Thurs 27 Nov To Jaisalmer
We stumble off the bus from Bhuj. We were nowhere. On Pal Rd in the far suburbs of Jodhpur near nothing else except other private bus companies. For 30 R, we convinced a rickshaw to take us a little way to another company that ran buses going to Jaisalmer. It was 810.
For 250 R each, we got tickets to seats 11 and 12 on a bus leaving 830. The back compartment was filled with bags (of rice?); the bus company representative sat our packs in the aisle on the floor. We grabbed 1 kg of bananas (9) for breakfast. Luckily, a porta-potty on site.
Finally, off we went. It was not that crowded until we were out a little further. Then some 30 more got on. Standee time. They were everywhere, incl. standing and sitting on our bags. It was this way for hours. We hadn't slept well and were sort of numb. Finally, at a rest stop, Mike had enough and moved our bags from the floor onto a seat. The guy from the bus said we had to pay another 400 R (!) to let the bags sit on a seat. The aisle was apparently OK. We compromised by his jamming one of the bags into Mike's foot space at his seat, with the other on the aisle. Mike and Carol were thus imprisoned in seats 11 and 12 for the rest of the trip, while the bus and its 100-120 passengers tooled merrily along.
On the bus, we had telephoned ahead to KB Lodge in Jaisalmer and arranged for an 1800 R room w/o AC but with breakfast. So when we came to a last stop the edge of Jaisalmer, we took a 50 R rickshaw to the hotel, saw our room, sipped on some tea while we decompressed. The room was about the size of the bed, but nicely decorated. And the bathroom was OK. This hotel (and our room) has great views of the spectacular fort at Jaisalmer. And the clientele is European, mostly French (French usually means expecting style in lodging). And they were also our age.
Off at 1500 to see the town (the Fort could wait until tomorrow). One of the things that makes Jaisalmer unique is that the monsoon is light enough that the sandstone is preserved much better than the other Rajasthan towns with their sandstone carvings. Across the street from our hotel was a historic public bathhouse and "urinal" - the largess of past rulers. Many of the houses in this area had similar exterior paintings, seemingly painted by a couple of artists who lived by beautifying buildings. The predominant painting is a Ganesh elephant with standard symbols around him AND a mouse/rat worshiping at his feet. This isn't Mickey. Mike's theory: is that little figure is probably omnipresent because nearby in Deshnok in Rajasthan, the white mouse is felt to have achieved "moshka" (final reincarnation), saved from the wrath of the God of Death. Interestingly, the Hindu story sounds very much like the Elijah tales of the O.T.
Time to shake a leg. We walk into the Patwa ki Haveli, up the street, a spectacular building made of sandstone carved into elaborate carvings. Not all of the building is open to us but we are able to climb 5 stories and get some great views.
We never seem to have consistent maps, so we usually try to discover east and west by the time of day and the position of the sun. This time we do not carefully orient, and soon find that nothing on the ground corresponds to what we are seeing on our map, including a very nice Jain Temple. Finally, someone helps us out, and we realize we have gone north from the haveli, rather than west. Now that we know where we are, we pay an auto rickshaw 30 R for a ride to the correct traffic circle.
The guidebooks say that the private bus company Hanuman is more reliable, so we buy their tickets. For 200 R, we get seats 2 and 3 on the 2 pm bus for tomorrow, right in the front just behind the driver. We are told this would be an express bus and that it wouldn't be stopping all along the route.
We are hungry. At a street stand with lots of customers we buy 2 vada (fried lentil circles: looked like doughnuts but not sweet) which come with a bowl of dal and bowl of sambar for 20 R. Another customer got the vendor to dip the vada into the soupy dal before serving. This move may have been a bit too goopy for us to handle, but even tastier.
A few meters away was a fresh-press juice place, where we ordered 2 papaya juices and a pineapple juice. We were still hungry so we went to a recommended restaurant in the same square. It was only 1700 so they were not yet serving meals.
So we walk uphill and end up in a part of town called Artist Point. Not artsy at all - seems to consist of businesses and some shacks.
Later, we headed back uphill: this time to Sunset Point via a 30 R rickshaw. We were dropped off a place with a fine view of the town and the fort. But then a local beckoned us over to the real Sunset Point. This was the classic view of Jaisalmer that appears in the glossy coffee table books. Before our trip, Mike had seen a picture of the Jaisalmer fort at sunset from Sunset Point that convinced him that we had to come here.
Eventually, there were about 10 tourists snapping away. Carol found some kids and pulled out the International Sign Translation cards and starts asking the kids to identify the pictures in English, a language they have studied.
Mike snaps about a dozen pictures of the town and the fort, and about 8 pictures of the setting sun - all of them inferior to the coffee table picture.
As the sun sets we find some steps down to the city and are soon back at the restaurant we tried to visit earlier. This time it is hopping with locals and some tourists. We order Govind Gatta (a grain dish) and Dam Aloo (potato with paneer in curry). Both turn out to taste pretty much the same - but good nonetheless. We eat and find our way back to the hotel, with a little assistance for the last 50 m.
To bed. No TV.
We stumble off the bus from Bhuj. We were nowhere. On Pal Rd in the far suburbs of Jodhpur near nothing else except other private bus companies. For 30 R, we convinced a rickshaw to take us a little way to another company that ran buses going to Jaisalmer. It was 810.
For 250 R each, we got tickets to seats 11 and 12 on a bus leaving 830. The back compartment was filled with bags (of rice?); the bus company representative sat our packs in the aisle on the floor. We grabbed 1 kg of bananas (9) for breakfast. Luckily, a porta-potty on site.
Finally, off we went. It was not that crowded until we were out a little further. Then some 30 more got on. Standee time. They were everywhere, incl. standing and sitting on our bags. It was this way for hours. We hadn't slept well and were sort of numb. Finally, at a rest stop, Mike had enough and moved our bags from the floor onto a seat. The guy from the bus said we had to pay another 400 R (!) to let the bags sit on a seat. The aisle was apparently OK. We compromised by his jamming one of the bags into Mike's foot space at his seat, with the other on the aisle. Mike and Carol were thus imprisoned in seats 11 and 12 for the rest of the trip, while the bus and its 100-120 passengers tooled merrily along.
On the bus, we had telephoned ahead to KB Lodge in Jaisalmer and arranged for an 1800 R room w/o AC but with breakfast. So when we came to a last stop the edge of Jaisalmer, we took a 50 R rickshaw to the hotel, saw our room, sipped on some tea while we decompressed. The room was about the size of the bed, but nicely decorated. And the bathroom was OK. This hotel (and our room) has great views of the spectacular fort at Jaisalmer. And the clientele is European, mostly French (French usually means expecting style in lodging). And they were also our age.
Off at 1500 to see the town (the Fort could wait until tomorrow). One of the things that makes Jaisalmer unique is that the monsoon is light enough that the sandstone is preserved much better than the other Rajasthan towns with their sandstone carvings. Across the street from our hotel was a historic public bathhouse and "urinal" - the largess of past rulers. Many of the houses in this area had similar exterior paintings, seemingly painted by a couple of artists who lived by beautifying buildings. The predominant painting is a Ganesh elephant with standard symbols around him AND a mouse/rat worshiping at his feet. This isn't Mickey. Mike's theory: is that little figure is probably omnipresent because nearby in Deshnok in Rajasthan, the white mouse is felt to have achieved "moshka" (final reincarnation), saved from the wrath of the God of Death. Interestingly, the Hindu story sounds very much like the Elijah tales of the O.T.
Time to shake a leg. We walk into the Patwa ki Haveli, up the street, a spectacular building made of sandstone carved into elaborate carvings. Not all of the building is open to us but we are able to climb 5 stories and get some great views.
We never seem to have consistent maps, so we usually try to discover east and west by the time of day and the position of the sun. This time we do not carefully orient, and soon find that nothing on the ground corresponds to what we are seeing on our map, including a very nice Jain Temple. Finally, someone helps us out, and we realize we have gone north from the haveli, rather than west. Now that we know where we are, we pay an auto rickshaw 30 R for a ride to the correct traffic circle.
The guidebooks say that the private bus company Hanuman is more reliable, so we buy their tickets. For 200 R, we get seats 2 and 3 on the 2 pm bus for tomorrow, right in the front just behind the driver. We are told this would be an express bus and that it wouldn't be stopping all along the route.
We are hungry. At a street stand with lots of customers we buy 2 vada (fried lentil circles: looked like doughnuts but not sweet) which come with a bowl of dal and bowl of sambar for 20 R. Another customer got the vendor to dip the vada into the soupy dal before serving. This move may have been a bit too goopy for us to handle, but even tastier.
A few meters away was a fresh-press juice place, where we ordered 2 papaya juices and a pineapple juice. We were still hungry so we went to a recommended restaurant in the same square. It was only 1700 so they were not yet serving meals.
So we walk uphill and end up in a part of town called Artist Point. Not artsy at all - seems to consist of businesses and some shacks.
Later, we headed back uphill: this time to Sunset Point via a 30 R rickshaw. We were dropped off a place with a fine view of the town and the fort. But then a local beckoned us over to the real Sunset Point. This was the classic view of Jaisalmer that appears in the glossy coffee table books. Before our trip, Mike had seen a picture of the Jaisalmer fort at sunset from Sunset Point that convinced him that we had to come here.
Eventually, there were about 10 tourists snapping away. Carol found some kids and pulled out the International Sign Translation cards and starts asking the kids to identify the pictures in English, a language they have studied.
Mike snaps about a dozen pictures of the town and the fort, and about 8 pictures of the setting sun - all of them inferior to the coffee table picture.
As the sun sets we find some steps down to the city and are soon back at the restaurant we tried to visit earlier. This time it is hopping with locals and some tourists. We order Govind Gatta (a grain dish) and Dam Aloo (potato with paneer in curry). Both turn out to taste pretty much the same - but good nonetheless. We eat and find our way back to the hotel, with a little assistance for the last 50 m.
To bed. No TV.
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