Jaipur-Guilty Pleasures

If you like camels, elephants ,exotic vistas, people and activity-this is the place. Called the pink city, it is filled with unusual architecture made from the local stone and painted pink. (because of a visit by Prince Albert from London in the 19th century who supposedly favored the pinkish cast sandstone of his homeland) The tradition has continued with pleasing results. This was a pure tourist day of indulgence (and after the austerity of the Gandhi focused pilgrimage- a guilty pleasures).

We rode elephants (ours was named Lashme and she was 40 year old) up a long escarpment to a fort built 300 years ago with a wall that looks like a miniature great wall in China. Ruins around the fort date back more that a 1000 years. The region still has a king, titular monarchy, that continues the lineage of long ago. Our hotel here is a world heritage site and absolutely beautiful. It used to be the King's hunting lodge and was renovated and turned into a hotel called Hotel Umaid Mahal. Google it for some fantastic pictures. Beside the amazing architecture and ornamentation, I had what felt like the best shower of my life with full blast running hot water! Deprivation is the mother of appreciation.