From Jaisalmer to Jodhpur

From Jaisalmer to Jodhpur

Copied from my mails sent home:
Going on a bus full of Indian men from jaisalmer to Jodhpur. Last night we hired a band of Kalbeliya gypsies to play music,sing and dance just for me in the desert.Price for the show :10Euro and Sita,the dancer,was spirited and fun too. She braided my wind blown hair for me. Today I am tired coz my mobile rang at 3 am and after that and also earlier I spent hours watching the stars in the open sky over my bed and could not sleep.So tonight i will splurge and stay at some colonial villa in Jodhpur and hope to get some rest. More maharaja palaces and a fort tomorrow. Still did not get sick from the food!
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I am staying in the most delightful hotel in Jodhpur! Ratan Vilas feels like a real treat and I was ernchanted when the porter led me to my room which had a double bed, was spotless, and done in my favourite mediterranean yellow, and I had my first hot shower since arriving in India!
Breakfast was served by the gentlest, polite young Indian man in a suit and consisted of the full set of fruit, porridge, toast, eggs, yoghurt and their wonderful chai which is still the best part for me in India, always comforting, relaxing, refreshing, and always full of ginger and cardamom and other spices to reawaken your spirits after some tiring time out in the heat of the day.
Will post some pics from their home page to the album, go have a look, pls.
Today I went to the Mehrangahr Fort and Castle which blew me away with it's beauty. Wow! At last this trip feels really worth it. Halls and halls of wonders, full of glamour and richness of bygone times of Rajput rulers and heroes fighting bsattles with exquisitely made swords... I will have one hell of a photo album when I get back home and can hook up my digital camera.
For now, here is a picture of the Mandir Maharaja palace in Jaisalmer, the woman in the beautiful saree was a cleaner, I believe (I have been asked whether this is me when I emailed that pic to friends).
And now I have to run off for a dinner with folk music and dance in another hotel, so, enjoy!
Will keep blogging as I go, on a daily basis.

Fri, September 18, 2009