Shoppin'

Last day in Jaipur I finally got to fulfill my India shopping fantasys. Rachna took us back to the market. She knows the shops, being a native of Jaipur. Sunday they were less crowded more pleasant. I had in mind; scarves, skirts and a sari or punjabi suit for Alia.
First Rachna got me hooked up with the boys who were painting henna designs on the street. For 50 ruppees, about 1 dollar I got one hand painted front and back. I picked out a design and it took one boy about 10 minutes to paint it. The one on the front was a 'rabbit' is what Rachna said. It isn't a rabbit at all, but a style of design. It was actually a peacock. The back was very elaborate swirls and dots and lines. One week later it's pretty faded but still there.
I loved hanging out with Rachna that day. What a neat woman! She is a native Indian but spent 5 years with her husband and kids in the states. She is very much influenced by the west and very reflective and progressive as far as the changes in the Indian culture especially in how it affects women. She was definitely very forthcoming in her feelings and knowledge about Indian culture and her place in it. She also fielded alot of my tourist questions about 'arranged marriages' and such. I learned alot from her. She also told me later, how fun I was to shop with! Alia - do you hear that! Cause that is not usually the case with me. Well at least in malls. Markets are different.
In the Indian markets once you start looking at things they start throwing the whole store at you. It is very tiring! So you look at a skirt and then all sorts of them come off the shelf, and out of the wrapper and are thrown on the table. I had alot of rupees left to spend and the intention to fill my empty suitcases to the brim, so I was a series of Yes Yes, no no yeses etc....etc...
Once they got you going on something you like, they start bringing out the more expensive stuff. It starts getting so confusing! Everything looks good, everything is beautiful. What do you want, when do you stop!?! It's absolutely crazy! And everything is "best quality" and then "better quality" and "only in my shop." I-yi-yi!!!
Like I said I really didn't know what I got until I unloaded it all in Seattle cause it was all a shopping blur. Tom went elsewhere during this shopping mania, first with jaw opened, then bored out of his mind. Dont' think his wife shops like this in India. But I was getting presents and lots of things to barter for barter faire fall 05!
Barely time to get back and pack. They had a driver and a car all lined up for me to drive to Delhi for my 1:30 a.m. flight. Rachna instructed the driver to drive out thru the old part of the city. The light was just starting to fade. It was a beautiful drive. The buildings were pink in the fading sun, as Jaipur is known for. I saw monkeys climbing temple walls, closing marketplaces and when we got outside the city a submerged palace in the middle of a big lake and the amber fort and then my first glimpse of ELEPHANTS!
I had seen plenty of cows, oxen, camels and dogs. My first elephants! Lumbering down the road, about six of them, painted up with riders. Cool!
Three hours ride to Delhi. More crazy India driving, tho my driver was very safe in his Indian driving way, veering back and forth, honking to pass, blinking lights. So many trucks on the highway and gag! diesel in my lungs the entire three hours. The diesel smell from the highway trucks made my sick stomach feel sicker and then the feeling that I was really glad to be leaving india, truely.
We get to the Delhi airport and I've never seen such a mess. A line to get in the airport doors. I cut in line by two americans or else I would have never made my plane. Then xray baggage, line. Then line to check in baggage. Then a humongous line to go thru another security check to the gate. By this time I had 20 minutes to board, which then went by and I was still at the end of a very long line. Fortunately I was next to a very pushy gay man from San Fran who I latched onto who said "let's make a break for it" and we went to the front of the line and he asked for cuts from a nice couple. We got in, just in time to load for the plane! Crazy. So I made the plane to Amsterdam, connection to Seattle also worked. HOME. HERE NOW. ALL CAUGHT UP. PHOTOS AT SOME POINT.