Rajasthan translation "Land of the Kings" is a North-Western Indian state (Population 56.5million, 88% Hindu) . Its main geographic feature is the Aravalli Range, considered one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. The capital Jaipur is known as the Pink City, due to the core of the city being painted entirely pink in 1876.
We explored the extraordinary "Jantar Mantar", an astronomical observatory built by Raja Jai Singh II in 1728. Roughly translated as "The Formula of Instruments". The instruments are massive structures, which initially resembles a odd collection of bizarre scultures. However, the structures are actually highly sophisticated instruments which are accurate even today. It is impressive how hundreds of years ago, without any technology, they were using these intruments to measure time (to the minute) via the course of the suns shadow and to track stars/planets/eclipses. The imagination and creativity of these ancient scientists are even more amazing than the structures themselves.
While touring the observatory a local family requested Savitri and Jaya take a photo with their daughter...this has happened so often by now that our sweet girls cheerfully posed for a pic and carried on.
I am continually amazed by our girls ability to adapt to such a foreign culture/land/language/people/food......... Personally, I struggle remembering: don't swallow the water when I shower, do use bottled water to brush my teeth, do yield to passing goats, chickens, cows and camels, do ask for help communicating with the different languages. Our girls however are doing it so easily and playfully. They seem to be enjoying all the differences.
We toured the City Palace, which is a superb marriage of the Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture. We saw the seven storey Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace) which is a sprawling complex with multiple courtyards, buildings, astronimical observatory and zenana mahals (harem quarters).
We had to get a new camera as ours had it's fate sealed as soon as it left Savitri + Jaya's hands and made its first bounce (lens first) off a marble floor. Indian marble, for those of you who haven't experienced it, makes concrete seem soft as a plush down-filled blanket. The camera had no chance.
Our hunt for a new camera lead to my first experience walking along the Indian roads/traffic...and yes, I was almost hit numerous times. Motocycles, human powered & auto-rickshaws and camels were my main adversaries. We left the kids behind in the van with Nina for our walking excursion, as we feared they would certainly be a casualty of Indian traffic.
After watching me cross the road this is the advice I received from Ajeet and then our guide:
From my husband.....It was so fun when we were here last time Alok, Manu and I used to have races to see who could cross fastest and survive. There is a certain skill to crossing the roads in India.
From our local guide.... Please mam, go slowly and go deliberately so the vehicles have a chance weave/merge around you....when you sprint across the street in terror it doesnt leave much of a chance for people, animals nor motorized vechicles to avoid you.
This time I took our guides advice...and had much more success while crossing the street. Although the very next day, I was inches away from being hit by a motobike! In my meager defense the motobike had its motor off while coasting down the steep hillside (I apparently was in its path). Nina gave me a great heads up saying "Get out of the way" but neglected to tell me which direction to move ...obviously I moved directly into the path of the bike. Tires squelled and (I am sure it was) swears exploding out of the driver and his 3 passagers mouths!
I must admit there is a certain thrill in navigating the traffic and as Ajeets states it requires a great deal of faith. With each step....one must have faith and hope that the drivers will veer around around them, rather than crash into them.
One of our evening excusions was dinner and entertainment at Chokhi Dhani. It is a village/bizzaar about 15km (45 minutes) from Japiur. We had to hire a taxi, as our tourist company was refusing to enter the area. Apparently 2 weeks prior a driver from the Tourist Union was severly beaten up while waiting for clients at Choki Dhani. Now the Union was refusing to take anyone there until they received "adequate compensation" and the driver got an apology.
We ate traditional Rajasthani thalis in tradional style (seated on floor cushions with "biodegradable" bowls-leaves shaped into bowls which worked remarkably well). We the watched traditional bands and dancing. For the kids there were "rides", likely illegal rides to us in North American. No sane parent would ever consider allowing their children on these rides. Yet here, at this moment, a manual ferris wheel seemed like the greatest idea ever.
Hill forts were always important to the Rajput rulers, who belonged to the warrior class of India's caste system. Amber represents one of the finest Forts.
From Amber Fort, we drove outside the city limits into a forrested valley for:
an Elephant Ride....but first we had to fuel th elephants with bananas.
Shannon, Ajeet, Jaya and Savitri
We explored the extraordinary "Jantar Mantar", an astronomical observatory built by Raja Jai Singh II in 1728. Roughly translated as "The Formula of Instruments". The instruments are massive structures, which initially resembles a odd collection of bizarre scultures. However, the structures are actually highly sophisticated instruments which are accurate even today. It is impressive how hundreds of years ago, without any technology, they were using these intruments to measure time (to the minute) via the course of the suns shadow and to track stars/planets/eclipses. The imagination and creativity of these ancient scientists are even more amazing than the structures themselves.
While touring the observatory a local family requested Savitri and Jaya take a photo with their daughter...this has happened so often by now that our sweet girls cheerfully posed for a pic and carried on.
I am continually amazed by our girls ability to adapt to such a foreign culture/land/language/people/food......... Personally, I struggle remembering: don't swallow the water when I shower, do use bottled water to brush my teeth, do yield to passing goats, chickens, cows and camels, do ask for help communicating with the different languages. Our girls however are doing it so easily and playfully. They seem to be enjoying all the differences.
We toured the City Palace, which is a superb marriage of the Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture. We saw the seven storey Chandra Mahal (Moon Palace) which is a sprawling complex with multiple courtyards, buildings, astronimical observatory and zenana mahals (harem quarters).
We had to get a new camera as ours had it's fate sealed as soon as it left Savitri + Jaya's hands and made its first bounce (lens first) off a marble floor. Indian marble, for those of you who haven't experienced it, makes concrete seem soft as a plush down-filled blanket. The camera had no chance.
Our hunt for a new camera lead to my first experience walking along the Indian roads/traffic...and yes, I was almost hit numerous times. Motocycles, human powered & auto-rickshaws and camels were my main adversaries. We left the kids behind in the van with Nina for our walking excursion, as we feared they would certainly be a casualty of Indian traffic.
After watching me cross the road this is the advice I received from Ajeet and then our guide:
From my husband.....It was so fun when we were here last time Alok, Manu and I used to have races to see who could cross fastest and survive. There is a certain skill to crossing the roads in India.
From our local guide.... Please mam, go slowly and go deliberately so the vehicles have a chance weave/merge around you....when you sprint across the street in terror it doesnt leave much of a chance for people, animals nor motorized vechicles to avoid you.
This time I took our guides advice...and had much more success while crossing the street. Although the very next day, I was inches away from being hit by a motobike! In my meager defense the motobike had its motor off while coasting down the steep hillside (I apparently was in its path). Nina gave me a great heads up saying "Get out of the way" but neglected to tell me which direction to move ...obviously I moved directly into the path of the bike. Tires squelled and (I am sure it was) swears exploding out of the driver and his 3 passagers mouths!
I must admit there is a certain thrill in navigating the traffic and as Ajeets states it requires a great deal of faith. With each step....one must have faith and hope that the drivers will veer around around them, rather than crash into them.
One of our evening excusions was dinner and entertainment at Chokhi Dhani. It is a village/bizzaar about 15km (45 minutes) from Japiur. We had to hire a taxi, as our tourist company was refusing to enter the area. Apparently 2 weeks prior a driver from the Tourist Union was severly beaten up while waiting for clients at Choki Dhani. Now the Union was refusing to take anyone there until they received "adequate compensation" and the driver got an apology.
We ate traditional Rajasthani thalis in tradional style (seated on floor cushions with "biodegradable" bowls-leaves shaped into bowls which worked remarkably well). We the watched traditional bands and dancing. For the kids there were "rides", likely illegal rides to us in North American. No sane parent would ever consider allowing their children on these rides. Yet here, at this moment, a manual ferris wheel seemed like the greatest idea ever.
A Tom and Jerry sticker on the manual car spining ride. This places makes Coney Island look like Disneyworld!
Seriously....a "Manual" FerrisWheel...one of the Carnies actually spider climbed up to the top the wheel to give the carts a faster push??
I post this picture now, as we likely escaped serious trauma!
From Amber Fort, we drove outside the city limits into a forrested valley for:an Elephant Ride....but first we had to fuel th elephants with bananas.
Shannon, Ajeet, Jaya and Savitri
What an amazing journey!! Thankfully, everyone made it home in one piece.....and by the sounds of this last blog, that was somewhat in doubt! Regardless, the experience is definitely unique and we were glad to be a part of it - albeit, long distance!
ReplyDeleteWe can hardly wait to hear firsthand from our amazing granddaughters the highlights of their journey.....and to see the pictures. Our thank you to Sam and Pushpa and their entire wonderful family for taking such good care of Shan, Ajeet,Jaya and Savi, and all the members of the family enjoying this experience for the first time. An amazing country....full of amazing extremes!
Keith and Terri
Your experience of walking on Indian roads was pretty interesting...Made me remember that we taught our children to navigate and cross the roads before they were out of primary school. And our hearts were in our mouths when we left them alone to tackle it for the first time...but they learnt fast, children always do. life itself is an adventure for them. It is we adults who are wary of unexpected challenges. I am not at all surprised that Savi and Jaya adapted to Indian ways so quickly. It was so heartwarming to see them talking to everyone,smiling at everyone and ready with a hug anytime a family member wanted it!
ReplyDelete