Post Conference, Day 1 (Jaipur)

Post Conference, Day One (Jaipur)

A. Wymard '11

Friday morning began bright and early as we were prepared to leave the conference before sunrise. However, Sabrina, Abby, Isabella, Liza and I quickly learned just how much security there is on the girls’ campus. After trying to speak with one of the guards who would not let us leave, we had to wait on a bench right behind the main gate until Mrs. Bird could come and explain that we needed to leave.

Upon leaving the campus we traveled with two Australian schools to Jaipur. Our tour guide took us through the "Pink City." The Pink City is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and was the first planned city in India, laid out on a grid, with parks and traffic circles, and with shops in covered galleries along the main streets. Although it was built in 1727, all of the buildings still obey the law which says that they must be pink - a development for the visit of Edward, The Prince of Wales, in 1853. 

Overwhelmed by the throngs of people and traffic in Jaipur, we decided to step out of the bus to have a closer look. We were immediately greeted by men selling souvenirs and beggar children. By the end of the day, this type of reception became expected whenever we would disembark from the bus.

Continuing further into Jaipur, we reached the Amber Fort. The Amber Fort was a breathtaking experience - situated atop a ridge, with views of the entire valley. Again, once we got off the bus, men were immediately trying to sell us trinkets. Thinking we could stump some of them, we decided to speak in either Spanish or Chinese. We discovered all too quickly that these men are at least tri-lingual. In order to reach the top of the fort, we rode elephants two-by-two, and some of us were surprised by the bumpiness of the ride. We were given a tour of the fort which enabled us to learn not only about its history, but about the magnificent architecture as well. 

After visiting the Amber Fort, we enjoyed lunch with our new Australian friends and exchanged many exciting stories with each other about our different weeks. After lunch, we boarded the bus again (this time just with the Hotchkiss delegation) and headed off for Agra, arriving late in the evening, exhausted from such an amazing day. We checked-in to our rooms, trying to enjoy some sleep before off on our next great adventure - sunrise at the Taj Mahal.