Saturday was a day of sunbathing and reading by the pool at Taj Palace Delhi until 2pm when we were picked up for the delayed flight to Jodphur. Sat in Delhi's domestic airport until 4.45 but then a very efficient 1 hour flight arriving in jodphur just as the sun was starting to set.

Taj Hari Mahal hotel a few notches up the posh range and very luxurious. Sat through a local cultuaral presentation which was charming before watching Man Uted draw with Arsenal in the bar. Low key Chinese meal and then earlish to bed ready for hectic day on Sunday.

Picked up at 8.30 am for a open air jeep drive through literally (Harry) the poorest possible suburbs of what is an edge of desert town / city and then into very flat and very dry agricultural land. Stopped at a potters' house for a demonstration then onto a very traditional indian farm - forget headland house - for some opium (don't worry, more like drinking dishwater!) and tea and then finishing at a family of carpet makers who had previously given demonstrations to Prince Charles and Richard Gere no less. All absolutley fascinating.

The reason for the elephants at the top is that we saw a herd of camels 30-40 of them but I couldn't find a library shot of a camel!

Back to base for a swim and sunbathe - really hot here - and then out again with another guide for a tour of Jodhpur itself. Interestingly the morning guide couldn't join us this afternoon since he was "hospitalised" with delhi-belly or the jodhpur equivalent - maybe the opium got to him or maybe he just couldn't stand our company any longer?!

The main attraction was the fort at Megarahal (spelling to be updated when I have the guide book in front of me) which sits enormously on top of a rock outcrop and completely dominates everything below it. Some very interesting features and many, many stories from circa 1450 onwards. The spikes in the main entry gate to stop invaders using elephants to headbut them down was one example and the potmarks left by cannonballs on the buttresses another.

Finished the tour in the market by the clock tower. India at its most incredible. We wouldn't have gone anywhere near it without a guide. There was chaos all around and Jane was within an inch literally (Harry) of being mown down by a peddle bike. Ended up at the same textile store where Richard Gere (again) had bought 108 pashmina's and which was visited only last week by Mick Jagger and his numerous hangers-on.

Dinner at the poolside now - kebabs are promised!

No photos until we can find a cardreader to download them - hopefully tomorrow.