The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
January 31 - The Pink City and Beyond
How do you adequately convey the chaos of Jaipur in a photo? The anarchy on the asphalt inside the Pink City walls is too much to capture from a moving car. I know these shots must be accurate because I took them, but I honestly do not remember ever seeing this little traffic congestion. I would have to be on the top of a building somewhere to even begin to show you the insanity that is Jaipur. So instead, here are a few shots -- all taken within the walls of the Pink City itself -- that give you an idea of some of what goes on in the capital of Rajasthan.
Our driver seemed to know every alley and back street, where to buy almost anything at the lowest price (including his commission, I suspect) and had a good grasp of the history of the place. I thought the house was cool. It was a block down the street from our hotel and just shows that not everything in Jaipur is a third world hovel.
The horse was prancing down the main street, all decked out for a wedding. There were camels and elephants in the streets as well but I didn't get any good pictures since we were in a car. Finally, the Palace of the Winds has become a tourist magnet. Certainly it gets a lot of photo play. While it is quite spectacular to see, it is really just a very ornate facade added over a much less interesting building -- hardly a palace at all, really, but sure looks like one. This does make a statement about what sort of drawing power you can create if you really go over the top.
© 2009 Restaurant Doctor
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