There was a completely different wedding procession on the street in front of our hotel again last night. Same same but different - groom on a white horse, full band, helpers with lights hooked to a generator on the back of a truck, dancing relatives and fireworks. It's Saturday night so maybe there'll be another tonight.
At the wedding parade the night before, we had met a young Indian guy who has a tuktuk. He seemed reasonable and offered us a full day of being driven around for 500-600 rupees ($10-$12 CDN) - whatever we thought it was worth.
We took him up on it today. Our driver, Sunny, drove us out to a little valley on the outskirts of Jaipur where there are a number of small temples dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. Some of the temples are abandoned so they're occupied by a whole tribe of monkeys. On the way there, he asked to stop so he could buy some feed for the cows on the road. Cows will often stick their heads right into our tuktuk. So will beggars.
Later we stopped to spread seed for birds. Sunny, is a Hindu of the Brahmin caste and he does this for his karma - best described as "what goes around comes around", in this life or the next.
Just after the cow feeding stop, we realized the parking brake was sticking so there was a 15 minute delay while Sunny called a mechanic and got instructions on how to dis-engage it. Soon we were on our way again.
At the temples in the valley, we paid a "camera fee" of 50 rupees ($1) but there is no entry fee because these are temples and holy baths where people come for spiritual rejuvenation. However, at every little temple there are priests calling to visitors to come in, get a blessing and leave a donation. They were much like hawkers at a carnival. We learned that yesterday had been a big celebration there and we were glad that we had missed all the crowds.
Men and women were immersing themselves in separate baths from the sacred, stagnant water. We wouldn't have put a toe in it. Some people would just splash the holy water on their arms and face, as the woman is doing in the picture. It was an interesting experience to be there. Despite being a spiritual place we saw a woman cleaner scream and hit a man who had thrown garbage in the water, we think. We were shocked that a woman here would hit an Indian man who was a tourist or pilgrim to the shrine. She followed him out and even enlisted a young priest with a stick to get involved. Somehow it all ended peacefully.
On the way back down the road, Anita snapped a picture of cow patties drying on top of a wall. They will be used as fuel. Sunny called them "Indian chapatis".
At a little tea shop, Sunny bought us each a cup of chai. He lowered a little table in his tuktuk where we had a tea party while he showed us his "bible" or book in which some of his customers have written glowing references. He keeps the book wrapped in plastic and locked in a metal box in his tuktuk so another driver can't steal it, claim to be him and use the written references to get business.
We drove back into Jaipur where Sunny drove off to find his own lunch while we ate at the Copper Chimney, a recommended restaurant. They even had beer. That and a very good meal cost us 1100 rupees ($22). Expensive but it was worth it.
After lunch, Sunny drove us to a textile shop where the prices were much lower than in the touristy Old City. After long demonstrations of all the textiles and some bargaining, we bought a silk and cotton bedspread for $60 CDN. The price started at $90. We probably could have gotten a better deal but we were satisfied with our purchase. No doubt Sunny will get a little something from the shop but that's just how it works here.
Back at our hotel, we paid Sunny an extra 200 rupees over the 500 rupees originally quoted. For $14 CDN, we'd finally had a wonderful day with a funny, pleasant tuktuk driver and guide. Money well spent.
At the wedding parade the night before, we had met a young Indian guy who has a tuktuk. He seemed reasonable and offered us a full day of being driven around for 500-600 rupees ($10-$12 CDN) - whatever we thought it was worth.
We took him up on it today. Our driver, Sunny, drove us out to a little valley on the outskirts of Jaipur where there are a number of small temples dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. Some of the temples are abandoned so they're occupied by a whole tribe of monkeys. On the way there, he asked to stop so he could buy some feed for the cows on the road. Cows will often stick their heads right into our tuktuk. So will beggars.
Later we stopped to spread seed for birds. Sunny, is a Hindu of the Brahmin caste and he does this for his karma - best described as "what goes around comes around", in this life or the next.
Just after the cow feeding stop, we realized the parking brake was sticking so there was a 15 minute delay while Sunny called a mechanic and got instructions on how to dis-engage it. Soon we were on our way again.
At the temples in the valley, we paid a "camera fee" of 50 rupees ($1) but there is no entry fee because these are temples and holy baths where people come for spiritual rejuvenation. However, at every little temple there are priests calling to visitors to come in, get a blessing and leave a donation. They were much like hawkers at a carnival. We learned that yesterday had been a big celebration there and we were glad that we had missed all the crowds.
Men and women were immersing themselves in separate baths from the sacred, stagnant water. We wouldn't have put a toe in it. Some people would just splash the holy water on their arms and face, as the woman is doing in the picture. It was an interesting experience to be there. Despite being a spiritual place we saw a woman cleaner scream and hit a man who had thrown garbage in the water, we think. We were shocked that a woman here would hit an Indian man who was a tourist or pilgrim to the shrine. She followed him out and even enlisted a young priest with a stick to get involved. Somehow it all ended peacefully.
On the way back down the road, Anita snapped a picture of cow patties drying on top of a wall. They will be used as fuel. Sunny called them "Indian chapatis".
At a little tea shop, Sunny bought us each a cup of chai. He lowered a little table in his tuktuk where we had a tea party while he showed us his "bible" or book in which some of his customers have written glowing references. He keeps the book wrapped in plastic and locked in a metal box in his tuktuk so another driver can't steal it, claim to be him and use the written references to get business.
We drove back into Jaipur where Sunny drove off to find his own lunch while we ate at the Copper Chimney, a recommended restaurant. They even had beer. That and a very good meal cost us 1100 rupees ($22). Expensive but it was worth it.
After lunch, Sunny drove us to a textile shop where the prices were much lower than in the touristy Old City. After long demonstrations of all the textiles and some bargaining, we bought a silk and cotton bedspread for $60 CDN. The price started at $90. We probably could have gotten a better deal but we were satisfied with our purchase. No doubt Sunny will get a little something from the shop but that's just how it works here.
Back at our hotel, we paid Sunny an extra 200 rupees over the 500 rupees originally quoted. For $14 CDN, we'd finally had a wonderful day with a funny, pleasant tuktuk driver and guide. Money well spent.
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