After a hearty breakfast (it doesn’t appear that we will encounter any meal that isn’t hearty), we hit the road for Jaipur.
Our driver, Amit, is highly amusing. We talked about kids (he has 2 but admits that he thinks that’s one too many), tourist quality (Americans, Brits, and Aussies are his favorites because we are all punctual, although Americans take first place since we spend the most), and how we came to select Holiday Tours to be our operator (I found them on Viator but booked directly; I liked them because they were attentive without being annoying or selling hard).
I feel exceptionally well looked-after at all times. He’s learned that we love the Diet Coke here, and he drops hints to other service providers to not offer us tea but instead to serve a nice, cold, Diet Coke. It’s effective, because I agree with Ted Lasso that “tea is horrible. Absolute garbage water.” A Diet Coke, on the other hand, will get me to stay and chat a while.
After arriving in Jaipur, we drove around a bit. This city is much bigger than Ranthambore, and it has a different vibe than Delhi. The architecture is visible everywhere and gorgeous. Nicknamed the “Pink City” because of the dominant color of the Old City’s buildings, Jaipur has a slightly more jaunty feel to it than Delhi did.
We had some lunch at a place popular with tourists. I am sure that the tour operators have arrangements with certain stores and restaurants. While I don’t love that idea, I also suspect that means that the restaurants generally don’t give patrons food poisoning, so that’s a sacrifice I’ll accept. Similarly, I know I can get better prices on the street, but a) I absolutely do not enjoy haggling, b) I have no idea how much to even offer here (I know the US prices, but not the Indian ones), c) I trust the quality of the goods sold at stores the tour operator recommends, and d) these stores take credit cards.
This all matters because we did some rather high-end shopping. Jaipur is known for gemstones and the jewelry they make from the stones they cut, and while I wasn’t planning on buying fancy jewelry, I immediately caved when I saw that they do a lot with emeralds (my favorite!) and that their creations are so unique compared to the generally boring, generic stuff we get in the US. Aside from jewelry, we bought some spices, small artwork, and cashmere pashminas.
We met our guide for the evening and tomorrow and then set off on foot through the bazaar. Holy cow, it’s insane! Between the traffic, the density of people, and tiny shops selling absolutely everything imaginable, it is a lot to take in!
The Hawa Mahal (“Palace of Winds”) was constructed in 1799. It has 953 small windows with lattice designs that were intended to allow royal women to observe life in the street below without being seen. This view is actually the back side of the palace, not the front. It’s colorful and ornate and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
Tomorrow is chock full of sights with our private driver and guide, as well as massages. Add in the 5-star hotel accommodations and I truly feel like royalty myself.
Vacation Days 