Day 9 - Jodphur - 19th October 2011.
Due to the fact that I have this driver (who is beginning to feel like a ball and chain) I parted ways with Julien and Lilly but arranaged to meet them in Jaisalmer on the 21st. They were getting an overnight bus whereas my trip had me stopping in Jodphur. The bus was costing them 270 rupees and god knows how much more I was paying to have this personal driver. Anyways its just for 14 days so I will soon be free to get around by my own methods. After looking round some pretty miserable dumps in Jodphur finally found a decent place very near to the central clock tower for 150Rs (75 rs to the pound) called the Maharani Guest House. After I had dumped my bags went for a walk around the blue city. Just by one of the central guests a local man had set up shop and had a sign proclaiming that he was the omelette King! Naturally I went and investigated to see what all the fuss was about as all the benches outside were packed with tourists and locals hungrily munching down on platefuls of omelette. I had a chat with him and he was probably one of the jolliest old men I've met, "Omelettes make me happy, I use 1,000 eggs a day!" He enthusiastically told me and although dubious of this figure the piles and piles of egg trays gave substance to the claim. This rise to fame came about when in 1990 the lonely planet included him in their latest book and ever since every tourist owning a LP who arrives in Jodhpur makes a bee line straight for the Omelette King. I munched down two of his fine offerings and all I can say is long live the Omelette King!
Afterwards decided to take a stroll through the Jodphur markets and after chatting to one of the shop owners (name was Naveen, thoroughly decent chap) decided to go inside and have a look at his spice. The downstairs of his shop was like a dungeon filled with every type of herbal tea and coffee, natural spices for cooking, incense sticks, scented oils and all sorts of other potent wares. After a lecture on what makes a good incense stick (charcoal and chemicals bad, natural ingredients good) I bought a box and stand for 200Rs. That night went searching for somewhere to eat and came across this great rooftop restaurant which has amazing views of both the Meherangarh fort and the city itself. After trying and failing to chat with these British guys who were rah central (hopping down to do push ups every five minutes) i ordered some food and enjoyed the views. Whilst eating got talking to a British girl who joined me in my mockery of these douchayyyyy guys. Her name was Letty and was also travelling alone, she was an artist from Edinburgh who was travelling around India, doing sketches and water colour paintings which she hoped to put together for an Exhibition back home. (Best of luck with the exhibition if you're reading this Letty and hope you get back to Delhi for Diwali!) She has been the first Brit I've really met and it was nice to speak English fluently, as talking broken English with Indians and the various other Spanish, French, Italian people I've met can get tiring. Turns out she studied in Newcastle so had a fair bit in common and so spent the rest of the night chatting away.
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| The Omelette King on his throne. |
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| View of the fort from Yogi's. |
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| Blue city of Jodhpur. |
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