JAISELMER AND THE THAR DESERT

Our overnight train trip to Jaiselmer was not the "Orient Express" experience that we had hoped but arriving at the "Golden Fort" was well worth the journey.
Jaiselmer, founded in 1156 is the second oldest fort in Rajisthan and sits forbiddingly above the surrounding city and Thar desert. It is a "living" museum as 2000 people still live and work within the citadel . There are few motorized vehicles as the cobbled lanes in the fort are narrow on occasion our way was blocked by a cow or goats!

Jaiselmer became an important staging post on the Silk Road and the merchants and traders of the city became wealthy as a result. Some of their riches were spent on building houses fabulously decorated with intricate carved marble Jali work, covering facades, screens and doorways. Oriel windows and balconies perch over the lanes.

The evenings were spent on the terrace of our hotel watching sunset reflecting on the fort in the distance and taking camels out riding in the desert. With colourful bridles and blankets the camels were a lovely sight and so sweet looking with those long eyelashes!