Redefined Timeline

Let the cacophony of vehicle horns continue, as well as chaotic streets, real life frogger to cross through intersections at your own risk, and obnoxious venders refusing to relent. Delicious cups of masala chai tea from a random street chef, along with rooftop dinner with an astounding sunset, and insane tuk tuk rides around the city. These things punctuated my time in Jaipur, India.

Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan, and it is home to seven million inhabitants. Founded in 1727, Jaipur’s old city is referred to as the Pink City because the dominant color of the urban area is, you guessed it, pink. Along with Agra and Delhi, Jaipur is another stop on the tourist circuit known as the Golden Triangle. One of the official languages is Hindi with the second being English. It makes navigating the city much easier since a majority of the people spoke decent English. There is an incredible juxtaposition between buildings in the city – ancient architecture sitting directly next to a brand new Kia dealership, as one example.

The guide took us on a walking tour through Jaipur one afternoon. We explored alleyways lined with flower markets that bled into food markets. They were teeming with sellers adorning their claimed areas with mounds of blossoms. I have never seen that many flowers arranged in such considerable piles.

The flowers quickly turned to food vendors. Much like the bus that brought us there, be prepared for a hodgepodge of smells accosting your nostrils. I found myself missing the aroma of perennials. Oh, and watch out for the occasional cow meandering through. They do have the right-of-way.

We stopped for masala chai tea along a busy street. We watched the enthusiastic bloke preparing the tea. With much gusto, he combined the few ingredients the recipe called for – the tea blend, sugar and milk. I may have partaken in a couple of refills. It was my new favorite drink.

One of the main attractions in Jaipur’s city center is Hawa Mahal, or “Palace of the Winds,” which sits along a main drag. The palace is a large, rose colored building with an extraordinarily intricate exterior. Adorning the lower levels of the surrounding streets you will find stall after stall of shops selling goods from clothing to your run of the mill touristy knick-knacks to handmade goods and food. My tour-mate, Julia, and I spent an entire afternoon wandering the boutiques. If you don’t leave Jaipur with something new for your wardrobe, you weren’t trying very hard!

During the aforementioned tour, minding my own business strolling down a street, I was shat on by a hawk flying overhead. Who gets dumped on by a hawk, of all things? Me, apparently, that’s who. The German girl on our tour said it must be good luck, and not only that, it was decided since it was a hawk, and not just any old bird, the good luck would last a lifetime! Fingers crossed.

The local wildlife in Jaipur is of the farm variety. Watch where you step because cows are prevalent, and they often leave behind little treats in the middle of the street, or sidewalk, or dirt gullies along the streets. Also, give them a wide berth, they are sacred in India. While traversing the roads, other wildlife will include chickens and goats. The goats are quite adorable, and some do like to put on a show for pedestrians.

We stayed at the Rawla Mrignayani Palace farther from the city center. The hotel could only be described as unique in layout. Getting lost in its halls was a distinct possibility. Hallways narrowed, traversed upward, before more stairs took you around three corners just to head downward again. Thankfully, the extremely odd decor made navigating the corridors a bit easier (except everything from trolls, cherubs, Buddhas, and weird Egyptian art). Bathing involved a spigot and a bucket, and don’t even attempt to figure out what the dozen or so light switches do – you’ll never be successful and neither did I. To get to my shared, large room, my roommate and I had to leave the interior, cross a courtyard, go through another doorway that lead down a set of stairs covered with a canopy of vines. The courtyard in question could be perilous if you had any sort of food items on your person. The monkeys had learned tourists liked to eat breakfast on that patio, and the little fuckers would regularly relieve you of your nourishment.

The night before, four of us were enjoying the views from the rooftop of the hotel. As the sun was setting, we savored the cool breeze as we watched children playing down below. Out of the blue, a troop of monkeys, all with food already clutched in their grimy little paws, decided we were their next target. Initially, they scattered when I ran at them like a rabid dog. However, my tour mates elected to run to the door about then and abandoned me outside after locking the gate. The apes realized I was outnumbered. With a quickness, the largest charged at me while howling like a crazed trash panda. I was forced to retreat, at which point, I grabbed hold of a nearby chair to use as a weapon. While repeatedly slamming the metal chair into the ground, I screeched psychotically at the little thieves. Thankfully, the show of strength scared the little bastards away.

The morning before we left Jaipur, I had a triumphant moment in the courtyard garden. I ate an entire orange without a single monkey daring to interrupt me. Perhaps the ones from the evening before passed on my heroic pursuits.

The world is much smaller than people realize. While at the hotel restaurant, I ran into someone I had met in Peru the year prior. Janeen and I had coincidentally ended up on separate India tours a year after we met in Peru for the GX Summit. Janeen’s group included another woman I knew I had met previously, but I could not for the life of me place which tour it was.

Jaipur sunsets are a sight to see, especially from a rooftop restaurant. Our guide took us to Dagla, House of Kalwara. After a crazy tuk tuk ride through the tumultuous streets, we all filed up to the rooftop patio for a wonderful dinner with a view. I was approached by another winged creature, but thankfully, this one did not assault me with feces. Perhaps he was also basking in the sunset.

The group took a Jeep excursion up to the Amber Fort, just under seven miles from Jaipur’s downtown. The fort is located atop a high hill, and again, red sandstone and marble make up the architecture. It consists of six separate main sections, each complete with its own courtyard. Wandering through the interior of the six structures was maze-like, hallways opening to rooms used for unknown purposes, connected to other halls leading to yet more rooms. The maze made more sense when I learned that the king had created the palace with a very distinct purpose. He had twelve wives, so a separate corridor was created so that he could visit each spouse secretly without anyone else knowing which wife he was ensconced with when. Clever man.

From Jaipur, our tour took us to a small village in the rural part of central India, Tordi Sāgar.

March 2024