Counting Down

Now, I know I haven't been the best at blogging. So for the faithful that are still checking this once in a while, I thank you! The only way I can justify my less-than-regular blogging is because I'm having too much fun in India. Really, it's been a great time. I know I've been boring you lately with pictures and stories of where we went and what we saw on our trip between terms. That was so 6 weeks ago. Good grief, a lot can happen in 6 weeks.
I have been putting up with really warm weather. It's been up over 100 degrees for about 10 days now, and it will not be getting cooler. At first it was okay, because the nights were still cool. Now we have to sleep with the a/c unit turned on all night. It makes a lot of noise, so at first I resisted this. But now, it's just hot. So the a/c stays on at night.
I've been enjoying more interaction with the Indian ISB students now that we have them all to ourselves. There were just 6 exchange students for this last term. And the ISB students have all been placed for their jobs after they graduate, so there is much less stress around here. We've been having lots of fun and I hardly get to sleep. Poor Geo has so much to keep him busy though: finishing his last projects, trying to find a job...
Geo's sister Andie had a quick visit here too, over her Spring Break last week. We had a good time showing her around Hyderabad, and then we took a 2 night trip to Sri Lanka! It was a beautiful island country, but it was hot and humid there too. But we stayed at one of the Taj hotels (a really nice chain in India, and I guess Sri Lanka too!) right on the water. There wasn't really a beach scene though, but it made for a great view and awesome sunsets.
Geo has 3 days of classes left before he's done with his MBA! If only we knew where he's going to work after this degree is done...oh well. There is certainly nothing to stress about, since we know the plan is already made. We'll find out when the time is right! Despite having his fortune read (some Indians are really into astrology), we know God is in control and it's just much better that way!
Geo's brother George will be joining us on 4 April. Then we're off to Kathmandu, Nepal and Lahore, Pakistan. Our Indian hub will be Delhi. And we might get to take a trip into Chandigarh, Punjab. Awesome!
I'll try to get some more postings taken care of before we're home on 15 April. Stay tuned :)

Hotel Killa Bhawan

The terrace on top of our hotel.



Our quaint bed. Geo and I barely fit!



The colorful sitting area just off our room.

This was going to be our fancy splurge for the trip. It wasn't exactly like Steph expected it to be, but it still had plenty of charm. There are only 6 rooms, I think. We were made to feel like family there, more than any other place. And the terrace on the top was totally special!

Next Stop: Jaisalmer (the Golden City)

Jaisalmer Fort lit up at night.



Geo on top of the fort.



A giant sandcastle in the desert.



Cars aren't allowed to go up in the fort. Only auto-rickshaws and cows.



The Cenotaphs.

In the middle of nowhere is this magnificent fortress. It's really like a giant, golden sandcastle. And we were lucky enough to get stay inside the fort. There is a bit of controversy about this, but I went along for the experience anyway! The controversy is related to the inadequate plumbing lines built a long time ago when the fort only had a thousand or so living there. Now, with the increased tourism, it really can't support the thriving tourist spot it has become. The place we stayed seemed to be aware of this though and trying to help.

There were some Jain temples built in the fort that were pretty cool. Mostly, we just enjoyed the gorgeous sunsets over the golden city. We saw the cenotaphs that were built for the old maharajas. And we got to see Steph's mom's friends that were also in town.

Devi Bhawan Haveli

This place was so lush! I felt very comfortable here and it was a shame we had to leave after only 2 nights. The only problem was the first night, when the power wouldn't stay on regularly. They managed to fix that though. Continuous power does seem to be a problem in most of Rajasthan, we learned.

Jodhpur - the Blue City

Jodhpur's Clock Tower



Krissy, Cecelia, and Stephanie enjoying the special lassi



K & G at Umaid Bhawan Palace (construction began 1929); home of the maharaja



K & G at Meherangarh Fort (Majestic Fort); this fort has been around since at least 1806



View from the Fort to the Umaid Bhawan Palace; notice some of the blue houses that give Jodhpur its nickname (the baggy riding pants also took their name from this city)

Jodhpur is a mere 315 km away from Jaipur, but this was still a long and tiring journey. We arrived to a lush, peaceful oasis (our haveli, more on this later) and the girls set out for a special lassi, called makhania. This treat is so delicious. Lassi is basically made from yogurt, water and various flavors. Mango and banana are quite popular. But this makhania lassi is made from saffron, and it's got a good bit of tang to it too. That could just be the sourness from the yogurt, I'm not really sure. Anyway, it's a bit like a melted milkshake. Creamy, cool, and thick enough to need a spoon. The place that Lonely Planet recommends for this is a small place underneath the "clock tower" in town. It's bustling, but we managed to find the place, enjoy our lassis in the store, order two more for take away (for Geo and our driver) and return to the haveli in less than an hour.
The next day we set out to do some shopping, to see some palaces, and spend time at the fort. Our friends John and Kristin were in Jodhpur with us (they stayed at a really fancy place just outside of town) so we spent the day together. We made it up for the last fort tour just before sunset. This was really nice. We also got to have dinner up on the fort, which is amazing. It feels like a movie set. There weren't more than 8 tables either. The stars are amazing to see from the top. Watching the sun go down over the blue city wasn't bad either.
After spending two nights in the quaint city, we took off for Jaisalmer, which would be a long drive, so we tried to get an early start.