After one failed attempt and nearly 25 hours of public transport I finally reached the desert city of Jaisalmer. The last few hours of the overnight bus trip were really amazing. I had fallen asleep on the outskirts of Jaipur, and awoke to the stark deserts of western Rajasthan. Reclining in the bus while watching the desert scenery drift by was quite an experience. Gone were the city slums, replaced by mud houses with thatched roofs. Women with neon saris and men with equally electric turbans dotted the landscape. I arrived on the outskirts of Jaisalmer proper, from where one can get a real perspective of the grandeur of this fantastic fortress (see photos).
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=38921183362040865/l=277059318/g=86844910/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
Jaislamer has been described as a sand castle, and between the desert surroundings and the sandstone construction, it certainly fits the description. The old city is a mass of narrow streets. The two most amazing parts about Jaisalmer to me were the havelis and the Jain temples. Havelis are essentially old houses. They are unbelievably ornate are decored with incredibly ornate stone latticework. The other highlight were the Jain temples. There are eight of these temples interconnected within the old city. I was absolutely astounded at the detail of the stone carvings. It was really amazing to climb to the top of the hotel and see temples poking out from amongst the old houses. As I have heard so many complaints recently about the overabundance of 'building pictures' (the outrage!) I will leave my description of Jaisalmer at that- an amazingly quaint (albeit tourist infested) sandcastle, filled with Jain temples and ancient mansions, and another palace, ringed by 99 bastions.
http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=38921183362040865/l=277059318/g=86844910/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
Jaislamer has been described as a sand castle, and between the desert surroundings and the sandstone construction, it certainly fits the description. The old city is a mass of narrow streets. The two most amazing parts about Jaisalmer to me were the havelis and the Jain temples. Havelis are essentially old houses. They are unbelievably ornate are decored with incredibly ornate stone latticework. The other highlight were the Jain temples. There are eight of these temples interconnected within the old city. I was absolutely astounded at the detail of the stone carvings. It was really amazing to climb to the top of the hotel and see temples poking out from amongst the old houses. As I have heard so many complaints recently about the overabundance of 'building pictures' (the outrage!) I will leave my description of Jaisalmer at that- an amazingly quaint (albeit tourist infested) sandcastle, filled with Jain temples and ancient mansions, and another palace, ringed by 99 bastions.
1 comment:
incredible pictures, and the nice young man in the last is a great addition to the no-sign-of-a-human ornate building pictures. the photos certainly look desert-ish, and the aerial google earth view shows an aabsolute warren of narrow streets around the fort. Looks like stones on the parapets-- is that the indian equivalent of boiling oil for the attackers?
my sympathies for train travel. In Italy which should be more western oriented, I was bound for Munich, aka Munchen, and had real trouble getting on a train to Monaco which I was told numerous times really went to Munich. Only problem is I got on the wrong car and at dawn, the train split and I had to run down the tracks to catch it.
How are you guys doing with diet?
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