Bundi to Jodhpur

Our apprehension about how big and busy Jodhpur might be was quickly appeased on a tuk tuk ride from the station to where we were staying. Streets were narrow, quiet and atmospheric. Our hotel was one out of the box, with a very high rooftop and views over the city and the nearby fort. We even got to watch kites being fed off the forts minarets, which was quite an event that hundreds of birds came for. It was here we discovered the joys of sitting on the floor to eat, paneer parantha, and overpriced expired kingfisher beer.

The Jodhpur fort, Mehrangarh, was built in 1460 by a hindu maharaja, and unlike many other forts, was never conquered by invaders. One striking feature for me which we hadn't seen anywhere else, were plaques of small handprints at the entrance to the fort. These are the sati prints of the last maharajas eleven wife's who devotedly threw themselves onto his funeral pyre in 1843 after he was killed in battle. It was my turn to assure Liam that I didn't think it would be necessary for me to honour his memory in such an extreme way. It seems even more drastic than building the taj. Of all the forts, Mehrangarh was the most well preserved and very well presented with a museum, audio guides, and live demonstrations on dress and classical music. Immersed for hours, it was easily Liam’s favourite site in India.
We spent our afternoon in the markets dodging cows and rickshaws, but without being badgered anywhere near as much as we thought we would, or seeing many other tourists.

With over three weeks down and no urgent trips to the bathroom, I

was starting to feel pretty confident about my immune system. Unwisely, I casually mentioned this to Liam. Unsuprisingly that night, I ended up eating my words. Though sympathetic, I'm sure Liam secretly thought it was a good leveller. We made it to the market in the morning, but I felt so miserable I let Liam choose something for me to wear to the holi festival the next day. If there's anywhere in the world you can get away with fashion murder, it's India, but I don't know if that's any excuse to go out in public in polka dot pyjamas coupled with a blaze orange top.