India - Jaipur

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DAY 19 27th January 2011
It was always going to happen.......however careful you were it was going to going to get us! – well me anyway!! The dreaded Jaipur Jip!!! Woke up about ½ 4 with stomach pains and was quickly reminded of why we are carrying 3 toilet rolls with us on this trip – yes ok – I know we have used one for our colds already – we still have two!!! Fortunately!! Anyway sat here wondering what to do about todays full on trip around Jaipur................

Decided to delay our trip around Jaipur for an hour and set off about 09.40 in the end, with me suitably equipped and dressed for any mishap! Our first stop was Hawa Mahal. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, this is a pink facade, five storeys high and just one room deep and was built in 1799 for the ladies of the harem so they could see what was happening in the busy street below. Afterwards we drove out of the old city and could see that all the surrounding hills are topped with the old Ramparts...miles of it!! Today was also the day we had to take an elephant ride up to the Amber Fort (now I wasn’t looking forward to this anyway, having vague memories of when I was five years old riding Rosie at Bristol Zoo, but decided it was either kill or cure!!) We climbed the stairs and sat on our padded platform with flimsy metal rails around the outside and we lurched off! I didnt scream but it was quite a long way down especially when the elephants passed each other and it felt like we might be lurched over the side of the wall!! All the way up we were continually pestered to buy a hat, tablecloth with elephants, books etc and half way up one guy ( aptly called Ali Baba!!) took photos of us on the elephant even though we had told him we would not buy them!!
Anyway, Chris had 20 rupees ready to give him, but he turned his nose up at that and wanted 50 rupees which Chris paid!! Dismounted in the large courtyard of the Fort (took about 20mins to stop my legs shaking!!) and had the tour with our Guide who gave us all the history of the Fort and showed us the palaces and the mirror mosque. Went back to the car only to find that three monkeys, a Mother and two babies, had taken refuge on the car roof and took some persuading by Awtarsingh (he threw something at them!!!) to leave! We were also mobbed by street sellers, selling their trinkets , books etc, including the guy who had taken our photo on the elephants and wanted 200 rupees for each photo!
Our obligatory trip to a Co-operative this time was a jewellery store, which was sort of handy as yesterday I had lost the diamond out of my ring.......We think we had a good deal but I’ll wait until I have it valued in England.............
Onward to Jantar Mantar which is an observatory built approx 1730 and houses 16 instruments, to forecast how hot the summer months will be, possibility of floods and famine, angles of stars and planets from the equator, crop prospects and also has the worlds largest sundial (check it out in Guinness Book of Records!) accurate to within two seconds, local time. Came outside only to have a motorbike draw up by the side of us....yes – it was Ali Baba selling the photos at 100 each now.....In fact they even went down to 100 rupees for the four photos when he realised we were not buying them!
Walked across to the City Palace, where the King of Rajistan still has his private quarters – (we didn’t see him!!) and went around the museum there and marvelled at all the decoration of peacocks and columns with amazing chandeliers. There are also two silver urns (also listed in Guinness Book of Records as the worlds largest silver objects) which were filled with holy water from the Ganges and taken to London on Madbo Singh’s visit in 1901. As we came out from the Palace, low and behold, there was Ali again!!! He just wanted 50 rupees for all four photos now, so Chris caved in, borrowed 50 rupees from Awtarsingh and paid him, saying to me that he admired his persistence!!
Also bumped into our French/Canadian acquaintances, who are staying at the same hotel as us this evening so we can hopefully catch up again............
Lunch was next and I just had some plain rice (think I’ll just give my stomach a rest today even though it appears to have settled down!) We then had a drive past the Albert Hall and a statue (Nero) and gardens and back to the hotel by 15.00pm. Quite a short trip for a full days trip that we had expected and paid for, but we think we saw everything. Just had a couple of hours relaxing on the roof in the sun and will eat in hotel tonight and have early night as off to Bharatapur tomorrow at 08.30am stomach permitting!
( Had a lovely meal of plain rice!! Saw the French couple but they didn’t stop to eat as she has been really bad with stomach pains! )

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Comments

[Jenny Webb]

I remember Jaipur!
Good to catch up with your travels again after a week's break. I well remember the elephant ride and the Red Fort especially the fabulous mirror work. I'll have to look out our slides. It sounds a wonderful trip despite the persistent sellers. Glad your tum has settled down, Jackie. Hope your last week goes smoothly.

[Laura Holbrook]

Even at a distance, you can see you look petrified on that elephant, mum!!!! Like the picture of you smiling by the sculpture ;o)