My compartment

Great excitement!!!! My first train trip in India.  I must also say that I haven’t been on a train of any kind, anywhere in years and I love traveling by train.  The train that took us to Jaipur wasn’t a fancy one but Himmat got us into a compartment on our own, and so I enjoyed a peaceful and uneventful trip, watching the world go by.  Traveling by train is infinitely better than air travel.

After the usual booking into the hotel and all that, it was time to go to movies…..oh yes…..I was going to see a Bollywood movie in India in a very beautiful movie theatre.  This trip just keeps getting better and better.  After getting tickets, we had lunch at McDonalds and then took our seats.  Well, my eyes were glued to the screen the whole way through the movie.  There were no sub titles and I don’t speak Hindi, but I had no problem following the story.  The movie was about a good policewoman who is posted to a place where police corruption is rife.  She of course triumphs and gets the better of the baddies.  The audience got so involved and cheered and clapped and booed and laughed throughout, really adding to the overall experience.  I LOVED it and could have stayed for a double feature.

The day was almost over, but not quite.  It was great to be able to walk through the streets after dark and experience the sights and sounds of the city.  We had dinner at a place that reminded me of the old fashioned corner grocers.  It wasn’t big at all and we were lucky to find 2 seats, but the food was good and I was experiencing India as the Indians do.

Day 2 in Jaipur dawned and I was going back to one of my favourite places – the fort.  We got there by tuk tuk and before starting the long climb, we had a cup or 2 of coffee.  As you can imagine, there are many vendors taking advantage of the tourist trade in and around the fort.  The climb up the stairs started and I must say it would have been great if I had been wearing a hat.  The heat from the sun was really intense but because it is in the desert, any bit of shade provides relief.

I got really close to the Elephants which made Himmat a bit nervous.  They carry tourists up along the same route we walked, and it was so cool walking side by side with those magnificent animals – WOW they are BIG.  I will let the pictures do the talking from here…….

When I was able to drag myself away, we made our way back down the stairs, and when Himmat was happy with the price quoted for the tuk tuk fare, we journeyed back to the city.  Our next stop was lunch and I have to say getting into an air-conditioned restaurant was a massive relief.  We had had a long walk from the place where the tuk tuk dropped us off, slowing down to admire and take photos of the Jal Mahal - the Water Palace, gorgeous goodies being sold on the sidewalks and the Hawa Mahal.  Being in the sun for any length of time was getting more and more uncomfortable and it was with a raspberry red face that I sat down.  A young boy sang and danced for me which was really cute, and we had a delicious meal.

Right, my face was a normal colour again and I was ready to get back out there……

Watching the world go by in Jaipur

I wanted to look at jewellery on this trip….something I hadn’t done at all during my previous adventure.  Naturally, Himmat knew exactly where to take me.  First stop was a lovely jeweller who, apart from selling me some beautiful pieces, gave me the shopping experience of a lifetime.  Since returning I can’t wait to wear my earrings and the beautiful ring I bought.  From there, we went to another shop who dazzled me with everything from jewellery to Indian Bindi’s – you name it, they had it.  So, heavily laden and with the sun getting lower we left and I think this is when I had my first ride in a rickshaw.  It is basically a bicycle with a seat attached for passengers.  Definitely the most embarrassing ride I’ve ever had.  The poor “driver” was a slight man who I have no doubt is extremely fit, but when you have to pull a great white Amazon up a hill……well…….  I was so tempted to get out and either just walk or help the poor guy push the ruddy thing.  I was subjected to this mental anguish twice in Jaipur, and my only solace when I think about these experiences is that I helped put food on their table.

Walking through the markets in Jaipur is such a great experience.  I am not a fan of crowds and I am really not eloquent enough to explain why being jostled in an extremely crowded, noisy place is an exciting experience.  Perhaps it’s because I was on holiday and I was after all in India….Incredible India as Himmat kept reminding me.

I was taken to a store where Himmat used to work.  This place has several floors and each floor is jam packed with stock of every description….a veritable Aladdin’s cave.  Himmat naturally wanted to catch up with old friends and colleagues and I stood on the top floor balcony happily watching the world go by below.

It was time to find somewhere to have dinner and get back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.  The following day was “Taj Mahal” day.