Jaipur (Cait)

Our trip to Jaipur was our first taste of the Indian bus system. To our surprise, we found our AC Volvo bus (the top-of-the-line in transportation, we were assured) to be more comfortable than the train, which is the opposite of what we usually find at home. We got in without a hitch and went to our hotel, the Umaid Bhawan, which was a very traditional restored heritage hotel with decor to match.

The next day we hired an auto through our hotel to take us around the city. First we hit the Amber Fort, which our fort guru Paul told us was a must-see. From the bottom of the hill we had to take a jeep up the steep, bumpy roads to the ancient fort itself. We spent about an hour walking around and got some great photos. Then, hot, tired, and sweaty, we considered our cultural duty done for the day. As we were exiting the fort, our eyes caught a bit of red glittering through the haze of heat and dust. Could it be? Was it only a mirage brought on by excessive sun exposure and dehydration? We ventured closer. It was! In the most unlikely of places, a Cafe Coffee Day (CCD to those in the know) had appeared in our hour of need.

A brief aside on the importance of CCD in our lives:

There is a CCD about a five minute walk from our little home in Vasant Kunj. Whenever we need a brief respite from the 116 degree heat, have been bamboozled by autos who don't know where they're going, have spent an afternoon scouring four different parts of the city in search of a tailor that is open on Tuesdays, or feel particularly drained or frustrated for any other reason, we go to CCD and the world is made right again. Their drinks, which are described on the menu as akin to "drowning the crimson glory of the blazing sun" and "a drink for the gods- or as we like to call them, our guests," have put smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts many a time. CCD, we love you.

To continue:

We had an enjoyable rest at CCD before heading back down the hill to where our auto was waiting. We drove back into the city, and saw a beautiful palace in the middle of a lake. Jaipur, the "Pink City," is truly gorgeous. We also stopped to ride a camel! So much fun, though when the camel stands or sits, a strange jerky, rolling motion, you almost see your life flash before your eyes.

We then went to the hug bazaar in the middle of the old city shopped to our heart's desire, which wasn't too long given the heat. Later that evening, we went to Choki Dani, which is supposed to be a recreation of traditional village life but which is really just a fake posh tourist trap that somewhat resembles a village. Don't get me wrong though...we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the fake village. We rode an elephant, watched the dancers, and ate a traditional Rajastani thali dinner. Maybe not actually representative of village life, but highly entertaining nonetheless.

The following afternoon before boarding a bus back to Delhi, Shal and I looked through the Lonely Planet to find the perfect restaurant to have our last meal in Jaipur. We alighted upon a description of a restaurant at the top of the Om Hotel which revolved. Kitschy? Maybe. A perfect end to our weekend? Definitely. Decision made.

The restaurant was on the 14th floor, which is higher than pretty much anything else in the city, so we got some great views. The actual rotating of the room was so slow as to be barely perceptible, but during the course of our meal we made a full rotation and got to see all 360 degrees of Jaipur. We saw that there was a Revolving Thali Special on the menu and thought "when in Rome," and completed the experience with the Revolving Sundae. Dizzyingly delicious.