dec 24, 8:42 p.m. - Jaisalamer

O.M.G. What a difference a few hours makes! After my last post we got some awesome news...our train ride, the 20-hour one, the one where we were supposed to have our own bed and our own blankets and pillows, yeah that train got canceled. Oh and, just to top it off, our tickets were now worthless. This is where it starts to get good.

We jump in to cabs to catch a train, which we don't have tickets for, two hours before it's supposed to take off. We are packed four into a cab and the bikes, people, tuk tuks, motorcycles and cars were now joined on the street by cows. Needless to say, it was an experience. The locals must have seen the terror in our eyes, as most of them laughed at us. An interesting note, the girls/women who ride on the back of motorcycles ride sidesaddle, in dresses. Sucks to be them!

Ok, so we get to the train station and wait around for about 40 minutes while our tour guide, NP, is allegedly getting us tickets. Instead, he comes back to tell us "Get your backpacks on and get ready for a fight." He tells us that he has 4 seats which is great, except there are 16 of us! We get broken into two groups and, luckily, I was with the group who was watching the luggage, so we had access to our jackets because this train ride did not include blankets, but it did include broken windows in the middle of the desert through the night. We had a bed until 2 a.m. and then we were forced to share "beds". Oh, and that bed, it consisted of me laying on the floor on top of people's luggage. I was sure I would get thrown off the train for not having a ticket, we were like a family of gypsies! All we kept saying was, at least we're not in Delhi. Someone described Delhi as "a mindnumbing assault on the senses" and I couldn't have thought of anything better. It was so overwhelming. So, basically, it was in the top (or bottom depending how you look at it) five worst nights of my entire life.

An interesting train observation - Indians do not try to be discreet about their bodily functions. They let them out loud and proud. Oh, and used my first squatter, not so bad, except it was located where the train cars connected so balance is key. Balance, of which I have none!

Then the sun came up. My feet thawed and I looked outside. It was amazing. We were in the Thar Desert and passed small villages and army bases and farmers, it was all beautiful and the air was superbly clean. I saw wild camles, llamas, gizelles, goats. All while hanging off the side of an Indian train. It was everything I wanted the trip to be.

Finally, after 20 hours of no sleep, no food and freezing toes, we arrived at Jaisalamer. It was all worth it. The cituy is this amazing fort carved out of yellow sandstone. Every building is intricate and you hardly even notice the cows (and cow poop) roaming the streets untouched (cows are considered holy in India...no beef! no leather.) We are staying in a mansion converted into a hotel and the room is to die for, it's bigger than my entire apt in San Fran! Beautiful tapestries covering the room from floor to ceiling. I went went three other girls to have chai at a restaurant on top of a building of a view that would make any penthouse owner jealous. We had another tasty dinner and got some great comments walking around with a group of girls - "I will share your bed with you," "you look like Spice Girls!" and "You buy me beer, I am very nice" the last one was accentuated with a finger point to the arm. I love when random people touch me!

So, it's Christmas Eve and I am in this beatiful mansion headed to bed to prepare for my camel safari and camping in the desert. Pretty sure this is one of the best Christmases of my life!

Oh, and mom, your airplane pillow didn't make it. A mysterious goop got on it when I used it on the train. I owe ya!

Hope you all have a great one. Take care.

-amy