Touring Rajasthan: the (kind of) blue city,

Jodhpur 12 December – 14 December

“Insta-famous" Jodhpur is known for being "the blue city".  Moving from Jaisalmer (the Golden City) I was interested in seeing the change in colour palette.  Though, and like most of what you see on Instagram, it is all only slightly true.

The kind of blue city, at sunset.
Jodhhur

Yes, there are blue buildings in the city of Jodhpur.  It is though by no means head to toe; wall to wall blue.  The blue buildings – once a sign and reserved only for, the highest, holy Brahman caste (although, if you do a little listening to the locals, who aren't trying to sell you something, many seem to suggest other less alluring ideas of why the houses were painted blue in times of yore) - are confined to small sections of the small old city, in the middle of a typical, otherwise unremarkable, Indian city.  Also, most of the blue buildings today have been painted blue just as an attraction, and shows little resemblance to the limestone and velvet-coloured dye used in times past.

You'd think I was in a blue city of blueness?
Jodhpur

Disappointment aside, Jodhpur started real well.  I ended up staying in a really nice hostel – one of the nicer looking ones I had stayed in so far.  I also was walking distance from a gym, so joined up for a few days.  The best part of the gym was the motivational posters splattered in and around the place – pushing you to be the best you #eatingischeating #.

By now I was judging hostels by their thalis.
This one stacked up well.
Mustache hostel, Jodhpur
 

Mandore park, Jodhpur

Never got inside fun world,
but just imagine what was behind those gates...
Did you guess dilapidated buildings :)?
Mandore park, Jodhpur

Do you want to get changed?
What about changing your life?

What is the point of having an air-conditioner,
if you cant express your love for getting pumped around it? 

Getting ripped and having fun with words

If you ever forget what to do?

I met up with a friend  incidentally I had met traveling previously, and after unsuccessfully trying to get in with day old, used tickets, we audio toured the Mehrangarh fort.  By this point in my life, I had seen many forts, but as far as forts go, this was one was pretty cool.  The audio guide gave the place a lot more detail, apart from just looking and seeing big, pretty rooms.

The mighty Mehrangarh fort, looking over the city.
Jodhpur

Big forts need big pots.
Mehrangarh fort, Jodhpur

I cannot remember, but think this was the pantry.
Mehrangarh fort, Jodhpur

Jodhpur from Mehrangarh fort.
How blue?  So blue

The hostel ran a walking tour through the city, and we got to see the slightly blue alleyways and houses of the old city.  By now, we had met up with another mutual traveling friend, so the three of us, plus a new friend went to get dinner in the old city.  We were all keen on a bit of a party too, though when we walked into Best View restaurant, I do not think the owner (and even some of the party) knew what he was signing up for as he welcomed us in.

Nothing like a tour of the (not so)
blue city at sunset.
Old city, Jodpur

They do not serve alcohol in the restaurant, but we had all been in India long enough to know that did not mean they do not serve alcohol in the restaurant.  A few beers in, and drinking games down, as we were the only ones in the restaurant, the owner let us play some music.  There was some dancing.  Everyone was having a jolly time.

That is the view from Best View restaurant.
Not a bad view, but is it the best view?
Old city, Jodhpur

A game that involves a bus driver.
Some advice - do not become the bus driver 

As the night wore on, we thought our new friend was lying down on the couch, but did not realise that she had passed out.  When we poked her to say we were leaving, we learnt that she had covered the couch in the beer that was previously inside her.  Not only had she decided that the couch needed a new hue (and odour), she decided that she could no longer stand / walk.  That left us to carry this dead weight out the restaurant, by which time the owner realised that cleaning up after his new guests (I would have said friends, until just then) would take far longer.

You never really get the best looks dragging a passed out girl into a hostel, so we did so as quickly as we could, and dumped her in her bed (as nicely as we could), for her to sleep off having had too much fun.  In truth, the receptionist did not do more than look up from his phone, probably having seen this more than once.