Jaipur Day 2

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I have suddenly woken up to the fact that I am lagging behind in my blogging. This came to me as a realization when I was reviewing things in my head this morning. My usual routine involves a 20 minute (thankfully so) drive from my home to office. I usually spend this time planning out my day and prioritizing. And when I thought that I must blog about the delicious Broccoli Soup I made yesterday, I realized that I had promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep….well, ok not really but I do have a long list of pending blogs. Besides a new Broccoli soup recipe I created and tried, I also have to finish the Jaipur travelogue (it seems that the trip ended on Day 1), a review of Luck By Chance and I have a half written draft of one about Indian culture and politics. So here’s an attempt to clear my closet. You can expect some rapid 2-3 blogs from me this week.

Where was I….yes, so we woke up on a lovely Sunday morning in this Rajasthani Suite. Sitting on the verandah, sipping tea from my silver teacup on this gorgeous sunny winter morning, I couldn’t help but feel content. THIS is what life was all about! We had a splendid breakfast on the patio and drove off towards the City Palace. Whoever warned you against Jaipur traffic was really not kidding, just try to drive from the gate of Johri Bazaar towards the City Palace, a distance of merely 400ft and you will know what I mean. The place is a mad-house, one that makes Chandni Chowk look orderly! Having said that, the govt/ royal family have done a great job with maintaining the look and feel of the old city. The walled city still has the same structures that existed before and the markets are all built like the olden times with arches and small stores (a similar standardizing exercise is being done in CP in Delhi now). The City Palace itself unfortunately was not much to write home about. I know now why Jaipur is a poorer cousin of Agra in the Tourist circuit. The momuments here have been disregarded and are in a state of complete disrepair. The museums within the City Palace are worth a look, there is one for arms, one for textiles, one showcasing their transport vehicles and a Durbar hall which has a grand chandelier. The fable goes that to ensure that the ceiling could take the weight of the chandelier, the Maharaja got 4 elephants to climb on top of the building and check for sturdiness.



After a quick round, we once again braved the Jaipur Traffic and took off towards the Jaigarh fort. The fort boasts to have the largest cannon in the world (Jaivana) but besides this, the fort doesn’t hold your attention. It is merely a series of high walls (that block the view) surrounding a pit (which to my imagination must have been the treasure area that was looted by Indira Gandhi). Not recommended.

So, we set off towards Delhi, saying goodbye to Jaipur. A delicious dhaaba (roadside eatery) lunch and an endless stretch of road took us back to our home.