Jaipur

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We brave the five and a half hour journey from Agra on a cramped and crowded public bus for a mere Ru100 each. The deluxe (coach) bus was proving difficult to book and we wanted to do things Indian style. However, when we limped off at Jaipur bus station aching from head to foot the fresh air seemed like freedom after a lifetime’s internment. Ness mercifully slept (god knows how) for most of the journey.

We stay at a hotel a little over our budget but the free bus station pickup saves us money and hassle with a rickshaw. If we eat cheap and only stay for the planned two nights, we can justify Ru550 a night. Budget accommodation is harder to find here. In our two days we spend most of our time wondering Jaipur’s old quarter with its narrow lanes and bazaars, trying to engage with local people and find the real India in this mostly modern city.


Journal excerpts:

Tom: "..Our first impression of Jaipur is the shocking contrast between India’s rich and poor. On our way in to town we spot a McDonalds amidst a gleaming shopping mall. Guards with assault rifles hold back the flood of poverty as well dressed and well fed citizens shop for widescreen TV’s and the latest cosmopolitan fashions. On the other side of the road the usual hawkers and beggars stare with envious eyes amidst familiar shacks and rubbish heaps..."

Tom: "..The Pearl Palace Hotel is a beautiful place bedecked with pot plants, statues and Indian art. The Thali in the rooftop restaurant is quite simply the best thing I have ever eaten! Strangely we feel out of place here, it is too posh for our travel worn and disheveled selves, but a hot shower and a bug free bed add years to my life!.."

Tom: "..I stumble in to a back street shop where a man is dexterously tuning a tabla. Fascinated by his skill I ask him to play for me. I am blown away! Seeing my keen interest he then hands the drums to me and I play them (badly) much to his amusement. It seems my bastardisation of African djambe and western rhythms on this delicate Indian instrument is something he has never heard before. He attempts to join in a few times but instead offers me chai. Sitting crossed legs in his little back room I am moved by his hospitality. He wants nothing from me and there is nothing I have to offer. After a while not wanting to intrude further I take my leave with a deep bow and a glad heart..."

Tom: "..We take a rickshaw 15kms north to Amber Fort crowning a mountainous hill. Not being able to afford the elephant ride to the top we decide to take the hundreds of steps that wind up the steep slope from the road. As we explore this huge ruin my mind conjures up an echo from the past of crowded bazaars, musicians and the Raja's noble courtesans filling the now empty lanes and courtyards. Each hilltop within sight from the lofty bastions also have smaller forts and outposts all connected by walls and crenelations that span kilometers. The small village nestled in the valley carries on life as usual almost oblivious to the grandeur of its surroundings..."

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trevel
Frequent traveling increases our knowledge.