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Published: September 15th 2018
Jaisalmer fort
View of fort from roof of Patna-ki-Haveli We travelled from Jodhpur last night by train which tuned out to be a more interesting journey than expected. Firstly on walking into the station there were people everywhere to the point where our tuk tuk couldn’t drive in due to congestion. There were people sleeping on the floor, on blankets and on camp beds. It looked like a refugee camp. Our first thought was that the trains were in disarray but we were pleasantly surprised to find all trains running on time. we were told there’s a religious festival somewhere which I presume they’re travelling tobut no one seemed to be able to tell us where or which festival!
Picking our way across the bodies we found our platform and as by some miracle managed to get a seat. We ended up sitting next to a pleasant young man and his friends who had come to Jodhpur for exams with the Indian airforce. This obviously got Stephen talking about planes. As the conversation continued we ended up surrounded by a large crowd of Indians - apparently all trying to understand the conversation. At first it was very funny. Then there were a few too many and it felt a
Jaisalmer fort
View from cannon platform little intimidating so we said goodbye and got on our train.
The 3AC carriage is pretty similar to 2AC. Instead of 2 beds either side there are 3 though (so 8 people in a compartment as oppose to 6), the beds are narrower, there are no curtains for privacy and you get sheets but no blankets. For me it was fine. Poor Stephen struggled to fit into his top bunk - he‘s far too big for it and it was tricky moving enough to get into position. Fortunately it’s a short train journey and we managed to get a little sleep before arriving in Jaisalmer as the sun came up.
Not daring to venture near any tuk tuks (they have a terrible reputation here for pushing camel rides and hostels they’re associated with) we decided to walk the 30mins to out hotel. At 630am this was actually very pleasant as it was cool and very, very quiet (the streets were deserted). It also meant that our hotel was just about to start serving breakfast when we got there to drop off our bags.
On arrival at the hotel we were pleasantly suprised at the attentiveness of the
Jaisalmer fort
View from Hotel Lal Garh restaurant staff. We dumped our bags, had a leisurely breakfast overlooking the fort, and then got to move into our (upgraded) room very early. Following a nap and a shower we checked in. They discussed camel safari options and sights to see but were not pushy and we haven’t had to commit to anything.
The morning we spent wondering around the fort. 5000 people still live within its walls and we enjoyed seeing all the shops and narrow streets. We managed to get up onto the battlements in some places and were pleased to see some cannon after being unable to at Jodhpur. We did find the pushy sales people somewhat frustrating and contrary to the guidebook found them much more aggressive than in Jodhpur (for Tuk Tuks, guides, shops & cafes, not just camel safaris).
After lunch we went to see a couple of old Haveli’s. These are essentially big houses built around courtyards by the wealthy. There are loads around you can see from the outside but only a few you can enter. The first we saw was the Nathmal-ki-Haveli, a 19th century house once used by the prime minister and still privately owned. Unfortunately they no
Jaisalmer fort
Main gate at 7 am. Very quiet! longer allow tourists to see the paintings on the first floor it’s known for, you can only see the first courtyard and outside.
The Patwa-ki-Haveli is actually 5 houses built by wealthy brothers in the 1800s. This is stunning from the outside with all the engravings. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a tourist trap. Of the 5 houses 3 are open to the public to see. One government run, one done up as it was, and a third relatively empty. Each has there own price and guide. It’s incredibly confusing as you walk in and we ended up going into the first one (and most expensive) thinking it was the government museum only to discover our mistake afterwards. To be fair this is the largest of the house and is beautifully maintained with plenty of things to see but I’d recommend having a look around outside first before deciding which one you want to go into.
Tired we came back to our suite to relax before watching the sunset from the rooftop. Unfortunately it was spoilt by cloud but the fort was lit up and the (candlelit) food was good so overall a pleasant evening.
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