Chapter Four: India: Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi

   We arrived at the Radisson Hotel in Jaipur in the late afternoon.  This is called the Pink City because of the pink hue of its sandstone structures.  We began our tour the next day with a drive to the enormous and imposing Amer Fort, where we took an elephant ride to the top of the mount.  

Rob charmed a cobra with the help of an Indian playing a flute.  

  

The fort itself is huge.  We toured it slowly, taking in the beauty of the melding of Islamic and Hindu architecture and art.  This was one of the main stops on the Silk Road; a juncture of many cultures. Following that, we walked along a lakefront park, where we saw water buffalo crossing the water, and many wild shore birds.  Again, we saw wild monkeys right in the downtown area.  Following the stroll along the lake, we went to an artisan bazaar where we bought a colorblock tablecloth and napkins.  From there we took a pedicab ride through the old town, and ended our day with a visit to the Observatory, where an Indian astronomer worked out the physics of time and space using giant geometric structures. Our guide was very insightful.

   The next day we had a five-hour drive to Agra, home of the famed Taj Mahal.  En route we toured the Fatehpur Sikri, home of Mughal Emperor Akbar.  We arrived at the Taj around sunset.  

It was absolutely beautiful, and very overwhelming.  By the end of our walking tour inside and outside of the Taj Mahal, I was ready to go back to our hotel and rest.  We stayed at the palatial Hotel Jaypee Palace where we were met with chrysanthemum leis and enjoyed a huge suite.

   The following day we were supposed to visit various nearby Hindu temples, but the upcoming Festival of the Holi had people from all over swarming into the temples, and it was impossible to get close.  We ended up in a massive traffic jam, but even that was interesting. People were all dressed up in the traditional costumes, very much in a partying mode.  If they couldn’t make progress in their vehicles, they got out and walked.  

We finally made it out of the traffic and headed, at last, for Delhi.  There, we visited the new Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, a magnificent park and monument that included a boat ride, galleries, and enormous statues.  

It was quite overwhelming, and I needed to leave due to overheating and the extremely crowded environment.

   That afternoon we arrived at the home of Girish, our friend from Pfizer and Connecticut, for two nights.  By then I was very unwell, having contracted a respiratory infection and Delhi Belly. Girish and Rob went looking for medicines after Girish consulted with his doctor.  I spent the next day in bed.  I would have loved to have seen Gandhi’s home and the president’s house, but I was too sick to leave the apartment.  I did perk up enough after the second night to take the flight to Kathmandu for the next portion of the trip.