Sunday, October 9, 2011

First day in Jaipur

Today was quite an eventful day for being my first day in Jaipur. We woke up to a great breakfast and then had our introductory meeting where we got to share our stories with one another. I'm working with some very cool and interesting people from all over the world. Afterwards, we went to a restaurant called "Four Seasons" where I had my first super-authentic palek paneer. The chunks of paneer were huge and the garlic naan that I had was absolutely smothered in garlic. After a filling and very spicy lunch (but not for me! I ordered "light spice") we headed into the walls of Jaipur to see the City Palace. I got my very first auto rickshaw experience on the way. As scarey as it is, I think it's an amazing way to travel. You're on street level the whole time and since it's completely open, you can hear all the sounds, see all the sights, and smell all the smells. We got a guide once we got to the palace which really helped in understanding the history. The queens' chamber was amazing, the ceilings were painted with gold and inlaid with jewels and mirrors. We even spotted a colony of monkeys as they made their way across the top of the palace!! The day ended with another rickshaw ride home and a relaxing couple hours while the cook prepares our dinner. So far Jaipur has lived up to all my expectations and then some. I've seen a palace, eaten Indian food, seen monkeys, and got to witness cows wandering the streets. Tomorrow is our kickoff meeting where we get to meet the NGO's that we're working for. I'm really looking forward to that.

3 comments:

Kali said...

That is amazing!! I'm so happy your first day turned out prefect. Can't wait to hear more! :)

tamera said...

sounds amazing!! Love the blog BTW

Mom said...

We absolutely loved your video and journal. Thanks for letting us share your adventures in such an amazing way - keep it coming - we want more :) Love, Mom