Travels with Mimi

INDIA
February 7, 2004

India was one of the most fascinating countries we have ever seen with its juxtaposition of ancient palatial splendor and modern poverty. The people were very friendly with westerners still rare enough to be gawked at. We were privileged to be invited by an old friend who knew India well, and our two weeks there were filled with daily adventure and amazement.
It was adventuresome enough to see small motorbikes and three wheel taxies alongside cars, but to see donkey drawn carts and elephants on the road was unbelievable. Many of the sights we visited was like time traveling back a century or more. Our hotel was an old fort newly converted for guests, of which we were the first. We had opulent old castle rooms for $25 a night.

Most of our stay was in Jaipur, an old northern Indian town with several palaces and one splendid fort where we happily spent two weeks exploring.