Hello Bikaner

Three and a half hours on a bus from Mandawa to Bikaner....

Now I'm here, and I'm filthy and sweaty - which is normal for this trip so far. In the (cold) shower this morning the tap came off in my hand! But at least I had water, which I wasn't sure was going to happen - seriously. And given the amount of road dirt caking my body, I really truly needed it!

This is the real Rajasthan though; we've left behind the rains of Mandawa and entered the desert now. There are sand dunes and acacia trees and more camel carts than you can poke a stick at - people use them for heavy freight transport because they're stronger than horses and they survive the 48 degree heat in summer much better. Which is a blessing for the horses, I suppose.

Today I am off to the famous Rat Temple, the very thought of which makes me shudder in anticipatory revulsion and excitement. India truly is "sensational" in the very best meaning of the word!