Best laid plans...
Well, our overnight train to Jaisalmer didn't quite happen. After our first dose of Indian Railways second class sleeper (taking us as far as Jodhpur), I just couldn't face another 8 hours on a dust-covered blue mat 18 inches from the ceiling with rickety fans blowing hot air in my face. After having experienced Chinese railways, Dane was up for the adventure, but I just wasn't.
So, I worked up enough of a chest-rattling cough for him to take pity on me and agree to stay put in Jodhpur for 2 days, which was actually the original plan before a Californian hippie in the New Delhi Railway Station convinced us to squeeze in a day in Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer is the home of the camel safari across the Thar Desert, but given that it's currently 45 degrees out there, maybe postponing that adventure until our next (?) visit to India was the best decision we've made yet.
The good news is that the hotel in Jodhpur that we managed to book at 11:00pm on Friday night is amazing. It's run out of an 18th century mansion and is operated by the same family that built it back in the day. The window in our room spread across the entire northern wall and faced the massive wall of the fort Jodhpur is famous for. The view proved even more valuable on Saturday, as Dane ordered bed rest for my recovery. I think I was awake for only 3 hours all day. But the rest did me good, as I'm feeling much better today (although I'm still clearing yellow-green globs from my chest--yuck).
We've finally done some sight-seeing around Jodhpur today, and I'm so glad, as it's my favourite place so far in India. The Mehrangarh Fort is much more than just an abandoned mass of delapitated stone walls (which describes most forts in Jaipur--the brilliant exception is Amber Palace, which would be stunning if a bit more effort at maintenance were put into the place). Walking up and around Mehrangarh Fort, it is clear that the design was very much built around the craggy mountain top where it is perched. You wander through courtyards into state rooms and entertaining halls and then up stairs into more bedrooms that lead to terraces that open up onto more courtyards. The views from the terraces and windows definitely do justice to Jodhpur's title of the Blue City.
As for future train trips, they're all currently booked as second class sleeper, but we're going to see about upgrades for some of the longer trips--woohoo!
AM
So, I worked up enough of a chest-rattling cough for him to take pity on me and agree to stay put in Jodhpur for 2 days, which was actually the original plan before a Californian hippie in the New Delhi Railway Station convinced us to squeeze in a day in Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer is the home of the camel safari across the Thar Desert, but given that it's currently 45 degrees out there, maybe postponing that adventure until our next (?) visit to India was the best decision we've made yet.
The good news is that the hotel in Jodhpur that we managed to book at 11:00pm on Friday night is amazing. It's run out of an 18th century mansion and is operated by the same family that built it back in the day. The window in our room spread across the entire northern wall and faced the massive wall of the fort Jodhpur is famous for. The view proved even more valuable on Saturday, as Dane ordered bed rest for my recovery. I think I was awake for only 3 hours all day. But the rest did me good, as I'm feeling much better today (although I'm still clearing yellow-green globs from my chest--yuck).
We've finally done some sight-seeing around Jodhpur today, and I'm so glad, as it's my favourite place so far in India. The Mehrangarh Fort is much more than just an abandoned mass of delapitated stone walls (which describes most forts in Jaipur--the brilliant exception is Amber Palace, which would be stunning if a bit more effort at maintenance were put into the place). Walking up and around Mehrangarh Fort, it is clear that the design was very much built around the craggy mountain top where it is perched. You wander through courtyards into state rooms and entertaining halls and then up stairs into more bedrooms that lead to terraces that open up onto more courtyards. The views from the terraces and windows definitely do justice to Jodhpur's title of the Blue City.
As for future train trips, they're all currently booked as second class sleeper, but we're going to see about upgrades for some of the longer trips--woohoo!
AM
posted by Leden at
8:39 pm
1 Comments:
Hey guys. Hope you're having a great time over there and all the quick dry clothes are coming in handy!
Found this and thought you might be interested...
http://www.theoildrum.com
Take care xx
By
LJC, at 6:29 pm
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