Tour Guide in Jaipur: The Story of the Pink City

Namaste, and a very warm welcome to Jaipur! My family has lived in this city for five generations. You've probably noticed that every building here is pink. There's a lovely story behind that colour. In eighteen seventy-six, a British prince came to visit. So the king had the whole city painted pink, because pink was the colour of hospitality. And even today, the law says the old city must stay pink! Now, look up at this wall. Isn't it incredible? It has nine hundred and fifty-three small windows. Royal women watched the street festivals from behind them, without ever being seen by the crowd below. The windows also let the breeze in, like natural air conditioning. Right, stay close to me. The market gets very busy. Jaipur is famous for jewellery, colourful fabrics and handmade shoes. Here's my advice. Never accept the first price. Smile, offer half, and enjoy the conversation. Bargaining isn't rude here. It's almost a sport! You must be thirsty after all that walking. Let's stop for masala chai, our spiced milk tea. It's served in a small clay cup, which you throw away afterwards. Careful, though. It's much hotter than it looks! Up on that hill is the Amber Fort. Kings ruled from there long before this city was built. Inside, there's a hall covered in thousands of tiny mirrors. Light a single candle, and the ceiling shines like a starry sky! If you come back in January, you'll see something special. During the kite festival, the whole sky fills with colour. Families spend the entire day up on their rooftops. We have a saying here: the guest is like a god. So thank you for being my guests today. Come back soon!