Beyond Mouvember

Each year in Jaisalmer a competition is held to determine the owner of the longest mustache. You'll need more than the month of November to win this one.

Here, a regular contender and winner shows off his hirsute pride and joy.

Photograph: Nadine Rubin

Bhang Bhang Club

Bhang (pronounced Buh-ng) is a derivative of marijuana. Is it legal in India? Nay. However, that didn't stop the owners of the Bhang Shop in Jaisalmer, India from declaring that they are "government authorized."

Photograph: Nadine Rubin

That Sinking Feeling

Imagine you are a tourist wanting to visit the Jaisalmer Fort, built in 1156 by the Bhati Rajput ruler Jaisal. This is Rajasthan's only "live-in" fort and about a quarter of the city's population still reside within the tall yellow sandstone walls. So you're paging through Lonely Planet India and...whoa!...what's this? The authors of the good book have taken a decision to not review any accommodation inside the fort itself. Instead, they ask that you, dear tourist, be eco-conscious and stay outside the fort to avoid putting additional pressure on the fort's archaic sewage system (it has been reported that three of the 99 bastions have already crumbled because of water seeping into the foundations). Residents inside the fort are allocated one hour a day within which to fill their tanks with water that needs to last them for showers, cooking and drinking. So, yes, taking two showers a day at your boutique Haveli-turned-hotel is a tad unconscious.


If you look closely at the wall in the below photograph you can see the rising water levels that are causing the fort to literally sink into the desert sand.




Photograph: Nadine Rubin