A Respite in Jaipur

Delhi-Amritsar-Pathankot-Delhi-Varanasi-Khajuraho-Orchha-Jhansi-Gwalior-Agra-Jaipur. After more than two weeks of hopping around the Northern India, we rolled into the Jaipur train station at 2:00 AM more than a little burned out. We were immensely relieved to spot the sign for Sneh-Deep Guest House through the open side-door of our auto rickshaw. Of course, we were victims of our own itinerary. Even after a thorough rest that night and a satisfying breakfast, T and I were hesitant to confront the common big-city theme: noise, dust, careening vehicles, crowded bodies, plus the incessant touts and scammers who swarm us if we dare stop walking. Between T's fair skin and my blond hair, we could not draw more attention to ourselves even if we waved an American flag over our heads. What we needed for our first day in Jaipur was a vacation from our vacation. We were either fortunate or blessed.

Sneh-Deep Guest House can be found in the east of Jaipur in the small neighborhood known as the Sethi Colony. It is not a hotel nor is it a hostel; it is simply a house for guests of the owners: the Kulshreshtha family. This aspect of our stay was repeatedly made obvious to us over the following days. Home-cooked, healthy meals were available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Relaxing in the afternoons, we spent hours socializing with our hosts. We traded recipes (and anagrams), told stories and played games. Of course, we also visited some of the famous sites of Jaipur--in our own, good time.

But what did we do on that first day? Manoj, our host, had several errands to run in the countryside far east of the city and he invited us to join him. Manoj's primary focus is the conservation of and education about India's natural environment. He manages an eco-lodge in the Himalayan foothils of Rishikesh called Wild Brook Retreat and is building another lodge near Jaipur. After a stop to negotiate sandstone carvings for the new lodge, Manoj took us to a number of off-the-beaten-path sites including his lodge under construction. The surroundings were quiet and the locals were welcoming. The chili pakoras for a lunch-snack were good-and-spicy and the bananas were perfectly ripe. Eating our dinner at sunset on the rocks, we could hear peacocks, babblers, and frogs. This felt like a terrific place to spend a week walking through the hills anytime from sunrise to sunset. It is fairly wild, though, so care should be taken. While walking back to the car, we were nearly trampled by an equally-startled Blue Bull (Nilgai, a large antelope).

After four nights and four days in their home, T and I felt much more rested and prepared to take on Delhi. In that short stay though, their family became our own and it felt good to be in such a welcoming home, knowing that our own was on the other side of the world. But the relentless itinerary (with tickets and reservations) pushed us onward. With tears in our eyes, we rode our rickshaw into the hot, dark night back to the train station. We hope that the future will allow us to return to Jaipur, the Sneh-Deep Guest House, and the welcoming graces of the Kulshreshtha family. Thank you for everything.