Jaipur - It's Pink

The visit to Jaipur started the way most of our arrivals to new cities begin; with an auto rickshaw driver telling us that he is our friend and can show us anything we want for only Rs 400 a day. This time his name was Sonu and he kept proclaiming that most Indians see white skin and think "money", but he sees white skin and thinks "friendship". He even whipped out a binder full of letters and notes people have written him from all over the world, and made me read them all. After much debate, we let Sonu drive us to get coffee at an Indian coffee house the next morning. He treated, which was very generous, but since we declined his city tour, he now ignores us when he sees us. Interesting.

We are staying at a quiet little guest house with a sweet Indian family. The walls of the guest house are covered in reviews and thank you notes from other travelers. This family has been able to create a serene environment in a city of chaos. Jaipur is what I have come to call "souvenir city". There are miles of pink clay buildings and outdoor bizarres selling anything from scarves to lawnmowers. The sun setting on the pink clay is what gives Jaipur it's nickname, "The Pink City". You should be mentally prepared for battle before you enter this section of Jaipur...seriously. We bought a few trinkets, stopped by a local fruit stand, and then set off to find a quiet place. We found it...at a jewelry emporium. The bouncer had to enter a code in a fancy security system to let us in. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I looked like a mix between the Lochness Monster and Tarzan. Gypsy or not, they still recognized the sparkle in my eye as a weakness for ancient jewelry. There was an entire level dedicated to traditional 18 carat gold Indian jewelry and gems. After one hour in the store and a small swipe of the credit card, Maire and Missy dragged me out of the store.

What is the best activity to partake in after a little retail therapy? A visit to an ancient Fort...clearly. Again, we were the only ones at this tourist attraction, which is beginning to become a trend that I appreciate. We ran around the fort like little kids following stray dogs, wild boars, and monkeys. How many times in my life am I going to be able to run wild in a castle looking structure? Not many...we took advantage. A beautiful full moon followed us around that evening, and had the thousands of stray dogs in Jaipur howling like wolves. As a group, we decided that this fort was the greatest structure we have seen in India and that we would visit it again the following day when it was light out.



After another wild rickshaw ride home, Maire wasn't feeling well, so Missy and I ended our evening with dinner and ice cream at the local mall food court. Don't judge us.

Day two in Jaipur was the most blissful day of the trip so far. Maire was stuck in bed the entire day, so I feel guilty making such a statement, but it's true. Missy and I were flagged down by the greatest auto rickshaw driver to exist in India. The man has 23 grandchildren and a wise sense of humor. He made several pit stops throughout the day out of the goodness of his heart because he believed them necessary if we were really going to see Jaipur. Our first stop was an abandoned Hindu Temple that looked like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. I kept stepping over bricks and tiles that looked like they could secretly be trap doors. Afterward, he drove us back to the Fort so we could do the famous climb to the top. This excursion was by far the most difficult climb I have ever done, but the top boasted the most beautiful views in Jaipur. All around us was a panorama of greenery, small villages, ancient temples, and the fort walls. At least 10 times Missy claimed, "This is soooo amazing!". Hours went by before we descended the steps to grab chai with some of the local villagers. During our chai break, our driver decided to tell us that he was worried about us climbing the stairs because there were tigers and panthers at the top that have attacked tourists in the past...ummmm such information could have been much more helpful before such an adventure.





Our final stop in Jaipur was at a local textile factory where we were able to watch men making rugs and stamping fabrics. We were led into a room to watch a demonstration of the different classes of fabrics "for look only". Yeah right. Three hours and five cups of chai tea later, Missy and I walked out of that place with our hands full. The fabrics of India are indescribably beautiful and I found the entire ordeal positively overwhelming. At one point Missy had to pull me aside and say "Alysa...breathe...you don't have to get all your souvenirs here...we have ten more weeks". We drove home with stomachs full of chai, the backseat full of gifts, and big smiles on our faces.