycle Touring Rajasthan
Winter crop of mustard seed
India Cycle Touring Rajasthan
When will the plastic recycling be collected ?

Arrived at Abhaneri to be told that ‘All booked. No room’. This was a kind of glorified glamping site. Almost like a luxury hotel in tents. But there was no one in sight. Where were all these guests?  A lot of phone calls and persuasion later (sad and desperate looks from us), something was miraculously found for us. There was one tent apparently free. We managed to procure it for 6,000Rs and later discovered, on the website, it was 8,500Rs. Another bargain! Pretty unbelievable price though, given that hot water is not available till the evening, if at all, but the good news was that all meals were included… Hooray, more Maggie soups as a starter!

India Cycle Touring Rajasthan
No extra charge for the bathroom wildlife

We went out to the step well (famous) and temple (somewhat reconstructed, but a way to go). We had the mandatory blessings, saw a ‘honey badger‘, the world’s most fearless animal apparently. It did look very sweet and pet-like, but it is not a good pet to get according to the informed.

India Cycle Touring Rajasthan
The remarkable Chand Baori…. completed in 900AD
India Cycle Touring Rajasthan
The ferocious “Honey Badger”, according to a local tourist guide, or was it a Palm Civet Cat ?
India Cycle Touring Rajasthan
Harshat Mata Temple, also from 900AD

Returned to our tent, expecting to see a coach load of tourists. But no, not a soul in sight. Indian tourists are arriving later (just one family) but earlier, we were told ‘ This place is for foreigners !’. Maybe they were feeling like a rest here and couldn’t be bothered with clientele ?

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