Incredible India: a voyage with Robyn and Sara

Day 6: Jaipur

Robyn went to early morning yoga and had the yoga instructor all to herself! I strolled through the extensive hotel grounds (32 acres for 87 rooms, including a number of tented rooms, a lily pond, a tennis court, a herb garden and even a helipad).

Our first stop was to the Amer Stepwell which was built in the 16th century as a way of collecting monsoon rains to keep Amber (the capital before it was moved to Jaipur) in water during dry spells. The geometric staircases meant that water could be collected no matter the level of the pool below

Next stop was a visit to the fabulous Amber Fort. Situated on a ridge just outside Jaipur city, surrounded by fortified battlements, Maharaja Mansingh, Mughal Emperor Akbar’s most successful General, started the construction of Amber Fort in the 17th century. Before the City Palace was constructed in Jaipur, Amber was the seat of power. The fortified palace is surrounded by battlements and overlooks the Moat Lake. Its wall is 12 kms long, and is the fourth longest in the world.

There was a hall for public meetings, constructed in red sandstone and marble masonry where the Maharaja met his subjects and held festivities.Beautifully decorated ceilings.

Also offices for state officials, Turkish baths and several large squares.

The palace took 25 years to build and was completed in 1599. One of the squares was like a harem. The Maharaja had 12 wives, who each had their own apartment along the sides of the square.

Robyn climbed to one of the wives’ apartment – she thinks it was the senior wife (perhaps the Queen) because this apartment had a lake view.

And here’s photo which Robyn took of me in the square, from high up in the queens apartment. I’m the one with my hands up!

The garden square is often used by upcoming wedding parties for a photo shoot.

We had lunch at the fort, in one of the rooms which used to be part of the palace. Restaurant was called 1135 ( don’t ask me why).

Then we visited a textile factory which used block-printing to make tablecloths and other similar napery. Here’s Robyn practising her block printing skills…

And here’s me……

We’ve seen lots of cows and dogs roaming the main streets of Jaipur and today we also saw an elephant!