Agra 10/15/08

Yesterday was a day spent in whole in Jaipur. The morning started with me once again entertaining the restaurant boys because I was the first guest in the hotel to be up and about. 0600 is sleeping I tell them, and I waited until 0615 to come down for breakfast! Again, they pointed me to a local treat and showed me how to eat it. Note to self: if it's red it's hot, if it's green it's not.

At 0800 guide #2 and Sanjay picked me up to take me to the Amber (Amer) Fort. Yes, one location has two names. We get to the drop off point and it is just loaded with touts. Luckily I know how to put on my sunglasses and saunter like a Maharani that I am really supposed to be... So that I can wait in line in the hot sun to get on an elephant to go up a hill... guide #2 drops me at the end of the line and takes off to chit chat with his other guide buddies. I'm standing there looking around when I realize the chaps in front of me sound like me. Voila, I was temporarily adopted by a clan of four from Arizona! It made the line go so much faster listening to their exploits all over the world. The patriarch, Louis, retired two years ago and he and his wife Bonnie are living all their dreams. Well, Louis is anyway. Bonnie had both knees replaced recently and was dependent upon a wheelchair, but she was definitely being a good sport. The two boys, Reed and Ryan, were of an age that they could join their father on many of the voyages, from the Antarctic to India. And I believe they were moving to Africa after Bollywood...

Anyway, guide #2 loads me onto a baby elephant with a crazy mahout to go up the hillside. Baby elephant felt a need to blast all oncoming elephants (and me and the mahout) with water. A lot of water. I don't know where the hell she was getting the water. Anyway, the mahout was singing to the elephant so I made him teach me the words. So about halfway up the mahout and stupid ferengi (that's me) were singing. Apparently that was unheard of because people stopped trying to sell me things from the ground, or maybe it was my singing. Hmmmm....

Once in the fort we walked around and tried to stay either in the shade or on the ramparts. It was quite hot, I'd say it was 90 or more before 10. Very interesting history and amazing art. The fort seems to have been in some decline, but is now being restored. My guide let me wander and nothing appeared to be off limits. I was able to chat with some of the restorers working on wall painting before security got a hold of me and sent me in a different direction. Which included stairs. Speaking of stairs, they have beautiful buildings and crappy stairs. I'm sure the stairways led to many broken bones. The risers were too much even for me on some of them, followed by one that looks like a stair but isn't.

After the fort we went to a museum that housed many of the artifacts that had been removed from the palaces and forts. They aren't quite in display format as yet, but you can tell they are working on it.

Then I spent a leisurely evening at the hotel. The Trident Hotel in Jaipur is the bomb! Because the one in Agra is not so much... but I get ahead.

I went shopping for some pashtoosh and found many. The shopkeeper and I looked like we had opened every box and had displayed every scarf he had available. While not really, it was quite close. After my shopping foray came getting courier service to send them all home since I need to travel light. Three hours later and finally I think everything is on its way.

Dinner had dancing girls around the pool. Someone asked for Jeannie (he shall remain nameless) but he'll have to settle for pictures of dancing girls instead. And a boy that breathed fire.

Today Sanjay and I drove from Jaipur to Agra. En route we picked up guide #3 Tyrone. We collected him at Fatehpur Sikri. This is a palace/fort that was abandoned by the mughal ruler for either a water problem or because the sufi priest kicked him out. It is all carved out of sandstone and all though a little downtrodden is an obvious work of art. The archaeology institute of India is trying to restore it, but how will they get what was looted by the British back?

The three of us then traveled to Agra. I'm sure the Taj Mahal will be worth it, but so far I'm not dazzled. It is raining and the full moon I was looking forward to looks to be a hidden gem and not worth leaving the hotel.

So until later... I'm going to sit by the pool and read.