After our camel trek adventure, our last day in Jaiselmer was spent with Karan Singh, the nephew of the King of Jaiselmer. He kindly showed us around the streets of Jaiselmer, and we visited the city inside the Fort, where we had audio guides at the Palace and spent some time exploring the intricate rooms of the Fort. The roof had an amazing view: all the houses huddled together with vast desert flanking each side. After relaxing with some chai, the girls bargained a bit more at the local shops, and we headed to Karan Singh’s home for a homecooked meal. After many meals eaten in restaurants, the food cooked by Karan Singh’s wife was simple, delicious, and restorative. From there, we headed directly to Jaiselmer train station to pick up our train to Delhi. The station was far less hectic than the train station in Old Delhi; it was a breeze getting our luggage on the train and settling in. It was a long ride, for sure, but we were ready this time, and we had more space than the first time as well.
View of the Golden City, Jaisalmer.
We arrived in New Delhi around 11:30 AM yesterday and we were famished from the ride so we went straight to The American Diner, a diner-style restaurant with red booths and juke boxes, where we had a classic “American” breakfast: pancakes, waffles, shakes, eggs, and bacon. We really needed it! Afterward, we went to Mantra Amaltas, the same hotel we stayed at in the beginning of our trip, and settled in and rested. We then headed to Dilli Haat, an outdoor bazaar, as the weather was cool.
Today, we have a busy day. We are going to see a Bollywood film at a mall in the morning (a great way to fit in an activity while avoiding the sun) and will have a quick bite and our last time to shop at FabIndia before getting on the bus and heading to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal! It’ll be a four to five hour drive, and we’ll go straight to our hotel, where we will have a delicious and decadent meal and potentially take a dip in the pool before heading back to our own hotel for sleep. In the morning, our last day in India, we will wake very early in the morning and get to the Taj, then get back to the hotel for breakfast and showers, and then we’ll head to Fatehpur Sikri en route to Delhi, where we will be flying out of.
How time flies!
– The Community Service India crew