We left Agra early in the morning for the five-hour drive to Jaipur. Along the way we again saw many farms and villages. About midway, we stopped to see a Step Well. As described, you cannot fathom what you are about to see. Built in the 8th and 9th centuries, alongside a Hindu temple (that has yet to be restored) this is a large pool, dug into the ground to collect rain water with steps leading down so that people can reach the water for use in their homes. My thought picture was of an old swimming hole just bigger and deeper, but that was hardly the case.
I know the sign says 19.5 meters, but that cannot possibly be true. Just count the steps and you can see that it has to be more than 100 feet deep or about 30 meters. The pictures cannot do this justice. They cannot capture the depth and steepness of the walls.
Along the veranda there are carvings and capitals that are from temples that have yet to be restored. On these you see such detail of the Hindu gods that tell various stories and lessons.
One thing to note, the carvings are rather detailed and revealing in their portrayal of the female anatomy. One would not expect such irreverence in portraying ones’ deity from a reserved culture. The fact is that it was the Muslim influence coming to India in the 12th century that changed the culture and the perspective of women.
We continued on our way to a small village for lunch. As we rode on, we passed an itinerant village. These are workers who come to the area for harvest and then return home.
We arrived at our hotel, the Rambagh Palace, around 6:00 PM. This is an historic place on its own. It was the hunting lodge of the last Maharaja of Jaipur; it was then the main residence of his Queen before being renovated into a hotel. The grounds are spectacular and there are around 40 peacocks that roam the gardens.
The lobby 
The courtyard 
At night 
Flowers placed for the dancing 
Hallway to the rooms 
We had dinner on the lawn while watching the dancing.
April 26 The old city, astrology and more
We headed out to see the old city. Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan. It is called the Pink City. In 1876, the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria visited India on a tour. Since pink denotes the color of hospitality, Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur painted the whole city pink in color to welcome the guests. The tradition has been sincerely followed by the residents who are now, by law (with certain exceptions), compelled to maintain the pink color.
This building has a special exemption. 
We visited a park that included various astrological instruments. Astrology is very important to the Hindus. For example, they do not pick the date or time of their weddings, that is for the astrologer to determine based on the date, time and place of birth of the couple. After our discussion of astrology, our guide set up a reading for Cathy and Me. The results of that will remain sealed, except to say, that apparently the next two years are supposed to bring great things for our family.
Sun dial 
Sun dial 
Astrological sun dials for each sign. 
Astrological clock
Jaipur is also known for its block printing on fabrics. So we visited a shop to see how this is done. Cathy demonstrated for us.
The blocks are carved in stone 
First apply the outline 
The outline 
Then each color is applied using a different block 
Hit it hard 
The first color 
Apply the next color 
And the next 
Almost done 
Rinse it 
And the final result
At the same place they make rugs which was also demonstrated. The man making the rug worked so fast I could not get a picture of his hands without a blur.
Of course, I worked much more slowly.
April 27th the Amber Palace and an Elephant ride.
We started out with a breakfast of Lassi and Samosas, a typical Indian start to the day. We passed a procession of women heading to a celebration of the first anniversary of the opening of a new temple.
Lassi 
Samosa 
Outside of Jaipur about 11 kilometers is the Amer Fort, also called the Amber Palace. The palace was the residence of the Maharajas and their families. Also, on this site just above the palace is the Jaigarh Fort. We climbed the path up to the Palace on the back of an elephant. Something that I am glad we did, but do not need to repeat in my lifetime.
Heading up the hill 
The elephant parade 
Jaigarh fort 
The Amber Palace, with a “lake” in front 
The area for meeting with other nobles 
When the lake is full, this garden looks like a floating carpet 
Entrance to the family area 
The mirror palace 
The ladies room 
Kings balcony over the harem area
After visiting the Palace, we went to a stone cutter to see how the stones are cut to make various types of jewelry.
Later in the evening we went to a natural park for a Leopard safari. Unfortunately, the leopards were smarter than us and in the heat were staying away from the open spaces, but we did see some other interesting animals.
That step well is completely incredible. I mean, all of it is, but that was stunning!
Fantastic. And congrats on the great thinks coming to your family!