Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Jaipur, Rajasthan, India - February 9, 2012

A week in Jaipur was not nearly enough.  There were two friends there,
I did not even get to see.  Sadly, as I am over the halfway mark of my
India stay so, as much as I would like to do so, I don't think I'll get
to return to Jaipur this visit.


In Gujarat, India, Uttarayan or Makar Sankrati is a festival that heralds
the end of winter, with the  move of the sun to the northern hemisphere.
Additionally, in Amedabad, on January 14 every year, kite flying day is
held.  It is no small event as there have been over 40 countries
participating in this festival.  The rest of India, also, happily
joins in the fun and Jaipur, clearly, was no exception.  Everywhere
one looked, kites had met their demise in trees, overhangs, wires,
and the like!  I am sure the flyers must have been extremely
disappointed when their creations ceased to soar in the winds.










Jaipur apartment building

Garlic and ginger for sale


Small roadside stores




Mosque


Beautiful arches


Old town buildings

Entering old town, Jaipur

Old town street

Rubble here and there about town

There are shrines and temples throughout Jaipur



Elephants walking in traffic

My first night in Jaipur, I asked my wonderful taxi driver, Lala, where I
might go for typical Rajasthani food.  He suggested a restaurant called 
Chokhi Dhani, which had also been recommended to me by my seat
mate on my Air India flight to Jaipur.  It was an interesting experience,
offering a view of life in a Rajasthani village as well as food.  I 
arrived at 6PM and was able to see some of the entertainment and
performances before it really got too dark to enjoy them.  The
resort is not really geared to those with mobility handicaps which 
made it a bit hard for me.  I use a walker and the sandy areas were
almost impassable.  Some of the options are also not easy for 
those with mobility problems.  After dark, I had difficulty navigating
through sand and rocky ground.  I felt a sense of relief when I was
finally taken to the dining hall for my dinner - a large Rajashathani
thali.  I enjoyed the food but it is a long evening out!

These young ladies greeted us at the entrance to Chokhi Dani

Before my trip to India, I lost about ten pounds &,
though I haven't weighed, I think I lost five more during my
four day illness with "motion" - all my pants are hanging on me!

Drummer playing as we entered


Entrance candles


Warm soup to welcome us


r
Rajasthan is famous for its colorful turbans...it is not
unusual to see men wearing them in hot pink,
purple, turquoise, etc.

My first days in Jaipur were just wonderful.  I was especially fortunate to have
taxi driver, Lala, drive me from the airport the day I arrived and he took me
so many wonderful places throughout my visit to Jaipur.  No wonder I fell in
love with this "Pink City" of India.























17 comments:

  1. that was a lovely post!

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    1. A compliment, indeed, coming from someone who has probably been to Jaipur many times!!

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  2. Visiting this restaurant looks like quite an experience! I so enjoyed your photos of Jaipur.

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    1. Dearest Josep, I can't seem to get caught up visiting my dear friends and their blogs. Time is passing so quickly and I still have so many places in India I need to visit....friends who will leave soon to return to their ships....I miss you and the family.

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  3. Anonymous2:51 PM

    oh what an adventure. thank you very much for your effort and our honour to get a glimpse of India. Please continue to have a wonderful time.

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    1. So far, so good, Robert...occasional hair raising experiences on the roads but, otherwise, the trip is wonderful...and, for 17 days while I was in Jaipur and the Punjab, I didn't have a single mosquito bite. I guess the colder temperatures kept the critters away.

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  4. You will talk like a Hindu, and eat like a Hindu in the end of the trip.

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    1. The eating like a Hindu, sure thing but talking like a Hindu, not hardly. If I return, as I hope, I will take a few lessons. While so many folks do speak English, there are times I could have used Hindi!

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  5. thanks for sharing your trip with us Carmen, always good to see you having a time of your life there. take care, and continue to have fun.

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    1. Most of this visit has been great fun. I, especially, delight at seeing all the animals out and about, even in the midst of traffic. Cows, of course, have the right of way and are everywhere but it isn't uncommon to see elephants, monkeys and pigs!!

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  6. You've made me fall in love with the Pink city, too. :)

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  7. You sure are having the adventures!

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  8. thank you for sharing with us, I enjoy travelling with you :)

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  9. What a fantastic journey so far, Carmen! The photos are wonderful to see.

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  10. Enjoying following your adventures.

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  11. So glad I found your blog. I'm enjoying the pictures and stories of your time in India. It's like I'm there with ya! haha.

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