Day 22 - Jojawar

Well, now I am in Jojawar - a village that is really in the middle of nowhere, staying in a Maharajas palace (well, big house really!) called Rawla Jojawar

Bit of a mission to get here though. Last night we had a birthday meal with cake and candles, then pancakes at the Rainbow rooftop cafe. We got to bed quite late, then had to wake early to catch a bus for the 4 hr journey to the town nearest to Jojawar, our next location. The maharajah and one of his lads picked us up in a couple of jeeps, and we were driven across bumpy, bad roads for about an hour before reaching his home. The maharajah was a baad driver (to much being driven around all his life I guess) and at one point he nearly spun the jeep after cutting by a lorry too fast. On the mountainous, jungly way to Jojawar we passed a wildlife reserve. We tried to spot the Grizzlies and wolves we were told were there, but all we say were tonnes of monkeys gazing at us with their furry,black faces as we whooshed by.

We arrived at the huge house and a little boy beat on the drum and the porters rushed out and took our bags. We were ushered into a marble room, and given cool clothes and glasses of pepsi - really was heaven. Me and Lisa shared a room, and it had air-conditioning, a balcony, and a huge marble shower room. Bit posher than we were used to! We met everyone for late lunch (buffet style) then raced to the pool (yes - pool) to claim the best sunloungers. The day was just relaxed - sunbathing and swimming - I got my henna tube out and henna'd some ankled (Murrey had "I love India", which has earned much interest - don't think Indians get irony). The boys brought us lassis and water, and in the evening we drank (very expensive) wine and were entertained by musicians before our delicious meal.

Unfortunately the day in paradise was not all sunshine and roses, several of us are suffering from Delhi belly. My stomach is just pootling along normally so, in a bid to even things out a bit, I managed to swim into the side of the marble pool (bruised nose, bump on head) and get eaten by something I seem to be fiercely allergic to (many many blisters - eech). All good fun!