Jaipur

If you want a full experience of India, Jaipur is the place to go. We were there for only a few hours, but left it regretfully, wishing we could see more. It is India's Republic Day (26 Jan), so we saw many preparations for  the celebration.  One very interesting one is that they close the bars - the whole place is dry for national holidays.

After a traditional Indian breakfast (we didn't lose power!), we went to the Amber Fort.  The highlight there was riding an elephant up the steep ramp and into the fort.  The Teenlet gripped me tightly the whole time, but I think he enjoyed having done it once he was back on solid ground. The hawkers at the fort were unbelievably persistent - my brother said the worst he's ever seen. One even followed us down the street on his motorbike as we were being driven away, trying to sell my brother pictures of he and dad on the elephant.

Elephants ready to take us up the hill to the Fort Gate!

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The Amber Fort was fascinating,  with lots of little passages and some cool technology. We picked up two young women from Brazil, who were traveling together throughout southeast Asia, and wanted some protection in a larger group. Their names were Juliana and Rafaela. We got to see a snake charmer and his very angry cobra. He was so cavalier about handling the snake, it surprised us. We also watched/listened to Hindi worship in the temple there, as people prayed, genuflected, and went forward for a blessing from the guru. 

Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Since our train to Udaipur was to leave at 2pm, we drove through the Pink City and through the gates of the Pink Palace, but we did not get to explore. That area is definitely more set up for tourists than most places we've been in India - you could wander the street without being run over by a car, bus, or rickshaw, and with a more designated shopping area than what we've seen.

Today is our first experience on India's famous trains. I am so glad we had Kamaal, our driver for the past four days, there to guide us. We are on a "short" trip - only 7.5 hours - so we are sitting in the chair seats with the other passengers who did not want to pay for first class or an air conditioned car. It is packed and rather uncomfortable, but this is India, with beggars going up and down the aisles, entertainers who want tips, and food vendors.

Kamaal works for a touring company that is licensed by the government.  He makes 4000 rupees a month, plus tips and commissions. To put that in perspective,  that is about $63, or just over $800 a year. There is definitely a sense of community in the tourism industry - the drivers take you to places that have promised them a commission (3 to 5 percent of sales). To us, that may seem manipulative, but it is part of the culture of poverty to help each other up, so we didn't mind.

Here in Udaipur, it is much quieter. We got in to the train station  late, hopped in an auto rickshaw,  and made it to our hotel with hardly hearing a car horn. Our hotel is in a lovely location, too - up a steep, cobbled alleyway the is bordered by shops and gardens. The hotel itself is adequate (the Teenlet is not impressed with the non-flushing toilet in our room, and less so with the hole in the floor that Uncle John and Grandpa have), but when we went up to the rooftop restaurant, we were in awe to see the City Palace looming just above us, the castle wall our nearest neighbor. It is nice to be away from commotion for a little bit.

City Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
from our hotel's rooftop restaurant