More from Jaipur

Well today was a bit better. We got out of the city to visit the Amber and Jaigarh forts, which are perched on the top of a ridge overlooking a strategic valley (the Jaigarh above the Amber), with walls and ramparts extended to preclude any passage without permission.

Tonight we have a sleeper train to Udaipur, our last city on the trip before flying out of Delhi. D. hit a bit of a fort/palace/temple wall yesterday - wants to do nothing but find a mountain to hike, which hopefuly we can do in Udaipur.



Some folks from Gujarat who wanted their picture taken. Didn't even want me in it.





A guard who gave me a tour of the Jaigarh Fort. This was the summer bedroom of the Maharana.




This is the Amber Fort from Jaigarh fort. Note the Chinese wall-like fortification in the background. Those ran all over the hills here.






A rampart of the Jaigarh fort.



We stumbled on this dance performance in the Amber fort.

The Amber Fort from the valley floor.

One more shot of our favorite Jaipur site - the Lake Palace. Interesting stories: built by a Maharajah for his wife. After she died, he forbade its use. Recently, a wonderful plan was concocted to turn it into a five star hotel, but it was such a good idea that competing powerful forces in Jaipur came to stalemate trying to put it together. So it stands empty - maybe a Maharajah curse?

Jaipur

Jaipur - the "Pink CIty" - in all honesty, has proven to be a bit of a disappointment. This Lake Temple was one of the few things we really liked. The pink is more of a drab salmon/cinnamon color and the buildings are not well maintained (see below). We took a long rickshaw ride to get to a fort overlooking the city for a "pink" view, but the pollution was so bad and the colored buildings so few that there wasn't much to see. Nonetheless, we did have an active day.

These carrots were among the most colorful things in the city.

These ladies were dancing during a temple puja, led by a very old but very vigorous lady - India's verson of D. in her 90s.

Example of the havelis that now house shops in various bazaars in the old city.

Those two pots in the background (in the City Palace) are the largest silver objects in the world.

This astornomical observatory was quite interesting. An 18th century creation of a Peter the Great type marajah. One of the sundials can measure time to within two seconds. Principle use is for astrological divining for the timing of key events, like marriages, of which over 70% are still arranged by the families. Everyone we talked, to including the very highly educated, had arranged marriages, but for one guy who claimed he sought out a wife on his own.

Greetings from Jaisalmer

Nice time here. Fascinating place, on the edge of the great desert and very close to Pakistan. On to Jaipur - the Pink City - in about an hour.

Mr. Singh taking a cell call. You should hear him sing "Hotel California" - bound to be a highlight of the DVD.


Mr. Singh, our very cool camel driver, with his grandson.



Our desert sunrise team.




Jain Temples - fascinating place, religion and people.





D. considers upgrading her jewelry.






The Goldden City

Jodhpur

Pronounced with a long "o", as in "code."

D. corners the only guy we saw wearing jodhpurs. He's the head of the local tourist guide association.

The cenotaph wasn't opened so we climbed the ridge behind it fo some more pics.

A sunrise stroll.

Great streets in the old quarter where we're staying.

It's called the Blue City - duhhhh. They add indigo to the whitewash.

Takes two to wrap a turban - slows the volunteer fire department down a bit.

Some of the extraordinary lattice work, for the women to view goings on free of "the gaze of men."

Amid all the wonderful carving and art work they chose to add Christmas tree balls (borrowed from the British). Our hotel room had them too.

The magnificent Merengarh Fort, with the best audio tour I've ever taken.

The view from our breakfast nook.

Our breakfast nook.

Keoladeo NP

This was a great bird park. We had an excellent guide and wonderful luck We saw some things the guide said some people go a whole week without spotting, including a spotted hyena, which he said was only the fourth he'd seen in the 12 years he's been guiding here.

Birding Raj style.


The hophoe - wins the Most Exotic award



Young India rock python we stalked - 8 to 9 feet long.




India's spotted owl - not endangered here, judging by how many we saw.

Orchha - a hidden treasure

Another one of those gems that D. always seems to come up with spontaneously in our travels. A medieval ghost town, that looks as though folks just left.



Breakfast nook at our hotel.

The rest of the Khajuraho story

More than erotica......

Getting Lazy

We have fallen off the intrepid tourist wagon by eschewing the overcrowded local buses for a car and driver for the last two short journeys. I must say it was quite comfy and cozy. Also, after about 40 straight days of Indian food, we spied Cafe Meditteraneo featuring an Italian chef. We never saw anyone who looked Italian but we did have two tasty meals of Italian delights there including some breakfast cappuccino--a nice change from chai.

Orchha was a pleasant surprise we added to our itinerary after Khajuraho and we enjoyed the deserted feel of the place and its beautiful ruins of palace and walled medieval city--kind of a ramshackle Carcasonne. It was especially appealing because of the beautiful parakeets flying about and the giant king vultures coming in to roost in the turrets at dusk.

As we were walking around the ramparts, 3 monkeys were in our way and hissing and not letting us pass (just like squirrels, these are not the cute creatures you first think they are). Too bad I didn't have the camera at that point as R got a big stick and tore after them waving and yelling. I guess he seemed pretty ferocious, as they lit out for the top of the tree.

We have spent the last two days in a national park with fabulous birding. Pictures will follow, but internet in this place is very poor and he can't upload. Time is flying and we still have Rajastan and all its great spots to cram in. Overnight train to Jodhput tonight--yes, that place that the special riding pants come from.

Proud Parents

Happy birthday to our dear son Adam. We have recently found out that he has received a postdoctoral fellowship to Princeton for next year. Way to go Adam.

Free 10th century porn!

After a midnight to to 7am train ride (don't try that at home), we're in Khajuraho. Tomorrow we'll visit a medieval ghost town, and then move on to a bird sanctuary near Agra, where we'll spen a couple of days.

This, believe it or not, is on a very holy temple. And they explain it with a straight face.




What the???????????

Killin' time

Hello. We're hanging out, waiting to head to the train station for another overnight train - this time to Khajuraho (yes, the one with the sexy statues). One last Veranasi thought - this is perhaps the oldest city in the world - judging at least by the layers of excrement and uric acid on the ghats.


Had to throw in one more shot from the pujas. We just did our third night.


Buddhist monks at Sarnath. Seems strange to see Buddhist things after all the Hinduism, but it was, after all, a derivative of Hinduism.



Sarnath, where Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon - to five followers - where the stupa is set in the background.




A vegetarian paradise.





Newlyweds. Note the scarf she's trailing him with. Saw one couple where the bride stopped to do something with her mother and the groom kept going. They jerked him back.