Dear Reader,
I come to you from a train en route to Delhi, which will conclude my trip to India. However, this article will tell you all about my days in Rajasthan.
Arriving in Jaipur was really interesting. You could totally tell that this is a very different part of India to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Everything appeared more cosmopolitan - there were more modern shops, the streets were wider and seemed cleaner, though they weren't really. And there was less of meandering bovine 🐄
My ride past all the jewellery stores, pink/terracota buildings which lends Jaipur the name of The Pink City, the old regal architecture - it was a new flavour entirely 🩷
I did not like the man who greeted me in my hostel - he definitely had the creepy vibes going on. However, everyone else there was great. I finally got to meet some other travelers and share stories.
The next day, I got up super early to explore Amber Fort. I decided to go here instead of Nahargarh as I planned to come back for that, which I didn't end up doing.
Amber Fort at sunrise, with minimal gormless tourists and photoshoots, was really something. I had a lovely chai before I went inside, and spent hours running through the secret passageways, getting lost, looking into every old room and reliving how I used to be as a kid, with the desire to explore everywhere, imagining who walked these corridors in the past.
As I was coming back down from the fort, I narrowly escaped being flattened by several elephants, whose Mahouts did not see me, too busy steering them away from the relentless vendors, who were themselves hassling the ignorant tourists that were too lazy to walk 10 minutes from the bottom to the top, and too uninformed to have done any basic research into elephant riding...
For those of you who may not know, don't ride elephants. It's cruel, it's unnecessary, and they hate it. You need only look into their eyes to see the extreme misery.
Anyway, happy that the elephants had spared me, I then took my train to Jodhpur. There was no first class, so I stayed in 2nd class, wary of my safety, until I was two hours in and realised that everyone around me was normal and nice, and that a lot of the warnings I had been given about train safety were rather hyperbolic 🚂
After watching the first good Christmas movie I've seen in a while, I arrived in Jodphur. My uber driver was a knob, but had a great moustache, so I forgave him. I ended up having to walk uphill 10 minutes to my guest house, and stopped by a tiny stall with the most colourful bags and purses and fabrics 👛
Of course I bought lots of souvenirs there from the friendly seller, who gave me local prices, thus incentivising me to buy more...
My hostel owner, Heena and her whole family were very kind. After visiting another fort, this one being Mehrangarh, I walked down to the nearby Jaswanth Thada, where I sat beneath the frangipanis and bathed in the water of calm and contentment.
I met a nice couple, with whom I could only communicate via Google Translate. They were very endearing and friendly. Shortly after, I was attacked by a drunk man, and the same couple made sure I got back safely to my guest house. What's more, everyone around came to help, once again showing the true kind nature of Indians 🪷
I fell for the Blue City and stayed an extra night, instead of returning to Jaipur 💙
I used this time to take a desert safari. My very nice and professional driver took me first to the ancient Mandore ruins and gardens, which were exquisite.
We then arrived in Osian and visited the temple there, which gave us a stunning view for miles.
I met an affable camel on the way and bonded with him en route to a traditional old farming village, where I volunteered in the fields for a bit, getting myself in a workout to build up an appetite.
There was another little family there from Indore, who taught me a lot about the country's history and how Indians really feel now towards their former conquerors. It was fascinating and heartbreaking.
Sitting beneath the stars in the calm countryside, with the occasional utterance from one of the camels, was a welcoming experience away from the chaos of the city ⭐ 🌙
***
As my flight to Amritsar was cancelled anyway, I ended up getting the bus to there, which thus far, I had managed to avoid, following the advice of many.
However, with no other option, I found myself a few hours later, dozing on the top bunk at the very back of the bus, my legs near my head, so as to make room for my backpack. And it was not a bad 15 hour ride!
And so concludes the second half of my Indian tale. Rajasthan- the largest region geographically in India- was really something 🐘🐫🐪
The final chapter will cover Punjab and the last day in Delhi 🇮🇳
See you soon, Dearest Reader...
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