Incredible India – Part 2 – Jaipur

The Jaipur day started with a visit to Jaipur castle.



It comes with a tourist trap before reaching the castle – the elephant taxi. An elephant can bring you up the steep hill to the castle or you go by car and foot around the back. While lining up for the elephant taxi, a horde of vendors beleaguers you to buy elephant statues, pictures, turbans, whatever… All of the stuff is fake. According to my guide K the “sandalwood” elephants are whatever wood sprayed with sandalwood fragrance. These sales guys don’t know physical distance and virtually throw the stuff into your face. K said to ignore them, that’s the best tactic, don’t engage with them, otherwise they’ll never let you go. So that’s what I did, I ignored them and got on board the elephant taxi. I rode on an elephant before in Thailand but I think Indian elephants are even bigger. My, these guys are tall. You also sway pretty badly on top of the beast and have to hold onto the seat they put you in for dear life, thus I only managed to snap a pic while my elephant stopped moving for a moment.



Arrived in the castle’s courtyard I got a special treat, they were shooting a Bollywood movie there!