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We woke up at 6:30 am. We had some laundry that we wanted washed, and if you get them to the hotel laundry by a certain time in the morning, then you can have them back the same day. I called the front desk to request a laundry pickup and in less than 30 seconds there was a very polite man at our door to collect the laundry. The service really was extraordinary.
We walked past the pool and saw that a bunch of pigeons were congregating at one end, drinking water and bathing. The pool looked inviting, even at this hour of the morning. We made a mental note to take advantage of it later. We met Mukul for breakfast in the dining room at 7:45 and sat at a table in the room behind the one we had eaten at last night. We loaded our plates up at the buffet and enjoyed cereal with milk, fresh sweet lime juice, papaya, sambher, idli, poori and bhaji, and coffee. The food was delicious After breakfast, we got into the car and Rajendra drove us the short distance to the Jaisalmer Fort. The forts and palaces that we had seen thus far on the trip had been converted to hotels or historical museums. But Jaisalmer Fort is different. It exists to this day as a living walled city. Just about every home within its walls is dedicated to one commercial enterprise or another. Temples share the narrow streets alongside hotels, cafes, shops, and homes. There are 2000 residents living within the walls of the fort. It really gave us the feeling of stepping back in history and seeing day-to-day functioning in a centuries-old fort. It was a bit surreal to see signs for internet cafes hanging within such an old ediface. The fort itself was built in 1156 A.D. Tall sandstone walls rise out of the sands of the Thar Desert and connect 99 bastions. We entered the fort through massive gates which had small bats roosting in their eaves. Some of the golden sandstone construction reminded me of buildings in Timbuktu, but the majority were a lot more architecturally elaborate, with various turrets, balconies, archways, and intricate jali screens. The early morning sunlight looked beautiful on the buildings. Some of the sandstone carvings in the architecture seemed as delicate as lace. Jaisalmer has been located along silk and spice trade routes for 700 years. It became wealthy in part by levying taxes upon trade caravans which passed through. However, modern development has not been kind to the fort. Increased water demands and inadequate drainage have caused erosion to the foundation of the structure. As romantic as it would seem to stay at a guest house or hotel within the fort, it would actually be contributing to the problem. Organizations such as Jaisalmer in Jeopardy are working on the preservation and restoration of the fort. We went into two Jain temples which were built between the 12th and 15th centuries. Jainism is a religion founded in the 6th century B.C. There were two hand-painted signs posted outside of the temples. The first read, "*Important Notice* Entrance of ladies during monthly course period is strictly prohibited. They are requested to maintain the sanctity of the temples" and the second read "No Smoking Please." Luckily I was neither menstruating nor smoking, so I was able to enter. We took our shoes off and entered the temples (It is always good to wear shoes that can easily be slipped on and off in India, as temples always require you to leave your shoes outside). There were intricate carvings on every interior surface of the temples: pillars, walls, and ceilings were each elaborately decorated. The temples were carved out of sandstone. The style of some of the carvings reminded us of Khajuraho, though the Jaisalmer carvings were more recent. We saw familiar motifs that we recognized from the Khajuraho temples - though the less sexually suggestive ones. For instance, we recognized an image of a man writing a letter and thinking about his woman, and the motif of women putting on makeup. In various niches and nooks were yellow or white marble carvings of the Jain deity. Mukul explained to us that though they look somewhat alike, statues and images of Buddha and the Jain deities can be told apart because Buddha is always clothed and the Jain deity is always naked. Also they hold their hands differently. We climbed upstairs to a second story loft/catwalk which allowed us to get a glimpse of the the ceiling carvings. The undersides of the sikharas (steeples) were carved to look like lotus blossoms. Though the temples were incredibly interesting, we were pouring with sweat. There was little air movement inside and it was quite humid and crowded. After exiting the temples, we wandered the labyrinthine streets where people rent rooms and sell food. A woman sat on her doorstep with plastic buckets full of soapy water. She beat her laundry with a wooden paddle on the . Women worked on sewing machines. It was all very surreal. Mukul took a picture of a little girl with my camera. He showed it to her and she started to flip through the other picturess on the camera - kids are so savvy these days, anywhere in the world! She was only around two years old. Mukul then talked to a man who is teaching his toddler to speak French. The child had charcoal around his eyes, which is a common way for parents to try to fend off the evil eye. He reached out to shake our hands and it was very cute. The people were all very friendly. There was so much to see in every direction. We tried to pay attention to our immediate surroundings but a cow snuck up on us and gently nudged Craig from behind in an alleyway, startling him. Sellers had their wares spread out on tables in the alleys. We saw a cute little wooden altar which folded outto reveal Hindu deities. Mukul explanined that it was a "portable altar" that one could use to pray when away from home. We thought it was really interesting, and liked its detailed paint job. Mukul said that it was rather shoddy workmanship when compared to how they used to be made. But we liked its rustic charm and folk-art-ness, and deicded to purchase it. We passed two holy men who were dressed in yellow and orange, with beaded necklaces and chains of marigolds around their necks. Their faces were decorated with yellow and red powder. They both had long grey beards. We walked through little passageways with stairs and wound our way through the labyrinthine streets and alleyways. We saw a marble obelisk commemorating Jaisalmer's 850th anniversary, 17th August 2005. A musician wearing an odhni (turban) sat cross-legged on the cobblestones in front of red graffiti of swastikas and tridents. He was playing a stringed instrument with a bow and singing softly. We stood and watched him play for a while. At first we had to strain to hear him because there were a lot of people milling around in the general area. Soon the crowd thinned and we were better able to hear as he played for tips. He was very animateed as he moved the bow back and forth creating a violin-like sound. He sang in a high pitched voice while showing us his gap-toothed smile. We entered a building behind him and found ourselves in the Raj Mahal palace, which has been converted into the a Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum and Heritage Centre. We wandered around from room to room in the palace while viewing exhibits. A silver throne sat on a hand-knotted carpet with a parasol next to it. The doors of the palacer were exquisite, some carved out of wood and others fashioned ot of silver. Light filtered into one of the rooms through stained glass windows. We went into a hall of portraits and geneological charts which traced the royal lineage of the maharawals (Jaisalmer's version of the maharajas) back to the Hindu god Vishnu. One exhibit that caught Craig's eye was a display of old banknotes and postage stamps issued by the "Princely States of Rajputana." Craig has collected stamps since he was young. The specimens here were very colorful and interesting to look at. We looked at some 15th century sandstone carvings in glass cases. We examined a scale-model of the fort, which was very interesting. The whole thing is shaped rather like a boomerang (its shape also reminded me of the island of Martha's Vineyard). It was an interesting 3-d perspective on the walled city. The fort itself is so jam packed with buildings that it is hard to get the big picture of exactly how many buildings it contains. We stepped outside onto a roof deck and had a beautiful view down at the walled fort below, and outside the walls to the modern village of Jaisalmer. Gorgeous textiles hung drying on clotheslines, looking almost like oversized prayer flags. After seeing all of the exhibits, we exited the museum and wandered down the cobblestone street. we stopped at Krishna Boulangerie to visit Mukul’s friend and have a refreshing soda after our morning activities. We sat down at a table in this little unassuming hole-in-the-wall. There were mirrored mosaics on the walls. One was in the shape of a peacock. They asked what they could get us to drink. We requested Fanta (a fairly ubiquitous beverage here in India). It turned out that they didn't have any cold Fanta. But before we could change our order they had already dispatched someone to go to a neighboring store, and he returned with ice cold bottles of Fanta. A man came in carrying what looked to be an old fashioned black bag that a doctor might take on house calls. Craig detected a faint whiff of perfume as the man entered, and Mukul immediately asked the man if he was from the state of Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh. The man said that he was, and Mukul explained that was where the best Indian perfumes came from. The man took a seat and opened his bag, which contained extracts and vials. He put some jasmine and khus vetiver into small vials and handed them to me. “Stephie, the finest Indian perfume,” Mukul said. When we were done with our sodas, the proprietor led us right next door and down a staircase to the basement. Here he showed us his extensive collection of textiles from around the area. Some were very fancy tribal dresses from Afghanistan, some had coins or small mirrors sewn on as ornamentation. It was absolutely gorgeous work, with incredible embroidery. Some pieces were heavy with bead-work in elaborate, intricate designs. We were thinking a lot of our friend Barbara and her interest in textiles - she would love this place. The downstairs room had shelving wall units which were just packed floor to ceiling with folded textiles. When we had seen the treasures from his family’s personal collection, he took us upstairs to the textile shop. After looking at so many beautiful items, we decided to purchase a bedspread. It was difficult to know where to begin. The textiles were folded and organized into stacks by color. We really liked a terra cotta colored bedspread with fancy embroidery and reflective bits. It was made by someone in a local village. The seller was very nice and threw in a pillow sham that I had been looking at. The bedspread was large and we wondered how we would carry it, but he folded it up and stuffed it inside a cloth bag, making it quite compact. He even refused to take payment for the Fantas. That is how stores work here; they take care to make you very comfortable in the hopes that you will make a purchase. After that, we exited the fort and walked down toward the new city. We looked at some very nice old havelis from the city's heyday when it was located along major commercial trade routes. These houses stood next to modern construction, which is built in the traditional style using some more modern materials. Metal is crafted into shapes to mimic the carved jali screens. Silver garland was strung across some of the streets. As we walked down the streets I was accosted by cobblers who noticed my shabby $5 pair of shoes and wanted to fix them for me. When I declined, they asked Craig if they could fix his wife's shoes. They tried to make him feel guilty for not providing for me. After seeing the marionette show at our hotel, we wanted to buy some marionettes as a souvenir. We saw some in various places and decided that we didnt want to leave Jaisalmer without buying a pair. We saw a wall of marionettes and picked out two in matching red outfits (a maharani and maharaja). Mukul saw an elderly woman whom he wanted to photograph. He gave her a nice tip and asked her to stand in front of a modern haveli in the sunlight, which was very yellow, unusual for noonday sun. She obliged and her face had so much character. She didn't smile at the camera, which made for even better photos. We finished up in the town and then Rajendra drove us a short way to the Restaurant Trio. We climbed the stairs and ate up on the covered porch which overlooks the walls of the fort. We had our traditional light lunch (sweet lassi, veggie fritters, and cottage cheese fritters) in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. The lassi was nice and cooling in the desert heat. After lunch we came back to the hotel for a siesta. Craig and I took a refreshing swim in the busy hotel pool. When we were cooled down sufficiently, we got dressed. Mukul had recommended wearing long pants for the afternoon activity, as it involved riding a camel. I flashed back to January, when we rode camels in Essakane, Mali. My ankle length skirt at the time had not been modest enough for the Muslim camel handlers to feel comfortable. I would definitely wear pants this time. Wow, 2009 should be the Year of the Camel for us, riding camels in two separate continents. Boy, that sure sounds obnoxious! We exchanged some money at the front desk and then met up with Mukul and Rajendra. We then got into the car and drove toward the Sam dunes. When Craig and I hads seen this on the itinerary, we had thought that it might be a cute typo, and they had meant *sand* dunes. We were incorrect; the name of the place is Sam, and there just so happen to be dunes there. So off we went toward the Sam dunes. The place had the feeling of a frontier, and we were told that we were only 60 km from the Pakistani border. We drove past where many other tourists were mounting camels. We arrived at a less busy spot (Mukul always seemed to arrange things so that we avoided the crowds), and there were three camels waiting for us. Craig’s was led by Asghar Ali and mine was led by a boy named Rapik. Mukul said he would catch up to us later, so Craig and I mounted our camels. The saddles were much more like horse saddles than the wooden camel saddles we had ridden in the Sahara. We even had cloth stirrups. They were covered in brightly colored textiles. Asghar Ali and Rapik walked alongside us as our camels loped along. We rode across the golden sand past goats, tented camps, scrub brush and dunes. There were plenty of other tourists engaged in the same activity, but most were significantly ahead of us out of our view. So we had the illusion that we were alone. We passed some dung beetles which were busily rolling balls of camel dung much like Sisyphus. They leave cute little tracks in the sand, just like the ones we had seen in the Sahara, but we hadn’t realized until now that they are also capable of flight. We cast interesting shadows in the late afternoon sun while riding the camels. After a while I looked back and I could see Mukul behind us off in the distance. He made up time quickly and was soon riding with us. There was a warm wind blowing. The camels were very docile and our ride was quite peaceful and comfortable. After about half an hour, we arrived at our sunset vantagepoint where the wind had made ripply patterns in the sand. We held on tight as our camels lurched down onto the ground. We dismounted and Mukul chose a spot away from the other tourists, facing the sunset. We sat there atop a dune, and nestled ourselves comfortably in the sand. Mukul discreetly produced a frosty bottle of beer and an ice cold Fanta from his backpack, along with three glasses. What a nice surprise! He also produced some snack-sized bags of savories. We toasted and snacked while we watched the sun sink. It disappeared into a layer of invisible clouds only to have its bottom re-emerge. After the sun was completely gone from view and the sky had a rosy glow, we got back on our camels. Our camel herders rode on the backs of our camels bareback. They led us in a different direction than we had come. We didn't know where we were going next. Mukul had kept it a secret, just like the beer he had smuggled. Small bugs were flying into my face as we rode through the slightly windy desert at twilight. After a while, we arrived at Kanoi Dune Resort. We were greeted by female dancers in traditional Rajasthani dress and a musician carrying a drum. They welcomed us and the women placed necklaces around our necks. We were given cool towelettes and orange drinks for refreshment. We were allowed to go into the small cabins which each had a private bathroom - they were very cute accommodation in the desert. We freshened up in the bathroom and then went outside where mattresses and pillows were arranged in a semicircle on a cement platform. We joined Mukul and reclined on a mattress. There were small tables in front of the mattresses, and Mukul ordered a beer to split with Craig and an orange soda for me. A band started to play. One man played a double flute, and others played harmonium and drum. Two women danced and a man ate fire. Once again I was chosen to participate in the dance. My camera was acting up; the flash refused to fire, etc. so I was not happy with the photos that I ended up getting of the show. While the entertainment was going on, men came around serving peanuts, chickpea vegetable fritters, tomato soup, and popadums. After the performance, the other tourists (who seemed to all be a part of a single group of French tourists) headed to a long table. After they were all seated, they got up and headed to a buffet table to get their food. Mukul, Craig, and I were led to a separate small table for three. We were served a sit-down meal, with tableside service. There was cheese in spinach sauce, naan, eggplant fritters, desert mutton, okra, and khadi (chickpea dumplings). It was delicious, but there was way too much food after having filled up on appetizers. For dessert we had bananas and soozi-ka halwa (clarified butter, wheat flour, saffron, and honey). Craig and Mukul had another beer. After the French tourists had left and we were left alone there with staff, Mukul convinced them to turn out the camp lights for a few minutes so that we could have a good look at the stars. It was amazing how dark it became. Craig and I laid on our backs on the ground looking to the sky and observing the heavens from this unfamiliar perspective. Mukul found this quite amusing and snapped a photo of us. Craig has always had an interest in astronomy, and his brother had a telescope that they used to use to observe the heavens. Of course, our house is close enough to the city that we never get this kind of darkness. We saw a fast-moving light in ths sky which we thought might be the space shuttle (we would later send Steve a text and ask if the shuttle was up. He responded and said it must have been the space station, which had been visible lately). Rajendra drove us back to the hotel. The road seemed much more remote and dangerous in the darkness. Sand was drifting over the road in some places. We reached the hotel at 9:45. As soon as we arrived at the door of our room, a man presented us with our clean laundry. We didn't even need to ask anyone about it. The service at these hotels really is superb. Mukul stopped by our room to let us borrow his laptop. We called Craig’s dad on our cell phone to wish him a happy 80th birthday. I wrote a blog post using Mukul's laptop, and then went to sleep at 11:50 after a very busy day. |
       Musician at Jaisalmer Fort (20 second clip)      Riding camels through the dunes at Sam (20 second clip)   Rajasthani fire dancer, Kanoi Dune Resort (20 second clip)  
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