Of the handful of Indian cities we visited, Jodhpur was our favorite. It bears all the usual hallmarks of India– deafening rickshaws, cows roaming (and shitting) everywhere, garbage to your ankles, and dogs in varying stages of deadness.
However, the decaying architecture and friendly locals make the Blue City our new favorite vacation spot in Rajasthan.
As you walk around town, blue is definitely the predominate color, but you’ll also see a variety of bright colors.
The city is full of crumbling Havelis (Indian mansions). These 19th century buildings have archways leading into open-air courtyards, thick stone walls that keep out the heat, intricate wooden doors, stained glass windows, and lots of carved, painted woodwork. Many of the hotels and guesthouses are converted Havelis. Kim renewed her interest in doors during our three days in town.
The clock tower is in the center of the old town, and it is surrounded by the gritty bazaar. Spices, silk scarves, and jewelry were all very tempting, but I found myself too busy dodging scooters, cows, and tuk tuks to look at much merchandise. I wasn’t too busy for great makhania lassis though. Hotel Shri Mishrilal on the far side of the square had the best lassi in town.
Jodhpurians are nothing if not colorful and friendly. Every man, woman, and child were willing to pose for a photo, and many even approached me to ask for a picture. Children especially love talking to Westerners, and I found myself swarmed by screaming kids on several occasions. Kids and adults alike would often ask to shake my hand or get a photo with us.
One asked Kim if her eyes were real. She told him they were implants.
We couldn’t walk a few feet without kids shouting “Hello! Hello! Hello!” to us from doorways and windows.
The Meherangarh Fort towers 125 meters above town, and it is quite a sight to see. The imposing gates, beautifully decorated rooms, and intricate courtyards are very well preserved. There are tons of tourists, but the flow of traffic is well organized. The informative audio guide included interviews from the last Maharaja, his wife, mother, as well as several members of the court who actually lived in Meherangarh.
Jodhpur wasn’t all cow shit and open sewers. There were also a few downsides– one of which was the quality of food. Our neighborhood was filled with rooftop restaurants serving up a plates of Chef Boyardee-quality Indian food. Seriously, we’ve had better canned curry from Costco.
Also, Jodhpur brought our Indian adventure to a screeching halt. As we planned our next stop, we realized we were stranded. There were absolutely no train tickets available to Mumbai or any other intermediate stops for the next 10 days.
Okay, that leaves more of Rajasthan then. There were no tickets available to the North or Delhi either. What about buses, you ask? Sure, we probably could have found something, and they comfortable enough as long as the goat next to you behaves.
However, if you take a long-haul bus in India, you are putting your life into the hands of a crazed maniac. On our two 6-hour bus trips in Rajasthan, we decided our driver must be suicidal and wanted to take us down with him in a blaze of glory.
We had to find a flight if we didn’t want to become permanent residents. No luck here either. A ticket from Jodhpur to Mumbai was an insane $350 each, but we found Jodhpur to Singapore was only $300. With very few alternatives, we reluctantly agreed India had beaten us, and we booked the flight to Singapore.
But, only slightly reluctantly.
We don’t dislike India, but this country is exhausting. It is a constant battle to get across town let alone from one city to another. Hotel reservations are impossible to secure ahead of time, so we resorted to finding lodging on arrival. This being the beginning of the high season, our strategy had mixed results. Plus, you have to find a tuk tuk to chauffeur you around, and the driver automatically gets commission whether the hotel was his idea or not.
Imagine all these frustrations plus not bathing for days, sleeping in dirty beds, rotting garbage all around you, intermittent electricity, haggling for everything, and always being covered in human and/or cow shit. If you can picture this, you’ve grasped the essence of travel in India.
So, now you see why we had mixed feeling about the train situation. We were sad to be missing out on so much, but at the same time, I want to flip out on the next schmohawk on a scooter that runs me down.
We enjoyed our weeks here, and I think we will come back. We’ll just remember to pack our rain boots, rubber pants, earplugs, and nose plugs next time.
Posted from: New Delhi, Delhi 110001, India
Kim & Clark Kays quit their jobs for an uncertain trip around the world. Originally from St. Louis, they relocated to Chicago after getting married in 2005. After working for five years in middle school and the Fortune 500, they realized there was more to life than the 9-to-5, so made the crazy decision to exchange money for time rather than the other way around.
Their hobbies include fighting over writing styles and searching for gelato. They think food, beer, architecture, and photography are some of the best things about travel—especially when combined. Their travel blog, To Uncertainty and Beyond, includes long-term travel tips as well as humorous anecdotes from their journey through Europe and Asia. They invite you to experience their journey and learn from their adventures and mistakes.
