Tooth Extraction

In an effort to get the orthodontia ball rolling (it so much cheaper to get it done in India), H and E both had a consultation with a local orthodontist. She decided that E needed a couple years to keep growing, whereas H needed to lose some baby teeth stat. And wanting a few days for recovery without worrying about school meant getting his teeth out during Christmas break. H was not looking forward to all this. Luckily, he had a few weeks to wiggle his own teeth and he was able to lose a couple on his own--one just an hour before his appointment. 

As the dentist checked the remaining three teeth he needed to lose, she noticed one was already a little lose. H tried wiggling it himself and it came halfway loose in his hand, surprising us all. The dentist sprayed a little numbing spray on the spot and pulled it the rest of the way out. Easy peasy.

After getting two numbing shots, H asked whether that was it. Oh, no, buddy. Sorry. And the other two teeth took a little more work to get out. And this is where going to the dentist in India has its perks (or not, depending how you look at it) because I was able to sit right there and watch as they took a wrench and twisted and pulled and yanked--twice--until his teeth came out. H got lightheaded and needed to sit for a while, but he was a champ.

And as a reward, he got to keep his teeth! The tooth fairy was also very generous.

Rajasthan! Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer

Rajasthan--a state in north western India--is known for its deserts, forts, and palaces. We had already been to Jaipur, but in the week before Christmas we were ambitiously going to three new cities: Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer. 

We flew to Udaipur and checked in to our haveli with lovely rooftop views.

The next morning we ate breakfast in the courtyard and walked to the city palace.

There was quite the art gallery at the entrance.

Next we went to the nearby lake for a boat ride. We stopped at the island, but aside from gardens and a restaurant, there was not much to see. So we went back to the palace for lunch.

Then we walked to a nearby temple; we didn't go inside, but the outside was really pretty.

And then we took a short tuk tuk ride to the clock tower, which was--ta da!--just a clock tower. I was hoping we would at least be able to climb to the top, but nope.

From there, another walk across the bridge to a restaurant for dinner with amazing views of the lake and whatever concert was going on the other side.

And then it was time to move on! Our driver wasn't comfortable driving the narrow streets to our haveli, so we walked a ways down the road to meet him. And early morning India? It might be my favorite way to see it. 

Then we were on the road to Kumbhalgarh Fort, which has the second-longest wall after the Great Wall of China. We love a good fort to explore, and this was a good one.

In what was supposed to be an overnight pit stop, we went to Ranakpur to see one of the world's largest Jain temples. The hotel was really fun--again haveli-style--and each of our rooms had a theme: horse and elephant, respectively. We were supposed to see the temple in the morning before going on our way again, but our stomachs had other plans. At some point in the night I woke up ill. Shortly thereafter, E came to our room saying CJ was sick and then again later to say H was sick. E held out longer than anyone, but eventually she got succumbed, as well. Brandon was the only hold out, so to be on the safe side, we decided to stay one more night in Ranakpur and delay our drive to Jodhpur. Since we were stuck there, and there was not much Brandon could do, he went to the temple. Someone should see it!

The courtyard of our hotel

The view from my sick bed.

The Jain temple! No two columns are the same, which blows my mind when I look at these pictures. It's too bad that only Brandon was able to see it in person, but at least one of us could!

By the following evening, we were all mostly recovered and on our way (thank goodness for good roads) to Jodhpur! Since we didn't have any time to lose, our first stop was to the fort. (Also, CJ was very tired in these pictures.)

Can see why Jodhpur is called the Blue City?

Right next to the fort is Jaswant Thada, tombs of the the royal family.

It turns out that only having one day in Jodhpur was plenty! After seeing the fort and the tombs, our driver asked if we wanted to go to "the city's oldest swap meet." We shrugged and said sure. And then we bought a rug, a inlay wooden trunk, and a few other things that we didn't need but really like.

After checking into our hotel, Brandon and I went on a walk to find a book store (getting sick meant I'd already finished the one I brought and the first rule of travelling is you need to have a book to read). This was one of those experiences where would have unsettling a few years ago, but almost being clipped by a tuk tuk barely phased me.

Then we had dinner on the roof of our hotel with the kids. The call to prayer + temple cymbals + evening traffic = quite the noisy meal.  But with an amazing view.

Because of our sick day, that was the end of our time in Jodhpur, so the next morning we went on the road again for our final destination: Jaisalmer. But first, a few more pictures of beautiful Jodhpur on the roof of our hotel.

Our hotel in Jaisalmer was probably our favorite of the trip: new, but built in haveli-style, they showed us a very warm welcome with leis and a shower of flower petals. 

After eating and relaxing a while, we got back in the car to have some desert adventures. First up was camel riding. They took us out for a little while, up on a hill, and said that that was the extent of the ride unless we paid more. We rolled our eyes, we haggled, we paid. The took us up and down hills, around the dessert, until it was close to sunset. Then we stopped to take in the view. 

Our camel's name was Michael Jackson!

Following the camel ride, we went to a nearby outdoor theater and waited for our dinner-and-a-show to begin. We had quite the wait. The 'show' turned out to mostly be a very loud band playing traditional music, an exuberant man whose talent made me think he must have been hired due to nepotism, a fun traditional dance, and some really impressive tricks including picking up a razor blade, upside down, with her eyelids! And, sadly, my videos are not uploading so you will not be able to experience it.

The next morning, we went to the Jaisalmer Fort, which is an active fort where thousands of people still live inside. Which meant that touring it was a lot like wandering around any other busy--albeit very pretty--Indian street. Brandon and I went back later (to look for a bookstore since the one in Jodhpur wasn't open) and the streets were much calmer. Note to self: all the tour groups go in the morning.

After the fort, we walked to some nearby havelis. The crowds were impressive and we opted not to go inside.

Next we went to the nearby lake and rented a peddle boat for an hour. It was amazing how quiet the lake was compared to the crazy of the rest of the morning.

The last site we visited in Jaisalmer was one maybe our favorite: Bada Bagh. Partly falling down and being worked on, but so much fun to explore!

E was sick during the night--a holdover from being ill a few days before. She had been such a trooper goin everywhere with us during the trip, but since we had a few hours to kill before we needed to head to the airport, she and I stayed in bed watching nonsense on Netflix, while the others tried to find an open museum. It turns out that was easier said than done because things were still only just opening up again from Covid. They did find one open museum, but it was pretty lackluster. 

See our favorite guy there in the middle?

They eventually came back to wait at the hotel with us until E was feeling well enough to get some lunch and then go to the airport. This trip had a few bumps, but overall is was fantastic! We're were able to explore so many new places and can finally cross the rest of Rajasthan off the list.