Bikaner Broke & Burning: A Student's Descent into Desert Chaos
okay, so i'm in bikaner, rajasthan, and i haven't slept in like two days because the fan in my ₹300/night hostel room sounds like a dying mosquito. but hey, i'm here, and it's 28.55 degrees celsius outside, which sounds fine until you realize humidity's at 26% and your throat feels like sandpaper. i just stepped out and the air hits you like a dry wall-no, not a wall, like a hairdryer on high. someone told me that "perfect beach weather" but i think they were joking because the nearest beach is, what, 500km away?
speaking of which, if you get utterly bored of camel fodder and fort selfies, jodhpur's just a bus ride east, and i heard the blues music scene there is kinda underground but legendary? or maybe that was just the chai wallah trying to sell me a ticket. i also read on a local forum that jaisalmer's desert camps are worth the trek, but the heat there is supposedly worse-like, 45 degrees worse.
i should probably show you where i am, so here's a map thingy:
now, about the food-oh man, i ate at this place called "delli chaat" because tripadvisor had it at 4 stars, but my gut's still speaking hindi. i read on zomato that the samosas are "to die for" but i think they meant it literally. check out the reviews on TripAdvisor and Zomato's list for yourself. i also found this cheap guesthouse on hostelworld that's basically a dorm with a curtain-perfect for meeting other broke travelers. Hostelworld link and for transit, RedBus is actually decent if you book in advance.
the heat is no joke, though. i keep checking my phone: 28.55, 28.55, 28.55-like the weather app is stuck. feels like 27.33? that's a lie; it feels like 35 because you're sweating in places you didn't know had sweat glands. pressure's at 1009, which i guess means no storms, just relentless sun. sea level pressure? in the desert? sure, why not. i heard from a local that the best time to visit is october, but i'm here in may because flights were cheap. also, someone warned me about the monkeys at the fort-they steal sunglasses. not joking, i saw one with a pair of ray-bans in its hand.
i walked around the old city today and saw this insane street art-bright colors on mustard yellow walls. someone spraypainted "no war" but it was peeling. i took a pic because, duh, instagram. here:
then i climbed up to the fort and the view was everything-sand, more sand, and a few trees pretending to be alive. aerial shot time:
and this one's just random but fits the vibe:
i've been eating mostly street food because, student budget, you know? i found this one dhaba near the bus stand that serves dal baati for ₹50, but i heard the guy adds extra ghee if you tip him, so now i always slip him a tenner. the chai here is strong enough to wake the dead, and i swear it's helped me stay awake for those late-night bus journeys.
anyway, i'm going to pass out now because the heat's making me hallucinate. if you come to bikaner, bring water, sunscreen, and a sense of humor. and maybe a translator because my hindi is garbage. also, check out this hidden cafe by the lake-i forgot the name but ask for "chai wala near surat singh ki haveli" and you might find it. they have free wifi and the best masala chai in town, according to a local i met at the fort.
this place is messy, hot, and full of surprises. wouldn't have it any other way.
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