Jaipur

Jaipur, called the Pink City. I'd choose Sun City if I were nicknaming -- the buildings shrunk and shined and danced and darkened as the sun's light traveled through the day.

Elephants were nearly as common as auto rickshaws.

The city stretches flat and full of life, situated in the Thar Desert.

Crumbling buildings, full of mystery and beauty from days gone by.

The Amber Palace.

My obsession with doors continues.

The palace is partly ruins, partly (relatively) well preserved fortress.

Street food. Spicy nuts and chopped-up onions, peppers and other crunchy stuff. Wrapped in yesterday's newspaper. The good stuff you're not supposed to eat.

We wandered down eerily abandoned streets, in search of The Sun Palace.

As we rounded this amazing vista, chanted prayers drifted loudly, beautifully, from the desolate buildings below. Dreamlike.

Coolest reflection pool I've ever seen.

Secret town. Surrounded by rocky hills and primarily inhabited by monkeys.

There were no placards or tour guides to tell us anything about the amazing frescos and delicate architecture of these temples. I did, however, meet a tiny classroom full of teenagers learning Sanskrit. Seriously.

Watching the sun set from the Sun Palace. And taking a moment to jot down a few of a myriad of thoughts.

Jaipur was pretty incredible.