Today was a long drive to Jaipur. Gradually we left the countryside and arrived to a metropolis of 4.5 million. After checking into our futuristic Devi Ratn where we felt like we were in the movie The Fifth Sense, music and all, we ran out of there to discover the pink city. I had already been here last year but with so much culture, once wasn't enough. We saw the city palace where the Maharaja has his 2 mega silver jars that held 900L of Ganges water that he took to London, weighing over 500lbs without water. His Guru told him that way he'd stay healthy. I'm thinking maybe he got a kickback from the silversmith since these water pots cost millions. The City Palace is still where the Royal family lives. Now the Maharaja is a pubescent boy of 14 since his "father" just died in April. Even with this change of power, our Guru Reet was able to pull some strings and get us into the actual Palace. Big sign of DO NOT ENTER does not apply to us. Their white gloved guards take us up to the mirror room of the 7th floor where Gigi and I pose as if we were Maharani Gayatri Devi herself.
We are then guided to the living room with pictures of royalty from Holland, England,old and new fill the room in massive silver frames. Now let's not forget the other massivity of a lit Lalique table that was made just for this room. Pretty swell. After sipping on tea and cookies we decide to shake our heads back into reality and go shopping. I sha'nt bother you w/ details but it was good. Reaaal good.
Surprise #535.2. Dinner at the Golden Room in the Rambagh Palace. I LOVE this hotel to the point I'd say best in the world. But then again I'm a historical royal freak like that. Feeling very under dressed I was glad to be seated quickly with a big table full of gold ware to cover my petty ways. When I say gold ware I mean the water cup is heavy and after a meal you feel like you went to Barrys Bootcamp with all that heavy lifting. Tonight we pick from the Punjab menu since we've been overdosing on Rajasthani but continue to eat as if we were all wearing double up'd spanx.
Amanbagh Day #6
Next morning we woke up with an extreme sense of guilt and decide its time to find a gym and skip breakfast. What a thought! we are going to die with a T!! That didn't last long since, we had a lunch meeting with the manager of this Haveli in the center of Jaipur haha. This old aristocratic house is awesome. Beautiful large rooms, frescoed dining room, inviting pool with cool bar and the best wifi all over. Reet insisted on checking this place out and I know why (notice I am not revealing the name of this little secret). During the tour I saw each and every room still in process of checking out since they keep 100% occupancy almost year round. You want to stay here? Please let me know 1 yr+ in advance but you'll be happy you did to be in center of it all. Lunch- 5 Stars of palak paneer pudina, dahi baingan and more laal mas.
Next morning we woke up with an extreme sense of guilt and decide its time to find a gym and skip breakfast. What a thought! we are going to die with a T!! That didn't last long since, we had a lunch meeting with the manager of this Haveli in the center of Jaipur haha. This old aristocratic house is awesome. Beautiful large rooms, frescoed dining room, inviting pool with cool bar and the best wifi all over. Reet insisted on checking this place out and I know why (notice I am not revealing the name of this little secret). During the tour I saw each and every room still in process of checking out since they keep 100% occupancy almost year round. You want to stay here? Please let me know 1 yr+ in advance but you'll be happy you did to be in center of it all. Lunch- 5 Stars of palak paneer pudina, dahi baingan and more laal mas.
Weight Gained- I'm feeling about the 5lb.mark
Time to take our leave of this ever expanding city and go back to the jungle to the Amanbagh. This little gem is cradled in the Amavelli Hills which are older then the Himalayas. Upon arrival we felt that quick chill we soon noticed we had missed and green green green everywhere. A chanting welcome followed by a red good luck welcome bracelet and we were in a Pool Villa the size of a 2 bedroom apartment. Buddymoon suite for sure!
Time to take our leave of this ever expanding city and go back to the jungle to the Amanbagh. This little gem is cradled in the Amavelli Hills which are older then the Himalayas. Upon arrival we felt that quick chill we soon noticed we had missed and green green green everywhere. A chanting welcome followed by a red good luck welcome bracelet and we were in a Pool Villa the size of a 2 bedroom apartment. Buddymoon suite for sure!
After that very bumpy road to get here my intestines were twirling and I needed some peace. We have come to the conclusion that India's highways don't have lanes and you constantly drive buzzing the horn as if it were running day lites. Vino please!
We get ourselves Aman dressed and meet Reet for martinis at the bar. This is our last night together before heading to crazy Dehli. Luckily he's as happy as we are and decides that we don't have to leave till 1pm! So we take the 730am hike through solar powered huts and the cutest buffalo cows ever. Up up we go and find ourselves on a cliff with a built in stone chair where the royals liked to shoot tiger and leopards that still roam this area today. Luckily they like deer and not humans. Hopefully.
We get ourselves Aman dressed and meet Reet for martinis at the bar. This is our last night together before heading to crazy Dehli. Luckily he's as happy as we are and decides that we don't have to leave till 1pm! So we take the 730am hike through solar powered huts and the cutest buffalo cows ever. Up up we go and find ourselves on a cliff with a built in stone chair where the royals liked to shoot tiger and leopards that still roam this area today. Luckily they like deer and not humans. Hopefully.
Walking back a team of children gather up and follow us through town taking pictures and playing jokes throwing those clingy spurs on us. Another local family stops us to offer chai and their millet tortilla with gee (clarified buffalo butter). Of course its rude to say no. Spaaanx!!
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