Begining of Rajasthan

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We are now in Jaipur in Rajasthan at the start of our twelve day tour with our own driver and car! Before we left Delhi we had an amazing meal with the Drakes at Claridges hotel but I felt a little out of place with my baggy trousers and back-pack on, and the door man looked blankly at us when we asked for a taxi to return us to our less glamourous side of town!

After leaving delhi we came to Agra to see the red fort and the Taj Mahal which was amazing. The sheer enormity of the palace is outstanding and every stone is carved with followers and inlaid with semi-precious stones. We ended up hiring a guide to take us to a short cut as the queue was about 2 hours long. This shortcut took us through houses over ditches and up satairs and we were getting a little suspicious! But we did get in alot quicker so the 200 rupees was well worth it!
Driving through Rajasthan has been a real eye opener - an insight into the real india (without being corny) The mustard fields dotted with bright coloured saris, the roads littered with cows, camels and dogs! The buildings people live in look derelict although there is an incredible amount of advertising painted onto the sides of them, even in remote areas.
Today we took an elephant ride up to a fort, and I dont know whether it was our big fat bums but the elephant got halfway u[p and tried to sit down (Im not sure I blame him really..) So Fran and I had to hang on for dear life! Apart from strange men asking to marry us and pepole asking to have their photo taken with us (very odd!) our journey has felt quite safe with our driver looking out for us. (Mental note : dont get used to being answered "yes maam")!

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