India: Jaipur

We took a local bus out to the amber fort today (a lot cheaper than rickshaws). I hired myself a guide for R100 knowing that the others wouldn't be interested. Lynne didn't notice and promptly told him to go away when he tried to impart some of his knowledge to her.

The guides do tend to repeat themselves a little, especially when the group becomes strung out but they explain the purpose and background of what would otherwise have been empty rooms. They also keep away everyone else who wants a bit of your money. One interesting walled courtyard turned out to be the bedrooms of the 12 wives of a particularly successful warrior Raj. Every time he defeated an opponent he would take one of their sisters or daughters as a wife. Each bedroom had a private stairway leading to the Raj's chambers. They weren't however, allowed to visit unless invited. Above the courtyard there were a number of watch stations from which eunuch guards would observe the Raj's wives to ensure that no intact men got near.

We then went up to the Jaigarh Fort. This houses the largest wheeled cannon in the world and it is big. It apparently has a range of around 20 miles but I don't know when it was last tested. It was never fired in anger.