We apologize for the very long break we have taken from blogging. We were both on mini-vacations- Maggie in Maryland, Utts in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Three years ago (WOW) Serena came to visit me in India. We took trains everywhere, lived in cheap hotels or homes of friends, drank litres and litres of fresh lime soda; Serena learned how to deal with pushy shop vendors and we got home tanned and in need of a serious scrub. The route of that trip was Bombay-Delhi-Agra-Delhi-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-quick trip to the rat temple in Bikaner-Bombay. The trip was so wonderful that I’d do the exact same trip three times over.

So when my sister’s friend came to visit, I was more than happy to go back to Jodhpur and the most beautiful fort I’ve ever seen. The Mehrangahr Fort, from which you can see the famous blue homes of Jodhpur, is a triumph, a shining ray of hope in a sea of poorly managed and badly taken care of monuments scattered across India.  As you saunter (you really can’t do anything else- it’s so hot and in the middle of a desert) through the massive archways and up the stone walkways it’s difficult not to imagine a time when the fort was bustling with activity, when the kings were carried in palanquins and howdahs made of silver were hoisted onto elephants, when people could walk freely up all the staircases and into all the secret passageways.

Ketaki thought these were horse’s stables. I told her to be realistic. Then a guard came and told us to leave the premises of the kitchen.

Who wants to live here? THIS ONE.

A garden in the desert

The beautiful blue

If you’ve visited India, then you’re probably familiar with all the wonderful treats that the Lonely Planet has to offer. The strange little hotels that work out to be the most comfortable and the tiniest restaurants you don’t want to miss. The Omelette Shop is one of those finds. It’s the grungiest looking omelette store I’ve ever seen, but served the *best* omelette sandwich I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. We went there twice and both times I ate my sandwiches without taking photos. That’s how good they were.

The make-shift situation.

Go visit him near the clock tower in Jodhpur.

Even the Koreans love him

-Utts