Jaipur....The Drive

    Jaipur is located in the state of Rajasthan. India has 28 states and 8 Union territories.  Out of the few states I have visited Rajasthan is by far my most favorite place. This is also the region where the rest of my trip will take place. Rajasthan is know historically for having some of the fiercest warriors in India. The British never defeated Rajasthan during their time in India. Instead they very wisely chose to pay off the kings to keep them in line. Rajasthan is now primarily known for it's beautiful textile and jewelry industries, as well, as it's beautiful desert region, and my favorite part, its animals. Rajasthan is home to various types of monkeys, elephants, camels, antelopes, cows (of course), wild boars, parrots, leopards, etc. It's palaces and forts are unmatched in their beauty and unlike Delhi, it's a magical place where the old world and modern world blend together like a watercolor painting.

Upon leaving Delhi, my driver and I expected the trip to Jaipur to take us around 3 hours. However, India runs on India time and in a country with 1.5 billion people one learns very quickly to go with the flow of things. I love driving through India by car. There are always cool things to see. Last year I learned about the mustard fields. Beautiful rural farmers grow fields of yellow flowers that eventually because mustard oil which is used to cook with in India. I'm sure I've probably eaten food using mustard oil and I've never noticed any difference. Therefore, it must be good. It's also quit common to see women and children herding their goats right along the freeway and camels transporting items.

Like the United States, India has toll roads. They even have fast pass. Nothing really special about it until you see a man taking his camel through the toll area! This is one of the many "only in India" moments I have on every trip.

Due to road construction, our drive was taking much longer. Freeways in India are crowded with lorries (big trucks), motorbikes, and cars usually transporting tourists. Driving on the left side of the road is not the main difference between driving over there and America. While there are traffic lanes clearly printed on the roads, people mostly do what they want. Vehicles are so close to each other that you could share a sandwich with the car next to you! This is where all the honking comes in. Drivers in India do not honk at each other out of anger.  They do this to constantly let everyone around them, including the animals, that they are close by to prevent accidents. Last year this experience was very overwhelming to me. I though there would be a car accident every five minutes. This year I barely noticed it anymore. Sure there are still accidents, but a lot less than you'd expect. This is also why I always have a driver.

This drive also gave me an unexpected opportunity, feeding the monkeys! They ALWAYS tell tourists in India to stay away from the monkeys. They warn us about carrying food, water, even cellphones, because monkeys are fast and will steal anything. They can also be moody and mean. I have no doubt that all this information is accurate, however, me being the rebel tourist I am, always chooses to do what she wants. Luckily, my driver will also allow me to bend the rules within reason. Usually monkeys are not along freeways. However, on this particular stretch of road local farmers selling papayas will sell fruit so people can feed the monkeys. I was a little hesitant at first and I almost ran into a bull, but otherwise it was awesome!

After a few more hours we finally arrived at my hotel. It's customary for a company representative to greet me in each new place. While it's a nicety most people expect, I personally hate it. I'm a very simple person. You tell me when to meet my guide in the lobby the next day and I'm good. Yet, I just smile and nod to get through it so i can get into my room and do my typical first night routine: pajamas, room service, and streaming something on Netflix. The next day in Jaipur was going to be very exciting and I'd need my rest!