I love driving through the old city.....at least when someone else is driving! I haven't quite ventured in to driving here in India, but there is still plenty of time and I am really beginning to miss driving, although it's not too pleasant an experience in India. However on Friday night I went to the Light and Sound show at Amer Fort with two of my friends, a great show detailing the history of Jaipur and Amer Fort and why the city had relocated from Amer to Jaipur. Well worth watching for something different to do in Jaipur on an evening, although I also tend to think that there are plenty of places to go and have a drink or relax on a rooftop terrace, but this is something that you can only do here in Jaipur;-)
In order to get there though we have to go through the old part of the city, with its beautiful pink buildings, with Hawa Mahal and it's breathtaking facade, with vehicles pulling out in front of you in all directions. It really is a unique experience!
Firstly, the journey starts with us sharing food because in India everyone shares food and what food is someone else's is also yours. So munching on our paranthas and sabze we set off! As we try and make our way through the old city, we see the monkeys coasting along the pink rooftops, see cows just decide to wander in to the street and as we continue to Amer we pass camels finishing their days work at Jal Mahal, better known as the palace on the lake.
The two guys I went with are really great guys and along with our other friend they make me realise that although India may have somewhat of a reputation with regards to guys and them not knowing how to treat women, there are also plenty of men who are defying that stereotype and show such courtesy, respect and friendship. I enjoy hanging with these guys and spending quite a bit of time with them and being shown a different side to Jaipur that only a local would know, which goes for enjoying street food or finding the best places to shop. These guys are a wealth of information and their good fun too!
The light and sound show was fun and interesting all at the same time and made me chuckle! Firstly, we missed the English performance because we were late as is typical Indian style, however we were able to make the Hindi performance which comes after. Now, I hear Hindi all the time so was happy to watch the performance even if I couldn't necessarily understand it and fortunately my friends could translate. As the performance started at 8.30pm, the back section was full but the rest was empty, however 15 minutes after the start, it begins to fill up with Indian people in all their lateness and 25 minutes in to it, I would say the last few people had arrived for the show, which was now almost half way through. It made me smile and think of how India is on its own time, of which these days I am definitely into my Indian time keeping and need to get better at sticking to the correct time again!
After the performance finished we drive back to the city and as my Indian friends are talking, I let out a squeal of surprise, as an elephant plods along in the darkness. My Jaipurite friends were not phased having seen it many times before but I wonder if I will ever get used to seeing these beautiful animals plodding along in the street. They are so majestic! We come to the end of the road and also in the darkness are two camels and it got me thinking of the animals you get to see on a regular basis in India in places you wouldn't expect to see them if this was the West....but then this is India in all its beauty:-)
In order to get there though we have to go through the old part of the city, with its beautiful pink buildings, with Hawa Mahal and it's breathtaking facade, with vehicles pulling out in front of you in all directions. It really is a unique experience!
Firstly, the journey starts with us sharing food because in India everyone shares food and what food is someone else's is also yours. So munching on our paranthas and sabze we set off! As we try and make our way through the old city, we see the monkeys coasting along the pink rooftops, see cows just decide to wander in to the street and as we continue to Amer we pass camels finishing their days work at Jal Mahal, better known as the palace on the lake.
The two guys I went with are really great guys and along with our other friend they make me realise that although India may have somewhat of a reputation with regards to guys and them not knowing how to treat women, there are also plenty of men who are defying that stereotype and show such courtesy, respect and friendship. I enjoy hanging with these guys and spending quite a bit of time with them and being shown a different side to Jaipur that only a local would know, which goes for enjoying street food or finding the best places to shop. These guys are a wealth of information and their good fun too!
The light and sound show was fun and interesting all at the same time and made me chuckle! Firstly, we missed the English performance because we were late as is typical Indian style, however we were able to make the Hindi performance which comes after. Now, I hear Hindi all the time so was happy to watch the performance even if I couldn't necessarily understand it and fortunately my friends could translate. As the performance started at 8.30pm, the back section was full but the rest was empty, however 15 minutes after the start, it begins to fill up with Indian people in all their lateness and 25 minutes in to it, I would say the last few people had arrived for the show, which was now almost half way through. It made me smile and think of how India is on its own time, of which these days I am definitely into my Indian time keeping and need to get better at sticking to the correct time again!
After the performance finished we drive back to the city and as my Indian friends are talking, I let out a squeal of surprise, as an elephant plods along in the darkness. My Jaipurite friends were not phased having seen it many times before but I wonder if I will ever get used to seeing these beautiful animals plodding along in the street. They are so majestic! We come to the end of the road and also in the darkness are two camels and it got me thinking of the animals you get to see on a regular basis in India in places you wouldn't expect to see them if this was the West....but then this is India in all its beauty:-)
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