Jaipur

Elephant ride at Amber Fort

Met up with Val & John on Saturday for breakfast at the Four Points Sheraton hotel. They had been traveling in India for a week and it was good to see them. Unfortunately John was suffering a bit and would not be joining us for sightseeing that day. We started our day at the Amber Fort, just outside Jaipur. As we waited for our elephant ride up to the fort, we had to run the gauntlet of the hawkers - lots of them and very persistent.  The elephant ride was great fun - Val & Sarah on one and I had one to myself. They slowly walked up the winding path to the fort. It is made of red sandstone and marble, and was built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh I.  We spent about 2 hours wandering around the fort, with its courtyards, multiple staircases and ornate temple.

Our next stop was the Lake Palace, which looked like it was floating on water. By the side of the lake a young girl was practicing her tightrope walking - with about 5 pots on her head! We then stopped for some lunch at a multi-cuisine place. We had butter chicken marsala, rice & nan, washed down with a beer - just the ticket. On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at a textile shop.  The owner showed us lots of bed covers - mainly made a block printing. They were nice, but we had to remind ourselves that we didn't really need any.

Hawa Mahal

The following day Val was not feeling good, so John came out with Sarah & myself. Our first stop was Hawa Mahal. I'd seen plenty of photos but to see it us close in the early morning light was amazing. The colors were incredible - such a unique piece of architecture. We made our way inside but it was clear  that John was still suffering. Combination of dehydration & lack of energy was getting to him.  He was driven back to the hotel.

Sun dial

Sarah and I were then taken to the observatory, or Jantar Mantar. It is a UNECO world heritage site. It's a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, made in 1727 by Jai Singh II. It includes the worlds largest sun dial, capable of measuring time to the nearest 10 seconds. It was a fascinating place to wonder around.

Rambagh Palace

Sarah & I treated ourselves to G&T at the Rambagh Palace - which is now an exclusive hotel owned by the Taj group. It was a great way to end the weekend.