March 5, Monday
Only a short drive today from Pushkar to Jodhpur, less than 210 km, past Kasti, Palri, Merta,Thanwla & Ganaheda. At 9 am we were on the road, on secondary roads through villages today, so the speeds were only between 40 and 60 km / hour. Although the country side is very arid, we still see cultivated fields of garlic and onions. Except for the rubber tires on the wooden carts, you could swear you were 2000 years in the past. Many of the homes in the country side have no electricity or water. Sometimes they use camels (actually dromedary, but they call them camels here) or buffalos to pull their wooden carts.
Very arid area
And lots of "sacred" cows on the road
Teenage girls off to secondary school.
Lady carrying a basin on her head. They usually use some type of cloth shaped like a doughnut on their head and sit the load on top of that. Easier on the head
Near and in the towns you see more people with tractors rather than trucks, hauling whatever they can in their wooden trailers.
Fields of caraway ! So I'm told.
Some of the market areas are very messy
Elaborately decorated tractor. How do you like that flashy pink
Saw many stones and rocks being hauled away for construction purposes. Many women working hard labour in the fields and road construction sites, all while wearing their beautiful brightly coloured saris. Many use a veil over their faces but often it is simply so they don’t breathe in the dust from the roads.
Loads of rocks
Loads and loads of beautifully coloured cut stone to use in construction. Below is the quarry where the stones come from.
We arrived in Jodhpur at 12:30 and I was informed that I would only be staying one night instead of two since there were only 3 things to see here and we could do it all today. "Jodhpur, once the capital of the former princely state of Marwar, is now the second largest city of Rajasthan."
Absolutely had to take a picture of this car at a main intersection in Jodhpur. No hood ! 
And this gentleman patiently waiting in front of his shop still uses old scales to measure whatever it is he is selling.
Jaswant Thadal, built in 1906 as a Memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singhji (1873-1895).... only 22 years old when he died.
Outside view from the gardens
From inside looking out
Inside of the mausoleum
An entertainer on the steps of the memorial. It actually added beautifully to the atmosphere. The park surrounding the Monument was beautiful.
From there, we crossed the city to Chittar hill where the palace of the current Maharaja is located, Umaid Bhawan Palace.
At a distance
Entering the grounds of the palace
Maquette of the entire Umaid Bawar Palace
One of the world’s largest private residences, they started building in 1929. "Designed by famed Edwardian architect Henry Lanchester, the golden-yellow sandstone monument was conceived on a grand scale, in fashionable art deco style, and took 15 years to complete. Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owners of the palace, this monument has 347 rooms and serves as the principal residence of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family. It took 15 years to build and 5000 men and women to build it. A pink-tinged, cream coloured stone was used which came from quarries ten miles away and the marble came from Makrana. A special train brought up the massive blocks of stone after skilled workers below had chiselled them into shape, for each piece had its assigned place in the drawings. The building does not use mortar or cement to bind stones together; all of its pieces are carved stones joined together by a system of carved interlocking positive and negative pieces. Some blocks proved too heavy for the cranes to position with precision so they were places first on even larger blocks of ice and positioned with mortar. The ship carrying the furnishings for the palace was sunk by the Germans in 1942. Frantic efforts were then made in Jodhpur to manufacture the interiors in the style required. Fortunately Umaid Singh discovered a Polish artist who had fled war-torn Europe, an amateur interior designer well-acquainted with Art Deco."
The current Maharaja occupies only half of the palace, the other half is now run as one of the Raj Hotels. If you have to ask what the cost is for one night, you can’t afford to stay there. Tourists are only given access to a very small portion of the palace, where the museum is located.
Outer hallway surrounding the courtyard below
I would have loved to see the lobby of that hotel, but will have to be content with the pictures from the internet site. http://www.venere.com/hotels/jodhpur/umaid-bhawan-palace/
Neema did not know exactly where my hotel was located, since it is not one that he has used before so it took a while to find it, off one of the back streets. The Kothi Heritage Hotel is located in what used to be a grand home, built 125 years ago, and still owned by the same family. Three years ago, they turned the home into a hotel.
Kothi Heritage Hotel, my room's entrance was behind the hedge with the yellow flowers.
Courtyard and door to my room
Main entrance to the hotel
Loved the bench !
My room
Following morning was breakfast in the back garden. We had a few unexpected guests.... four little kittens and their Mom.
Four kittens have obviously found something of interest
Breakfast in the back garden. One couple from Germany and an other couple from India, who were on an excursion similar to mine.
Only a short drive today from Pushkar to Jodhpur, less than 210 km, past Kasti, Palri, Merta,Thanwla & Ganaheda. At 9 am we were on the road, on secondary roads through villages today, so the speeds were only between 40 and 60 km / hour. Although the country side is very arid, we still see cultivated fields of garlic and onions. Except for the rubber tires on the wooden carts, you could swear you were 2000 years in the past. Many of the homes in the country side have no electricity or water. Sometimes they use camels (actually dromedary, but they call them camels here) or buffalos to pull their wooden carts.
Very arid area
And lots of "sacred" cows on the road Teenage girls off to secondary school. |
| And more "sacred" cows |
 |
| Strange looking trees. They are actually trimmed of all their small branches every year |
 |
| This is what the tree looks like before the new branches are cut off And yes, MORE SACRED COWS. |
 |
| Vegetable market in one of the towns |
 |
| And more "sacred" cows. Some of them have beautifully shaped horns The sacred cow is not to be bothered, so they are everywhere, along country roads, in the towns, in some of the temples. People make special trips to get green growth and bring it to feed these wandering cattle; it is earning grace for their current and next lives. Special watering troughs are available for them to drink water, and if there isn’t, people keep large containers outside so that the cattle can drink. |
 |
| Freshly plowed fields |
 |
| Cut branches from cotton wood trees |
Lady carrying a basin on her head. They usually use some type of cloth shaped like a doughnut on their head and sit the load on top of that. Easier on the head
Near and in the towns you see more people with tractors rather than trucks, hauling whatever they can in their wooden trailers.
Fields of caraway ! So I'm told.
Some of the market areas are very messy
Elaborately decorated tractor. How do you like that flashy pinkSaw many stones and rocks being hauled away for construction purposes. Many women working hard labour in the fields and road construction sites, all while wearing their beautiful brightly coloured saris. Many use a veil over their faces but often it is simply so they don’t breathe in the dust from the roads.
Loads of rocks
Loads and loads of beautifully coloured cut stone to use in construction. Below is the quarry where the stones come from.
We arrived in Jodhpur at 12:30 and I was informed that I would only be staying one night instead of two since there were only 3 things to see here and we could do it all today. "Jodhpur, once the capital of the former princely state of Marwar, is now the second largest city of Rajasthan."
Absolutely had to take a picture of this car at a main intersection in Jodhpur. No hood ! And this gentleman patiently waiting in front of his shop still uses old scales to measure whatever it is he is selling.First stop was on the way up to the Mehrangarh Fort,
Seen from a distance, it kind of looks like Masada
As we get closer it is obvious how massive this fortress is.
We reach Jaswant Thada, a memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh, built in 1899 of white marble. Shoes off since the inner sanctum is a temple ! Really need to buy some dark socks for these visits; but I must say that this site was impeccably clean since it is privately owned.
Jaswant Thada
Seen from a distance, it kind of looks like Masada
As we get closer it is obvious how massive this fortress is.We reach Jaswant Thada, a memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh, built in 1899 of white marble. Shoes off since the inner sanctum is a temple ! Really need to buy some dark socks for these visits; but I must say that this site was impeccably clean since it is privately owned.
Jaswant Thada
Jaswant Thadal, built in 1906 as a Memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singhji (1873-1895).... only 22 years old when he died.
Outside view from the gardens
From inside looking out 
Inside of the mausoleum
An entertainer on the steps of the memorial. It actually added beautifully to the atmosphere. The park surrounding the Monument was beautiful.Then it was only a short distance up to Mehrangarh Fort, one of the largest in India. It is situated 400 feet (122 meters) above the city and is surrounded by a lower wall that, in parts, reminded me of the Great Wall of China. Inside the boundaries are several palaces, but the main one is within the Fort itself, perched on top of the mountain.
Mural on the outside wall of the fort, beside the lower gate.
Walking through the lower gate. Check out how wide the wall is.
From the lower level gate, looking up to the top of the fort / palace.
Past the 2nd gate and nearing the 3rd gate.
Still have a long way up to go
Passing the 4rth gate into the main top terrace.
From the main terrace, there is still a long climb up within the palace itself.
The last of the outer stairs.
In the first courtyard, looking up to one section of the palace. Did not get to see a maquette of the site, so I have no idea how many buildings are actually up here, but I was able to count at least six that I visited; all 3, 4 or 5 floors high.
Many of the palace rooms are now used to store museum pieces. Outstanding collection.
One of the Maharaja's palenquin. There was an entire collection of these for the men, and closed ones for the women. They also had a collection of 'howdahs" seats that go up on the elephant's back so the people can ride in comfort.
From the courtyard, looking up into the harem / zenana areas where the women were isolated.
One of the rooms which has been maintained as it looked during the 100s of years the palace was in use.
One of the museum rooms where the entire room has been replastered and marble floors replaced.
Receiving room for the maharaja
The maharaja's bedroom, where he also received dignitaries
Another of the audience receiving rooms. All richly decorated
From the harem rooms/ zenana, looking out onto the courtyard below. The people in the courtyard could not see the women, but the women could see them.... kind of.
From the highest levels, views to the city of Jodhpur below.
City of Jodhpur, another "blue" city, and the walls of the fortress. These are the ones that reminded me of the Great Wall of China, albeit a much shorter one.
The zenana's courtyard, where the ladies could actually go outside.
On my way back down the fortress to the entrance gates. Quite steep in places.
I did a lot of climbing today, up from the base of the fort to the roof of one of the buildings at the top, and back down again.
The Palace rooms are well maintained and it felt like I was walking back into a history book. I LOVE THAT FEELING ! All the stories about Maharajas and their harems. Jodhpur dates back to 1450 and was the capital of the kingdom of Marwar. 
Mural on the outside wall of the fort, beside the lower gate.
Walking through the lower gate. Check out how wide the wall is.
From the lower level gate, looking up to the top of the fort / palace.
Past the 2nd gate and nearing the 3rd gate.
Still have a long way up to go
Passing the 4rth gate into the main top terrace.
From the main terrace, there is still a long climb up within the palace itself.
The last of the outer stairs.
In the first courtyard, looking up to one section of the palace. Did not get to see a maquette of the site, so I have no idea how many buildings are actually up here, but I was able to count at least six that I visited; all 3, 4 or 5 floors high.Many of the palace rooms are now used to store museum pieces. Outstanding collection.
One of the Maharaja's palenquin. There was an entire collection of these for the men, and closed ones for the women. They also had a collection of 'howdahs" seats that go up on the elephant's back so the people can ride in comfort.
From the courtyard, looking up into the harem / zenana areas where the women were isolated.
One of the rooms which has been maintained as it looked during the 100s of years the palace was in use.
One of the museum rooms where the entire room has been replastered and marble floors replaced.
Receiving room for the maharaja
The maharaja's bedroom, where he also received dignitaries
Another of the audience receiving rooms. All richly decorated
From the harem rooms/ zenana, looking out onto the courtyard below. The people in the courtyard could not see the women, but the women could see them.... kind of.
From the highest levels, views to the city of Jodhpur below.
City of Jodhpur, another "blue" city, and the walls of the fortress. These are the ones that reminded me of the Great Wall of China, albeit a much shorter one.
The zenana's courtyard, where the ladies could actually go outside.
On my way back down the fortress to the entrance gates. Quite steep in places.I did a lot of climbing today, up from the base of the fort to the roof of one of the buildings at the top, and back down again.
From there, we crossed the city to Chittar hill where the palace of the current Maharaja is located, Umaid Bhawan Palace.
At a distance
Entering the grounds of the palace
Maquette of the entire Umaid Bawar PalaceOne of the world’s largest private residences, they started building in 1929. "Designed by famed Edwardian architect Henry Lanchester, the golden-yellow sandstone monument was conceived on a grand scale, in fashionable art deco style, and took 15 years to complete. Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owners of the palace, this monument has 347 rooms and serves as the principal residence of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family. It took 15 years to build and 5000 men and women to build it. A pink-tinged, cream coloured stone was used which came from quarries ten miles away and the marble came from Makrana. A special train brought up the massive blocks of stone after skilled workers below had chiselled them into shape, for each piece had its assigned place in the drawings. The building does not use mortar or cement to bind stones together; all of its pieces are carved stones joined together by a system of carved interlocking positive and negative pieces. Some blocks proved too heavy for the cranes to position with precision so they were places first on even larger blocks of ice and positioned with mortar. The ship carrying the furnishings for the palace was sunk by the Germans in 1942. Frantic efforts were then made in Jodhpur to manufacture the interiors in the style required. Fortunately Umaid Singh discovered a Polish artist who had fled war-torn Europe, an amateur interior designer well-acquainted with Art Deco."
The current Maharaja occupies only half of the palace, the other half is now run as one of the Raj Hotels. If you have to ask what the cost is for one night, you can’t afford to stay there. Tourists are only given access to a very small portion of the palace, where the museum is located.
Outer hallway surrounding the courtyard below
I would have loved to see the lobby of that hotel, but will have to be content with the pictures from the internet site. http://www.venere.com/hotels/jodhpur/umaid-bhawan-palace/
Neema did not know exactly where my hotel was located, since it is not one that he has used before so it took a while to find it, off one of the back streets. The Kothi Heritage Hotel is located in what used to be a grand home, built 125 years ago, and still owned by the same family. Three years ago, they turned the home into a hotel.
Kothi Heritage Hotel, my room's entrance was behind the hedge with the yellow flowers. 
Courtyard and door to my room
Main entrance to the hotel
Loved the bench ! 
My room
Following morning was breakfast in the back garden. We had a few unexpected guests.... four little kittens and their Mom.
Four kittens have obviously found something of interest
Breakfast in the back garden. One couple from Germany and an other couple from India, who were on an excursion similar to mine.I settled in at about 5 pm and had to wait until 7:30 for the restaurant to open so that I could eat dinner. Had not eaten since breakfast, since I did not get a stop for lunch today. Will have to speak to Neema about that so it doesn’t happen again. This hotel, like the one in Pushkar, is strictly vegetarian and I end up having basically the same meal every night: mixed vegetables in a curry sauce, white rice and buttered naan. No alcohol either so my drink of choice is soda water with fresh lime juice; quite nice really, but it would go very well with a little vodka !
No internet here either, so can’t send any messages. Updating my blog will have to wait. 
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