Documentary Scholarship Trip

Arrived Jaipur yesterday afternoon and took a walk into he old town with the whole group. Camel carts (which I am later to become very familiar with), dogs, cycle and auto rickshaws and kids who call out “hello pen”… We are staying at a heritage hotel, a beautiful building with loads of character called a havelli. It also has a great big pool, which is fantastic as it’s hot. Headed out of Jaipur a little today to the Amber Fort. On the way we drive through he old city, painted pink in 1853 to welcome prince Albert, we stop at the palace of the winds. A giant façade whose intricately carved screens allowed women privacy as the watched the action no the streets. A few kms more and we rounds a bend and can see the fort for the first time, it sits perched on top of a hill looking commanding, beautiful and impenetrable at the same time. We climb into jeeps to drive to the entrance past brightly painted elephants that also carry tourists up the steep roads to the door. After a great tour it’s back to the hotel and pool via a carpet and fabric emporium…there’s always something to buy in India. Weirdly my big toe hurts.