The Northern J's

Jaipur....The Pink City

....Jodhpur....The Blue City

........Jaisalmer....The Golden City

A lot has happened in the last ten days! I am going to do my best to consolidate the goings on and give you a short synopsis of our trip to the northern state of Rajasthan.

JAIPUR

We started out in Jaipur, also known as the Pink City and capital of Rajasthan. We began by celebrating the annual Elephant Festival, where lavishly decorated elephants are paraded through the city, then headline a procession (along with camels, horses, marching bands, and dancers) through the Jaipur Polo club and finally participate in polo matches, races, and games (like the elephant vs. man tug-o-war.) The elephants were incredible, but I couldn't help feeling bad for the poor things who were painted all over and loaded down with heavy textiles and jewelry in the desert heat.

That's one fancy elephant!

Here we got our first taste of Holi, which was officially celebrated the next day. Holi is a Hindu holiday, celebrated at the end of the winter season to usher in spring, the season of love. One story of the origin of Holi, and what began the throwing of colored powder and water on one another, came from the love story between the Hindu god and goddess Krishna and Radha. In the legend, Krishna complained to his mother of the difference between his dark and Radha's light complexion, so colors were applied to her skin to reduce the contrast. Though I am not Hindu, it was interesting to see and participate in this joyful celebration between neighbors and friends, strangers and foreigners. We got our first dashes of color from Manoj and his family at the guest house we stayed in, and were quickly accosted and assaulted by young men who apparently use this celebration as a way to attack and violate women. We decided to hang back from the hectic and tourist filled city to play small-town style with Manoj and his family and neighbors. I think we really got a feel for the way an Indian family would celebrate, with friends, smiles and sweets!

Playing Holi with a neighbor kid in Sethi Colony, Jaipur

The rest of our time in Jaipur was spent perusing, shopping through bazaar after bazaar after bazaar....and visiting sites like the Amber Fort, the Jal Mahal (floating palace), and the 'monkey temple' of Galta (where monks invited us in for chai with their guru). We also met some local friends who brought us to an elephant colony where we got to play with a baby elephant named Muskuraahat (Smile in Hindi) and treated us to dinner and fun that we wouldn't have found in a guide book. Tired already, we overslept and barely made our bus out of town, further into the desert....

Playing with Muskuraahat

JODHPUR

By the time our auto pulled up to the very funky Yogi's guest house after winding through the colorful bazaars and tight, crowded streets, I was already in love with Jodhpur. The Blue City, named such for the array of blue-washed buildings and houses around the Mehrangarh Fort, feels like the epitome of India -- busy, bustling, loud, colorful, a chaotic rush to all the senses. Always look where you are walking or you will most likely get hit by a speeding rickshaw or step in a fresh pile of cow dung. But the shopping....the shopping! I'm no girly girl, but this place would make anyone shell out their rupees. The textiles, spices, metalware, and jewelry overflowed from the crowded booths, and soon out of my nearly bursting pack. But here, unlike Jaipur, the merchants were friendlier and not so pushy. In the evening, we sat on the rooftop of Yogi's enjoying some delish Rajasthani delights and a Kingfisher while gazing at the barely waning moon and the illuminated fort towering above us. I was sad to leave so soon, but there were camels that needed riding....

One of the reasons I love Jodhpur, it's my favorite color! (I didn't take this photo)

An active evening bazaar by the clock tower in Jodhpur

JAISALMER

We arrived in Jaisalmer, the Golden City (so-called for its golden-yellow sandstone structures) via overnight prison car, I mean train, at around 5 am. In the dark we were tired and disoriented and had no clue how to get to our room at the Hotel Suraj. Luckily, a nice old man who happened to be up at the hour escorted us to the doors of the centuries old haveli by the Jain Temples. When we finally got to our room, it looked like a dark cave at most but we were tired and hit the sack. When we awoke a few hours later with the sun streaming in, we got a load of the majestic palace of a room we were staying in, complete with original carvings, paintings and scalloped archways fit for old Indian Royalty. When we gazed out our windows, we were surrounded by golden intricately carved sandstone structures winding with beautiful stone walkways. It reminded me of the Indian version of Lacoste, France, the medieval village I lived in a few years back, complete with friendly locals who had lived there for generations, forming a tightly knit community of desert dwellers. The people were eager to sit and talk with us, share their stories, life philosophies, and hot chai. Though we each got a touch of the flu, we were able to make the best of the situation and enjoy Jaisalmer for the beautiful gem that it is.

Our amazing haveli at the hotel Suraj (and we paid peanuts!)

Jaisalmer Fort

We trekked out into the Thar desert on camels, drank chai as we watched the sun set, had dinner cooked over a campfire, and slept under an infinity of stars. After the pandemonium of the cities we had been bouncing between, it was refreshing to rest out in the peace and quiet, admiring all of God's creation.

Me and my camel, Johnny in the Thar Desert

Nina enjoying one of God's beautiful creations

Sunrise over my desert bed

By this time we were utterly exhausted and after the casket ride to hell, aka the 12 hour sleeper car bus ride (that's another story for another time), we were back in Jaipur with a day to relax before catching our return flight to Bangalore. After the commotion of the trip and lack of communication with comrades, we were feeling a little homesick, and the heat drove us into the Pink Square Mall down the street. Thinking a little 'American' food might comfort me, I ordered a club sandwich, only to find out an Indian club sandwich consists of cole slaw on white bread slathered with mustard. It didn't exactly do the trick, but once we hit the runway back in Bangalore, it really did feel like we were home. (Well, almost.)