Well the internet connections and speed of transmission are not going to allow for the same type of blogging as I could do from SE Asia. So I am thinking I will just be checking in when I can and trying to appease the fears that many of you have for me here. As this blog served me so well last year as a travelogue and diary of my trip – I think I might just have to resort to point form info to refresh my memories when I am old and even more forgetful.

So, since the last installment we have left the guys in a couple of places and are on our own. It is really refreshing to be on our own schedule and not at the mercy of somebody else's. Even so their hospitality and kindness was really outstanding. On the way to Jodhpur, we visited a very famous temple – the Rat temple. Thousands of rats live there and they represent the ancestors of some God whose wife became a rat or something. Rats are revered, as is every living creature – hence the cows in the streets, the strict vegetarianism and the zillion street dogs roaming around competing for the garbage with the cows. This Rat temple is in the middle of the desert, middle of nowhere, yet thousands flock to it to walk amongst the rats, hoping one of a few albino rats run over their feet, or at least have a white rat sighting. Yup – got talked into joining in as Bobby, the Sikh, was really pumped about taking us there and it was impossible to not partake without some kind of hurt feelings. I have few fears in life. But, yup, rats and maggots are two of them. We checked our sandals and had to walk barefoot to the temple – that alone creeped me out with my model feet not used to walking barefoot. In the temple complex itself were thousands of small hairy rats running helter skelter. Bobby told me to shuffle so I wouldn’t step on any of them. I think he was worried I might injure one of them and I was so repulsed I just wanted to check out and get my shoes and run. Once in, we had to make our way to the shrine where, thankfully, only Hindus were allowed to go further. Carolyn and I beelined back towards the exit, not before I stepped in a bunch of wet???? Don’t even want to know what that was. We saw lots of rats, none touched me because I was freaking most of the time waving my feet around and neither of us saw the white guy so we figured we will just have to rely on luck to get us safely through the traffic.

We arrived in Jodhpur, another big Rajastan city a few days ago with them and found our way to an incredibly beautiful guesthouse inside the walled city in the ancient part of town. The boys had checked into a 5 star hotel that looked like any Hilton and our place is far lovelier at about 100th the price. It is in a Havelli – a type of ancient style dwelling that is very common here in Rajastan. A massive fort sits right above us and we have a rooftop patio that looks down on the bright indigo houses that are very unique to this city, Jodhpur is known as the 'Blue City’ because of the blue wash on the old buildings. It looks very much like Santorini Greece – exchange the brilliant white buildings for brilliant blue and you get the idea.

When we first arrived we met one of Bobby’s friends and he arranged for us to attend the King’s Country Club – very exclusive – only 400 members – where we were able to golf. Paul is a really avid golfer back in Calgary and was beyond excited with the idea of golfing in Rajastan. Well……we showed up to an empty old building with trophy heads of jaguars and huge buffulos and membership lists from the turn of the century. We asked for clubs and they brought out two sets – both completely archaic and damaged, circa mid sixties. There were four of us – we shared two sets of clubs and 6 or 7 caddies. The course looked the same as the parking lot except for the boys providing a one foot square of green Astro Turf so we could hit the ball. They ran along after we hit and placed the ball on the piece of carpet. The holes were grey sand and asphalt mixed with a cup carved in the middle and a stick propped in the hole. The smallest boy caddie would run ahead and sweep concentric circles in the sand, (green) dragging a large shredded piece of carpet behind him. Water buffalos, goats and dogs sauntered through the course at their leisure and we seemed like the only ones who had played there is years. The kids did say that they have players in the evening and no one plays in the mid day sun, ……I kind of think no one plays there ever. Our friend Harvinder, the member, laughed when I asked him if he played golf – he said he only belongs for the status.

Harvinder took us to a different private club for lunch and all was good. The food here is amazing and very fattening it seems. It is completely vegetarian except for some goat I had at the private club. I couldn’t think of a way to get it out of my mouth without offending anyone – it was like chewing solid grisle, so I sucked it up and swallowed. It has been the first time my stomach was a little upset and so far so good and no signs of Dehli Belly. Seems I must have picked up enough antigens and creatures over the years to ready my stomach for India. Here’s hoping that luck continues.

Since we have parted with our hosts, our days are spent like celebrities. There are so few tourists everywhere, both men and women act like paparazzi – asking for us to be in photos with them or, often in the case of the men, sneeking our photos with their cell phones. Children wave and run up to us – so polite and ask to shake our hands. It is difficult to make our way down the street without shaking many hands and answering – "How are you today?"and “hello – What is your name? Kids who attend private school are schooled in English and parents are very proud when their little protégés practice their English on real folks. I have never seen more polite children anywhere. Even the street kids – the beggars - are quite polite and reasonable. The sounds and scents and colors are chaotic, yet one on one, there really is a quiet, polite, respectful pace to interactions. Again, I hope my luck continues in this vein when I start to travel by myself.

The generosity of the people we meet in the street is unlike any place I have been. Just one example from yesterday – I bought some fabric in a store as I really have all the wrong clothes here. Showing skin is just not ok – we attract enough attention fully clothed and you do not see any skin whatsoever on women. The weather has been really quite cold since we arrived – unusually so, so it has been easy to wear long sleeves and long pants. Surprisingly we have seen nearly no Indian women in western dress. Only saris. Even the young preteens and teenagers are in colorful saris. Beautiful flowing outfits – many jeweled and sequenced and we cannot figure out why they are in such fancy dress everyday. There does not seem to be a regular cloth sari – all out blazes of color and design on every woman. The men are wearing jeans and their wives will be in head to toe sparkle. Incredibly beautiful outfits in brilliant colors. This is one thing that I will take from this country. The memory of the colors and of the scent of spices everywhere. Ok – back to needing some clothes as it is warming up – locals say the normal temperature should be closer to high 30’s or low 40’s in the day rather than the high teens we have had. My rest of Asia dresses are not going to work so I bought this fabric to have some traditional tunics made with pants – cool and flowing and covered up all in one. We went into a tailor shop very late last night – just after dark hoping to find someone who could make me an outfit in one day as we knew we were leaving Monday morning. The mom was there but couldn’t speak English so she phoned her daughter to come and speak to us. An adorable 19 year old, RinZin, came. She is a second year engineering school student, brilliant and funny and long story made a little short, called her Dad the tailor, he brought more fabrics, we visited and visited and they took us home with them for dinner. Met their other son – 16 year old, stayed until after the rickshaws stopped working – nearly midnight so they had to drive us home through the winding streets of the old city. We now are like family and they are so kind and open and just plain lovely.

Today we spent the day exploring the fort that preceded Jodhpur. Massive and way cooler than European forts. I didn’t envision all the walled cities and forts and beauty. My lack of knowledge of history is only rivelled by my ridiculously poor math skills so maybe everyone else knew of India’s history. Man could they build forts that last! They have palaces inside and intricate carvings and the walls around them, from the few cities we have been so far, look like the Great Wall of China. These truly are MASSIVE forts. I hope I will be able to get some pictures on here to share.

When you travel it is easy to get jaded and suspicious about ulterior motives. Especially me – I am the queen of doubting. Being here and meeting just plain kind people, one after another, has made me have to recalibrate that function. I cannot let it go, but I definitely have been proven wrong in this country thus far.

Tomorrow we are heading off again. We hired a private car and driver for 4 days to take us to Udaipur - a city of lakes. Now that I have a travelling companion for a little while, the costs are halved. India has been really really cheap so far – we are staying in superior accomodation – paying from $12 to $30 a night, the expensive one being an historic Maharaja suite. The single travelers who are bargaining more are paying around $4 and $6 night. Incredible meals are between $1 and $3, to make my outfit – tunic and pants, costs $4, and a car and driver, at our beck and call for 4 days, 24 hrs a day, gas, tolls and taxes included, is around $130. (imagine if we split it 4 ways!!!!) So, all of you reading and freezing – come on over – meet me wherever – it certainly is not the cost that can keep you away.