More sight-seeing this morning – more time passing till the 22nd, when we leave India, + we can really consider ourselves to be on our way home. Not that it’s all that much of a chore really. Today we visited Amber, the old city + capital some 10 kms away from Jaipur. A simple bus ride, +a climb up the hill to the Palace, where there were lots of wealthy tourists looking rather foolish, sitting on top of elephants. Inside, the Palace was big + rambling, with vast stone corridors which seemed to go on forever. Up to the fort, it was a good long trudge, + a climb of some 500 ft, + when we arrived, it was clear that not all that many visitors were expected, for it took a while to find a man to pay the entrance fee to. Foreign guests were charged an exorbitant sum, but our fake student cards with the Chinese writing on them managed to reduce it to the same amount other people were charged, so justice was done, in a way.
Curiously, we + half a dozen others who had all turned up together were the only visitors, but we were able to help each other out by calling out to each other the right way. It was not easy wandering around, for directional arrows, paths, + explanatory signs had all been done in a rather half-hearted way, so that one could follow a couple of arrows + then have no help at all. The whole place, + it is vast, is pretty wild + unkempt, + there are various signs around saying that this area or that is “under development”. I hope they do try to make something of it, for the place has wonderful potential.
Caught the bus back, + then I had to persuade Val to do some shopping. There is quite a lot that she wants to get, but she’s finding it difficult to raise the enthusiasm – all that she bought this time was a small headscarf.
Another piece of sight-seeing done, to tick off the list, and to help pass the time.
