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Day 188 – Jodhpur, India – 1:30 PM

Six days ago, I arrived in Jodhpur, India after surviving a five-hour bus ride from Pushkar. The suspension-less bus puttered along dusty, unpaved roads stopping routinely to shuttle passengers on and off. I occupied a window seat and gazed upon the scenery that passed in my periphery. The dry, somewhat arid conditions that characterized Pushkar faded into a desert-like scene from a movie. A local sat next to me until he departed into a small village. Another, who had been standing in the aisle until that point, sat down next to me and we exchanged smiles. The steady rotation of seatmates continued for the entire trip. My mind drifted from the scenery outside my window to the previous three weeks I spent traveling around India. My time was fading and I had just over one week remaining until my flight to Europe.

The screeching brakes sounded as we pulled up to the Jodhpur bus stop. I stood up and pulled my small pack from the floor between my legs. I walked along the center aisle and descended four steps until my feet hit the ground. I continued to the rear of the bus and waited for my larger pack to be removed. It appeared covered in a layer of dust. I gave it a few quick slaps and watched the dust pulsate into the air. The early afternoon breeze that I hoped would blow the dust away and cool me was non-existent. The sun seared down on everything outside the cover of shade.

I split an Uber from the bus stop to the center of Jodhpur with two Swedish travelers. Yes, Uber has found its way to the deserts of India. Yes, the auto-rickshaw driver’s share the same negative feelings towards Uber as their cohorts in America. We piled our packs in the trunk and stepped into the white sedan. The air-conditioning washed over us as we drove towards the clock tower. Built in the late-19^th century, the stone clock tower marks the center of the tourist area and the epicenter of guesthouses and hotels in the area. We pulled to a stop and the three of us hopped out. I retrieved my bags and waved bye to my fellow travelers. I walked away from the clock tower and kept my eyes peeled for the first guesthouse. The heat bore down and I quickly realized why Jodhpur is nicknamed “sun city”.

The first few candidates for lodging did not meet my expectations and I continued onward. Stray dogs splayed out on sidewalks trying to escape the heat. Rickshaws veered in all directions avoiding pedestrians, cyclists and motorbikes. True to form, vehicle horns wailed alerting of an oncoming vehicle. I spotted a sign that read “Sarvar Guesthouse & Rooftop Restaurant,” and walked inside. I was ready to shed my luggage and put my feet up. Hopefully, Sarvar Guesthouse would meet my standards. The receptionist suspected my motive for walking through the door and asked “AC or non-AC?”

“How much for AC?” I asked.

He quoted me 1000 rupees ($15 USD) per night. I informed him of my intention to stay six days and inquired about a possible discount. He thought for a moment and lowered his offer to 800 rupees ($12 USD) per night. I asked to see an air conditioned room and he called for an employee.   Together we walked up three flights of stairs. He pushed open a wooden door and we moved inside. The room looked clean, the bathroom was in working order and I did not want to walk around any further searching for a room. “I’ll take it!” I said with a smile and we completed the check in process.

I returned to my room after the necessary paperwork and sat down on the bed. I was exhausted from the bus ride and needed a nap. I lay down and closed my eyes. With six days in Jodhpur I had more than enough time to see everything on my list. Feeling relaxed and not rushed I drifted off to sleep. Afternoon faded into evening and I felt no guilt as I lounged around Sarvar Guesthouse and sampled the food at the attached rooftop restaurant. I vowed to get an early jump on my second day in the city.

I woke the following morning and pulled out my guidebook. I looked at a map of Jodhpur and realized Sarvar Guesthouse was within walking distance of Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswanth Thada, two attractions I wanted to visit. In addition, a series of five zip-lines was erected from Mehrangarh Fort and I hoped to harness up during my stay. I stopped at the reception desk in the lobby and inquired about the zip lining. The receptionist offered to book it for me and asked if I wanted to go that afternoon. I looked outside and into the clear blue sky. The views would be spectacular today, I thought as I nodded my head. He spoke with someone over the phone and minutes later, my slot was booked. I was to report that afternoon at 4pm. I slid the ticket into my wallet and thanked the receptionist for his help. I turned, continued through the lobby and turned left into the street. It was mid-morning; traffic was light and a sense of calm hung over the city. Locals sat inside their storefronts reading that day’s newspaper while others swept dirt and debris from the sidewalk. I wound the strap from my camera around my wrist and continued onward. I proceeded to a narrow alleyway wide enough for a single motorbike. The gradient of the path increased and I felt the burn building in my legs.

During the mid-15^th century, Rao Jodha ruled the Mandore section of Rajasthan. Fearing enemy armies, he commissioned the construction of Mehrangarh Fort at a location that overlooked Jodhpur, the city he established in 1459. Presently, the fort sits 410 feet above the city. I knew I was heading in the right direction as my respirations increased along with the layer of sweat on my forehead. The alleyway emerged from between multi-story buildings and Fort Mehrangarh appeared to my left. The Jodhpur skyline swept away from me to my right. I stopped and looked out over the city. Houses and shops of various colors dotted the landscape below. What struck me the most was the noise that emanated from the narrow thoroughfares. I heard goats “baaaa”ing, vehicle horns blaring and children yelling, yet I was a considerable distance from the origins of these noises. My best guess is the close proximity of the structures causes the noise from the city to echo from the alleyways and emerge in a mushroom cloud-like motion. I sat mesmerized at the activity I heard. After a few minutes I continued towards the fort.

I eventually made it to the top of the path and approached the ticket counter. I handed over 600 Rupees ($9 USD) and collected my ticket. I heard the sound of drums and other instruments emanating from close by. As I approached the entrance gate, I asked myself if the sounds of instruments came from the fort or from the city below. A security guard tore the stub from the ticket and welcomed me inside. The drumming grew louder and I realized it was coming from within the fort. I continued on wondering what I was getting myself into. No other fort I have visited had drums blaring continuously.

I continued up a small incline and turned a corner. A small crowd of people sat on benches in the shade wearing formal Indian attire. Up ahead, I saw what appeared to be booms for microphones and cameras. I noticed people wearing earpieces moving in earnest towards the drumming. All of a sudden the drumming stopped and a voice emerged through a microphone. Are they filming a movie in here? They’re filming a movie in here!! I need to weasel my way into that film. I continued along the outer wall of the fort strategizing how to find my way into whatever was being filmed.

The action was occurring on the upper level off to my right. I walked towards a nearby staircase and ascended. The voice booming loud through a bullhorn continued to give orders. People meandered in all directions and numerous crewmembers with earpieces noticed my presence. I approached a doorway that opened to a large courtyard and spotted large production cameras and additional boom microphones. I peeked my head through and saw what appeared to be a wedding scene. I raised my camera and snapped a few photographs. All of a sudden, someone approached and asked me politely to not photograph while they were filming. I smiled and nodded. I need to get on camera! How am I going to get on camera?

I asked one crewmember if they were casting any more extras and he shook his head. Okay, he said no. But, maybe that other crewmember over there knows something this guy doesn’t. I proceeded to several crewmembers and they all dashed my hopes. Okay, I’ll resort to Plan B: Meander through the back of the scene while they’re filming.

The following video sets the scene I found myself in; along with my mindset at the time:

Overall, I did not learn as much at Mehrangarh Fort as I have from other points of interest along the way. But, it was still an exciting experience and hopefully the start of my budding acting career!!

Oh, and I went zip lining from the fort later that afternoon!

* Photographs from Pushkar and Jodhpur are now available within the India Portfolio section found on the Perpetual Footsteps homepage.