Wednesday, May 1, 1929
Shade temperature 105°
Got up from heaven when the sun came up and a few minutes later the waiter served breakfast in the room. Such service! By nine it was too hot to poke your head out the door so we got our carriage and drove to the hospital where the doctor said I had Yellow Jauntis and gave me some medicine that will undoubtedly keep me busy every morning. Then we drove to a brass and rug shop where Mort got a check cashed and we watched them make rugs by hand.
Jaipur is 699 miles from Bombay and has over 120,000 inhabitants. [2,324,319 in 2001] To the north and east rugged hills crowned with forts overlook the city. A crenellated wall with seven gates encloses the city which is important commercially. It is the center of native manufacture, especially of many kinds of jewelry and of colored printed clothes and muslins. The enamel work done here is the best in India. The bazaars are very interesting. The city is remarkable for the width and regularity of its main streets.
Gates and buildings here are all painted up to represent designs, bricks, windows, and figures. Along the main street the buildings are 4 or 5 storeys high and all painted up. The Hall of Winds is a queer building on this street, elaborately decorated with stucco.
The afternoon was spent in front of the fan. At five the carriage took us for a ride through the park and then uptown. This huge park is the finest in India. It is very well kept and the peacocks are all over. Then there is a zoo and aviary, all fixed up in natural settings with large spaces for the animals to run around in.
In town we went to a brass place, the same where Mort had his check cashed, agents for Cook’s, and gabbed about, picking out a few things to send home C.O.D. Wouldn’t do it ordinarily, but Jaipur brass and enamel products are famous all over the world and bring big prices at home. The cheapness here is somewhat offset by a 30% duty and the postage, but even then it is cheap. So far I have about 45 rupees selected ($16) and have a hunch it will be enough.
We took a funny little 4th-class chariot the two miles back to the hotel for 1½¢ apiece. The distance is too far to walk , for if you do it in the early morning, it is already hot when you reach town, and if you walk it in the afternoon, it is dark soon after you reach there. Just try to sightsee without a carriage or cart.