I'm on the mantel-piece!

Shopping done ... now time for the sights!

How about starting with the City Palace. This is a large bunch of courtyards, gardens and buildings, all inside an outer wall ... the residence of the Maharaja (past and present). There's some interesting weapons (pretty scarey stuff) and textiles exhibits. The guards are all spiffed up in their fancy white outfits. Even though the buildings are in ok shape, it's still dreamy to think of them in their grander days.









Next? Lonely Planet (my bible) only gives scant mention of Nahargarh (Tiger Fort). But, with views to die for, off I trundle! There's two choices ... a 2km walking path up the steep zig-zagging hillside, or take an auto-rickshaw up the road. Guess which one I picked! What was I thinking? It's the middle of the day, shade none, temperature boiling, humidity out of this world ... and sweat is pouring! But once started and all that stuff!

Along the way up and up and up (is there any end to this) I bump into a couple from South Africa, Sarah and James. After a stop along the path, we make our way to the top to a little cafe ... we can't chug down a not-so-cold Pepsi fast enough! Sustenance now in order, we get some lunch and then head off to tour the Tiger Fort.

What an out-of-this-world view! That's the good side ... the down side is everything's broken, graffitti'd, dirty, some of the rooms even turned to toilets (and I don't mean facilities have been installed) ... such a shame.

While we're on the rooftop a young girl comes running over to ask me for a photo. I don't completely understand, but I think the worst and politely say no. Then looking at her running over to her family and they all looked so dejected ... my next thought being maybe they wanted me to take a picture of them together, afterall they looked like a nice, large, well-to-do Indian family. So I walked over, apologized, said I didn't understand, but I would be glad to take their picture.

Nope, they wanted Sarah, James, and I to stand with them for their family portrait ... huh? So we stand mingled with the whole family and they took picture after picture (each of them had their own camera). Along the way we taught them how to say "cheese". I guess we will now be immortalized on the mantel-piece of a lovely Indian family forever in eternity! What's that all about?

A terrific day so far, I head out on my own to the Rambagh Palace and the Polo Bar, one of those posh hotels (just so you're not confusing it with my simple guest house). Yup, that's the life ... sitting on the veranda, sipping a perfect mojito ... as the sun sets ordering a yummy chicken curry, followed by an even yummier ice cream. During the evening, I start talking with a Bay Area neighbor ... Ann, a photographer from Marin ... and we talk about the wonders and unfolding mystery of India.

And with that, how quickly a week of my great adventure has flown by!