MAY 28, 2006 -- Today was a banner day for Katie Ford. What better way to start your day than with an elephant ride to Jaipur's famous Amber Fort? Sitting atop an elephant is the biggest kick. First, you climb stairs to a large platform that's roughly 20 feet tall. This is the jetway, so to speak, where you board your elephant. One at a time, the handlers bring the elephants up to the jetway, and the riders, two at a time, take a side-saddle seat on these large square "mattresses" that are strapped to the elephants' backs. Our elephant's back was so wide that my legs didn't bend at the knees when I sat down in the "saddle." Instead, they stuck straight out as if I were a toddler sitting in a gigantic high chair. I sorta felt like Lily Tomlin's character "Edith Ann," sitting in that big ole rocking chair and lisping wise cracks.Taking pictures while riding atop an elephant is (dare I say) a fine art. As the animal chugs forward, the saddle rocks and sways beneath you. After losing my balance and grasping for the handrail a few times, I realized that the trick is to rock your hips with the dip and sway of the saddle while keeping your upper-body still. A seated hula dance, if you will. Meanwhile, Raji, our elephant handler, straddles the elephant's neck, constantly wiggling his hips as he squeezes the thick, gray neck between his thighs to encourage our elephant to move forward. Raji and I boogied and hula'd all the way up the hill to Amber Fort. We were quite the dance pair.
At one point during the ride, Raji turned around to face me and asked if I'd like him to take my photo. I replied "sure" and then internally repriman
ded myself as I handed my brand-new, high-end camera to a man balancing precariously on an elephant's neck. For good measure, I draped the camera strap over Raji's neck. In turn, he removed his colorful turban and placed it on my head. He snapped a couple pictures and I'll be damned if they weren't the sharpest pictures I'd ever seen. This elephant handler didn't need no stinking tripod. The elephant IS his tripod! Raji took the camera off his neck and I handed him his turban. We rode for another five minutes or so before approaching the jetway at our final destination: Amber Fort. 
ded myself as I handed my brand-new, high-end camera to a man balancing precariously on an elephant's neck. For good measure, I draped the camera strap over Raji's neck. In turn, he removed his colorful turban and placed it on my head. He snapped a couple pictures and I'll be damned if they weren't the sharpest pictures I'd ever seen. This elephant handler didn't need no stinking tripod. The elephant IS his tripod! Raji took the camera off his neck and I handed him his turban. We rode for another five minutes or so before approaching the jetway at our final destination: Amber Fort. 
With construction beginning in 1592, this sprawling marble-and-sandstone complex was built by Raja Man Singh, Mirza Raja Jai Singh and Sawai Jai Singh over a period of about two centuries. I think this was my favorite building of those we visited in India. What spoke to me were the muted, earthy pastels; the feminine detailing; the labyrinth of rooms and hallways; and, of course, the Jai Mandir Temple within the fort. Tourists come from all over the world to see the temple's intricate mosaics of mirror tiles. I'm posting a few photos here so you can see the beauty of Amber Fort for yourself. Enjoy!
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