Jaisalmer

We decided to fly rather than train it to Jaisalmer at the last minute, as we found out they had opened the airspace a month ago (it was previously closed due to border tensions with Pakistan, which is right next door). We disembarked right onto the runway in the middle of the desert, with no less than 7 military welcoming us. Turns out the airport is a functioning military base, complete with barbed wire and controlled gates. Everyone on the plane had to individually and very deliberately identify their luggage piece by piece before we could leave the airport. It was a total CNN LiveOnLocation type of experience. I have no problems with them taking safety seriously... though it was a bit unnerving when they slid a big mirror under our taxi to check for bombs at our hotel near the Taj Mahal.
The Jaisalmer fort is really cool, because a whole town of people still lives inside! (the others we've seen so far are monuments from centuries past). It's amazing to see one of these ancient places still kicking it in living color... It's very quaint and... Dare I say... Cozy inside? As cozy as India gets, anyway. The sad part is that the sandcastle is crumbling, and there are activist groups trying to get people to move out, but the people can't see past tomorrow and so refuse to go. The whole thing will be gone in 100 years or less- that's my guess, anyway, judging by the crubling walls and sketchy ceilings inside.