In the desert

Arrived Jaisalmer just before midnight and were met at station, taken to our hotel and given an upgrade: beautiful carved stone room in old building inside the fort. Jaisalmer is all yellow sandstone with lots of carvings on buildings and the Jain temples. Because it's so lovely it's also very touristy and at times seems like a huge souvenir shop. But a great place miles from anywhere on the edge of the Thar desert. Will try to get a long way north-east tomorrow, so 6am start.

A long but successful day on sundry buses: Jaisalmer to Bikaner (7h), then on to Sikar (5h) then the last local bus to Nawalgarh. And the bus you want out never leaves from the station you arrive at - perverse! But people were very helpful, making sure we got to the right place. Anyway, we made it and for  the princely sum of £10 for the two of us. Now ensconced in a traditional hut at the Shekhawati Guest House where we have been very well fed.

Came to this region (Shekhawati) to see the havelis - Persian for "wind house" because designed for ventilation. Built by rich merchants on the Silk Road they tried to outdo each other over the years. Most are now gently decaying, some restored, some just preserved. Anyway, stunning.

Next day our hosts suggested that we go to Lohargal which we think they described as a quiet temple and pool up in some hills about 20km south. When we arrived it was manic: hundreds of people bathing in the pool and having a great time. Apparently it was a festival day. But talking to a local seller he said people came from all over India and it was busy every day. So we say and watched a while, visited the Sun Temple then tried to find a quiet shady spot to eat our snack lunch. No sooner has we settled down than the front door opened and we had a long conversation with the brother who spoke good English while his brother and sister joined in from time to time. They brought us chairs and tea - great hospitality. Off to Jaipur in the morning.