An Early Start at Amer Fort
We got up early in Jaipur to beat the crowds. The bus took us to the bottom of Amer Fort, where we caught a jeep, then walked the last bit up. It's a rigmarole, but the views of the fort over the lake were pretty amazing. Work on the fort began in 1592 under Raja Man Singh I. 🏰
As we approached, we ran the gauntlet of people selling things, and the haggling got annoying. It continued inside. It's an interesting approach to selling. There was a snake charmer and a puppet show, which were fascinating to watch, but the implied obligation to pay often meant you couldn't enjoy them. In Europe the show is given freely, as is the koha. Here, people have their hand out constantly.
Near the entrance we saw a group of girls in their school uniforms, and they were so pretty. I loved them.
Elephants and a Platform
Inside we saw about 20 elephants taking people for rides around the courtyard in processions. The riders got off onto a raised platform so the elephants didn't need to kneel, which was quite funny to watch. The elephants must have started early, walking up from below. 🐘
The Painted Gateway
We went in through a painted gateway, and the paintings on it are roughly 400 years old. They're beautifully detailed.
Mirrors and a Garden
Our guide was great, full of stories, and we took lots of photos. My favourite was the garden, which looked like the inspiration for the Indian garden at Hamilton Gardens. The mirrored ceilings are lovely too. Light a single candle, and it reflects everywhere, a magical effect at night in an age before electricity. ✨
Ancient Air-Conditionin
This is an example of engineering that is hundreds of years old. A continuous flow of water, fed from the fountain in the garden, captures the cross-winds in the courtyard and cools the air, an early form of air-conditioning. From the ceiling above, the queen would have a chair suspended, and she could sit and enjoy the cool breeze.
Embellishments Around the Palace
The Giant Cooking Pot
There's a massive cooking pot here, big enough to feed the entire fort.
Haggling Round Two
After the fort, the sellers wore me down. One would say 800, I'd say 200, they'd say 700, I'd start to walk away, then 300, walk away again, and finally 200, and okay then. I could take it or leave it, but I got a couple of things that were fine. 😄
-On the Road to Ranthambore
After the fort, we got on the road to Ranthambore. This wasn't on the original itinerary. When Bhooi's friend Balendu Singh heard we'd be in the area, he invited us to stay at the resort he started, Dev Vilas. He's a naturalist and conservationist, and it's a top-of-the-line resort. Ranthambore began as a game sanctuary in 1955, became one of India's first Project Tiger reserves in 1973 and a national park in 1980, and covers over 1,300 square kilometres. We'll go on safari tomorrow, and I'll share the details of the park then. 🐯
A Lovely Welcome
We got a lovely greeting when we arrived. After settling into our rooms, which were just delightful, we sat around a fire for the evening, in our best clothes. I wore my new dress from Pushkar and Monique wore her dress that she'd had made from a ssari she bought in Mandawa.
It wasn't cold, but why not? 🔥 📷
The Tiger Dad
Around the fire, we heard stories about the park's history, and a story I loved. In 2011, a tigress known as T-5 died, leaving two young cubs. The expectation was that the cubs wouldn't survive, but a camera trap showed their father, a male called T-25 (Zalim), with them. He shared his kills and let them feed first. It was the first time a male tiger was documented raising cubs, and since then other male tigers have been recorded doing the same. I slept soundly in my comfortable room, and we're up at 5:30 for the 6 am trucks into the park. 🐅
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