Blue city of Jodhpur

 We find Jodhpur, in itself, unimpressive. We're back to the hustle and bustle of an Indian city, with narrow streets that narrowly fit crowds of people, rickshaws and cows, especially in the busy market area by the clock tower. The blue city is not as blue as we imagined, at least not from a street-level view. You have to climb to a higher vantage point to appreciate the blue-hued buildings.  The blue color was originally used by the Brahmins, the highest caste, as a color of nobility. With time, others picked it up, thinking it's a color that repels insects and provides a cool respite in the hotter days.

Haveli, or private mansion, where we stayed

  Since we only have a day and a half in Jodhpur, we rush to see the main attraction – the mighty Mehrangarh. We splurge on an audio guide to further absorb the historical significance of this magnificent fort. Just like there are foodies, I hearby declare that there are forties as well, and I'm proud to call myself one of them :) We wander around, wide-eyed, and admire the architecture, the impregnable walls and battlements, the numerous courtyards, the anti-elephant spiked doors, the handicraft of the latticed windows, the immortalized hand prints of the royal wives who committed sati, or self-immolation, at their husbands' funeral pyres. We inspect the meticulously crafted armor and weaponry, the colorful jewelry and cloths, the intricate palanquins and miniature paintings. We try to sneak onto some of the older battlements, but it seems we're not the only ones with the genius idea – we find the way blocked off. But it's a well-spent day.

  The morning after, we visit the Omelette Man for some delicious masala cheese omelette sandwiches, and head to the train station for a ride to Jaipur. For the next 10 days, I'll be attending my meditation retreat, while Pawel is off to the western Himalayas. Wish us luck!