From Ranthambore To The Pink City Of Jaipur
Breakfast is curry. Dinner is curry. Lunch, if you have it (we haven’t had room) would be curry. By our first Saturday we’re on curry number 10. That’s going to reach a very big number by the time we see anything like a change of cuisine. Tummies, you better be ready.
Saturday afternoon and our fourth sortie into the Ranthambore National Park sees us take a break from seeking out animal sightings and instead we climb to Ranthambore Fort, the huge 5th century hilltop construction from which the National Park takes its name – indeed the vast area covered by the park once formed the fort’s hunting grounds. Today the fort lies well within the Park itself. Claimed and occupied by successive dynasties through the centuries, Ranthambore is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site as one of the Rajasthan hilltop forts.
It’s a mightily impressive place, featuring multiple separate buildings still standing proud some 1600 years after construction. It’s also home to large troupes of black-faced langur monkeys who continually amuse us with their playful antics.
As we reach Saturday evening we are still talking about yesterday’s tiger sightings, the undoubted highlight of what has been a thrill-filled couple of days. Unsurprisingly the tigers form the basis of most of the conversation over that 10th curry.
It turns out that our last two Ranthambore sorties are complete let downs, firstly a ride into Zone 7 which is high on the mountain ridges and devoid of interesting wildlife (great views mind) and second a boat ride described as a “river safari” which is about 30 minutes on a wide river with only crocodiles to see and about as far from a “safari” as you could get. In both cases the guides hardly say a word and in the former the driver seems more interested in meeting other drivers than anything else. It’s good that we had our better experiences first – if these two experiences had been on our first day we’d have been questioning the wisdom of our choice of provider. But we have those first two days – and the tigers – to remember, and that’s what matters.
Time to up and leave Sawai Madhopur, time to get a train fix too, as we head off on the next part of this journey, a section which will take us through four of India’s most famous and spectacular cities before we head to the south. Except once again I am thwarted on the train fix front – as departure time approaches we hear that our “express” is running nearly four hours late on its long, long journey from Mumbai. We can wait in Sawai Madhopur for four hours before we even set off or we can grab a driver and be in Jaipur in three.
Train journeys booked 2, train journeys actually completed 0. Ever so slightly gutted but some things just aren’t meant to be, and the Pink City awaits….
Jaipur bakes in the afternoon sun. Its streets, all but gridlocked with cars, mopeds, tuk-tuks, people and cows, are typically manic, barely an inch of road surface visible as the fight for space goes on. Horns blare, engines rev and somewhere, masked by the cacophony which is the soundtrack of Indian cities, a muezzin’s call to prayer echoes from a minaret. Odours alternate between delightful and offensive, incense and perfume fill the air only to give way to the stench of rotting rubbish; now the heady scent of curry is lost to the putrid stench of garbage-filled stagnant water. Pigeons, cows and dogs hunt for scraps in piles of discarded waste, streetside stalls steam with marsala tea or fragrant dosa. Men use chapati to scoop daal from bowls; a middle aged man urinates against a wall in the midst of the crowd. We are back in India.
Jaipur though is to wow us very quickly – before, in fact, we even venture outside of our new home which is a delightful traditional haveli. For generations home to the exceedingly wealthy Bissau family who still occupy the upper floors, this wonderful old building may have seen better times but is still steeped in character, its decor and furnishings making us truly feel that we have either stepped back in time or entered a museum of colonial grandeur. It creaks with age but positively oozes with character.
It’s not just the furnishings which are distinctly colonial, the staff at this place which is still run by family members, are extremely well versed in the deferential nothing-too-much-trouble customer service style of a bygone era. Carry your own bag or fetch your own tea and someone will come running to take over.
The city, founded by and taking its name from 18th century regional Rajpoot ruler Sawai Jai Singh II, forms part of India’s famed and much visited Golden Triangle with Delhi and Agra and is a city boasting more than its fair share of worthy sights. A proportion of its architecture is finished in a pink hue which has given rise to one of Jaipur’s monikers, The Pink City. As it happens, we will be moving on to The Blue City and The White City from here.
What an appeal Jaipur has, a heady mix of the typical craziness of Indian cities with a sizeable collection of eye catching attractions. There is an upbeat, vibrant feel to the city, a city which seems to have multiple layers of character. A large, sprawling metropolis of nearly 5 million inhabitants, its places of interest are scattered around the city with many some distance apart, so careful planning of our time here is essential.
Thus, we opt to snare a tuk-tuk for Day 1 in order to view most of the sites, after which we will spend a couple of days digging more deeply into those we wish to explore further. So it is that we meet Soni, who immediately endears himself with his ultra helpful attitude. For a start…
“Please. I am not a guide, just a tuk-tuk driver”, he insists, and then proceeds to be a more than adequate guide to a city of which he is clearly proud. And then, to emphasise that we can take as long as we like at each stop, he has a little catchphrase…
“Remember. No hurry, no worry, no mutton curry”.
And so our exploration of this rather wonderful Pink City begins….
30 Comments
Alison
Very glad to see you back Phil and once again read your lyrical posts. Haven’t missed you completely as I’ve been seeing Michaela’s wonderful photos on Instagram. After reading this I could almost be persuaded to visit India again
Phil & Michaela
Hi Ali xx. I actually had you in mind when I was writing the first post, including the cancelled flight, thought you’d find the airport scenes amusing. It’s our third time in India and we’re really enjoying it so far 😁
Alison
I’ll have to find that one
Eha Carr
Oh yes, I also saw Michaela’s unreal friendships with monkey-folk on IT! And the very, very lovely ones of two people meant to be travelling together. Especially love the city photos here – they have caught historical age-old buildings together with an almost palpable hurry-scurry of the modern, crowded ‘messy’ city! Bikes and Castrol and painted elephants all at the same time . . . oh DO have a marvellous time !
Phil & Michaela
Thank you, Eha…well, even on a third visit India continues to throw up surprises!
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Beautifully written, Phil. Beautifully photographed, Michaela. Enjoy the curry. 😊
Phil & Michaela
Thank you so much, Lynette, as always. India is always interesting, never dull…
Toonsarah
We missed out on getting a close look at the fort in Ranthambore – it does look rather photogenic! But your Zone 7 driver sounds as unhelpful as the guide we had there. I do think they need to work on the visitor experience!
I love your italicised description of Jaipur – sums it, and most Indian cities, up completely. And Soni sounds like a great find 🙂 Looking forward to reading more!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Sarah – yep, the guide experience in Ranthambore was very sweet and sour. Glad you like the Jaipur paragraph, I tried to convey the clashes and contradictions which are India personified! Having difficulty opening your Cologne post but I’ll keep trying…
Toonsarah
Thanks for keeping trying – I see it worked in the end!
restlessjo
I love the look of the pink city. Could you guarantee me an elephant ambling down the street? I’m blessed with that ‘Jai-ho!’ song on replay now, but it’s a change from Christmas carols. Have fun, Phil xx
Phil & Michaela
Well we saw several Jo so the odds are good 😀.
Steven Mark Berger
Really nice writing and photos. Jaipur is so beautiful and so much fun to walk around. I took trains in India over 50 years ago and had some amazing experiences but Annie and I only used buses and were generally pretty satisfied. Always on time and comfortable.
Can’t wait to read more.
Steve
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Steve. We’ve done Indian trains before and they were fun indeed, but so far on this trip it’s been not to be, so to speak.
Lookoom
You are beginning to adapt to the Indian pace of life. I have also noticed this contrast between the orderly, peaceful ancient monuments and the chaos of the surrounding cities.
Phil & Michaela
Indian cities are manic yet full of contradictions, you can always find a peaceful haven if you look hard enough!
Monkey's Tale
Aren’t the Rajasthan havellis wonderful? We stayed in 3 or 4 thoughout Rajasthan. And of course I love the langur monkeys 😊 But I don’t miss the garbage, public urination, street cows…. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
India is such a mix of good and bad, we love it but it’s obvious that it’s not for everyone. And yes, loving the havelis!
Monkey's Tale
We spent 8 1/2 months in India, so by the end we were very tired of it’s quirks 😊
Phil & Michaela
I can believe that….!
Helen Devries
I’m sorry the trains are not working out….and how lucky you were to only have the surly guides at the end of your safari.
Phil & Michaela
Yeah they weren’t great. Still, seeing some amazing places!
WanderingCanadians
Ranthambore Fort is impressive. Seems like the monkeys enjoy it too. Glad you made it to the Pink City.
Phil & Michaela
This tour is shaping up nicely!
grandmisadventures
That fort is really incredible- the building and the views. Also I really love the painted elephant just casually walking down the street
Phil & Michaela
Animals everywhere! But it’s always fun to see somebody casually riding past on an elephant … don’t see it too often in England! 😂
Annie Berger
What a shame you missed your first two train journeys – I hope that was rectified later in the trip? A shame, too, about the indifferent guides near the end of your park adventure. Jaipur is delightful, helped by your wonderful guide, no doubt. How are your tummies after all the curry?
Annie Berger
Phil, Meant to add that i wouldn’t mind being transported to the Bissau Hotel right about now!
Phil & Michaela
Ha yes, a place of real character, so much history. And £47 per night including breakfast 😀
Phil & Michaela
No trains yet…but there’s a chance we may be able to catch one or two further south. Up and down in the tummy department!