Jodhpur

Once again, we braved the overnight train, to arrive in Jodhpur this morning. Actually this train was only about 20 minutes late arriving – a big improvement on the 2 hour delays we’ve come to expect (on our 15 hour journeys…)! We arrived bright and early and raring to go at 5.30am (groan). Why do all Indian trains leave at really inconvenient times? Either they are overnight and arrive obscenely early in the morning, which is kind of OK for novelty value in a sleeper compartment, but in reality it’s really difficult to sleep – especially after you’ve wedged your bags around your head so no-one can make off with them. Or they leave in the morning / afternoon and arrive at about midnight - making finding your hotel and checking in a nightmare! Grr. I think that half the problem is that all the rail tracks are single gauge, so when trains pass each other one has to be stationary, on a passing bay. Which means you spend lots and lots and lots of time stopped, which makes for a speedy journey of course! Oh, and the trains seem to have been built at least 20 years before we were born. And let’s not even think about the toilets! Ah well, it’ll be on to the Japanese Shinkansen soon…

Enough of the anti-train rant. Jodphur, like Jaisalimer is good fun. It’s another fort town, this time we’re much closer to Delhi, out of the desert, and so the landscape is really rocky and hilly. And the fort is really different – far more impressive in terms of scale and grandeur, but not so lived in and with no curious temples and twisting walkways. Both are really worth seeing.

We climbed up through confusing sidestreets and then a rocky path to the fort this afternoon, and then spent ages wandering around it and admiring the superb views over the city. Jodhpur is a big place, with a lot of the buildings painted blue (hence its nickname the blue city). Have a look at the pictures for a better idea.

Anyway, we’ll be going to Udaipur by bus next – probably leaving the day after tomorrow. This place apparently has a palace turned hotel in the middle of a lake where a 007 movie was shot. Don’t think we can afford to stay there somehow… but will post piccys!