Another big day where I once again did a bit of financial damage, I have now sent 12kgs home and no-one will see anything until Christmas comes along!!
But once again I have jumped ahead…just full of all the things that are happening.
This morning we set off to see the Umaid Bhawan Palace. It is marketed as the one of the last great palaces of India. It is now the number 1 hotel in India, a museum and a private residence. We were allowed to get into the museum part and it told a story of the splendour of the Raj era, the wealth and the lifestyle that they emulated…but still I fear they were under the British in the pecking order.
Anyway, that was again splendid. Next we were piled into jeeps and taken off to see a house and villages of the Bisnoi Tribe. This is a tribe that follows 29 principles of a non-violent Vaishanavas sect…founded in the C15. Non-violent yes, about 30 of them were murdered by hugging trees that the government wanted to cut down…taking drugs, however, no trouble!! They demonstrated an opium taking ceremony where they crush the opium, mix it with water and gave us all some…I asked for a second dose!! …needless to say the amount of Opium was minuscule but maybe I can blame that on my later buying spree!!! Still it was interesting and we saw their way of life which I would never have seen otherwise!!!
From there we went to lunch in a gorgeous hotel, by the swimming pool. We rarely get to use these gorgeous pools but they are everywhere.
Then off again to another of those enticing textile factories where they make beautiful stuff at prices that defy logic. The women were looking up the prices on line in London etc and they are massive compared to here, so you get sucked in…well and truly!!
Did I tell you, I don’t think I did that when I bought my 2 tops in Jaipur…the orange one in the photos and another blue/ turquoise one, they were supposed to take up both but we had bargained them down so hard that they got their own back by taking up only one and giving them back assuring us both were taken up. I had it with me and when I saw the workers at this factory pumping away at their sewing machines I wondered if they’d take up my top. Laureen, bold as brass, asked them if they’d take up my dress/ top. So they did…all for $2 AUD which they didn’t ask for but I tipped them. The Russian lady would have charged me $30.
So I bought a few things today. Hassan had told us they would also post other things we bought in order to get our luggage down to the mandatory 15 kgs. It cost a bit but I got rid of 12 kgs. Hopefully everything will arrive as planned.
Then back to the hotel, some people went to a veggie and spice market but I thought I’d seen enough of them in my day so I didn’t go. We had our usual G&T before dinner and then went out to another very posh hotel for dinner.
Back now, time for bed…I hope I don’t cough all night again. I guess Sally hopes so too.
More tomorrow. Goodnight