After three pretty uneventful days driving out of Pushkar we arrived in Jodphur to look round the hilltop fort, which overlooks the blue city (all the houses are painted blue at the whim of the Maharajah). Didn’t make it into the town itself as got accosted by about a hundred kids on a school trip, all of whom wanted to ask “What is your good name”?, “Which land are you from”? and “What is your service”? (or job).
From Jodphur carried on to Jaisalmer, which is about 170km from Pakistan so is full of military types doing posturing and training exercises, pretty much the same as it was in Taxkorgan,China which also borders Pakistan. Looked round the walled city/fort, which was entirely filled with tourist shops and pizza restaurants, so a bit disappointing but from the top you could see the pink city (all the houses are painted pink at the whim of the Maharajah). Got so bored I wandered into a silk shop and got convinced into buying the most expensive vintage bedspread in the shop. Despite haggling for ages I think I may have overpaid as the shopkeeper bought me three cups of chai (spiced tea), lunch, drove me to the cashpoint on his scooter, gave me made to measure bag (knocked up by the bagwallah in about 5 minutes) and paid for a rickshaw back to the hotel. If it had had wing mirrors I’m sure I would have seen him shutting up shop and taking his wife and kids off to retirement in Jamaica.
