We arrive in Jaisalmer after a five hour bus ride so crammed with people (sitting, standing, laying -- over two bunks of a bus and the aisle in between) that it feels like we are being smuggled somewhere. It's 8:30pm and we're tired.
A clean-cut man in his twenties meets us on his scooter -- he gets an auto for us to take us back to the hotel. As we ride, I slowly wake up, in awe of the majestic fort in the distance, which we're heading right towards. Not realizing where our hotel is located, we marvel at the fort, and then presume we're headed elsewhere.
But no! -- the auto proceeds through the giant gates of the fortress itself! -- we meander through tiny old stone streets. The solitary street lights add to the feel that we are heading deeper and deeper into a medieval town. We're inside the fortress, into what feels like a magical castle.
We get out of the auto and follow our guide through the windy stone streets. It's the most surreal and incredible experience, walking through these streets that must not have changed much in the hundreds of years they've been in existence. The buildings we pass are just gorgeous -- such intricate detail to the carvings. We meander through hundreds-of-years-old Jain temples, which our hotel is nestled in between.
Hotel Suraj was originally the residence of a Brahmin family, who still owns the residence today. It was built in 1526, as both a residence and a school. We can't quite believe it -- we're staying in a 500 year old Haveli (noble's house)!!
Anxious to explore, we start walking through our "neighborhood" once we settle in. It's about 9:30pm, but we're the only ones on the street, in a magical are-we-still-in-India kindda way. The road ends and we climb up some rocks to see why -- we're now on the very edge of the fort, looking down at the city below!
We end the evening with dinner on the roof of a nearby hotel, overlooking the city and desert.
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