Painting the town blue... in Jodhpur

Our arrival in Jodhpur was not all that pleasant after travelling for over 6 hours on what we expected to be a 3 hour trip. Arriving late in the evening we ended up staying in the first hotel that had room; Govind Hotel, what a depressing place that was! No window and a good layer of grime as a floor covering! Why was this place recommended in our bible, the guide book Lonely Planet? Oh well, a bed secured, we walked to a local restaurant also in the Lonely Planet. Hmmmm, bad Indian food, served in questionably sanitary conditions and surrounded by flies. Why was this in the guide book? With no other options nearby, we forced it down and made a b-line back to the hotel stepping across the bodies of dozens of homeless people sleeping in the streets... why was this town in the guide book? Why were we even here? Oh well it was too late to do anything about it and besides, our hotel seemed so much more opulent with the lights out. We did our best to get a good night’s sleep hoping that second impressions would be a whole lot better than first.

Fast forward… next day…. time to find a better hotel. After some research, pounding the pavement and checking out a few places in the neighbourhood, (during which I, Adam was mistaken for a guide book author …. that changes attitudes!) we stumbled across an oasis called Rattan Villas. Quiet garden, large clean room AND internet. Ahhh, with the luxury of it all we didn’t want to leave; but curiosity got the better of us and we ventured forth to figure out why Jodhpur was on our itinerary. Forty rupees ($1) in the autorickshaw had us in the bustle of the old city market. From there we strolled through the ancient narrow streets, past countless stalls, and a maze of blue houses (painted to denote social status) up the hill to the entrance to the Maharaja’s fortress. The setting sun was throwing a golden glow across this blue washed town. Admittedly, we were starting to warm a little to this place. We had also heard that they serve an excellent dinner within the fortress and decided to try our luck. We strolled through the fort gates where the security guard was happy to escort us to the ramparts and ensure we had a table. A great sunset and a romantic candle lit dinner on the ramparts of an 800 year old fortress…. all is forgiven.

Jodhpur. Yes, that is where those baggy thighed riding pants got their name, and they can still be seen on well dressed men about town. Like all the towns of Rajasthan, Jodhpur was home to fiercely proud Rajput warriors who built fortresses atop craggy hills and waged wars against each other, the British, and anyone else that crossed them. So proud in fact, that they refused to lose a battle and live. The fortress even bears the handprints of the Maharaja’s wives who committed suicide on the evening before an un-winnable battle was fought. The fortress is built of intricately carved stone and follows strict designs to keep the Maharaja’s wives out of view of any other men (besides the guarding eunuchs). During a trip to England some 50 years ago, the media snapped a picture of an ankle as one of the wives stepped from her curtained chariot into her awaiting car. So outraged was the Indian government, that all copies of the publication were purchased to keep her honour intact.

Another sunset at the fort gates and a wander through the narrow streets, playing with the children allowed us to ease back into the honking and noise of the city below.

The following day we decided to take a trip into the country and visit some villages. Our first stop was a small house of farmers that have recently received electricity and an electric sewing machine from the government to supplement their income by making textiles. There are many pedal powered sewing machines still in use here, not to mention the several coal fired irons that we’ve seen as well.
It’s a little awkward walking into a home this way. We soon discovered, however, that the curiosity of strangers goes both ways and we were really the ones on display. The grandmother cooked us a fresh chapati, and as is customary offered some opium which our guide kindly consumed on our behalf. The rest of the trip was a combination of, “See the village where they make carpets, want to buy one? See the village where they make pottery, want to buy some”. Not necessarily authentic, but it was fun trying to make our own pots on a stone wheel spun by hand!

Our time done in Jodhpur, we needed to catch an overnight train to Jaisalmer but there was some confusion with our seating. Off we went to the station to (unsuccessfully) sort this out. It seems that just because you pay for 2 seats, doesn’t mean you will actually get two. And forget a refund. “We must all make compromises” was the station master’s reply. The station looked like a refugee camp with people sleeping / living / passed out everywhere. It was also a popular hang out for the rats that scampered about with impunity.

Finally on the train, the conductor sorted out our seats and we attempted to get a few hours sleep. The only noteworthy part of this train journey, (besides the lack of cockroaches) was Adam being woken abruptly at 3am by a man yelling at him. After a rather lengthy and incomprehensible exchange, it turned out it the man was just trying to sell Adam a cup of tea.

Here are a couple videos of the train station. In case you are wondering the second one was a creative endeavour we call "rat cam" in honour of the large vermin population at the station.