The train was cold, though it wasn’t interminable.  We had checked the weather forecasts, and my figuring was that simply putting on jeans and a sweatshirt should be enough to stay warm.  However, sadly, I was proven quite wrong.  Instead as the night wore on, the train grew colder and colder.  Nothing of this seemed to phase the locals, who bring their own blankets and drape themselves with them into mummy-like cocoons, somehow staying warm and feeling no need to drop their voice levels despite late hours.  Mild discomfort notwithstanding, we did make it to Jodhpur in time for sunrise.

Jodhpur is a much smaller city than Mumbai, and the general cityscape is dominated by the hill and the Mehrengarh Fort that looms over everything else.  The city is the ‘Blue City’ and true to its name a number of the low houses that fill in the alleys are painted…blue.  This is apparently a good luck color associated with the Brahmins, or something to that effect.  I’m not entirely clear.  That aside, the streets and markets of the city are abuzz, and in a ten minute walk one passes goat, cows, many many cows, and the occasional pig.  Just like home.

The first stop was on the hill overlooking town, and with our amazing navigational skills (direction: up) we were able to reach the Jaswant Thada, a marble mausoleum with a small garden around it.  The guidebook had little comment to offer, but it was actually a beautiful little place, once one was aware and cautious of the ‘offerings’ left behind by the circling flock of resident pigeons.  It also helped me feel woefully unaware of the history in India, an effect that seeing more sites has yet to cure.

The next day we went to the Mehrangarh fort itself.  Included was an audio tour guide, quite nice.  The fort was stunning, and dates from the mid 1400s.  The architecture was in a fine state and featured delicate, intricate stonework.  From the top of the hill the view of the city was fantastic and took in the ‘blue-ness’ of Jodhpur.  The next day Tori was laid low by a battle with a cold and I took the chance to walk about the city before we left the next morning to meet our cousin Brett in Jaipur.

Jaipur was significantly larger, and had a much greater presence of foreigners, trash, and traffic.  The city center, which is known as the “Pink City” in India,  seemed more like a faded red, and the general hecticness of the entire place was a bit off-putting.  We traveled a bit around the City Palace complex, but short of paying one of the off-putting men who loiter around offering to be a ‘tour guide’, which we unanimously agreed not to do on principle, we were a bit at a loss as to what was what.  Nevertheless, we made ourselves heard and took pictures to prove that yes, we were there.

The highlight of Jaipur was the Amber Fort, a gorgeous sandstone structure clambering over the hillside north of the city proper.  Elephants (for a price) trundle tourists up the hill to the gate of the fort.  Though the crowds were generous, there were plenty of places to pass the time relatively alone and enjoy the area.  The convoluted layout would have been an ideal level for Goldeneye.   Later as we left a tourist laid out some food on the ground and a whole troop of langur monkeys should up to feast.  We left Jaipur for Agra, to see the Taj Mahal…