The golden city

The magnificent golden city of Jaisalmer, set amidst the vastness of the great Thar desert, was the last stop on our whirlwind tour of Rajasthan. The fort and palace are perched on a hill like a giant sand castle, with its creamy sandstone walls melting into the landscape. Within the fort walls, we discovered narrow sandstone lanes more congested with four legged traffic than two legged. Cows and dogs sauntered lazily in the afternoon heat, oblivious of the tourists, souvenir shops, and particularly shop keepers. We watched the sun set on the fort, setting it ablaze in a brilliant gold before the sun dropped into the desert horizon, and the fort nestled in with the sandstone buildings of the city that today swells beyond its former walled boundary.