122809: Jaipur

 

 

 

 

So we’re on our flight back from Udaipur and we decided to keep a day for Jaipur.

We always have this plot wherein if the nice cosy exit seats are not available; Heidike makes a crying face and they immediately comply to our request. Another advantage of being women I tell you! So at the airport we’re checking in for Jaipur and I’m a little wary of the way Heidike has her passport in her hand. I tell her to take care of it and she gives me the “Ya I will, don’t be silly look” and guess what: she almost leaves her passport at the security check. Good going Heidike!! And if that’s not enough we’re stopped because she has tweezers and scissors all packed in her backpack! I start the negotiating and make the sorry sad faces and tell the officials to please let us take our stuff, we are harmless etc and yes you got it right, they comply *Rabiya basically told them that in Delhi we got through without problems; but when we left Delhi my toiletry bag was in the suitcase and not my carry-on luggage!* So we are all set for our 20 minutes short flight to Jaipur.

Turns out that our day in Jaipur coincides with a really big Islamic festival called Moharram so the inner city where the city palace is located is totally packed and the gates to go in it are closed in lieu of all the celebrations that are happening there. Thankfully we have a driver which is such a huge relief because getting a driver and car from the airport and making sure it’s safe for two women can be stressful. So one of our family friends sent their driver and car to pick us up and show us around the city and drop us back for our flight in the evening which was great. He took us to what anyways is the best touristy place to visit in Jaipur called the Amber Fort. It’s a huge fort dating 1,000 years back and the walls run 10 km long around the city. Imagine building all of that brick by brick by hand. When we reached, our driver told us we don’t really need a guide but we disagreed. We are over-enthusiastic travelers who always want the best and hence we don’t want to miss on any stories. So when we arrived, this guide spotted us and followed us around for 15 minutes before we finally hired him. I just didn’t like him *neither did I*, sometimes you get that feeling, but he was just so persistent that it became really annoying and we thought we’ll hire him just so that he can stop the “I’m the best guide, see my services, then pay me, I’m like your brother… blah blah blah” Arrghh!! Anyways, we were short on time otherwise we would’ve really told him off and found someone else. So he showed us around the fort but his stories were more focused on us rather than the fort. I mean he showed us all this really beautiful Belgian crystal and then started off with how we were princesses and therefore would meet our prince etc *I can’t stand stupid stories like this* Though I must admit he did do all the work for us like stand in line, get the tickets, be super enthusiastic about taking *making* pictures, send us to this really nice Emporium for shopping where Heidike got beautiful jewellery and told us not to visit certain places etc. And yes, he even made us hold the snakes from the snake performers. If only he would talk less, but in the end I guess shouldn’t really complain!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our trip to the fort and shopping for jewellery we went to visit this absolutely magnificent temple called the Birla Mandir. It’s a pity photography from inside the temple was prohibited. The whole place is made up of tons and tons of marble and really beautiful carvings on the marble. The outside pillars have pictures of various Indian Gods and Godesses carved on them and inside the temple there are colored paintings carved on the marble. With all the white marble work it was a beautiful site. In the evening we decided to head back in time for our flight because we had been warned by our driver and earlier guide that Jaipur traffic is crazy and cannot be trusted. We’re back in the airport now waiting for our flight and we both our impatient travelers who hate waiting and flights!! We’re waiting for the day the super fast jets are built and will whisk to our destination in a matter of seconds.

We are now back in Delhi and waiting for Dad to pick us up. He was having his alumni dinner in a hotel very close by so he was very kind to pick us up himself instead of sending the driver. We arrived home and wohooo warm home cooked food was ready. *Yummy!* After hearing about her last episode with banging her nose on the door, mom had left the light on the porch outside my room on so there was a little bit of light filtering in the room in case she would wake up in the middle of night and feel like doing the same thing again *I thought that was so sweet and thoughtful*!