Blogs from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India, Asia - page 30

So today I woke up and opened the front door to the guest house and there was a cow sitting there blocking the entrance! I can't wait to show some pics...cows are everywhere....Now I've also seen monkeys, dogs, pigs, boars?, goats, camels, oh and a pet snake...all running free. There are so many holy cows and even more holy poop I was walking down the street when a cow decided to head butt me in the bum to get me out of the way! Besides that I'm called "gori" all the time it means tourist so I always know when people are talking about me. I'm trying to learn as quickly as possible It'd be great to catch someone off guard and speak right back! Been practising everyday so we will see! I got a killer ... read more

So I've had time today to catch up and I wanted to write everything I've been seeing and doing. As I said I went out to the countryside yesterday and spent the evening with a family which was a very humbling experience. Anywhere I went the children followed I always atleast five pairs of eyes on me. They were thrilled at having their picture taken and skimming thru my travel books...I had nothing to offer in return accept a sack of candy I brought since I knew there were going to be children there. The father asked if I'd like a beer I said sure! I have not drank here at all and he said you know beer in India is for the rich man but if you like tonight because you are my special guest ... read more

This place is fantastic. Arriving in Jaisalmer was like hitting an oasis, without the water and palm trees but with the sense of peace, calm and tranquility. This is an exaggeration and certainly a comparative viewpoint; after Kolkata, Varanasi and Delhi Kings Cross would seem like the Botanical Gardens, but it was certainly welcome! In Jaisalmer the sky is visible and you can't look at the sun at midday, the air seems to actually contain more oxygen than exhaust fumes and lo and behold, stars at night! The fort is incredibly impressive. Built on a hill of sandstone the same colour as the surrounding desert, it seems almost to grow out of the hill. As opposed to most ancient forts, this one is still used day to day, with about three and a half thousand permanent ... read more

This blog is a little late comming. Apologies. Sam and I left Jodhpur for Jaisalmer on the sleeper train, which are always interesting. Upon sitting down we go talking to an Indian family sleeping under us about the prices of foodstuffs in Australia. They, unlike us, were extremely interested in this topic, and very proud at how cheap it was in India. It got a little tedious when the conversations consisted of: "the price of potatoes? ahhh. And peas? Ooo. Mutton?". It is interesting how the gulf between different countries is not the same depending on which side one comes from. For us, India is not to far away - both because it is relatively cheap for us to travel, and we are to some extent exposed to Indian culture at home. Here however, especially in ... read more

If you can afford a good seat and avoid the crush that you can expect in the cheaper classes, trains are a great way to travel in India. The distances are pretty large and generally the roads leave a lot to be desired. In addition, if you are over 5’8’’, you probably already know that you simply don’t fit in buses… The first hour of bus travel for me consists of trying to find a vaguely comfortable position, this always fails miserably and after another hour of intense pain all feeling leaves my lower body. The problems really start when it’s time to get off the bus, this requires at least half an hour of massage and light exercise to ensure you don’t fall flat on your face when you try to stand up as ... read more

De meest bereisde route in India is waarscheinlijk wel Delhi, Agra en Jaipur. Ook wel de Golden Triangle genoemd. De meeste mensen nemen er minstens twee weken voor, maar ik rush er door heen in minder dan een week. Het avontuur begon natuurlijk allemaal in Delhi.... Delhi De hele tijd dat ik in Delhi was zat ik te wachten op de cultureshock die iedereen zou moeten hebben bij aankomst in India. Hoewel het er inderdaad meer ranzig, goor en vies dan mooi, schoon en gezellig is deed het me niet zoveel. Na al mn andere uitstapjes vind ik mannen die op straat poepen, koeien die daar recht midden in die zelfde poep gaan liggen rollen, bedelende kinderen van anderhalf(!!!) jaar oud en blinde oma's zonder tand en/of handen de normaalste zaak van de wereld. Ik ga ... read more