March 31: Udaipur Experience

We got to sleep late today before heading out to visit Udaipur's City Palace, one of the largest royal palaces in India, and check out its unbelievable treasures. The morning was cool with a slight breeze as we proceeded to walk one mile uphill to the Palace gate. Most activities are done before the noon hour which is the on-set of high temperatures with attendant humidity.

The Palace is quite large in terms of length and its construction is one of beauty rather than defense as we compared to Jaisalmer and Jodhpur Forts. Our group has a local guide who spends two (2) hours with us directing us through the Palace's maze of hallways and rooms. Since it is a Saturday, the visitor population is quite high which makes it more difficult in moving from one room to another. Below are pictures from our visit.

With our feet aching and temperatures rising, Kuldeep arranges a relaxing boat journey on Lake Pichola. There is a slight breeze which cools us down as we pass by the various hotels, forts and our own hotel during our 1/2 hour water journey. Views from the boat....

The afternoon is free time and each group goes off on its own exploring various parts of this beautiful city....some go to a cooking class....others shopping.....others walking the narrow streets to view city life....some just relaxing. I walk the streets and visit the large Hindu temple located on the hill opposite our hotel....stop for a lassi (yogurt shake) and a piece of apple-pie ala-mode.....they were delicious and refreshing. Having about two hours of free time and the temperature and heat becoming oppressively hot...I opt for an Internet cafe to work on my BLOG.

Washing Clothes

Shopper's Delight

Four Animal Heads in One - Carving

Hindu Temple on the Hill

Tonight we are in for a special treat. Udaipur is our guide's, Kuldeep, hometown and he has invited us to meet his family and have dinner. A little background on Kuldeep....he is of the Brahman caste....his father is a a government worker plus has the additional responsibility of being a Hindu priest at his own temple...his mother is a school teacher....brothers and sister have university degrees with specialties in information technology. This evening will be a special treat and we all are looking forward to meeting his family. Pip and Jodie took the time during their afternoon free-time to locate the best confectionery shop in town and purchased a couple of boxes of sweets for our group to give as a "thank you" gift for Kuldeep's family hospitality.

At 6 PM we met in the hotel lobby and walked a short distance to Kuldeep's family temple. Taking off our shoes, we entered the sacred portion of the temple to greet his family. Below are a few pictures of the temple and his family greeting our group.

Kuldeep Welcoming Us

Vishnu Icon

Receiving Hostesses

Future Generations

After a quiet moment of meditation and reflection in the Temple, we adjourned to the Temple's roof top to view the city and socialize with the family. Tables were set-up, table clothes spread and we, the guests, sat down to a fabulous home cooked meal. I ate and ate...especially loved every portion of the meal...from the spicy potato dish, cake, dahil, hot peppers and rice......the piece the resistance was the pudding-like desert.

Family Portrait

Kuldeep's Father



Chatting with Hosts

As the Sun Sets

Delicious Dinner

Proud Father

After dinner, we took the time to take additional pictures of the lighted Fort and buildings. I will post pictures from my Single Lens Reflex camera when I return Home!!!

Taj Lake Palace Hotel

Taj Lake Palace Hotel at Night

Sunset over Udaipur's Lake Pichola

City Palace at Night

Headed back to the hotel around 8 PM...an early evening. Some folks went to the roof-top for drinks and the view...I returned to my room...read a bit and went to bed early. The moving day-to-day and the trip's pace have taken their toll...I need to rest-up before I prepare for my final seven days in India...Varanasi....Arangabad and Mumbai.

March 30: Jain Temple....Arrive Udaipur

Leaving Jodhpur, travel through the beautiful hamlet of Ranakpur (approx 3 hrs), home to a host of intricately carved white marble Jain temples. Explore the incredible complex of Jain temples - the main reason why Ranakpur is one of the most important pilgrim destinations for Jains in India. Then continue on to Udaipur (approx 5 hrs).

Udaipur undoubtedly lives up to its reputation as India's most romantic city. Rolling hills, white marble palaces and lakes come together appealingly and it's a centre for artists, dancers and musicians. The shopping is also superb, with miniature paintings being the speciality.

Take a walk around town to help gain your bearings and explore Udaipur's twisting alleys filled with silver, shoes, bags, leather goods and miniature paintings. Visit City Palace, one of the largest royal palaces in India, and check out the unbelievable treasures within - from vivid murals to antiques and royal utensils.

Enjoy a half hour boat ride on the famous Lake Pichola and see marvels like Lake Palace and Jag Mandir Island (seasonal depending on the water level in the lake). Be part of a musical concert combining seven traditional Rajasthani folk dances. Join the famous Spice Box cooking school and spend a half day learning the secrets of Indian cuisine. With lessons on preparation and cooking, you'll be able to whip up a full Indian meal in no time. (brochure)

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We leave exciting Jodhpur and head for Udaipur, our final Rajasthan destination and our last stop before we return to Delphi and end our Intrepid adventure.

Our 1st stop is at the Ranakur Jain Temple which contains 1044 marble pillars, all carved differently to honor 24 Jain saints. Each column is an individual piece of solid marble and as you can see, the carvings are quite intricate.

The drive to Udaipur is long but interesting. The desert changes into hills and valleys followed by taller mountains. Some areas exhibit their desert environment while others are fields of wheat and rice. Over the crest of a mountain, we descend into beautiful Udaipur. We say good-bye to our bus driver, Mahendra, and his assistant, Prakash, who were invaluable in getting us from Jaipur to Udaipur. Mahendra was a superb driver who navigated the difficult Indian roads, avoided near-certain collisions and always welcomed us with a smile each morning. Prakash was more like our personal attendant...assisting us off the bus....bringing us water and soda as our needs demanded....offering a friendly smile during the long road journeys. To both of them, I say thank you for your pleasantness and professionalism.

We transfer to smaller autos that can navigate the city's narrow streets.We arrive at our final hotel and what a hotel it is....Lake Pichola Hotel.....located on its namesake lake..a beautiful facility that looks across at the city's "old town". We all are very pleased with our new accommodations.......unpack......get ready for a walk into "old town" to see a traditional Rajasthan folk musical and dance show.

Mahendra, Tom, Prakash

Hotel Entrance



Hotel Lobby



View from the Balcony

View from My Room

Another Balcony View

The show was held at the city's museum and was quite good....musicians, dancers and bowl balancers. The woman below actually balanced ten (10) vases/jugs on her head.

Duet with Indian String Instrument

Puppeteer



That's Three

That's Six

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We had dinner on the Hotel's roof-top restaurant followed by a short fire-works display and off to bed.

March 29: Jodhpur

Take a ride across the desert to Rajasthan's second-largest city, the busy and chaotic Jodhpur (approx 6 hrs). Jodhpur is known for its antique shops and the best lassi in India. And yes, it is where those famous trousers come from. Explore the colossal Mehrangarh Fort and take in the great views from its ramparts, which dominate the city's skyline. Visit India's last great palace, the Umaid Bhawan Palace, which was constructed between 1929 and 1944. Named after the late Maharaja Umaid Singhji, the palace is still the residence of his successors. (brochure)

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Although the ride to Jodhpur was long, we stopped a couple of times for potty breaks and lunch. We arrived at Jodhpur around 2 PM.....once again another beautiful surprise.....not just a Fort but the colossal Mehrangarh Fort overlooking the city. It is immense and reminds me of  Scotland's Edinburgh Castle as it dominates the skyline. Rather than a guide, we each received a "whisper", headphones/recorder, that directed us through the amazing maze of sites and an introduction on the history of this Fort. The orange picture of "hand-prints of Dedication" were made by the wives of the dead maharajah who sat on his funeral  pyre where they sacrificed their lives to honor him. The pictures tell the story of the Mehrangarh Fort...

Walled Fort from Afar

Vantage Views Overlooking the City

King's Conveyance

Strategic Viewing Entrance Gate

Hand-prints of Dedication

Royals Bedroom

Overlooking Inner Courtyard

One of Many Sitting Rooms

Impregnable Walls

After spending abut 2 hours at the Fort, we walked down the hill to the old portion of Jodhpur. Although we didn't spend much time in the "old city", it would be one of the cities that would be worthwhile revisiting.

Dinner and to bed early....another long drive to our final Rajasthan destination, Udaipur.