We really enjoyed our time in Jaisalmer. It is quite laid back, comparatively, and has some great views from the fort. Within the fort walls is a lot of the town, including a palace and a Jain temple (a type of temple that seems to have particularly ornate roof turrets) and a maze of sandstone covered alleyways bustling with colourful shops that all want your business. The touts are not too bad, however, and will accept 'no' for an answer. As well as the beautiful architecture there are big roaming cows, steaming cow pats and a lot of rubbish - features in all Indian towns by the look of it. The ground seems to be as good as any litter bin in India.
We stayed at the Deepak Guest House in a run-down but fantastic room with Arabian nights type window to sit at and admire the view.
One night out tour group all straddled camels and rode across the Thar desert that surrounds the town. At our camp in the sand dunes, we were served eye-wateringly hot vegetable thali and cold beers before sleeping on camp beds under the stars. It was a great experience which resulted in some pretty painful backsides.
On Day 6 of the tour we had a 5 hour public bus journey to Jodhpur. The bus journey was unbelievably crowded but we fortunately had reserved seats. That didn't stop the locals perching on the edge of the seats and leaning right across you - one even had a nap pretty much on Ben's knees.
Jodhpur wasn't as pretty as Jaisalmer but the people were really friendly and it had a lively, buzing atmosphere. Children wave at you everywhere and all want to shake your hands. We had a lassi (a sort of thick drink made from milk curds) from the place reputed to serve the best in India. It was definitely a 'local' experience and the lassis were pretty tasty! The fort was pretty impressive and we stood and looked out over the 'blue city' as it is nicknamed, due to most of the buildings painted blue. This was originally supposed to show a particular caste but has been adopted as a way to keep the buildings cool and free from insects.
