Jaipur, famous in Sheffield for being a Thornbridge Brewery ale of some potency, is also famous in wider circles as "The Pink City". This is not due to an abnormally large gay population, but rather because all the buildings in and around the old city are painted pink. Well it's more of a terracotta, but I won't quibble. It's not painted pink for the same reasons as Jodhpur is painted blue; the pink doesn't denote any particular caste or business or anything else. Nope. It was painted pink in 1876 by the Maharaja ahead of a visit by Edward, Prince of Wales, as a means of hiding the shit state of the buildings. He probably got a bulk-buy discount. Jaipur forms one point of the 'The Golden Triangle' of Indian tourism - the other two points being Delhi and Agra (for the Taj Mahal).
Also, as a town planner in a past life, the city appealed as it was a planned city. It's layout adhering to the principles of 'Shilpa Shastra' - the science of Indian architecture. Laid out in a grid pattern, with wide boulevards and further division of grids within grids. My inner planning geek was bursting to get out.
A late start meant that time was even more precious (we really only one day in the city); we strode out - usefully - without any guide book or map. Graham had warned that the tuk-tuk drivers were pushy, and reading the Rough Guide I was warned that they ran various scams and commission rackets. However, my favoured mode of transport is definitely my feet, particularly in new cities. Walking allows me access everywhere, pretty much for free, and I feel it gives me a greater sense and understanding of a place. We weren't taking a tuk-tuk. We were walking the 2.5km from the hotel to The Pink City. Halfway down the hotel's street a tuk-tuk driver circled us. We told him we liked walking and we were walking. No negotiation. "but it's hot and a long way"; "we know, it's OK, we'll walk"; "but it is HOT"; "we know, we're outside in it". At which he left us alone, for about 30 seconds whilst he turned around.
"I am cheap. I take you all sights"
"No, it's OK"
"Can you help me??"
"How?"
"Read this"
He passed me a book of testimonials from apparently past customers. All very effusive in their praise for 'Khan'.
"I take you all place you want"
"Really, we're walking"
"Half day 200 rupees"
"Deal"
Well it was hot. And it was a long way. And 200 rupees is about £2.40. We told him "no shops" which he agreed to. He said he has his own shop, which does well and he only does tuk-tuk driving because he enjoys meeting people and showing them around his home city. He didn't take people to his shop. Anyway, we were off! First stop was Jaipur Palace and Jantar Mantar. Jantar Mantar is a walled garden full of astronomical measuring devices - sundials and the like.
The Palace was all very nice n' that. Rather plain compared to Jodhpur, bar some fantastic doors (the fetish rearing it's again, see below). The armoury was the definite highlight - knives, guns, gun-knives, knife-guns, swords, bows, walking stick-gun-knives, proper James Bond stuff. No pictures were allowed though.
Jantar Mantar was next up. It was quite surreal and had a touch of Port Meirion about it. Soaring sundials, one accurate to six seconds (clearly very important for the time-conscious Indian sub-continent) and various other devices for measuring and tracking celestial bodies. That took about 30 minutes to wander through. Returning to the tuk-tuk, Khan asked where else we wanted to go; having neglected to bring out a guidebook we were pretty much in his hands. "I take you baby Taj Mahal". So we drove off away from the Palace (and later, I was to learn, the other iconic Jaipur sights of the Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal) for about 20 minutes until we were deposited at a collection of white buildings, which sat at the foot of some very big hills. Thirty minutes later we'd done that and we were back in the tuk-tuk.
"Where you want to go?". I enjoy walking round markets and suggested we go down to a market for a wander. "You want to go to where Indians shop?" That sounded ideal. We went off, driving past the exact markets I would have liked to have gone around. We were driving for a while, before we pulled up at a tiny shop that looked very shut, on a quiet street. Alarms bells rang; this was the commission place.
"Sorry mate, we're not going in there"
"But this where Indian shop!"
"No it isn't"
"Yes it is. You say you want go where Indians shops. This is where Indians shop"
"No it isn't. We're not going in. We told you no commission shops"
"But you say you want to go where Indian shops!"
"We have no interest in buying anything there. We are not going in"
"..."
A face that was normally full of a broad smile became thunderous. We were perhaps about to feel the wrath of Khan.
"OK. We go my shop. Just have drink. chat. You are like family now so we have chat!"
"Hmmm..."
"We go! Not far!"
"OK"
We took a few turns and then I recognised a cafe that was about 50 metres from the hotel we were staying in. Another turn and we pulled up. The driver, Khan, got out and beckoned that we follow him through a door. A door that went in to a basement. Great. Luckily, as I new where we were, I was confident that if we had to we could throw a few punches and get the fuck out if needs be.
We entered the basement to be greeted by shelves and shelves and shelves of pashmina, shawls, silk things, material - essentially things we had no interest in buying.
What followed was 40 minutes of hard sell. Not for us mind, it was a hard sell for them. We weren't budging; we simply did not want anything that they had for sale, at whatever price they tried to tell us.
"We know you not buy, but feel quality, price is good price is 400 rupees"
"we're not interested"
"but feel the quality maybe you feel and change mind this is 50% silk want to feel? Feel. No pressure to buy just chatting this 100% silk 500 rupees very good quality, you help us we are new business"
"No"
Finally, after toying with them for a bit I called an end to it, told them we had 1 day in Jaipur and we were fucked if we're staying in a basement throughout it. So long Khan. What we actually did was head straight back to the hotel, as Khan had kindly dropped us off nearly closer than he had picked us up, shut the door and fuck the whole place off.
It was my first run in with a pushy tout on this trip. It was far from the last. Agra was next.
Also, as a town planner in a past life, the city appealed as it was a planned city. It's layout adhering to the principles of 'Shilpa Shastra' - the science of Indian architecture. Laid out in a grid pattern, with wide boulevards and further division of grids within grids. My inner planning geek was bursting to get out.
A late start meant that time was even more precious (we really only one day in the city); we strode out - usefully - without any guide book or map. Graham had warned that the tuk-tuk drivers were pushy, and reading the Rough Guide I was warned that they ran various scams and commission rackets. However, my favoured mode of transport is definitely my feet, particularly in new cities. Walking allows me access everywhere, pretty much for free, and I feel it gives me a greater sense and understanding of a place. We weren't taking a tuk-tuk. We were walking the 2.5km from the hotel to The Pink City. Halfway down the hotel's street a tuk-tuk driver circled us. We told him we liked walking and we were walking. No negotiation. "but it's hot and a long way"; "we know, it's OK, we'll walk"; "but it is HOT"; "we know, we're outside in it". At which he left us alone, for about 30 seconds whilst he turned around.
"I am cheap. I take you all sights"
"No, it's OK"
"Can you help me??"
"How?"
"Read this"
He passed me a book of testimonials from apparently past customers. All very effusive in their praise for 'Khan'.
"I take you all place you want"
"Really, we're walking"
"Half day 200 rupees"
"Deal"
Well it was hot. And it was a long way. And 200 rupees is about £2.40. We told him "no shops" which he agreed to. He said he has his own shop, which does well and he only does tuk-tuk driving because he enjoys meeting people and showing them around his home city. He didn't take people to his shop. Anyway, we were off! First stop was Jaipur Palace and Jantar Mantar. Jantar Mantar is a walled garden full of astronomical measuring devices - sundials and the like.
The Palace was all very nice n' that. Rather plain compared to Jodhpur, bar some fantastic doors (the fetish rearing it's again, see below). The armoury was the definite highlight - knives, guns, gun-knives, knife-guns, swords, bows, walking stick-gun-knives, proper James Bond stuff. No pictures were allowed though.
Doors and details
Jantar Mantar was next up. It was quite surreal and had a touch of Port Meirion about it. Soaring sundials, one accurate to six seconds (clearly very important for the time-conscious Indian sub-continent) and various other devices for measuring and tracking celestial bodies. That took about 30 minutes to wander through. Returning to the tuk-tuk, Khan asked where else we wanted to go; having neglected to bring out a guidebook we were pretty much in his hands. "I take you baby Taj Mahal". So we drove off away from the Palace (and later, I was to learn, the other iconic Jaipur sights of the Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal) for about 20 minutes until we were deposited at a collection of white buildings, which sat at the foot of some very big hills. Thirty minutes later we'd done that and we were back in the tuk-tuk.
A 4-storey sundial at Jantar Mantar, accurate to 6 seconds (all of the above)
 |
| Context for the sundial. |
Other instruments (all of the above)
 |
| The Hawa Mahal, which we didn't visit. |
 |
| The Jal Mahal, which we also didn't visit. |
 |
| 'Baby Taj', which we did visit. |
 |
| More Baby Taj |
Baby Taj detailing
"Where you want to go?". I enjoy walking round markets and suggested we go down to a market for a wander. "You want to go to where Indians shop?" That sounded ideal. We went off, driving past the exact markets I would have liked to have gone around. We were driving for a while, before we pulled up at a tiny shop that looked very shut, on a quiet street. Alarms bells rang; this was the commission place.
"Sorry mate, we're not going in there"
"But this where Indian shop!"
"No it isn't"
"Yes it is. You say you want go where Indians shops. This is where Indians shop"
"No it isn't. We're not going in. We told you no commission shops"
"But you say you want to go where Indian shops!"
"We have no interest in buying anything there. We are not going in"
"..."
A face that was normally full of a broad smile became thunderous. We were perhaps about to feel the wrath of Khan.
"OK. We go my shop. Just have drink. chat. You are like family now so we have chat!"
"Hmmm..."
"We go! Not far!"
"OK"
We took a few turns and then I recognised a cafe that was about 50 metres from the hotel we were staying in. Another turn and we pulled up. The driver, Khan, got out and beckoned that we follow him through a door. A door that went in to a basement. Great. Luckily, as I new where we were, I was confident that if we had to we could throw a few punches and get the fuck out if needs be.
We entered the basement to be greeted by shelves and shelves and shelves of pashmina, shawls, silk things, material - essentially things we had no interest in buying.
What followed was 40 minutes of hard sell. Not for us mind, it was a hard sell for them. We weren't budging; we simply did not want anything that they had for sale, at whatever price they tried to tell us.
"We know you not buy, but feel quality, price is good price is 400 rupees"
"we're not interested"
"but feel the quality maybe you feel and change mind this is 50% silk want to feel? Feel. No pressure to buy just chatting this 100% silk 500 rupees very good quality, you help us we are new business"
"No"
Finally, after toying with them for a bit I called an end to it, told them we had 1 day in Jaipur and we were fucked if we're staying in a basement throughout it. So long Khan. What we actually did was head straight back to the hotel, as Khan had kindly dropped us off nearly closer than he had picked us up, shut the door and fuck the whole place off.
It was my first run in with a pushy tout on this trip. It was far from the last. Agra was next.
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