Jaipur, India - November 19th, 2006

The state of Rajasthan is home to the Rajputs, warrior clans claimed to originate from the sun, moon and fire, who controlled this part of India for more than 1000 years. I noticed in the streets lots of men had their hair painted in red henna as part of their tradition.

I visited the Nawal Sadhani family. The wife dressed me with one of her sarees and we all went to visit the City Palace and the central museum, after a lunch the wife prepared and served to her husband and myself ONLY because as she explained to me, women eat after they serve food to their husbands.
He operates an internet jewelry business from home and the family and in-laws live in the 3-story house (3 generations have lived there already). Downstairs they have a little retail store where they sell jewelry to locals.

Jaipur, India - November 16th and 17th, 2006

I travelled to Jaipur, Rajasthan's dusky and dirty pink capital. Hilltop forts and glorious palaces indicate its royal past. Camel carts thru the streets packed with motorbikes, rickshaws, sneeflying pigs, cows, and death looking people laying on the sidewalks, besides the death-defying pedestrians trying to cross the streets. Lots and lots of beggers young and old everywhere constantly asking for food and money.

I arrived at night so the picture was quite foggy, but in the morning I could see the partly terryfying street scene. I took a city tour in the afternoon to visit the Ambar Fort and Palace, the Observatory, Hawa and Jal Mahal (front view) and Laxminarwan Temple in the hills.