Jodphur (by Helen; photos by Will)

What a weekend! Clara recovered quickly and early on Saturday morning we all boarded a flight to Jodphur. Because of Julian's job, we flew as VIPs, which involved a swanky airport lounge and support to get very quickly from one part of the airport to the next. 

When we first arrived in Jodphur it was very, very hot. We climbed a path behind our hotel to a fort overlooking the city. Instead of touring this one, we zip-lined over it. We, the kites and the parakeets flew over the blue city together.  Will and Julian stayed to actually explore the fort while the kids and I waited at the hotel pool. That evening, our run of no-allergy-problems came to an end. Ben has written a nice summary of that experience in his journal, which we will post next. All good now and I really hope I learned my lesson: if it doubt use the epipen to avoid a yucky and scary night.

Our hotel had a very nice rooftop restaurant and the cook went the extra distance to make us a nice, familiar breakfast. We will remember his crepes with chocolate sauce and the mango lassis and chai we had at cafes throughout the city. 

Our favourite spot in Jaipur was the Stepwell, an enormous sunken well now used as a very risky swimming pool by the locals. Police try to clear it of jumpers several times a day, and I would want that if I lived in Jodphur with teenage children. There was so much happening there: jumpers, onlookers, fish, chipskunks (our name for Indian squirrels) and tourists. 

In truth, all of Jodphur seemed to be full of colourful action day and night. The kids and I played the trickiest game of eye-spy we've ever played atop the city's clock tower. Try it: "I spy something red"... give up? we did :)

On Sunday evening, after Julian flew home to Delhi, we took a trip west to the edge of the desert. We were dropped at a temple on the busiest day of the week during a festival, without this information, and ended up having to bail after waiting over an hour in a line. It gave us a nice opportunity to meet locals. I even agreed to have my photo taken at the exit (a request that happens a lot), as this particular opportunity gave me the chance to hold a very sweet toddler. The highlight of the trip to the desert was a ride on camels to dinner in a local home. I couldn't believe it when my 10-year old guide told me that my camel's name was Michael Jackson-- the next day, the camel was singing on the radio at the Stepwell cafe! The timing for the camel experience ended up being perfect, as we rode back right at sunset. 

We travelled back to Delhi last night by sleeper train. "Chai, chai, coffee, chai!"; Families eating elaborate meals on the platform; falling asleep to the sounds of the train and the blasting cold from the air conditioning. This morning, the kids woke up and headed alone to the challenging bathroom without hesitation. We have been so impressed by their flexibility and openness to new experiences. Not every child their age would cope politely with a spicy meal on the floor in the desert, or an overly friendly physics student asking them to sing in the line to a temple. We're back at our home-base now, enjoying Julian's fantastic apartment and our newly acquired Taj-blanket, bought at a craft market in Delhi last week. We all wish were were staying in India a little longer.