Jaipur, the Amber Fort

There are so many beautiful forts in India due to the number of states and "statesmen, warlords, Maharajas..."
Each is, of course, unique.
The Amber Fort, (pronounced Amer,) is more of a palace with benefits. It was built in the 16th century on four levels. There are walls and towers to guard the fort but inside it is beautifully sculpted and painted.


Outside the fort was a small village, mostly in ruins today. Looking closely we noticed laundry hanging in the sun, evidence that people still live here.

At breakfast, Jon asked for fruit. Little did the waiter know that the fruit was to be a snack for an elephant. These beautiful animals are used to haul paying tourists up to the Amber Fort. Bowing to public outrage, the elephants have better working hours and are not required to carry huge loads. Hmmm... When finished feeding the elephant, the mahout wanted Jon to pay for the pleasure! I took this photo across four lanes of traffic.