JODPHUR
Just as the other cities in Rajasthan have their associated colours, Jodphur is known as the blue city and on first impression its the colour of the place that is most striking and impressive.
Resisting too many comparisons with the sky blue train carriage to Jaisalmer, the blue paint business seems a lucrative one ion these parts given that each house has exactly the same shade and that it is also EXACTLY the same as the aforementioned wind tunnels disguised as train carriages that got me to the desert.
Again like most cities of the region, Jodphur has it's fort as the main attraction. Most of these are now getting quite similar, and only after a few visits to the armoury of these can I be impressed with the unique and inventive ways that people of the past came up with to kill and mame in the name of progress.
The Jodphur fort itself is the same in many respects although it's elevated position above the city does really highlight how good they've done with the emulsion, rollers and paint brushes above.
So having covered enough of the main attraction and satisfied that I've seen it thoroughly the rest of the time here was devoted to the purchasing of knick nacks: a task that can sustain me for as long as any or fort (bars excluded).
This was also good time to try and rectify my horrifying discovery that my train tickets out of Rajasthan to Mumbai consisted of 'wait-list' tickets, which give you no actual seats whilst relieving you of the full cost of them anyway.
Some friendly help in the station revealed that 35 others were also 'waiting' for a ticket, although given that people cram into these things like they're the last train from the apocalypse means my chances were slim to anorexic of getting on board.
My new friend in the station kindly pointed out that what you see on the screen and what can happen are 2 different things.
An Rs 300 payment to the local 'fixer' (outside the station away from view) meant that within 30 mins I had myself a seat, albeit in the dreaded third tier, meaning two twelve hour journeys back to back. It was with mixed feelings then that I took some exhilaration from my first 'unofficial' transaction in India, and some regret that it may well have cost someone their seat.
My two helpers as part of a brief conversation, as always in India became friends for the next 24 hours and I found myself in the company of one guy that is a musician who tours India with his band (he plays hardcore sitar apparently).
The other guy was the self proclaimed 'fixer' who used to street box (and had some nasty scars to prove it) but now is also in the 'gem trade' which sounds equally short lived and illegal to me. But nonetheless they were good value for company and wit their help I discovered the sharp end of a hangover when drinking 8% beer (it has the EXACT same bottle as the 5% stuff!) for the night.
A sore head, and still a sore arse from the camel 'race' in Jaisalmer boarded the bus (a nice change perhaps?) to Udaipur for the day, although the thought of the 24hrs on trains is starting to fill with with occasional and momentary panic.
Just as the other cities in Rajasthan have their associated colours, Jodphur is known as the blue city and on first impression its the colour of the place that is most striking and impressive.
Resisting too many comparisons with the sky blue train carriage to Jaisalmer, the blue paint business seems a lucrative one ion these parts given that each house has exactly the same shade and that it is also EXACTLY the same as the aforementioned wind tunnels disguised as train carriages that got me to the desert.
Again like most cities of the region, Jodphur has it's fort as the main attraction. Most of these are now getting quite similar, and only after a few visits to the armoury of these can I be impressed with the unique and inventive ways that people of the past came up with to kill and mame in the name of progress.
The Jodphur fort itself is the same in many respects although it's elevated position above the city does really highlight how good they've done with the emulsion, rollers and paint brushes above.
So having covered enough of the main attraction and satisfied that I've seen it thoroughly the rest of the time here was devoted to the purchasing of knick nacks: a task that can sustain me for as long as any or fort (bars excluded).
This was also good time to try and rectify my horrifying discovery that my train tickets out of Rajasthan to Mumbai consisted of 'wait-list' tickets, which give you no actual seats whilst relieving you of the full cost of them anyway.
Some friendly help in the station revealed that 35 others were also 'waiting' for a ticket, although given that people cram into these things like they're the last train from the apocalypse means my chances were slim to anorexic of getting on board.
My new friend in the station kindly pointed out that what you see on the screen and what can happen are 2 different things.
An Rs 300 payment to the local 'fixer' (outside the station away from view) meant that within 30 mins I had myself a seat, albeit in the dreaded third tier, meaning two twelve hour journeys back to back. It was with mixed feelings then that I took some exhilaration from my first 'unofficial' transaction in India, and some regret that it may well have cost someone their seat.
My two helpers as part of a brief conversation, as always in India became friends for the next 24 hours and I found myself in the company of one guy that is a musician who tours India with his band (he plays hardcore sitar apparently).
The other guy was the self proclaimed 'fixer' who used to street box (and had some nasty scars to prove it) but now is also in the 'gem trade' which sounds equally short lived and illegal to me. But nonetheless they were good value for company and wit their help I discovered the sharp end of a hangover when drinking 8% beer (it has the EXACT same bottle as the 5% stuff!) for the night.
A sore head, and still a sore arse from the camel 'race' in Jaisalmer boarded the bus (a nice change perhaps?) to Udaipur for the day, although the thought of the 24hrs on trains is starting to fill with with occasional and momentary panic.
posted by aboutabwoy at 7:08 AM
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