Heart sank. Yesss! Mine. Mine, mine, mine. My, my one and only fragile heart. My heart gradually sinking, as if, to the lowest and deepest, plunging into Ganges River. Or maybe. Sinking like, the fast or slow sinking of the "Titanic". Trust me. Wasn't easy. When I have to say, when I to bid bye-bye to Varanasi (Varanasi Part 3). I felt, as though,I'm leaving behind a part of me in Varanasi. Varanasi which touched my Hindu Indian sentiment so profoundly until, I wanted more of Varanasi (Varanasi Part 2). One more day, one more night and what more, furthermore of Varanasi (Varanasi Part 1). Then again. The reality was otherwise. Because? Pretty much. We have already covered, if I am not mistaken, the lock, stock and barrel of Varanasi and coming with it, the quintessential Varanasi sightseeing spots.
Unless of course? I badly wanted to experience the mind boggling culture of - the "Aghoris In Varanasi". Aghoris in Varanasi? My-My! Marijuana, alcohol, sex is not limited to only the living human beings and what not I beg to differ. All in the name? In the holy, in the holiness of being the worshipper of Lord Shiva. Damn! Can you believe it? Lord Shiva the alibi for this group of free, easy, as they wish Aghoris? Whatever said, I think, Lord Shiva, I think, is the only one who can save the Aghoris. Definitely, not, can't be you and me, or me, myself and I. Why? Well. You can't or you must not question the religionism behavior, norms, attitude, thinking, and cultural beliefs of the Hindus. If you still do? You will be cursed doomed. Me experiencing the atrocious life style of the Aghoris? No. No. Never. Never ever.
Anyway, whether I wanted to or not, whether I accepted or not, I had to leave behind Varanasi for, back to Delhi, and prior to checking into Hotel Sohi Residency for our one-night in Delhi. Hotel Sohi? Oh- boy! Bed. My bed? Horror. "Hammer House of Horror", putting my thinking to immediately, like, am I suppose to sleep on this bed? Yea. No other choice. No. But, not before. removing the bedsheet and pillow covers for giving them a good dusting off. Still. The main, major concern of mine? Running, dashing and skipping on my mind? Bed bugs and rashes. Thank god. All ended up fine.
Thank god as well. Bathroom was super clean, spic and span. To tell you the truth, just saying, I was so close in sleeping in the, yea, big spacious bathroom. Aha!
Hotel Sohi and their breakfast next morning? I guess, in such instances. For people like me, we eat for hunger and nothing more, nor less or more. No. I didn't touch any of the items. My breakfast from the, just tadbit of the items? Two big Indian bananas, yea, big, big for certain, Indian bananas and coffee is always a sheer pleasure in India. Breakfast time-out came calling, subsequently, time-in, the timing for journeying, almost 5 and 1/2 hours to Jaipur. In between, Of course. Don't we all need the comfort and easing break? Naturally. Nature calling break? Where? At India's, North India's, Indian R & R, toll road rest stop, Highway King. Impressive. I was really impressed suffice to say. A spacious, big area, and unlike our Malaysian R & R, those I have already made my presence known, this one, somewhere along Delhi, sorry guys, can't recall the name though, akin a shopping mall and of course, food, must be part and parcel of R & R? Of course.
On the road again, the next stop of ours? The other customary stop? Lunch stop in another R & R and me instead of like, oh-ye, faithful, follower of those extremely holy people in this tour group, who couldn't decide which eatery it should be, they going round and round in circles, yet, so damn confused? I, the solo me, leaving them behind even without bothering in informing them, I headed to Hotel Highway King. Wow! The absolute best decision of mine. Best customer service literally poured and showered all over me, by each and every staff I came in contact. Of course, without a doubt, I was floating on cloud 9. I mean, when you receive undivided customer service by all the male staff? Hehehehe!
What did I order? Raj Kachori and coffee. Raj Kachori? Ohlalalala! The winner food formula. Imagine? Tucking into this, street food, a popular Indian snack? Oh-so-yum. Crunchy, crispy, and the smack of spiciness, sweetness and zang and tang. Coffee? Well, the coffee culture pleasure in India? Do I have to repeat myself, again, again, like the broken record? No need. Whatever for right?
Oh, before I forget, I must tell you that, I tried Paan. Paan? Yea. Not the old fashion paan. This one, the hightec, bitter sweet, tremendously improvised in taste Paan. From the stall shop right in front across the parking area. Fabulous. Simply said, Paan melting my tastebuds absolutely promisingly.
After lunching? Jaipur! Jaipur? For some reason or rather, for reasons I couldn't comprehend, for reasons I can't put in words, Jaipur automatically concluded as the love of Nava K. Jaipur. Something magical and heart-touching and heart-warming. Albeit, the mad, or maddest traffic jam and dirtiness filth, here and there, at some parts of the streets. The first sightseeing spot of ours? Jantar Mantar.
Jaipur Jantar Mantar. The biggest, amongst the rest of the 5, Jantar Mantars in India. Jantar Mantar Jaipur. UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the biggest observatories in the world. Covering an area of almost 18,700 sq. km and Jantar Mantar, showcasing the combination of the elements of science, art and religion. Also, a proud fame symbol of the princely era in Jaipur, built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1734.
Inside Jantar Mantar monument, there are various kinds of astrological and architectural instruments, which provides time measurement, sun declination, constellation positions, azimuth and other astrological phenomena. Consisting of 19 geometric devices for measuring time, for observing orbits around the sun and for track constellations, what are the most famous structures in Jantar Mantar? Hindu Chhatri, Jai Prakash Yantra, Samrat Yantra, Rasivalaya, Chakra Yantra, Rama Yantra, Yantra Raj, Nadivalaya and Digamsa, apart from other astronomical devices that help in the analysis of the universe. Jantar Mantar Jaipur and Nava K? I didn't go crazily off-beat, neither did I roll on the ground for worshipping Jantar Mantar, yet, when you have come this far to Jaipur for seeing Jantar Mantar? Indeed. My proud "Incredible India" moment.
Up next. Hawa Mahal. Hawa and Mahal. The stunner. The stunning stunner, another famed sightseeing spot in Jaipur, the "Pink City and Nava K? God! She literally running wild. She couldn't contain herself. Hahaha! What else is new for her? As it is, she is a cracker, and in Hawa Mahal, she was all full of her big mouth beam and grin. She utmostly falling high over heels, in love for and towards Hawa Mahal.
Hawa Mahal. Also known as the "Palace Of Winds, Or "Palace of Breeze because it has 93 windows on the outside walls and these honeycomb attractively shaped carved windows allow breeze to blow throughout the palace. Hawa Mahal. Built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 as an extension to the Royal Palace of Jaipur and for the royal women to enjoy the events and festivals in the street without being seen. No wonder I was feeling royal as well. As if I am one of the royal women throughout my time in Hawa Mahal. Haha! Tadaa!
Hawa Mahal of Rajput architecture, standing high in the heart of Jaipur as a prominent attraction, by late evening, becoming our full-stop for ending our first day Jaipur sightseeing. Where to thereafter? Shopping. Shopping in a mall. I sure did. I shopped. I bought some nose rings and earrings, and then? To the hotel.
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