Rajasthani Express

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When last you heard from your intrepid travellers they were beating their way through hordes of touts and taxi drivers in Agra. After seeing the Taj Mahal and getting out of Agra unscathed we headed for the city of Jaipur. The third stop on India's golden triangle tourist trail. Again we were waylaid upon arrival by taxi drivers desperate for commissions but by now we were developing hides of thick leather in our dealings with them. We got off the train and drove around all afternoon looking for a suitable place to crash. There weren't many. Those rooms that were available were crappy at much inflated prices, although the bugs seemed to be gratis in all of them. Finally we found a good spot for 300 rupees a night. Very cheap, clean and almost bug free. We thought. The morning brought a flood of little beetles into the bathroom. Totally unavoidable we've learned. And once you get used to them being there it's kind of comforting to know that you are never alone.

Next day we set out for a city tour with our dodgy rickshaw driver, Ali. We knew right from the start he was going to be trouble. We had arranged to be driven by someone else but Ali turned up and we weren't in the mood to argue about it. Besides what's the difference between one shyster and another as long as you know what they are beforehand. So off we went for the city tour. Sightseeing first then maybe shopping later, says Ali. And so it begins.

Rajasthan is packed not so much with temples and mosques as with Moghul forts. They're everywhere and feature incredible displays of architecture. First stop on the before shopping tour was an old observatory. In the grounds near the city palace we found acres of sundials. Some of the structures were mammoth in proportion and accurate to within seconds. Not sure what they did on cloudy days but as we'd discover there weren't too many of those to worry about. It was 10am and the temperature was already pushing 35 degrees.

From there we took in a few other temples and raja's tombs and on to Amer Fort which is built on the top of a mountain overlooking a great lake where mahouts bathe their elephants. It takes about half an hour to walk up to the fort from the bottom. Many people are carried up on the backs of elephants. We skipped the ride as the elephants looked particularly pathetic and poorly cared for. Inside the fort is a marvel of architecture with hundreds of rooms and mazes of stairceses and open-air passageways. Most impressive were rooms tiled in coloured glass. The lighting was magestic. We hung out at Amber fort for at least two hours knowing that once we left we'd have to start arguing with Ali over where the shopping segment of our day was going to lead.

Fortunately, we had learned a thing or two since arriving in India and one of those was to have a firm idea of what you want. Charlotte being a cracking shopper and bargain hunter had no problems in this department and off we set. She did quite well, managing to get shoes she had been looking for all over Asia as well as a nicely tailored top. We did however draw the line at Ali's plan to visit the astrologer who just happened to own a jewellry shop.

Turns out that most drivers get a commission of about 2% of your purchases from the shopkeepers which is why, of course, everyone wants you to spend, spend, spend.

So a good day out. Few troubles, good shopping and some great deals. We settled in for a little dinner on the rooftop terrace of our guesthouse. We had only been sitting there a few minutes reflecting on what a brilliant day we'd had and how well we'd handled ourselves when the rickshaw driver who was replaced by Ali turned up with an interpreter. The pair then laid out a tale of woe about Ali being an evil genius who had swindled this poor young driver out of taking us around the city. We were such a nice couple and he was really quite upset. And from a very poor family. Ali was simply taking advantage of our good nature and playing a nasty trick on this innocent young rickshaw driver. Perhaps we could make it up to the young lad by using him as our driver when we went out the next day.

We were quite upset that we'd been taken in by the criminal Ali. We told the interpreter that we would work the whole thing out shortly as Ali was, in fact, coming to the rooftop terrace this evening to have a beer. The interpreters eyes lit up and he said Oh don't say anything. That Ali would surely beat up this young rickshaw driver if he found out about it. It was at this point that the web of lies these two had spun started to come apart. Ali turned up. There was no tension between any of them and we saw that we were being played again. We skipped dinner and ditched Ali and the rest of that poor lot. They were upset we didn't want anymore business from them but that was too bad as far as we were concerned. They should have planned their lies a little better.

So with that little episode behind us we hopped on a bus and bounced along to the temple town of Pushkar. One of the holiest sites in India apparently. It's also the sight of the world's largest camel and horse fair in November when hundreds of thousands of animals are traded. For us though, we found a little town much, much, quieter. After the ordeal of finding a place in Jaipur and missing out on the place we wanted to stay in Agra we decided to call ahead and book a room this time. It made life so much easier. We got off the bus and after a long, confusing walk. Shockingly, Pushkar is utterly devoid of taxi drivers because it's such a small place. We eventually found our guesthouse. The White House. Very auspicious we thought. It turned out to be a great, clean (after we cleared away the trail of ants across the bed), well managed little place for only 350 rupees a night. The only drawback was that it was very hot at night. But what are ya going to do when staying in the desert? The place is run by a kind and efficient brahman family who took great care of us. They were very helpful in booking our onward journey for the rest of Rajasthan.

We ended up staying in Pushkar for four or five days. It's a great spot for wandering around. The town is built around a little lake amid something like 500 temples. Thousands of pilgrims come every year to bathe in the ghats. Little holy areas along the water's edge. The lake used to be filled with crocodiles that would attack unsuspecting pilgrims for hundreds of years until the British finally rounded them up and took them to a less holy lake about 25 kilometres away. There's one main road in town lined with shops of all kinds. Charlotte managed some great deals on silver jewellry and other little bits and bobs. In the evenings we hung out at a little place called the Sunset Cafe. We sipped soda water with fresh lemon squeezed in. And watched the sunset with the hundreds of others who were in town for the same reason. The people we met in Pushkar were mostly kind and generous and anxious to make friends. The only trouble spots were the fake holy men who try to get you to donate money when you walk near the ghats. You would do this of course if you loved your family and wanted good luck for them. They could be quite pushy and we heard lots of stories of travellers being relieved of thousands of rupees by this method. In general Indian families will give between 20 and 100 rupees as a donation at the Ghats.

It was time to move on however, time to get to the real business of Rajasthan, what I, at least, had really come for; camel trekking. Yes off to Jaisalmer. It's at the edge of the Thar desert, a bare 100km from the Pakistani border.

We arrived after travelling for 12 hours overnight by bus. Our guesthouse had a driver waiting for us at the bus stop and whisked us away within seconds of arrival while our fellow passengers pushed and pulled their bags in a melee with drivers eager for fares. It was a beautiful sight from the back window of our van, dust curling up behind us and that mayhem soon pushed out of view by a cloud of sand kicked up by our van's tires.

At the guesthouse we were overwhelmed by the friendliness of the owner and the good rate for a room. It was hot but, again this is the desert in the middle of summer. We booked our camel ride for the next day and set off to explore the fort and shops.

The old fort, unlike most in India, is still in use. People are living within the walls much as they have done for the past five hundred years. Walking in the tight alleyways you see restaurants, guesthouses, shops and imperious looking cows everywhere. It's not far from how it must have been so long ago except for the coke ads and signs for internet cafes. Many people actually stay within the walls of the fort. We opted not to. Apparently the fort is sinking because of serious water problems. With its increased popularity on the tourist trail more and more people have come resulting in a serious water shortage. That coupled with some poor attempts at improved drainage have depleted the water supply under the fort and the result is that it's slowly sinking.

We had a great dinner that evening at a place called Trio. They had a wicked Safari Soup made from chicken and tomato broths with coriander and a few other spices. Lovely. Went to bed early as we had a 7:30 camel start.

Next morning we drove for about half an hour into the desert to meet the camels. We found them as you might expect, sitting around mindlessly chewing their cud. Their jaws working back and forth, back and forth.

We mounted up. It's a bit of a trick to stay in the saddle as they get up from the backside first. You're immediately pitched forward and then back as they scramble onto their knees and then then up to their full height.

Off we went in the blazing sun. The gait is actually quite smooth once you get into the rhythm of their walk. Very long strides combined with the swaying motion of their hump. Unlike a horse their necks curve down and they can actually turn their heads around and look at you while your're walking along. Up close their coats are wiry and dirty, and covered with little flies that never seem to leave them, they give off a truly horrible smell, constantly expelling gas while peeing and pooing down their legs. It's best to be in the lead with all the other camels behind you.

We rode for about three hours before breaking for lunch. I constantly had the image from "Lawrence of Arabia" in my mind as we rode along. Peter O'Toole wrapped in white linen, his face peeling from sunburn, barely able to hold his head up in the intense heat. It was definitely that hot. An unbelievably dry, 45 degrees. As for the flowing sand dunes and noble, barren desert landscape, it was more like scrub trees with patches of grass and hard packed pebbly sand, dotted with what looked like abandoned attempts at tilling the land to grow crops. Much less romantic. But we were promised sand dunes and we kept our eyes peeled for them.

No dunes before lunch. We settled in under the shade of a big tree. The camels were hobbled by tying ropes around their front legs. This meant that they had to walk by taking baby steps. Very comical. They headed off to munch the scrub brush while we sat under the tree and rested our sore thighs from the morning's ride. It wouldn't have been so bad except the saddles are not made of leather and wood but are metal frames. The frames sit on the camels back and are softened with blankets. The same blankets we would become more familiar with that evening.

We waited under the tree for about three or four hours for the sun to relent. Around 3:30 we climbed back up on the camels and headed for "The Dunes" and our night's camp.

It took about two more hours to finally get there and yes there were sand dunes. Not quite the marching, majestic, towering ones of Lawrence of Arabia but about four or five reaching a maximum height of 30 feet at the most. A little underwhelming but still very cool since it was the first we'd ever seen. We hung out in the dunes for an hour or so waiting for the "spectacular" sunset that had been promised. The sun certainly set. Spectacular might not be the best word for it. Perhaps "lackluster" is a tad more appropriate.

Soldiering on we prepared for dinner and setting up the camp site. The camp site consisted of laying down those saddle blankets on the sand behind the dunes. Out in the open. That was it. Sleeping under the stars surrounded by camels, dung beetles, wild dogs and who knows what else. After about five minutes we realized that if we didn't cover up in some fashion we would be part of the sand dunes by morning. There was sand everywhere. In our ears, noses, under our eyelids and in the camera. We solved the problem somewhat by wrapping our sarongs around our heads and covering up with the camel blankets. Did I mention how bad the camels smelled? Well the unwashed blankets that spend everyday soaking up their sweat are even worse. It was the smelliest night's sleep ever. (Charlotte now commenting that it was smellier than most nights with me) That said it was neat to be out in the open in the middle of the desert. We drifted off to sleep. I wouldn't say we slept soundly. I woke on several occasions with a start. Once when I felt a pair of dung beetles walking up my bare leg. The other when I was convinced that something was licking my toes in anticipation of taking a big bite out of them. Still later we awoke to see a camel not more than five feet away crawling towards us on his knees. We were saved from trampling by the swift actions of our guide who rushed over and kicked sand at the camel until he turned and went off in another direction.

So next morning we got up with the sun and had some breakfast. Boiled eggs and toast. All delightfully coated in sand for that extra crunchy taste. As we watched our guides clean the pots and plates from our meals I realized that they weren't using any water. That's right, you guessed it, they were cleaning the metal dishes with sand.

We headed back to Jaisalmer. It was a three or four hour ride back. We led the whole way back. I wouldn't say it was the most comfortable experience of our journey so far but it was definitely a lot of fun and felt somewhat adventurous.

Back in Jaisalmer we killed the rest of the day before getting on an overnight train to Jodhpur by showering and shopping. Charlotte found a great little shop that sold intricate wall hangings and beat the shopkeeper's prices down over multiple cups of masala chai.

We went once again to Trio for the Safari soup and then caught the train. A nine hour journey.

Jodhpur came at about 5am. We had already booked at a place called Yogi's and took a rickshaw there straight away. We got people out of bed by ringing bells and walking around the darkened guesthouse yelling "Hello, Hello." Our room was ready and we crashed out for hours while the owners had to deal with the other travellers that arrived behind us. As long as we get a nice wee nap is all that counts.

After waking we headed up to Yogi's restaurant on the rooftop. We had lunch literally in the shadow of Meherangh Fort. A huge complex built into a sheer cliff. Jodphur is called the blue city because many of the houses surrounding the fort are painted with indigo. This was done both as a sign of wealth and as an early fly repellant. We spent the next day and a half exploring the fort and little alleyways that make up the town beneath the fort's cliff face.

The fort itself was one of the best preserved we've seen yet. It was great to wander around and marvel at the opulence that the former rulers once lived in.

The town itself is a little dirty but there's a great spice shop at the main market. We found our way there and bought enough great spice mixes to keep us going for a long time. The best part is that the shop has a website and does mail order once we run out.

By far the best part of Jodphur is sitting on one of the many rooftop terraces near the end of the day. The indigo on the buildings lights up as soon as the sun goes down behind the fort. That's the time when the jumble of rooftops comes alive with people. Many families hanging out with each other. Mothers preparing meals while kids fly tiny kites over the rooftops. It looks like hundreds of birds twisting, turning and swooping through the air only to suddenly stop as their lines tangle in the electrical wires or the kite crashes into someone's house four buildings away.

We were sad to leave Jodphur. It was a great place but after sleeping in the sand and exploring the forts of Rajasthan for three weeks the beach was calling out to us. We hopped a train and headed for Goa and Kerala in southern India. That's where you'll find us next. Hope all are well.

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Photos

Need A Ride?
In Jaisalmer the cows definitely have the run of the town

What time is that?
Checking the time at the Observatory in Jaipur

Big Watch
Apparently bigger is better as this sundial suggests when telling time

Amer Fort
View of the palace grounds at Amer fort in Jaipur

Traffic Jam
The preferred mode of transport up from Amer fort

Mirror Rooms
Many of the rooms of Amer fort are tilled with thousands of pieces of coloured glass

Loose Tooth
This girl begged us to take her picture for a few rupees. Couldn't resist but her bad tooth kept her from smiling.

Pushkar Sunset
Watching the sun go down was a big spectacle every night

Making Money
This pair sang and played for hours on end hoping for some spare change

Hellooooo
Charlotte's camel steed

Camel Safari
It's better to be out in front. Too smelly back here.

Seeing Shadows
There's not much else to do but take silly pictures when sitting on a camel for hours

The Dunes
If you keep the photo shot tight it looks very impressive

Indiana Jones
Trying his best but not quite

Turban Wrapping
Wrapping up a turban at Jodphur fort

Photo Op
All the tourists were lining up for this picture unbeknown to these guys minding their own business

The Blue City
View of Jodhpur from the city's clifftop fort

Comments

[David]

What you're missing
Don't know if you're aware.... but for the past 7 weeks we've been walking in picket lines around CBC buildings across the country. We've been locked out. Much anger and unhappiness and calls for heads to roll. I'm sure we're having way more fun than you