The Pink City

So now I'm in Jaipur.

But it's not really pink, more orange really. Although I'm assured it looks pink at sunset. Which is all very well, but I haven't actually seen the sun (or the sky for that matter) since I left Manali.

All there is is a white smog that seems to be fog, cloud and pollution all rolled into one; making it very hot and humid.

After a hellish train journey from Delhi to here (bus from Chandiragh to Delhi first; made friends with an Indian engineer), I slept in the 'common hall' of my hotel from 5 - 9am, as I wasn't able to check into my room, then was given a different room so I could have a shower and rest as mine still wasn't ready, and finally got into my room after I'd been out for the day!

Originally, the plan had been to meet up with the Cayzers here, but I couldn't get hold of them yesterday, so after freaking out for a bit because I hadn't come prepared for lone travel here, I pulled myself together and consulted the Lonely Planet and my Globetrotters guide!

I visited the Ram Niwas Gardens complete with Museum of Indian handicrafts, the zoo, the City Palace and Palace of the Wind. Then I took a tour with a rickshaw driver who took me to see the elephants who work at Amber in their home - WOW, to a textiles factory and a jewelllery factory. He certainly runs a very shrewd and successful business - good for him, his customers and other businesses. But seriously, the elephant thing was soo cool.

Turns out Celia and Mummy Cayzer hadn't been feeling well; hence me not being able to get in touch, but I went to their hotel (which is actually a palace and tres posh) at 7:30 this morning, and spent the day with them. We went up to Amber fort, where they rode the elephants I'd already made friends with whilst our guide Ajay and I walked up, and then we had a magnificent tour of the place. Afterwards, we did a bit of shopping for shoes/pashminas etc, before heading back to their hotel for lunch and a rest. We did a bit more unsuccessful shopping this afternoon, before they dropped me off here at my very funky and cheap-for-what-you-get hotel, and I said my last goodbye to Celia for a while. It's weird to think I'm not sure exactly when I'll see her again.

I don't really have a formulated plan for tomorrow; I might go to Ajmer and Pushkar, which are towns about an hour and a half away, but if I don't feel like it I could quite easily just chill here for the day! Then on Tuesday morning, I travel by train to Agra.

TTFN x