Jaipur

It is a five hour drive to Jaipur from Delhi. Jaipur is home to the famous 'pink city palace' and is the state capital of Rajasthan. There are about 28 states in India with Delhi being the national capital/state. It is also home to many forts and palaces. In the evening, took some pictures of the Water Palace. Didn't linger long as the beggars and hawkers were a little overwhelming. This is my first taste of the local population in touristy areas. The persistence and aggressiveness of both beggars and hawkers leads me to think that people are very determined to eek out some kind of living even if off the hapless tourist.

Checked into the Holiday Inn Jaipur. I usually don't stay in Holiday Inns but my first choice became too expensive and I figured the international locations would be nicer than the domestic locations. The room was nicely furnished and the breakfast was satisfying. I will say that the internet access was slow and unpredictable. If you are going to buy, get the day pass unless you only want to use the internet once in a very short period. In general, I found the internet access in this area of India to be poor even in the big name hotels.

Grabbed dinner at Little Italy. It was good but the Indian take on Italian food was interesting. They really like sauces or put think pasta dishes should be swimming in sauce like curry. Portions are easily shareable here.

Drove through market area and it seemed like the city was bustling with people. They are not up all night like the Asian countries but it was still late enough for those interested in some street shopping.

The next day, went to the Amar Fort. At the fort, you can get elephant rides for $18. The lines were long even at 8 am and I didn't think taking a ride would benefit the elephant's circumstances. The fort is amazing in its architecture and size. I would say that the fort is more impressive than The Great Wall. I just found the structure so detailed and still nestled in the mountain top.

Afterwards, did a quick run through the City Palace before heading out to Agra. The City Palace was interesting because it is mostly pink on the outside and some interesting architecture on the inside.