India: Jaipur

Hi again! Here is the third post of photos from our trip to India. I'm hoping to have the fourth post up later this week before work gets crazy again.  Thanks for your patience!

Some information about Jaipur:  Jaipur is also called the Pink City.  All of the buildings in the city are painted a dark pink.  It's almost a Terracotta color, except more pink than orange.  While we were in the city, we saw the City Palace, the solar observatory (home to the world's largest sundial), the Palace of Winds, and some elephants.  We also had time to roam around the markets.  Thankfully, these weren't as large and maze like as Chandni Chowk (the market in Delhi).  Unfortunately, the street sellers, who were mostly little boys, decided that Adam (of all people) looked like a man who was there to purchase a bunch of useless, cheap items like plastic bangles and chocolate elephants.  Several of them followed us for quite a few blocks before we found and boarded our tour bus.

We saw our first monkeys in the markets in Jaipur, and later at the solar observatory.  It was really fun to see them free and roaming about, since the only places to see monkeys here in California are in zoos.  Also in Jaipur - our first elephant sightings.  We saw one just outside the palace, and more along the road between the hotel and the Amber Fort.  Once we arrived at the fort, we were told that we could walk up the hill to the compound, ride in a Jeep, or ride an elephant.  My decision was made at once-elephants it is!  So, Adam and I waited in line with a few fellow iStockers for our turn to ride the elephants.  In order to get on the elephant, we climbed up a flight of stairs to a platform.  The elephant stands right next to the platform, with his back at the height of our feet.  We sat on a small, wooden platform on the elephant's back and the man who was managing the line closed a small bar over our laps so we wouldn't fall off.  Sitting sideways on an elephant is an interesting experience.  As the elephant walked, he swayed back and forth.  By the end of the ride Adam and I both felt that we were about to fall forward off the elephant's back, but it was worth it!  Riding an elephant is one of the most fun things I've ever done.  I didn't stop grinning the entire time.

India: Delhi

Here's part two of my images from India.  These are from Delhi and the surrounding roads.  Adam and I enjoyed trying to take some photos from the car/bus as we drove along, although it is difficult.

India: Agra

Hi everyone.  I'm sorry it has taken me so long to post photos from our trip to India.  Since we got back, I've been sick, up to my parents' and back, doing lots of editing (work- not photo), and decorating and cleaning in preparation for a Christmas party we are hosting next weekend.  All of that has left me exhausted and lacking in motivation.  But, I concede that, because it has been 18 days since Adam and I got home, all of my friends and family who have been waiting patiently for photos should get to finally see some of them!

First off, my thoughts on Agra:  Agra is nicer than Delhi simply because the air isn't quite so smoggy.  It was hazy during our time there, which was a disappointment photographically, but otherwise a great experience.  Our guide, Anil, knew an amazing amount about the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, and the Mughal  emperors who lived 400 years ago.  He laughed when we told him that the only knowledge we had of the Mughals was from watching the Bollywood movie Jodhaa Akbar.  Thankfully, Anil understood when we told him that as interesting as his information was, we'd rather just wander around the buildings and grounds and take pictures.

One short story about our time in Agra:  Apparently, it is not exactly legal to take pictures of the Taj Mahal from any area across the river except for at one specific site.  Anyway, Anil warned us on the way to the river that we might be asked to leave by security.  We parked and trekked out across the sand to get as close as we could to the famed building before we set up our tripods.  No sooner had we begun taking photos (I took 2 and Adam took 3) than a security guard came huffing and puffing across the sand, shouting at us in  Hindi.  It's quite an experience!  Anil tried to tell him that we had a permit to shoot photos, but that we had left it in the hotel.  Unfortunately, that was not enough for the guard.  He insisted that we three accompany him back to where the head of security was on duty.  So, we followed him across the sand and through a gate to the site where photography is allowed.

The head of security was wearing khaki shorts and a button up, short-sleeved shirt and was sitting in a folding chair.  This surprised me.  I felt that such a fuss over two photographers seemed silly when the head of security was so casually dressed.  He spoke loudly in Hindi with Anil for several minutes.  It sounded to me like he was very angry, but since I don't understand Hindi, I can't be sure.  After their conversation, Anil explained that we weren't allowed to shoot photos from where we were (which we already knew) and that we were only permitted to take photos from behind the gate.  Adam and I walked over to the gate and took a couple photos, but the view of the Taj Mahal from there was underwhelming, so we walked back out to the car and told Vijay (our driver) about our adventure.

And, now on to the photos!  Adam helped me make a great slideshow so I don't have to post each one individually.

Look for posts about Delhi, Jaipur, and Pushkar in the next few days.