The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Jaipur, India

Arriving late afternoon in Jaipur, Dinesh delivered Alan to a nearby facility for an Ayurveda massage. Based on a form of alternative medicine that was developed in India nearly 3,000 years ago, the massage incorporates the use of essential oils. Focusing on specific energy points, the relaxing and energizing massage was a perfect end to his day.

Hotel Traditional Heritage Haveli, our accommodations for the next 2 evenings, was a nicely appointed hotel which had been a spacious home built in the 1940s by a local businessman. In the dining room, I was spoiled by a chef and staff who went out of their way preparing special breads using chickpea, lentil or rice flours for each of the meals we enjoyed onsite. Their Dal Makhani (creamy black lentils) were so tasty I ordered the dish both evenings, and hope to recreate the recipe at home.

Wind Palace

Dinesh arrived with our new guide, Kamish, the following morning and headed to what is referred to as the Wind Palace. With 953 latticed windows, the ladies of the royal court were able to watch the activity on the street below without being observed. The rosy color of the structure comes from the natural red and pink sandstone found in the area, and which gives the city its nickname "The Pink City".

Kamish then led us to a lovely old temple before heading to the Amer Fort. Construction on the fort

At Amer Fort

was started in 1592 by Maharaja Man Singh, the commander of the Rajput Army. The entire area is ringed by high walls that look like the Great Wall of China, It is the 3rd longest wall in the world after the China and Kumbhalgarh Walls. Wide walkways located at the top of the wall allowed soldiers to move around the wall and monitor activity inside and outside. The inside of the fort consists of courtyards, palaces, halls, and gardens. Elaborate hidden tunnels allowed royalty to hide under or exit the fort if needed. The Sheesh Mahal is a chamber decorated with thousands of mirrors on the walls and ceiling. Kamish was able to take a photo of Alan and me standing together even though we were in totally different areas. One of the courtyards was built so that the Maharaja could visit the wife or concubine of his choice without the other women knowing who he had chosen.

Jal Mahal

Departing the fort, we moved on briefly to the Jal Mahal (water palace) built in the Man Sagar Lake. Though the structure is 5 stories high and built into the lake bed, the only portion of the palace which can be seen is the top story. The Maharaja Madho Singh had the palace built in 1750 as a lodge for himself and for parties. Visits to the palace are not allowed, so it can only be viewed from the shoreline.

Next, we moved on to the expansive City Palace which includes a museum of weaponry and royal costumes. Started in the early 1700s, there are several courtyards, buildings, pavilions, gardens, and temples within the walls of the palace. The Jantar Mantar located next to the palace measures time to within seconds with a surprisingly accurate sundial.

Before departing Jaipur, we visited the Elephant Sanctuary. Dozens of elephants are housed at the facility with the animal's caretakers and their families living onsite as well. Taking the opportunity to ride one of the large animals, we took a brief spin around the grounds. The caretakers' young son took on the role of photographer.

En route to Delhi, we saw a few bands of gypsies traveling along the highway. We hadn't realized that Roma gypsies are part of the low caste "untouchables" who had originated in India and migrated to Britain and Europe around 1400 years ago.

Over the next 2 days, we spent a lot of time in planes or hanging out in airports as we traveled from Delhi to Mumbai to Cochin and finally to Male, Republic of the Maldives.