Blogs from Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, Asia
May 24th 2012
Jaipur was such a cool destination. We stayed at an amazing hotel after learning our lesson in Agra about hostels in India. The room cost us only $13 each a night and it was worth every penny! Anuraag Villa is a cozy little hotel away from the crazy, noisy streets of Jaipur. They were very organized, clean, and helpful. The beautiful garden made this place a great escape from the crazy, sometimes overwhelming, Jaipur. If we thought traffic was bad in New Delhi we were proven that it could be worse. We have decided that ear plugs while riding around town is a must. The horns here seem to be 150% louder than any other horn I've ever experienced, and they love to lay down on the horns here. It's constant, this honking of the horn. ... read more
April 29th 2012
After traveling the whole night from Nainital to Agra and visiting the splendid Taj Mahal, we hurried to find means of transportation to our next stop, Jaipur, where we would catch up on sleep and explore one of the most famous cities in touristy Rajasthan. ... read more
March 27th 2012
Note above location incorrect again. We were in Amber and Jaipur City. Tuesday 27 March 2012. We were met outside the main hotel (palace) entrance at 8.00 am by our guide Raj. Our first stop was our hotel! Apparently it is quite a landmark in the city and Raj spent a few minutes telling us about the history of the place. It was owned by a noble familiy who were a notch down from the Maharaja. The families of nobles helped the Maharaja maintain order in his kingdom and were very wealthy in their own right. Next we drove through the "Pink City" stopping at Howa Mahal or the Palace of Winds where we stopped to take some photos but didn't go inside. This building was built to allow the women inside to watch the processions ... read more
March 20th 2012
07.00 Hours Sunday 18 March 2012. Well no lessons learned here I am up early to go to see the Hawa Mahal (The Palace of the winds) and the City Palace before the throngs of tourists arrive I start to walk to town, but take a rick as it is really getting warm already. I take a few picture of the Hawa Mahal , but do not g round the back to go up to see the street from above. The Hawa Mahal is just a façade and has no structure round the back. it was used for the ladies of the day to see the street life without breaking purdah. I move on to the city palace and take some nice photos before it gets busy. It’s quiet on the street as it is Sunday ... read more
March 20th 2012
04.30 Hours Monday 19 March 2012 The first bus I gather is going To Delhi. And the next one I think I hear it before I see it. It looks like it has been used as a decoy in the green zone in Baghdad for the last 10 years. I listen (remember it’s pitch black and the middle of the night) intently and think I hear Agra shouted. Bharatpur is on the way to Agra and any Agra bus must go near Bharatpur. I turn into an Indian and say everything twice Bharatpur Bharatpur I call. A man does that funny nodding that Indians do and I am in. 04.45 And on a bus to Bharatpur after the morning so far things are on the up. Have a look at the pictures of the bus. It ... read more
March 17th 2012
14.00 hours Friday 15 March Ok so the upgrade was a fat mattress. Any upgrade is good. The rooms ok and I sleep as the area is out of town and a bit quiet for India. Manoj the owner of the Snehdeep has given me some really good walking tour maps of the old city and I decide to give it ago. I decide to find my bearing and head out. The Snehdeep is not central by any means but I do try to stay away from the main tourist areas which will mean walking or bus and at the last resort rick it. I go up to the main road back into Jaipur and walk to the edge of The Pink City. I turn into one of the main bazaars From there it’s follow the ... read more
March 17th 2012
07.00 Hours Saturday 17 March I don’t know why I jump out of bed at 7 in the morning as it’s a waste of time because India sleeps till 8 or 9. Maybe now I know I go into the bathroom and after brushing my teeth then there he is. A cockroach. Not a baby either. I am surprised it’s taken this long to see one, But more surprised as where I am staying is a family home. It’s not dirty and I don’t think that they are associated with dirt anyway. So a Mexican standoff ensues, but there is only going be one winner. He makes the first the move, I jump and shout like a girl. He knows he got the upper hand. He stops. He reminds me in my endless seconds of panic ... read more
March 12th 2012
Fortunately, after last night’s celebrations, we were able to have a lie-in but, by eleven o’clock, Pintu was already well on his way to wearing another smart costume and was having a new turban tied. Today, he wore a cream-coloured tunic coat over a white shirt, with matching trousers and some new brown, boot-style shoes. His turban was mainly in shades of blue with a red, white and green tail, decorated again with one of the family’s jewels. We drove first for about 15 minutes to Rajshree’s family home in another part of the city. Hot, sweetened milk was enjoyed in the lounge by members of the bride’s family and a few invited guests of the bridegroom, of which I was very privileged to be one. A short ceremony of welcome took place in the street ... read more
March 11th 2012
March11 Hey everybody! We’ve been abit naughty & haven’t written for awhile so there’s quite abit to catch up on! As Jonny mentioned, we made some friends in Mumbai (its amazing how well people bond over upset tummies!) & although we knew they would be in Jaipur for Holi is was a nice surprise to see them walk past at the Elephant Festival. So the Holi Festival adventure began with Ellie & Thomas, I would like to mention if I hadn’t put my arm around the tuk tuk driver, I would have fallen off into the road & possibly the excrement of one of the following, cow, dog, pig, goat, monkey, human, camel or horse. And secondly, I don’t think I need to point this out but the male member of the group to wear the ... read more
March 11th 2012
I was showered, dressed and ready to leave the Maharani Bagh before 7.45a.m., the time Khuman and I had agreed the night before for our departure to Jaipur. He was to be one of my travelling companions for the long, long journey. We had to be there no later than 5.00pm to prepare for the marriage procession and formal ceremony at 6.17p.m.. Depending on traffic, the journey could take anything from six to nine hours. However, as I may have mentioned before, Khuman doesn’t do mornings. We set off an hour and a quarter later! The observant among you may have noticed that, so far, there's only been talk of a bridegroom and the happenings in Sadri. That's because Pintu and his family celebrated the up-coming marriage independently of the bride who, in this case, lived ... read more
