Forts, camels and more

 March 11th - Tuesday

Slept a little better but still woke at 5:00, and then managed to drift in and out until 7:25am.

Because we are here 2 nights we spent a little more on the room and were rewarded with our first buffet breakfast.  Not the best we have had, but it was nice to have some variety. 

We were picked up at 10:00 and taken to Jaisalmer Fort, one of the few in the world that still has people living inside the walls - about 5000 inhabitants. There are many temples within the walls too but we chose to only go into one.  It was similar to the previous one we saw in Bikaner and like that one, you walked around it clockwise.  We didn't find much more of interest in the Fort.  There were a lot of shops selling rubbish and a lookout that provided a view of some rundown buildings.

Next stop was Patwa Haveli, the outside of which Trace had seen in the Escape magazine years ago, and was the reason we visited Jaisalmer.  Inside there were many different rooms, again with historical artifacts that revolved around late 1800's British rule.  The outside was beautiful with so much intricately carved detail. We walked a few of the local streets before returning to the car and heading to Gadisar Lake.  This is a man-made lake with several temples lining the banks.  They looked nice from the outside but we didn't go inside any.

We then returned to our room for an hour and a half, video calling the kids and grandkids while we could.  Was lovely seeing them all.  

Despite our driver wanting to get to the Desert safari departure point an hour after they said, I convinced him to arrive around 2:00pm.  This was a good thing as we left around 2:15, with one other couple, a man from Germany and his Dutch partner.  The car was a smallish Tata (Indian) rip off of a Jeep and had two bench seats in the back, side on, so facing each other. we stopped at a couple of places along the way, a small Fort and a (natural) lake.

We were then taken to our camels and did a 1 hour walk through the desert.  The landscape was interestring as there were a lot of shrubs growing in the sand, so unlike other desert's I've seen.  An hour was long enough on the camel as we were all feeling sore by the time we arrived at our dinner site.  Here there were more 'normal' sand dunes, bereft of vegetation.  We sat and had a snack before wandering to the top of the dunes to watch the sunset.  Dinner was served as the sun went down and was a very nice vegetarian selection with rice and bread, all cooked over an open fire.  After dinner we lay on some beds and watched some stars come out, but unfortunately it clouded over.  Soon it was time for Trace and I to return to Jaisalmer, though the other two we staying and sleeping under the stars.   

March 12th - Wednesday

We were picked up at 9:00am, and started the drive to Jodhpur arriving at around 2:00pm.  Jodhpur is the second largest city in Rajasthan and it shows, with the really crazy traffic returning.  Whilst traffic lights are used at some intersections, the build up of traffic and release when the light turns green is sheer mayhem. Fun to watch from the back seat.

Our first stop was the Maharaja's Palace/Museum, which had a vintage car display and numerous artifacts from Maharaja Umaid Singh's rein.  The palace has 347 rooms and is the home of the Jodhpur royal family.  Only a small part is open to the public as the rest is a hotel, starting from around $700 per night.

Jeet, our driver, had been talking about Jodhpur samosa's for a few days and now was our chance to try them. He dropped us at a Spice shop, while he negotiated the traffic and walked across the road to get a couple.  Inside the shop there were a multitude of spices and we did choose a couple to purchase, before eating the samosa in the shop.  They were really nice, crammed with potato, sweet potato and spices.  Best one I've had I think...and huge!.

We then joined the fray and walked through a nearby market and climbed a late 1800's clocktower that had good views of the surrounds.  With people and motorbikes everywhere you have to just keep walking when crossing the street, or walking amongst them, and hope they go around you.  We stopped at a textile shop and were shown an assortment of items made by the locals in a varity of fabrics.  Trace bought a cashmere throw and a very soft woolen scarf, both way cheaper than you'd get in Melbourne.

(Sound on)

Finding our hotel for the night was a bit of a challenge.  It is in the old part of town and Jeet wasn't allowed to drive there as the streets are too narrow.  He rang the hotel and organised for a Tuk Tuk to meet us.  It was a really interesting ride through very narrow winding streets to our hotel, which was once a Haveli.  The room is very nice and there is a rooftop restaurant with views of the fort and over old town, the Blue City.

March 13th - Thursday

First stop today was Toorji Ka Jhalra stepwell. Step well's were usually paid for by the Maharaja's wife and was for the poorer locals to obtain drinking water and occasionally swim, this one being built in 1740.  It was very deep and fascinating. 

From here we went to Jodhpur Mehrangah Fort for a self guided audio tour.  This was a fascinating and beautiful Fort as the history spoken of dated back to the 1400's and several wars that the Indian's had waged over the years. The views from the top over the 'Blue City' and a nearby Palace were quite spectacular.  We spent about 1 1/2 hours here whilst Jeet waited patiently at the car.

Heading down the hill we stopped at Jaswant Thada monument, which was the one we could see from the Fort. It was made of marble and though small was very pretty.

As we drove out of Jodhpur we were taken to meet a guy from the Bishnoi tribe. Bishnoi means 29 and this tribe live by 29 tenants, including being vegetarian and preventing harm against animals or trees.  We joined him in a Jeep tour to a village where we were given a tour including a turban wrapping lesson and a drink made with a small amount of crushed opium. Though opium is illegal in India, this tribe is allowed to use it for ancestoral reasons. The drink was mostly water and quite bitter.   

We next drove on a bit of a safari onto some very dusty unmade roads and saw many wild peacocks, some Antelope, a couple of herds of gazelles and some Demoiselle cranes that had flown from Mongolia and Northern China and are in India for only a few months.

All of this meant we left Jodhpur quite late, around 2:00pm, with a 6.5 hour drive ahead.  We didn't end having lunch until 4:00, and we were both starving.

These long drives are a bit of a pain but we do get to see a bit along the way.  We find ways to pass the time. Trace loves looking for the cows walking down the middle of the highway, and today I kept an eye on - and sometimes listened to - the mighty Tiges beating Carlton :)