What all we did?
Went to Maharani factory. bought to razayis.
Visited city palace.
Went up to Amber fort, bought gifts for friends. Wanted to ride an elephant, but couldnot do that. Had 2 glasses of butter-milk. Oh nothing's better than curd, when it comes to refreshing you.
Hawa Mahal. Ate at Kallu ka hotel. A very famous name in the old jaipur area.
Albert Hall. Took a horse ride. Sat a while. looked at the pigeons. and once even ran in them.
And den left for gurgaon.
For a third person, this is all we did. And the story would really be as boring and dumb as i just told you. But for us, it was totally different. Yes, we actually did go to these places. Amazing places.
The palaces, the forts. The people then really knew how to live in splendour.
A very interesting thing that i found in jaipur was, that every man there is a salesperson for jaipur. We asked someone on the street about the where-abouts of maharani factory, and he started on how and what can we find in that place, as soon as he was done giving the directions. Got to know about the 100g razayi, even before i had a chance to reach there. And i am sure, if i had talked to him a few more minutes, i would have gone and bought everything present there.
Finally when we went ahead a little more and got confused about the place again, we got a chance to talk to another sales-person. And this time he was an auto-rickshaw waala. Either these guys are all trained in salesman-ship, or they really are proud of the place. And i am very sure, its the latter that's true.
City palace is huge. You could smell the royalty, the courage and the valour in the very air that blows inside.
Amber fort was our next stop. The curvaceous roads that led to the fort were a delight to ride. Elephants with their mahouts, camels and horses with their riders were a common sight. I couldvisualise the life of ppl who lived in those forts and palaces and if anyone had ever lived like kings it had to be the maharajas and maharanis of jaipur. Outside the entrance a local was selling some items of rajasthani handicrafts. Beautiful and traditional jewellery, key chains, show pieces... they were all in abundance. We bought a few of them for our friends and entered the fort; by the time we returned back from Amber fort, we were dead twice over with the uphill walk (that we did 2 times, just for the fun of it). Two glasses of butter-milk and a bottle of soda for handique was all we needed to start once again and the journey resumed.
Our "paapi paet" had by then started growling and we had to go on the search of "Kallu ka hotel". After roaming around the Hawa mahal for some time, we finally found it hidden among the whole length and breadth of pink buildings. To Handique's disappointment and mine elation, it didn't look like a very sophisticated restaurant. It was just a dhaba. And that too very shabbily maintained.
Amber fort was a pleasure. Met some very interesting people. Exchanged my pea-nut masala for bananas with one of them. Did horse riding, although it was not much of it, as the guy would not allow me to take the reins in my hand. So, effectively i was just sitting on it, while he did all the walking. But I for once became a child again, and loved even that. The humpy, bumpy and very short ride that i had cost me 50 bucks, but i knew if he wud have asked 4 times over, i wud have been happy to pay.
And den we were off for Gurgaon.
Jaipur. Ha!! Jaipur, I will sure come to you again. Just wait and watch.
