Udaipur is the "Venice of the east" but should Venice really be the "Udaipur of the west"? This little city in southern Rajasthan is on the fringes of the desert, so rolling hills and shrubs are still the norm. Despite being summer in the desert, the weather is pleasantly hot - the dry heat is welcome respite from Nepal and Delhi's humidity.
First up was a tour of the City Palace, a still-functional palatial complex on the banks of Lake Pichola. The Maharana still lives here! (Fun fact:
Octopussy, a James Bond film, was filmed here and at two other Udaipur palaces.) Peter splurged and hired our own tour guide to spend over an hour taking us through the grounds. Some highlights:
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| Spikes high on the 10m doors prevented the palace from being attacked by elephants. |
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| Posing by the Maharana's pool in our best Indian garb. |
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| Really neat Rajput murals in a courtyard. |
Today's adventures included:
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| A cooking class. |
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| A boat ride at sunset onto Lake Pichola. We visited a palace on an island. |
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| Meditation. |
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| Ruling the world (aka, a photoshoot) |
And thus ends the first city on the whirlwind tour of northern India. Heading westward tomorrow morning.
First up was a tour of the City Palace, a still-functional palatial complex on the banks of Lake Pichola. The Maharana still lives here! (Fun fact: Octopussy, a James Bond film, was filmed here and at two other Udaipur palaces.) Peter splurged and hired our own tour guide to spend over an hour taking us through the grounds. Some highlights:
Oh my god your life is a dream. I can't wait to have you back though! See you in 3 weeks!!!
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