End of Week 2 in Udaipur

My train trip to Jaipur was easy, relaxing and uneventful, other than the fact that I happened to be in the same compartment as the only other foreign girl in the car, who was French. We hit it off really well and swapped traveling stories - she happens to be working at a tourist agency in Delhi, so I consider her to be a very practical contact! The only attention we got was her difficulty in climbing up to the top bunk (she's very short) which prompted at least 3 Indian men to rally around her, all giving their own ideas about where her feet should go, how she should turn, etc.

Jaipur itself is much crazier and busier than sleepy Udaipur. As a hub for merchants, Jaipur is teeming with bazaars and vendors and food stalls. The traffic is impressive, but it could be my reaction to having been in Udaipur, which is relatively calm in comparison. In the old city of Jaipur, there are at least four bazaars which seem to go on for kilometers in every direction. Each bazaar has a specialty - textiles, silver jewelry, household items, etc. It's amazing to see shops stretching as far as the eye can see, all filled with customers grappling to buy the same cloths. You could easily spend 2 whole days walking through them and still not get through all the stalls. Unfortunately, so much choice makes it far too easy to spend money, and I think Jaipur was the most painful experience so far in terms of my finances.

We spent the first day roving through the bazaars, visiting the Jantar Mantar - an amazing observatory built by the founder of Jaipur, which is still used today to calculate time and optimal days for certain festivals - and ate some delicious foods. Sunday was a half day expedition to the Amber Fort, about 9 km outside Jaipur. Stunning doesn't quite cover it - it's an enormous fort built on a large hill, the color of wheat and honey, reflecting light from the sun. You walk up a huge ramp to get to the main gate, and you can then spend hours walking through the endless passages and walk ways around the fort. Amazing. I think Christopher and I spent about 3 hours wandering through it.

Now, back to Udaipur. Christopher left Udaipur yesterday for Delhi, and should be flying out in about 3 hours for Sydney. We had a great couple of days exploring Udaipur before he left - we rented bikes the other day and biked around the other lake, Fateh Sagar, ending up in remote towns in the hills. Such a different view of Udaipur than you get from the city center. We enjoyed some food poisoning from a dal (lentil) dish - what more can you ask for in family bonding? But it is amazing how noticeably different it is to walk alone in the streets without him next to me (or any other male, for that matter!). With Christopher and Jeremy, I am ignored (stared at, but not talked to) and completely unhassled. As soon as I left Christopher in the city, I was accosted by men yelling out the usual "Hey baby" and other typical remarks as I walked alone to find a rickshaw back to my dorm. I'm trying not to let it hamper any activities that I want to do on my own, but it's definitely less relaxed and can make a good day less pleasant.

Otherwise, no problems on this end. I've turned into a particularly aggressive haggler, especially when it comes to rickshaws. Sometimes, as I'm bargaining over a difference of 10 rupees, getting angrier by the minute because of some of the drivers attitudes, I mentally ask myself if it's worth it. I don't know if I'm angrier at myself or the driver for making such a big deal over 10 rupees (25 cents). And then I remember that it's really the principal of the matter - I am no tourist and I certainly don't intend to be cheated. I'm not sure how it will affect my ability to get nice drivers though, particularly as Udaipur is so small and they are constantly gossiping... But I'm learning the importance of holding my ground - politely, of course, but nonetheless staying determined. I'll know I've been here too long the day I start haggling over one rupee!

This weekend I'm hoping to do a day trip to Ranakpur, which is about 2 hours away and boasts beautiful Jain temples. It's nice to get trips set up and keep things busy, and I intend to do as much traveling as possible before it gets hot. Already in one week the weather has changed so much - I was hot with a sweater on today, though the nights are still chilly. I was assured today by some locals that it never gets hotter here than 40 degrees, which sounds better than 45, but I'm still thinking I should appreciate this weather while I can.

Happy Valentine's day! Love to all :)