Buses. Lots of them.

Mount Abu is a bit like the Blackpool of Rajasthan, a weekend retreat for Indians complete with ice cream, candy floss, pedaloes and amusement arcades. It's on a hilly plateau 1200m up, and the winding drive up the mountain felt more Alpine than Indian. Not that I was spending much time admiring the scenery. It was the final leg of a torturous 4-bus, 14-hour journey from Jaisalmer. When it comes to public transport, there's no room for politeness here. I was a bit too British in boarding the final bus amid the flailing arms and legs of the locals, so ended up in a cramped space in the driver's cabin. With 5 other people. And all our luggage. Not good.

What I really wanted on arrival was a slap-up feed and a beer. Sadly Mt Abu is on the border of Gujarat state, and 90% of Gujuratis are vegetarian and teetotal. But to my great surprise, the non-descript looking restaurant next to the hotel served up comfortably the best meal I've had out here. It was a thali, a meal made up of rice, chapatis, poppadums, salad, dry veg, curried veg, dhal and various relishes. Waiters just kept bringing the various component parts and ladling them onto my tray until I admitted defeat. It was fantastic. And the price of this princely feast? 70 rupees. About 90p. And I even managed to get a couple of beers to smuggle back to my room. Result.

written by

phileasdogg on September 22, 2008 from Abu Road, India

from the travel blog: Planes, Trains & Taxiwallahs

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