Jaipur (part II)
It seems all I needed to shake the fever that was rearing its head last night was a good night of rest (and ibuprofen). I wake in a much improved mood, though I've had some interesting back pain that's developed over the last week. With luck it will get better and not worse as the trip goes on.
***
Breakfast on the sunny rooftop restaurant, masala chai, aloo pancake with pickle, and good wifi connection. Feeling good about today!
Meet Nelson and Victoria at their hotel, and their driver takes us to the Hawa mahal, palace of the winds. It is like a cross between a giant termite hill and a beehive.
Having a driver and semi guide totally changes the game here. Not having to constantly look at a map, worry about traffic, negotiate fares, and entertain stares from passersby in the open tuktuk is a huge relief.
The driver next takes us to an old palace of the maharajas, where fantastic marble carved structures with incredibly detailed figures are found. At the entranceway, a man who quickly introduces himself as a guide who works for tip only (no fixed price, he assures us, again and again), pushes his services onto us. Nelson hesitantly accepts. The man takes us rushedly from gazebo to gazebo, and delivers a highly rehearsed and robotic explanation of some of the background of some of the history (there was once a maharaja who had 144 children, and they all perished of malaria, 14 of them in one day). At the end of his 'tour', he asks for payment. He gets rs200, then says 'not more? Should be 100/person!' Nelson begrudgingly passes over another bill. I'm exceptionally unimpressed by this guide's conduct, but did get some interesting information.
***
I have the best time chatting with Nelson, and taking photos with him and Victoria. I tell them the story of getting a marriage proposition last night at 1:30am in a cramped elevator from the hotel boy, and they find this hilarious.
I am lucky to be their guest for the day, and I'm taken out for lunch at the Pink Redtaurant, a popular tourist place. The place is just beautiful, with an outdoor garden sitting area, and a fabulously painted interior with legends of the gods and maharajas decorating the walls. I get a Thali (a really good one), and the best fresh pressed orange juice I've ever had, even by western standards.
Our waiter recognizes Nelson and victoria as they were here yesterday, and is alarmingly happy to meet me. He returns over and over again, to check on food, offer the services of a palm reader, to encourage us to eat more and more, and to ask to take a picture with me once we're finished our meal.
I agree to one picture with him. He puts his hand uncomfortably close to my chest, and holds me there until the picture is done. Another instance where the option of being confrontational presented itself to me, but that I chose not to take. afterwards he asks me to email him the photo. I'm getting impatient to leave his company, but tell him he can give me a business card. He gives me instead a piece of paper with his phone number and a difficult to read email address. I take it, but have zero intention of following up. I do not enjoy this kind of attention at all, and have no problem being sly to escape it. I toss the paper away and delete the photo.
***
We head to the amber fort (pronounced amer fort, but all us westies say it the way it's spelled), which blows me away! On one side of the highway is an absolutely huge fort built into the side of the mountain, and in the other side is he second longest wall built (after the great wall of china) in the world. Again, India and china meet, this time with a historically military high five.
Langhur monkeys lounge everywhere on the grass, behaving as if completely oblivious to human presence. One rather reckless tourist does a bit of heckling, and nearly gets lynched by three of them, but it seems like they decide it would be too much energy expended, and slowly settle down. This ain't no joke. A monkey attack, especially by these big langurs, could kill you.
***
A full day of sight seeing, and everyone is quite tuckered! I get dropped at my hotel, and am invited out again tomorrow! I can't say no, I am really enjoying the company of these new friends, and it is certainly very nice to be with a driver.
I realize I am rather without a solid plan to have my next step materialize. I ask one of the hotel receptionists to help me book a train to jaisalmer, the most western tip of Rajasthan. It turns out there aren't any seats for a few days. I would like to keep moving from Jaipur, so the path may follow one of the other -purs (jodhpur, or udaipur), or maybe pushkar, recommended strongly by matjasz. Will call again tomorrow to see what will be!
