Rawalkot Jaisalmer

... as well.<br><br>08 November - Jaisalmer<br><br>After breakfast we walked up to Jaisalmer's famed fort. As we were a bit tired, Tony and I sat on some steps near the fort's entrance for about an hour and just watched the world go by. Sooner or later everybody passes through the gates of the fort, both Indian as well as foreign tourists alike, not to mention the various beggars, magicians, shoe-shine boys and others who make a living from the tourists.<br><br>A number of ...

... day's hectic schedule we relished the setting of sun in the desert. The resort also arranged for evening songs and folk dances that went till late night followed by a tasty vegetarian dinner. Since this place is cut off from any habitation so we had to depend on generators that gets switched off by midnight.We were given Eveready torches for emergency needs. This is a really thrilling experience and unique of its kind- a must visit.

... and the reason we went there... Tourism.<br><br>Most people head to Jaisalmer for their famed camel safaris. For many that is THE reason to go there. I must admit that we too had toyed around with the idea for awhile, I mean the idea of riding camels off into the sand dunes is kinda an exciting prospect. Yet after arriving at the hotel, hearing a few sales pitches, it sounded like a trap. I think anytime people begin to list ...

... a convenient cooling device.) Otherwise, Jaisalmer is a remarkably beautiful and peaceful place. Out of season this tourist-town is very quiet, and the crafts are some of the most interesting I have seen. This evening, Kate and I will be taking a camel ride out to the dunes to watch sunset, and eat supper under the stars. There will be more here once I get to Delhi and faster internet.

... dunes while the camels were free to roam. We had a nice camp fire, ate dinner, drank beer and listened to the guides sing songs. We cut them off in favor of our music, they weren't too happy about it, but everyone else seemed pleased. It was amazingly peaceful under the desert sky. There was a sandstorm that night that made it difficult to sleep. We woke up sand blasted and my sleeping bag cover was lost to the storm. Everyone on the tour ...

Jaisalmer is a town on the edge of the Thar desert in the far west of Rajastan, not so very far from Pakistan. Its another town dominated by as massive fort. But this fort is not a museum but a living fort, housing homes and businesses and some amazing temples within its warren of narrow streets. Outside the fort the town is full of beautiful old buildings, many ...

We arrived late afternoon at the bus stop we were assaulted by a legion of touts and rickshaw wallahs all desperate to take us back to their hotel. I really enjoy this now and walked around the bus a few times with them all following me. With no escape in sight we agreed to go with one guy who was claiming to be taking us to a hotel with a swimming pool that would charge us a mere 300 ruppees and we wouldn't have to pay for the rickshaw. Of ...

... nowhere. At one point a wild young camel trots alongside our camel train but keeps its distance. The lead camel driver tells Tara it is scared as he has noted it's strange gait. It seems unlike Australia most of the camels are owned and trained here. Later, the camel driver tells us tales of when the Indian/Pakistan border was less heavily guarded. Back in the day camel drivers ran drugs and other contraban across the border under the cover of ...

... Nice one, count us in. We got the take away deal so we could enjoy at our leisure and not have to sit and chat with the owner all day. We shared a chocolate banana cake from the German Bakery with a whole lot of flies whilst we fought off anklets sold by women who kept throwing their babies on us. We visited the two wacky museums of the Desert Culture Centre and the Jaisalmer Folk Museum. The private collections included some musical instruments ...

... with this guitar thing whilst just singing your name and then he charged you for it!! i was laughing my head off - DK song went something like this "chris chris chris chris chris chris chris" catchy eh!!! he never asked me for my name tho :( After the museum we went to the German bakery but it was closed, not put off we went to the other German bakery just outside the fort entrance. The man who served us yesterday was in this shop, I asked why his other shop was closed and he ...