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Published: January 11th 2009
Jaipur As we headed westward from Agra, the scenery became increasingly desert-like. We arrived by bus in Jaipur, a rather dusty, crazy city on a hot afternoon.
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan with a population of 2+ million that sprawls westward from the hills the border the town. Jaipur is known as the pink city for it's pink-painted buildings in the "old city" area.
We spent three days in Jaipur, wandering the old city, bussing out to Amber and Jaigarth Forts, eating sundaes, discovering paranthas (north India flatbread-stuffed-with-potatoes-and-herbs breakfast food) and taking in the dusty heat.
Hawa Mahal is a special place in the old city. Once connected to the palace, it was the place where the women of the court, who were subject to
purdah (could not be seen or allowed to leave the palace), could watch the goings-on in the street below in privacy behind the carved screens.
We made friends constantly in and around Jaipur. There were many Indian tourists site-seeing during their Diwali holiday wanting to chat and take photos with us; endless locals trying to lure us into their shops; children wanting to make contact; beggars looking for spare change.
Attention is constant in India.
Jaisalmer After a totally disorienting overnight bus trip, we arrived in Jaisalmer.
This was my first time in a "sleeper" bus. There are semi-reclining seats on the main level; the top level is full of sleeping compartments. Singles on one side of the bus, doubles on the other. It was a night spent bouncing around with our bags in our little compartment. Not so much sleep.
Jaisalmer is the wild west of India. Located on the edge of the Thar desert that extends to the west into Pakistan, Jaisalmer is a very touristy but laid-back sort of town.
I was so entertained that the answer to the question "How much?" for something cheap like toilet paper was: "As you like" accompanied by that careless, Indian shrug. So different from the intensity of other Indian cities that I was used to.
The main feature of Jaisalmer is the golden fort that encloses the old city and dominates the landscape for kilometres around.
The old city parts of Jaisalmer have these quaint, narrow, often cow-filled streets between havelis or intricately carved stone houses.
Unfortunately, after a spell of
feeling sort of better, Matt fell ill again for a couple of days.
Both of us have been struggling to find appetizing food. Weary of curries, horrified by attempts at chowmein and other international dishes such as pasta, we haven't really been eating well for the last while.
Winter arrived while we were in Jaisalmer. One afternoon a wind picked up and, sure enough, slightly cooler days and nights came with the November full moon. Everyone was relieved. The locals lit candles at the temples to usher in the season. We found beer and tasty pasta in "Little Italy" in a fort turret.
Nonetheless, we found the people of Jaisalmer very friendly and welcoming. It was with some reluctance that we headed to the train station for the 19 hour ride back to Delhi.
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