Blogs from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, Asia - page 11

We got into Jaipur in the early afternoon off the Rajasthani Express from Delhi and found our way to one of the hotels that was recommended in the Lonely Planet. They were full so we started phoning around and discovered that pretty much everything was booked up. What happened to traveling India in the off season? We did eventually find a nice place that would have been absolute luxury if the internet, TV and air conditioning worked reliably. There really isn't much to see in Jaipur, it is primarily a travel hub and administrative centre for Rajasthan. I'm sure there was some cool palace or temple that we missed but regardless we were happy to move further into the desert and on to Jodhpur. The train to Jodhpur was another interesting experience. The trip was only ... read more

Nouvelle etape: Jodhpur, la ville bleue. La route est assez agreable, plus bordee de verdure. 286km effectues en 4h! Ballade dans la ville qui est principalement un grand marche.... read more

This mornings government bus was still as difficult as the first one we took. The heat of Rajasthan was oppressive in the open windowed tin cans. Arriving to the blue city of Jodhpur at lunch we eventually got to the Blue Guesthouse and took the top floor room with windows looking out to the Mehrangarh Fort. The remainder of the day was left for eating and relaxing into the town. The following morning we hired a tuk tuk up to the fort which overlooks the blue city. The Mehrangarh Fort is still run by the current maharaja of Jodhpur, and armed with our audio guides we surveyed the fort and its grandeur. It overlooks the old city which is largely painted in light blue, as it’s said that the colour keeps things cool and scares off ... read more

Namaste, (Friends & Family) The First 24: Thirty-three. The exact number of perpendicular lines on the ivory ceiling of my simple, but cheap Indian hotel room. How do I know this? When fighting a losing battle with the infamous Delhi Belly (food poisoning) you have little else to do than lie on your back and stare at the blood reds, forest greens, and baby blues of the painted utopia glaring back at you. The only break in this seemingly endless 24-48 hour cycle of hell is the frequent mad dash to the water closet for gut wrenching relief. If I had a gun I would shoot myself (and the street vendor who made the damning falafel and/or tea that put me in this predicament). Considered a right of passage by many travelers, it is not as ... read more

Sunday 3-6 How fast do you think you can sightsee in around a 400 year-old city with a population of nearly 1 million? We tried it in 15 hours. After dropping our bags off at a hotel for the day, we wandered around the ancient city of Jodhpur, known as the blue city, which was spectacular! The blue comes from the blue paint most homes in the old section of town used to paint their roofs and outside walls. Blue is the color for Brahmans or highest class of Indians in the caste system. So from up above, looking down on the city, the landscape is a beautiful array of multi-textured homes, colored baby blue, set against the deep yellow and reds of the desert scrub. Wandering thru the city was a lot of fun, trying ... read more