Amber Fort and Jaigarh Fort

---

Blogger Dougo

Having driven from Agra to Jaipur yesterday afternoon, we checked into our hotel which was actually an old palace some time in the distant past. Recently converted into a hotel, it was a strange mix of old India and modern dodgey furniture. It was one of those place that could be really, really good, but falls down in the decoration and service department. Bec still loved the decor, especially the antique bed heads. She didn't think it took much imagination to transport yourself back in time, so she was a happy camper!

Anyway, we had our breakfast and drove into what is known as the Pink City, an area of Jaipur in which all the buildings are painted various shades of pink and red. Making our way past the tourist market stalls that surrounded the Pink City Palace, we headed up to the Amber Fort (pronouced Am-er). Totally painted in a beige paint derived from the surrounding rock, the fort was enormous. It was pretty much the Indian equivalent of the Great Wall. It ran all along the ridge of the surrounding hilltops and at one stage, would have been fortified with canons to ward off the invading armies. If you arrive in the morning before 11ish, you can catch an elephant ride up to the fort entrance. We didn't want a bar of that so trekked up to the top instead, past a billion kids trying to sell you everything from hats to elephant key rings. Ah, yes the tourist trap has been triggered.

We actually missed the entrance to the fort on our first attempt, walking to the top of the ridge and coming across a troop of crazy Lancur Monkeys. There was some blokes trying to prepare for a buffet of some description and the monkeys had all sorts of fun trying to distract them whilst some of their kin flogged the fruit and vegetables. It was fascinating to see how similar they behave to humans. Their body language and how they sit is just so comparable to us.

When we found the entrance to the fort it was packed and the line was massive so we decided to make our way up to the fort at the top of the ridge, back past the monkeys. Jaigarh Fort was once a major weapons factory and there are relics everywhere to that effect. Walking amongst its passages and halls, the most bizarre thing was its interior old English garden surrounded by tall walls and turrets and including a perfect lawn.

That afternoon we went on what could only be described as a shopping spree.

---

Photos

Amber Fort
In the dusty bowl behind us, no less than three games of cricket were under way.

Sitting with all his friends.
The Langur monkeys roam in troops all over the Amber Fort.

Restorations
The fort is under a constant process of restoration. They first use white wash and then coat the wall in the tan coloured paint.

Jaigarh
In the hills above the Amber Fort, stands the sprawling Indian equivalent of China's Great Wall, the Jaigarh Fort.