Jodhpur (19 - 20 January 2008)
Next up was the Blue City, Jodhpur. The Jodhpur fort, Meherangarh, was by far the most interesting fort of those we have seen in Rajasthan. Included in the entrance fee is an audio guide that explains everything one needs to know. Now all those boring exhibits came to life and had some meaning to it. The fort overlooks the Old City - a mosaic of little bright blue concrete buildings. Thanks to the audio guide we now know that they specifically used blue paint to keep the houses cool in summer and it also acts as insect repellent.
After checking into our hotel (I have to mention this nice place - Krishna Prakash Heritage Haveli), we wandered down to the clock tower and market. On the way, we stopped at a very famous spice shop, MV Spices, to buy some of the spices we think might be difficult to find in South Africa. But the spices were so expensive that we decided to try our luck in SA - maybe one of our Indian friends can help us to find the spices we need for a good chicken tikka masala 
Speaking about food, that night we had the best Dum Alu, a potato dish with a sweet and creamy sauce.
Khuri (20 - 21 January 2008)
Khuri is a small village 40km south west from Jaisalmer, an hour and a world away from civilisation. With houses of mud and straw decorated like the patterns on Persian carpets. It is here where we set out on an overnight camel safari. We both had a camel and a guy leading this disgusting beast. They fart, puke, pee, pooh, burp and regurgitate their food that you only see saliva spattering everywhere. We named them Beauty and Jackson - but Beauty did not live up to his name with all his bodily functions.
We started the trip into the desert in the late afternoon, with the camels loaded with food and blankets for the night. Riding a camel is not for the faint hearted - it is super uncomfortable! Our inner-thighs did not see this coming
By sunset, we reached the sand dunes and the scene was even better than I had imagined. We were expecting tents or something of this sort, but we set up camp with nothing - no beds, mattresses, chairs or even a tarpaulin. This must be the most secluded place in India - not one person in sight and absolute silence. As soon as the sun had set, it got very cold. We were crouched around the fire, watching the two camel men preparing our dinner while the mice openly munched away at the rice. They cooked up a storm for us - chapatti, rice, dal and potatoes. After dinner, they through some blankets on the sand for us - this was our bed. Luckily we took our sleeping bags with. We crawled into ‘bed’ and looked up at the open sky that was well lit by a very bright moon. It was such a great experience. Arabian nights…
I woke up a couple of times during the night from a stray dog lying almost on my head. I suppose he was cold and wanted some body heat. I finally woke up at 7:00 and peaked out of my sleeping bag to see a pink-orange sunrise greeting me. We got up, took some photos, had some chai and then packed everything up to head back to the village. Just before leaving, I wanted Eon to take a picture of me, pretending to kiss the camel. I very nearly had my nose bitten of by old Jackson and decided that camel kissing is not for me!
Jaisalmer (21 - 22 January 2008)
Jaisalmer is also known as the Golden City due to the sand-coloured buildings. Just like all other cities in Rajasthan, it has a big fort. This fort is slightly different in that people are actually still living in it. The increased water consumption has left the fort infrastructure in danger of collapse, and since 1993 three of the 12th century bastions have collapsed. This is due to the aged plumbing system running at 12 times the original capacity. The Lonely Planet actually discourages travellers to stay within the fort.
We had seen so many forts, that we just could not bare going through another one. So we decided to take some time out, stroll around town and just chill.
Mandawa (22 - 23 January 2008)
Driving from Jaisalmer to Delhi takes roughly about 15 hours, so we decided to stay overnight in Mandawa. There is really nothing to write home about when it comes to sights and activities. But nevertheless, we had a fascinating stay here. We booked in to Mandawa Heritage Haveli. A Haveli is a traditional Indian residence for social gathering, with an arched entrance and a courtyard to entertain visitors. This haveli was beautifully decorated, with paintings on the walls and a marble floor.
We met two old chaps from Germany (one who speaks no English) and their Indian companion. At first I thought that the Indian guy was their driver, but it turned out that he has been living in Germany since 1973. His name is Benjamin and he sets up and owns several fitness centres in Germany. We sat in the courtyard and listened to Benjamin’s stories of how he went from India to study in Germany and his life experiences.
Then we were entertained with traditional Indian dancing - we all joined in and had great fun!
Click on image to view Jodhpur, Khuri, Jaisalmer and Mandawa gallery:
