I had a long day yesterday, visiting the Amber Fort and hiking up the 'Great Wall':
However, I didn't have the best night of sleep. I would conclude that I had too much of Chai. Breakfast, lunch and dinner...
Today was my last day in Jaipur, as I would catch the 6pm train back to New Delhi. Having 2 full days in Jaipur, I explored the far-away sites yesterday, and left the Old Town (Pink City) for today.
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| Hawa Mahal (right) and Jaipur Old Town |
I started the day with the same challenge - Breakfast. I went for McDonald's on MI Road, because there were no shops open. To be honest, I would only go for fast-food as a last resort. Needless to say, at 9am, I was the only customer, but still took the staffs 25 minutes to fry the hashbrown and prepare the chicken burger. The staffs were professional, and took cleanliness very seriously.
I recently bought KFC in Singapore, and had to wait for 25 minutes, but there was a long queue.
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| It was a nice breakfast, and for a change, not very spicy |
Today, the target is to visit the places on the combo-ticket bought at Amber Fort yesterday.
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| If you complete these 8 sites in 2 days, you either have strong legs, or you rushed through the sites and most likely forget everything the next morning |
In fact, I don't do things for the sake of doing it.
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| Pink City guide - How many of us still hold a guidebook rather than a GPS? |
The feeling of getting lost in a historical city is great. You sometimes discover unexpected sites and occurrence.
Like buying nice fruits (left) and getting your toes a pedicure by the main road (right)
The most famous landmark in the Old Town was Hawa Mahal. It is an impressive piece of architecture. Easily spotted along the main road is the facade of windows. However, the entrance was hidden in the back alley (which was supposed to be the main entrance), and it took some wandering around to locate it.
The entrance at the back alley, most likely facing North-West
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| The (nowadays) front facade was impressive |
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| Behind the facade |
It was like a VIP room made to stalk people
With intricate artistry
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| The then emperor - Maharaja Pratap Singh built this place in 1799 |
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| From the top of Hawa Mahal, you could see the majestic Amber Fort, some 9km away |
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| I can confirm that my 2-decade old Casio is still accurate |
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| The map before Google Map |
As a man of science, I have only full admiration for these technology
Lunch was fried rice and lemon-tea in some random 'hotel' near the Isarlat, my next destination.
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| The fried rice was not amazing, while the lemon-tea felt like adding some tea to a full cup of dense lemonade - I should've just stuck with Indian food |
No time for a siesta (left) and a reminder to not take drinks with ice (right)
Lunch was important, as the hiking up the 7-storey (140-ft.) Isarlat definitely requires the calories. The Isarlat minaret was probably the most recognizable structure in the Old town.
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| War of succession - Ah, palace politics |
More hiking in circles - A good pair of shoes and some fitness vital
The view of the Pink City
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| It was December, and while Delhi and Agra was freezing, Jaipur was at 21 degrees Celsius, with abundance of sunlight |
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| The Pink City was colourful, vibrant and filled with good vibes |
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| Supposed to be a government building, but the Maharaja switched it into a museum, for the public |
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| Warrior's shield made of gold |
Hinduism and Buddhism originate from this sub-continent - There must be great thinkers here
One of the most fascinating treasures of this museum is an Egyptian mummy. I felt it was an achievement for the local community. Not everyone has the chance to see unlimited mummies at the British Museum.
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| Her name was Miss Tutu |
X-ray scan
The museum also housed a variety of weaponry, porcelain, paintings, artifacts of various Indian sultanates, Mughal empire and even, Iranian (Persian) artifacts... I could have spent a day inside.
Being conscious of time, I went back and packed my stuffs.
The cost of a Tuk-tuk to the train station, hailing by the roadside was Rp.80 (Rp.50 = SGD1). I am sure I could slash the price a little, but at times, you just try to help the poor guy on the street. This is sometimes the objective of tourism - You help build the local economy.
However, it gets a bit annoying when some guys treat you like a money-tree.
Guess what, Uber cost Rp. 67, comfortably. You also inhale less dust, carbon monoxide and enjoy the back-seat. It's also cashless, as you get to link your credit card to your account.
It was almost dinner time, and with a 4-hour train ride on the horizon, I was determined to have something nice for dinner. Upon arriving at the train station, I took a detour in search for something nice.
My mom said that if you could see the kitchen, it's normally safe
The downside is, you see how they prepare your food, and notice that there is only one kitchen cloth available - Wiping the plate, cleaning the knife, drying the cutleries...
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| Thali Special - Was good for the road - I would only eat hot food. |
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| It was nice to be back at Jaipur Train Station - It was classy, orderly and clean |
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| Ajmer-Shatabdi train back to New Delhi |
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PS: COVID-19 is terrorizing the world now. Everyone should maintain social distancing, and stay at home. I had been extremely bogged down with work till now. Having canceled 2 overseas work trips. I found myself MacGyver-ing and improvising ways to solve challenges and delivering my assignments. I am not sure about you, but the past 1.5 months made me a better engineer.
Stay safe and healthy everyone. Don't forget to exercise and keep your brains fit.
Up next, New Delhi!
https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/04/incredible-india-new-delhi-part-1.html
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