Jodhpur, Jan 18--20

whole family on scooter

It's still raining as we leave Jaipur on our westward jaunt to Jodhpur, but the road at present is pretty free of puddles, and remains so for about half the way.  Well, if it's going to rain, today is not a bad day to have it.  The trip takes 8 hours, and we stop periodically for tea breaks and lunch.  There are about 3 times as many trucks as there are cars.  Some trucks are hauling railroad cars.  The road turns into a small,  barely paved street with cars and trucks weaving around, through, and passing on both sides at once!  I really am surprised we haven't seen an accident besides the small one we had in Goa, and that one was just a motorcycle that hit us from behind.  No harm done except some flaring tempers.

on the road to Jodhpur

As we pass by, people are huddled on the ground to keep warm, and we see many small fires beside the road where they gather from the villages.  It's obvious these village people are very poor.  We spot shepherds with their sheep; pigs, dogs and cows wander at will.  The lush agricultural fields turn to rocky terrain where not much will grow.  Shrines are plentiful.

Pal Haveli's courtyard

We arrive in the afternoon at Jodhpur and find our hotel the Pal Haveli.  An haveli in earlier times was a traditional, ornately decorated residence with courtyards, etc.  It's not quite a palace, but it could be considered a villa in other parts of the world.  The Pal Haveli is yellow with a beautiful courtyard and a wide covered terrace lined with trees.

Towering over the city is the Mehrangarh Fort, its massive structure even more imposing because it's not only enormous itself, it's built on a 360 foot rock, to boot. That's 480 feet of deterrent to any invading army. I can't even imagine what any would-be conqueror must have thought at the sight of it. It was under siege for 6 months and held out. In fact, it was never conquered by force. The ruling family of Jodhpur still live in and manage this behemoth that overlooks the "blue city" named for the blue houses that used to be only for the Brahmin class..

Jodhpur--the blue city

Mehrangarh Fort at night

The fort atop the cliffs

massive doors--to keep war elephants from pushing them down

one of the many courtyards inside the fort

elephant howdah

wrought iron staircase in fort

the raj's chair--12 men carry it

white palace close-up

On our way out of the area, we stop in to see Jaswant Thada, the white palace. The grounds are beautiful with bougainvillea and ixora in lovely clumps. The palace itself is open only on the bottom floor, and we stroll through, taking in especially the marble floors, walls, ceilings, and carvings. Everything is beautiful and gleaming white.

Back at Pal Haveli, we take a few minutes to rest, have dinner, and enjoy the city and fort view from the rooftop terrace . I decide to call Mom on Skype, and while I am talking with her, I think it would be interesting for her to see the street activity if the signal allows me to take the computer outside the Haveli walls--fun if she can actually see the people walking in their colorful clothing and see the traffic, and hear the horns blowing. And at the same time, the people on the street can see her! Many people stop to say hello and ask where she is from. They ask her if she likes President Obama. We find the Indians to be a very inquisitive people, seemingly patient (except when behind the wheel of a car, tuk-tuk or motorbike and even then not raising their voices) and ready to smile even if at first a frown is on their faces.

clock tower in Jodhpur

turban-tying lesson--10 meters of cloth

Bill Clinton stayed here

Jodhpur is a big city (close to 1 million) and there are many shops, but almost all the same as Jaipur, and I have shopped there aplenty! So we prepare to leave the next day. We have added an extra stop on the way to Udaipur. This jeep safari is a new enterprise set up by a man who wants people to have more to see than forts and palaces. He wants visitors to see how crafts are made in the outlying villages, so we schedule him to take us in his 1953 Land Rover. Should be fun and educational.