Today is the first time all week the rains have relented for more than a few hours straight, finally allowing the city to dry out a bit. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever use the word “monsoon” lightly again for fear of invoking even a hint of the rainfall we’ve gotten here this last week. When we all got back to Jaipur from our weekend trip, the streets were positively flooded, making for one of the most unpleasant rickshaw rides I’ve had yet back from the train station. Not to mention I [...]

The blue city of Jodhpur; purpose in the painting?…cools homes & acts as an effective insect repellant…who knew? Growing antsy from two weeks of being punctual and polite in the confines of the Kanota Bagh neighborhood of Jaipur, Emily and her six comrades set off for the train station on a drizzly Friday morning.  They hauled their packs with excitement, traipsing down Devi Path to the main road.  There they haggle with hurried rickshaw drivers who honked loudly as they pulled up to the trashed covered curb. Finally settling on [...]

A few friends and I spent last weekend in Johdpur, the Blue City. We took the train-sleeper class there and Second AC on the way back. Ven Diagram time! Second AC: Airconditioning Closed and curtained windows Sheets, blankets, pillows sneezing, snoring, farting old people Both: Benches that can be seats or beds Sleeper Class: Open windows to let fresh air in cute old couples to sit across from Lots of college-aged Indians watching Justin Beiber music videos on their iPhones and sharing them with us Small Indian boy walking up [...]