Rajasthan or Bust (Mike and Len’s Barmer Schedule)

below is an email from Mark, fellow volunteer based in Barmer, Rajasthan. Mike and I are planning to visit him before his trip back to Canada in February. It made me smile this morning that i could not resist posting the email here. With his permission.

your dream vaction awaits you!

Rajasthan or Bust
Mike and Len’s Barmer Schedule

Arrive Saturday morning by train around 10 am, Barmer is the last stop on the run so you don’t have to worry about missing it. If for some reason the train does go on, you will end up in Pakistan . In any case you should have your passport with you.

ó Picked up by Mark and all take a tempo (auto-rickshaw) to Mark ’s house
ó Settle in and breakfast number one of oats with fresh fruit, coffee, tea or juice
ó Alternative breakfast number two is eggs with brown toast

ó Nice walk through back streets of beautiful Barmer to main market road and up to lower mandir
ó Shopping along way if needed

ó Walk down to SURE office to meet the staff
ó Chai will be served at some point
ó Then off to Brahmin Lodge for lunch

ó Walk or tempo back to Mark ’s for rest
ó Engage kids on street as necessary

ó Evening will be a walk to dosa/pizza restaurant for supper
ó And then return home for evening rest

ó Awake Sunday morning to same left over breakfast from previous day
ó Take a long walk up to the Shiv Mandir (the high one)
ó This will take about an hour to get there, some time up top and an hour back
for chai break at Kalinga Hotel

ó Then a look around at textile stores for famous Barmer prints
ó Pick up snacks long the way for return train ride

ó Return to Mark ’s house for rest
ó Pick up bags and go to train station around 6:00pm
ó Train will be at platform
ó Leave Barmer at 6:30pm Sunday
ó Arrive Delhi Cannt the next morning around 9 or 9:30am

Re the trains: 3AC and sleeper are almost the same except the sleeper class is about 300 rupees each way and the 3AC is about 800 rupees. You get sheets, pillow and blankets in 3AC but not in sleeper so bring something to keep warm with if you take this option. There is no food service on the train but sometimes you can buy from local entrepreneurs selling all sorts of fried foods and chai on the train. So bring some food and water and toilet paper for the toilets. Station stops are usually 5 minutes only except for Jaipur and Jodhpur . Jodhpur is often a couple of hours as the train switches cars, but you will not notice this as you will probably be asleep at 3 to 5 am.

Let me know which class you will be traveling on so I can try to wait in the right place for you.