We were a little apprehensive about dealing with the chaos of the Old Delhi train station but managed to get through it without any issue...
Here I am freezing on the train...happy to have my shawl and hat!
As we left Delhi we could see the poverty and dirt of the city through the dirty train windows...
As we got further out there were signs of farms...
We were met at the train station by Raviq who is the driver recommended by our guest house, Jaipur Friendly Villa which is aptly named as our stay there was awesome! The villa is located in a quieter section of the city and is quite lovely...
Our hostess and helper buying produce from the vendor that comes by every morning...
The produce here is so fresh, tasty and inexpensive...
The villa is surrounded by beautiful gardens...
Our hosts, Shveta and Kol are the most genuine and kind people who welcomed us into their home with open arms. We had many conversations and laughs together and are so happy to have met them and now to call them our friends. Shveta is also quite a cook as we sampled her cuisine at breakfast every morning and some evening meals.
Our hosts in their garden...
The city of Jaipur is the capital of the state and home to 3 million people. It is called the “ Pink City “ because in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales it was painted pink. This pink can still be seen around the city
It is a walled city that is accessed through a number of gates...
Some road scenes as we walked...
Lots of flowers markets...
Chai tea sellars...
People going about their daily lives...
The best known lassi maker in Jaipur...
Don and Kol enjoying their lassi...
We left the lassi shop and Kol to walk to the Center of the Old City...
Some covered walkways to stay out of the sun...
Other typical buildings...
Trying to get through the City Gate, the traffic in India is the worst we have ever seen...
We made our way to the City Palace Complex which consists of the Royal Residences as well as a museum and a number of exhibits of arts and fine clothing. No photos were allowed inside so here are a few of the exterior...
The Palace was built by the Royal rulers of Rajasthan, the Maharajahs between 1729- 1732. It is built of sandstone and marble in an architectural style of this region. There are grand buildings and beautiful details...
This statue was carved out of a single piece of marble...
Beautiful arched buildings..
Large gates and guards...
The Royal guards, a picture for some rupees...
We then left to walk back to the main roadway only we ended up going out the wrong gate so we had a long walk back through the chaos but it gave us another glimpse of life on the street...
Lots of guards around the important buildings...
A splash of coloured fabric...
Love the saris..
Our last stop was the Hawa Mahal also known as the Wind Palace. It was built like a honeycomb with many small lattice covered windows where the women of the Palace could look out on the street but could not be seen by others. Because of it’s construction the wind could blow through the many windows to provide ventilation during the hot summer months. It is quite a unique building!
Having walked a long time in the hot sun we were happy to relax with a beer and a meal at Niro’s Cafe, one of the oldest in Jaipur. We enjoyed our meal there as we have with all of our food in India, the food is not visually appealing but is delicious!
