The Sun City

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Jodhpur is located at the edge of the Thar desert and is one of the bigger cities in the province of Rajasthan. It is called the "sun city" because of the ridiculous amount of clear days this city had during the year. The five hour bus ride I had from Jaisalmer was hilarious. People were crammed onto the bus and literally several would sit right in the isle. I'm getting used to the new meaning of personal space here in India. When the bus finally did arrive in Jodhpur, I had no idea where the hell I was. I tried to negotiate with a rickshaw to get me where I needed to go, but that isn't easy when you have no idea where the hell you are. So I guess I probably got ripped off but at least I still got to my hostel. Crashpad wasn't located in the city center, but it was about a thirty minute walk, which wasn't terrible all things considered. I got to the hostel by the late afternoon and it seemed alright for what I was paying. Soon enough I met a young traveller by the name of Johnny. Johnny was only eighteen years old and seemed to have way more insight than I probably had by the time I reached my mid twenties. He had a joint and then asked me if I wanted to smoke. We then walked towards the old city to grab some food. Luckily he had an Indian sim card on his mobile and therefore had access to google maps, because I would have been hopelessly lost. We found a pretty good and cheap rooftop restaurant. I tried malai kofta for the first time and it wasn't half bad. We then left and on the way back stopped at some shops and picked up different snacks. Once back at the hostel, I decided I would read up more on this city and decide how long I might want to stick around. Ended up going to bed quite late in the end.

The next morning I ended up starting with some exercises on the roof, and then cleaned my stinky body. Hygiene is meant to be important I was told. The day was pretty hot at about 25 degrees Celsius. At this point in my trip this was pretty much the hottest day I've had so far. I rehearsed the walk I did with Johnny into the old city. The streets were bustling, and this felt like a much bigger town than I had expected. Humanity littered each place, and then a multitude of cows and stray dogs roamed around. This old city, like most old cities, has incredibly narrow lanes and alley ways. It was pretty fun to get lost and explore. Luckily the giant fort lay on an elevated slab of land about 125 meters high. I climbed the steps and made my way up to a viewpoint of the city. From there the Mehrangarh Fort was only minutes away. Considered one of the largest forts in all of India and surrounded by massive walls, since its construction in 1460, it has never been conquered in battle. Being there in person it was easy to see why. I contemplated if I wanted to check out the inside of the fort. Considering that it was expensive by Indian standards I initially said the hell with it, but then again when's the next time I'll be in Jodhpur so I ended up saying the hell with it and went in. The entrance fee came with an audio tour device, making the experience way more informative then it otherwise would of been. I went along the grounds and then saw the palace. It was impressive for what it was but I left a little disappointed because I had wanted to get some good shots of the old blue city but all the vantage points seemed to be closed. I walked over to some nearby sites and took some shots as the sun descended. Then I went down to the old city once again and walked around looking for a place to chow down. I ended up going back to the same place I had eaten at the night before. After that I passed the clock tower but must have taken a wrong turn because next thing I knew I was very lost once again. It was fine at first but then I really couldn't figure out I ended up getting a rickshaw back to the hostel after about an hour of walking, but the things I saw never ceased to amaze me. Walking through a city in India is always a sight to behold and a reason alone to visit this incredible country.

The next day I ate a quick breakfast and then booked it towards the bus station. It took me a little while to negotiate with a rickshaw driver but I was on my way once I bartered him down to 80 rupees. On the way there we passed people riding horses, riding camels, and even riding elephants through the busy streets. I got to the station with minutes to spare, and then boarded the bus to my next destination.

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