It is 9:45pm here and I just returned from a light dinner of mulligatawny soup and naan with Diane and Charlie (in the restaurant hotel) after having participated in a happy hour with Abhi and anyone who wanted to join (all but two did) in his room. He had bought Indian rum and India whiskey and snacks and it was really fun! I learned a lot about Abhi’s back story and also chatted with a bunch of the gang. It’s amazing how much traveling these people have done! And they’re all educated, fit, and [mostly] liberal so it’s obvious these tour groups attract a certain demographic. (Oh, and they’re all white too...) Bob is 73 years old and does rock climbing. Charlie is around the same age and has run 14 marathons, and now runs 7 miles a day. Sharon, 75, bikes everywhere. It’s very cool.
This morning we flew from Delhi to Jaipur on a domestic airline called IndiGo. It’s only a 45-minute flight. Abhi always talks to us on the bus (with a mike) whenever we travel places. So I liked it when we rode to the airport and he said that you don’t come to India for the luxury, you come for the experience.
Our first stop after we landed was to a paper factory, which was absolutely fascinating. The factory is not automated at all—everything is done by hand and “manual” machines. They take old paper and recycle it, turning it into hundreds of different paper products, including gift wrap, file folders, boxes, and bags. The unskilled men and women who work there earn around 300 rupees (just over $4) a day. They typically work 7 days a week but can work more if they choose to. We were all surprised to see that some of the tissue paper they make is actually bought by Walmart! They put it in packaging and everything. This was so eye-opening, and really made you think about where products come from when they’re labeled “Made in India.” The factory had a great gift shop with dirt cheap prices.
We stopped for lunch and then headed to our hotel, which was in the Old City. Along the way, Abhi gave us a very interesting history lesson about the area. One thing I learned is that no matter where in the world gemstones are mined, they’re all sent to Jaipur to be cut. Jaipur is a wealthy city and its population is better educated than that of Delhi. Abhi pointed out that the moped drivers all wore helmets, which was proof of the superior education.
We checked into our beautiful rooms ( https://www.tridenthotels.com/hotels-in-jaipur?gclid=Cj0KCQiAiNnuBRD3ARIsAM8KmlvALiGlMjvzBDyRRPpOUpVNDuj6MqOBHg0LTkVMBIn2PGYtAd73-qsaApBSEALw_wcB )and then four of us went to a gemstone place before meeting back at the hotel to set off with everyone for the Jaipur Market. Stall after stall after stall of mostly touristy shops. Many of the people in the group were overwhelmed but I was invigorated! The colors were amazing! The traffic was nuts! Abhi had given each of us 100 rupees (less than $1) to go on a scavenger hunt: we had to find some sort of useful household item(s) to donate to the family we’ll be having dinner with tomorrow night. I bought a toothbrush and a package of sanitary pads.
Today I saw monkeys, elephants (for a wedding), horses (for a wedding), camels, and holy cows. We have a busy day tomorrow and have to be at the bus at 8:30, which means I have to get up early to workout before breakfast. I have been eating so much!! I am too tired to post photos tonight—hopefully I will have the energy tomorrow! No happy hour, so it might work out. ☺️
P.S. I can hear the call to prayer from my hotel room, which such a hauntingly beautiful sound, but we’re encouraged to keep our balcony doors shut because of the mosquitos.... ☹️
This morning we flew from Delhi to Jaipur on a domestic airline called IndiGo. It’s only a 45-minute flight. Abhi always talks to us on the bus (with a mike) whenever we travel places. So I liked it when we rode to the airport and he said that you don’t come to India for the luxury, you come for the experience.
Our first stop after we landed was to a paper factory, which was absolutely fascinating. The factory is not automated at all—everything is done by hand and “manual” machines. They take old paper and recycle it, turning it into hundreds of different paper products, including gift wrap, file folders, boxes, and bags. The unskilled men and women who work there earn around 300 rupees (just over $4) a day. They typically work 7 days a week but can work more if they choose to. We were all surprised to see that some of the tissue paper they make is actually bought by Walmart! They put it in packaging and everything. This was so eye-opening, and really made you think about where products come from when they’re labeled “Made in India.” The factory had a great gift shop with dirt cheap prices.
We stopped for lunch and then headed to our hotel, which was in the Old City. Along the way, Abhi gave us a very interesting history lesson about the area. One thing I learned is that no matter where in the world gemstones are mined, they’re all sent to Jaipur to be cut. Jaipur is a wealthy city and its population is better educated than that of Delhi. Abhi pointed out that the moped drivers all wore helmets, which was proof of the superior education.
We checked into our beautiful rooms ( https://www.tridenthotels.com/hotels-in-jaipur?gclid=Cj0KCQiAiNnuBRD3ARIsAM8KmlvALiGlMjvzBDyRRPpOUpVNDuj6MqOBHg0LTkVMBIn2PGYtAd73-qsaApBSEALw_wcB )and then four of us went to a gemstone place before meeting back at the hotel to set off with everyone for the Jaipur Market. Stall after stall after stall of mostly touristy shops. Many of the people in the group were overwhelmed but I was invigorated! The colors were amazing! The traffic was nuts! Abhi had given each of us 100 rupees (less than $1) to go on a scavenger hunt: we had to find some sort of useful household item(s) to donate to the family we’ll be having dinner with tomorrow night. I bought a toothbrush and a package of sanitary pads.
Today I saw monkeys, elephants (for a wedding), horses (for a wedding), camels, and holy cows. We have a busy day tomorrow and have to be at the bus at 8:30, which means I have to get up early to workout before breakfast. I have been eating so much!! I am too tired to post photos tonight—hopefully I will have the energy tomorrow! No happy hour, so it might work out. ☺️
P.S. I can hear the call to prayer from my hotel room, which such a hauntingly beautiful sound, but we’re encouraged to keep our balcony doors shut because of the mosquitos.... ☹️
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