Hello Rat Fans

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Roland would have been proud. The effort it took to get to Deshnok to the Karni Mata temple was not worth the end result. Walked around in rat shite for 10 mins and got on the bus back.

With every respect to the religious significance of the temple it was an experience that was hampered by the rain.

The journey there was what I expected for my first bus trip in India...bus packed to unsafe levels...people on the roof...who were then squeezed inside when it started to rain. Many cry of inglish, inglish when the guy took my money for the ticket...took a while to get there as we stood at a corner in the middle of Bikaneer for about 20 mins as the various conductors shouted at various people.
A Seek man got on and launched in to a long speech before selling something to people on the bus...to which they must have been good as everyone bought one...bar me!

The journey back was relavtively relaxed and a lot less cramped..so the ipod came out and that pleased a few people around me as interest levels soared to new heights. With requests for Hindi music being top on the list...unfortunatley couldn't oblige.

I then spent the afternoon wandering around the Junagarh fort with a swiss girl I met waiting for the tour to start (cristel). The fort was the best example of a fort had seen so far, well preserved I was told due to a charitable trust rather than the Govt.

We then mosied on over to Laxmi Nivas hotel where I tried some Purri Bahji and finished off with pancakes... my stomach is still not right but I am still able to eat...not feeling crap, but farting confidence still not building.

Having spent the rest of the day trying to find a ATM, using the LP, which compared to the conceiage (?) at the hotel) was more useful.

Dropped back to Cristels hotel...a eclectically decorated place...that had a lot more character than Vijays...but Vijay makes up for in hospitality.

Met a friend of Cristels called Tom, who had met the night before on the bus from Jaisalmer. Poor lad fainted a threw up...still it's taken 5 weeks to get him...so here' hoping my resistance will build as I was down 5 days in.

Head back to hotel to pick up bag and then off to bus stand, drop in on the guys to see that Tom has perked up...say my goodbyes, swap emails for photos (camera battery died) half way through the day and venture on the sleeper bus at 10.00pm to Jaisalmer.

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Photos

Helpful man
Loved the ipod! in a quizical not sure kind of way - the beatles were a hit