Justified Journey to Jaipur and Jodhpur

---

Jaipur is located in the state of Rajasthan and it is the most populated city in the State the largest City is Jaisalmer which is in the desert however it is very spread out over a lot of land. We have chosen to visit Jaipur as it is not too far from Agra which was the last stop we left Agra at 6pm and arrived into Jaipur about 11pm and we share a car to our hotel with the young lady and mother we met on the train...oh and Mike said he finally met someone that can out speak me...we have a booking at the hotel so we check straight in and later we are thanked by Zhazira and her Mum for bringing them to the hotel and they chose to stay the two nights there! We are staying at Arya Niwas and its great the rooms are big,clean they have a bath and great hot shower 😊 We enjoy the quiet aircon too! We get some food and they have brown bread...oh and they make there eggs yolk and all!

Washing was done as required and we head out to the shopping mall to have a look at some pants I had to throw out some pairs as they were torn luckily I struck the jackpot they have punjab pants only 49rp that's like $1.25 au so I got two pairs...they are light(so good for weight in pack) and they are comfy as although not the most fashionable pants elsewhere they are all the rage here in India 😊 Not to fazed about how fashionable they are anyway as comfort is far more important when on the road for long periods!

We pick up some drinks and stuff and have some lunch and head back to the hotel grabbed some internet time and got on and sorted our vietnam visa's 😊 We have a bit of a down day today to decide what we are going to do here and head up the road for dinner at the revolving restaurant the food was fab the view was lovely but the service all kind of weird...a lot of men standing around looking at us and trying to hurry us up! (there is only four other people in the place so not like they are rushed off there feet!) We again over ordered though we leave over full and we really need to just order one meal for the two of us and rice problem here is sometimes we want different things and the entrees here are the same price as the mains so no use in ordering two entrees instead! I had a magnificent cashew masala curry it was yumo.

We went for a walk unaware that the map we had was only showing the main streets and totally miss where we need to go I get a pair of shoes as my jandles are falling to pieces and we end up roving the back streets and getting totally lost...we eventually make it back to the hotel and go for ice cream downstairs we call Zhazira and her mum and they come down for a tea....Mike disappeared off to bed as he has no voice and what appears to be turning into a throat/chest infection and Zhazira and I sit there and talk until well after midnight then when everyone is gone and the lights are all getting switched off we decide to go to bed as well.


The next morning we get up and head down for breakfast mmmm more brown bread and lime (this is what they call lemon and they don't appear to have lemons here) and honey and a pot of hot water for Mike is throat is much worse and he has a terrible cough....anyway we head out to see the Wind palace its an amazing structure in the middle of the city this is where the ladies higher class used to sit and watch what was going on down below especially during parades and stuff....the designer made this place with one big thing in mind that is natural air flow...there is some that's for sure but not enough for my liking on a hot day like today! The spaces these ladies sat in were tiny and so were the windows I can imagine that they would just get there face through if they were lucky to see outside....most windows spots have three on different angles so you could watch both ends of the street from one spot! From the street below this structure is amazing! Its like a thin wall and with lots of cubby holes in it! The view from the top of the structure is amazing the city is so big with the amazing fort up on the hill and so many other places to see! We head off to see the City Palace and on instructions from others we head up the road and miss the turn off and end up going the very long way around we eventually get there and we take the audio tour (you walk around with head phones and it tells you about the place this is a good way to stop people trying to sell you things you just keep walking...it can be interesting/informative however sometimes it is long and can get a little boring! We enjoy the palace to a point and then when people are telling you to come have a photo and then put there hand out for a tip we get sick of it and leave...the palace itself is lived in so we aren't able to get into the residence as you have to be invited by the royal family! Its getting really hot now and we can't stay out any longer so we head back to the hotel and have a rest before we head out to see a celebration at the floating temple.....however when we get there it appears we are to late or mis-informed so there is nothing going on except an amazing temple in very still water that has sunk two floors below the top of the lake so no chance of going out and exploring it but you can enjoy from the distance! We organise a day out to the Amber fort the next day in the morning!


We get up and get ready to go and Lucky is waiting and we head off to the Amber fort with a quick stop at the observatory which was built so long ago and is made up of different instruments that tell time and all other sorts of things to do with stars, months, astrology as this is very strong here...actually had a lady ask me the other day if I was a peicsian as I have the dolphin bone carving around my neck...I tried to explain about bone carving in N.Z and how I love dolphins as they are such beautiful creatures but I don't know that she understood...then on another side Mike has a new roll from as soon as we struck Rajasthan the questioning is something like this....

Are you from India? You look like Indian....You look like Punjab-bollywood actor!? You sure you not from India? everyone was asking I believe its because he hasn't has a shave and many people say he looks like a solid Punjabi (hehe we ain't seen anyone as solid as him here!)

So we continue on to the fort its large on the hill top with another fort up above and its very grand...its sooooo hot and we are by the end of this one forted out for now! We weren't going to go to this fort but everyone said you must see it in hind sight its amazing but I wish we had not gone as we didn't go to the one in Jodhpur as we had enough of forts and the one there is active and still furnished so we were to learn after we left Jodhpur 😞 (you live and learn don't ya)

So after the fort we asked to go see this place that Lucky had said have the best textiles in India (I felt a scam but he had mentioned it and we had requested he never forced us there) so we got there and had a tour of the factory watching the printing is amazing the time it takes for them to print the material is crazy...here they use only natural dye so they have chilli for red and pink from roses etc they say there colours last longer because of the dye and treatment...then we went and saw the men sitting doing the bead work they are so quick and you can't even see the end of the cotton they use to pick up the beads its madness! We then went and saw the men making the carpet they have some crazy technique they knot each piece of wool, silk or whatever type of carpet they are making, they have a freestanding they sit behind and work there way back and forth making the pattern they are amazingly skilled and obviously work hard it takes about 16 weeks to complete one carpet depending on the size and design. Once they have knotted it all they cut it back to show the finished pattern (see pics) then they wash the mats well and scrub them with wooden brushes finally they shave the mat to its finished state. We looked at some carpet but luckily said no to buying as I believe there is a big mark up as much as they say it was wholesale prices. We head up and look at some finished textiles and I see some pashimina's Mike brought me one that is 60 % camel wool and 40% pashimina as the 100% was to expensive. Mike followed on to get an outfit made up for himself which he loves made in beige I think he has paid to much but he is happy and it was made in just a few hours!


That night we went to a theme place called chokhi Dhani and had traditional Thali Rajasthan style sitting on the floor with the little table (they tried to get us to go for the Royal one which is three times the price and we said no way) so the food was ok (didn't make us sick so that's a good start) there was sand flies everywhere in where you ate as well and everywhere in the grounds where you walk around and see dancers and performers we weren't overly impressed as it was hard to see as it was very dark so you didn't know where to go (actually had to ask where the food place was and be taken there) many of the dancers look like its a chore and they don't want to be there an almost all of them come and ask for money when they finish there performance even though there is signs everywhere saying they discourage tips! I did get to dance with a stunning group of ladies who dragged me up on stage I wanted to photograph them but they had another idea I was dancing if I liked it or not! In the end we left pretty early and I am disappointed that I have not been able to see a genuine dance performance while in India I think after the introduction next time I come I will be more confident with getting out there and finding out the information I need and want!

The next day we leave early for Jodhpur which is 7 hours by train we are going 1st class sleeper and expect some food or something however we are to be a little disappointed we try and try to find our sleeper eventually discovering it is not marked on the outside of the train and it is perched in between two sleeper classes there is three room two of them have four beds and one has two...as there is no one else around we grab the one with the two beds and set ourselves up (a little more relaxed as we are in our own little cabin with no worry about our bags) No food comes and no service it is possible to have the grossest toilet in 1st class I have seen this trip so far (I am sure I will see worse) you know I chose the squat over the euro toilet as it was covered in vomit yucky!! Anyway the trip went fast as I slept most of the way poor Mike probably didn't get a wink but this seems to be the way for me I fall asleep on most train and plane trips!

Jodhpur is a smaller city called the blue City (see pics) it has a massive fort up above on the hill top and is on the edge of the desert. The ladies here wear great bright colours and have a lot of jewellery I have tried to get some photos but there is nowhere to sit in shade and just take photos and the sun is so hot that we are dripping within 5mins of standing still.

We had two night booked at Kuchamen Haveli its a lovely looking place that's been restored...they say they have a pool under construction but on many websites it says they have a pool and they don't....they said to me will be next year but we are hard pushed to see where it will go.

Being ts so hot here and the pool was something Mike and I were really looking forward too...I had another option that said they had no aircon rooms available this first night so we decided to go check it out we arrived a Devi Bhawan and fell in love they have a aircon room tomorrow so we book that its cheaper than the Haveli with a wonderful pool and great feel! (the manager has been here 10years and is great)

We head back to the city in the evening and go to a place called Indique for dinner oh so good! Underneath the massive fort we are a little late for sunset but I am sure it would be magical. We find some Jalebi for Mike (his new favorite) its an indian sweet it very yummy but super,super sweet! Head back to the Haveli and on the way up the road to our place a man comes over with his daughter of 3years and she copies him much clearer than him and says

hello how are you? What country you from? what is your name? Bye very nice to meet you. Too cute!! Miss Mary would want to take her home (I know you would she was beautiful)

The next morning have breakfast on the roof its hot already and its only 8.30am so we check out at 10 and head to Devi Bhawan and check into our room...we head down the road so Mike can ring home and I use the net (hence no new blog no free wifi) We go back have a swim and eat in tonight.

As I mentioned we are all forted out so we head up the hill to get some photos of the Blue city and choose not to spend the $9 to get into the fort (I saw some maharaja's coming out of the complex but thought they must be visiting (we were not aware they still reside here) anyway so we head back down the hill and go in search of some material its hot and eventually I get some but I can't even look at bangles as its far to hot! We had some lunch at a little cafe that had aircon and then wander a little longer before deciding we need a swim we have already checked out of our room but the lovely manager said to just check if they are not full we can still use the pool lucky for us we got to swim and then went into the lounge area and watched a movie before we head over to Gypsy for dinner the food was fine...however the big find here was the bakery across the way 15AD we brought some cake and sandwiches for the trip to Delhi on the train later tonight and a piece of cake for Ramish (hotel manager) when we returned with the cake he was very excited and I was soon informed that this is the best bakery in Jodhpur!


We head off to the train station and where we are dropped off looks totally different to the other day we are soon to find out we are on the back entrance (its sooooo quiet its airy and a little scary) we head over to the main station and sit for a bit waiting for the train to arrive when it gets here we go the wrong way yet again and have to traipse back up the platform to get to our sleeper berth! We make our beds and settle in with our cake we had been told that its very cold on the sleeper and they weren't wrong (next time lower berth only!! I froze those that know me well know I hate being cold but I had a singlet, long sleeve top, jumper, pashmina and a blanket and I was still cold I had to turn around and leave the aircon on my feet and cover then with a blanket and jumper hehe (what a wuss Mike said is was cold but not that cold he just climbed under the blanket head and all fully clothed and he was fine! Anyway the 13hour journey wasn't too bad we left at 10pm and got in at 11am we spoke to the Italian lady that was in the lower berth she has been here 15years she is a teacher of performing arts and studied here to get her degree she is fluent in Hindi and she was the one to tell us that the fort in Jodhpur is still active filled with beautiful pillows,carpet, blankets and the Maharaja's still live there its her favourite Fort! She also explains her opinion on the Mike - Punjab theory - she says he looks like a Sikh and that is partly in his presence and that because I cover my head all the time this is expected for a Sikh's wife...who knows but it seems to have attracted more attention here in this state. 'We also get s rundown on the reason women here have the nose and multiple ear piercings and a lot of jewellery even for normal day wear....its because they are close to the desert and they are classed as the gypsy's of india!

We have noticed the friendliness of this state from arriving in Jaipur everyone has said welcome to India we haven't had this anywhere else...kids are not shy to come an say hi and shake your hand! The ladies come out and are relaxed roaming the streets in groups. We have heard a lot of Indian ladies are most comfortable in the home so they don't venture out much...here seems to be a little different. I will be back here and next time I will stay longer relax and see more although we have found the dust hard to handle the place has so much more to offer than we once thought! We will be making sure that we come in the earlier months in the year when its not so hot and try to head to Jaislmer the real desert!


Lots of photos on this blog...to many to choose from 😊

---

Comments

[Adam]

Awesome..
Shell, I really enjoy reading your blog updates! You actually have a really lovely writing style, and it makes me wish I was there with you guys! Love the photos too.. It's like a little geography and cultural lesson :)