Jaipur, India September

Jaipur.

We are in a car that will easily speed at 250 kilometers an hour and it took us 6 hours to travel 250 kilometers from Udaipur to Jaipur.  The roads are supposed to be good highways but when you put people and animals and cars and motorbikes and everything else you can think of on a highway that has so many potholes that you can’t go faster than 90 kilometers per hour without risking the demolition of your car, then you understand why it takes so long to get anywhere in India.

Elephant crossing the Highway

Elephants in the front of the car

Drive around cows, and notice the motorbike going the wrong way on the highway.  It happens all the time.

Camel cart

Yes, these are camels crossing the highway now

Old road into Jaipur.  Royalty used to watch from the balconies above each home

Street Corner

Parakeet 

Normal traffic

More Camels

Vegetable and Fruit market

Street

Not far from the vegetable and fruit market

Homes

Barber Shop

Selling flowers for offerings at temples

Once we arrive at Jaipur there is gridlock in the city.  There is an international cricket championship this week and India has a good team and chance to win it all.  They beat England in an early round of play.  When we arrive at the Oberoi Palace Hotel there is thorough security.  They use some device to scan under the car.  They attempt to open the hood but give up.  They look in the trunk and then waive us through with smart salutes and then hands clasped in prayer (Namaste) position.

The hotel and our luxury tented suite is a sharp contrast to everything just outside the gates.  The luxury and service is welcome.

Hotel Entrance

Scott at Hotel

Being shown to our accommodations

Inside our Tented Suite

Our Tented Suite

Hotel Grounds

Dining Area

Courtyard

The next morning we drive through the old town.  The streets were laid out centuries ago on a square grid with wide streets.  That was enlightened city planning.  They call it the Pink City because the Maharaja ordered all buildings to be colored pink to welcome visiting royalty.

Gate to the old city of Jaipur

Facade in the old city.  The women would hide behind this facade and watch without being seen.

We rode a jerky, hesitant elephant to the Amber Fort.  They have rules that each elephant can only make 5 trips per day so you can only ride elephants until about 11 am and then the elephants go home to rest.

Riding an elephant to the fort at Jaipur

Many elephants at work

The fort

Walls around the fort

The Maharaja built a beautiful mirrored palace on the top floor.  In one wing he had built apartments for his multiple wives.  There was space for 4 wives in each corner of an expansive courtyard with multiple rooms and plenty of space in the courtyard for mingling and other activities.  The wives were watched and guarded by eunuchs.

Amber Fort

Barb

Inside the fort

Amazing marble

Marble corridor

Indian woman cleaning the fort.  The women all wear colorful sarees.

The mirrored palace

Mirrored Ceiling

Beautiful craftsmanship

Inside

That afternoon we visited the City Palace Museum which had an extensive dress and clothing collection.  It also had an extensive weapons museum from the 17^th and 18^th centuries.  No cameras were allowed though.

Gate at the City Palace

City Palace

City Palace

Driving through town

Rickshaws for hire

People

There was also an astronomy park where instruments had been created on a very large scale to accurately measure time and the position of the sun in the sky.

Measuring the time of day

Back at the hotel we spent time by the pool and in the spa and work out areas.  It is hard to get exercise while on vacation.  We are happy to have a gym available.  There is a small Shiva Temple on the Hotel grounds with a Priest.  We went to visit and he gave us a blessing of the dot on the forehead and a string tied around the wrist.

Pool

Barb with her blessings

The next morning we took a guide to the Nyla Fort.  We drove through beautiful countryside and farmland.  The farmers seem wealthy and have beautiful homes.  Of all places I have seen in India to this point this is where we would choose to live.  Nyla village is more calm than others we have seen.  We continue to a remote spot where we are greeted with flowers strung around our necks and transferred via ladder to the top of the biggest elephant I have ever seen.  She is a 35 year old female and we are going to ride her for and hour through the countryside to the base of the Nyla Fort. 

The elephant kneels down and they still have to put up a ladder for us to get on

Our elephant driver

Once again, the elephant kneels down and I can climb down.  That
 is pretty good control of an elephant!

Scott and Barb

We are met at the top by our butler, who will serve us lunch and show us around the fort.

Original paintings

Well preserved painting

Kids run along side and wave to us. 

The farm children are interested in us, or maybe the elephant

Curious farmers and women goat herders all stop and watch us go by.

Beautiful countryside

The Nyla Fort is owned by Mr. Oberoi.  We later learn that he visits only a couple of times per but has a staff of 25.  His manager for the Fort is a retired military officer and he gives us a military tour of the old Fort.  He told us that President Clinton visited and had cocktails while he was President. 

The manager of the fort waits on us

Mr. Oberoi has added a swimming pool

We are the only ones at the Fort.  The elephant excursion is an exclusive event but is not expensive ($150 US) and was so much fun.  We have lunch in the courtyard.  The Manager and our Butler from the Oberoi serve us lunch and try to anticipate everything that we will ask for before we ask for it.

Scott sitting down for lunch

Top of the Fort