Jaipur

I spent a few days in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, about 4 1/2 hours from Delhi. When deciding where to go in India, I really based it on recommendations from people I've met and geography. I knew I wasn't going to be giving the amount of time to India that it deserves and it will be somewhat of a whirlwind. Right now, I'm ok with it, but that may not leave me with the most positive lasting impression. But I have one more town to hit up before I head out.

I ended up sitting next to a nice couple from England and France on the train ride to from Delhi to Jaipur. My plan to nap or catch up on things didn't end up happening. But I did get to have a good conversation the entire ride out. And I got to play the 50-state game with the English guy. As an American, I had to beat him, but I have to say he did a pretty good job. I helped him out a bit. I got up to 49 and for the life of me couldn't remember Wisconsin. I better get there at some point so I don't forget it. Anyway, the train ride went by relatively quickly and we arrived in Jaipur. I settled in, showered (didn't go for a run like I thought about), and went in search for food. I eventually got to the Old Green Tandoori Dhaba about a mile away. For some reason, I though Jaipur was a lot smaller than it really is. At this point, I was pretty hungry and settled in. Another woman actually came in at this point and I ended up joining her. She's retired and has been traveling around India for a while. This is her 3rd trip here actually. She was helping me out to figure out what I should do next. She seemed to have a really interesting life and hasn't been back to the UK in a long time now, and it'll still be a while before she does. I think going on a couple of years. I think about doing that every once in a while and wonder if I can last that long. We'll see. A lot of people asked if I would be lonely before I headed out on this trip and I knew I wasn't going to be. I've met so many people and have had good conversations with people from all over the world. 

After getting my fill, I made my way to the Old City, also called the Pink City. Pretty much pink walls surround the area, which is made up of many bazaars. So many bazaars. One thing that is getting exhausting is the attention from all the rickshaw drivers and the people selling you things. It doesn't make it enjoyable to me. I wouldn't mind lingering a while to window shop, but it's hard since I would have to have the same conversation over and over. I do wish they could let tourists peruse in peace, we may even buy things. I actually ended up buying a few things later on, but I do have to say part of it was because I wasn't being constantly hassled. I'm not sure if I was tricked or not, but this guy showed me around a few places in the Old City, including a temple and a rooftop view of the City Palace down the street and Amber Fort up on a hill on the outside of town. He then took me to a few shops that were away from the Old City. I'm pretty sure he made some sort of commission off of what I ended up purchasing, but oh well. I was able to negotiate down a bit, so I hope I didn't overspend. If anything, I have some nice souvenirs of India. And I'm not saying what they are as they also may be Christmas presents. 

The Pink City.

Later that evening, I met a nice couple from Australia and we hit up a restaurant in the neighborhood for dinner. Well it was definitely a super nice place. We sat outside in the back area under some nice lights. The menu was pretty pricey, but we decided to get a few things to share as we all had a late lunch. And we got a beer tower to share. I didn't think I would be having one of those on this trip. But we did. We of course got the local Kingfisher Lager. I have to say I wasn't really feeling it when we left though. So I wonder how much alcohol content there was. The couple were really nice and we had a nice time eating some good food, drinking the beers, and listening to the continued Diwali celebrations happening all around us. 

Dinner with a beer tower.

The next morning I finally went for my first run in India. I really haven't had made the effort to run, nor have I had the time. It's been a bit overwhelming to attempt to. With all the people and traffic, it makes me a bit nervous to get out there. I don't want to have to deal with the constant attention and continued dodging of moving vehicles, people, and animals. But I got up pretty early and went for it. And I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't get as much attention as I was expecting. Which was a relief. I also found that some of the rotaries they have around the city have dirt tracks in the middle of them. Others were walking and exercising, so I took advantage and would do a few laps every once in a while. This week had a lack of miles, but I was able to get a solid 6-miler in, which I was pleased about. It was a good warm-up for my 13-miler on Saturday. I again got up early to kick it off and made my way to the Old City. I figured most of the shops would be closed for a while, so it would be safe to get some miles in there, along with public gardens nearby. It was a good run. Not a lot of attention, although there was some guy that laid on the horn until I realized it was to get my attention. Seriously. How obnoxious. Definitely got a few 'hello's, a 'run faster', and some guy attempting to run next to me. Like he would be able to keep up. The weather was a big improvement from last week's long run in Sri Lanka. It was a bit cooler, but dry. Much better running weather.

Running the dirt track.

And good thing I'm getting some miles in with all the food and sweets I'm consuming. I've made a few trips to the bakery, including Laxmi Misthan Bhandar. In all seriousness, I don't need to worry about it. But man the sweets have been good. And the lassis. Which I'm still not entirely sure what they are made of, but are along the lines of a milkshake. They also have milkshakes, so there must be some sort of difference. All the rice has been good carbo-loading for sure.

More Indian treats.

I visited the City Palace in the Old City, where I saw old weapons, royal garments, apparently the largest silver objects in the world (silver vessels), and one courtyard that had 4 gates to represent the 4 seasons. My favorite was the peacock gate, which happens to be autumn, my favorite season. I did have to look up the significance of the peacock as I have noticed them elsewhere. It's the national bird of India. Which I think is a nice choice and happy to see them depicted in various places. 

Autumn gate of the City Palace.

Before I headed out of town on the night bus, I had a few Kingfishers with my new friends at the hotel, and then dinner at a local place. I was hoping the beer would put me right to sleep on the night bus. But no such luck. After fearing that I was getting tricked on another bus, I found where I needed to be, and settled in my bed for the night. Of course it was another sleepless night involving bumpy roads and a roadside squat at 4am. Add to the list of things that happen in India. 

Overnight bus ride.