In the morning, we had yoga and then our India Q&A, where we could ask Singhji & Zac about anything regarding India. It was a good learning experience and it was nice to get answers to some less-talked-about questions. They also gave us a tutorial on how to play cricket and the local game of sitolia, as we would be playing both games later in the trip. Then we were off to the R.K. Marble Factory, the largest producer of marble in the world. We got to tour the factory and see how they cut and polish the marble. It was an unexpected excursion, but interesting.
singhji yoga
view from the yoga blankets
the group waiting for our q&a [jennifer turner]
zacji & singhji explaining cricket and sitolia [jennifer turner]
me & ranjeet on the way to the marble factory [sandy adams]
cutting marble at rk marble
stacks of white & pink marble
singhji & our guide who looks like he "likes hard liquor & soft women" - lanji
rk marble
Next, we went into the center of Roopangarh, to the Roopangarh Fort. The fort is over 350-years-old, and has been renovated into a hotel. They love to advertise that Sting once stayed there on a visit to the village. We played tennis on a rooftop overlooking the village, watched a man make chappati in a tandoori oven, explored the amazing rooms, and ate a swadisht [tasty] lunch.
roopangarh fort [blair stirek]
view of roopangarh [colleen holland]
balcony [jennifer turner]
the suite sting stayed in [jennifer turner]
lisa, peggy & johanne [jennifer turner]
jennifer & blair in the swinging bed [jennifer turner]
masoleum of the 12th century sufi saint, sultan pir
fresh chappati from the tandoor oven is delicious
the drivers on a tower [blair stirek]
me, on the edge of roopangarh
indigo building with clothesline
they caught me photographing them
contrast
me, leaving the fort [blair stirek]
man outside the fort [colleen holland]
We walked from the fort through the elephant spike gate and into the village of Roopangarh. From there, we toured the winding streets of this village dating back to the medieval times. It was a very colorful village for sure - everything painted in great shades of indigo & pink. And the people were so friendly; all of the kids kept asking for, "One photo?"
cow outside the village
hiv awareness/birth control ads
alleyway [joel kraut]
bangle maker; tradition meets technology
indigo [jennifer turner]
walking through roopangarh
roopangarh women [jennifer turner]
schoolboys
liquid eyes [blair stirek]
buddies [blair stirek]
schoolgirls [blair stirek]
little brother ranjeet & big brother landin [landin donner]
Next, we went to the local vegetable and fruit market in Kishangarh. Everyday, the vendors set up in a particular alleyway with all of their colorful fruits & vegetables to sell to the local people. It was so visually pleasing, and all of the food looked fresh and yummy. I wish we had a daily farmer's market like this in Athens.
vegetable seller lady [blair stirek]
the vegetable & fruit market [blair stirek]
so fresh & colorful [joel kraut]
herbs [joel kraut]
carrots [colleen holland]
After we walked through the market, we got to venture out on our own through the busy, technicolor streets of the bazaar. Landin, Blair & I went off and met up with Ranjeet, our favorite driver and friend, who showed us around town. He's from Roopangarh, so he knows the streets of Kishangarh pretty well. He bought us some tasty street food [masala potato chips & samosas] and showed us around the shops. He also helped me pick out some local Rajasthani music at a CD shop.
masala potato chip vendor
landin, blair & ranjeet
village elder & landin; this was an intense moment [blair stirek]
tailor [colleen holland]
this man looks like someone i want to know [colleen Holland]
pottery seller [colleen holland]
turquoise [colleen holland]
kishangarh girl on green [colleen holland]
At this point, children started swarming us, and they followed us back to the cars. I felt like the Pied Piper. Joe kept trying to get a group picture of all of us plus the local children, but they were too excited and rowdy for it to happen, despite Ranjeet's best efforts to tame the kids. Landin started picking the boys up as high as he could in the air, and they started lining up, giggling and shoving each other so they could be next. It was so fun, and one of my favorite moments on the trip thus far. Just being around the local people, being in the middle of all that chaos and noise, was soooo satisfying. This was really our first experience of local village life so it was definitely one of my favorite days.
"one photo?"
love the playboy bunny shirt
such photogenic smiles [blair stirek]
playing with kishangarh kids
swarmed [joseph conelly]
After all this excitement, we found out we were to meet the Maharajah himself for outdoor drinks & appetizers at the hotel! We got to go around in a circle and introduce ourselves to him. I was a little intimidated. I'm not quite sure why; he was a very nice man. It was very nice of him to spend time with us. After he left, Singhji, Colleen, Sandy, Landin, Blair, myself, and Peggy all started dancing inside to the live folk music while we waited for dinner. We kept the party going after dinner in Jonathan & Peggy's room, where Sandy & Michael put on their own version of the naughty puppet show.
drinks with the maharajah of kishangarh [jennifer turner]
jonathan getting a harmonium lesson [jonathan dipratna]
phool mahal palace dining room [jonathan dipratna]
YUM [jonathan dipratna]
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