Jaisalmer

Located in India, near the Pakistan border, Jaisalmer is possibly the farthest I have ever traveled and probably the most exotic location I will ever make it to. Make no mistake, it is a tourist destination, but one so far off the beaten path that most people have never visited it. I began in Mumbia, India and took a 2 hour flight to Jaipur. Next, I grabbed a tut-tut to the train station and waited several hours for my over-night train. I had a ticket for a second class car. There, being the only white face on board, I served as the topic of discussion for the next 14 hours. Upon my arrival, I waited for the owner of the hotel to show up and take me to my room on the back of his motor cycle. After a couple days exploring the city, I was lucky enough to be the only person on a desert tour. It began with a jeep ride deep into the desert. In a small, rustic village, I mounted a camel for another hour or 2 ride into the Thar Desert. There I had a fold out bed…. all alone…on the top of a sand dune where I slept under a cold full moon. It. Was. Amazing.

Founded in the 1100’s, and once a major stop on the Old Silk Road, Jaisalmer became a bit of a time capsule when railroads and shipping nullified the old routes. Back in the day, the cities’ wealthy merchants competed with each other to build the most opulent homes. With little wood available in the desert, sand stone became the material of choice. The local sandstone is known for a deep, rich yellow color, which earned the city the nickname of “The Golden City”. As you look through the photos, know that 95% of the delicate patterns on the sides of the structures are all carved from giant slabs of stone. In the whole city, only (some) of the window shutters and doors are wooden.

This photos are in order of my visit….Jaislmer, small dessert village, Thar Desert