Jaisalmer--India's wild west!...

           Arose at 3.30am ready to find my driver to take me to Jodhpur railway station for the early train to . Getting into the groove of the Indian railway system thing. I have bumped into several other tourists and while exchanging tourist chat discovered that in frustration have abandoned the whole India rail travel project due to the bureaucratic complexity of ticket purchase & seat reservation, opting for air or bus transport between cities.

Sleeping  rough......

Jaisalmer

          At 4.15am the large concourse in front of the station and the platforms were packed with masses of  men women & children camped out. They did not seem to have luggage with them ---were they the homeless, or just folks trying to dodge a hotel overnight expense—the former, I judge.

        Jaisalmer is located at the western extremity of my routing, not too far from the Pakistan border, reflected in the fact that the town has significant numbers of armed soldiers lounging about and the frequent screech of military jets overhead. This region can be labelled as-semi desert and as the train travelled west there was a marked decrease in vegetation & an increase in the aridity of the land.

            Jaisalmer could be labelled as ‘exotic’--- it is dominated by a 1000 year old medieval fortress. Unlike the fortress in Jodhpur that is a relic/museum, the one in Jaisalmer is a living massive tourist shop,

restaurant and hotel plaza with approx. 4000 people living within the walls of the edifice. Historically, this city

has earned its keep as a key station on the road from central Asia through which the camel traders had to pass. In 1948 with independence and the closing of the border with Pakistan, its fortunes went into decline. Jaisalmer’s important strategic location, resulting in the presence of the Indian military, combined with a booming tourist business, has meant a resurgence in prosperity.
              Viewing the landscape from atop the heights of the ancient fortress, one can see hundreds of power generating windmills reflecting the development of modern forward looking India. 

It's tough work, but someone has to test the beds.......