India - Jaipur

Imagine trucks wildly passing each other, cars narrowly missing oncoming traffic, camel carts lining the shoulders, painted elephants crossing at intersections. . . Jaipur is a city where monkeys dot the landscape and cows are the usual suspects in daily traffic jams. I physically remember sitting in the back of an autorickshaw with my driver Dinesh wondering impatiently what could be the holdup. It turned out to be a cow in the middle of a round-a-bout oblivious to the ensuing chaos around him. Cows, sacred in the Hindi religion, and by extension, India, are allowed to freely roam the streets and markets. Its a bit unnerving at first, but completely normal after a few days. I even got used to monkeys skimming by my feet as I walked along the dusty roads.







Jaipur itself is hectic with its busy markets and crowded streets. People sell everything from colorful sarees to dishware to baby pigs. You never know what you are going to come up on as you round a corner. On our way to the ancient astronomical obeservatory site, we stumbled across some snake charmers. Seeing two cobras a couple of feet from my feet was indeed a sight I won't forget. I thouroghly enjoyed Jaipur, bedlam and all. We were lucky enough to visit in January which is wedding season in India. These ceremonies are quite the celebration. Huge elephants, decorated white horses, lights and lavishly dressed party-goers walk the street as part of the procession. The ritual itself was facinating, even after the 30th wedding we saw. It is clear that keeping the time-honored custom alive is paramount in this traditional culture. We felt lucky to see it again and again.