Friday, January 30th, Jaipur

The wife and I presented a united front this AM--the Hovering One stood no chance against the combined might of double PI power. He responded to our grunted half-greetings by making himself available to other breakfasting individuals in the area, much to their annoyance. When he saw we were making ready to go, he made one last desperate attempt at tip-obtaining, only to witness me granting another waiter the gratuity. I gave him a cheery smile for his efforts, though.

Today was the last day in Jaipur, so after packing up our taxi, we asked the driver to take us to Sanganer, a quaint little town between Jaipur and the airport. It's known for truly ancient Jain temples and a method of printing fabric via machined block impressions. The Jain religion consists of at least two main sects, and, among many other aspects, is notably for it's extremely peace-loving nature and respect for all form's of life. In this temple, the original construction of which dates back to at least the 11th century AD, visitors are only allowed on the entrance level, and rooftop level, and in the basement. According to a guide we spoke with, only when the current guru experiences a revelation while dreaming can the sealed barricade be broken and the lower levels be revealed. He also said that the total number of these lower levels (including the basement) is seven. Unfortunately, photography is not permitted inside the temple--but the images I saw inside are irrevocably burned inside my brain, regardless.

The taxi driver and his boss were no doubt expecting some commissions, as the novice pilot of our vehicle attempted to lead us to several "great businesses with good prices," but we suggested other places, much to his chagrin. Near the temple, we found a shop whose owner and two sons showed us how fabric is printed in the traditional Sanganer fashion. We purchased a little, haggled a little less, and talked even less on our drive on to the airport, saddened that it was time to depart such a beautiful region.

Someday I will return--my camel safari awaits! Speaking of camels, here are a few pictures I snapped while riding to the airport--just to remind everyone that India is not simply a place that is slightly warmer where people speak myriad different languages. It's a place where several different regions coexist simultaneously--regions of language, time, and geography.