Jaipur(India)

Finally I got fit to make a bicycle trip through Jaipur city..
a test for the nerves...and for my concentration..
it was a Hero cycle..which could be locked on the back wheel..
I decided to cycle down towards the old city..
the teachers hostel road towards the city is a few kms..
good road...not too much traffic..once I came near Ram Niwas..
it became hectic traffic..ricksjah scooters...Ambassador cars..
Vespa and Honda Kinetic mopeds...and guess what..
even camel driven carts...with these typical Rajasthani dudes..
turban clad and loincloth..oh...entering old city via Chaura Rasta..
leads to Tripolia bazar..always hectic..I had to use my cycle bell
a lot..and got some rather surprising looks from local folks..
like..what's this crazy dude doing on a bicycle in Jaipur??
I cycled down towards the Hawa Mahal..took a tea in front..
I spoke some Hindi..and I managed to get a free deal with the
teastall owner...to keep an eye at my cycle..
while I went up Hawa Mahal..of course I locked it..
Hawa Mahal is a landmark monument for Jaipur..
it's in pink sandstone..they call it *Palace of the Winds*
it's quite high..I believe 4 or 5 floors high??it consists as well
of little balconys..typical Rajput architecture..it's old..
dates from around 1800..it was in fact build in such a way..
that these Rajputi woman could view what was going on..
in the streets without being seen themselves..
*purdah rules*..by the maharaja??I went up for a small fee..
to the roof of this building..very much a panoramic view..
I felt like a maharaja myself...ahah..it was hot..like always..
went down again..and met some local Jaipuri boys..
the kind who will ask you..where are you from??
they payed me a tea in that shop..O.K..agreed..first I thought..
these were touts again...no..they were just curious...
bit of the local playboys..asking???are French girls nice??
or British??teenagers,you know??we all went through that process..
I told them this..Indian girls will always be the best..because..
you can play the macho boss with them..if you marry a French..
it's cross culture...you will have to give in into macho..
they just smiled....and agreed..that's all..so..I cycled on..
to visit the city palace of Jaipur..Maharaja territory..
impressiv entrance..nice courtyards..rooms etc..
and I always think these Japanese or south Korean tourists..
are very funny in their short trousers..camera ready..always..
City Palace is ALWAYS busy..you can enter via Atish gate..
in fact..it's just a museum..clothes..weapons..some silver jars..
funny story about these jars..they were taken to London..
on a trip from Maharaja Madho Singh 2..he took these jars in 1902..
to a London trip..filled with Ganga water(holy river)because this
crazy dude..wanted to take bath every day in Ganga water...
these folks had money enough anyway..just go to Jaipur..
and see the luxury..and splendour of this palace..
the royal family still lives in the palace..Gayatri Devi=Maharani..
is still alive..she was from Cooch Behar(Bengal)a real beauty..
she wrote a book..Ruby met her in person once..
book is called *a princess remembers*
http://members.tripod.com/maharaniofjaipur/index.htm
I bought that book in Rambagh Pace hotel in 1995..
it's her life story..good book..which gives an insight..
of the earlier princely lifes of maharaja's in India..
they don't have much power now..but..in earlier days..
well..they had lots of power..damn..that book is good..
I'll come back to that book..In a later posting..
I should read it completely..but..I start a book..read few pages..
then I finish...will you peeps tap this tiger on his head??
and tell him...to read this very interesting book..well..
I went back a few times to city palace..after this visit..
I cycled back to Ruby's place...needed a shower..
I sweated like a horse..will tell more later on Jaipur..
Tiger