I have so many photographs and upload time is very slow. Also, daily, my
wonderful driver, Lala, picks me up and we are off again, adding to the
photo collection. My friend and colleague, Virginia Lynch, arrived about
11PM on February 1st so we are ensconced at the Jaipur Ramada where
our conference will take place. It is a large American hotel, of course,
modern and efficient, good staff - but I am missing my lovely heritage hotel,
the Umaid Mahal.
Yesterday, I picked up the three outfits I had made. They are beautiful
though I haven't tried them all. I must do that today since we leave at 8PM
tomorrow night, on a sleeper train, for Patiala in the Punjab. We will be
guests there at the home of Rakesh Gorea, MD, who is a professor at
Rama Medical College. He is a forensic pathologist and forensic
odontologist so Virginia and I will benefit greatly from his company. Of
course, Virginia was in India for six months, in the past, spreading the
word about forensic nursing.
Jaipur has a huge variety of modes of transportation....bicycles, bicycle rick-
shaws, autorickshaws, cars, taxis, motorcycles, camels, camel carts, elephants...
just to name some of them. It is something to see a camel cart, moving
forward in lines of traffic. Amazingly, the camels look quite placid midst all the
horns blaring, and traffic whizzing around them.
Bicycle rickshaws on a busy street
Rajasthan is famous for its painted elephants and a huge elephant
festival is held here every year.
A cheerful auto rickshaw
Rajasthan does have a helmet law...people are more compliant here, than in
Mumbai about wearing them and, often, both passengers on a motorcycle will
be wearing them. I am always lecturing, as I pass by, when I see someone
without the chin strap fastened. Here, as in the rest of India, you may see both
parents and two children on a bike. That always makes me so anxious!!
Cows are everywhere, running loose, walking the streets. They look quite
healthy and well fed, these sacred beasts. They forage on garbage, finding
greens and vegetables and they, also, don't seem bothered by traffic passing.
Most of the time, we pass a random one or two but, sometimes, there are
herds of them...and that can certainly disrupt traffic.
There are also monkeys here and there. My driver, Lala, cautioned
me not to get too close to these. He says they will, sometimes, attack.
Such a cutie!
I didn't find this pig as cute.
There are many beautiful buildings, palaces and arches in the city. I love
riding around the old town.
Band members after a parade
Vendors are everywhere. You see them setting up shop on carts, blankets laid
out on the street, selling everything from vegetables and fruits to pottery,
beautiful mirrored Rajasthani umbrellas - all sorts of things
The Rajasthani dress is different from the saris I've grown used to
seeing in Mumbai.
Little boy who approached my taxi to ask for money
His sister
This is the, Jah Mahal, the water palace that was used by maharajas for their summer retreats
Colorful laundry
Mosque
Beautiful architecture
Jaipur apartment building
Rajasthani umbrellas of beautiful colors
