Just when I think I’ve figured out the showers, I am proven wrong. What switch am I supposed to use for hot water?

We have a large jeep and driver for the day. We drive out of the city to another UNESCO World Heritage site, Amber Fort. Our first sight of the fort looking up the hill across the lower gardens is breathtaking.

We stop at a viewpoint for pictures. Snake charmers and souvenir sellers are also at the viewpoint.

Garima booked a private guide in advance and he meets us at the front of the fort. We walk up many many steps towards the fort gates. Lots of elephants are carrying tourists up to the entrance, but fortunately, they are not on the footpath. None of us have any interest in riding an elephant because it is a cruel practice. Elephant backs are not built to take riders like camels and horses.

There are a lot more tourists here than we’ve seen so far. The inner fort is gorgeous with its inlaid mirrors and cool marble walled corridors and gorgeous garden. 

 

 

Before leaving the area, the jeep drops us off for a ten minute visit to a nearby step-well in the the town of Amer called Panna Meena Ka Kund. The interconnecting steps look like an optical illusion as you stare at them. Many people don’t know of this picturesque spot so it is fairly quiet.  Monkeys run around the perimeter of the well. There is no entrance fee but you cannot walk down the steps which are policed by a whistle blowing guard. 

On our back to Jaipur, we stop to take pictures of the summer palace known as the Water Palace sitting in the middle of a lake. It’s been abandoned for twenty years and there is no access to the palace. The lake also has many kinds of water birds.

I am happy to stop at the gem stone factory because they have very clean bathrooms and offer us tea and refreshments. Inspired by the Maharajas, Marlene buys a few beautiful pieces.

 

 

Lunch is at the well known restaurant and sweet shop called LMB. This restaurant is an institution in Jaipur that most Indians seem to know about. There is no shortage of wait staff in this establishment. Our food is most enjoyable.

Back in the jeep, we head to Jantar Mantar, an astronomical instrument observatory built by the Maharaja that measures time and planetary movements. We are glad to have a guide to explain how the many odd structures all work. I’m amazed at how it can tell the time to the minute using the sun. 

At this point the group splits up. John and I go across the street to the City Palace where we see the world’s largest silver water vessels, almost six feet tall. The Maharaja filled these vessels with water from the Ganges and brought them with him when he went to England. This way he could clean himself in the holy water when he was away. We wander the palace courtyards taking in the beautiful designs and architecture.

By the time we finish touring the Palace, I am hot and exhausted. We head back to the hotel, stopping only to get some fruit and money from the ATM. Jim gets stuck across the street at the ATM . The traffic is really bad so the taxi driver goes across, takes Jim by the hand and walks him across the busy road. We are all cracking up.