I’ve traveled to numerous low and middle income countries. I really expected India to be something different. Maybe scarier, crazier, more confusing or harder to navigate, but it really hasn’t been. Yes, it’s chaotic, and so is Nairobi. Yes, there are poor residents, and so are there in Bogotá. Yes, it surely is a place where a white tourist will pay more than locals, and that’s also true in Marrakech. Yes, women have to be careful, as is true literally anywhere.
This certainly isn’t for the novice traveler. What I mean is that for the experienced and careful traveler, this is a delightful place to visit. And it’s nothing like anywhere else I’ve been in the global south so it’s a real learning experience.
We did the heavily-patronized tourist sites today, starting with Panna Meena Ka Kund, an old stepwell. It’s a cool design that allowed locals to access water from multiple places and at any water level. Our guide, Jai, did a great job of taking photos of us all day so for once, I’m in some photos!
Amber Palace and Fort was next. This is a sprawling palace on the top of a pretty steep hill, with a fortress wall running the ridge line in either direction as far as the eye can see. Inside the palace, it was amazing to see the various ways the builders leveraged physics to maintain spaces that were cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Similarly, it was interesting to see how a king and his many wives lived in a time and place where men and women didn’t mix.
Our hotel is across from the Jal Mahal (the Water Palace), so we went back across town to check it out. When this was built at the end of the 18th century, it was river-side. That king later dammed the river and the result is a palace in a lake. It isn’t used now that India isn’t a monarchy, but the government is rehabbing it with plans of opening it to tourists as a cafe and historical sight.
Taking a break from sights, we went to learn about the Jaipur-originated wood block printing practice. Wood “stamps” are cut, then painted, then stamped on fabric. The first stamp is the easiest since it’s just an outline.
Subsequent stamps are layered on top, each with a different color. Lining them up by hand is not as easy as it sounds! Our finished masterpiece had 4 layers – black outline, brown body, blue rider and accents, and red blanket and rider seat. We did a bit of souvenir shopping since this stuff is pretty cool!
A quick drive-by past the Hawa Wahal in daytime amplified its magnificence. The painted windows and pink facade are so striking, and the ornate carving is striking.
At this point, we decided to skip lunch. Every meal here is big, and street snacks are out of the question. Instead, we headed over to Jantar Mantar, the royal observatory. I’m not big on astronomy, but this was impressive simply for the science of it, especially since it was constructed in the 18th century. My favorite piece was the sundial which is accurate to the minute using no technology at all. Because India uses one time zone which is based in the center of the city, Jaipur is 11 minutes off from the center of the time zone. In the photo below, the shadow is not quite 2 small marks past the 1:00 black line, so the sundial says it is just before 1:02. Add in the 11 minutes introduced by the time zone and you have 1:13. My watch said 1:12. Not bad!
We explored the rest of the observatory (which was interesting but doesn’t photograph in any kind of meaningful way) then headed over to the presidential residence. This was pretty enough, but once you’ve seen a bunch of presidential residences they aren’t the most fascinating buildings. What was more interesting was watching workers set up the central pavilion for a large group wedding to take place that evening. Today is an auspicious day for Indian weddings, and poorer couples will pool resources to have a group wedding rather than have a skimpy affair.
Jai and Amit have picked up on the fact that I like animals. I point out every camel, horse, and elephant we see on the road (yes, in Jaipur, elephants sometimes share the road). We had discussed earlier in the day the sad state of affairs for the elephants who carry tourists up and down the steep hill around Amber Fort (there is such a history of neglect and abuse of those elephants that the Indian government – one not known for animal welfare actions – even stepped in), and we talked about how I am eager to meet an elephant at the sanctuary we are going to stop at on our way back to Delhi. So we ended up going to an elephant sanctuary. I’m not sure which we went to, but the elephants looked to be in good condition. None were tied or chained up, and they had no marks from chains or bull hooks on their legs. Some were giving rides, but “drivers” steered using verbal commands only (no sticks or ropes). We were able to feed and spend time with a gorgeous 27 year-old elephant, and it totally made my day.
Vacation Days 