Enchanting Jaipur!

Hello Everyone,

I am feeling much better today. I left the hotel with a can of Coke with me. So I could avoid a caffeine headache later in the afternoon. We are staying at the fabulous Rambagh Palace hotel. This was the hunting lodge of the last king of Jaipur.  Some hunting lodge! The Taj hotel group took over the palace and made it into an amazing luxury hotel. Every detail is attended to. Every city we have stayed in, we have enjoyed the local flavor. Jaipur certainly has charm. It's a city of artisans. Some of the most unique gem stones are mined right here in Jaipur. This is the city to come to if you are interested in buying unusual jewelry. 

We were up early again today because the Palace we were going to see looks best in the morning light. After breakfast we were picked up by our guide and were on our way.  First we went to see Hawa Mahal, which means the wind palace. This was built for the ladies of court, so they could view street life from behind the palace walls and not be seen by the locals! We then went up to Amber Fort which is built on top of a hill on elephant back. My greatest concern was how the elephants are treated. I am not one for making animals doing our bidding. My heart aches for the elephants separated from their core family group just so tourists can go to the top of the hill.

I really didn't want to ride the elephant. At the same time I knew this was something Gene had been looking forward to. I put aside my feelings of apprehension and sat on the elephants back. I will never do that again. I don't think they enjoy going up and down the hill. And I know I added to their burden. The ride was uncomfortable and I was glad to be done. The Fort was spectacular. It is a massive complex. One area had mirrors imported from Murano, Italy. It was an entire structure embellished in mirrors. Truly remarkable.

After that we were back at the hotel. I thought it was time for high tea, so I invited Gene. We sat on the perfectly manicured grounds of the palace and enjoyed English Breakfast tea, cucumber sandwiches and scones. We discussed our day and both agreed that the elephant ride was not comfortable.

Then, it was time to go to a remote farm for an exclusive dinner. The family who owns this 300 acre estate decided to invite small parties of guests for private dinners. This evening Gene and I were the only guests. Talk about amazing service! The surroundings were serene and very pleasant. The name of this hamlet is Dera Amer. If you are interested in more information about this check out deraamer.com. This ranch is located at the foothills of a mountain range that is older than the Himalayas. Our host was charming!

Tomorrow we leave for Agra by car. We are looking forward to a different mode of transportation.I for one enjoy the car far more than airplanes. Though, it won't be the same as me driving from Oklahoma to Alaska! I think having the image of the Taj Mahal as our final destination is apt. Though, each area we have been to has had it's own special charm.
More from Agra!