Blogs from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India, Asia - page 6

Jaisalmer – The Golden City (in the desert) After a near miss of a sudden down pour in Delhi we are kindly dropped off by Ashok at Race Course Metro to catch the 5.30pm Inter City Express to Jaisalmer from Old Delhi station – which is packed to the rafters & getting around quite a challenge. We leave as expected according to Indian standard time – 20 minutes late even though the train has been in the station for ½ hour and starts from here. We are on lower berths in 2 AC which Cags booked online & it worked!! It’s an overnight trip and we meet some Indian Tourists – from Bengal and Jodhpur going to J, as well as some folk returning after a trip from Jodhpur. It’s station Thali (Rs 135 ... read more

Jaisalmer is a place where history whispers through the winds and golden sands meet the azure skies. With Kristian Bertel we embark on a virtual journey to Jaisalmer, India – a city straight out of the pages of a fairytale, where every corner tells a story of valor, romance and the undying spirit of Rajasthan. It was a driven wanderlust and curiosity that led him to what he was photographing. And he is still traveling and exploring as much as he has done since he first traveled to India. A glimpse into the past As the sun rises over the horizon, casting a golden hue upon the desert landscape, Jaisalmer awakens like a slumbering prince. This magnificent city in the heart of the Thar Desert is a living museum, its architecture a testament to the grandeur ... read more

Heather, Natalie and I decided it was time to explore some more of India and we figured why not head to Jaipur for the Elephant Festival and Holi Festival. In order to accommodate the festivals, I left the volunteer project nearly a week early and have arranged to return at the end of the month before leaving the country. Jaipur (March 6-11) The girls and I spent a total of five days in Jaipur. On day two, we went to the Elephant Festival. The festival consisted of a parade of exquisitely painted elephants adorned with brightly colored scarves/fabrics hanging from their husks and pierced ears, large bangles around their ankles, beautiful headdresses and intricate quilts draped over their backs. There were six elaborately decorated elephants competing for best dressed while others were available for elephant rides. ... read more

Kamele und Militärfahrzeuge und sonst nichts als Wüste begegnen uns die letzten 60 Kilometer auf dem Weg nach Jaisalmer, das nur 100 Kilometer von der pakistanischen Grenze im Nirgendwo liegt. Überall sind Zeltlager der indischen Armee aufgebaut und wir überholen ganze Kolonnen an Militär-Gruppenwägen. Da ich während der Fahrt ein Buch über den Krieg in Afghanistan lese etwas gruselig. Und dann erscheint plötzlich wie aus dem Nichts am Horizont das sandsteinfarbene Fort von Jaisalmer das die gesamte Altstadt der kleinen 60.000 Einwohner zählenden Wüstenstadt beherbergt. Die "Neustadt", wo wir ein Haveli Hotel beziehen, hat sich unterhalb des Forts angesiedelt, ist aber genauso wie Fort und Altstadt komplett aus dem goldgelben weichen Sandstein der Region erbaut, wodurch das Stadtbild mit vielen schönen Havelis sehr einheitlich wirkt. Das besondere an Jasialmer ist aber, dass die Fas... read more

Monday 05 March 08.00 We are out of bed early after good night’s sleep. Breakfast is as yesterday and head off into the street. Not so much wind or dust this morning so a pleasant walk towards town. I stop at an internet shop to blog and buy a train ticket for my journey to Jodhpur on Tuesday evening. I sort some mobile phone time as well. I walk round the road below the fort and take some photos of the local circle and a Spanish tourist takes my photo. I spend the morning walking all over the fort. These days it’s a commercial centre with all kinds of shops but still a wonder in its own way. I stop for lunch and have a salt lassi and a masala chat sandwich all very nice. Then ... read more