And we had a few amazing meals, (especially the Masala Raman Noodles.)
And then we were off to Udaipur in the northern province of Rajasthan. We flew Kingfisher from Mumbai, and got stopped by the police on our way to the airport. No big deal but afterward the taxi driver and I had a very simplistic discussion in which we each conveyed our sincere believe that police are very bad business, and best to avoid.
We had a fairly uneventful flight only a few things are worth noting. 1.) Although the line-up to check in was very long it moved very quickly. Too quickly for me. I thought I was all packed and ready to go, but then my shoe broke, we forgot to take our liquids out of our carry-ons, the backpacks were not properly tied up, we didn't have any identification on them, etc etc. Point being I caused a huge slow down at the check in desk, and became one of the people I loath at the airport. You know the type.
Next item of note. Our landing in Udaipur was terrifying. At first I thought it was just me, then just me and Justin. But no. Looking around i saw many a worried face. Very foggy, very bumpy. But then the landing was surprisingly soft. Just goes to show what I know.
Lots of kooky white people at the airport. Justin and i have been playing guess where those whities are from? "American I think"
Now to Udaipur. We splurged on our hotel. It had a pool! And was phenomenally beautiful. we had blankets and hot water, both a first in over a month. And the grounds were lovely, with courtyards and gardens complete with turtles. Too bad we didn't bother to test the pool. I did jump in twice but both times the freezing water made me think I was going into cardiac arrest. I tried to tough it out to get Justin to jump in, but he wasn't having it. He had been really keen on the pool and in the end he didn't even get in. We did however, see the men's finals of the Australian Open. Federer is killing me.
Udaipur, is the most beautiful place I have seen since we arrived in India, and might possibly be the most beautiful place in the world. The ghats, where men and women come to bathe and do laundry, are stunning. From every rooftop there is a view of spectacular temples, palaces and city architecture. It reminded me of Italy or Greece, although i haven't actually been to Greece. We dined on the rooftops, in small courtyards. We shopped at beautiful artisan shops and paid a pittance. I bought perfume, and leather bags, I bought a turban and a new leather journal. Justin and I also had massages with an incredible man named Raju.
Raju knows exactly what ails you just by looking at you. He can tell you all about your body with the slightest touch. His massages are not always relaxing, although my proved to be very relaxing* but they definitely make you feel lighter, and can improve even the most nagging pain.
We stayed in Udaipur for a full week, and got into a very nice routine. We had breakfast everyday in the courtyard of Mahendra Prakash . We had the best service, and they would bring anything to our rooms, including the doctor, for Justin. Don't worry though, I am still fine.
We did yoga, also on a rooftop. The views could rival any romantic images of India you could conjure. The sun would pour over us as we did our sun salutations and shavasanas. And everyday was relaxing and leisurely.
We hiked to the Monsoon Palace and toured the City Palace and the Jagdish Temple. We even had high tea in one of the fancy hotels in the City Palace Complex, it was divine. Honestly the week flew by too fast. But we did meet some lovely people, and we even convinced our new friend Lucy to come with us to Pushkar.
Highlights of Udaipur
profound beauty
the walk from our hotel to the centre of town
tea at the City Palace
hiking to Monsoon Palace
Lucy, Emma, Sian, Steve, Mike and Raju
the warm days and cool nights of the Indian desert.
Lowlights of Udaipur
the pool at the Manhendra Prakash - unswimmable
*Without giving it all away ( I'll save that for those of you that actually care. My massage with Raju was borderline sex therapy, and I would definitely recommend it.)
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