After breakfast we set off to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri. This was a 16th century palace abandoned by the Great Moghul Emperor Akbar when the wells dried up.
The car ride to Jaipur was full of the usual must see sights of overcrowded taxis and bikes, delightful fruit stalls and side of the road markets and all too soon we were in the much larger than expected Jaipur. Great hotel the Fortune Select - very contemporary.
After a wash and brush up it was off to Chokhi Dhani - an artisan crafts village mainly for tourists, though we seemed the only non - Indians there. Had probably the best curry I had ever had as well as hand painting and displays of dance and crafts.
Next morning first visit was the Hawa Mahal ( Palace of the Winds). A superb elaborate facade which allowed the ladies of the court to look down on the streets without being seen. Fantastic carving in sandstone.
I must admit of all our sights in India it was our next trip to the Amber Fort with it`s magnificent 120 state owned elephants that took our breath away with it`s colour and magnificence. Sara the Tiger face painted elephant took us up the winding road to the fort courtyard and it was quite breathtaking. The architecture and artwork there too was fantastic to see.
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| Each elephant had great facepaint! |
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| So much more than a jaunt around the car park! |
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| This room was said to light up with just one candle with use of mirrors. |
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| The cleaners will always pose for a few rupees - usually badly! |
Just too many photos to post but fantastic sight not to be missed!
Then it was off to a local cooperative specialising in carpets and screen printed cloth with some nice old craftsmen there - of course we had to buy a souvenir.
That wasn`t it for Jaipur though. Still time for a visit to Jaipur Palace.
And after that the Jantar Mantar observatory - the largest stone observatory in the world where the buildings re actually the astonomical measures of time and distance. Built by Sawai Jai Singh he sent his emissaries to all parts of the world prior to construction to get manuals of all the latest cutting edge technology. Whilst I took in little of the science / technical stuff from our guide it was hard not to be impressed by the whole place even if only by the structures.
Then after an overnight stay, spent partly watching the lone female road sweeper cleaning what was in effect the Jaipur ringroad with a brush of twigs as the rush hour traffic steered wildly around her, it was off to Delhi for our last night and departure. gain the roads were a joy to travel for the sights, if not the driving, with so much to see.
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| No such instruction necessary! |
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| This banana seller in a cage was surrounded by monkeys - great turnaround! |
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| Taxi!Room for one more on top! |
After another great meal at G at Connaught Place we were all set for the journey home. Some stringent security at the airport, after terroroist bombs killed 15 in Hyderabad the previous night. I was so glad of one thing I had read somewhere. Coming back from India do not have spare batteries in your hand luggage or you will lose the lot. Having all my camera batteries with me ( I reckoned £200 worth in all) I had heeded the warning and packed them all in the checked in luggage. So pleased! I was made to empty every compartment and zipper on my carry on camera bag and watched as the guy next to me lost every one of his batteries - you have been warned!
If you get a chance to see India and the Golden Triangle don`t miss it. It is magical. Yes I would have liked a little less of the cocooning in a car with guide and driver at times (but didn`t we feel special!) and would have loved to wander about more with a camera and a 50mm lens on- but it really was a great trip and I`d recommend it to anyone!
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