Jaisalmer sits right on the edge of the Great Thar Desert on the far western flank of Rajasthan. All that separates the masses of India and the multitudes of Pakistan is about 200km of desert. But it has not stopped the Indian military setting up here in strength! Bases of every kind seem to litter the horizon in the dusty wind driven haze. I am sure that every time an Indian Air Force jet takes off, its counterpart in Pakistan shadows its every move on their sid...

"Jaisalmer". Somebody was shaking my foot. "Huh?" Shaking the sleep from my head and very aware of being on an Indian night train, I was awake instantly. "Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer". "Thanks." A quick check to make sure that everything was in the same place it was 5 hours ago when I eventually drifted off to train motion induced sleep. If any b****** managed to get our kit, which was wedged under the bottom berth out unnotice...

It is undeniably impressive. Very impressive! So much so that it has moved many to write very descriptive prose about it. Kipling wrote of it saying that it must have been built by angels and giants. Huxely wrote that being here between heaven and earth must have been like the gods at Olympus. Each Maharaja from the very first has added to the fort they have inherited. But the very first founder of the mountain top fort needed to evict the hermit that was living...

Living on the rooftops Out here on the plains at the edge of the Great Thar Desert, it is hot. Warm during the night, hot at dawn and dusk and sweat inducingly hot around midday. In humid conditions, your body's water feels the urge to ooze out through your pores and joins its kin. While here, the heat just abducts the water without you knowing! Here dehydration is a subtly violent act! The most interesting part of "The Blue City" of Jodhpur lies with...

Catching the bus to Jodhpur Our Mr Singh had pointed out where we needed to wait for the bus when we arrived at the Ranakpur temple complex. The bus station was little more than a few trees, a small roadside café and a shop with a few tables and chairs. "Don't worry, you catch 1530 bus to Jodhpur there. Wait there" "Ok, we will go after we have seen the complex. Thanks." Come the appointed time, or shortly before it, a lot more people see...