Amber Fort

I've been wanting to post about our December getaway to Jaipur and Agra and am just now finding the time...I put up some photos of the Taj Mahal, which was (dare I say?) magical, but there is much, much more to see and we didn't even manage to see everything during our short trip. I think, though, with two little ones, we didn't do too badly. I'm starting, what will be a few separate posts about our trip, with the Amber Fort in Jaipur. It was amazing, perched high on a hill, encircled by a wall that snakes up and down the surrounding mountains, the fort is not only impressive for its location, but for its architectural beauty and intricate decoration. It is also much more than a mere fort, it is actually a fort-palace complex. After you enter the main courtyard, by elephant of course, you walk up the steep steps and find yourself in a jewel box of a palace that seems to unfold endlessly room after room, courtyard after courtyard. I'm sure we didn't even visit half of the grounds. But, the parts we did see were quite memorable.

Elephant motorway:
View from above:
Hall of Public Audience:

Entry to the private rooms:
Beautiful decoration using mirrors and mosaics:
Delicate wall carvings with an air-conditioning system using water channelled from a fountain to the interior room:
Out the back door of the fort, monkeys standing guard: