Surja Hotel Jaisalmer

... off again. Em was complaining about her sore bum when Ali revealed that lucky actually had stirrups!!! They had been there the whole time but was a life saver for Em as they made the ride so much smoother as your legs take all the shock instead of your bum.<br> <br>After another 3 hours riding we arrived at another sand dune for the nights camp and pretty much did the same drill as the night before, watched the sun go down, sat around ...

... out on our safari at 7.30am we had breakfast under the trees of toast with jam and chai before being introduced to our beasts of punishment. Mine was called, translated, sickboy!! nice.. <br><br>Anyway we wobbled off on our camels, it was just us two and a guide and camel man so to speak.. we stopped for a break in a nearby village around noon where we were invited into this little old ladies mud hut house where all her daughters and grandchildren were gathered and stared at ...

... the question of how people live like this? Where do they get their food, clothes, money? It is a complete mystery and one of the many occasions we have experienced on our travels that make us realize how lucky we are to live in the society that we do, where we take these things for granted.<br><br>On the drive to Jaisalmer we were nearly hit by a lorry coming in the opposite direction. He wasn't even overtaking anything but ...

... we have observed about the traffic in India is that the drivers appear to be calm in what we would see as stressful situations. For example, we are traveling towards Jaisalmer on a narrow 2 lane highway. A truck is headed towards us, in his own lane and a bus is passing the truck-which puts the bus in our lane. Rampal applies the brakes and when it appears that the brakes are not enough, he calmly moves off the road, onto the shoulder ...

... to meet a lot of people and I think people may be even more friendly than normal because you can spend some one on one time and there are no tug of wars over what to do. Anyway, so I was alone in Jaisalmer. I got up and had tea and biscuits on the rooftop restaurant that looked at the fort. Then I got my stuff together and walked out and down the main street to the fort entrance. I didn't really know what I was going to see first but it turned out the ...

... of this, "English Atlas!". So, as i didn't have one, i went about drawing a hand made map of England for them with all the pertinent areas of interest and all the while they kept looking at me with looks I imagine you would receive if i'd just dropped my trousers and done a toilet in front of them. I still have no idea what they really wanted but they soon had big smiles on their faces when more food came round and they helped the potentially annoying 24 hour ...

... the bus. Air conditioning never felt so good. :) I got back, SHOWERED... :) and then later in the afternoon, visited a "deserted village" which story I will have to relate sometime later. Dinner was at the restaurant, and good as usual, especially the homemade sweet (pichdar?) for the most recent festival that the owner-wife cooked for us. Lentils are amazingly versatile. :) More later. :) I have one more week to this amazing trip.....

... I digress-more about her later-we had been on our way to the restaurant and I noticed a couple of rats scurrying around-they are obviously common and I am a little to big to munch on.When we got to the restaurant I had seen a couple scurrying up the bouganvillia and thought nothing of it.You have to imagine the place -its full of tourists all whom appear to be staying at 4 star hotels.You know the- scene couples eating dinner who never ...

... down the crowded platform, covering three-quarters of the length of the train in a desperate charge. I'm bringing up the rear of the chain of course, and as the train starts to move and the rest of the group wails into our luxury carriage Kush hangs back and he, a Canadian girl Krista and I make a desperate leap for the nearest door. There are amused men hanging out the door and I run towards them with arms outstretched 'SCUSEMSCUSEMESCUSEME!' I'm on, Kush is on and Krista is ...

... I was waiting another man asked me to check the spelling on an email he was sending to somebody (It wasnt bad either hee ) After people watching we went to the Italian near the fort entrance for a drink DK had tiramisu (how random) we were sat on the roof, it was really warm and as I am the Blue Lady I think I burned a little so we went to the German bakery to sit in the shade and of course eat apple pie for the last time :( Was good. I felt a bit dodgy sat there so we left I ...