The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
February 6 - The Golden Fort
The Golden Fort truly dominates the landscape in Jaisalmer. Since it is a "must see" for every tourist who visits the area, there is the usual gang of hustlers at the entrance and tons of shops tucked into the warren of narrow alleys. A single cow can shut down the whole street. We found what apparently was a favorite cow hangout back in the middle of the fort somewhere.
The cow parking lot slowed Margene down long enough to succomb to a clever sales pitch and once again she set about creating piles of rejected fabric offerings. By now she is getting good at bargaining, however, and came away with what seem like some of the best deals of the trip. I passed the time talking with a neighboring shopkeeper about life, wives, shopping and the state of the world. While India is definitely a cultural challenge, the fact that most of the people speak at least passable English does make communication a little easier. In China ... forget it!
© 2009 Restaurant Doctor
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