Bishnoi village's

Fri 9th - Jodphur

Got up ut 6.00am and had a big pot of coffee before we left in a jeep. First stop on the way was to see gazelz's , then went on to a very small village for an opium ceremony but first we chatted to a woman and her daughter who were laying a new cow dung floor for Devalli and looked round her enclosure at all the lentils and mung beans that they had recently harvested. 

Next onto the opium ceremony, didn't do a lot for me but Anna thought she felt a bit odd afterwards.

Then onto a muslim pot maker who gave us a demonstration and then got us both to have a go at making our own pots. I must say that Rosanna's effort was somewhat better than mine. 
After the potter we went on to Shambuo's (our driver) house for lunch prepared by his mother. Her he told us all about the cooperative which his father set up for all the villages around. They used to weave carpets for the Maharaja but after this title was lost they found themselves without work. The cooperative was set up mainly as a barttering system between these villagers and others so that they cound exchange goods and food. They also sell the carpets to tourists, the weaver gets 95% of the sale price and the cooperative gets the other 5%. At the back of their house they has set upabout 5 rooms for 'home stay' but at rs 1900 per night this seemed a bit expensive to us, you get to stay in a mud hut and eat dinner with the family.

Sleeper train to Jailsalmer, 5/6hrs met a boy before we got on the train and arranged for his brother to pick us up from the station when we got there, was glad we did this as it was chaos and full of hotel touts when we got off at Jailsalmer.

little did we know what hell this hotel would bring us ........