Jaipur turned out to be a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of Delhi.

At first sight you can see why Jaipur is the ‘pink city’. Pink is associated with hospitality.

The Hawa Mahal – the Palace of the Winds, looks so impressive and it quickly forces one to take many many photos of it, and she deserves every one of them.

A visit to the City Palace was part of the itinerary, with each palace, temple and fort demonstrating its own unique style.

Just up the road from the City Palace is Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory, which features the world’s largest stone sundial.The monument was completed in 1734 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Carpet making demonstrations, jewellery shops and Indian fabric stores are all part of the Jaipur experience,

as well as a chat with a local cobra.

Jaipur is famously on the tourist trail because of the Amber Fort, set beside a river, up a hill making it all so much grander.

And yes, our retirees did get seduced by the carpet salesman who plied them with rum, beer and Indian hors d’oeves and lots of cricket talk! The evidence (seen above) can be found in a bedroom in Maribyrnong.