India Day 9 Tordi - Jaipur

Up at 8am for breakfast and everyone a little slow this morning. Not alcohol related, just feeling tired after another long day of  travel. The rooms are great and nicely renovated and it's a little like a small summer residence which I believe it was. After breakfast it was downstairs to get into a couple of indian copies of the willies jeep to do a tour of the area. First we went to an ancient step well that was designed so as the water level fell you could use the steps down to access the water. From here to the large dam for the area where we drove on the dam wall and stopped at the sluice gate for a look and a very civilized morning tea of coffee, tea and orange cream biscuits. They had even incorporated a grinding wheel for flour into the sluice. After a dry monsoon season the dam was empty so people were using the land that would normally be covered by water to grow crops. A massive bee hive under one of the stone walls got us on the way quickly to our next stop, some sand dunes, which we climbed  for a view of the surrounding desert area.
We then proceeded back to Tordi village and walked the streets, getting a pottery throwing display and lesson. Some of the group even had a go, some more successful than others. It was then back to the hotel where a couple of local girls did henna patterns on the hands and forearms of some of our group including Isabel.
By then it was 1.30 pm so onto the bus and off to Jaipur. This was approximately 3 hours along the same route, arriving at the hotel Utsav Niwas just before 4.30pm. A lovely heritage building, we had a room on the second floor and possibly the largest bathroom encountered. Hopefully this will mean a slightly drier floor after a shower as all bar one so far have no screen or shower curtain and the bathmat and floor end up saturated. Every one is supplied with bucket and jug for a traditional Indian bath.
After a lighter late lunch it was off on a walk through the markets so that we arrived at the cinema just after 6pm for the showing of the latest Tiger, Bollywood movie. An action packed new release with two of India's biggest stars reminiscent of a combined Willis and Schwarzenegger film. Such an amazing cultural experience; much like in the streets with people moving, answering phones, babies screaming and a total interaction with the film. They were yelling at the action scenes, cheering for the hero and heroine and having a great time. One of the best experiences of the trip as we all walked out of that cinema with smiles on our faces all the way to the restaurant for a late 10pm dinner.
Dinner was at the Wall Street hotel and due to the hour, just a very nice vegetable spring roll and a kingfisher. Tuktuk's back to the hotel and finally into a very comfortable bed, to rejuvenate from another long and hectic day and prepare for another early start.