Jodhpur 01/04 – 01/06

View of the "Blue City" from above.

Peter relaxes on the hotel rooftop.

Colors and chaos at the bazaar.

Nightime Fort view from rooftop restaurant.

Palace inside the Fort.

Rajasthani shoes for sale.  I, of course, had to get a pair.

The infamous Omelette Shop where all travelers converge to eat delicious omelette sandwiches.

The "Blue City" at street level.

Courtyard within the hotel.

Indian hospital with conveniently located pharmacy right next door.

Funny turban man at the bazaar.

"Blue City" side street.

Monkeys and turbans at the Fort.

The following morning we checked out of “Heaven” amongst much ado. “Where are you going, you are leaving? Why? I give you better room, just look...no stay, just look!” We didn't care to see the other rooms although I am sure they were just as good as all the reviews said they were. We felt like we were tricked into staying there. We also didn't appreciate the third degree interrogation at checkout. The lady sounded just like the touts that pester us everywhere we go. ”Just look, no buy!”

We went in search of different accommodation and found many rooms available. The competition must be cutthroat. We ended up in an old “haveli”, a Rajasthani mansion turned into a guesthouse. It was full of murals, stained glass, and mosaics. Quite beautiful. A quiet oasis away from all the beeping and dust. It even had a rooftop terrace with a view of the Fort...the main attraction in Jodhpur. And here we rested for the next two days. We didn't do too much sightseeing in Jodhpur. We visited the main market square and the bazaars. We also visited the Fort which was very impressive and looked like something out of Tomb Raider. We were both feeling tired and sick and decided it was time to go see a doctor. We couldn't find any travel clinics so our only choice was to visit an Indian hospital. But we were assured by our hotel that the doctor knew how to speak English and was the doctor for the Taj (the swanky, super expensive hotel that only the extremely rich can afford). So we went.

The Indian hospital was a small, communist style building. We had to pay up front for the visit, 200 INR (~$4.50). Inside the doctor's office there was a desk with some chairs in front of it, a few chairs next to the desk (waiting area), and an examination table screened with a curtain. We waited in the waiting area while the doctor examined someone behind the curtain and then spoke with a woman at his desk. Then as I was examined and interviewed, people waited in the waiting area for their turn. I guess there is no doctor – patient confidentiality. Anyway, turns out we probably have upper respiratory infections. Apparently many travelers catch colds due to the new environment which can then very easily develop into bacterial infections due to all the dust and grime in the air. This is why our colds just wouldn't go away. We got some antibiotics and this morning I woke up feeling much better. As I write, we are on our way to Udaipur. We are on a bus and the roads are horribly bumpy and the driver is a maniac! Its like riding a roller coaster. Once this is posted, though, you will know that we have arrived safely and have not been thrown out the window of the bus.