Wednesday 15th october - day 54
Jodhpur
We decide to head to the train station first to try and book some trains for our journeys south. The most unhelpful bloke who looks like hes chewing on a hampster doesnt manage to find us any trains so we sulk off and take a rik to mehrangrah fort. Pricey at 400rupees but we get an audio guide for free and quite enjoy listening to that on the way round. The fort is easily the best one we have seen so far with its lavish interior of coloured glass windows and doors, walls and ceilings decorated in gold leaf, crushed seashells and mirrors.
The fort is set high into the rocky hillside and has an amazing view out across the old city and its blue washed houses. After the fort we take a rik to the jaswant thada - a elegant pillared marble memorial where many people come to offer prayer and flowers at its shrine and then over to the umaid bhavan palace - now turned hotel - which looks more impressive and has better views from affar. The pink sandstone and marbled palace is still home to umaid singhs grandson - gaj singh but the hotel occupies the majority of the 347 roomed mansion. Another rik later and we eat at a decent place called gypsies..check out the hostel and make our way to the bus stand for our bus to udaipur. Jodhpur has been quite dissapointing compared to jaipur and jaisalmer but udaipur is apparently not to be missed, so we have high hopes for our last stop in rajasthan.