524t Bikaneer 9-11/6/09

Introduction
- Bigger than Jaiselmer and flat so not very nice apart from the fort.

- bloody hot - dusty

- Here at night it doesn't actually cool down; in fact it seems like heat blows in off the desert and t actually gets hotter. Everything is at 40C So although the rooom fan helps evaporate the sweat the bed and pillows etc are cooking me. Ice lollies help a lot.

Tue - Explore

- Tue - Museum - crap
- then old town and temples - The Jain temple has paintings - and cos it's tall has views and cooling breezes.

Internet and Explore
- Internet and then walked to Station Rd, still no meat found, but the Deluxe restaurant deserves a mention for clear western menu and reasonable prices ... too far to walk to though.

Thu- internet day
- at least the internet place is not so bad - internet, siesta, walk, internet. I found one thing some meat shops are on the edge of town near the bus terminal it's hidden away as if it's a red light district. So managed to get some vitamins by having some roasted children then to the milk company park opposite for grapes in curd .. Great

- Wow Rain came out of the internet the wind was up then an hours rain.

Fri - Explore
- Since I knew one bit of rain wasn't going to be that different I decided to move on. I was avoiding Delhi cos I thought it would be too stressful. I decided to go to Chandigarh as it's one night away by train and it's maybe more interesting than typical Indian cities as it is custom designed by US/French modern architects.

... Yes by lunch it was too hot again. As ever after 3 days of being lonely a group of foreigners arrived as I left.

Richshhaw to station was not stressful annd 15Rp ... And got a ticket quickly, but then the train was 1 hour late arriving.

What went wrong in Rajastan ?
- 1. The guidebooks hype
- 2. The sights are all on the outside, you don't get much extra by going inside.
- 3. The summer heat is wearing and distracting.
- 4. The low season means lack of atmosphere ... You don't bump into people at cafes etc.
- 5. The low season means more touts and shouting auto drivers per tourist
- 6. Cos I walk alone I get shouted at more.. If I was with a guide it would have been a different experience.
- 7. I'm jaded .. I've seen stuff before.
- 8. I don't like the Indian way .. Food etc.
- 9. I don't speak Hindi or Rajastani so don't get into deep conversations

- My normal wonder around tactic is not working... What can I do ?

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