Well, we're actually back home and have been for AGES, so the lazy boy is only now getting round to writing this up. (I had work to go to and things to do, so I haven't had time.) Excuses, excuses, I think I'll sack him. (You can try, but if you do no-one will be able to read your adventures). Oh alright then, just get a move on. (Yes sir!)
First a word about seeing the world on our travels. Ann and Alan had to move around the bus so that everyone would get a turn at the front. The rule was that everyone should move two rows clockwise. All well and good except for the party of there who didn't know up from down and kept wondering why they seemed to be causing mayhem, cos they went the WRONG way. Well, anyway, it mattered little to me, there was usually space between the armrest and the window for me to sit, and sometimes Lily too, and that suited us just fine.
As you can see, it gave us a good position to see the world and to wave at everyone. People would look up at us from their cars and point, a bit rude I suppose, but the children liked us a lot, and wanted to take us home. Alan wouldn't let us go home with any of them, which is probably wise as I don't think we'd ever get back. (Sadly, no you wouldn't. Much as we were very sad that the children seemed to have nothing, we couldn't let you go with them.)
You can see how close Ann was to us in this photo. It was a very big bus and cool and comfortable too. (Amazingly, sometimes too cool.)
From our vantage point we really could get a good view of everything, including the mad drivers. There were occasions when I leapt backwards into Alan's lap when things got too scary, but by and large things were fine.
On the way to Jaipur we did see some interesting things. We were travelling through the semi arid region when suddenly we ground to a halt and the guide said "Quick everyone get off, you can get a few pictures." What of I wondered, and we were at the back of the bus so it was quite a struggle. This is what all the fuss was about. Camels and lots of them.
They were striding along, filling the road and once they'd passed us the whole heard started to feed on a neem tree. The locals weren't impressed, but I thought they looked funny - the camels not the locals (I'm sure they thought the same of you!)
Get on with it Alan, we haven't reached Jaipur yet. It was quite a long way and the scenery was flat and brown, though there were lots of fields where the wheat had just been mown. So on we trundled until we came to a level crossing. It was a single lane road, but that made no difference. Mintu, our driver was quite legally sitting in the normal position on the road and this lorry pulled up behind us. The lorries are quite amazing with home made bodies and cabs. The box above the cab is often filled too, with people, though not on this occasion.
While we waited for the train our single carriageway became three lanes in each direction - that is three lanes facing three lanes. When the train passed it took ages to sort out who was going where, lorries 'n buses 'n cars 'n bikes 'n carts all trying to get into the same space. Amazingly, there were no accidents and we soon were on our way to Jaipur.
After depositing our cases in our hotel and grabbing some lunch we headed out for a tour of the city, and it's quite a scary place with cars darting everywhere along with tuc-tucs and rickshaws and bikes - the usual stuff, and we were getting quite blasé about it all.
First we went to the Royal Palace, a huge pile of a place with some interesting things to see, like the peacock gate, which is very splendid, but you'll have to look at Alan's website to see it. We saw a sssssnake too, with a man playing a pipe to get it to rise up in front to him. The man said we should sit down beside him as the snake was not dangerous - you can believe that if you like, but I couried down in Alan's bag just in case he was daft enough to go there. (I was only a little tempted, but then we had to move on.) Oh good, but you see, he's not entirely trustworthy is he?
Well, we saw the armoury and the lovely clothes exhibition and then I got my photo taken at last - but yes you guessed it - ANOTHER HOT ROCK to sit on. (Look, you don't have to keep going on about it, you're back home and you survived the experience.) All I can say is it wasn't your bot was it? (True, but I tried to wait until it wasn't too hot.) Ha, a likely story.
Anyway, having seen the place we walked across the road to the observatory, and it was fascinating. They had one sundial there that was accurate to 20 second and another that is accurate to 5 seconds.
That would be astonishing to-day, but these things were built hundreds of years ago without any computers. In the pictures left and right of this we're sitting on an obscure thing to do with the moon. Below we're sitting below my star sign - Indian style. All this work was done so that the astrologers could produce even better horoscopes - what a waste of effort, but interesting all the same.
To-morrow we'll have another look at Jaipur including the incredible rickshaw ride.
Bye for now,
Jock
First a word about seeing the world on our travels. Ann and Alan had to move around the bus so that everyone would get a turn at the front. The rule was that everyone should move two rows clockwise. All well and good except for the party of there who didn't know up from down and kept wondering why they seemed to be causing mayhem, cos they went the WRONG way. Well, anyway, it mattered little to me, there was usually space between the armrest and the window for me to sit, and sometimes Lily too, and that suited us just fine. As you can see, it gave us a good position to see the world and to wave at everyone. People would look up at us from their cars and point, a bit rude I suppose, but the children liked us a lot, and wanted to take us home. Alan wouldn't let us go home with any of them, which is probably wise as I don't think we'd ever get back. (Sadly, no you wouldn't. Much as we were very sad that the children seemed to have nothing, we couldn't let you go with them.)
You can see how close Ann was to us in this photo. It was a very big bus and cool and comfortable too. (Amazingly, sometimes too cool.)From our vantage point we really could get a good view of everything, including the mad drivers. There were occasions when I leapt backwards into Alan's lap when things got too scary, but by and large things were fine.
On the way to Jaipur we did see some interesting things. We were travelling through the semi arid region when suddenly we ground to a halt and the guide said "Quick everyone get off, you can get a few pictures." What of I wondered, and we were at the back of the bus so it was quite a struggle. This is what all the fuss was about. Camels and lots of them.
They were striding along, filling the road and once they'd passed us the whole heard started to feed on a neem tree. The locals weren't impressed, but I thought they looked funny - the camels not the locals (I'm sure they thought the same of you!)
Get on with it Alan, we haven't reached Jaipur yet. It was quite a long way and the scenery was flat and brown, though there were lots of fields where the wheat had just been mown. So on we trundled until we came to a level crossing. It was a single lane road, but that made no difference. Mintu, our driver was quite legally sitting in the normal position on the road and this lorry pulled up behind us. The lorries are quite amazing with home made bodies and cabs. The box above the cab is often filled too, with people, though not on this occasion. While we waited for the train our single carriageway became three lanes in each direction - that is three lanes facing three lanes. When the train passed it took ages to sort out who was going where, lorries 'n buses 'n cars 'n bikes 'n carts all trying to get into the same space. Amazingly, there were no accidents and we soon were on our way to Jaipur.
After depositing our cases in our hotel and grabbing some lunch we headed out for a tour of the city, and it's quite a scary place with cars darting everywhere along with tuc-tucs and rickshaws and bikes - the usual stuff, and we were getting quite blasé about it all.
First we went to the Royal Palace, a huge pile of a place with some interesting things to see, like the peacock gate, which is very splendid, but you'll have to look at Alan's website to see it. We saw a sssssnake too, with a man playing a pipe to get it to rise up in front to him. The man said we should sit down beside him as the snake was not dangerous - you can believe that if you like, but I couried down in Alan's bag just in case he was daft enough to go there. (I was only a little tempted, but then we had to move on.) Oh good, but you see, he's not entirely trustworthy is he?Well, we saw the armoury and the lovely clothes exhibition and then I got my photo taken at last - but yes you guessed it - ANOTHER HOT ROCK to sit on. (Look, you don't have to keep going on about it, you're back home and you survived the experience.) All I can say is it wasn't your bot was it? (True, but I tried to wait until it wasn't too hot.) Ha, a likely story.
Anyway, having seen the place we walked across the road to the observatory, and it was fascinating. They had one sundial there that was accurate to 20 second and another that is accurate to 5 seconds.
That would be astonishing to-day, but these things were built hundreds of years ago without any computers. In the pictures left and right of this we're sitting on an obscure thing to do with the moon. Below we're sitting below my star sign - Indian style. All this work was done so that the astrologers could produce even better horoscopes - what a waste of effort, but interesting all the same.
To-morrow we'll have another look at Jaipur including the incredible rickshaw ride.
Bye for now,
Jock
Hi Jock,
ReplyDeleteWow, you certainly are a world traveler, and you're just a newborn.
It looks like you will have to train Alan, he sure needs lots of help. Humans!
Hugs ♥
Prudence
Good grief, has he still not learned that boiled bear behind is not a pleasant thing?!
ReplyDeleteJack