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Last Day in Jaisalmer
Up early to check out at the silly time of 9am but luckily ran into the hotel owner who was kind enough to tell me I could just keep my room for the afternoon until I leave! Was quite a relief as I felt like I had explored everything Jaisalmer had to offer and I only had a small list of errands to do before I had to leave for the station later that afternoon. So o relaxed in my room and watched 'Precious' on my laptop, a must see but heart breaking, and probably not the most appropriate film to watch but was the only one I hadn't seen on my laptop. After I headed out in search of a postoffice to send the postcards I had written the day before which was a very sweaty 20 minute walk away(it was very hot!) but later found out there was one round the corner from the hotel but they aren't very noticeable, more like derelict buildings and the one I went to allowed wild birds to come and go as freely as they wished. After I went to find a currency exchange place to change some of my dollars to rupees which was easy to find as pretty much anyone will change money for you at a good rate and then I went to that 'Trio' restaurant for some lunch. I ordered a 'desert salad' which was nice but it would take me ages to describe what was in it because almost nothing was recognisable apart from cabbage (I think), this was washed down with 2 litres of mineral water, did I mention it was hot?!
By this time it was basically time to head back to the hotel and sneak in a quick shower because I felt gross from the heat and changed and hopped into the jeep to the train station. The train was already sitting there because Jaisalmer is it's starting point (it's the Jaisalmer Delhi Express) but I had plenty of time to stock up on water and snacks for the journey at a stand on the platform. I then boarded my train and found my cabin where my roommate was already sitting. I asked him if he was sleeping in here tonight, he grunted and then asked whether he preferred the top or the bottom bunk to which he hardly looked at me but just said "you, there" and pointed at the bottom bunk. I sat on my bed next to the window at the opposite end of where he was and then suddenly my cabin which could barely fit 2 in was bombarded with guys from the Indian army who were one by one being introduced to my roommate who I guessed by this point must be quite high ranking and well known in the army like some sort of celeb. Different people were bringing him tea and magazines and I was completely ignored but when my grumpy old roommate left the cabin momentarily some guys in uniform began to snoop around the cabin so I asked "Is there a problem?, what's going on?" but he just said "where you from?", I said Scotland and he just left. I then heard them all talking about me in Hindi in the cabin next door (well I only heard the word Scotland repeated several times) and my grumpy roommate returned and plonked himself on my bed.
It wasn't until a long 2 hours in silence with him sitting on my bed making an irritating tapping noise with his foot on the floor and me staring out of the window, he got up and with great effort climbed up to his bed. At last I could stretch out, out my feet up and relax on my bed.
Later on I got another one of those meal trays with a curry, rice and chapatis and ate it on my lap in bed, there was a little table beside me but I thought as long as I lay on my bed he wouldn't try come down and sit on the end. After my little meal I began to read a little but promptly had to put in my earphones as he started rustling about with a bag of crisps and belching loudly after every mouthful, so rude and unnecessary I swear he was trying to piss me off! But I put a film on my laptop and watched it till my battery died and I had to try and sleep. Luckily for me he didn't snore, it was a miracle so I got to sleep nice and easy at 10pm. There's something quite nice and comforting too about the sound of the train and the motion, unlike on a ferry and I'm glad I have found it really easy to sleep on the trains!
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