Jodhpur, the blue city (that’s actually not that blue!)
After a 5 hr drive from Jaisalmer we arrived in the second biggest city in Rajasthan, Jodhpur. Teeming with honking cars, tuk tuks, motorbikes and scooters it took a good 25mins to get through the traffic to our hotel
Hotel Pal Haveli is a heritage Haveli (large merchants house) built 250 years ago.
Today it is a very posh hotel with a restaurant which is probably as close to a Michelin star one as you can get here. The chef has his name on everything, even embroidered on his chef’s whites (only they’re green! ). The restaurant is on the roof and has amazing views of the square, the temple fountains and of course the Fort.
We’re in a room which belonged to the grandmother of the former owners and is decorated in blue and white throughout,
with filigree windows behind those long curtains, overlooking Sadar Square which has a clock tower in the centre.
Today the square is a busy market with stalls selling everything from spices, cloth, pans, fruit, shoes, etc to street food.
The next morning our driver took us up to the the Fort. On the way we stopped at the Cenotaphs, a must it seems!
In some parts chiseled out of the red rock which this area is famed for but mostly built from red sandstone bricks, and so tall inside we had to get a lift to the top.
I took a photo from the ramparts and was disappointed that most building aren’t actually blue any more.
Once there we wandered through various apartments looking at garments, weapons, art work, palenquins, etc.
Then there was the Hall of Mirrors
On the very top floor was the Maharaja’s private pleasure room, where he would it on his cushioned chair and smoke hashish and watch dancing girls till dawn (if he so wished)
At last we had a day of rest, so we sat on the roof top terrace restaurant and enjoyed the sunshine.
Our friend, Jenny, who is travelling with us, said that her memory sound of India would be the constant honking and the call to prayer everyday.
Tomorrow we leave for Udaipur
