Jaisalmer

We had to go from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer via bus for lack of other options. A pack of bongo playing hippies greeted us at the pickup point; I feared the worst, but was relieved when they got on another bus. We were surprised to find that tour companies in Jaisalmer go to the trouble of sending representatives on to incoming buses frequented by tourists. This meant having to rebuff multiple tout attempts during the journey. One guy was particularly creepy, following me outside at a rest stop and telling me how much he liked my beard - camel safaris are big business in Jaisalmer, so companies will try anything to snare the trade. 

Jaisalmer is located deep into the Thar Desert, so thankfully the journey wasn’t too bad; just one straight flat road with hardly any traffic. As we approached Jaisalmer I noticed the hefty presence of the Indian Army and Air Force; not surprising as Pakistan is only 100KM away. The horizon is dominated by wind farms that supply electricity to power the search lights along the border. 

We didn’t have any trouble finding a nice hotel. As the temperature rises, the tourists thin out and rooms in decent hotels become available. Without even asking the hotel gave us a discount. Compared to the trouble we had getting accommodation earlier on in the trip, Rajasthan has been a breeze. 

Jaisalmer is a desert town located in the remote westernmost corner of Rajasthan. Most of the buildings (including a massive fort) are constructed from sandstone, making it seem like the town has emerged naturally from the golden coloured sand beneath (it’s known as the Golden City). Unfortunately the whole fort is slowly sinking due to erosion caused by increased water usage. The tourist boom in the area has been the main cause for the increase; for this reason we followed advice in the guidebook and looked outside main town area for accommodation.

As for sights, the town as a whole qualifies, but the obvious starting point is the massive centrally located fort. We spend half a day exploring the town-within-a-town; taking in palaces, temples etc. 

We climbed to the top of the Maharawal Palace, the highest point in Jaisalmer. From here it’s possible to see the surrounding vastness of the Thar Desert (and Pakistan in the distance if you’ve got good eyes). 

In the afternoon we visited a travel agent recommended in the guide book. He booked our train tickets for the next few destinations as far as Agra. We have been arranging transport ourselves on the fly, so not having to worry about this for a while was a relief. 

We spent the rest of the day watching the India vs Australia quarter final cricket watch. Glad to see India through to the semis. 

We had planned on doing an overnight camel safari into the desert whilst here, but my stomach wasn’t really up to it. In the end Jaisalmer turned out to be quite relaxing, giving me plenty of time at the hotel to recover from my illness.