December 31,2013
New Year’s Eve
The train was an experience for which I was not prepared. I will be more prepared on my next train trip, back from Bohdgaya to Delhi. Between the horrifying squats and the cockroaches, I couldn’t wait to get to Jaipur! At least it was on time and three of my bunk mates were great, two girls from Sikkim and young sound engineer from Delhi.
Jaipur, the “Pink City” is as crowded and noisy as every city I have encountered and riding through traffic in a rickshaw reminds me of riding the bumper cars at Playland at the Beach.
Ever on the tourist track, I saw the Hawa Mahal, a palace inside the old city built by a poet-king, whose harem was only allowed to look out of all those windows to see the outside world. This area really is all pink from the sandstone they used for materials. It’s incredible! I missed the music last night here at the hotel as I crashed early.