Christmas day 25th December 2012 Jodhpur

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Day 9: Christmas Day.



Woke at 8am, excited to share this ‘special day’ with the children.<span> Stockings, made by Grandma, had travelled with us so duly were filled on Christmas Eve by Father Christmas. Joe had informed Santa several weeks earlier that he would be in India!



The children were awake as we sneaked into their room and Joe hastily opened all his stocking gifts. The girls, in true teenage style, woke, a little grumpy and had to be cajoled into sharing Joe’s enthusiasm. Joe demolished most of the edible contents of his stocking before 9am.



Presents were exchanged and we all dressed for breakfast. Breakfast was a buffet of Indian delights, paratha, vegetable curry, sambal and roti. The children had porridge and juice.



We met Vijay at 11am and drove to the Maharanga Fort, the amazing Blue fort which overlooks Jodhpur. We spent 3 wonderful hours meandering through the fort, dazzled by the beauty within its battlements.<span> A trio of men in traditional Rajasthan costume played drums and wind instruments as we entered through the great gates, their skills complementing the atmosphere of the moment.



Up the cobbled path we climbed and entered into the museum which was filled with treasures from the Maharajas’ life in the palace. Amazing jewels lined the rooms, the bed-chamber being lined with glass baubles over the ceiling. The floor was intricately decorated marble but looked like a fine Persian rug.

Joe was especially interested in the armoury, surprise, surprise!



After a lovely day at the Fort we spent the rest of the day at the hotel. Determined to claim that we had swum on Christmas day. The water was icy cold but we all managed a brief swim before warm showers. The simple things in life are infinitely more apparent when travelling!



Christmas day evening as spent in Jodhpur, visiting the bazaar and having dinner on a roof top restaurant with Vijay. The fort overlooked the restaurant and was lit up.<span> It was an amazing place to spend Christmas evening and we all savoured the moment.



After visiting a spice shop and buying some recommended Masala mix we headed back to the hotel for a restful night sleep, or so we thought.

At around 2am a coach party of teenagers arrived and for the next hour enthusiastically ‘settled’ in to their new hotel.<span> We were not amused.<span> After complaining again to the manager we were promised an up grade, which we duly got the next day.

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