The Golden Triangle: Jaipur Stay

July 10th to 12th, 2010: We ventured away from Ahmedabad and the MICA campus for a week of travel, touring, and industry visits in India's Golden Triangle of cities: Jaipur, Agra, and Delhi. First, we flew from Ahmedabad into Jaipur. Of course, I enjoyed some Wahg Bakri tea in the airport before we departed!

The difference from Ahmedabad to Jaipur was striking. Ahmedabad seems to have spung up from chaos. It is a rural city, with one main road (SG Road) and lots of winding paths and congested streets mixed in with shanty houses and farm communities. The Heritage Walk we did in Old Ahmedabad was an assault on all of our senses. There is a rhythm to moving in and out of the traffic of Ahmedabad that is like an urgent dance. One must be both calm and assertive to fit into the flow of things. Many in our group found Ahmedabad to be overwhelming for many reasons: crowds, grime, the poor, pungent smells, oppressive heat, ancient temples and remnants of history in states of such disrepair, the strange mix of beings on the roads (bikes, motorcycles, rickshaw, cars, buses, dogs, cattle, people).

Jaipur, on the other hand, seems much more planned and open. While it contains many of the same elements of India as Ahmedabad, it is less compact and condensed. Streets were wider, roads were better to travel upon, it was a larger city with more sprawl to it, temples and historical sites seemed to be in better repair. It was somehow altogether less assaulting to our senses. Perhaps it also has to do with us having had time to acclimate a little to India, but I think in general we tolerated Jaipur better because the urban city felt more modern and familiar to us. It also helped greatly that when we arrived at our hotel in Jaipur it was like we had come upon a grand oasis. We stayed at the Jai Mahal Palace (a Taj property). I think it must be the single most luxurious hotel in which I've ever stayed. It was breath-taking! Check it out yourself at: Taj Hotel Link: Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur, India.

We toured a local jewelry polishing company in Jaipur and then did some high-end shopping in their gorgeous jewelry store. Some of the ladies in our group spent hundreds of dollars on beautiful pieces of jewelry. I would have loved to buy a Indian star ruby (aka "the star of India" stone) but unfortunately, that's not in my budget this time around. I settled for some lovely enameled bangle bracelets instead. I got one for myself, and one for each of my daughters. I'm hoping to find some cheaper bracelets for them also for "everyday" wear.  We were also able to tour a marble temple and stop briefly for photos of the Floating Palace (at sunset) before returning to our hotel. Jaipur is so nice, we're not going to want to leave at all!

To see more photos of my time in India, go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67693&id=1493536168&l=6effaaef67 or connect with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/alexandra.watson. You can also find me on Twitter as "abcwatson".