jan 12 again-- updating

January 11th-
In the morning we went off and visited an artificial lake that was over 500 years old. Due to the lack of rain in the last six years the lake level was VERY low. The cat fish in the lake were HUGE and are running out of water and food. The most interesting part of the lake was the fact that a concubine built a gate overnight ( by pre building the gate in sections so that all they had to do was put it together) to enter the lake and park area. Because she was a lower cast person, the king ordered it to be torn down the next day but she was smart enough to build in a small Hindu temple as part of the gate. Therefore, the men who were ordered by the king to tear it down would not do it because it was a temple. Her legacy lives on.
Next we visited the yellow coloured fort in Jaisalmer-- it was very beautiful with several nice Hindi and Jainism temples. The fort was built on top of a plateau is occupied by over 5000 people. There were many hotels, restaurants and gift shops. The problem is that the sewage and water disposal is damaging the very foundation of this very fort. The government is torn between evicting everyone and letting the 500 year old fort live on or providing jobs for 5000 people in the fort. We went to the nearby market and looked at lots of textiles and silks. We coined Jaisalmer as THE smelliest city in India. There are open ditches on each sidewalk carrying sewage, laundry water and dirty wash water. You would know what your neighbour had eaten last night. What this all worse was all the pigs and cattle and dogs that drink for these ditches!
After relaxing by the pool and having lunch, we went on our late afternoon camel ride. We each got on a camel (not a singled hump dromedary) and went for a 4 km trot through the desert to some huge sand dunes where we watched gypsy girls and boys sing and dance as the sun set.

January 12th-
This morning we all cried when we had to leave our palace but were amazed to see that there was a light rain over night. Our driver, Ganesh, thought that this rain would be good for the farmers in the area. We drove quickly (pedal to the medal!) to Jodphur. As we approached the city there were huge sandstone quarries that took yellow, red, beige and pink sandstone. After we settled into another great palace (old Victorian style) we visited the best fort in Rajashatan. This fort was magnificent and remains undefeated. The best part of the fort was looking down onto the light blue houses below-- Jodphur is known as the blue city for this very reason.
Afterwards we went to a lively market where everything from tea, spices, toys, shoes, textiles, jewellery, underwear, sock, you name it they sold it. A lot of local kids stopped us to get their photographs taken, digital cameras are still quite a novelty in India.

That is it for now. Tomorrow we are heading to Udaiphur. So long for now.