Mountain of Monkeys
So, I dropped out for a couple of days. Jaisalmer was fantastic. All did was read and relax on the terrace of my very inexpensive, yet historically relevant hotel.
The hotel operator, as my Italian friends can confirm was a bit on the annoying side, trying to sell me a damn camel ride everyday and, he and his family yelling and fighting all day/ By the way, Michele, Andrea, Elisa...Suresh blames you for the trouble with the jeep. It was very nice overall, though the interior of the fort wall was a bit of a shopping mall.
The most tourists I've seen yet. I kept telling all the shopkeepers, who really hassle you at times, "not shopping, just walking" After awhile they all recognize me and start saying "just walking sir"? Jaisalmer was nice and dry, no rain at all, and very cool at night. I actually had to use a sheet sometimes. What else happened? Nothing, I sort of got bored at the end. So this morning I got up at 4:30 and got on a bus for Mount Abu.
Some of you have found humor in my prior journals well, there is nothing funny about a 15 hour bus ride through the desert. I also keep ending up on these local kind of routes. Everyone on the bus is looking at me like, buddy you're on the wrong bus. This thing is so ragged. The seats are all shredded, dusty, banana peels everywhere.
I'm cool being the only whitey on this trip and all but, I'm conviced I'm the one of maybe 3 other americans in India right now. It actually was a fine trip. The guy riding shotgun. The buses always have this guy who whistles signals and collects money. Anyway this guy is sitting in front of me meditating between stops. He's chanting and stuff, OM...I'm digging that. Every now and then he checkson me, looking back smiling, like I'm some kind of special cargo. I asked him to take my picture with my new digital camera and the whole bus went wild. These guys love camera's and ham it up. I'm on my way to this Mount Abu.
It turns out it's a major tourist destination for Indian travellers. It's an old hill station, whatever that means. It's this kind of oasis on top of a mountain. Lot's of rich kings, majarajahs, sp? built palaces up here and, now they're all hotels. Funny. On my way up the mountain and, on a different bus now. I'm with all seemingly middle class, by our standards, Indian families. I'm thinking. Hmmm. is this cool? I'm seeing alot of monkeys hanging around in the trees along the road. The landscape is really beautiful but, hard to describe. There is a quick transition from desert to mountains. It's lush, but still open. It's kind of Texas hill country, Marfa, Bear Mountain, Oaxaca jungle with lot's of palm trees, camels, and monkeys. I'l try and refine that description with photography tomorow. I made it to my hotel of choice. The Shri Gonesh guest house. It's very nice. Electric blue tile bathroom, T.V. , and 2, yes 2 blankets on the bed. The altitude makes it some 15 degrees cooler up here. I'm pretty tired from my journey. I'm going to go find some dinner and dive into another book. Tomorow I'll explore this strange mountain. Watch out for panthers & sloths. Two other inhabitants of this place. Cheers,
dylan
The hotel operator, as my Italian friends can confirm was a bit on the annoying side, trying to sell me a damn camel ride everyday and, he and his family yelling and fighting all day/ By the way, Michele, Andrea, Elisa...Suresh blames you for the trouble with the jeep. It was very nice overall, though the interior of the fort wall was a bit of a shopping mall.
The most tourists I've seen yet. I kept telling all the shopkeepers, who really hassle you at times, "not shopping, just walking" After awhile they all recognize me and start saying "just walking sir"? Jaisalmer was nice and dry, no rain at all, and very cool at night. I actually had to use a sheet sometimes. What else happened? Nothing, I sort of got bored at the end. So this morning I got up at 4:30 and got on a bus for Mount Abu.
Some of you have found humor in my prior journals well, there is nothing funny about a 15 hour bus ride through the desert. I also keep ending up on these local kind of routes. Everyone on the bus is looking at me like, buddy you're on the wrong bus. This thing is so ragged. The seats are all shredded, dusty, banana peels everywhere.
I'm cool being the only whitey on this trip and all but, I'm conviced I'm the one of maybe 3 other americans in India right now. It actually was a fine trip. The guy riding shotgun. The buses always have this guy who whistles signals and collects money. Anyway this guy is sitting in front of me meditating between stops. He's chanting and stuff, OM...I'm digging that. Every now and then he checkson me, looking back smiling, like I'm some kind of special cargo. I asked him to take my picture with my new digital camera and the whole bus went wild. These guys love camera's and ham it up. I'm on my way to this Mount Abu.
It turns out it's a major tourist destination for Indian travellers. It's an old hill station, whatever that means. It's this kind of oasis on top of a mountain. Lot's of rich kings, majarajahs, sp? built palaces up here and, now they're all hotels. Funny. On my way up the mountain and, on a different bus now. I'm with all seemingly middle class, by our standards, Indian families. I'm thinking. Hmmm. is this cool? I'm seeing alot of monkeys hanging around in the trees along the road. The landscape is really beautiful but, hard to describe. There is a quick transition from desert to mountains. It's lush, but still open. It's kind of Texas hill country, Marfa, Bear Mountain, Oaxaca jungle with lot's of palm trees, camels, and monkeys. I'l try and refine that description with photography tomorow. I made it to my hotel of choice. The Shri Gonesh guest house. It's very nice. Electric blue tile bathroom, T.V. , and 2, yes 2 blankets on the bed. The altitude makes it some 15 degrees cooler up here. I'm pretty tired from my journey. I'm going to go find some dinner and dive into another book. Tomorow I'll explore this strange mountain. Watch out for panthers & sloths. Two other inhabitants of this place. Cheers,
dylan
posted by jb at 8:56 AM
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