Udaipur, India


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Asia » India » Rajasthan » Udaipur
July 3rd 2011
Published: July 28th 2011
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Indore to Udaipur



Our train from Indore departs at 7:30am and we're running a bit behind, so after a light jog from our tuk tuk into the station, we're scouring the train station looking for the right platform for our train to Udaipur.

Turns out the train is late so we're left sweaty and waiting with the rest of the billions of flies on the platform. The train station is really well organized, but the ground is covered in bright red betel nut spit from the gross old men and other random food things, causing a plethora of flies. The list of passengers is posted on a billboard on the platform, Trung and I are #48 and 51 on the list!

As the train pulls into the station the REAL flies come out to play. I'm telling you, what I remember most vividly about that first train experience wasn't the crowds (pretty standard crowds) but the FLIES! There was a dark cloud being puffed up by the train from the millions of flies disturbed on the train tracks below the platform and they swarmed up into the passengers waiting for the train, they're in your face, your ears, your eyes, your nose, EVERYWHERE!

As soon as we entered our train car, the smells, sounds and crowds dissapear. Its like another clean, A/C world of goodness. Ahhhhhh.

Trung and I are with a family of four on the train. The seats are arranged into a group of 4 bunks with a curtain to the hallway, and on the other side of the hallway there are two bunks parallel to the hallway. Trung is on the upper parallel bunk and I'm with the family of four. There's so much space that we all fit on the bottom bunk sitting together visiting and talking about eachother's lives. People on Indian trains have almost no boundaries and regularly pass the time talking about eachothers lives in a very in-depth manner. The conversation starts with where you're from, where you're travelling, then delves into marriage status, what job do you have, how much money do you make, and just gets deeper and deeper. There's a ton of room on the train, so the kids, who are 4 and 7, get to run around in circles and climb all over the bunks.

Eventually everybody winds down a bit later in the morning and I retreat to my upper bunk to read for awhile. I end up falling asleep (as does everyone else) and wake up late in the afternoon, only a couple of hours before we arrive at Udaipur Junction.

The only issue with Indian trains is the huge amount of stopping and starting. There are so many stations that it seems the train is stopped more than its moving. Each stop takes at least 10 minutes and some last for about 45 minutes, its crazy! So much more comfortable than travelling by road, and most of the time it is so smooth you can't tell if the train is moving or not!

Udaipur



Udaipur is your typical maze of a city, however there's a very centralized tourist area centered between the large palace and the picturesque lake. I have a vague sense of where we want to go (a cluster of hotels in the guide book) and we're able to convince a tuk tuk driver to take us there. Soon we come to a heavily guarded road block and the tuk tuk isn't allowed to pass. I wonder what's happening, but nobody can understand enough to tell me so hopefully its nothing serious. The tuk tuk driver calls a friend of his to come and pick us up on motorbikes, for some reason those are allowed past the barricade. We have to walk for about 1/2 km up the road before Akshay meets us with his motorbike. He's with a friend on another motorbike. He offers to take Trung and I to his guesthouse which is 'central, no problem'. If we don't want to stay there, we can walk afterwards if we want.

After a crazy ride through the city with my bag strapped to my back (a bit tippy when sitting on the back of a motorbike! My feet lift off the foot pegs a few times as Akshay accelerates!). At a blind corner, Trung's guy has to slam on the brakes. Its a bit more tricky as Trung bought rolling luggage in Australia and now its flying around on the top of the scooter, but doesn't get dropped, somehow!

Akshay brings us to his family's 'Haveli' which is a traditional family compound. After walking through the 'elephant gate' the outer gate big enough for the family elephant in year's past, we're in a large courtyard with doors and living space surrounding it. Akshay's parents are retired and he's been helping them rebuild a few rooms at the back of the Haveli to create a quaint B&B so his Dad has something to do in retirement. Off the main courtyard and through a set of ancient double doors is another very modern looking garden with two nice and clean rooms. The price is very affordable and its really clean and quiet, so we decide to stay. Akshay and his Dad get busy moving beds around (the room originally had only one bed, I'm pretty sure Akshay and I went to his own bedroom to get his bed and move it to our room. They also set up a fan in our room to keep it cool during the evenings.

Its just coming on sunset when we finish setting up our room and I decide its a good time to run up on the roof to take a look at the view that everyone keeps talking about. When I pop out of the tight staircase I'm met with a jaw dropping view of the surrounding city, a riot of colour washed with gold light from the setting sun. The imposing palace is only a few hundred feet away, its archways and domes bathed in golden light. Akshay's mom is on the roof lighting lamps to pray. The entire scene gives me goosebumps. This is what I imagined India to be like, friendly people, beautiful sights and a sense of calm amongst the chaos.

That evening we have the pleasure of taking in a famous religious procession, Rath-Yatra, celebrating Lord Jagganath's visit to his sister. A very ornate chariot is pulled through the city from dawn to dusk by hundreds of followers. The chariot is scheduled to finish at the large temple just up the road from our Haveli just after dusk. After a quick bite to eat, Trung and I head down to the temple to see the action. People are dressed in their finest clothes, there are strings of twinkling lights hung all the way down the street, which is painted red and white. There are hundreds of ladies carrying offerings to the temple in their rainbow-coloured saris. People are giving away food and milk at the foot of the temple steps and call Trung and I over to give us food and drink. A kid wants to take photos with Trung and I, he gets me to pick him up so he can look tall. Afterwards, he gives me a picture of Lord Jagganath for luck, who looks a bit like a white version of Bill Cosby. Everyone is happy, and there's a sense of anticipation you can only get while waiting for a parade to arrive!

Soon after, the procession starts to come up the road. Its a very long parade, capped off with decorated and painted elephants and camels, music floats with 100's of people dancing behind, and a decorated ancient solid silver chariot pulling a statue of Lord Jagganath. The music trucks are perhaps the most epic. Entire trucks covered in lights and speakers, kind of a roving dance club. Behind each truck there are hundreds of guys jumping and waving their arms to the pumping techno/hindi music. The scene comes complete with smoke machines. Apparently all of this chaos ends up in the courtyard in front of the Temple, but Trung and I walked back to the Haveli during the procession so as not to get trapped in the crowd. The music trucks can be heard well into the night.

The following day we explore 'downtown' Udaipur. There are a few main streets running to the main palace gates that are filled with tourist shops, cows, dogs and whatever else. Its a really great city. The chaos is just dialed down enough that its manageable (or else I'm getting used to India). The restaurants are all great and there are actual tourists! Perhaps its just refreshing to see other tourists, but this is a very nice city indeed. The scenery helps too, most houses are really old Havelis and are painted or carved to look very beautiful. The city is located on the banks of a huge ancient man-made lake with two very picturesque palaces in the centre of the lake. Apparently this is where they filmed the James Bond movie 'Octopussy'. I didn't know that, but every restaurant and hotel has a nightly showing. Every night. Seriously.

The lake palace is amazing. Its intricate white walls extend down into the water and the building is reflected in the water in all directions. Its very beautifiul. Once on the other side of the lake, the ramparts of the palace and the lake palace intermingle. The city palace is extremely tall on the side of the lake. Its so big that most is open to the public as a museum, still more is renovated into a hotel, and the royal family of Rajasthan still LIVES in yet another portion of the palace. Its truly a huge structure.

Over the next few days we met a cool group of Canadian/Spanish travellers who have just met eachother. We wander the city, see some ethnic Indian dancing and eat at fabulous rooftop restaurants together. One evening Trung did his usual and left the group early in the evening with no announcement. I ended up sitting up and chatting with the others until well past midnight. They walked me back to the Haveli and we fed the street cows and dogs on the way home. Once at the Haveli I realize that the family has closed the gate for the night (as well they should). There's a tiny man door on one side, but for the life of me I can't figure out the handle/latch that looks like it *should* move, but I can't get it to turn. Eventually my sneaking around makes enough noise that Akshay's sister wakes up and lets in a sheepish Andy. Lol, the door is super awkward to climb into and I almost fall on the way in. And THEN Akshay was sleeping in the little alcove outside of our room and I almost stepped on him on the way in. What a disaster! Looks like I'll be home before 11pm from now on! Akshay shows me how to use the door the following day. Its simple, you just TWIST the handle and it opens. Amazing 100's of year old technology...

After a few days of relaxing and hanging out and exploring the city, Trung and I are once again off to a complicated bus stand situation to find our bus to Jaisalmer. In Udaipur, Trung and I had a long talk about India. He's been talking for a couple of weeks now about leaving for Bangkok and then Burma because he's sick of being in India. I don't think I'll be back here any time soon so I've already set my mind to staying in India, plus I'm not really keen on travelling in reverse now. It seems that Trung will be doing what he wants, thats his motto anyways.

I've always wanted to go to an ancient city in the desert, and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan is just that city, so I've decided to go. I'm really excited to see and Trung agrees. I've committed myself to seeing as much of India as I can, and we've both agreed that there isn't enough time left in our trip at this point to continue travelling to the middle east or beyond, so India is where we'll stay until the end of the month before I return to Canada!

Time for Jaisalmer!!

xoxo
Andy


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28th July 2011

awesome pics!! I miss India

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