For our next excursion, the three of us woke up at 5am to drive five hours down to Jaipur. Anuj had stayed up very late making mix CDs with all of his favorite music. However, when we got in the car the CD didn't work! So, we switched to a newer car. It still didn't work. Then we tried to burn a new CD, use a USB...we tried pretty much everything, but there was no music. Our driver was this funny awesome man. He told us that he had two kids, and got married at 16.
Once in Jaipur, it definitely felt desert-y. We first did a tour of the Amber Fort (but not as magnificent as Udaipur...we've been spoiled again!) We had a silly tourguide who kept telling us, "Do you want to take the 10 best pictures of your life?" He also kept telling me I was beautiful trying to hit on me in the most hilariously unsmooth, but funny, ways. We all enjoyed ourselves. It was a beautiful day.
On our way out, we all were harassed by peddlers. I had a pretty epic bargaining conversation with a man (I didn't want to buy anything). He kept telling me to say a price, so I said something offensively low. Then he told me that many people pay 3x that for one. I said, "Well they must be rich! I am poor!" In the end, I ended up buying a piece of artwork that I didn't want or need, but it was only 50 rupees (about $1).
Then, we headed to the "Golden Tulip" hotel that Melissa treated us to. It was so nice, and quite a luxury (especially for me!) after roughing it for the past few months. We were so exhausted that we all just rested and watched TV. Melissa and I each took separate lovely bubble baths!!! Then we wanted to order in McDonald's but they didn't deliver (how dare they!) So, Anuj and I went out to pick it up. It took us TWO HOURS! It was cool to see the beef-less McDonald's though...no hamburgers! Also, there was a big collection box for unused ketchup packets (brilliant!)
At night I remember being absolutely exhausted, but sucked it up and went to this amazing cultural outdoor fair called Chokhi Dhani. There was traditional food, henna, elephant and camel rides, traditional dancing, a ferris wheel and more! Melissa and I had some joyous dancing with cute little girls (it was really fun) before they wouldn't let go of our hands whining "Moneyy, moneyy!"I got henna done (very exciting!) and we rode the fastest, rickety-ist ferris wheel before sitting down to the included traditional dinner.
The next morning we stopped by a government craft store. It actually was so cool and we spent several hours there. I learned all about block (stamps) used for dying patterns onto fabrics, carpet knotting, and more. Next time I go back to India, I am buying a 100 percent silk blanket!!!
Back in Dehli (our last day) we went shopping with Shivani and Shirien...for what turned out to be EIGHT hours. I bought a pretty pair of yellow-peep toe bow straw shoes, as well as two pairs of stone/ jeweled earrings (that Anuj helped me with haha). We went out for a pizza dinner, and then home to finish packing.
This India trip flew by. Definitely one of the best, most fun trips I've ever taken :)! I can't wait to explore Southern India now...
Once in Jaipur, it definitely felt desert-y. We first did a tour of the Amber Fort (but not as magnificent as Udaipur...we've been spoiled again!) We had a silly tourguide who kept telling us, "Do you want to take the 10 best pictures of your life?" He also kept telling me I was beautiful trying to hit on me in the most hilariously unsmooth, but funny, ways. We all enjoyed ourselves. It was a beautiful day.
On our way out, we all were harassed by peddlers. I had a pretty epic bargaining conversation with a man (I didn't want to buy anything). He kept telling me to say a price, so I said something offensively low. Then he told me that many people pay 3x that for one. I said, "Well they must be rich! I am poor!" In the end, I ended up buying a piece of artwork that I didn't want or need, but it was only 50 rupees (about $1).
Then, we headed to the "Golden Tulip" hotel that Melissa treated us to. It was so nice, and quite a luxury (especially for me!) after roughing it for the past few months. We were so exhausted that we all just rested and watched TV. Melissa and I each took separate lovely bubble baths!!! Then we wanted to order in McDonald's but they didn't deliver (how dare they!) So, Anuj and I went out to pick it up. It took us TWO HOURS! It was cool to see the beef-less McDonald's though...no hamburgers! Also, there was a big collection box for unused ketchup packets (brilliant!)
At night I remember being absolutely exhausted, but sucked it up and went to this amazing cultural outdoor fair called Chokhi Dhani. There was traditional food, henna, elephant and camel rides, traditional dancing, a ferris wheel and more! Melissa and I had some joyous dancing with cute little girls (it was really fun) before they wouldn't let go of our hands whining "Moneyy, moneyy!"I got henna done (very exciting!) and we rode the fastest, rickety-ist ferris wheel before sitting down to the included traditional dinner.
The next morning we stopped by a government craft store. It actually was so cool and we spent several hours there. I learned all about block (stamps) used for dying patterns onto fabrics, carpet knotting, and more. Next time I go back to India, I am buying a 100 percent silk blanket!!!
Back in Dehli (our last day) we went shopping with Shivani and Shirien...for what turned out to be EIGHT hours. I bought a pretty pair of yellow-peep toe bow straw shoes, as well as two pairs of stone/ jeweled earrings (that Anuj helped me with haha). We went out for a pizza dinner, and then home to finish packing.
This India trip flew by. Definitely one of the best, most fun trips I've ever taken :)! I can't wait to explore Southern India now...
Jaipur (desert city!)
View from Amber Fort
Even the dogs in India eat rotti!
In front of the beautiful Amber Fort!
Melissa and me :)
Anuj and me
Anuj and Melissa
The courtyard inside Amber Fort
I love the mountains in the background.
Would you have guessed that this was India?!
The gang :)
Melissa, Anuj, and me
Our guide told us to climb up here for one of the "10
best pictures we will ever take in our lives" hahaha
Then he told us to laugh. This is what happened.
Aw!
Palace gardens
He took this picture of me in a mirror's reflection!
Melissa
Why is Anuj sad?
Beauitful mirrors and glass from Belgium
Looking down on Jaipur from the palace
So pretty!
A beautiful garden :)
Me and Melissa
One of the gardens within the courtyard
A beautiful window where the queen used
to look out and wait for the king to return!
(I missed the best picture of a little boy peeping out of this!)
Us :)
One of the (many) queen's individual quarters
Beautiful detailing
Seesaw at Chokhi Dhani
I really do love seesaws
Except when Anuj doesn't let me down
Getting henna done for the first time!
This little lady did her designs so FAST!
So cool :)
Getting henna done is a really cool sensation. Your hand
feels cool at first, and then the henna dries and feels "crackly."
Then you take the crackly part off, and the residue that's left
is what remains! (Takes about 45 minutes to dry)
Melissa and I admiring it
Getting our India on!
A tightrope walker with a bunch of bowls on his head!
THE FERRIS WHEEL!
Rickety two seater with no doors that went
way too fast hahaha!
You spin me right round baby right round
Melissa wanted to kill me when I wanted to rock our car.
At our traditional dinner!
How Indian does Anuj look here?!
My turn for the hat!
Our waiter passed it around
On the drive back to Dehli from Jaipur: Cows!
I liked it when the cows had little "social groups."
We saw lots of boars too!
An important gate
This one too (don't know what it's called)
My first time seeing a carpet being spun!
Carpets are either single or double knotted,
and they take months to complete by hand.
Once the carpet is finished, the creator takes a special
pair of scissors and trims the whole thing so that the hairs
are flat...that's how your carpets look the way they do and
the reason you can see the patterns so smoothly!
Goodbye Amber Fort!
India.
Elephant!
The elephants in India all have beautifully decorated
colorful designs on their trunks (using chalk?)
Camel! Because Jaipur is the desert, it is associated with camels
Our awesome driver (left), Melissa, and Anuj on a lunch break
The food was amazing, but I think that this was the
meal that made me ill!
Packing up to go home to America :(
Melissa trying to pack away a collapsable vanity she bought...
Such a storm haha!
Anuj brought all of my souvenirs home stateside for me ;)
I liked this outfit a lot (Marks & Spencer
Probably one of the most hilarious sights I've ever seen:
Anuj being suckered into buying $30 aftershave that he didn't
need by a cute Israeli girl. Melissa and I could not stop laughing
to each other. It was pretty funny.
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