Hotel Prince Jaisalmer

... of a blanket to sleep on, a blanket to cover you and our bags as pillows. It was still pretty comfy but our main concern was the dung beetles. They are huge black beetles that are everywhere and are really scratchy when they crawl on you and they can poo on you eukk! They were horrible so we spent all night completely covered head to toe with a blanket so they couldn't crawl on us! The sky was full of stars and the moon was so bright ...

... but it doesn't offer you the typical dune desert feeling everybody seems to be after. The dunes where we sleep are rather small in size but we don't need to share them with anyone, just with some dogs that visited us some times and scared us all with their barking. On the way back, we decide to trot to speed up. It seems that girls enjoy the experience, whereas the boys are left with some pain just underneath the bell that will still last a couple of days.<br><br><br><br>

... uncomfortable. Neither of us could use the stirrups so we both had achy groins from our legs dangling about, and the camel guides insisted on making the camels run so we were bobbing up and down like yoyos. By the time we reached the jeep we were happy to disembark and be on solid ground. Saying that, we had an awesome time and I would recommend it to anyone! PS. Camels don't spit and aren't very smelly, they are lovely animals :)

... that it was easier and cheaper to use the hotel laundry. We also brought a full size chamois cloth towel that we haven't needed. Also 3 types of mosquito repellant have gone unused. And there is more. Now the question is what will we jettison and what will we carry on to Turkey with us. So, we repack, make some decisions and have a nice meal at the hotel. Tomorrow is our final full day in Rajasthan so we go back to the room to get some rest.

... the Maharajah ordered the top two floors removed so that it would not compete with the fort in height. Every screen in the haveli is uniquely carved, as are the hundreds of detachable stone flowers which were used, along with oil lamps, to decorate the haveli for festivals, since no real flowers were available this far into the desert. Now we're on the interminable ride to Delhi (currently stopped for no clear reason) where we will be met by a car ...

... a lot of strange things and occasionally throwing bits discreetly out of the window while no one is looking. They also spoke NO real English. Not even a slight grasp. And why should they? My Indian isn't too hot. But this made conversation for 24 hours, which they insisted on perservering with, a real edge of the seat experience. Towards the of end of day one on the train i went to clean my teeth in the sink and as i did so i had the distinct feeling i was ...

... the hottest part of the day. Then we continued on and took a short break in a small village where we walked through to visit someone's home and the children (about a hundred of them) followed us all around wherever we walked. When we left there, we went a short distance further and then stopped for the night. The tents were already laid out; again, we had a complete meal, and the most awesome thing about spending the night out ...

... carved stonework on houses (in particular, havelis) and very large quantities of cattle in the streets, alleys, etc. I stepped in some particularly moist cow pats on two occasions! Lovely in flipflops!! Plenty of interest walking around town, shops, ... and a day spent visiting sites around Jaisalmer - inclusing the sunset over the Sam dunes 40 kms away. Don't expect a romantic experience, its quite a scene!

... our seats, struggling not to decapitate small children with our packs. We attempt to sit down on them only to find that they are already filled. A long tense ten minutes parades past as Kush tries to sort out the problem. I was one of the first on the train, so I am right up the back of the carriage, wedged between a door and a large cupboard. After long discussions in Hindi and lots of pointing we find out we are in the wrong luxury carriage and have to get off the train and ...

... had breakfast and spent the rest of the day exploring the narrow lanes of this desert city. Jaisalmer was founded in 1156 and grew wealthy because of it's strategic position on the trading route between India and Central Asia. While walking around the city one can see the evidence of this previously held wealth by the magnificent houses and mansions exquisitely carved from wood and sandstone. The architecture in the old city is pretty spectacular. There is a ...