Jodhpur Celebrity Sighting
Trip Start
Oct 14, 2005
1
15
21
Trip End
Oct 31, 2005
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Jodhpur,
India
Thursday, October 27, 2005
This morning, Oct. 26th, we left the hotel at 9am to tour the Mehrangarh Fort. It is on a large outcropping sort of like the Acropolis in Athens, and is absolutely massive. The family of the Maharaja of Jodhpur lived in it until about 1945, and it was originally built in the 1400's. It was one of my favorite stops so far on this tour.
One of the things that made it so delightful for me was that there was a group of about 100 male and female business school students touring from another province at the same time. They all seemed to latch onto me, and we had many wonderful conversations at various times as we progressed through this enormous fort. At the end we got a group shot with the ones that had been most involved with me, and one of the guys was so sweet he said he wanted a shot of the two of us embracing. I thought he meant arms around each other's shoulders, but no . he put me into a full frontal body hug with our cheeks touching as we looked at the camera! I don't know what inspired that idea, but I was happy to comply with his wishes.
While we were touring around I noticed this scruffy looking, but well dressed guy speaking the King's English. He was with a woman and another scruffy looking guy. It didn't really register with me at the time, and it wasn't until a few minutes later that one of my clients mentioned he had seen Adrian Brody that I realized I had seen him too. I went racing back in the direction he had come from just in time to get a really good look at his face.
01 Mehrangarh Fort Jodhpur
I think he realized that an American tour group had just discovered him, and he took the girl's hand and walked quickly in the other direction. I snapped a photo of his backside, which was all I could get, but his face is turned toward the girl and you'll just have to believe me that it was him. He had grown a beard I think to disguise himself.After touring the fort we went to a nearby burial site for the royal family members. It was a very ornate white marble building, and outside was an adorable 4 year old child with his 12 year old brother singing and playing the drum and the squeeze box. I couldn't believe the talent of this little costumed child. He was playing the musical instrument and singing as we went into the building, and then he was playing the drums and singing as we came out. What musical things were any of us doing at that age? It is something that is passed down in his family lineage, according to our guide.
Next we visited another royal palace -- part of which has now been turned into a hotel. Just a photo stop.
Back to the hotel for lunch. A client and I went to lunch together near this internet cafe so that we could get to work on the Awards for the Farewell Dinner. We were inspired (thanks to a couple of cups of the most wonderful cappuccino) and knocked out the majority very quickly. We still have problems with about four people, but it was a very productive day in that regard.
We rode back to our hotel on one of the little tuk-tuk's (three wheeled tiny taxis).
02 Fort Zoom Shot
Some of the drivers really make them ornate, but this guy's was fairly modest. We barely made it back in time to join the jeep safari out to the tribal villages.Twelve of us piled into 2 jeeps, and the others decided to take the afternoon off and use the pool or go into town just to be with the local people. I wish I had done that because the ride was long, hot, dusty, and bumpy, and basically turned out to be another shopping opportunity (duh).
We started with the opium welcome ceremony. This old, bejeweled woman welcomed us into her courtyard, and produced a big chunk of opium (a brownish/reddish resin-like substance). She put it into a bowl and used a pestle to crush it up with water from a bottle. Then the mixture was strained through a cloth into another bowl. That water was then poured into the clients' hands and they were to drink it. Of course I didn't have even the tiniest drop.
Then they produced another bag which contained a purer grade of opium (they said). It was in a more paste-like state, and one of them dipped a wooden matchstick into it and spread the substance on the fingertips of the clients who wanted to sample it. They were to rub it under their tongues. A few went back for seconds and thirds, and obviously wanted to get as much of it as possible, and even began discussing the prospects of purchasing some of it for themselves to take back to the hotel -- a scene that made me extremely uncomfortable because I imagine there would be quite a liability issue if anything happened to one of them because they were high on the stuff.
We had tea and some sweets and then proceed on to the next village -- which was a long drive, and which had a cooperative of families that were expert in rug weaving.
03 Tuk-Tuk Transportation
We got the usual demonstration and then the flourish of unrolling all the rugs for examination and purchase. I kept asking the clients who had indulged in the opium ceremony if they felt anything, and almost all of them said that it wasn't affecting them at all. I guess it isn't as strong as heroin or they surely would all have been asleep. But I wonder if that wasn't also a huge trick -- to get them a little high so they would look favorably on the idea of purchasing a rug.About half of the group was getting restless by 6pm, and some were still shopping. We decided to split into two groups, and I joined the group that was speeding right back to the hotel. The other group stayed and they bought rugs, and then went to another village that sold pottery. REALLY! Where will it all end? I had finished my first pass at the buffet table by the time they dragged back into the hotel.
I hung around and socialized with the guys long after I finished eating and then raced back here to the internet place, which is now closing in a few minutes. As I was leaving the hotel, one of the guys said to me "We (meaning he and his partner) are having just the BEST time." They are two of the ones I most want to hear that from, since they are fun and easy travel companions.
We're off to Udaipur tomorrow -- the home of the fantastic Lake Palace featured in the James Bond Movie "Octopussy." Someone came to the table tonight and said to me "Is the rumor true that your birthday is coming up?" Well, I guess plots are afoot, so I'll have to endure something done on the 28th. Aargh! Just being here is the greatest gift I could ever receive.
Thanks for listening to my rambling.
Hugs,
Dan
