Our journey from Delhi to Jaisalmer was about 20 hours! On leaving Delhi we passed the shanty towns that line the railway tracks. Very surreal.. communities of people in tightly packed rooms, many beautifully decorated with glimmering lights and open doors. The railway is used like a road and some sit on the track round fires while children play. Some of the poorest people in Delhi but dedication to beauty in the home is always apparent.
We sleep on the train and wake to find ourselves in the desert, from which Jaisalmer Fort soon rises in the distance. Our guesthouse here is The Artist Hotel, which has been set up by an Austrian gentleman in the old musicians quarter in Jaisalmer. Many years ago, families of these people would entertain in the fort. Now there is little requirement for that, and so the guesthouse is designed to bring income back into the area, which had become very poor. The musicians still play their traditional music on the rooftop of the guesthouse, and serenade us as we eat.
The fort is the colour of the desert and surrounded by high walls from which temples and rooftops emerge. It is lit up at night and our guest house looks directly at it across the small town beneath.
Tomorrow we are going for a camel trek in the desert. We are told that if we whistle to them, they might mate!
4 comments:
The scenes you describe on the edge of Delhi sound just like Bangkok. There. too, the poorest people use the railway lines as paths, meeting places and markets. We also saw squalor and beauty side by side in those slums. Jaisalmer sounds magical, and the pictures that we've been able to find on the web are ravishing. Is the Artist Hotel an old building, and what kind of things are you eating? We watched The Warrior last night, to try to get a feel for the kind of landscapes you're in and, guess what, we found from the credits that some of it was filmed in the city! Enjoy your camel riding and , if you do whistle, hold on tight! xxxxxx
Ok I'm going to send this with out saying anything about being jealous....no I can't, oh my god I'm so jealous!!
Mark told me you were heading to Jaisalmer and the first thing I thought of was, god I remember that being a long train journey. It's also a famous railway line for bag stealing so watch out for your stuff when you move on.
It's a beautiful place isn't it and staying in Jaisalmer town is such a good idea because you get the most amazing view of the fort (rather than staying in the fort and getting not such a spectacular view of flat roofed houses and scrub land.) I stayed in hotel Renuka, which is just near to where you are so I can picture what you see from your rooftop.
Now about camel trekking...what an amazing experience, I hope you enjoy it. Spending the night out in the desert was blissful and you become really attached to your trusty steed (though after 2 days I'd had enough as my bum refused to become camel shaped and I ended up becoming a weird indian version of the princess and the pea...the more blankets they gave me the more I was convinced I could feel the boney beast's spine!)
Can't wait to hear more about what you're up to.
dear you two
Can't wait to get your message from Udaipur.
got my jabs yesterday (plenty of time apparently), and I'm going to London soon to sort out visa. Hopefully all will come together in time.
3 weeks.
Don't forget to check your private e-mails when you can closer to the time so we can arrange arrangements.
love you little desert things
I bumped into J today and he told me about the blog. Thanks a bunch for keeping us up-to-date with your travels! You know I am a geek, so I would be honoured if you indulged me by recording the precise date & time you reach each new place. I'll then make a Google Earth KMZ of it all, including any diary bits and photos that you allow me to use.
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