Jaipur City

On the eve of my birthday our Indian culinary adventures finally caught up with us, so we had to spend our first day in the Rajasthani state capital recovering in bed at our hotel - luckily we had WiFi access to keep us entertained, as the room was dull and dreary, and the rooftop terrace didn't hold much promise (overcast, hazy weather and lots of pollution).

A birthday fit for a Traveller
Duly rested and reenergised we woke up on the 23rd of July ready for a day of sightseeing and monkey madness. The monsoon rains didn't dampen our spirits, and with waterproof linings firmly on our backpacks we set out towards our first stop: Galta, the monkey temple that lies on the outskirts of the city. This temple was made famous by the National Geographic series Monkey Thieves (link to wikipedia page above).
Our rickshaw wallah told us that half an hour would be enough time for us to climb the steep hill, look around, and head back down for him to take us into town... what a load of tosh! It took Aaron and I a good 15 minutes just to climb the first hill, at which point we realised that our driver had dropped us off on the *OPPOSITE* side of the hill to the monkey temple! We would have to trek downhill to get to the temple complex and baths. So much for his "half an hour and you are back here". On our way up we were met by dozens of monkeys being fed cucumbers and bananas by worshipers of the Hindu deity Hanuman, as well as the odd pig or two (being chased away from the offerings to the Monkey Gods by the worshippers!) and a few stray cows.
At the top of the hill we were rewarded with a beautiful view of Jaipur, the Pink City, with its many fortified walls and minarets behind us, and some lush rainforest and hills in front of us. Down below us we could see the proper temple complex, so we quickly hurried away from the fortune tellers that were trying to draw us into their lairs and on towards the Monkey Madness. The temple complex is nestled between ridges, and features a series of vast bathing pools (segregated by sex, obviously) where Hindu worshippers take a dip in the water issuing from underground springs. The stairs leading down to the bathing pools and the main entrance to the temple are the monkey's playground. We had to tread carefully, as those macaques have big teeth, and the nursing mothers were especially aggressive towards us.
Having made it through the monkey gauntlet we explored the temples for a short while (lots of murals depicting Hindu scenes and plenty of worshippers willing to pose for photos). Once we'd had our fill of monkeys and monsoon rains we started our slog back up (and then down) to our waiting Rickshaw Wallah, who knew very well that we would need more than half an hour to explore the temple. That was just a ruse to be able to squeeze us for more money (he asked for an extra Rs100 but only got Rs20).

City Palace
We were dropped off at the heart of Jaipur's old city and throbbing heart. We ascended the Iswari Minar Warga Sal (Heaven Piercing Minaret) for 360 degree views of the old town to help us get our bearings and plan our route towards the City Palace. Noteworthy attractions in the City Palace are the giant silver urns (supposedly the largest silver objects in the world) that Maharaja Madho Singh II used to carry the waters of the Ganges with him to England, as well as the impressive Pitam Niwas Chowk courtyard, with its gates representing the four seasons. The palace of Jaipur was somewhat different to the other palaces we had visited in Rajasthan as it housed a Hindu monarch, however that is where the differences ended, and the boredom began to set it... There are only so many Maharaja palaces you can visit in a week and still show keen interest in the exhibits!
Once we had broken free of the City Palace we resumed our walking tour of Jaipur by visiting the Jantar Mantar, an observatory that was founded in the 18th Century (but has been recently restored). The complex looks more like an eccentric architect's back yard with its angular sculptures and structures. We opted not to hire a guide, thinking the signage would be enough, however the explanations left a lot to be desired, so the impressive abilities of these monoliths were quite lost on us. Ah well, next time we know to hire a guide!
Moving on through the old city we came to Sideroi Bazaar, a busy lane chocker with shops selling Rajasthani fabrics, instruments, handbags, Ali Baba pants, bangles, bracelets... anything a tourist could (or wouldn't) want as a reminder of their visit to the Pink CIty. On Sideroi Bazaar we caught a glimpse of the Hawa Mahal, an impressive five-story palace of sorts whose front is entirely covered in Purda Screens (yes, more Purda Screens!) so that the ladies of the rpyal court could observe the life and times of ordinary Rajasthanis. Sadly by the time we got to the Hawa Mahal it was closed for the evening, so we had to make due with a few photos from the outside. I will forever wonder what it must have felt like to be a lady of the Royal Court of Jaipur, looking down onto the commoners from behind my intricately carved Purda screens.