Wow, aren't you guys lucky, two journal entries in little under 24 hours! Devoted, that's what we are! Unfortunetly, you are stuck with my not-so-theasaurus-like writing, but I live to give, so here goes...

Hols got ill that Monday night and I selfishly left her wallowing and went off for my elephant ride! First stop, though, some sort of palace in the middle of the Pink City, which really isn't that pink- more of a dusky brown colour that could have once been pink. Lazeth our driver dropped me off and told me the entrance was right around the corner, after half an hour of walking having still not found it, I admitted that I was lost (damn me and my lack of direction- why was Hols ill?!) and had to turn around. Only I had been walking past all the these sellers all watching me like hawks and to turn around and walk back would have proved fairly embarrassing. My vanity got the better of me and I pulled my phone out and pretended I was talking to someone... 'Ooooh, you're over there are you?! Haha- silly me, I must have walked straight past you! I'll come back now...ok, see you in a minute...'etc. Quite sad, really, especially as no one could understand me anyway! The palace was ok, saw some nice horses.

Then, off to the Amber Fort. I climbed up a wooden platform on stilts to get to elephant height and was ushered forward, presented with an elephant covered in colourful tattoos and even ear piercings, which I was mortified at! I hopped on and sat cross-legged and off we set. It was all very surreal- we trundled up steep roads weaving back and forth, carpet sellers shouting at you from every direction. People walking up would often look up and point and I felt obliged to smile a smug grin and wave with the back of my hand, like the Queen. I reached the top and we entered this giant square, the palace on one side. I felt like an Arabian Princess as my elephant and I entered through the giant gates and lesuirely strolled through- all very elegant until my elephant chose the appropriate time to pause and open up it's a-hole and bombed a tun of poo out- enough to fertilize a field. So, I hopped off at the top and was immediately pounced upon by an odd-looking guy who said he was from London, although his accent begged to differ. He invited me to join him around the palace, and though I didn't particularly want to, he seemed (and proved to be) the geekish type who had read his Lonely Plant, Rough Guide and every other book on the place, and as I hadn't got a guide, he proved fairly useful. The palace was fairly fantastic, we walked through dozens of pitch-black corridors; there were times when I didn't think I would see Hols again and that I would die of starvation with this odd, hairy-backed man, but every so often an arch of light would crop up and I would be able to see the sky. I knew I could fit through the arch- who knows about Mr. Know-it-all beside me.

Enough roaming and I thought I would head back down on foot this time. I overtook elephants on the way, tempted to reach out and hug them as I went along (I have a slight obsession with them- it's my parent's fault for naming me 'Ellie'). Nearer the bottom, I was behind one particular elephant, thinking to myself how pretty it's tail was blahdy blah, when all of a sudden it sneezed. Now, when elephants sneeze, it's no ordinary 'atishoo'...no no no, it's a collosal, whacking great sneeze where by it's trunk lifted right up, swung right round to it's side and a sea of snot and mucas came flooding out. And who was right in the path of the snot-wave? Yep, me! I was covered head to foot in it. Of course everyone pointed and laughed, very funny yah? So I had to laugh along with them. To make myself feel better, I told myself I would have good luck as surely getting sneezed on by an elephant is better than being pooed on by a bird, right?

So, onto the jewellers to pick up Holly's expensive ring for her. Now, I should have told you before that when Lazeth asked us what our jobs were, we both said we'd just graduated. He then asked what in, and I had said Drama. However, he didn't understand the term 'drama', or 'actor', so Hols 'helpfully' described it to him as being 'like Bollywood'. Lazeth now informs everyone we meet that I am a big Bollywood star (of course, with pale skin and blue eyes...duh) and now everyone wants my autograph! Yeah, I lap it up like any good Drama student would do!

That night at the hotel, I caught whatever it is we had- Delhi Belly of some sort, and neither of us got any sleep due to high fevers and toilet stops every 5 minutes...oh the pleasantries of it all! The next day we drove to Pushkar and as we pulled up to our gorgeous hotel that appeared in the middle of the desert , we almost burst in to tears with relief at the thought of getting better with a pool and lovely rooms. We cried even harder when we saw the flippin hairy-backed geek standing at reception waving frantically at us! Luckilly, we managed to avoid him throughout most of our stay, even though he asked us many a time to 'join him for dinner...no, lunch...no? spot of swimming?' Definitely no, thanks love!

Our stop at pushkar only lasted one night and we were back on the road again to Jodhpur. A horrible, horrible trip as the roads were so bumpy and uneven and I felt like my colon may slide out over every bump. We had a quick stop-over at a fly-infested cafe and I had to use the toilet. There wasn't a question about it, I just had to. So off I was led around the back of the cafe, and was faced with a scary sight. A toilet built with thin wood and a swinging door that had holes in it and no lock. To get there, I had to walk through mud (or cow dung- it looks the same), around a couple of buffalo and rabid dogs and then in to the loo. It was simply a muddy hole in the ground. The stench was indescribable, and the flies didn't add much comfort, although it was fairly reassuring to know that if they could live here, then by God, I could last for a few minutes in here too! So I went, and now, I count myself as a fully-fledged HARDCORE traveller! Yeah you're all jealous, I know!

Jophpur is very blue. It's nice. We went up to the biggest fort in India and watched the sun go down over the city. It was very beautiful. We also got lost trying to find our way out of it! Isn't much to say about Jodphur apart from it's blue and we only stayed there one night, so didn't see a lot of it!

Anyhoo, hope everyone is good!

Lots of love, Els and Hols xxxx