Riding Elephants

August 3, 2008, Jaipur (city), Rajasthan (state) India (country). We are now in what is called the golden triangle of India. Delhi, Jaipur and Agra make up the golden triangle that was once full of wealthy moguls. There are many forts and walls built here around the 15th and 16th century to keep out invaders. There are many fabulous palaces. The famous wool and silk Rajasthan rugs are also made here. This area is also known for dying material, precious and no precious stones, and the famous blue pottery of Jaipur. This town is full of tourist that includes both natives and foreigners. This is a place for newly weds and people with anniversaries in India will stay. Ever stop has some hard core peddler trying to sell you something. I have gotten used to it and it doesn't bother me any more. The crippled beggars still bother me. We went to the town center and checked out the old part of the city which is completely surrounded by a fort and is where the current ruler’s palace is. We then went out to the Amer Fort built in 16th century. It was awesome, as we got to ride up to the fort via an elephant ride. The fort is all red sandstone and white marble. This is the best preserved medieval bastion. It is highlighted with great paintings, carvings and lots of small mirror art work on the walls. The elephant ride was very interesting. I went shopping with three other males for a Rajasthan rug. Shopping with men for rugs is really different than woman. If was actually a fun experience. We were all looking for a 3 X 4 rug that would be a family heirloom. The hand made rugs are very different from the ones made on a machine. The wool was the least expensive and the silk ones were much more expensive. I purchased a rug after looking at over 50. It was actually fun and I hope my family enjoys the one I purchased. Our days in India are now coming to a close with only five days left. Tomorrow back to the more serious part of our trip, visiting schools.