We don't usually believe in quitting while the sun is still shining, so we ended the day with a city tour of Jaipur, led by a new guide booked through Audley Travel. His day job is teaching high school, and he was great!
Jaipur, by the way, is the capital and largest city in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. With a population of over three million, it is also the 10th largest city in the entire country. It is known as the "Pink City" due to the dominant pink color of the buildings in the old city. Along with Delhi and Agra, it is part of what is known as the "Golden Triangle" tourist circuit.
Jaipur appears in popular western culture. Paul McCartney wrote a song entitled "Riding into Jaipur" that is mostly Indian-themed sitar music with just a few words: "Riding into Jaipur, Riding through the night, Riding with my baby, Oh what a delight." The city is also the setting for the 2011 movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its 2015 sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
We began at the Hawa Mahal, or "Palace of Winds," built in 1799 from red and pink sandstone by the grandson of the founder of the city. The palace has 953 windows. The iconic view that we saw is actually the BACK of the palace!
It's always good to start off with a snack (or two), and our guide waited in line for this fried something (I can't remember what), served to us on a used page from a child's workbook, and then another treat served on a leaf.
Small shops specialize in a few items. This one sells beans and string.
We loved seeing this young man trying on wedding gear.
However, there were many more shops for WOMEN'S wedding attire, which is no surprise. Indian weddings are very elaborate and very, very expensive.
Then there is the "everyday" clothing shops with their gorgeous saris that the shopkeepers pull out one after the other for potential buyers.
The Indian women do love bold color, and I liked this juxtoposition of western and local formalwear for men.
You'd think by now we would be used to the crowds, to the tangled mess of electrical wires overhead, and to monkeys in unexpected places, but we never did acclimate to those things.
The alleys of Jaipur have everything, from kites to jewelry. See the shoes in front of the necklace display case? Customers take off their shoes before going in and often sit on the floor.
There are lots of different kinds of food for sale. Even though we didn't try everything, the boys were still happy travelers.
This building looks fancy. Let's go inside!
Our guide probably told us what it is, but I can't remember. I'm not sure if it is abandoned or being remodeled. Someone's laundry is strung up in the courtyard. Maybe a caretaker's?
It would make a great setting for a mystery novel. It's not a place we would ever venture into without a guide.
Old doors all over the world are so beautiful. Our doors in the US are so boring.
We saw little stands selling these packets everywhere in India. At first I thought they might be lottery tickets, but I think they are gutka, a kind of highly addictive chewing tobacco that turns red in the user's mouth and is the reason we saw signs that said "No spitting."
I am amazed by the number of homemade sweets for sale that were totally unfamiliar to us. As noted earlier, we didn't try everything, but we did try quite a few of them.
The locals like sticky sweets, and we liked them too.
Seeing how much we were enjoying the new tastes and flavors we were encountering in Jaipur, our guide took us down a side alley to Vijay Lal Achar Wala, a tiny shop famous all over the world (so they say) for its pickles, none of which appeared to be cucumbers. In fact, their most popular item is mango pickles.
Of course, we had to try it. Stan proclaimed it "Delicious, but unlike anything else I've ever tasted." I think we all agreed.
There are all kinds of shops in the Jaipur alleys, from roasted peanut vendors to art galleries. I could wander for hours (if I felt comfortable going alone as Bob reaches his shopping limit much sooner than I do).
Our long walk brought us back to where we began--the Hawa Mahal. The traffic is insane, just like it is everywhere in India.
The four of us in front of the back of the Hawa Mahal . . .
. . . and Bob and I with our excellent guide. I wish I had written down his name.
(Bob) By the time we did this evening tour, I'd had it. Walking through the extremely crowded small alleys, battling insane traffic and seeing store after store of wedding gear and anything else you can imagine, I was on life support. I was very happy to see the end of this day. I loved the art place earlier in the day, where artists were painting and drawing, but the shoes, shirts, wedding gowns, electronics and everything else being sold where we walked in the evening was like being on a QVC set.
(Bob) By the time we did this evening tour, I'd had it. Walking through the extremely crowded small alleys, battling insane traffic and seeing store after store of wedding gear and anything else you can imagine, I was on life support. I was very happy to see the end of this day. I loved the art place earlier in the day, where artists were painting and drawing, but the shoes, shirts, wedding gowns, electronics and everything else being sold where we walked in the evening was like being on a QVC set.
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