We meet up with the rest of the group and cause the usual stir with the truck. We drive through lots of sand storms on the shortish trip (for us) to Jaipur.
Most people have now started drinking rehydraton powders with some of their water, as well as drinking lots of normal water, this is vital in the heat we are encountering to stop dehydration. Everyone appears to have recovered from their various ailments, even those of us who were bitten by gnats at the last bush camp( jackie had 68 bites on her legs but she toughed it out).
Jaipur is called the pink city and not for nothing, the old city is all in pink, there are large forts surrounding it and it seems a little calmer than Delhi. Our hotel is a step back in time and has very pretty decoration and rooftop restaurant so everybody is happy.
The next day we take an autorickshaw with Derrick one of our group to the amber fort, I am allowed to drive a short distance, but the driver says I am too fast! that must be saying something as these guys seem to be on a deathwish most of the time. On our arrival at the fort, we watch the elephants taking the other tourists up the slope to the fort, we walk. This fort was fantastic and we had a great time just wandering and looking at the architecture we even found bats in a hidden room, me, I got out quickly, but as usual Jackie had to spend ages watching them with Derrick.
Our driver then took us through the backstreets to a memorial garden to the Rajas, which was a plesant stop as well. He really wanted to take us to his friends shop, but we would not go, he gets commission for taking tourists to the shops. We also visit the Observatory and Wind palace through the day, it even rains on us, this was so unusual it makes the national papers, like a heat wave would in the UK!
This city was a real gem and we could have had more time as there is so much to see, but, we have to move onto Agra. and the Taj Mahal. There is a lot of talk about the heat of our next stops, as we have a couple of camping days and it will possible be in the 50's phew really looking forward to that. Also the Tibetan situation may have an effect on our trip as the border is currently closed to foreigners crossing the border, all we can do is wait and see what happens there in about a month's time.