MOUNT ABU ON GUJHARAT BORDER

4 hour journey from Udaipur through the Aravali hills gradually getting bigger.  We had quite a hairy ride after travelling along a very flat alluvial plain strewn with huge boulders where obviously monsoon rains rush down in the season - got to a bright town at the entrance to Mount Abu Wildlife park full of people dressed in white who belong to some meditation group.  The vegetation gradually got greener with more flame trees and clumps of bamboo.  The road was really windy with quite a lot of landrovers going up for the weekend and we had to ask our driver not to overtake too much due to stomach in mouth syndrome every bend.  Eventually got to our hotel to find nobody there then 15 mins later the owner arrived obviously having just got out of bed at around noon with shaving foam over his face.  The day was bright and sunny but fresh and the rooms were unprepared as he had not received our booking and the room was all marble and rather like entering a fridge.  Managed to persuade the driver to ring our tour organiser and he had trouble finding another hotel due to it being a popular weekend spot for locals.  Eventually they came up trumps and we ended up one row back from the lake Nakki with quite nice modern rooms. The town is amazing - very busy with local tourists and the lake has a lovely walk round the lake - about 1/2 hour walk.  Saw lots of monkeys and birds.  This used to be a favourite British hill station and you can still see the governor's house and other colonial style bungalows - We had an amazing Gujherati Thali meal as much as you can eat for £1.20 each and we had a great shopping couple of hours where the crafts etc are much cheaper for locals and you are not hassled to buy at all and don't have to haggle.  Amazing to see quite another side of India for the Indians rather than for foreign tourists - fascinating laid back place.  Tomorrow we will visit the best Jain temples in India at Delwara temple and take another walk in the country - though we have been told not to walk off the path after dark due to bears!  How exciting!  It is a lovely place and we have another full day here before we go on to Jodhpur or the blue city.  Mount Abu is nearly 2000 metres above sea level.