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Published: September 1st 2008
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For Alice
Always matching.... such a dork The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship..... Ralph Waldo Emerson
First, apologies to all that did not know I was leaving or what I was going through. When someone and/or something shakes you to the core, it is all you can do to get through the day. To relive it over and over was/is still to painful. I am on the road to recovery and will willingly take all those hugs that you have been sending me upon my return. I want to thank all of you for the kind words of encouragement and support you have been sending me. It has brought tears of joy and reinforced my belief that you all have been brought into my life for a reason. Keep the emails, comments and Skyping coming.
How lucky I am to have you. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!
OK....enough of the heavy stuff....
Sorry I have been slack in writing,
but I promise to try and be better in keeping you posted.
As most of you are preparing to end your summer with a Labor Day Weekend trip to the beach, I caught an early morning flight from Udaipur to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. It is 4 million people small. Much hotter and busier than Udaipur. Called the Pink City because of all the building in the old city are painted pink (actually a light terra cotta color) it is also called the gem city. Jewelry and textiles the largest industry here everyone wants you to contribute. My first observation from the airport was a) not as many animal in the street and b) they use bike helmets. Safety is a concern, only for the driver. Now that doesn’t mean they don’t have up to 4 passengers without, but it is a step up. My driver from the airport claimed that the oldest man in the world was from Jaipur had just recently died at 137 years 3 months. Being Muslim, his greatest wish was to travel to Mecca. A local businessman sponsored his trip at 133 years old. He promised he wasn’t pulling my leg, but remember,
I am blonde. That may be one for google.
Hiring a driver and a guide for the day was a smart move on my part. Total coast was about $30US and it allowed me to see parts of the city that I wouldn’t otherwise. First stop was the Palace of Winds (Hawa Mahal), Jaipur most distinctive 5 story sandstone honeycombed landmark, was built in 1799 by the Maharaja for his wives to be able to watch processions of the city. City Palace was next, home of the current Maharaja. The public is not allow in the private quarters, but it was interesting to take a look around and walk through the museum that houses costumes for former Maharaja & Maharani .... beautiful shawls, intricate saris, bowling outfits and cricket outfits. Last attraction of the day was Amber Palace/Fort. Set high (Amber means high) in the hills above Jaipur, built in the 17th century, is was the home of the Maharaja and his maharanis. Individual apartments for each of his 12 wives had hidden entrances for nocturnal visits from the king. No communication was allowed between them. The late afternoon was spent looking at old textiles, shopping the gem markets.
Snake Charmers
They wanted me to pet them.... No fangs....No way Let me tell you....there is some bling in this city. Everything seems so over the top that it doesn’t translate to everyday. life In the end, nothing was purchased, but I did enjoy looking.
As my two days in Jaipur comes to an end, the hotels have wrapped me in kindness.... Offering cool towels, calling me by name and allowing me to rest. I better enjoy .... that won’t happen at the meditation retreat. 10 days and counting. I am starting to wonder... what I was thinking.
I have been told by more than one driver that there are three things that you need to drive in India.... Good brakes, Good Horn and Good Luck. This is so true. There are no rules. The buses from the country are packed to the brim and for a reduced fare you are able to see the world on top. I am not kidding.....not only is it jammed inside, but the top of the buses are full as well. The beauty is, all the buses, trucks, rickshaws, and lorries are painted bright colors, adorned with tassels, and painted with Hindu Gods. With horns blaring, bikes weaving, and people begging at every
Amber Fort & Palace
Restoration is ongoing. intersection it makes for a chaotic ride, no matter how short or long. Needless to say, I am not taking a bus anytime soon.
With that said...there is no easy way to get from Jaipur to Agra (the Taj Mahal). I hired a driver for the 4 hour drive (which turned into 6). Every small village market and dotting the farms of the country side were with women in saris all of all colors, children were returning from school in uniforms and camels carrying large loads of sandstone. The cows, dogs, water buffalo and camels shared the highway with cars, motorcycles, bikes and people on foot. I am not one to get car sick ... I can read, work on the computer or sleep in a car. This trip did me in. Not that I had a bad driver, lets just say, I was happy to get to Agra.
We did make one stop about 30 miles outside of Agra at Fatehpur Sikri, the short lived capital of the Mughal empire during the reign of Emperor Akbar between 1571 and 1585. Cars are not allowed to drive to the top, so we hired an english speaking guide at the bottom for about 250 rupee (6US). From here I took my first ride in a tuc-tuc. (motorbike with a covered compartment in the back). The hour long tour took me through intricate pavilions, palaces, & courtyards, combining symbols from every religion in through carvings on the pillars, ceilings and reliefs.
My tour ended at Jama Masjid, also known as Dargah Mosque. It combines Persian and Indian design elements. The mosque is made entirely of white marble. It is said that childless women visit this tomb today to tie blessed (you get three) threads to carved marble lattice screens. Can you guess my three wishes???
A true gem just outside of Agra combining art, history, symbolism and spirituality.....It was one of the highlights of my trip, thus far.
It is said that one third of the worlds poverty is in India. This ride gave me a glimpse of the way that people live and how delicate day to day life is. We live in such excess in the US and yet the people in India, with so much less, are so happy. This place is magical.
Much love .... Jess
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Theresa
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Your trip
I love reading about your trip, it makes me feel like I am there too! Stay safe and enjoy..... Theresa