5/12/2014 [Jodhpur - Vishnoi]
This morning we took tuk-tuks up to Mehrangarh Fort, which has a stunning view of the 'Blue City'. Many buildings in Jodhpur are painted beautiful shades of blue, because this is a cooling colour during summer, and acts as a natural insect repellent, which I found really interesting. It was cool to see firsthand why Jodhpur is often referred to the Blue City, because last night during the drive to the hotel we didn't see much blue... so I was a little confused about how it got this name, and had fairly low expectations! However, with our view from the Fort, there was no longer any question about the origins of 'Blue City'.
We took an audio-guide tour of the fort, which is huge and beautiful. The tour was quite interesting (but very long-winded at times), and gave an fascinating insight into the history and culture of this area and it's beautiful architecture and design. After the tour, we walked down the steep hill into the Old City, where we wandered around the streets eating samosas and drinking the best lassis I've ever tasted.
A small group of us then jumped into a Jeep and headed out to Vishnoi, which is a small traditional village on the outskirts of Jodhpur. Our first stop was at the home of a pottery family, who showed us how they make pots, vases, and decorative pieces using a large wheel. We then stopped in to visit a farming family, where we learned about local agriculture in the village and how it impacts life in this community. We drank homemade chai with the lovely man who was the head of the house - he spoke to us about the different crops that they grow, and the importance of family in these traditional communities. He is raising his grandsons and caring for his daughter-in-law, as his son has passed away. Our final stop was at the home of a man who is the head of a weaving cooperative in the village. He showed his loom (which is so large that it takes two people to work it), and his beautiful work in progress. He then brought out a beautiful collection of completed works by himself and other members of the cooperative - there were so many beautiful weavings, with intricate patterns and striking colours. I ended up buying a beautiful rug which was handmade by a mother and daughter - it was gorgeous , and I knew I needed to have it the moment I laid eyes on it!
We then started our journey back towards Jodhpur, stopping along the way to watch some antelope prancing around in a field and to take in the amazing sunset over the fields. Our Jeep driver dropped us off in the city, where we decided to have street food for dinner. We found the infamous 'Omelette Man', who makes really delicious omelettes right there on the street. He also made boiled eggs, which he cuts in half and coats in spices, onion and chilli - they are so simple and so yummy!
I've been finding myself getting very frustrated with all the people who try to con you over here - it feels never ending. I try to remind myself that at the end of the day, they are desperately trying to make a living for themselves and their families... but sometimes it's really hard to remember that, and it gets frustrating. We stopped in at a tea and spice shop, where a couple of our group members bought a few bits and pieces. The shop owner was over friendly and asked lots of questions, and even hugged me for an awkwardly long time, which was weird... then when we tried to leave, he gave us 'gifts' and made us go to look at his 'friends' shop - he followed us there to make sure we went, because it turns out he actually gets commission from the shop owner if he sends tourists there to buy things. We eventually managed to escape, and decided to head back to our accommodation because it had been a huge day.
We found a tuk-tuk and managed to squeeze five of us into it - the driver purposely hit every bump and pothole on the drive home, as hard and as fast as he could, which made for a very painful and uncomfortable ride.When we finally reached our destination, he tried to charge us more than he had originally said, and then kept laughing at me and making fun of me for being so fat - he insisted on telling me again and again that I was the size of two people. I tried really hard not to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much his words hurt, but as soon as I was in the safety of my own room I had a bit of a breakdown. I think it was mostly because I was so incredibly tired and overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted, and at that moment I felt so very far away from home and everyone that I love. After a while, one of the girls from our group knocked on my door to check that I was ok, which started a whole new flood of tears, which was pretty embarrassing - but she was so kind and lovely and just hugged me until I started to feel better. A couple of the other girls also drifted in, and we ended up sitting around chatting and laughing for a while, and I felt so much better by the time I went to bed.
Overall, Jodhpur has probably been one of my least favourite cities so far, so it will be nice to move on to our next destination tomorrow.
6/12/2014 [Jodhpur - Udaipur]
We were up bright and early this morning to begin our journey to Udaipur. Originally we were going to catch another public transport bus, but we ended up organising a private vehicle so we could take the trip at a more leisurely pace and stop to see some of the sights along the way (and for toilet breaks, too!). So on the way, we stopped at a Jain temple in a tiny village where we ate lunch - this actually proved to be quite a challenge for me, as I was feeling a little off-colour and not particularly hungry. However, they have a no-waste policy, which meant that I HAD to eat every single morsel on the plate that they had loaded up for me. I eventually managed to struggle my way through the thali plate with some help from my other travelers! I was definitely feeling a bit green around the gills by the time I finished.
After exploring the temple, we boarded our bus again and started heading up into the mountains - it was so lovely to finally see some greenery, and it reminded me of home a lot (except for the wild monkeys on the side of the road!). Along the way, we saw a royal wedding procession, in all it's finery and splenndour.
We finally reached Udaipur around 3pm this afternoon, and it was immediately clear why it is known as the 'City of Lakes'. Our accommodation for the next three nights is right on the lake, with a breathtaking view of the water and islands. During our orientation walk, our group leader took us up to the rooftop of one of the hotels which was used for filming scenes in the movie 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'. We then took a sunset boat ride around the lake, and it was really beautiful to see the stunning architecture illuminated by the colourful sunset. We cruised past several weddings, too - December is the peak time for weddings in December.
A few of us girls have decided to rotate the single room between us, to give us all some alternating solitude and company. I'm really grateful for this, as it sometimes made me feel a bit isolated being the only one in a single room. So I'm looking forward to sharing a room for the next few nights with a girl who has a very beautiful soul.
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