After the fun filled pre Diwali night with friends , lots of adda, drinks , music and laughter, next day would be the drive to Jaisalmer. Our friends boarded the train to Jaisalmer and we set out by our car. Not surprisingly I had a tiff with husband just after we started driving because I wanted to drive, so some tantrums and silence later I was beneath the wheels with music, lovely roads and windmills grazing the roads.That was one of the beautiful drives of my life with virgin roads, rugged landscapes and nothing but horizon ahead. Maybe being Diwali day traffic was sparse and being tough terrain as it is population seemed sparse as well!
'In umr se lambi se sadko manzil pe pohochte deha nahi
Bas daudti phirti rahti Hain humne to theharte dekha nahi!!'
Gulzar couplet for every occasion!
We checked in to Hotel Chowki Dhani and settled for vegetarian fare at night which was kind of disappointing for the adults and the kids alike. Though the news of availability of eggs in the morning came as a huge relief!
Like all bongs Satyajit Ray's Sonar Kella weaved a spell over Jaisalmer...the desert and the golden fort. Even daughter who had read the English translation kept asking ' Maa where do you think was Mukul's treasures in this crowded place!' Next morning after breakfast was the day trip of the charming old world Jaisalmer. Beginning was of course with Sonar Kella...the Golden Fort with its alleys, with its residents manoeuvring deftly their two wheelers around the tourists and stray animals, the lanes with antic shops...one would just love the vibes!
Absolutely ' Padharo Maro des' vibes, did some street shopping as I love, dupattas, jhumkas , sling bags, some souvenirs.
Next stop was Patto ke Haveli , my visit to Jaisalmer wasn't first and the Jaisalmer I remembered from mid nineties...laid back, charming, royal with palaces, havelis and desert straight out of the movies and serials I had watched !
Day's last stop was the beautiful Bada Bagh and after that we headed for light and sound show at the Gadisar Lake. Many old movie songs were shot at Bada Bagh like 'Jihale Miskin ' that haunting nomadic track and we witnessed solar eclipse in the open horizon... which left us spell bound.
Next day was the drive to Longewalla which was not on my bucket list but followed the group. Road was ethereal amidst sparse vegetation and almost no villages or sign of life near by.
Longewalla evoked the emotions specially from the movie ' Border'...the songs echoed through out the drive and though anti war at heart , the place struck chords at those soft corners where it hurt! The drive to Tanot Mata temple where the supposed Pakistani bombs did not blast was also ecstatic.
Next day was visit to Mandir palace and a fabulous non veg lunch of Laal Maas and other stuff and the kids jumped in with chicken chicken....well can't blame them..took after their parents after all 🙈.
After the fun filled pre Diwali night with friends , lots of adda, drinks , music and laughter, next day would be the drive to Jaisalmer. Our friends boarded the train to Jaisalmer and we set out by our car. Not surprisingly I had a tiff with husband just after we started driving because I wanted to drive, so some tantrums and silence later I was beneath the wheels with music, lovely roads and windmills grazing the roads.
That was one of the beautiful drives of my life with virgin roads, rugged landscapes and nothing but horizon ahead. Maybe being Diwali day traffic was sparse and being tough terrain as it is population seemed sparse as well!
'In umr se lambi se sadko manzil pe pohochte deha nahi
Bas daudti phirti rahti Hain humne to theharte dekha nahi!!'
Gulzar couplet for every occasion!
We checked in to Hotel Chowki Dhani and settled for vegetarian fare at night which was kind of disappointing for the adults and the kids alike. Though the news of availability of eggs in the morning came as a huge relief!
Like all bongs Satyajit Ray's Sonar Kella weaved a spell over Jaisalmer...the desert and the golden fort. Even daughter who had read the English translation kept asking ' Maa where do you think was Mukul's treasures in this crowded place!' Next morning after breakfast was the day trip of the charming old world Jaisalmer. Beginning was of course with Sonar Kella...the Golden Fort with its alleys, with its residents manoeuvring deftly their two wheelers around the tourists and stray animals, the lanes with antic shops...one would just love the vibes!
Absolutely ' Padharo Maro des' vibes, did some street shopping as I love, dupattas, jhumkas , sling bags, some souvenirs.
Next stop was Patto ke Haveli , my visit to Jaisalmer wasn't first and the Jaisalmer I remembered from mid nineties...laid back, charming, royal with palaces, havelis and desert straight out of the movies and serials I had watched !
Day's last stop was the beautiful Bada Bagh and after that we headed for light and sound show at the Gadisar Lake. Many old movie songs were shot at Bada Bagh like 'Jihale Miskin ' that haunting nomadic track and we witnessed solar eclipse in the open horizon... which left us spell bound.
Next day was the drive to Longewalla which was not on my bucket list but followed the group. Road was ethereal amidst sparse vegetation and almost no villages or sign of life near by.
Longewalla evoked the emotions specially from the movie ' Border'...the songs echoed through out the drive and though anti war at heart , the place struck chords at those soft corners where it hurt! The drive to Tanot Mata temple where the supposed Pakistani bombs did not blast was also ecstatic.
Next day was visit to Mandir palace and a fabulous non veg lunch of Laal Maas and other stuff and the kids jumped in with chicken chicken....well can't blame them..took after their parents after all 🙈.
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