India 2012

Monday5November

Pritam is much more of an early bird than us! That gives him time to perfect his lovely mustache!  

To accompany us during our breakfast, a white-eared bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis)...  

We return for a short tour of the desert. Today is a quiet day, we will stay around Jaisalmer visiting the small Khaba Fort and the ruins of Kuldhara

Plants growing on the edge of the desert

This restored fort overlooks the ruins of the old village that fell into disrepair. These houses, inhabited by Brahmin communities (the highest caste, comprising people linked to the sacred such as priests or teachers), were abandoned in the 19th century following the repression of the tyrant Salam Singh.

Not much to see in the fort. Some nice wood carvings and other period relics.

musical instrument?

We move on to other ruins. Here too, the Brahmins left the village overnight. In the middle of nowhere, an access gate allows passage to the site for a few rupees.

A few meters behind this gate, a small, almost wild cactus garden.

You still have to walk to reach the first ruins

The 14th-century temple, also left as is

The staircase leading to the rooftop terrace

It is possible to climb onto the terraces of some houses to see the village as a whole

We take the path back to the car, where we cross cenotaphs, ...

...water carriers, ...

...and intrigued zebus  

Spicy lunch   in a local bar in Jaisalmer

Yay, a pan masala!  

Short digestive walk...

Small market, textile and food

Everything you need for a pan masala!

Back to the hotel. Not the one pictured below! This one is the hotel across the road! It's the Jawahar Niwas Palace, as its name suggests, it exceeds our backpacker budget!