Camels and desert

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Hi Peeps
Since we last left a blog we have had our first taste of dehli belly well to be more precise it was udaipur belly.Charlie got it first then it was my turn. We wont go into to much detail but to say something wanted to get out stomach and it certainly found its way out. It was a 12 hour bug tht left us quite fragile for about 4 days. But our hotel room at udaipur was right over the lake with fantatic views of the city. After we felt better we moved onto jodhpur Thats right them funny trousers were made here. Our guesthouse (yogis) was run by a nice bunch from nepal. We went up for dinner when we got there we were amazed to see the massive fort that donimates the whole town (wow) another great sight.This place gets better all the time. Most of the houses in jodhpur are painted blue ohhhh thats why its called the blue city. This in the old days showed that most of the town folk where from the highest caste(brarmin) apparently it also keeps the town cool and the mozzies at bay. But most of this stuff can be read on any good website or in any good book and we wanna give our own insights....................

The best or most intresting parts for us are when you walk and get lost in all the high alleyways you always stumble across something unexpected. This is also when you find the indian people going about there daily lives.
When we were walking back from the fort in jodhpur we stumbled across a group of lads playing street cricket which is a common sight.
All they use is a bat shaped from a single piece of wood and the stumps are a pile of bricks or anything that can be found.
The playing area was a very small bizzy courtyard,you share your pitch with cows,tuk tuks.tea sellers and housewifes doing there duties.
When you walk past they like nothing better than to get the english lad in bat so they can showing off there bowling skills. So up steps jimmy to take a few shots and i can say i did us proud. The first shot hit a cows back but we all agreed it would have been a four/stop play a lady walks past carrying a massive water jug on her head/this is also a common sight/then number 2 ball came my way this one i smashed into the other wall also a four.Then it was my turn to bowl, the lad really got hold of this one and sent the cheap plastic ball into a locked temple/game over.
Lots little things like this that happen everyday that just keeps a smile on your face. Sometimes you feel like the tourist attraction with people waving from here houses and saying hello when you reply in hindu you get a great response and most the time they want you to came in for chai and a chat.
The culture shock never really wears off so its hard getting across in words what this place is like but i hope some of our tales help you to understand what we are experiencing.This is by far the most interesting place we have ever been too.
We are now in jaisalmer this place also rocks its a mad desert city with the best fort we have seen yet. The city is on the Thar desert and stretches into Pakistan 70 miles away.. We got back from a 2 day 1 night camel trip into the desert and the sandunes. We had a camel each and good guides nice people spoke little english..we stopped in villages and took in village life let the camels have a drink...real exciting and time out from the hustle and bustle of city life (time to think) we camped up in the evening made a fire in the sand dunes and ate a lovely meal cooked in the fresh air...we slept under the stars what an experience i can tell you...so many stars in the sky we have never seen so many...absolutley amazing...we woke at 6.30 jim and i and watched the sun come up over the sanddunes...so beautiful...got back on the camels and rode off for 5 miles to then stop for lunch...what a great time we had very sore backside i can tell you...i did have the oppportunity for some of the journey to take control of my camel but it walked far too slow.... We got back yesterday evening...absolutley knakered and had got the sun somewhat...had an early night woke up to loads of shopping today and booked our bus tickets to Bikaner 6am...too early jim thinks but no other bus and we have to leave to go to Delhi by train 10hrs...so goodbye now...next blog we will be in Thailand!!!

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Comments

[Laurels]

HURRAH
Great to have another Blog! love the pics (especially the monkey!) can't believe you have nearly been away for a whole month already. We've put another pin in our map. Thanx for the postcard Charles. afternoons are VERY quiet without ya..... Take care both of you X x X