http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , India , Rajasthan , Jaisalmer en-us Thu, 10 Dec 09 23:54:03 +0000 Thu, 10 Dec 09 23:54:03 +0000 Another tour another overnight train ride this time to Jaisalmer in Rajathstan. If you are going to take a seventeen hour train ride in India in 3rd class I highly recommend that you do it on Diwali. It is like travelling on Christmas Day pretty much everybody is already at home and so the roads and trains are empty except for a few tourists ans some Indian guy who started rubbing Mark's feet http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-447856.html The final leg of our journey together took us to the desert town of Jaisalmer in far northwest Rajasthan not far from the border with Pakistan something we were very aware of in the current political climate. It didn't get off to a great start... we were hassled by aggressive touts at the train station in searing heat then Mozza and I came down with stomach cramps and other common traveller i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-445963.html Even the cows in Jaisalmer seem happy. These cows saunter along the quiet streets playing and always winning the game of chicken with each oncoming car or bike or child absentmindedly nibbling trash or leftover food scrapes from each store front where bowls are placed in offering for the cows and napping in a shaded patch of earth that was described as ldquocow parking.rdquo This is cl http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-443254.html Our arrival into Jaisalmer was not as expected. We had planned to walk to the fort and find the accommodation we had earmarked for that night inside the walls of the fort itself. However 2 stops before our disembarkation on the outskirts of town a couple of ''locals' got on and started inviting us to take their company car to our accommodation for 20rs. We initially refused used to scams like http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-441264.html We paid in advance for a double sleeper berth on the 'deluxe' overnight coach to Jaisalmer and sit waiting by the side of the road covered in dust from the constant stream of trucks trundling past. When it pulls in at 11pm it is far from deluxe and already jammed full of people...three people squeeze into seats for two and even the floor space is knee deep in slumbering bodies and it smells like http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-424613.html Number of Participants 40Managed by Karni Kripa Tours Pvt. Ltd. Jaipur.Karni Kripa is the sister concern of Know Well India Tours Pvt. Ltd. Jaipur.A unique marathon race was organized in the year 2003 from 30th November to 04th December from Bikaner to Jaisalmer in the western part of India . This was the first time that any marathon is done in this part of the world. At least 40 tourist from Fra http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-406438.html Des notre arrive Jaisalmer nous sommes sollicites de parts et d'autres pour participer un safari dos de chameau dans le dsert de Thar. Le plus difficile ici c'est de trouver l'agence qui offre le meilleur rapport qualitprix Nous poussons quelques portes d'agences et nous rcoltons de prcieux conseils auprs d'autres voyageurs Mission accomplie nous accordons notre confiance Mr. Ka http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-397437.html Travel to rajasthan Camel Safari is the ultimate way to sample desert life explore small villages and see the true grandeur of Rajasthan. Meant for people who have a good fitness level and live an active life camel rides can be as short as an hour or can stretch up to several weeks as desired. Riding a camel is not a great endurance test but is not very easy too. The rolling stride of the camel http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-397303.html Jaisalmer is on the far west of India close to Pakistan. It rises out of the surounding Thar Desert and its mighty sandstone fort built in 1156 towers over the town like a fairytale sandcastle. This is the land of turbans where the men have large curly moustaches and look like characters from Aladdin and the women dressed in bright sarees have faces decorated with golden piercings. Jaisalmer i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-397045.html The trip into the desert on camels deserves a post of its own even if only to give our kids a laugh.We hadn't really planned this trip so we didn't leave time for it in our planning. Pat has been talking for a long time about a camel trip through Jordan and that is still on the agenda more or less. She may have thought that a couple of days on camels would just whet the appetite.We were trucked http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-391341.html Jaisalmer express from old delhi to jaisalmer arrived almost an hour late at the platform. we were in 2nd ac coach number A1. we rushed to the only second ac coach with our heavy luggage but the door was locked. the coach has AE written on it with chalk. we went to the other end of the coach hoping there was a reservation chart on it but there was none and it was locked too. after some bumpy to a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-384350.html After our time in Jaipur we headed to the desert city of Jaisalmer. Immediately after leaving the train we definitely felt like we were in the desert. We got to our hotel grabbed some food and setup our camel trek which we would take the next morning.We woke up at 5 to catch our ride out to the desert where we would meet our guide and our camels. We enjoyed a nice breakfast cooked by campfire http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-382526.html v http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-382201.html Camels and Giant Sandcastles. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-381015.html This is the route I rode on my Enfield from Goa to Kathmandu. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-380125.html We're 40 miles from Pakistan.That blows my mind.This is about the 'deepest' into the far reaches of the world we will go on The Trip.We booked a private tour through Rajastahn and have a driver who is taking us through the desert. We've been riding in the backseat of a tinyass car and seeing things we can't quite believe.India is not like anywhere else we've been.We are tired it is bedtime. So http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-379676.html A more recent trip to India took us to the desert of Rajasthan. Film photos from that tripa little underexposed turns out shooting in the foggy desert is difficult but you get the idea. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-379313.html Thoughts from GrahamFollowing our drive out into the desert we were introduced to our saddled beast bearers. Thatrsquos beast of burden and no bearers of beasts. No sooner was I in the saddle as Mr India as he was called decided there was no requirement to allow me to ready myself for Mr Indiarsquos rising to all fours. Without instruction either from me or his driver up he rose of course http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-378436.html Managed to get a couple of hours kip on the overnight train which finally got in around 1300. I was spoilt on my first train apparently all the extras are only available on the Shatabdi express. The sleeper carriages are all open plan an mine held 3 beds on each side. A couple I met from Singapore were not as lucky as I because in their bit they fhad a baby who was screaming and vomiting all http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-378379.html Mandyrsquos stones and cornflakes has ceased Grahamrsquos sleepless nights Talking of cornflakes we were going to talk of the food which has been virtually without exception delicious. From the street food to lush restaurant it has been exquisite. One of the restaurants could have passed for a car repair workshop. Corrugated asbestos roof on steel trusses with an open front thorough which http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Rajasthan/Jaisalmer/blog-378358.html