Bangkok

I've been on my own in Bangkok for a week now as Phoebehas gone home for a month, but to be honest it's been pretty sweet. I treated myself to a posh hotel on Khaosan Road and have just spent most days chilling by the pool. So haven't really seen much of the city but my friend Paula gets out tomorrow and I cannot wait! Plan is to spend a couple more nights in Bangkok and then head down south to the islands!

Camel Riding in Pushkar

On our second to last day in Pushkar we did a camel ride in the desert- it was so much fun! The day started off a little off as the excursion guy picked us up on his motorbike, rode with the two of us on the back into town where we met out camels. We then rode them through the streets, dodging cars and cows (there are hundreds all over India's streets), and finally made it into the desert. We had a really cool guide take us, he speaks fluent English, French and Spanish but is completely illiterate. He never went to school but is teaching himself to read and write at home in the evenings. He learnt to speak English, French and Spanish solely from speaking to tourists which is just incredible. The other guide was a 14 year old boy who may have got a little drunk on the beer we gave him- not our best idea considering he was steering the camel home. We made it back though and watched the sunset in the desert on the way - utterly beautiful.

Pushkar

One of my favourite places we visited during our time in India was the Holy town of Pushkar. This may have been because of the serious amount of shopping I did- honestly they have THE best silver shops- but also because of the chilled out vibe and friendliness of everyone we met. One of these particular friendly people happens to be our good jeweller Vikras. He is a God with silver. Made me the most beautiful silver double ring with a small chain and turquoise stone, right there and then (picture to come soon). If anyone visits Pushkar I would really recommend staying at Chacha's Garden Guesthouse. There are only a few rooms but they are super cheap and clean and the place is run by an English lady and her Indian husband. Oh and they have two adorable babies, and two even cuter tortoises. 

A little more from Jodphur

A few more photos from Jodphur including Phoebe's beautiful ali babas (that remind me of that willow tree pattern), and two adorable kids that took a liking to us. Oh and if you are ever in Jodphur, a cool place to eat is Rocktails, the food's amazing and the waiters look like they're in military uniform. What more do you need?!

The Blue City

Our first stop in Rajasthan was Jodphur, also known as the Blue City. We had such a laugh here. Had so many amazing conversations with the locals and shop keepers and its beautiful to look out on the city and see a sea of blue. We visited the Mehrangarh Fort giving us incredible views over looking the entire place. One of my favourite photos is of the Indian ladies walking down the fort. The vivid colour of their clothes is beautiful to look at when merged together. Oh and I bought some pretty sweet turquoise ali babas with an elephant print all over. Teamed with a glowing orange top, nothing is too bright for India.

Hampi Continued...

Below are a few more photos from Hampi, some I took after the first post and some by Phoebe.

Hampi

Hampi is again completely different to anywhere else we've been in India. It's so peaceful and picturesque. You can wander around for hours and only see a couple of people in that time. Phoebe and I rented push bikes and cycled around Hampi's ancient ruins. We trekked up to Monkey Temple and saw a view of the entire city. This was probably my favourite day yet. We had so much fun just having the freedom to explore wherever we liked. We also stopped and chatted to a few young children that are always so fascinated to see western people. I would definitely love to come back to Hampi and would recommend it to anyone coming out this way.