westward bound..

looks like i'm on a roll..continuing my sojourns, i had one to rajasthan, the princely state as its called..jodhpur and jaisalmer to be precise.the vacation was pleasant.the heat was unbearable.the exposure was eye opening..
been to jodhpur a couple of times, so nothing new.always wanted to travel to jaisalmer, one city i hadn't been to in rajasthan.the timing was a bit off, it technically being the end of winter still the temp soaring to 40degrees.however, the golden city was mesmerising.the camel safari made me feel like royalty on a visit to my kingdom(a very kingdom without any subjects i must say)..pardon moi.its the after effects of jodha akbar..:)..if anyone is planning a trip, its a small city and can be seen in 1.5days leisurely..but beautiful..if you like to think of a charming past..
well, it being the weekend leading to easter, went for mass.it was amusing(not the service, the situation)..99% mallus and a hindi service..well, u know the saying go to the moon and u will have a mallu with a tea stall there!
anyway, the highlight of the trip was not the destination, but the journey.from jodhpur to jaisalmer.we were travelling by second class during the day, to see the sights and have a proper experience.plus, didnt get AC tickets..well, after waiting at the station for 2hours, the train finally left. 8am, and the wind was cool..but not for long..soon it became hot..the effect of high temperature, dust, and a barren landscape is something else altogether..soon sand covered the train.
most of our co passengers were army men returning to their posts.since jaisalmer is closer to the pakistan border, passed quite a few military establishments, even pokran(thats how its spelt at the station).those army camps will forever stay in my mind.its amazing how those people guard our borders in such conditions.to say it was scorching is an understatement.the heat was permeating our very system even when the train was running.imagine being stationary in such a parched landscape..actually worse, going about their jobs, day in and day out.and i'm sure its much much worse at the higher altitudes..made me look at the army in a completely new light.and makes you ponder on your life's choices and ordeals..how you end up grumbling at the inconsequential irritations life throws us..
at least i had the option of finally reaching an air conditioned environment, to say the least.innumerable are my blessings.