Advertisement
Published: September 10th 2008
Edit Blog Post
So our overnight train... it was supposed to leave at 5 but was delayed until 8 pm. So we sat on the platform for 3 hours with a group of about 50 Indian men and boys surrounding us. We were expecting stares since we're white, but this was crazy! It was like we were in the zoo! And we weren't even doing anything entertaining! But it doesn't harm us at all so we might as well provide them with entertainment I guess. We've had a bunch of people take pictures of us too. It doesn't bother me and we take pictures of them sometimes so it evens out. It was interesting though because it was only the men. The women looked at us as they walked past but they kept moving and didn't stop and stare. Probably cultural I guess.
Our train was different from the ones in Thailand. Those were more spacious and only had 2 beds stacked on top of eachother. This train had 3. But it was still plenty spacious and air-conditioned so it was actually quite a relaxing 21-hour ride! I had my first real Indian chai on the train as well. For about American 10 cents.
And it was delicious! I love chai! We were in third class on the train and it was still quite nice. 2nd class had just 2 bunks instead of 3, so first class must have had their own compartments. The lower classes were jammed full! People would just pile on, even in the luggage compartments. At one stop there was a blind man who was trying to get on the train and people kept pushing him off so that they could get on.
The scenery out the window looked a lot like the outback of Australia, not really what I expected for India. But I guess I didn't really know what to expect for India besides lots of people.
We got to Jaisalmer a little after 5 pm and went to our hotel, Deepak Guesthouse. It is inside the Jaisalmer Fort so we have a spectacular view out of our window! We're right in the fort wall so there isn't anything obstructing our view. We had dinner at the rooftop restaurant and watched it get dark over the sandstone city. No sunset though because there were too many clouds.
My roommate and I did some wash before dinner and
hung it under the fan. 2 hours later after we ate it was already practically dry! Way different from Nepal where nothing ever dried even under the fan! It's a lot drier here since we're right by the desert.
This morning (10th) we explored Jaisalmer. A couple of us woke up early to see the sunrise but it was kind of disappointing. Supposedly it's better in Pushkar. First we went to some Jain Temples. Everything in Jaisalmer is made out of sandstone so it's all a really natural dusty red/yellow color. I love it! Thailand temples had more bright colors; they were amazing, but I think I almost like the natural look of these better. The temples were all extremely intricately carved. It was really impressive! Then we went to the Salam Singhki Haweli and the Patwa Haveli. They were made by past rulers of Jaisalmer and are also really intricately carved. From the roof of one there was a great view of the fort. We also saw the outside of the Maharawal Palace and the Gadi Sagar Lake, originally made to provide drinking water to the area. After lunch (which was excellent) Lucy and I took a tuk-tuk
so that she could get money from the ATM. We had 3 tuk-tuk drivers bargaining amongst eachother, all trying to get our business. We got them down to almost half the price! We then wandered around inside the fort which has only walking streets, exploring and browsing in all the little shops. It's the hottest in the morning and then by 3 or 4 in the afternoon it has cooled down and it was actually a quite pleasant adventure! It was probably only 85-90 instead of 100!
In India it's supposedly easy to tell the Muslims from the Hindus. Hindus wear red, orange, and yellow turbans while Muslims wear black or white. For Hindus, if a family member dies the relatives wear white. They wear it for 6 months unless it's their son, in which case they wear white for the rest of their lives because they can never be happy again. If it's their daughter that dies they still only wear white for 6 months.
Delhi has some nice historical sights and it's more modern, but I'm glad to be out of it. It was good to see, but 2 days was enough. It's just so chaotic!
Jaisalmer with Fort in background
Our hotel is in the middle of the fort wall It was like when we left Kathmandu. It's so much nicer to be in smaller cities or towns and I think we get a better idea of the country and culture.
Being in India is more like being in Nepal again. It's definitely more basic than Thailand and Malaysia, more of the tiny windy streets, even some of the language is the same. Paani still means water, namaste still means hello, and dhanyavad still means thank you; the three most important words!
The sights and sounds and smells and experiences are so extreme here, so different from home. And they really can't be described. Even pictures can't capture the beauty of a haveli or the desperation in the eyes of a street child. You really have to see it. Even more so than in the other countries I've been to.
I think I am going to love India! The architecture, the food, the chai, the way that the people can stay happy and optimistic even in the face of extreme poverty. I think it's a powerful place that really makes people think and will probably have the largest impact of all the countries I've visited.
Tomorrow we
set off on a camel safari into the Thar Desert where we will spend the night under the stars. Should be good!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.205s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 7; qc: 51; dbt: 0.1625s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
doug eby
non-member comment
thoughts
India always has had this mystique for me - massive crowds, but peaceful sprituality - monsoon rains, but dry deserts - massive cities, but simple rural areas - etc, ..... so far you have not destroyed my un-informed mystique....enjoy!