Amber Fort - Jaipur

Amber fort is a fort that is high up on a mountain, which needs a jeep to take you up there unless you wish to get a morning workout. As we got off the jeep the first thing I noticed was a European woman running away from an Indian, it seemed like they were playing hide and seek and I thought hmmm this must be fun, hide and seek in a fort! But then I noticed she was being badgered by the young man to purchase some of his souvenirs. Hoping that I was also going to play this childhood game, I felt left out as these running marketers failed to include Indian looking tourists, oh well that was clever of them I wasnt going to buy anything anyway.

I enjoyed watching and listening to this suave gentleman trying to hit on this tourist "maybe you take me to your country...i speak a bit of spanish..."

I've noticed in Jaipur, the most amount of European tourists all dressed in traditional Indian garb, ever so calm looking as though they have been tranced into a happy place! I think you need to spit paan correctly if one needs to fit in...

Tip : If you dont want to be harassed by these sellers why not just dye you're hair black and spend a few weeks at a tanning salon?

The fort was like every other fort you will see in India, majestically huge with a maze of rooms around an open courtyard that once housed grand celebrations of the then kingship. Coming from Africa and lucky enough to be on a handful of safaris mostly when family are over to visit, i've never been this close to elephants ever! Back in the days of the Maharajas the elephants were their mode of transport to haul them from one end of the fort to the other, today one could have the same experience atop these enormous colourfully decorated animals for a few rupees!