You can not imagine this day.

Two days ago we checked in to a fabulous palace in a town called Jaipur after a six hour bus ride, the most treacherous travel I have ever done.

There is no way to describe the driving here. There are no lanes and no street laws. Buses crammed with people and cars and huge trucks and push carts pulled by camels and old horses. Cows everywhere in the road, never moving. Motorcycles and bikes and tuk-tuks. … The roads have jarred my teeth.

Along the road I have seen shacks with people sitting outside with the most beautiful and colorful saris and clothes, always smiling and laughing… wrapped in poverty.  I have seen markets and lean-to after lean-to. I have seen people sweeping the highways with homemade brooms.  I have seen palaces and always I have seen color. India is truly a land  of contrasts 

The hotel in Jaipur was the most beautiful place you can imagine. It was turned into a hotel, but the prince or maharajah, still lived there. The grounds were impeccable and we had a suite of three rooms.Each person had to bow his head when the Maharaja walked by.  We saw beautiful buildings and forts and that is where I rode the elephant. Fabrics are exquisite and I loved seeing them. Jewelry is opulent, all made of gold. 

Today was a different story. We had to leave the hotel by 7:30 and had another four hour bus ride. We were going to see a camel festival in a town called Pushkar where there would be 4000 camels.However, the hotel was not ready for us, there was no guide, and we made the decision to take another six hour bus ride to our next destination in the desert. We are still on the bus.

My fractured foot is holding up well, but most of stairways do not have railings, so I just grab the nearest turbaned man and put my hand on his shoulder and survive. The bus driver calls me “mama” when he hoists me from the bus. …Great.

That is all for now, but we are still traveling in the dark to our next destination.  I am just shutting my eyes and trying not to look.

Hopefully, these are not my final words. Love, Susan

ps.. Susan has the hat on – #havehatwilltravel