Hotel Suncity International Jodhpur

... India in my previous post: Places are very different, so the impression one gets depends to a very large extent on which places one visits - as well as what one does in those places. For example, we have met several people who found Jodhpur to be wonderful. So there is no objective best or worst place. It all depends on what one is looking for and what one does while there. But for us, it seems that smaller places are ...

Having shopped around the local tour guide offices, I decided to hire a car and driver to take me from Udaipur to my next stop - Jodhpur. For 30 pounds, it sounded a bit steep, but the driver explained that he would be stopping at points of interest along the way, and that Jodhpur is in fact quite a long way from Udaipur. Given my previous experiences with pubilc transport, I didn't need much convincing, and so I arranged to be picked up the ...

... one place to another. This is when you think, you ponder, you reflect, you relax, see the landscape, see the people without actually having to deal with them. I say that because when a local deals with a foreigner, in any part of the world, it's not authentic, I just want to see people going about their daily business. <br><br>So after a short 5 hour ride + 2 hour delay we arrive in Jodhpur. Shockingly, the hotel guy was right in front of our train cab ...

... a great sleep and the following day went to see the the fort which sits on a rock outcrop over looking the city. It was so hot, that we took it easy for the rest of the day, coming our later in the day for more browsing. We have no moved on from Jodhpur and have made it to the small oasis city of pushkar and place with a real hippy vibe, i'll do that diary entry later. I hope you are all well anyway.

... but they didn't hassle us for anything so it was a good result! Had an awesome Makahania lassi at some lassi shop and got stared at for the entire time as we were the only westerners, but we have developed a technique which simply involves staring back until they become bashful and look away - we win more often than not. Only a quick stop though in the blue city on our way to Udaipur, the lake city or the Venice of the East. Maybe Venice is known as the Udaipur of the West.

... by dinner time and we walked to the dinner hut with the torchlight. It's a candlelight dinner of course and the food was very good including chicken. We drank the brunello 2003 we brought, though the beverages were all included in the price including kingfisher beer. After dinner there was music and dance around the campfire which was very useful to keep warm. The ...

So it turns out the the 'Blue City' is really blue! Ok, only some of the building are painted but it is enough to have the right effect when you go to the fort and look down at the neighborhoods below (plus, the 'official' nickname is 'Sun City'). Jodhpur was really just another city overall, but it did have one place that I was truely glad to have visited, called Jaswant Thada. It is a memorial, where the structure is ...

... and buying an entire bed set from her - comforter covers and pillow covers! So excited! Today my dad and I went on what they call a village safari. we saw villages on the outskirts of jodphur and saw locals make claypots, blankets, rugs and opium tea. We tasted the latter - but it didn't have any kick to it. And now I'm here! Tomorrow we're hitting the desert on camelback and doin g a two-night, three-day safari. i will report on it when I get back!!

... thing...who knew? So I agree, I pay, I shake hands, I have lunch...then I meet Moti....the stupidest camel in India, of course I didn't have any reference for this claim at the time, but now I can say this with certainty. Anyways, we pack up and I get ready for my jaunt to Jaisalmer, I hop onto the camel..." you ride a camel before?" Rikki asks me, his eyeball rolling like a compass, " No problem, It's just like a horse right?" I casually reply...I guess it is ...

... trips on a plane the better as far as Annette was concerned. Approaching the hotel you could see that it was extraordinary. I knew we'd be staying at a palace, in fact the royal family still lives in one wing of the building, but this is a palace among palaces. Along with the bellman in traditional garb we were greeted by two peacocks. I've been fortunate to have stayed in a number of incredible hotels, including our two nights at the ...