Jaisalmer - a Free Day

Sunday, 9 November 2014, Jaisalmer

For those readers who have wondered how to pronounce the name of this city: Pati and BeeBee's guide, who was born here, says JESS-sel-mer, with the last two syllables equally (un)accented.

Pati and BeeBee slept in on this free day until 6:30 am. After wonderful hot baths and turning in their laundry (yesterday's clothing was full of sand), they had breakfast in the rooftop restaurant. This restaurant is rated highly on Trip Advisor (#6 of 118 restaurants in Jaisalmer) and, more importantly, breakfast here is included in their tour price.

Their plan for the day is to walk back to the Fort with stops at shops they have already identified, also with excellent reviews on Trip Advisor.

Walking out from the hotel at about 10 am, they easily found their way back to the Fort. There is a barber shop just before the outer gate, and Pati stopped for a haircut.  (See that blog post.) Then they entered the Fort, passing through the four gates and into the square in front of the palace that they toured yesterday morning.

They were looking for a particular shop, and it was described by various sources as being just at the exit from the palace. They looked on every street in the fort with no luck. Then they thought that maybe it was outside the fort, so they searched streets just outside the fort also. No luck. They saw 1st Gate, a restaurant that is well-rated on Trip Advisor, and decided that they would try looking again after lunch.

After lunch, they asked the manager of 1st Gate where to find the shop. He gave them the same directions they already had. Once back in the fort, Pati tried a ruse: when approached by a tout (call him tout #1), Pati said he was 't shopping, he was supposed to meet a friend at (the location he was given for the shop). The tout took them to the exact location they had already tried and said he would look, too! No shop. Pati then went into a hotel lobby and asked the manager where the shop was. He gave directions which Pati understood and could follow. Unfortunately, tout #2 was also in the hotel lobby listening and called a confederate (tout #3), who overtook Pati and BeeBee on their way to the shop and insisted on accompanying them while acting like a guide. Soon he handed them off to tout #4, who accompanied them to the shop itself. It was not outside the palace exit; it was on top of the fort wall.  The shop owner showed his merchandise, which was beautiful, and Pati made a purchase. The shop keeper did not accept credit cards, but tout #4 graciously offered to handle the charge in his shop and repay this shop owner. And Pati and BeeBee could look at his merchandise while they were there ...  Pati dug deep and came up with the rupees to pay the shop owner right then and there. Tout #4 insisted on accompanying them afterward, and took them into his shop. As his assistant dragged out bedspreads and other large items, BeeBee said she already had bought all that on other trips and didn't want more, while Pati said he felt ill. Tout #4  finally gave up and let them go. Except for being a tout, Tout #4 seemed like a nice fellow with a pretty wife and child (he showed them pictures).

After this, Pati and BeeBee had two more places to track down, an ATM (since they will be hard to find for the next few days) and a famous sweets shop. They finally found a working ATM that had money to dispense, by walking several streets near their hotel until they found one. (On the way, Pati stepped in a cow pie. He supposed this was karma getting back at him for pretending to be sick to get away from the tout.)  The sweets shop they found by following the excellent directions of  their own hotel's manager, and they bought a few of the sweets that are always shown in pictures of Ganesh. They taste somewhat like Gulab Jamun, which they also like, but are bright yellow.

Finally back at their hotel, they headed to the rooftop restaurant for a last good dinner at their hotel. They had Gulab Jamun for dessert. 

Jaisalmer - Morning of the First Full Day

Saturday, 8 November 2014, Jaisalmer

Pati and BeeBee got up at 6 am today to be ready for their guide at 9:15. After a luxurious shower, BeeBee gathered laundry (happy happy joy joy) to turn in this morning, to be returned clean this evening. They had a very good breakfast in the rooftop restaurant, and met their guide right on time at the entrance to the hotel.

They set off on foot in the same direction as yesterday, but today continued to the entrance to the Jaisalmer Fort on the hilltop.  As always, they had to avoid motorcycles and cows and cow patties on the pavement. The guide repeatedly told them to watch their step, which, by now, was second-nature to Pati and BeeBee, although the cow patties in Jaisalmer are particularly vile. The guide also warned them to be very careful around cows, since people have gotten hurt. Perhaps cows here are meaner than those in other cities. One pleasant observation was the number of motorcycle tracks through the cow patties. Maybe there is something to karma.

They saw a small boy at the door to a house. The woman of the house was dropping food into a plastic bag he was holding. "He is an untouchable, a gypsy," the guide said. "She cannot touch him." Although the boy seemed happy to get the food, Pati and BeeBee were quite sad about this. They also hoped that the cow they saw yesterday got its chapati.

They entered the Fort, which is more of a small city than a fort, since a few thousand people live there free (except for electricity and water) as descendants of people who lived there to serve the king. Only Brahmins and warrior caste may live there, which does not explain all the people selling merchandise there (another caste). The guide warned them against buying anything in the Fort, since it would be lower quality, and then Pati and BeeBee would think less of the guide when they got home. They were impressed with his honesty. The guide explained the history of the fort as they explored it. At the end, he gave them a choice of climbing to the top of the palace ("110 steps") or to the top of some other lower building with a good view (easier climb). Pati and BeeBee have become wary of buildings with a view, since they always end with a slow painful trip through a buying opportunity. They opted for climbing to the top of the palace. Although he seemed disappointed with this choice, the guide went in with them and explained the many displays of weapons and pictures of royalty inside. Very soon, they were on the rooftop with a splendid view. (Where was the difficult climb, they wondered.) They could even see their hotel from there, and learned that it has 4 solar panels on the roof.

As they wandered around, their guide was on his cell phone, as he had been frequently all along, although it did not seem to interfere with his job. As they were about to leave the fort, the guide asked if they would like to go to a factory where good silver jewelry was made. "No thank you," Pati and Beebee said.  "As you will," he said. They walked on, following the guide who was again talking on his cell phone. Soon: "Would you like to go to a store where they sell good pashminas?" "No thank you," they said. "As you will," he said. They walked on. "Would you like to see some old havelis on the way to your hotel?" "Yes," they said. They stopped at one, and the guide sent them inside. They climbed steep steps and found a small temple or shrine. They each glanced in the small room, which had several other people in it. BeeBee noticed a room off the stairway which had textile products in it. Recognizing the trap, she led Pati outside before they could be stopped.  The next haveli was actually two joined havelis built in competition by  two brothers. "I can't go in with you," the guide said. "One of the owners will show you around." That was another tipoff, but Pati and BeeBee went anyway, because it was a beautiful house. The owner led them through several rooms and upstairs to a large area with many display cases of merchandise . He showed them pictures on the walls, which were attractive but not outstanding. Then he began his pitch, showing them opium bowls, and explaining the difference between wooden ones and those made of camel bone. The test between the two is that camel bone does not burn. He led them toward another display case, explaining that the sale of merchandise helps with the costs of renovation. Noticing that Pati and BeeBee were not to be swayed, he said "You can go now" and led them through the maze of rooms and stairs back to the street, where undoubtedly (BeeBee did not notice) he positioned himself to receive the next victim. As he was after the first haveli visit, the guide seemed surprised to see them again so soon. Since the tour was officially over, he asked their plans. To go back to the hotel, they said.

They set off for the hotel. The guide seemed dejected. He no longer warned them about cows or cow droppings. In fact, BeeBee saw that he actually brushed his shoe through something she would definitely avoid. More proof of karma! Soon they were back to the hotel, and the guide quickly said goodbye until the afternoon tour and hurried to his motorcycle. Pati hoped he would motor off into the sunset but knew he would be back for a tip.

Pati and BeeBee went into the coolness of their hotel. They had a small lunch in the rooftop restaurant with its splendid views.  They rested until the afternoon activity, which includes a camel ride.

Jaisalmer - First Afternoon

Friday, 7 November 2014, Jaisalmer

The drive from Phalodi to Jaisalmer was uneventful. About an hour away from Phalodi, the driver asked if Pati and BeeBee would like a rest break, because there wouldn't be another opportunity before Jaisalmer. Pati said yes, as usual, and the driver went on to say that he would have breakfast when we stopped, because (unfortunately for him) he had also spent the night at Lal Liwas (there is no other place in Phalodi for drivers to stay) and they refused to give him any breakfast. He did get a shower. Pati and BeeBee got a quick coke/tea at the restaurant at the stop, and the driver got something to eat somewhere in the same building. He was ready to go in 15 minutes. BeeBee wonders what kind of life drivers have on the road.

They arrived at their hotel (Hotel Pleasant Havali) in Jaisalmer at about 1:30, and were shown to a beautiful room. The bathroom had running water (BeeBee checked immediately). Their walking tour was scheduled for 4 pm, so they went to the rooftop restaurant for a delicious lunch. Here they learned that they could get bottled water free whenever they wanted it, from the restaurant or front desk.  The server charged their meal to room 8, which was a bit of news because the rooms do not have numbers. They have keys with unique attachments instead.

At 4:15, they met their guide and driver. The driver took them to the entrance to a lake. As they drove, the guide suggested changes to their itinerary, if they would like. Pati and BeeBee had heard this pitch before (in Shimla), so they said they liked what was in the itinerary and wanted to do that. At the lake, the guide dismissed the driver until 4:30 tomorrow. All of the scheduled touring is on foot until tomorrow afternoon. This lake also has ghats (steps) and beautiful buildings around and in it. The guide told them an amusing story about a prostitute who set up shop beside the lake; her customers were the gypsies who lived on the opposite bank of the lake. She built a small temple on top of her building and ghats, and the king was unable to evict her for that reason. Pati took lots of pictures. Some boys were throwing bits of bread into the lake to feed some giant catfish. People often feed these fish, because they represent a Hindu deity.

They then walked through the neighborhoods between the lake and their hotel, and the guide pointed out the beautiful architecture and fretwork in the local golden sandstone. (Jaisalmer is known as the Golden City.)  As they were walking through a narrow street, they came upon a cow standing with its front feet on the top step of a home (back feet on the street), with its nose pressed to the window in the top half of the door. The guide explained that each family at dinner time cooks three extra chipatis: one for the dog, one for the gypsies, and one for the cow. This cow was waiting for its chapati. Another thing that they saw repeatedly was a wedding picture painted on the side of a house where a couple was to be (or had already been) married. It was a picture of Ganesha eating sweets, with the date of the marriage. The words in Rajasthani were an invitation to the wedding events. Their guide bought them each a sweet of the type in the picture (a golden round ball), and they could understand why Ganesh is so fond of this particular sweet.

Their guide is Brahmin, as was their guide in Shimla. Although India has officially done away with the caste system, both of these guides were quick to identify themselves as Brahmin (the highest caste) and to explain the caste system. Apparently, it is everyone else's job to provide for the Brahmin  while they sit around and think big thoughts. Pati and BeeBee have seen quite a few Brahmin sitting around so they know that's at least half true.

After their tour, Pati and BeeBee were escorted back to their hotel at about 6:30. They had a small dinner at the rooftop restaurant. They had a wonderful view of the fort on top of the hill, and of the simultaneous sunset and moonrise. They spent the rest of the evening catching up on the internet. (Phalodi had no wifi.)

Where is my chipati?