The last stop on our "triangle" was Jaipur - it is a city known less for sights, but rather for its pink city walls and thousands of local artisans and handicraft shops. Before hitting the shops, we were convinced by our driver and guide to visit the Amber Fort. He claimed that, actually, more people come to India to visit the Fort than the Taj. While I am positive that is not the case (I'm not sure if many people have even heard of the Amber Fort) he was right that it is stunning and definitely worth visiting. Here are some of my favorite shots.
It is worth pointing out that my camera battery had died at this point -- due I'm sure, to the ridiculous amount of photographs I took of the Taj -- so I was using the camera on the Nexus 1. Let's just say, it did not disappoint.
Here is a shot from inside the Fort palace with the city wall in the background:
I spy an elephant on the road behind Gina. Then we had another pop by our window to say hi!
The palace was absolutely stunning:
And had amazing stone work inlaid with gemstones and mirrors:
It even had a "floating garden" -- when the monsoons come, they fill the lake which makes the garden appear to be floating:
The detail of the architecture was amazing:
We spent the early afternoon walking through the 'Pink City' of Jaipur. All of the buildings are painted what looked like a Santa Fe/adobe pink color. They did it originally to welcome King Edward (as pink is a color for welcoming guests). They re-paint the whole city pink every 10 years.
Here is the Hawa Mahal (it was built by the Shah so that all of his Muslim wives could hang out and spy on the market place below without being seen). It might be one of my favorite buildings that we saw.
Finally, after a long day of sightseeing and shopping, we went back to our gorgeous hotel: The Samode Haveli. Here is the dining area in the center courtyard:
We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging Maharani-style at the pool:
Enjoying lime sodas:
And, my favorite, a banana lassi:
Needless to say, it was an awesome weekend traversing the Golden Triangle :)
See all of my photos from my Golden Triangle trip: 3/11 - 3/13_Golden Triangle
It is worth pointing out that my camera battery had died at this point -- due I'm sure, to the ridiculous amount of photographs I took of the Taj -- so I was using the camera on the Nexus 1. Let's just say, it did not disappoint.
Here is a shot from inside the Fort palace with the city wall in the background:
I spy an elephant on the road behind Gina. Then we had another pop by our window to say hi!The palace was absolutely stunning:
And had amazing stone work inlaid with gemstones and mirrors:
It even had a "floating garden" -- when the monsoons come, they fill the lake which makes the garden appear to be floating:
The detail of the architecture was amazing:
We spent the early afternoon walking through the 'Pink City' of Jaipur. All of the buildings are painted what looked like a Santa Fe/adobe pink color. They did it originally to welcome King Edward (as pink is a color for welcoming guests). They re-paint the whole city pink every 10 years.
Here is the Hawa Mahal (it was built by the Shah so that all of his Muslim wives could hang out and spy on the market place below without being seen). It might be one of my favorite buildings that we saw.
Finally, after a long day of sightseeing and shopping, we went back to our gorgeous hotel: The Samode Haveli. Here is the dining area in the center courtyard:
We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging Maharani-style at the pool:
Enjoying lime sodas:
And, my favorite, a banana lassi:
Needless to say, it was an awesome weekend traversing the Golden Triangle :)
See all of my photos from my Golden Triangle trip: 3/11 - 3/13_Golden Triangle
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