Glad I wasn't there for THIS

Jaipur is one of the cities we visited when we went to India in 2004. Earlier this week there was a series of bombings throughout the city, mainly in market areas. For many reasons, I am glad we weren't witnesses to such events during our visit. I can't imagine the chaos (for there was chaos even under "normal" circumstances).
I pulled out the diary my dad kept for me of our trip to India. Here's some of what he said about our time in Jaipur:
Thursday, June 17, 2004--On to Jaipur--I am glad that I automatically woke up this morning, as we did not have electricity and the clock did not work. Having electricity is not a given in India. We took off to the airport to fly out to Jaipur. I learned a valuable lesson, though. My dog tags [which my dad wears as ID for when he's jogging alone] set off the security alarm and when I showed them to the guard he asked me if I was "American military." I quickly said no, as I felt that it put a target on me [Dad is NOT military]. The flight was once again perfect. You slept. We took a light lunch in Jaipur. Chips and beer and nuts. You went shopping with Umesh and Renu while I relaxed by the pool. Relaxed. Hah! I only stayed a half hour. I looked at my watch and it read 119.6 degrees. Too hot for your old man. Perhaps the hottest temperature that I have ever experienced. Y'all didn't enjoy shopping that much because your driver kept steering you to shops that he wanted to visit--he probably would have received commission on anything that you would have bought where you guys went. When you got back, I took you and the Sanjanwala kids to a little shop in the hotel where we were staying and we purchased a few small items, but its selection was not that great. We walked around the gardens a bit and visited the human-scaled chess set. But, alas, it was too hot to stay outside.
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We stayed at the Jai Mahal Palace. That was one of the coolest things in India--staying at old palaces that had been converted into hotels.
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Friday, June 18, 2004--The elephants, and more--I woke up with A Problem. After a night of restless sleep, I found myself with a touch of "Delhi Belly." Most uncomfortable. But, tour, we did. I am glad that I did go, in spite of my discomfort. We went out to the Amber Fort, a magnificent place up on a mountain. We took an elephant ride, the girls on one and the guys on the other. Raj was our guide and he was good. It was extremely hot. My elephant had a sinus problem and the trip up the hill made her wheeze, i.e., blow snot, soaking us all the way up. We came down from the fort in a Jeep, seeing pigs, the natural disposal system, all along the way down. As we went back to the car, we saw a snake charmer, but didn't hang around for a demonstration. Upon our return to the palace, we both napped for a couple of hours, after which you went off for a massage and pedicure. My, what a pampered young lady!
**Unfortunately I don't have my pics from India uploaded onto this computer. These are just some images I was fortunate to find on the 'net. I'll get around to pulling my pics off the CD-ROM one of these days...**