After a brief stay in Udaipur, Kiersten and I set off on a 7-day horse trek through the Rajasthani countryside. We went with a company called "Krishna Ranch" which was recommended to us via Cassidy and Brianna who had ridden with the company on two separate occasions (Cass and Bri: everyone from the ranch still remembers you guys fondly and talked about how you helped make chapati). Ever since hearing about their ride Kiersten had been adamant that she wanted to go. I was slightly more reluctant. I don't really ride horses (the last time I was on one was over 12 years ago in the Yukon and that was only for a couple hours) so I was unsure of how 7 days in a saddle was going to treat me.
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| Krishna Ranch had a new baby horse in the stable |
Krishna ranch is run by the super friendly Dinesh who usually accompanies the clients on rides. Unfortunately he had recently broke is collar-bone and was out of commission for this ride. Instead were guided by his brother (also super friendly) who was equally knowledgeable about the trails we were to follow.
After showing us which of their beautiful Marwari horses we were going to ride, we didn't waste much time before starting to ride. We were joined by two Swedish girls (Erica and Eda) who both had extensive horse riding experience. Because of my lack of ability and experience on horses, Kiersten, Erica, and Eda were given younger, more energetic horses, while I was given the most chilled out: a white horse named Nerani (translates to beauty queen). Kiersten was given a 4-year-old white horse named Paris, which she fell in love with during the course of the trip.
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| Lake just outside of Udaipur |
It was probably that I had a well behaved horse, but I didn't find riding it all that complicated. She would stop when I wanted, go fast when I wanted, and I could turn her without much problem. The thing that took the most getting used to (probably due to my poor technique) was the constant bouncing when trotting. Anyways, horseback riding proved to be a great way to see the countryside and sample the local culture. I wasn't even too sore when I got back.
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| Cows with humps. My hypothesis when it comes to cows is that the larger the hump, the more prestige the cow receives among cowkind. These were prestigious cows. |
Our path took us through small villages, along dry river beds, through an animal sanctuary, past massive forts, and across a mountain range ( I am very very hesitant to huge the term "mountain range" here after being to Nepal, these were more like hills).
We were looked after very well by the crew from Krishna ranch. They cooked up delicious vegetarian food for lunch and dinner (mostly dal, curries, rice, and chipati etc.) and provided fresh fruit and eggs for breakfast. We spent the night in large safari tents complete with comfortable beds. I slept really really well during the whole trip.
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| Kiersten in our tent |
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| Roaming through India |
Once we got a little ways out of Udaipur we became very popular among residents of the small villages we past through, especially with the children. After passing through village after village being greeted by everyone you saw, it was hard not to start feeling like a celebrity of sorts. Passing a school full of kids was always the most hilarious.
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| We stopped for tea in this village and the locals came out for a look |
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| Me and my friendly little horse |
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| Symmetrical horns are another sign of prestige |
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| On this night we camped beside a school. Kiersten was dropping off her bags in the tent when half the school came out to greet her (their are a lot of people that picture cuts off and more running to see) |
After setting up camp on day 3 our guides took us up to nearby Hindu temple to meet the Sadhu (holy man) and join in on the evening Puja. The temple (having seen many on this trip already) exceeded my expectations. It was set deep in the forest halfway up a hillside, a ways from the nearest town, and was surrounded by langur monkeys. Two Sadhus lived full time in the temple. When we arrived one of the Sadhus invited us into a small room in the temple and made us tea over an open fire and passed around a chillum for those who wanted to partake. Afterwards he showed us around the temple complex with its many statues, paintings, and large marijuana garden. We stood on the roof of one of the buildings for a while observing the monkeys when one of the Sadhus came out to feed them. You could tell he did this frequently as the monkeys rushed over for food. After a while I went down and fed the little fellas myself.
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| monkey wants more chapati |
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| Field of baby marijuana plants |
The day after visiting the temple we rode to nice campground near the Kumbhalgarh Fort. The fort, which is impressive in itself, is most famous for having the worlds second longest wall, surpassed only by the great wall of China.
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| Kumbhalgarh Fort |
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| There is a small village in the fort surrounded by temples |
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| The world's second longest wall (~35km) |
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| Riding through the original entrance to the fort (there is a paved road that most people use now) |
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| This is how many of the small villages get their water |
After the fort we rode through the Khumbalgarh wildlife sanctuary, which was a pleasant break from travelling through villages. Although we didn't see much wildlife, we did spot a couple wild chickens, kingfishers, peacocks, parrots, and of course monkeys.
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| Some of the Krishna ranch crew who took very good care of us |
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| Kiersten and Paris |
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| Paris loved a good post-ride scratch |
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| The crew |
We ended our ride in a small place called Ranaktpur, famous for its temple. We visited the temple, which made entirely out of marble (including everything inside), and were very impressed.
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| Inside the temple at Ranakpur |
After seven days of riding, I can't say that I was unhappy to get off the horse, but overall it was a fantastic trip. Kiersten, on the other hand, would have been happy to continue riding her horse back to Delhi if she had the chance. I think I will stick with my mountain bike.
