Tuesday 26 April 2016
Tucson

I am finally feeling my old self again (no pun intended); it takes a lot longer to recuperate from those long flights than it used to.  But I am at leisure, between catching up on bills and chores and laundry, to continue the blog from where I left off.  Some of this I had written previously, but did not have a chance to post.  So I will be posting a few more entries to complete the trip. 

Tuesday 19 April 2016
Agra to Jaipur

[Sorry about the wrong date--and all the typos--in the previous blog--but I usually write this at night when I am very tired]

The drive from Agra to Jaipur will take most of the day, especially with welcome stops at two tourist sites and another stop for lunch. Prakash (I apologize for mis-spelling his name in previous entries) drives with ease and care.  Most of the trip is on a series of inter-connected expressways, with at least five stops for tolls--I'm glad I'm not paying--although each one is mighty cheap and motorcycles are free.

Our first stop is at the deserted royal city of Fatehpur Sikri, about one hour southeast of Agra.  My excellent Agra guide, Gary, accompanies us here, from where he will return to Agra, and Prakash will drive on to Jaipur.  FS, as I shall call it, is a place I knew nothing about before planning this trip, and the size of this city-that-no-one-wants is immense:  fort, several palaces, and a large mosque.  India is littered with cities created and deserted; every time a new ruler conquers the old he must establish a new seat for his new kingdom.  This one is particularly well-preserved, because it was occupied for only a short period of time when the ruler decided to return to Agra.

The Palace and Grounds

 

                                                                                            

The Mosque

Emperor Akbar built his "victory" city in 1570.  But because the location was not strategically viable and the availability of water became a problem, he abandoned FS and moved his capital back to Agra in 1585, just 14 years later.  An outbreak of plague before the turn of the next century, emptied the city of the small population left behind.  My tour takes in the private palaces and grounds and the large mosque. Much of the military fort and its surrounding walls are also still standing.

Gary and I say our farewells by showing pictures of our partners. He has a very beautiful wife and two young children whom he dotes upon. I show him the print pictures I carry of Will and the cats; he shows me his iphone. Gary is the first person here with whom I feel comfortable enough to discuss my life with Will.  As a Sikh, he belongs to a sect that is more liberal and open to differences than all the other religions of India combined. Whenever a guide, driver, or agent of Audley, would ask the usual personal questions I  always responded truthfully about my relationship with Will, but would usually leave that as a simple declarative statement.  With Gary I was able to share more about our relationship and he sincerely wished us both well.  He says I must return to India with Will; he assures me that he will take good care of both of us.

Agra Guide, Gary, at Taj Mahal Gate

But onward I must travel.  Prakash drives for another hour before stopping at a roadside restaurant offering a long menu with choices from at least five different national cuisines.  This is where I first taste one of my new favorite Indian dishes, butter chicken, along with delicious butter-garlic naan bread.

The rest of the ride passes through agrarian lands lying fallow between planting seasons.  About 45 minutes before we reach Jaipur, we stop at the very small village of Abhaneri (mentioned by Audley, but not even noted in most guidebooks), my second great surprise of the day after FS. All there is to see in this one-horse town is a deep hole in the ground.  But what a magnificent hole it is!  I don’t even know how to describe the amazing arrangement of steps leading down to green water at the bottom of the well (Chand Baoris).  A few pictures will have to suffice—at least until I have a chance to see Christian Bale’s Dark Knight (a scene was filmed here).  A friendly and well-rehearsed local resident provides a brief tour for a small gratuity (this is a nation built on tips).

My Driver from Delhi to Jaipur (7 days), Prakash

As we approach the outskirts of the city in the heart of Rajastan, the landscape finally begins to change, with rising hills and cliffs starting to enclose the highway.  There is even a road tunnel cut through the last of these cliffs that take us directly into Jaipur, “The Pink City.” We drive directly to the hotel, where I elect to have dinner, home-cooked by the owner and his family, who also help serve.

I will report more about the hotel in the next blog.