Jaipur

Jaipur is crowded, chaotic, smelly, dirty. There is poverty everywhere. But it is all so fascinating and people despite being a tad pushy and sometimes annoying, are also warm and mostly mean no harm.

I hired the services of an auto rick shaw driver who took me around the sites for 2 days. Ramsah (sp?) was a nice guy who spoke very good English and took me to the places I requested (eventually). Of the places I visited Amber Palace and the city palace of Jaipur really impressed me.

From day one I had to quickly had to learn that since I am a foreigner I have to pay extra on everything. Palace/museum entrances are much higher for non-Indians. Even for rickshaws or cabs they most often double the original fare. Then you have to haggle and pay only around 50% higher. Same thing happens to the things you buy. But in the end the diffence is Rs100-150 which is 2-3USD.

Ok, I can not get over older men with henna dyied hair. Yasmin wrote saying that they prefer the orange look than their greys showing. Go figure!
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