Udaipur

After a lavish couple of bourgeois days in mumbai we only thought it would be right to travel in style to rajasthan on kingfisher airways rather than brave the 17 hour or so train journey. I had high hopes for rajasthan, with so many rave reviews from friends and other travelers along the way. I was excited to see the famous india, the raj, the palaces and tuck into the mughal style cuisine that most british palates are accustomed to. We took a taxi from the airport and worked our way down an open, dusty and desert fringed freeway. Past the city gate the streets immediately became narrow and impossibly crowded, people everywhere, motorbikes flying past in both directions all down roads that could just about fit a normal sized car. We touched down near our target of a decent homestay ("needuk" as marked in pen in our now filthy lonely planet) and i left niki with the bags to go check in. The house was beautiful in an old haveli style with a towering atrium all the way up 6 floors to the rooftop restaurant. The owner raju took me up there for a quick look at the view of the lake and the lake palace hotel (famous for its role in the bond film octopussy and about 500 quid a night). I lazily took in the vista and enjoyed the sights for a few minutes then remembered about niki being sat down in a street covered in cow shit below. I glanced down and caught sight of her being accosted by three young children who were fighting amongst themselves pushing and shoving each other onto niki whilst at the same time trying to ask her questions. Which she later pointed out was not unlike an afternoon with my neice and nephews.

We had a steady first night just relaxing on the rooftop and engaging in inane discussions with a dutch woman who seemed to have recently become some sort of earth godess, banging on about meditation, yoga, spirituality and all that energy bullshit all the while retaining a form of aloofness that made swallowing it all quite painful. I tried my best to manouvre my richard dawkins book into her view hoping that she might take a hint. I think niki took a particular offence at her ramblings.

The following day we checked out the major attraction of udaipur - the raj's palace which proferred many insights into the royal lifestyle of india from the 1600s. From the paintings a lot of it seemed to involve parades of military on horseback or the raj sauntering off into the woods to gun down a few unsuspecting tigers. The palace itself was stunning with its labyrinth walkways and stairs leading out onto multi level courtyards, many decorated with beautiful glass mozaics. We also had loads of chances to stop and admire the lake below.

The next day we moezeed around town and did a bit of shopping. I picked up a tailored suit and we ummed and ahhed about a gorgeous rajasthani style painting of a peacock for a good few hours. The local paintings are exquisite and although the guides say you need to know what youre looking for so not to get ripped off, its pretty straight forward from assessing the minute detail up close. Some of it is.mind boggling as to how anyone could have such a steady and accurate hand. Unfortunately we didnt get it and will no doubt kick ourselves when we get back. Nevermind maybe another time. That evening we took guidance from another rickshaw driver a good local haunt to eat and it didnt disappoint. "if in doubt, go for the thali" has been my catchprase of this trip and this one knocked our socks off. Highly recommended for anyone going to udaipur. The food in the rooftop rsstaurant is just bland in comparison. Style and substance balance yet again.