6 Hour Bang Lossi

6 Hour Bhang Lassi

I wanted to try Bhang Lassi, or at least the Bhang part since I arrived in India. It is legal here. So, we had all day bus ride ahead of us from Udaipur to Jodhpur. It was the perfect venue. Bhang comes wrapped in a leaf. It looks like mud or dirt. I opened a bottle of fresh water and spilled half of it out so that I had about a cup of water left. I then poured the muddy stuff into the water a shook vigorously. It looked awful, reminded me of dirty water. So I drank it all. Nothing happened. The bus rolled on towards Jodhpur.

About an hour later it hit me. I felt very mellow as if I had 2 or 3 martinis. The bus ride got more interesting! The first couple of hours as we drove towards the Rajasthan State border; the road was a treacherous - one lane, very curvy cut thru the steep mountains. The bus continually sounded its horn as it went around one blind curve after another. I don’t know why there aren’t more accidents.

We eventually passed over the mountain and hit flat land that became more and more dry and like a desert. The Bhang Lassi was in full effect! We then stopped at a Ranakpur Jain Temple with 1444 pillars. This white marble structure was built in 1439 and still is in use. Inside there are many connected large rooms with intricate carvings everywhere. It is built on many, many different levels with no railings to stop you from tumbling down. It is a magnificent structure which blew us all away. Of course I was more blown away then anyone do to my enhanced senses.

We then drove to a nearby outdoor Jain restaurant for a very good lunch. We loved the taste of everything! We then drove thru small villages and towns towards Jodhpur. The whole area is very colorful. The men wear turbans (9 meters of cloth go into a turban) and the women wear colorful saris. We saw mustard fields that reminded us of the Bollywood Movie DDLJ. We saw wild pigs in the street, a new obstructions to our travels. Cathy and I listened to Indian music on our Iphone. It was the 5th hour since I took the Bhang Lassi and I still felt it!

We then checked into our hotel the Ajit Bhawan a heritage hotel. It was the converted palace of a late brother of the Maharaja of Jodhpur. We then headed out for dinner. We took our bus towards the old city, but eventually we could go no farther. We had to get out of the bus and take Tuk-Tuks down the narrow streets. It is fabulous way to travel, you see into houses, stores, avoiding cows, people, motorcycles, and other tuk-tuks. It is like going to the fun house and playing bumper cars, but you never seem to hit anything.

We went to a converted gigantic mansion, over 225 years old. Our group were the only ones there. There must have been 20 entertainers, singers, dancers, fire-eaters, all entertaining us, as we drank in this amazing house’s courtyard. We then went on a tour of the house, escorted by the sons of the owner of the house, and then we met their father, who seemed quite pleased with his mansion.

We were led up to the roof of the mansion where there was a dinner prepared for us. While we were eating they had more dancing and entertainment. From the roof we could see the Royal Palace (we are going there for lunch tomorrow), and other city sites. Finally to top it off, they lit all kinds of loud fireworks that shot up and exploded over our heads. What a way to end a dinner, your own private – large scale fireworks. The Bhang Lassi had just about worn off and this was a fitting end to an amazing day! We took tuk-tuks and the bus back to the hotel and to sleep, awaiting a day in Jodhpur tomorrow.