Breakfast done we shoot off the the Palace for a tour. The Palace itself is quite spectacular and our guide gave us quick rundown of each area and then left us to check it out.
I wont go into the history except to say that the Palace was built into a hill and has trees that look as though they are growing on the roof, but the roof is the top of the hill.
An exhibition of very very fine art work was next, the paints being natural dyes that are used with squirrel hair brushes to form the finest dot paintings. Very beautiful and very traditional.
But the highlight of the day came in the form of street food. It is not as plentiful as I had hoped and certainly not on our tour but here we were watching while they moulded and fried kachori and samosas. Each was doused with gravy then sprinkled with nuts, crunchy noodles, parsley to create the most divine flavours and textures.
The crispness of the pastries encompassing the soft oozy filling, tempered by the gravy was enough to send me to meet the gods we have heard so much about. The sprinkles gave even more of a crunch and left me so happy. This is what I came to India for.
A few cheap pieces of clothing bought, enough to keep me going and keep me cool, I wandered down to the Rainbow Cafe for a virgin mojito and another of their very good coffees.
Refreshed I set off, wandering aimlessly and taking in the sights of everyday people doing everyday things.
I notice as I have done many times the men relieving themselves in virtually any wall they find even in full view of the world. The cows wander freely and the world moves apart to let them through. The tuktuks and motorbikes incessant with their whirring and tooting.
Small shrines split the road and force the traffic round the sides and there are images of Hindi gods everywhere. The everyday lives of the people are very much dictated to by the traditions of their spiritual beliefs and from what we have heard the people do not question the traditions and adhere strictly.
Udaipur is not too different from other third world/developing countries, tiny lanes, but clean, no rubbish, Women in saris. And images of hindi gods make it different to many other places and certainly cleaner than any other place we have been.
It was hot the walk back was uphill. I am unfit so grabbed a tuktuk to go up the hill. For $1 a worthwhile spend. I rewarded myself with a cold drink on the roof top watching the world go by.
I stop on the way back for a massage and whilst waiting am joined by two Pom guys. Shorts, singlets and barefeet! Really! How about a bit of respect for the people of this country.
I have always wondered what it is like to die and go to heaven, or to even switch off your brain. Today both happened whilst I lay on a very high massage bed having the most sublime massage. Every inch of my body was slathered with oil and squeezed, stretched, pinched and caressed. I could feel every single movement and the thoughts that usually take over my brain went walkabout. I was in heaven and did not want it to stop. Sadly it did and I was forced back to normality.
Today I feel as though I have been on the sort of trip that I enjoy. A bit of sightseeing, street food, free time, people watching and in this case being transported to another place. Hopefully the rest of the day is just as chilled.
A wee aside for my family on the Andrews side: moth balls are everywhere; white ones and multi coloured ones. In plug holes, urinals and in forgotten corners. Great for keeping smells out. My grandmother used to have mothballs everywhere. Her apartment reeked of them, so did the wrinkled golden delicious apples and every other piece of fruit. I think of her rach time I see or smell mothballs.
The next coffee was just as good as the previous ones. I dont want to have to go without coffee again.
From the cafe we move on to a cultural show with dancing, music and a puppet show from various parts of Rajasthan. Very very beautiful and exceptionally clever.
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