Trip to India Jan-Feb 2013- Bikaner

 After an awful night I was on the road again to Bikaner.  The next hotel, also an old haveli, was an absolute treat.

 There was a huge foyer outside my bedroom and bath

 The bathroom was as large as the bedroom

 The entrance to my bedroom...full of old photos.

 There was a lovely restaurant on the grounds.

 Painted walls everywhere

 Camel saddle?  Not very comfy.

 My room is the doorway in the middle of the trees.

 A courtyard swing.

 And a temple, of course

 The bar.  Is that a hoot or what?

More decorations.

Trip to India Jan-Feb 2013- Phalodi

Now it was time for one last look around my lovely hotel before the trip to Phalodi.  I loved this Lion Chair althugh it didn't look all that comfy.

The sitting area didn't look all that comfy either.

There were several lovely courtyards.

The door to my suite.

Then I was off to Phalodi, a nowhere large town between Jaisalmer and Bikaner.  I had booked a room in this lovely old haveli now Heritage Hotel.  As usual it was a prepaid, guaranteed reservation through a booking agency I had used without problems for years.  When I arrived they insisted THAT THEY HAD NO RECORD OF MY RESERVATION AND THAT THE HOTEL WAS FULL!

MAD!!!YOU HAVE NO IDEA!  They shuttled  me off to this "lovely" hotel named the Chetnya Palace (there were no other "nice" hotels in town.  A Palace it was not.  Notice no sheets on the bed.

And the garbage in the hall.

The view from my window.

The stain on the bed cover.

Some of the wiring.

No, I didn't try to use this fan.  And the restaurant looked so dirty I didn't dare eat there.  The purpose of my trip was to view the Siberian Cranes in a nearby town.  And when I went to look for the birds of course they weren't there!

Trip to India Jan-Feb 2013 Jaisalmer- Mandir Palace

 Right around the corner from my hotel was the Mandir Palace- now a 5 star hotel

 It was the home of the local royal family, who still occupy part of the hotel

 Cooking must have been important

 I don't think one carried these keys around in their pocket

 The Palace is the tallest building in the city

Trip to India Jan-Feb 2013- Jaisalmer- The Fort

The next day I hired the same tuk-tuk driver to take me to the Fort. 

Our first stop was one of the Jain Temples.

Jaisalmer Fort is one of the largest forts in the world. It was built in 1156 AD by the Bhati Rajput ruler Rao Jaisal, from where it derives it name. The fort stands proudly amidst the golden stretches of the great Thar Desert, on Trikuta Hill, and has been the scene of many battles.

Its massive yellow sandstone walls are a tawny lion color during the day, fading to honey-gold as the sun sets, thereby camouflaging the fort in the yellow desert. For this reason, it is also known as the "Golden Fort".This fort, popularly known as the 'Sonar quila' by the locals, is located in the very heart the city, and is one of the most breathtaking monuments in the locality.

An antique rifle waits for more action.

A silver throne.

Antique German tiles.

A silver carrier

This bed didn't look terribly comfortable

As you might imagine, there were lots of souvenir sellers in the Fort.

You can see a rooftop of one of the expensive hotels inside the Fort to the right.

A card game