Rajasthan Trip! Woot!

Okay, so I'm kind of lazy, and I have had a lot of work lately... So I'm going to post my English paper on Rajasthan instead of writing a completely different post. So it's a little bland compared to my usual writing. But it is detailed and long. So enjoy it. Or else. Hehehe. Now off to do my homework...
Much Love,
~ Jenna

I stepped out of the bus to see the majestic Amber Fort of Jaipur perched delicately on top of a hill. Just as soon as I had surfaced from the vehicle, merchants began pressing me with their wares, attempting to entice me with their so-called, low prices. A snake charmer begins to play before the group, hoping to get a few rupees from the foreign teenagers, as a few young children scamper around at our feet, causing me to clutch my bag protectively. Quickly, we weave through this chaos toward the jeeps that are to take us to the top. Jeeps that will bring us swiftly past the locals, the wild boars, and the elephants as they meander up to the looming building, carrying eager tourists on their backs. This was my first true Rajasthani experience, just a taste of what the rest of the trip would be like.
The trip was stock full of amazing architectural works, eager merchants and performers, fascinating animals, bustling cities, charming shops, intriguing smells, and much, much more. By simply wandering around one of the cities you could learn so much about the people who lived there. Haggling with vendors who think you're just a silly American, confronting groups of young men who are a little too "snap" happy, watching an energetic man give a magic show, tasting the concoctions that the hotels claimed was American food. All things that are truly unique, unexpected, and spur of the moment. The essence of how a trip like this should go about in order to be able to fully appreciate the color and vibrancy of Rajasthan.
Touring through Jaipur was an experience in itself. For one thing, we were all getting used to the lovely air-conditioned bus that was provided for us. And for another, we were accompanied by my favorite guide of the trip. Well, he talked the loudest at least. I remember, while waiting for the rest of the group after our first viewing of Rajasthani architecture, I was confronted, no attacked, by a vendor. This man would not take no for an answer. He was very persistent in attempting to sell me his instrument, moving his price all the way from 1000 rupees to 200 rupees. Again and again, he came back, asking me to buy it and lowering his price. Each time I told him I was not interested, and still he came. Finally, I escaped; he had found a new victim to prey on. I think that experience right there put me off shopping for most of the trip.
After two nights in Jaipur, it was onto the bus again to make our way to Jodhpur. The Sun City, not the Blue city as some misinformed people call it, was a very charming place. Many of the houses were painted a vibrant baby blue color, giving the city a storybook feel as we travelled through its streets. Once settled into our lovely hotel we were off to visit the Mehrangarh Fort, possibly one of my favorite sites on the tour, even though it was a bit dampened by my physical condition. Getting to the fort and going through it was wonderful, the problem was, getting down. Limping through the back streets of Jodhpur, nearly alone, with an injured knee, still attempting to keep up with the group and our rapid guide as we make our way to the market around the clock tower is quite an out of the ordinary experience, I don't recommend it. But, the light at the end of the tunnel, when we returned to the hotel we were granted access to the pool. The group had a poolside dinner and then an enthusiastic magician provided us with entertainment.
The next morning, it was back on the bus and off to Udaipur. On the way there, we stopped at the Jain Temple of Ranakpur. It was absolutely amazing. All the carvings were so intricate and beautiful, and the stark whiteness of the stone made these carvings all the more prominent. The large temple was perfect for exploring since it had numerous nooks and crannies that no one appeared to enter often. It was another architectural marvel of Rajasthan, one that I had never heard of and probably never would have thought of to see. We reluctantly left the fabulous building and headed to the bus for our scenic bus route to Udaipur. In my opinion, the route that the bus took to the restaurant where we were eating lunch was highly enjoyable. Not many people shared my enjoyment though, since it looked as though we were going to fall of the road and down the mountains to our death at any moment. Our bus driver was one for living on the edge, or maybe he just knew what he was doing and tried things to freak us out and amuse himself.
The first night in Udaipur, I stayed up rather late talking with some other students. This may have nothing to do with Rajasthan itself but it was definitely part of my Rajasthan experience. It was a lot of fun. We talked about everything from politics to philosophy, and we didn't go to sleep until we realized we were keeping our roommate awake as well. So the next morning, I was a bit tired for our tour of the City Palace. The City Palace was yet another good place to wander around in by yourself or with a small group. The area in which we went was set up like a museum, so there were many things to notice and learn about. Across the lake, there was a nice view of the Palace on the Lake, which I wish we could have seen at night, since I heard it is very beautiful. But it was daytime, so I decided to skip the boat ride and go off to explore Udaipur.
Udaipur is an intriguing city, but the ways I found it so are probably very typical of other cities in Rajasthan and other touristy places in India. There are populated areas that cater to the tourist, filled once again with eager vendors showing off their stock. Then on the other hand, if you simple wander around you will find back streets teeming with locals buying spices and other goods or participating in a puja. It was an interesting contrast, with the main street and its half tourist, half local shops acting as the bridge between the two. I got a sunburn from all my outdoor explorations that day. But I would have taken that over shopping any time. You can shop anywhere and buy everything you could ever want on the internet, but you can only explore Udaipur, in Udaipur.
Pushkar, home of the one and only Brahma Temple, was our next destination. Pushkar was one of my favorite places. It had an old charm to it, yet it was extremely touristy. The merchants there would sometimes call out to you to look in their shop, but not nearly as much as the merchants in other places would. Maybe they too knew how touristy their little town was, and they knew that there would be plenty of foreigners, and their money, to go around. Still, I really enjoyed the charismatic little town and the interesting people who I encountered there. Meandering through the streets of Pushkar was a lot more interesting than walking through the streets of Udaipur. Pushkar had more color and intrigue; there were more things to see as you walked through the crowded markets. I found it to be the diamond in the rough of Rajasthan.
Early morning we left for Agra, the longest bus ride of the trip. Everyone slept on the bus, tired from the past couple days of intense travelling. We were now off to see the Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. I'm not sure about everyone else, but I was very excited. Thankfully, the Taj Mahal definitely lived up to expectations. I don't know what I would have done if it turned out to be only half the spectacle that is boasts, it was magnificent. The design of the building was phenomenal. In addition, the whole backdrop of the lake and the long stretch leading up to the palace made the place even more majestic. To tell the truth, the inside of the Taj was a flop. The long wait in line to go inside and see the replica of the tombs was highly anti-climatic. But, the marvel of the outside made up for it two fold, I almost didn't want to leave its looming, off white beauty. However, the enticing thoughts of once again exploring a city of India eventually dragged me away.
Exploring Agra was quite a different experience than exploring Udaipur and Pushkar. Agra was more of a city, and more touristy in a different way that Pushkar was. I even found a shopping mall and a McDonalds. It was as if I was in America again! It was highly amusing. The next morning we woke up early for the last stretch of the trip. Our bus ride to Delhi and our plane flight home. It was sad that we were leaving Rajasthan; it seemed a world apart from Vizag even though they were in the same country. My advice to anyone who is touring Rajasthan, or any other place for that matter, is to explore the places that you visit. Rather than search for the closest place to shop and bargain. All together, you will get a better overall experience and a fuller understanding of the culture of the place you are visiting.