Another interesting day filled with new experiences. Our first stop of the day was Amber Fort. It is a huge old place made up of several adjoining castles. The bus took us part way up and then we had to get in Jeeps for the last part of the uphill road. The road was crowded and narrow.
The castle was neat but not really my thing. It was built back in the 1600’s and of course is empty. Some of the architecture and the garden were impressive. Amazing that they were able to build something like that back then. It was used as a summer residence and they built in an air cooling system using water and ventilation. We saw lots of couples having their pre-wedding day pictures taken. It was fun to see the brides in their colorful, beautiful wedding attire.
As we were leaving Amber Fort there were two snake charmers with their flutes and cobras. They talked Nicole and I into sitting by them and we got to see the cobras dance up close and personal. They had Nicole hold the box with the cobra in it. We both got to touch a snake. The snakes weren’t too active as it was still a bit cool in the shade.
Next we went to a textile place where they hand make rugs and hand stamp cloth to add a print. Both processes were fun to watch. It can take up to 2 years to make a rug out of silk. They showed us their finished products. They served rum and coke and some snacks. One way to lower someone’s impulses is to get them fed and drunk! It didn’t work on us.
They had lots of silk and cashmere products for sale. They were excellent quality but expensive. The salesmen really pushed hard for us to buy something. They will make a custom made shirt or pants and have them delivered to your hotel by 9:00pm on the same day. I didn’t find anything I had to have. I was glad I had gotten my shawls at a bazaar as they were much cheaper. I’m sure they weren’t as good of quality but they will do.
We stopped at a restaurant for lunch. This time we ordered off the menu and got food we could eat that wasn’t so spicy. After lunch Nicole and I came back to the hotel in a taxi. The driver was in a hurry and drove like a mad man. We were grateful when we made it back to the hotel alive. It was one of those rides where I kept my eyes closed most of the time. The driver wasn’t very friendly but he did get us where we needed to go alive.
Nicole and I each enjoyed a massage this afternoon. It is always an experience to get a massage in a foreign country as they do things a bit differently than they do in the USA. My lady got on top of the table on top of me to do my back. She gave extra attention to my head and feet. I really enjoyed the massage. My legs were sore from all the steps I have climbed and she helped work out the kinks. I’m not sure Nicole enjoyed hers as much. Afterwards she had me take a shower as I was a fully greased pig. I took another shower after dinner tonight and I still feel a bit greased up all over.
We had dinner at the hotel restaurant. We had the cutest young man waiting on us. I let him know I didn’t like spicy food and he was very helpful in making sure my dinner wasn’t spicy. We ordered ice cream afterwards and I think he was a bit confused about our order somehow. He ended up giving us each one small dip of ice cream free. We tipped him well.
The rest of the group went on an excursion this afternoon that you had to pay extra for. Most of them also went to a dinner and show tonight. I needed a break from the group and some down time. I’m grateful I stayed behind and got the massage instead. We are almost halfway through this trip and I needed to take a time-out and refill myself.
The rest of the group are nice people but still haven’t found anyone to have a deep conversation with. Most on the trip take lots of trips a year internationally. They seem more interested in taking pictures than the actual experience. To each his own I guess.
Tomorrow we head to the village where the Taj Mahal is. On the way we will be making a stop at a temple and a stop for lunch. It will be another long day on the bus. I am looking forward to Saturday when we spend the morning at the Taj Mahal. We get the afternoon and evening free as we aren’t doing the afternoon excursion.
Sunday we are on the bus all day as we have to go back to Delhi so we can fly to Nepal on Monday. We will have three nights in Kathmandu, Nepal and then begin the very long journey home.
I’m glad I am having all these new experiences and I am especially glad I came with Nicole. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the trip if she wasn’t with me. India is a country rich in history and for the most part the people are friendly. I enjoy waving and smiling at the people on the street we pass while I am in the bus. Most smile and wave back. I did get the finger from one guy today.
We saw elephants, camels, goats, cows, chickens, monkeys, lots and lots of street dogs, and a horse in the cities. Makes for an interesting diversity in the city. The poverty is still shocking to me. The main downtown lacks infrastructure and the roads were not built for the amount of cars, tractors, taxis, buses, and motorcycles that are on the roads. There is always something interesting to look at!
Grateful for this experience of seeing a small part of India, grateful for safe travels so far, and grateful Nicole is with me on this experience.