Pink City, Amber Fort

I never really expected to have a favorite city in India--we've been to so many different ones, and they're honestly incomparable in size, scope, atmosphere, history. And in general I like to think that I'm flexible enough to enjoy loads of places without being too picky. :)

But I loved, loved the weekend we spent in Jaipur (July 12-13). Mainly for its art. And its history. And its palaces and forts. And then some more for the art.
Plus, it's KNOWN as the Pink City, and its animal symbol of choice is the elephant. Um, complete package or what?
It was a rather long bus ride there, about 15 hours. We arrived Saturday morning and spent the day wandering around, with our new friends that we met earlier in the day: a Canadian library science student, an American doctorate student studying the flight of hummingbirds, and a French pre-med. These guys were really fantastic company, and funny enough, we met them the next day at another tourist hotspot.
Random highlights included admiring Jaipur gems (well, at a store. Sorry if that was misleading and you imagined us staring at a huge expanse of rock with some diamond stuck in it), having dinner at an old fort and hiking down at midnight with a view of Jaipur's city lights, coming across a temple decorated with paintings of Lord Krishna's childhood, and seeing a lot of piglets.
Jaipur is known for its handicrafts, so the streets are filled with stores that sell crazy colorful stuffed camels and birds and elephants, handcrafted shoes, and beautiful puppets. The temples have incredible architecture, as do the old palace and old city buildings. There was TOO much to see...it was overwhelming, and I don't think I've felt that about any place yet to this extent. I'm way excited about sharing this photos--so knock yourself out. :)

Entrance into the old city. It was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. It's known as the "Pink City" because it's built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone, and once it was required that all buildings be made of that stucco (a bit like Jerusalem, no?). Jaipur has a lot of pigeons. I like when they fly all over you and take over the sky; it reminds me of bats. Speaking of, everyone should go and watch the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. It was inspirational. And Batman is definitely cooler than any other superhero ever.

Incredibly touristy, but sue me for all I care. :) It was exciting and I got to pet him! (The cobra, not the snake charmer)

Hawa Mahal, part of the old city palace. Formed in the shape of the Hindu god Krishna's crown, the original purpose was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen. Oh, the things we modern women take for granted...

I don't remember what it's called, but this was pretty much a series of tombs for various kings and princes and so on. I have loads of gorgeous photos from this one spot, but I think this one really shows how expansive it was, and all the unbelievable, intricate carving and work that went into it.

And my favorite...Amber Fort. I don't even know where to begin. Basically, it was the palace complex of a very, very, very rich and important man. But quite honestly, I know barely anything about the history, and mainly I was completely taken by how gigantic and beautiful it was. Forget any museum or historic landmark you've ever been to--since usually they block off 75% of it or lock doors or simply show only a tiny piece of the entire thing. This was totally different, full access, backstage passes, the whole deal...
(The All-Star Jaipur Crew: Kristina, me, Pauline, Sander, Ganda, Nithin, Amber Fort)

Amber Fort was like a huge playground/maze/labyrinth for kids and adults alike, where just about everything is open and you can go anywhere. Living in that palace in its prime would be the most awesome hide and seek game ever. There are a gazillion secret stairways, so dark you cant even see where you're going--tunnels and hidden rooms and gorgeous archways every way you turn. Nith and I went wild and just explored endlessly, picking whatever seemed like it would lead to the best adventure.

I liked these ladies who happened to be walking up the steps. They were helping me imagine what it must've been like when it was inhabited by royalty.

A view of the path leading up-elephant rides are available for those who can't handle the trek. Hey, looks like Boulder, right? And see those ruins right in the middle of the photo? Nith and I decided to check that out, too...

That was definitely a highlight as well--the history of a place just blows me away, the same mixture of awe and disbelief, like moments in China and Israel when I can't even comprehend the centuries of memories and moments that I am indirectly experiencing. That's a bit dramatic...BUT SO IS TIME.

I could go for a garden like that.

We didn't take an elephant ride, but we did end up meeting a great kid named Ali, whose family runs an elephant riding business. He took us to see their 20 some elephants, including this "baby" of 5 years. It was exciting, of course, cause elephants make me feel like I'm about 5 years old, too--but the conditions are obviously not great, and it was a very bizarre mix of amazement and guilt. I've gotten into more than one interesting conversation about animal rights in India--how many starving or physically wounded cows and dogs you see--and how do you approach that, in a country where there isn't even enough food to feed the people. Is it comparable? Is it ethical to place that kind of value on one living thing versus another? I'd be interested in your take--please share if anything comes into mind...

Ok, I feel like I didn't do a good enough job capturing the absolutely stunning beauty of the Amber Fort. Here are some more, for kicks.

Beautiful arches, every photo you take can be perfectly framed. It's so interesting how the Muslim and Hindu influences mix together, which we learned more about the NEXT weekend when we went to Agra. I have plans for someday, when I have my own house, to knock down a bunch of my doorways and rebuild them to look like this.

Can you imagine LIVING HERE?

Oh, when I said Nith and I explored endlessly--I meant we did that until some renovation worker or guard would politely ask us to turn around or something. Granted, we never went anywhere that explicitly said, "Do not enter." We just took the path(s) less traveled. Anyways, in this instance, Nith decided it would be a good chance to catch a shot with our new friend, Mr. Guard. And he was rather excited to oblige. We like new friends.