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I was running out of steam on the road. Since I was in the area I figured Jaipur was a must see city before I hung up my Rajasthan tour. My travel style is increasingly “less is more," staying in an area for at least three weeks. This helps to get oriented, learn the rhythms and weather and people of a place. But here I was not doing that, only going to a select few destinations on the tourist map. As I mentioned, it is easy to look at a map and say, I want to go there, there and there… and then there. But then trying to live out those travel plans was growing increasingly exhausting. I had been on the road at this point for about four and half months. At times my health had worn quite thin. This is why I chose to linger so long in Puri, Pondicherry and Kovalam.

To continue a bit on this segway, when I go to a large museum, I am similarly overwhelmed. In these instances I also opt for the “less is more” approach. It is better to take the time to absorb some of the artwork than to try to absorb it all. Artists and craftspeople put so much work into the masterpieces behind the glass, it does not make sense to rush through the many exhibits in order to “see it all.” Cities are no different. I think a lot of people do this so that when they are asked they can say, yes, I did see it or yes I did go there. But this approach does not allow the visitor to fully get to know a place or a work of art. Much is missed in the rush.

Anyways, in going to Gujarat and then Rajasthan, I had reembarked on my sight-seeing journey, however minimal it was. I figured I would at least have two Rajasthani cities under my belt. Jaipur seemed a lot more normal and less touristy than Udaipur. It seemed to have normal businesses other than those of the tourist variety. Jaipur is called the pink city due to this color’s dominance in a number of buildings throughout. I noted this as I walked around. I also noticed a plethora of monkeys that would traverse the tops of the buildings and even walk plainly in the street. I guess it is my American heritage that make the sight of monkeys out and about so remarkable. I did my best the steer clear of them and they me.

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Through booking dot com I found a guesthouse that was relatively centrally located. I had some regrets upon arriving there. As usual the photos on the site listing had been overly flattering. There had been nothing to show the true scale of things. The mattress was about two inches thick and the room did not have a bathroom. One had to walk outside onto the narrow terrace to reach it. When I did I was appalled by how tiny it was. My hand with fingers extended could not fit into the tiny sink. A large number of people lived in the building of the guesthouse. They were all around, all the time. This did not provide any sense of privacy. Anyway, I had already paid for the lodging so I had to take whatever came with my choice.

Jaipur was a lot larger and more bustling than Udaipur. I found myself getting lost and disoriented a few times. I took some photos of the narrow lanes leading to the guesthouse on either side so that I could find my way back in a pinch. I was glad that I did this once it got dark. For a few days I walked the city, using my phone as my guide to see what I could. My first official visit was to the City Palace. It was ok but left a lot to be desired. Being frugal I hated that to costs for entry were so high. In addition to the inflated foreigner price, there were tiered ticket options that grew increasingly expensive the more access that they gave you. I chose the basic option and I think it cost me about twenty dollars for entry. That is three nights accommodation for me. Once I had that ticket I found myself prevented from entering a lot of areas of the palace. I could only walk up to the outside and try to get a gander within. The guards at the gate, with classic Rajasthani looks including turban and waxed mustache, encouraged me to take a photo of them. Then they demanded payment for the photo. The constant milking of the tourist grated on me and I cut short my visit to the palace.

Walking the city was more rewarding for me, as it always is. In Jaipur there were all sorts of shops and craftspeople making and selling and cooking things for locals, not tourists. For me this made for more of an authentic cultural experience. A man stopped me and chatted me up, insisting that I enjoy a chai with him right there on the street. We had a nice little exchange and thankfully he did not present any hustle or business proposition. This was so nice for a change. I learned from him that Jaipur is a center of the jewel business and also for suit tailoring. I sort of regret that I never had a suit made there. I only have an occasion to wear one every ten years or so, but the chance to afford a custom suit that does not look goofy, ill-fitting or cheap, is a rare one indeed. Perhaps I will visit Jaipur again for this purpose.

As is my tendency when traveling I sought out the library of the city and went inside. It was a wonderful, multi-storied affair full of texts and the dank, dusty smells of old books. I was actually looking for a place to work. I forgot to mention that upon returning to Ahmedabad from Palitana I had bought the apple keyboard. I had a lot of hand-written notes to type. There were a slew of young Indians studying at the library. Busting out the ipad and keyboard in the library turned out to be folly. Such hardware was really exotic in Jaipur and many of them gathered around to admire what one of them called “the prize" of the ipad. These youngsters were all very hospitable and respectful and we had a nice visit. I did not get a lot done though and I was obviously distracting them from their studies. I moved on.

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I had become a regular at a simple restaurant not far from the library. That day I decided to walk beyond it to explore a bit. Soon my legs grew tired and I wished for rest. Just before I turned around a group of poor people approached me and asked me for rupees. I never feel right giving money but I wanted to give something. I invited them to lunch with me. The group of four of them followed me back to the restaurant. When I went to enter the proprietor barred them from entry. It turned out my simple gesture of goodwill was sort of rocking the boat of how things were done at the restaurant. I communicated my desire to buy lunch for the group and the proprietor kept insisting that instead I go to the lower level tables and wait for my food. I sensed that if I did that who knows what, if anything, would be given to the hungry group I had brought along.

The proprietor did not want them in his restaurant. So I decided to wait on the street for him to prepare “parcels” to go for all of them. Then he handed the group the parcels and looked pleadingly at me as if to say, “See, I am giving them the food. Now please go below and have yours.” The whole scenario was strange. The results of my desire to help had sort of backfired. But at least the group got some food. I went below and ordered my lunch, thinking about how I still could never really know how things would pan out in India, or exactly what was going on around me. This continues to this day, although with each day I catch on more.

One night I had walked a few blocks to a very simple local restaurant for some rice, veg and dal. A man eating there struck up a conversation with me. He paid me what I thought was the ultimate compliment as a traveler in India. Based on my dress and behavior he had assumed that I lived and worked there! He then proceeded to invite me to his upcoming wedding. Unfortunately it was all very rushed and I didn’t end up renting the tuxedo or getting the details from him in time.

On another day I was ushered into a jewel man's shop for tea. I knew he intended to solicit business but I let his charming insistence of "just looking," and my need for interaction, allow this to happen. It was a mistake, just as I thought. The next mistake was to talk politics with the man. He turned out to be an Indian Trumper. It was embarrassing enough being an American abroad and, to many people, a walking representation of that administration. It was deeply troubling to meet this businessman that was so enthusiastic about Mr T. In no time I had had more than enough and took the chance of offending the man by exiting stage left.

I splurged and took the bus to the Amber Fort, one of the many forts on the Rajasthani tourist trail. Here I was definitely in a large herd of tourists. People all around were making money off of the steady stream of visitors. Again entry was quite high, 20 or 30 dollars I believe. It was a vast and stunning complex of engineering and architectural work. I have never seen much of Europe nor any medieval castles. The Amber Fort was obviously a very old, heavily fortified fortress surrounded by walls and turrets and narrow walkways that oversaw the whole complex. It even had a large pond out front that was clearly strategically placed. The desert sun bounced off the tan earth and the similarly colored monuments. I was amazed at the intricacy of the designs throughout the complex. The high, mountainous desert landscape added drama to the complex nestled along the peaks and ridges. It was an amazing sight. The Amber Fort could not have been an easy thing to create. I would not be surprised to learn that it took hundreds of years to construct. I am a little at a loss for words to try to describe all this so I will let the pictures try to do it for me.

My chapter in Jaipur was coming to an end, leaving the Taj Mahal as one of the last stops on my tourist trail. After that I intended to escape the increasing heat and bustle by visiting the high Himalaya of Himachal Pradesh. The Hungarian had suggested a spot to stay there nestled among apple and fruit orchards and cool mountain air.

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