Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes

The hotel’s website said Chittorgarh Fort was only an hour away. As the crow flies. But no crows were on duty in Rajasthan that day, and Google denied there were any roads at all between ancient forts at Kumbhalgarh and Chittorgarh. Our driver was dubious but we headed out anyway. Over five hours later, we arrived.

Okay, we did stop to take pictures of a brick making factory and its kilns, because it was incredible to watch an artisan process that really hasn’t changed in centuries. Brick-making observation was thirsty work, so we stopped for chai. Because…chai! (image credit: all photos unless otherwise noted are ©Jayalakshmy Ayyer & Janine Smith)

Then we stopped for lunch in the upstairs dining room where the ‘stairs’ were actually a ladder leaning against the outside of the building. Risk life and limb for parathas? SO worth it!

The delays allowed Jaya to tell us…