Namaste, Rajasthan! We began our adventure in this beautiful state a few hours south of Jaipur in a small, remote village, staying overnight in a heritage property that was once a palace. Upon our arrival, we took a safari ride and saw the natural landscapes of the area, climbing to the top of a sand dune for peace and relaxation, enjoying the beautiful scenery, the dry sand at our feet, and the sounds of birds; quite the contrast from the populous, noisy, rainy, Agra! We also stopped by a small village within the village, but it seems that this is a common tourist drop-by place so the experience did not feel the same in comparison to my others. I decided it best to respectfully refrain from taking pictures in it; another learning experience that took me by surprise! After our adventure, we had an outdoor dinner at the palace, by which we could see stars and feel breeze in the air, and by 10:00 pm I was cozy in my beautiful, tv-less room and fast asleep. The following day, we did a walking tour of the village directly outside the palace and learned more about the culture and politics of the area. I felt much more comfortable taking pictures in this particular portion of the village, and thanks to our very knowledgeable tour guide, who graciously answered my many questions, I learned a great deal and gained a new perspective on India. It was a breath of fresh air in the remote Rajasthan village, literally and figuratively, and so my batteries were recharged and I couldn’t wait to take on Jaipur, Pink City, also in Rajasthan, but a three hour ride northward. The ride was a bit bumpy and had me feeling queasy, but after a delicious huge lunch I was all set to conquer our newest destination. Upon arriving to Jaipur, we made our first stop to the iconic Amber Fort. Situated on top of a mountain, we made the trek up a countless number of stairs, with the Great Wall of Jaipur at our backs, dripping in sweat from the intense heat and sun, but when we made it to the top we could see it was worth the journey. The Amber Fort is absolutely gorgeous, from the intricate details, to the marble pillars, to the views, to the science in the design, no picture or words can do it justice. After the Amber Fort, we had a few tours of hand-craft jewelry and block printing facilities, and then made our way to our hotel, another quaint, beautiful heritage property. We will be exploring Jaipur for another day, and may go see a Bollywood movie! My trip is starting to wind down here, but there is still more to come! It’s hard to believe there are just two days left here for me!
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Mary Patricia PavicicAurora High School Science Teacher and IREX Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellow 2017-2018. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |