my travel blog: Jaipur - walking ATM and ancient Forts

My last stop in India and to be honest, I am ready to go now. I entered India in February the first time and came back after my stints in Bangladesh and Nepal. The second time I felt like a walking ATM and everyone wants to withdraw money. I am well used to it all but over time is wearing off on me. I shouldn't complain as I travelled around tourist central - Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra - but still everything seems to be a hassle. Once you convinced the rickshaw driver that you won't enter any shops or factories you enter the historic sites and suddenly every cleaning women wants to pose for pictures (and money), every guard wants to give you guided tours (for cash) and so on. I feel like a broken record and I can understand why they are doing it, but even though you take it with a smile, it is getting on your nerves. I was asked a couple of times if I am alone in India, my standard answer is "...you are never alone in India". Somebody wants something (mostly money) every time and privacy is a luxury of the Western world.

On the bright side Jaipur has some fantastic sites, the Amber Fort, the Pink City, the Jal Mahal and the Jaigarh Fort are the one I picked and I wasn't disappointed. The Amber Fort is the best maintained site I have experienced in India and it is just beautiful. Sitting in the midst of the desert on a hill top - only overlooked by the Jaigarh Fort - a full intact fort surrounded by high walls with all its gates, buildings, courtyards, gardens, harems... just imagine it hundreds of years ago.

Finally I am on my last Indian rickshaw to the airport and guess what, the driver tries to drop me at the terminal 2 rather than terminal 1 and plays dumm - just for some extra cash he would bring me to terminal 1. It couldn't be a better finale for India. Keep smiling and good bye India - I had a great time but I won't miss the rickshaw drivers - for sure.