jodhpur on a student loan: heat waves and haveli hopes
okay, so i landed in jodhpur with a backpack that smells like sweat and desperation. the heat hit me like a truck - i just checked the weather and it's 30.72°c but feels like 28.77°c due to the 18% humidity, which is drier than a popcorn fart. seriously, my lips are chapped in seconds.
that's the map. i'm in the blue city, or at least near it. i'm staying at this hostel called 'royal retreat' or something, found it on TripAdvisor. don't be fooled by the name; it's a dump with a view. the bed is a mattress on a wooden frame, and the wifi works only when the sun is down. but for 300 rupees a night? i'll take it.
i heard from a drunk aussie at the common room that the best thali in town is at 'gypsy restaurant' on Yelp, but he might have been lying. i went anyway, and it was actually good - 150 rupees for unlimited dal, rice, and roti. score!
the blue houses are iconic, but let's be real: some streets are just blue-painted slums. i walked through one alley and a kid asked for money, but i gave him my extra paratha instead. he looked confused, but hey, sharing is caring.
see that? that's the classic shot. but if you go early morning, you'll see women sweeping the streets and men fixing bikes. it's not all pretty.
i've been eating on a student budget: 20 rupees for a huge samosa, 30 for chai. i found this stall near the clock tower that's open 24/7, or so they say. someone warned me that after midnight, the chai gets bitter, so i stick to daytime.
neighbors: if you get bored of jodhpur, jaipur is just a 5-hour bus ride away. i heard it's more touristy but has better hostels. or udaipur for lakes, but that's farther. i'm saving money for now.
more gossip: i overheard two girls saying that the Mehrangarh Fort entry is 600 rupees for foreigners, 200 for students, but if you wear traditional clothes, they might give a discount? not sure if true, but i wore a kurta and they charged me full price. so, rumor debunked.
that's the fort. i didn't go in because i'm cheap, but i hiked around the base for free. the view is epic, and no one bothered me until a security guard shooed me away. whatever, i got my photos.
i'm using local buses to get around. 10 rupees per ride, but you need to know the routes. i asked at my hostel and they gave me a scribbled map - more useful than google maps here, honestly.
another tip: carry cash. ATMs are rare in the old city, and cards don't work everywhere. i learned that the hard way when i tried to pay for dinner with a card and the waiter laughed.
oh, and the sun. it's brutal. i bought a hat for 100 rupees from a street vendor, and it saved my life. i also use this cheap sunscreen from the market - 50 rupees for a small tube, SPF 30, probably not FDA approved but it works.
that's the market chaos. i got scarves and spices here. haggling is key: start at 50% of what they ask, and walk away if they don't budge. they usually come running back.
i've met other budget travelers here, and we share info. like, this one guy said he found a free cooking class through a hostel, but it was a timeshare scam. so, watch out for 'free' offers.
anyway, i'm typing this with sweat dripping on my phone. the electricity went out twice today, but the hostel has a generator, so i'm good. if you're coming to jodhpur on a budget, just embrace the chaos, eat street food, and don't trust anyone who says 'special price for you'. peace out.
p.s. i heard that the best time to visit is november to february, but i'm here in may, so i'm basically melting. bring clothes you don't mind getting stinky.
i also read on the jodhpur tourism board website jodhpur.tourism.com that there are free walking tours on weekends, but when i checked, it was cancelled due to 'local events'. typical.
and this blog post from a student traveler had great tips studentbudgettravels.com/jodhpur on where to find cheap eats. it saved me a few bucks.
so, that's jodhpur from my broke perspective. it's hot, it's dusty, but it's real. hope you like that kind of thing.