Pushkar to Jaipur: Monkeys, elephants and pashminas oh my!

We spent the morning in Pushkar, getting our first cardiovascular workout in days by climbing the hundreds of steps up a hill to see Savitri’s temple. Savitri has a loyal band of monkeys patrolling the steps to her temple and they put on a little show to entertain us as we made the long hike. Baby monkeys bopped each other on the heads and the older males sat together with crossed legs and folded arm, looking as if they were discussing whether or not to withdraw funds from their 401Ks.

After the hike we drove to Jaipur, the capitol of Rajasthan where the first order of business was to ride an elephant. The coolest thing about the ride was, well, the elephant. The ride itself was good for a photo-op but we really just trudged along for about 10 minutes on a tiny little road overlooking a sad little field. We had more fun meeting beautiful Marana, our huge 40-year-old elephant who was painted beautifully with lotus flowers and colorful shapes. We had even more fun feeding sugar cane snacks to 20-year-old Sheila, who snatched the cane from us with her trunk and leaned forward so we could pet her head.

The next morning I took my first solo venture since arriving in India-a trip to the pharmacy to procure some laundry soap and Q-tips. The pharmacist and I did fine with laundry soap: “No, try the store across the street.” Q-tips were another matter. He did not know the words “Q-tips” or “cotton swabs”, and I certainly didn’t know the Hindi translation, so I mimed cleaning my ear, which I belatedly realized was the same gesture as the international sign for “crazy”. The pharmacist nodded slowly. “No medicine here for that. Very sorry you are crazy,” he said sympathetically.

We then headed to Amber Fort, where, to our total delight a low budget movie was being filmed about the Indian fight for independence. We figured it was low budget, at any rate, because the British were all played by Indians and it was sort of like watching Hugh Grant play the part of Kunta Kinte. Nonetheless, we jumped up and down when the Indians warriors in yellow tunics rushed in to defend the fort from the evil British. The director wasn’t as pleased. “Look angry!” he shouted to the actors, “You are being attacked! Stop smiling!”

As we were watching the drama unfold, I snapped at a persistent street vendor, then felt guilty, so I perused his paintings. The vendor, Honey, was young and charming and admitted his paintings on silk were more like paintings “on something similar to silk”. He told me he was studying history and Italian so he could be an escort. When I looked a little shocked, he yelled, “I mean guide! I think escort is different.” I bought four paintings and he threw in an extra painting of a camel, viewed to be a Hindi symbol of romance. “This is a gift because I can tell you believe in love! And as we say in Italian, ‘Gracias Chica!” Close enough, Honey.

American historical sites, like Mount Vernon, run a tight ship, with curators in every room ensuing you don’t make off with a priceless candlestick or use your camera flash around oil paintings. Not so in India, since the forts were looted years ago for the most part. The Amber Fort itself withstood hundreds of years of invasions so it can handle a few Americans and Europeans running through the many passages and stairways. The Maharaja’s private quarters are decorated with gemstones and mirrors; there is a glass, octagon-shaped sunroom and lovely gardens within the courtyards. We decided which of the hundreds of bedrooms we would want if we lived in the palace. It’s important to be properly prepared in case we are asked to serve as princesses of Jaipur.

We then headed to the famed Jaipur bazaars to get our haggle on. We got lots of loot for a little rupee using the “OK that’s too high, we are going to another store, bye, bye” method. The proprietors of our last stop, the jewelry store, asked us if we would like a cocktail, and, as I always say, why hassle with finding a bar when you can just drink at the jewelry shop? A fun Aussie couple joined in the fun and after a cocktail or three, Erin decided it was finally a good time to get her nose pierced. With five pairs of shoes, six pashminas, and a handful of jewelry weighing down our backpacks, we are off to Ranthambhore to see the tigers.