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Published: October 15th 2008
Jaisalmer Fort
The yellow sandstone fortified city built high on a sand dune Jaisalmer 13th to 16th October 2008
Caught the overnight sleeper from
Bikaner to Jaisalmer. Once again delayed by 1 hour. This meant we didn't leave til 12.30am. The platform was full of people sitting on the floor waiting and the usual collection of helpful people and serial starers!! A nice lady brought her daughter over to us (obviously to practise her English) and later she came back with her older brother. They were doing a tour of the temples of Rajastan and came from Uttar Pradesh (or UP..... the Indians just love initialising everything!!).
Just as well we befriended them because their dad was able to show us the right carriage when the train eventually arrived.
Only 1 sleeper coach on this (somewhat tatty) train, which was full. David took the top (of 3) bunk and I had a ground floor berth! Everyone seemed to have brought their own duster to clean the beds and there were no pillows or blankets, but what can you expect for 50p! Wet wipes did the trick. Sadly the windows next to me would not close so by the time we arrived at Jaisalmer I was covered in 2cms of sand!!
Fifu Guest House
The roof top terrace Fortunately there was a tuk-tuk waiting and we were able to go straight to our room and bed at 7.00am.
Jaisalmer has a yellow sandstone fort with a town inside. We had been told that it was a lot of hassle and grief with auto-rickshaw drivers and shopkeepers all trying to get you to go with them. Well it is, but if you smile and say 'no thank you' firmly they soon move on. It is also full of tour buses and kids back-packing but that's ok too. We like it because despite the fact that our very nice guest house
FIFU is outside the town and on the edge of the desert, you can still walk to the gates in 15 mins.
The Fort Museum is very interesting with an excellent audio tour. From the lovely roof top terrace of
Fifu you can watch the sunset over the desert and whilst surfing the www. watch the local women going back and fore to the well, carrying pots of water on their heads. Surreal! Must mention the brilliant red and yellow and saffron saris that the women wear here. Fabulous!
Last night we walked to the lake which
Muslim Burial Ground
Burial place of ancient settlers from Afghanistan used to be the main water supply to the city and the reason that Jaisal settled here.It is now a tourist attraction with some very dodgy looking pedalos and rowing boats. For 10 rupees you can feed green or yellow popcorn to the gigantic cat-fish which leap over each other in their fight to get at the delicacy. Not a pretty sight but pretty amazing all the same.
Just taking the opportunity now to chill out and relax a bit which is good.
Fifu has good wi-fi internet access so we are catching up on all the dismal banking news and all the lovely emails we have missed, as well as updating this blog.
Tomorrow morning we take a jeep tour of the monuments, before catching the
4.00pm train to Jodphur......I wonder if this one will be on time???
Thursday It was interesting talking to the manager
Om last night. We heard him speaking Spanish to some guests and were intrigued as to where he learned Spanish. Apparently he hired someone to come for 2 months and teach him!! He also speaks German, perfect English and of course Hindi.
Must say the staff here
Outside the fort walls
David is dtermined to get a cow in every shot! are all very helpful, the food is good and it is beautifully decorated. We have tried 3 rooms so far and all different. They have also been really helpful with booking in and out and letting us use a room as soon as we arrived until we actually leave for the station. Thoroughly recommend the place if you come this way.
This morning's jeep trip into the desert was quite interesting. The desert has less vegetation than around Bikaner and much more sandstone. Saw a
Jain temple and a village that was deserted overnight some 400 years ago as well as the Cenotaphs of Jaisalmer.
Off to the station in less than 1 hour.
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Om Kewalia(Fifu)
non-member comment
Thank you our dear friends
Dear Anne and David, Thank you very much for sending us your travel blog address. I am reading at the moment and showing our staff whoever can understand the english and who cannot, can see the photos from you. It is really a good efforts to write your diary with details of every place, it is really helpfull for follow travellers. Thank you friends, and take care, wish you a nice stay in Rajasthan and India. With my best regards, Namaste. Fifu ( Om Kewalia )