![\"\"](\"http:\/\/gordonandjudy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-07-at-7.18.06-PM.jpg\")
<\/a>\u00a0Traffic, traffic everywhere![\"\"](\"http:\/\/gordonandjudy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-07-at-7.16.03-PM.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/gordonandjudy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-07-at-7.14.29-PM.jpg\")
<\/a>A Hindu shrine by the roadside.<\/p>\nAs we drove, we began to notice more farms and agriculture.\u00a0 We\u2019re told it\u2019s potatoes, mustard, some wheat, and some rice.\u00a0Several places I noticed stacks of disks piled up or laid out.\u00a0 It was cow dung drying out to later be used as fuel for fires..<\/p>\n
We also began to see camels more frequently.\u00a0 Where there was grain being grown, the camels were being used to pull carts hauling the grain to market.\u00a0 Almost every animal we see is used to pull or haul something.<\/p>\n Many of the villages we passed had a centralized area where water was available for bathing.\u00a0 It\u2019s a common sight to see someone standing at one of these areas taking a bath on a raised platform, 50 ft. from the road.<\/p>\n The highway to Jaipur is mostly 4 lanes, and seems to be new.\u00a0 The median has flowering plants.\u00a0 Only as we pass thru the villages does it get dusty, and the traffic stacks up, especially at an intersection.\u00a0 Even on a big highway like this, cattle can bring traffic to a halt if they get stubborn.\u00a0 We stopped after two hours at an Indian version of \u201cStuckey\u2019s\u201d with a restaurant, gift shop, washrooms, and a place to buy snacks.<\/p>\n Jaipur is built in the hills.\u00a0 As we get close, the road begins to climb.\u00a0 First stop in Jaipur is lunch at a small restaurant.\u00a0 After lunch, check-in at the hotel, meet our guide, and by 2:30, we\u2019re driving to the Amber Fort.<\/p>\n We thought the Amber Fort was named for it\u2019s color, but it\u2019s something entirely different.\u00a0 Shiva, the Hindu goddess of destruction has 1000\u2019s of names.\u00a0 The most commonly used name during the time the fort was built began with Amber\u2026\u2026\u2026. (didn\u2019t quite get the whole name), but evolved into Amber.\u00a0 It had nothing to do with color?<\/p>\n The fort is just another amazing palace built by a Maharajah with lots of money, who spared no expense getting everything he wanted.\u00a0 There seems to be a lot of that going around 500 to 600 years ago.\u00a0 The views of the valley below were great!<\/p>\n After the Fort, we had a short picture stop at the Water Palace.\u00a0 It was built as a summer palace for the obvious reason it would be cooler.<\/p>\n Next stop was a place where we watched a \u201cblock printing\u201d exhibition.\u00a0 It\u2019s an ancient version of screen printing, with anywhere from 3 to 12 different blocks to add colors to a design.\u00a0 After the colors are added, a dip in a vinegar and water concoction brings out the colors.<\/p>\n Last stop of the day is the Palace of the Winds.\u00a0 It’s a fa\u00e7ade built to resemble a palace.\u00a0 It has 953 windows with lattice-work designs that allowed royal ladies to observe life on the street below without being seen.\u00a0 We\u2019re dropped off at the hotel to eat dinner and get ready for our final full day in India.<\/p>\n The Jaypee Palace Hotel was great, except for the slow internet. \u00a0I spent too much time waiting on photos to upload, etc.\u00a0 Met Laksme at 8:30 to begin our drive to Jaipur.\u00a0 Today will be our last day with a … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0Just another camel pulling a grain container<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0The drive to the gate<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/a> <\/a><\/a>The drive back down<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"