Retired Nomads - Part 2 : Jaipur, India - Amer Fort & Surrounds - A.M.

We woke to the loud sounds of birds singing Ko-el Ko-el.

Breakfast was a buffet, but they also made cooked to order omelets, pancakes or waffles. Fluffiest omelet I have ever had. Lots of choices on the buffet as well. We sat out on the patio in the beautiful courtyard setting.

photos of the hotel grounds

restaurant inside

part of the buffet

courtyard dining

We met our guide, Nidhi who turned out to be everything you’d want in a guide. She was friendly, funny and gave just enough information at each place, answered questions and gave us ample free time at each stop. Our driver was Bheen.

Nidhi

our hotel entrence

drive to Amer Fort (AKA Amber Fort)

camel

We stopped below to get the great photo ops of Amer. We had our photos taken with a snake charmer.

videos will follow.....

Amer Fort from a distance

we held the basket while he played

it hissed at the Charmer

Cathy taking her turn

Greg, Annette, Cathy, Tom

The majestic 16th century Amer Fort, on top of a hill, dominates the landscape. The settlement below with its narrow lanes, temples and houses, still retains its old charm.

Bheen

On the way up we stopped at Panna Meena ka Kund, a traditional stepwell.

We visited the Jagat Shiromani Temple, a beautifully carved and embellished Krishna temple steeped in local history.

We switched to a rickshaw and wound our way up to the Amer Fort. Despite the name it really isn't a fort. Once the residence of Rajput kings and their families, the fort’s grand interiors contain spacious courtyards, audience halls, palaces and a temple. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We were then taken to lunch at the home of the owner of Elephantastic where we spent our afternoon. The wife/mother of the family seated us across from another couple that was there and served us three different types of dishes with various sauces and she kept bringing plenty of rice and something similar to naan that she kept bringing out piping hot.

We chatted with the young couple that sat across from us, and they were very interesting. He was from Sweden, and she was from Spain and neither spoke their native language, but both spoke English well. They were vacationing as well as attending a co-worker's traditional Indian wedding. They were also doing the elephant experience later.