November 13, 2006 Jaipur

The welcoming lawns outside the Restaurant at Hotel Arya Niwas, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

November 13th 2006

Reached Jaipur Railway Station 1/2 hour late; hired the services of a coolie @ Rs 50 for 2 suitcases and waited in the waiting room till Neelam called. Had 2 cups of tea each, sugarless but rich, @ Rs 5 each per cup. The first cup was in a tiny glass and the second in clay Kulhar.

Took some photos, before Pavan was stopped by the Station Manager, Mr Chaddha not to take any pictures. Pavan had to argue with him to ask him why and where does it say. Pavan bhi naaa..........!

Neelam called us a few times (we had a cell phone loaned by Bhaiya, with a number originating from Rajasthan, so the incoming calls to Rajasthan were free), and waited for her outside as she was to pick us up at the Railway Station. Neelam met us outside the station at about 8 am and we drove to the Arya Niwas Hotel. What a nice hotel. The room was not yet ready (too early) so we decided to get some breakfast in their self service restaurant "Chitra" - where they serve fresh cooked, almost home made food. We had omelettes and Idlis. After breakfast, Neelam went to finish her work and joined us later in the afternoon. Paid Rs 149.60 (approx 3 dollars) for breakfast for 3 of us.

We got our room # 404, a wonderful large room, with an extra bed for Neelam (she was with us for two nights), for which they charged us Rs 150 per day. They were packed so we could not get another room. This room had a very large balcony, almost the size of our room, with cane furniture (divan, 2 chairs, table etc) and a fridge, with rollup shades. Very nice.

Neelam returned at about noon and we ate lunch at the Hotel and paid Rs 299.87, and Pavan went to sleep while we went shopping for bedcovers, jutis etc.

Pavan was still sleeping when we returned and we enjoyed the thali in the hotel at night and paid Rs 277.90 for all three of us, less than Rs 100 per person. The food in this place is awesome, clean, healthy and very very tasty.

Bought a small book on Rajasthan at Hotel Arya Niwas for Rs 60;

This was our first day in Rajasthan and we were already loving it.