Jaipur, Wednesday

1822 At Nino's. Pricey. Didn't go to bed til 5ish, stupidly left alarm for 10ish and snoozed (10 min intervals!) til 1230ish. Left hotel 1330ish. Walked over to town and visited Jantar Mantar (which I think would be prounced more as I've heard it said if it was spelled Janta Manta) and City Palace. Then walked over here via pink city. Roads heaving, miles, knackered, only had 2 bananas, orange and an apple in room before leaving. Having a beer (pricey, 260 for 650ml Kingfisher) and will have their specialty Lal Maans with an onion nan and jeera rice.

First beer since Saturday I think.

1859 Food pretty good. Beer enjoyable. In that J K Jerome 'full stomach' mood. Getting a coffee, then back to hotel where I will see if I can stay another night - don't expect a problem to be honest. Onward travel plans made tonight and will try to walk over to station tomorrow morning to buy a ticket.

1902 Woman (probably English) at table across room is asking for a recommendation for vegetarian main dish. No harm done, of course, but if the guide book and online Google reviews are anything to go by, she's been unlucky enough to stumble into one of the few restaurants in Jaipur which aren't strictly vegetarian. It's not very busy here, it is early I guess. Part of the reason for my walk round pink city 'away' from this place/hotel/Copper Chimney was that I was aware CC doesn't nominally open til 6:30pm so didn't want to get here too early in case it was shut.

Also wanted to see pink city of course. It's rather run-down and in many places where in better nick appears more reddish than pink, but still. A certain exotic quality to all the market stalls in the streets and the cows, chickens, goats, camels and elephants in street. The latter possibly the first I have seen since leaving London, and almost certainly there for tourist rides unlike the other animals which probably exist for other reasons - though not so sure about the camels.

1919 Bill 1100, wow! Making it 1300. More expensive than Kwality in Delhi, which I think was nicer. Still, it was OK. Anyway, back to hotel.

2021 Back at hotel.

2147 Having had look at guide book and specifically the sample trains, I think I will go to Jodphur next. Oh, I arranged to stay on for an extra night when I came in. Bit of a performance, they seemed a bit unsure that it was just one extra night not two, but anyway. It sounds interesting and I also want to go to Bikaner to see the nearby rat temple and it is kind of on the way, whereas a direct train from here to there is a bit of a long haul. I could maybe take a bus but I think train is safer and more comfortable (toilet-tastic!) even if not always fastest, plus it's a little more novel. Realised today I only have a bit more than two weeks to go. But it's fine, I've done most of my minimal set of stuff I wanted to see. If I do three nights Jodhpur and three nights Bikaner I will leave Bikaner on Thu 12th which gives me 8-9 days left. The only other thing I sort of wanted to see before I came was Amritsar. If I don't make it there no big deal, there probably will be a next time, and moreover especially if I am willing to take bus or plane I suspect it can be reached relatively easily from Bikaner within the time available.

Quick look on booking.com suggests there is budget availability for three nights starting Friday; I won't book anything until I have my train ticket. Looking at trains on Indian Railways website, you can do the journey in 4h30 if you're willing to get a train leaving Jaipur at 0600. Best bet to my mind is probably the Marudhar Express, #14865, leaving 1220 and arriving 1750. This is also one of the guide book's recommended Jaipur-Jodhpur trains, though the times have changed slightly in the intervening n years since the guide book was etched onto a stone tablet. Best seating on the train is 2A, AC 2-tier sleeper, so this would be like the train from Delhi-Agra. That's OK, though I would prefer a CC (AC chair car) like Agra-Jaipur.

Sounds like a plan, so I can now forget about that until tomorrow morning when I trek over to the station. I think it is walkable from the hotel. Not going to get bent out of shape about exactly what to do tomorrow afternoon, I may brave hiring a tuktuk to take me up to the fort or whatever. I think that can be done at the prepay booth at the station (ie they do half/full day hire) so that would probably not be too stressful. Guide book says it is 16km away by road; easier to access by foot up a path from town, but it makes the path sound rather seedy so not risking it.

Lots of firework noises; I have no window so can't see anything.

0133 Finally in bed. Bit slack but I wasn't going to get to sleep mega early after getting up at 12-1ish anyway. The bed here is definitely on the short side. If I lie on my front with some space between the pillow and headboard for my phone (traditionally a book, of course) my feet dangle over the edge unless I make the space very small. I am OK but I do wonder if someone taller would struggle. I suppose as long as they're a pillow-against-headboard sleeper they'd be OK unless they were super tall.