Three days in Jasailmer

Jaisalmer is a typical semi-arid town. It is hot and dusty. It is also the place where tons of travelers converge for camel safaris into The Great Thar Desert.


This is the Hotel Swastika ;) I stayed at the Hotel Peacock (across the road) after the morose manager/owner told me that there were no rooms available. The swastika is a religious symbol of great significance in Hinduism.


It was appropriated by Hitler and Gobineau (pictured here). Gobineau, the so-called father of racism, modeled his racial order on the Indian caste system. Even the term Aryan is of Indian origin. This illustrates why I call whiteness an ideology of "hunter-gatherism."

For more on Gobineau see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_de_Gobineau

Staying at the Hotel Peacock turned out to be a fortuitous opportunity anyway. I met some nice folks at the rather dour hotel and spent 3 memorable days in Jaisalmer. I was initially looking to blow the joint after a day.


One of the highlights of my trip to Jaisalmer was meeting the owner of the July 8 restaurant. Jag is a very funny man with a string of hot opinions about politics and life in India. I went back three times to partake of his company. His wife, Rama, is a very elegant lady who is his intellectual equal in more than one way. Viran and I laughed at the repertoire the two have going. They obviously love each other very much. If you visit, and you should, just don't tell Jag you are a fan of Sonja Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru ;0)

Check out Jag's newest hotel venture at: http://www.jaisalmertravels.com/


My most favorite day was when Jan (from Britain) and I tooled around the inner fort. We came across this young man who wanted me to button his cuffs.


He also wanted his picture taken. We both obliged and he was happy to pose.

He then gave us a tour of his secret spot where he showed us "my cannon". We were about to bid farewell when he held up his hand and rubbed his fingers together. The little brother wanted to be paid. We paid him generously and just moments later his mom appeared. He handed her the money after a short protest. I don't think his mom knew that he was being an entrepreneur.


We came across a litter of stray puppies while wandering around the fort. This little runt was not getting enough to eat from his moms. The other pups were twice his size. His future seems rather bleak.


I played with the runt and the kids in the narrow street for more than 30 minutes. Jan was patient and looked on in amusement.


If I could, I would take the runt, a couple of elephants, some camels, and a few donkeys, home to South Africa.


Jaisalmer sits alongside a man-made lake that has significance to local Hindus.


This structure was supposedly built by a ‘kept-woman' of a maharaj. She built the archway, inclusive of a temple on top of the archway, to look like the legs of a woman. The structure in the background is supposed to be a man's ..... I'll leave it there. I am not entirely square with the story told by locals.


The lake is somewhat contrived. You have to look really hard to find any visual meaning. Folks go out on paddle boats and seem to be bored just floating between the shore and the structures that sit awkwardly in the water.


The night before I left for Bikaner I was joined by Nic, Stephanie, and Viran for coffee at a local rooftop restaurant. We watched the sun set. I was thrilled at the scene .... must be getting old since I have seen the sun set before. May be middle age angst ... huh Cora?


The next day I headed for the bus stop where I waited for the Bikaner bus in the hot sun. While touts pestered the hell out of me I managed a smile or two looking at this liquor store. Read what kind of beer you can get inside (see right pillar).