We took the train from Delhi to Jaipur with Oliver sleeping most of the way. It was to be a full day - complete with monkeys, rip-offs, photographs for a newspaper, and jewelry shopping.
We began by driving through the Pink City and climbing a minnaret, rewarded with a fantastic view of the city and its Amber Fort. At the base of the minnaret, a photographer asked to take our photo for the state newspaper's cover story on tourism. He seemed legit, so we agreed, and off we went to an astronomy place. I do not recall its name, probably because it wasn't very memorable. It seemed a rip-off for what we paid for admission - not impressed.
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| Sand buckets at gas stations |
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| In the Pink City |
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| The Minnaret We Climbed |
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| The Dome of the Minnaret |
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| View of the Amber Fort from the Top of the Minnaret |
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| View of Jaipur |
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| Ali, Oliver and I Atop the Minnaret |
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| Building Built for Viewing the Palace Women |
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| At the Astronomy Place |
After lunch, we went to Molto Bello, a jewelry factory that the driver recommended to us. I did not know that Jaipur is famous for its silver jewelry and its gemstones. It was interesting to see the machines that the workers use to cut and facet the stones.
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| Gateways that just popped up in the city |
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| One of the Jewelers, Oliver, and Our Driver |
Following our jewelry experience, we went to the Monkey Temple on the edge of the city - monkeys everywhere! Not only were there monkeys, but goats, pigs, and dogs, too. The monkeys can get aggressive - one swiped half the bag of peanuts I was carrying right out of my hand! I did not see that coming at all.
Returning to the haveli at dark, we watched a puppet show before getting a much-needed shower and sleep.
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