Jaipur

Jaipur, to us, was a city of forts, palaces, pink walls, friendly people, gems, carpets, and animals.

Driving from the airport early in the morning, we turned a corner and saw a camel pulling a cart. Around the next corner, there was an elephant lumbering down the middle of the road! We also saw monkeys, donkeys, peacocks, and - of course - cows. We even got to ride elephants up to the Amber Palace on our second day in Jaipur.

The first day, though, we took in the splendid weather to visit the Jai Mahal - a palace built on a lake and located (conveniently) across the road from our hotel. We also walked around the City Palace (which is still owned and operated by the Maharaja of Jaipur) and see its museum, including caligraphed and illuminated Hindu and Muslim texts. After that, we ventured up into the hills to the Jaigarh Fort for breathtaking views of the valley, beautiful architecture, and a traditional Rajasthani puppet show. D and K even got to ride a camel around the Fort.

We spent the evening shopping - Jaipur is known for gems and carpets. And we were able to find a restaurant that everyone could agree on in the hotel. By then, we were exhausted - a 5:45am flight can do that to you.

So we got an early start the second day and rode a pair of elephants up to the Amber Palace, just outside of Jaipur city. To make the India experience that much more complete, a man was charming a black cobra in the parking lot. Carved of marble, and built out over the course of three generations, the palace was very impressive.

Towards dusk, we braved the mosquitos and headed out to the Tiger fort, for beautiful views of the city all lit up.

Rajasthan was a place I'd definitely want to explore more of. The trip is winding to a close, with Delhi as our last stop before we cross the Pacific again.