Jumping Jaipur is where i am!

Well, well, well. Another long awaited post (or so my mother and grandmother tell me!) has just begun. I'm writing from Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan (another province in India). Well, what a story do we have here. Dharmasala proved to be such a quaint and peaceful village. We actually stayed 6 km away from 'the' DHarmasala at the tourist hangout McLeod Ganj, on a ridge a little higher up on the mountain, beside the Dalai Lama's residence and the current location of the Tibetan Govoernment in exile. Our lazy days were filled with mostly eating, laughing with new friends, more eating, getting involved with more Kashmiris (we can't seem to avoid them at any cost!) and visiting Buddhist temples around the area.

Our first night in McLeod Ganj (M.G) we happened to meet a British trio from Bristol who had also been scammed by Naz in Delhi yet when refusing any more of the company's 'services' were treated EXTREMELY badly - from people walking and running on the roof of their boathouse in the middle of the night to scare the bejesus out of them, to being excommunicated and not being included in any of the other customers' activities (including the big party/feast at Bashir's house). We had some stories to swap over dinner that night alright. That day we also managed to meet a lovely Kashmiri selling shawls who embodied the true hospitality and warmth that others (namely the Karnai family) severly lacked. We had tea (I've never drunk so much tea in my life) while we waited for the rain to stop pouring. Other days we met our Israeli friends at a Tibetan cafe with a melancholy owner and his absolutely ADORABLE white fluffy puppy (he was still mourning the death of this puppy's sister - a customer dropped it and because she was so young it haemorraged and died.. poor thing) and beer gardens and rooftop terraces sipping hot lemon tea with ginger pieces (although that is the healthiest way to be that still didn't stop me from getting a cold. In Rajasthan. In this heat! Argh!)

We arrived in Agra after a very very long train trip (20 hours - the train was delayed and it was SUPER slow) and we were met by Kate, a British girl we met in Srinigar who is travelling with us for the next two weeks, and our driver, Kuljeet, a Sikh sweety who is our driver for our Royal Tour of Rajasthan. And how royal is it. For what we payed for (which was really so reasonable and not so expensive in temrs of convenience) we are staying in gorgeous hotels with hot water and lovely staff - sometimes I say "How did we get this?" But I know why. And so do you. It's sick. Bashir still says to me "So, when am I seeing you in Goa?" Sick sick sick.

Agra is only a stop to see the Taj Mahal. It was as majestic as it is in the pictures, and I will put some on when I next have the chance. The story behind it is so tragic and romantic - the Sultan built it for his wife to enshrine and commemorate her forever. Sigh.

Anyway, I must be off, the next installment will hopefully be tomorrow. Shabbat SHalom to all, and be safe.