India with Erin - 4

The drive from Pushkar to our next destination, Jodhpur, took us most of the day. We stopped for Thums Up soda and Fanta along the way at a local watering hole. Before arriving at our hotel in the old city, we visited the City Palace, now a museum and hotel, and learned a bit about the Maharajah history of Jodhpur. Erin and I were both quite curious about the current political status of this princely position but our questions were not answered at this museum. The palace, however was very beautiful with an art deco flair. It was commissioned in 1929 by the then maharajah, who was the head of state, as a famine relief project and very successful public work, employing thousands. After we breezed through the sparse exhibitions, Ramesh drove us into the blue city walls - Jodhpur is also called the Blue City because of the cobalt wash on many buildings - bursting with auto-rickshaws, motorbikes, bicycles, street stalls and pedestrians. Jodhpur is a thriving, bustling city and entering it we relinquished our relaxed state from two days in little Pushkar. Our hotel, an old haveli (mansion) has a rooftop terrace, a delicious coffee shop, and a fine dining restaurant all serving yummy Indian treats. For lunch we dined at the Sheesh Mahal cafe for Rajasthani Thali, an all you can eat assortment of local dishes, okra curry, and real espresso.

Around dusk we left our haveli to venture into the spice market. Although noisy, crowded, and dirty, the markets were upbeat and fun and a blur of bright colors: purple eggplants, yellow squash, green okra, broccoli and cabbage, red chilies, piles of garlic and onions, a rainbow assortment of beans and lentils, and then the spices...gorgeous turmeric, cumin and saffron, masala chai, and mixed spices piled high in wooden boxes, plus bright fabrics with gold and gem adornments. Erin stocked up on some packaged spices to take home. I'll be getting some in Kerala a little later in my trip. We were pulled into a 'student clothing shop' before making it back to our haveli and I got a pair of Aladdin style pants while Erin bought yet another beautiful Indian accessory. She'll be representing Rajasthani fashion in Seattle this fall! We decided it was time for a beer after withering in the desert sun all day and so retired to the rooftop terrace for a surprisingly gorgeous view of the blue city, the hill side Meherangarh Fort, City Palace, and white marble mausoleum. Cooling off the a light breeze with some syrupy donuts, it was the perfect evening.

We started our next day with rooftop yoga overlooking the blue city. Thanks to Rough Guide, we've learned that the color was created by a lime based indigo whitewash originally used to indicate homes belonging to the Brahmin caste but also was good for repelling bugs and cooling buildings. We trekked up the steep hillside to the 500 year old Meherangarh Fort where we spent about 2 hours wandering through vast courtyards, well preserved exhibitions, and ornate palace rooms. The audio-guide proved very entertaining with plenty of interesting facts and stories. We learned that the maharajah was stripped of royal and political power after India's independence in the mid-20th century. Nowadays it is merely a title, similar to British royalty, however the mahajah in Jodhpur still works philanthropically in public works, culture preservation, and local celebrations.

By the time we left the massive fort, after patronizing the museum gift shop, of course, the temperature was sweltering. We managed to get lost in the maze of tiny streets and had a little adventure trying to find our hotel with friendly locals directing us this way and that. For lunch we walked to a recommended samosa stand and burned our mouths on fresh veg samosas and pakora, both battered, fried, steaming hot, and delicious. Then back to the Sheesh Mahal cafe for a local variety of lassi called makhania, a mixture of yogurt, saffron, and cardamom. Erin enjoyed that treat while I drank a cold coffee frappé. I don't know how hot it is here, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear it was near 100 degrees F or 40 degrees C. Tomorrow we're off to Udaipur, our last destination before going back to Delhi. We're hoping it'll be cooler, being on a lake and farther west away from the Thal Desert.