Day 110 Tuesday 19th December, Jaipur, India

We sleep in to 11.30 completely missing breakfast so go to Samode Haveli for an early lunch. Havelis or fortified houses are a characteristic of Rajasthan and many have been turned into inns and hotels. The Samode has a very nice garden, courtyards and a beautiful pool. Next stop is the Hawa Mahal or Place of Winds, the signature building of Jaipur which comprises 5 storey stone lattice screens from which the ruler's women could watch the activities in the street without being seen. The building itself is only one room deep. Then we visit the Jantar Mantar or Observatory, an 18th C collection of large astronomical instruments or edifices including a vast sundial accurate to 2 seconds and contraptions for calculating all aspects of the zodiac. The knowledgeable guide explains how they all were used before we move on to the City Palace Museum with its enormous silver jars which the maharaja used to take ganges water on a trip to London. Dinner is at the Handi restaurant where we have handi ghost (sic).