Around Jaipur, Rajasthan

After two days in Jaipur proper, we decided to explore the surrounding area. We were provided with a driver and a car by the hotel. The car is something called an Ambassador Classic, an Indian made sedan that we recently heard described as "part Rolls-Royce, part Soviet tank." An apt description, though in all honesty, it's far more "tank" than "Rolls." Believe it or not, this car is only two years old:

We drove just outside the city to the north to Amber Fort - the original residence of the Maharaja before he moved his capital to Jaipur. The fort is very impressive with stunning architecture and great views of the surrounding hills and walls which snake around the fort in a ring fourteen kms around. 

Inside the palace is a maze of rooms and corridors with some interesting names - hall of victory, hall of pleasure, hall of glory, etc.... It seems the life of the Maharaja was not a bad one at all. Having seen this fort we couldn't understand why the Maharaja would consider downsizing to the little pink palace in Jaipur....

Another of the Maharaja's palaces was set in the middle of a lake on the outskirts of Jaipur offering respite from the heat of the Rajasthan summer. Though you can't visit the palace, it still makes for some nice photos from the side of the road.   

Last but not least, we visited a forest of royal cenotaphs just beyond the city walls. These cenotaphs are intricately carved memorials built of white marble. The site was beautiful and for most of our visit, we were the only people there.

Although there is much to see in and around Jaipur, the city has left us a little frazzled. We were happy to move on. We also liked our Ambassador and our driver enough to hire him to drive us to our next stop, Pushkar.