Friday, March 23, 2012

Good Morning Jaipur!!


Leaving Udaipur was very difficult because it is such a special place.  I met such great people that wanted me to stay and celebrate Holi Festival in Udaipur.  I just wanted to stay there longer, but I was motivated to leave for the Elephant Festival in JAIPUR. 

The day started off with me trying to find my couch surfing host’s house.  Going through the city of Jaipur, I was not visually fulfilled.  I was dreaming and craving to go back to Udaipur.  As we kept going, I noticed that the nice architecture in the city of pink marble.  The bus went a few miles further and there came the mountains and Water palace lake.  A few kilometers later came an incredible fort-the Amber fort.  I know that many tourists came to see it, but I was not prepared for such beauty.  It was like some kind of fairytale castle that was broken down into a fort.  Elephants and camels ride tourists from the top and bottom through the walk ways and the waters in front are sparkling.  The best thing of all was that my host’s house is right next to this world wonder. 
Arriving at the fort, I make a call to my host.  Along comes a young guy looking  just shy of 21.  He is a nice “kid” and turns out that he is the brother of my host who is also on couch surfing. 
When we arrive to his place it is a nice, brick hut right across from the shiva temple.  I am staying with their brother’s family, which has three brothers, three sisters, and two young songs the age of 14.  The two sons are so sweet always saying ,”Hi, how are you?” I can tell they are very excited with having guests. 
In the large sized room, there are two other couch surfers  staying- a girl from Russia and a girl from South Korea.  The girl from South Korea is a diva and comments that there is not enough space in a rude manner and I comment back “I think there is more than enough space, but you may not be familiar with couch surfing.”
Perhaps Ms. South Korea should go off to the Taj hotel ha! Her and her Russian friend end up switching rooms and go stay with the ambassador who lives down the street.  I am happy because this brings me to meet Linda, a lovely and expert  traveler from London who is in her mid fifties.  She reminds me of my lovely friend Deborah who I met from Germany- a free spirit and just incredible inspiration. 
For lunch, I head over to Raju’s place with the buffalo’s sitting in the bricks, a small kitchen area and no roof. The mother is preparing chapatti and dal.  We just keep sit and smiling at each other.  I learn the local Rajastani language and some Hindi.  They say I sound like a local, which makes me happy.  I am so content just sitting with their mother and spending time-oh how I love these families. 
Raju and his brother(Ricky) are getting ready for us to go to the Elephant festival with a huge CS group full of Americans, Canadians, and Russians.   Most hop on the jeep together and I hop on the local bus with Raju and his brother, a couple from New York and a couple from Ottawa.  

We sit on the bus and I constantly pop my head out the window looking at all the elephants heading to holi festivals. Elephants in the streets- I love it.  There is a cultural performance near a temple and we are sitting in traffic so I decide to jump off the bus and take a look.  I wanted to stay, but we needed to head to elephant festival to get a spot.  

Jaipur:

NEW FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION-CYCLE AUTOS, CAMELS AND WAGONS, PEOPLE SITTING ON TOP OF THE GOVERNMENT BUSES!,
AMBER FORT INCREDIBLE PASSING BY THE LAKE WITH CAMELS AND ELEPHANT RIDES UP TO THE TOP, THE GARDEN, THE BREEZE,
MY VILLAGE HOME WITH THE BOYS PLAYING JUSTIN BIEBER

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