On the Road (Part 9)

It's a good thing I was also looking forward to spending a few days in Kerala, on India's east coast, or leaving Savista and Bagru would have been even more difficult. Radhika sent us off with a very special hand carved block and a pouch of jasmine blossoms from the tree outside the front door- to make our journey sweet. We piled into a car and rode to Jaipur, the Pink City, to see a bit before we moved on to Delhi. Unfortunately, most of the city was closed because it was election day. It was fun to see all the campaign posters and the polling places- packed, since the election was such a big deal. Our driver had been to temple and voted prior to picking us up!

Jaipur is the capital of the state of Rajasthan. It was home to the Maharaja's reign and because of their deep love of arts and culture, Jaipur and the surrounding villages - like Bagru - have retained their artistic heritage. We stopped at the beautiful Wind Palace, or Hawa Mahal, built in the 18th century with over 900 individual windows. The windows allowed the royal women a chance to watch everyday life as it unfolded below them.

Wind Palace

Enjoying the city's best Lassi in terracotta cup

On the outskirts of town we stopped briefly to see Jal Mahal, or the Water Palace. The Palace sits in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, which was formed when a nearby river were dammed so that Jaipur and the surrounding area would have access to water. The Jal Mahal is almost completely submerged underwater when the lake is full. Even in our pictures, you can only see a few of its five floors. Today, the Palace is undergoing a long restoration process and it will eventually be turned into a hotel and/or restaurant.

Jal Mahal

Another one of Jaipur's most famous landmarks is Amber Fort. We didn't get to visit because it was closed for the election, but we did get a chance to see one of the popular and colorful elephants that dot the road leading up to the Fort. Many visitors take the chance to ride up to the entrance instead of plodding up the steep track.

Observing the Water Palace

Blurry campaign sign in a nearby village

 It was a long drive from Jaipur back to Delhi, where we stayed overnight before an early flight to Kerala the following morning. It was a relaxing, colorful, interesting ride and I was mesmerized by the painted lorries (trucks) along the way. Each one more intricate than the next, I kept my eyes peeled for my favorite designs - the "I love India" text and an Indian flag on the side, just above the emergency kit. I must have snapped a hundred pictures, most of them blurry, of the backs of trucks.

Our driver proudly showing off his pointer finger, marked with ink after he voted

Gas station snack

Small temple at the rest stop

 Everything went smoothly until the final toll booth outside Delhi. We paid but were stopped just as we rolled past. Forty five minutes later, after one unsuccessful chat with some highway officials about letting us go and one successful on-the-spot "fine payment," we were coasting into town for a good night's rest. Although I was a bit concerned when we were joined in the car for a minute by some officer, I definitely feel we got a suitable initiation into Indian bureaucracy...

Band for rent