As I was about to write about my experiences in Agra, I realized I had forgotten about a great day in Jaipur.

The begining of the day slips my mind and I think it involved the Amber Fort which I did write about. Later, after a relaxing and needed shower a few of us bargained for a richshaw to the polo grounds to watch a game. It sounded silly and snobby to me but I figured what the hell. We caught our driver in a sneaky attempt to drive us to a textile factory and corrected his "error". We arrived safe and sound and sat with the locals on some concrete platforms.

About 5 minutes in, we are hailed by a wealthy appearing Indian to come sit up on the bandstand for a better view because we are from the Diggi Palace Hotel. It turns out he is a friend of the owner of our hotel and brings us to the "Diamond Seats" whatever that means. We are watching the team that is going to the World Cup we are told and it is a very exciting game because the underdogs nearly come back at the last minute and the final score is 7-6. It was actually much more exciting than I had ever imagined polo to be. I also though of Prince Charles and his massive ears rather than a bunch of skinny old Indian men chewing paan and betelnut.

After the game, the girls and I got another rickshaw for dirt cheap to some swanky hotel with The Polo Bar. The local maharaja had died playing polo when he was 40 and this hotel was named after him. We drank whisky sours and chatted with our waiter, who was very sweet. As we wandered around the hotel we encountered no security like we would have in a NYC hotel of the same caliber. In fact in NYC we would have not been allowed in the door. Anyway, as we gawked at the expensive furnishings and commented how we needed a few nights in a place like this, we were dragged by a local dancer into a circle and given sticks to bang together with the music. It was very hypnotic and and all the spinning made us light headed. Spinning and banging and then clapping and more spinning. By the time it was over we felt like pros.

(Random note, as I write this, the perv next to me looks at the Indian equivalent of porn I think- Indian girls with VERY skimpy outfits and very voluptuous curves. Great, now he's grinding along...)

Jaipur turned out to be a great town and if I come back to India, it will be on the list of places to revisit.