Life-ing it up...

The drive was so smooth that five hours on the road didn't nearly feel as exhaustive as a commute from Dwarka to CP. I've said it once and I'll say it again, highways in Rajasthan are a dream to drive, we paid Rs 480 worth of toll tax (round trip) and it was worth every single paisa and more. Now, our road trips these days are still about the drive but in the end, more about resort relaxation and the whole package within the resort than the city or town of our destination. With a boisterous 2-yr-old this is the most fun and safe bet, not to mention the fact that it is easier to just laze around than having to run off sightseeing. As much as we love exploring forts and monuments, with a toddler constantly tugging at your patience, it's not a good idea. So, we settled for heritage resorts. Clever, clever, us! Oh and let me mention, M has only one condition no matter where we take a trip — swimming pool! The one at Lebua Lodge had was so good, clean, and totally doabl

Phew! 5 days, 1500 km+, one Maruti Suzuki Esteem, 5 adults, one 11-month-old baby, and the wickedly barren and beautiful Rajasthan—that was one of the best weeks of my life. (This post was lying in my draft folder forever, trip date is October 2012). The highlights of the trip: I was the navigator, and this was before Google Maps was all the rage; school friends of S accompanied us, they were super fun, and did I mention that spirited 11-month-old baby girl. Our road trip started from Delhi to Jaipur-Ajmer-Pushkar-Jodhpur-Bikaner and back. Those were the days, when a trip meant enjoying it and not restlessly clicking pics and uploading them, I actually have very few pics of that trip by today's standard but I'll tell you this, that was a very memorable trip. I mean, we still remember every day and moment of that vacation. Again, you put four school friends together, who are now married and have kids and its a marathon of just talking, laughing and pulling each other'

I've said it once and I'm going to say it again, Siliserh Lake Palace is an amazing destination. It features as one of our most recurring weekend road trip too. Whenever, we want to escape the city's bustle and unwind in a place without shelling out much money and too much driving, we hit the road and aim for this lakeside jaunt. It's on the way to Sariska Wild Reserve ( 14 km from Sariska) and an oasis of peace and tranquility. You can just about make out the tiny huts on the banks. Words fail to describe the barren beauty of the surrounding hills and the soothing calm of the pristine expansive lake. This man-made lake was constructed under the orders of Maharaja Vinay of Alwar. The palace on its banks could have been a resting place for the queen while the Maharaja was hunting with his men, or it was a palace for the Queen who came from the nearby village to stay after losing her child. The source history isn't very clear o me. Anyway, this palace has