Travels in India, 2020 - Namaste, Rajasthan!

  

 We'd been told that a couple of days was more than enough time to spend in Jaisalmer as there wasn't anything to do. Aren't people weird? We ended up staying for five nights!

(Click the photo above to enlarge it - "boring" Jaisalmer in all her golden glory!)

Within the fort walls is a treasure trove of seven interconnecting Jain temples, carved from yellow sandstone and dating back to the fifteenth century.

A religion dating back over five thousand years, Jainism is based on non-violence. Jains lead a vegetarian lifestyle, renouncing the killing of all living beings no matter how small. Jains refrain from eating root vegetables as the plant is killed when the root is removed from the ground, some carry a broom to gently sweep away any tiny creature in their path and others wear face masks to avoid inadvertently breathing in insects.

The Jain temples are open from 8am to noon daily. Shoes and all leather items must be removed before entering. The entrance fee is 200 rupees/£2 for foreign tourists.

The Fort Palace, the former ruler's elegant seven-storey home, towers over Jaisalmer's town square.

 Much of the palace is open to the general public and the small rooms on each floor give a fascinating insight as to how the residents could spy on the outside world. The doorways connecting the rooms are rather low - not a reflection of the stature of the Rajput leaders but a means of forcing visitors to adopt a humble stooped posture in case the room they were entering contained the royal family.

The Victorian tiles in the collage above are Minton and originated a few miles away from Walsall in Stoke-on-Trent.

The bedroom windows of the Queen's palace (Rani-ka-Mahal) offered the royal women the perfect view of Jaisalmer's annual Gangaur processions in Spring.

Entry to the palace is 500 rupees (approx.£5) which includes a fascinating audio guide lasting 90 minutes. Open from 9am - 6pm daily.

 The 450-year-old Baa-ri-haveli once belonged to the Brahmin priests that advised the maharajah.

We stumbled upon the haveli and museum by accident when we took a wrong turning and at just £1 (including the services of an engaging young guide) it was brilliant value for money although, as you can see, we were persuaded to wear a turban for the duration of our visit (a small price to pay!)

As it only rains four times a year in Jaisalmer there's a profusion of pots enabling as much precious water as possible can be collected & stored.

 The family photos lining the walls gave a tantalising glimpse into the lives of the wealthy, ruling classes in 19th century Jaisalmer. (Click on the photo collages to enlarge them).

 The rooftop offered a great view of the Jain temples.

Jaisalmer fort is packed with cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants all touting for business. I'm sure they're very nice but we refuse to be shepherded into places, preferring to choose somewhere at leisure. Our favourite hangout was this funky little cafe a short walk away from the general hubbub of the fort. We loved how they'd repurposed old beer bottles (and were more than happy to contribute a few more!) 

 Jon's snapping some graffiti on the wall that says, The Plan is No Plan, which sums up our approach to travel!

 The cafe had just opened a shop downstairs, employing disadvantaged women to sew clothes made from recycled sari fabric. There was a tailor on-site offering alterations, bespoke clothing and also an option to dye fabric to customer specifications. 

 It's often remarked that I don't dress like a typical Western tourist eschewing the ubiquitous uniform of puffa jacket, cropped jeans and trainers for vintage dresses and tribal jewellery and many Indians ask if I'm a French or Italian fashion designer or an actress. When we first met, manager Ajay thought I was in the fashion business and asked for my help in writing some signs for his shop to explain what the business was all about. I was more than happy to help for free - although he insisted on giving me a wonderful antique printing block by way of a thank you.

The people of Rajasthan really are wonderful.

 For reasons far too mundane to explain, we missed the long-distance bus we'd booked from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur to catch our flight down to Goa. When Jon asked the manager of the Toyko Palace to arrange a driver to take us to Jodphur Airport at 4am the following morning, he insisted on driving us there himself (a nine-hour round trip!) The hotel manager was as bewitched as we were by the sunrise over the Thar Desert and the multiple peacocks by the side of the road, even stopping at a Hindu temple to give thanks for Rajasthan's beauty. When we reached Jodhpur he bought us roses as a reminder of our journey. 

Our ten days in Rajasthan were truly magical and, although Jodhpur stole our hearts, our time in Jaisalmer was pretty special, with grand Havelis and palaces, ancient forts and temples and, of course, a night in the desert, it certainly wasn't boring.

See you soon!

For more photos see HERE.

Travels in India, 2020 - A Night in the Thar Desert

They say that camel-trekking is the perfect way to sample Thar desert life and, although neither of us had been on a camel since we'd crossed the Sahara back in the early '90s, as we were in the desert city of Jaisalmer it seemed crazy not to book a desert safari.

Competition between safari organisers is cut-throat and standards vary wildly with everything from half-day tours to a month of full-on trekking. You can do glamping, staying in a luxury tent with an attached bathroom, dining on lavish continental-style buffet meals with at least 100 other tourists with entertainment provided by a troupe of Rajasthani dancing girls or there's the more authentic option - where you sleep on a string bed under the stars, eat simple vegetarian food cooked over a campfire, enjoying the company of a handful of travellers and the camel men themselves (and, when nature calls, you head off to a sand dune with a torch!) 

I'm sure you can guess which option we chose.

We'd booked our trip with The Real Desert Man Safari (HERE). Most of Jaisalmer's camel safaris are centred around the dunes at Sam, 40km west of the city, which the Lonely Planet warn are always crowded and are more of a carnival than a back-to-nature experience. The Real Desert Man offers treks off the beaten track, which appealed far more. 

Our twenty-four-hour adventure started with a visit to the abandoned village of Kuldhara, once home to the Paliwal Brahmins. A combination of persecution by a powerful minister, earthquakes and drought led to the area being abandoned almost overnight in the early 19th Century.

 After exploring the sublimely peaceful, honey-coloured ruins we made a brief stop at an oasis before continuing on our journey further into the Thar desert. 

No sooner had we disembarked from jeep than we were introduced to our camels and told to climb on, somewhat disconcerting, with it being a quarter of a century since we'd last ridden a camel! Amazingly we managed it, with our dignity intact, and grasping the knob mounted on the front of the saddle, held on for dear life.

I managed to ferret my camera from the bottom of my bag and take this quick shot atop my camel before stowing it safely away.

As we meandered through the Thar desert we saw chinkaras (Indian gazelles), desert eagles and even a couple of adorable white-footed desert foxes. Micky, the dog in the photo, belongs to the camel men and trotted alongside the entire time.

Nine kilometres later, with sore bums and aching thighs, we'd reached our destination. My camel was called Bablu (like our friend at the Gouri Haveli).

 Jon's camel was an elegant young chap named Mango with an adorable curly coat. Both were gentle creatures, none of the spitting or uncouth behaviour normally associated with camels!

After we'd dismounted, the guides removed the camels' seats and they ambled away. We asked what would happen the following morning and were told that they'd come back when they'd eaten and rested. There was no need to tether them, the camels are loved by the camel men and in turn, love them back, they have no reason to run off. 

Glamping? No thanks! Home for the night was a traditional Indian charpoy string bed out in the open, piled high with blankets, the desert gets extremely cold during the Rajasthani winter months.

We hung our bags from the fence and cavorted in the sand dunes.

Freshly brewed chai in hand, we sat watching the sunset accompanied by some tasty vegetable pakoras, rustled up by the camel men.

 Watching the sunset over the sand dunes, turning from a deep golden yellow to a rich blood-red as it sunk from the sky, was truly mesmerising. Once it had vanished the temperature plummeted and we scuttled back to our bags to retrieve our coats, scarves, and gloves.

Back at camp, dinner was almost ready. We cracked open a couple of bottles of Kingfisher and sat beside a roaring campfire, exchanging stories with our fellow travellers - two married couples from Dorset, five Aussie exchange students from Melbourne and four Indian tourists who'd been friends since university.

By 9pm we were all feeling the desert chill and retreated to our beds.

And this is why you don't need a posh tent (or a roof) - just look at that beautiful inky blue sky! The shooting stars we witnessed that night took our breath away, something we'll never forget.

During the night I awoke to find my legs were pinned down and I was unable to move. At first, I thought that I'd inadvertently rolled into my neighbour's bed but on further investigation discovered that a desert dog had cuddled up next to me for warmth. She stayed there all night.

At 7am the camel men brought us Chota hazri (bed tea), we wrapped our cold fingers around the tin mugs, inhaled the steam and watched the sunrise over the Thar Desert. For breakfast, we sat on the sand and shared plates of desert porridge, a wonderful sweet/savoury concoction, along with buttery finger bananas and juicy oranges while the men rolled up the bedding and lashed it to the camels' saddles, who thankfully had returned from their night out. All of the rubbish generated from our stay (beer & water bottles, fruit and veg peelings and crisp packets) was loaded into the support jeep, so it could be disposed of back in Jaisalmer.

By 9am we were back in our saddles and ready for another 9km trek. 

While we'd already had some amazing adventures during our travels in Rajasthan, our desert safari topped the lot, it was incredible and, at around £25 each (including beer and tips for the guides) fantastic value for money.

If you ever find yourself in Jaisalmer book yourself a trip with the Real Desert Camel Man, you won't regret it.

See you soon!

For more photos of our desert adventure see HERE.