Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;Trip report. Day 9. Bundi

After an early breakfast we cycled out of the Castle and on to the tar road. Our destination today was Bundi, the guide had said that today the terrain would be Undulating. This is the cyclist word for hills. As soon as we left Bijaipur the hills started. 
We were cycling through rural Rajasthan at its most basic. We passed farms and villages where subsistence farming seemed to be the norm. People - or rather women,  collected water from a communal standpipe and carried it home on their heads. As well as gathering Cow dung and mixing it with straw to make Chulha, the fuel for heating and cooking. 
Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;
Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;

 Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid
Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;
It was a tough day, but we made it into Bundi in good time.
We checked into the Ishwari Niwas Hotel, this is a family run Heritage property and as with all the hotels we stayed in clean, comfortable with big, hard beds and limited hot water. 

As we had a bit of free time we walked into the walled town of Bundi.
 For me Bundi was the untamed India, with its Brahmin blue houses, walled bazaar and connections to Kipling and the book Kim. It was just amazing, with the local people barely even giving tourists a second glance. We were free to wander, undisturbed when we wanted to. 
We explored the town, walked up to the Bundi Palace, but it was closed. But best of all we found step-wells; or Baoris. 
Bundi has over 60 of these magnificent structures. We found two in the middle of the town. Sadly being used as rubbish dumps. But even the rubbish could not detract from the impressive structures. 
Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid
Bundi Step Well

Bundi Step Well 

Bundi step well 
At supper, our guide asked if the group wanted to visit Bundi Palace in the morning. We all did want to do this, so the next day we cycled around the village of Bundi and up to the Palace located on the hill above the town. The palace is falling into disrepair and just the Bats live in it now; but it is magnificent, with its Elephant entrance and fading murals. In its day this must have been one of the marvels of Rajasthan.
Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;


Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;Bundi

Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;

Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;

Cycle Rajasthan with Intrepid;
Bundi was my by far my favorite place on this tour, I am so glad Intrepid include in in the itinerary. 

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