JODPHUR: How HOT is it?

It's so hot here when you take a shower you need to remember to turn on the COLD spigot when you want warm water, and NEVER turn on the hot water.  That combination gets you a very comfortable shower temp.  That's how hot is here on the edge of the Thar Desert.  Jodphur is a major city in our state of Rajasthan, and although I came here for work and didn't have much time to explore, S and I thought we could accurately describe this city as Jaipur's smaller, less affluent cousin. It's known as the blue city, because many of the buildings in the old city are painted blue (see photos on FLICKR), first because it was a way to identify where the Brahman caste lived, then later everyone got in the act because they noticed the blue tint in the white wash, created with a lime paste, acted as a deterrent to insects. I wonder if there wasn't some "pink envy" as well, because Jaipur gets some major press for its Pink City, but it's ok.  They have a special kind of Lassi here, the Makhanya Lassi, which I picture here in the making, which S said  tasted like a thick eggnog/liquid custard.  I'll stick by my Jaipur lassi, thanks anyway.

Preparing Jodphur style Lassi

Entrance to "our" pool

How we were greeted [guava juice, my fav!]

Makhanya Lass

Sign at Namkeem (sweets) shop in Jodphur

Now added to my things I'd like in our next house!

There is an amazing fort here, the Mehrangarh Fort to be specific, that kept me busy with my camera. [See clicks at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjEYYe3Q ]  In 1459 Rao Jodha laid the foundation of what was to become of the mightiest forts of all time: Mehrangarh, Citadel of the Sun.   He was the head of the Marwar people, and they ruled here from this high walled fort, and the maharajas continued to reside there until the 1920s, when they moved to an even more opulent setting.
Besides the fort the highlight of the trip was our outstanding hotel, the Ratan Vilas [http://www.ratanvilas.com]  They have a pool with a gorgeous green surround that we used both morning and evening.  It was exactly what I wanted from a resort, although I was actually here to work.
Getting my work set up here was challenging, very challenging, but when we finally got a venue and got started, the students they had secured were ready to learn. I've been doing training or workshops for 5 weeks straight and I'm happy to say today we're headed back to Jaipur, where a full week of training with my secondary teachers was canceled for lack of organization (not on my part, believe me!).  I am relieved to have a couple of weeks to regroup before I do another round of workshops in New Delhi.