This past weekend John and I made our first trip out of the city, eager and curious. We were going on the trip we booked through the tout/"travel agent"- the original trip was to go to Agra where the Taj Mahal is, and then to go to Ranthambore where there is a wildlife reserve. Unfortunately, because of rains, we could not go to Ranthambore, so we were rerouted to Jaipur- the "pink city," called so because the old city was painted pink in 1876 to welcome King Edward VII. There we could explore the eastern front of Rajasthan and ride elephants into the Amber Fort, built in 1592.
The Taj Mahal was, of course, stunning. We got up at an unholy hour on Saturday morning after arriving in Agra late Friday night, and headed to the site. The Taj Mahal was built as a memorial by Shah Jahan for his wife in 1631. Monkeys abounded and we took a tour into the grounds, walking around, staring in awe, mouths agape, for a couple of hours before the long drive to Jaipur. One lesson, I think it is safe to say, that we learned on this trip is that whenever possible, do not rely on roads to reach your destination. By car or by bus, you are in for a very bumpy and often harrowing ride. Your life is not only in the hands of your driver, but also those of the hundreds or thousands of other drivers who have all helped earn India's reputation for having the most madcap driving in the world. In addition, you can be cruising along, smooth and steady, one minute and then inching over rubble in a tangle of traffic and camel-drawn carts the next.
Needless to say, we made it to Jaipur and spent the afternoon wandering around the old city. Another tangle of traffic, so to speak, but this one made up of people and stalls full of colorful wares. Jaipur, in addition to selling the usual eclectic mix of goods, is also known for its camel-leather shoes and tie-dyed fabrics. We had some delicious lassis and chaat and topped off our long day with veg thali and giant, cold Kingfisher beers.*
Sunday morning, bright and early once again, we headed to Amber Fort outside of Jaipur, which was the ancient capital of the then-Jaipur state. The surrounding hills are lined with battlements, and it's really quite magnificent. The fort is huge and unbelievably well-maintained. The view was incredible as we walked along the parapets, and in addition to riding elephants up to the fort (amazing), there were also snake charmers! (solely for us tourists, of course, but we gladly gave them our money after having the bejeezus scared out of us... or me at least.)
After, we headed home to good ol' Delhi, back to our apartment to relax and prepare for the week. We had an amazing weekend, bumpy though it was at times. As we're starting to settle in to a "groove" here (for lack of a better word), things seem to become more comfortable and yet more exciting. There are fresh things on the docket and I'm looking forward to sharing them soon!
*
-lassis- cold yogurt drink, served either sweet or salty
-chaat- savory Indian snacks
-veg thali- combination meal of all different Indian dishes and condiments served in a
compartmentalized tray with roti or naan and rice- my favorite!
The Taj Mahal was, of course, stunning. We got up at an unholy hour on Saturday morning after arriving in Agra late Friday night, and headed to the site. The Taj Mahal was built as a memorial by Shah Jahan for his wife in 1631. Monkeys abounded and we took a tour into the grounds, walking around, staring in awe, mouths agape, for a couple of hours before the long drive to Jaipur. One lesson, I think it is safe to say, that we learned on this trip is that whenever possible, do not rely on roads to reach your destination. By car or by bus, you are in for a very bumpy and often harrowing ride. Your life is not only in the hands of your driver, but also those of the hundreds or thousands of other drivers who have all helped earn India's reputation for having the most madcap driving in the world. In addition, you can be cruising along, smooth and steady, one minute and then inching over rubble in a tangle of traffic and camel-drawn carts the next.
Needless to say, we made it to Jaipur and spent the afternoon wandering around the old city. Another tangle of traffic, so to speak, but this one made up of people and stalls full of colorful wares. Jaipur, in addition to selling the usual eclectic mix of goods, is also known for its camel-leather shoes and tie-dyed fabrics. We had some delicious lassis and chaat and topped off our long day with veg thali and giant, cold Kingfisher beers.*
Sunday morning, bright and early once again, we headed to Amber Fort outside of Jaipur, which was the ancient capital of the then-Jaipur state. The surrounding hills are lined with battlements, and it's really quite magnificent. The fort is huge and unbelievably well-maintained. The view was incredible as we walked along the parapets, and in addition to riding elephants up to the fort (amazing), there were also snake charmers! (solely for us tourists, of course, but we gladly gave them our money after having the bejeezus scared out of us... or me at least.)
After, we headed home to good ol' Delhi, back to our apartment to relax and prepare for the week. We had an amazing weekend, bumpy though it was at times. As we're starting to settle in to a "groove" here (for lack of a better word), things seem to become more comfortable and yet more exciting. There are fresh things on the docket and I'm looking forward to sharing them soon!
*
-lassis- cold yogurt drink, served either sweet or salty
-chaat- savory Indian snacks
-veg thali- combination meal of all different Indian dishes and condiments served in a
compartmentalized tray with roti or naan and rice- my favorite!
No comments:
Post a Comment