Half-way Mark

The sorry state of Shekhawat Express these days -- after all 'bogies' are on board

Time drags on in the Garden every morning. But with the Rajasthan group (ref post of February 4), time flies. They are already at the half-way mark of their week-long tour (February 5 to 12) and have

Jodhpur clips-on-mobile finds an eager audience today

moved over from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, in time for the ongoing International Golden Sands Desert Festival.
From scraps of information reaching here, it is evident that the 26-member group is having a rollicking time – hectic, but enjoyable. No untoward incident has been reported in spite of all the rigors of road travel, climbing up and down ancient forts and palaces, an unsettling dietary regimen and extreme climatic conditions. Most importantly,

Fahmida Khan

they have been able to maintain their schedule and keep their spirits high for the best part so far.
Apart from the sights and sounds of the erstwhile desert kingdoms, the highlight of the tour, it would seem are the evenings when the group retires to the hotel to cool their heels and recharge for the next day.

Morning cuppa in Gupta's room at Jodhpur hotel

That is when everybody gets into his/ her elements and according to the stories/ video clips reaching here, these are no-holds-sessions, the kind kindergarten kids revel in.
For instance at Jodhpur, where the group was lodged in an ancient haveli converted to a modern hotel, the ambience provided a perfect excuse for recounting ghost stories. With master raconteurs like Siba Prasad Maitra in their midst, it was not even necessary to switch off the lights to spook the lot. The feeble-hearted like Santosh Tyagi had already got the heebie-jeebies and were on the verge of packing their bags – what with an apparition (in the guise of Fahmida Khan) suddenly floating out of the darkness with a lighted candle in hand!
The incident adequately captures the mood and madness of the group on the loose in desert land. There are surely many such side-splitting tales begging to be told... but we will have to wait for them till next Monday.
Bihari Milwani:
Wow! We have a new guide. Shekhawat, as tour guide, should explore foreign countries to keep his flag flying high.
Lt Col Angad Singh (from Mohali):
The guard is controlling the train movement by remote. Just see the distance between the engine and the train bogies!