Sunday, March 29, 2009

King of the Sand Castle

Apparently, according to the Lonely Planet, I am ethically dead. I am a monster of epic proportions. Jaisalmer Fort is reportedly collaspsing due to the combination of too many tourists coming to stay within the fort along with the liberal use of water and careless wastage of the 4,000 citizens within the fort. It has strained the antequated pipes to the brink and in some areas the fort has fallen down. This event happened about four years back and now, what will happen next is unknown. For this reason Lonely Planet has taken the high ground to not list any hotels within the fort and pronounce that it is for this reason that travelers should ethically make the right desicion. Well, the attraction was too much for me. The hostel I am staying in is beautiful and according to many locals within the fort, all of the hubub and the real danger depends on who you ask. As a two pronged justification, I know how to conserve water from living in Sydney and I am pretty sure that LP does not have this disclaimer when they compiled the guide for the entire continient of Australia, which is a much more dire situation.
With that said the defense rests. Staying within the fort is magical since it is a maze of cobbled, golden honey small lane ways. The buildings and temples are of the same material and color so you are constantly believing that you are King Midas. I have found a perfect spot, at a store about 200 meters from the main gate, where I sit with five other Indian shop keepers and emulate the first scence of King of the hill- minus the beer drinking. The background is a little more grandiose, but the outcome, time slipping by, people leaving coming back, pedestrians, cows, moto bikes, all whiz by while time moves on. More or less these are my days with the people and location changing.

1 comment:

mom said...

Dear King of the Word,
Loving all the posts and you. Mom