Come to my brother's uncle's wedding

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January 19 to January 29

Udaipur; peace, quiet and Bond. A wonderful place to relax and kick a Bombay cough. With wedding season in full swing, the town is also filled with wind carrying Hindi pop and Christmas lights topping dozens of roofs spotlighting celebrating families. You get the full range here, P-Diddy and the Clintons in town to celebrate a New York Hotellier's big fat Indian wedding at the Lake Palace or a couple of lights, horns, dancers and a horse - simple but still colorful in ways only India can provide. Weddings are hard to get away from and be invited to as celetial circumstances make for few dates permitting marriage and Udaipur provides a romantic feel I wouldn't describe elsewhere in India.

So I head to Mt Abu next, Rajastan's only hill station and honeymoon capital as well, whoops. By this time I have appeared in dozens of photos with broadly smiling groom and akward feeling wife in frame. I, with an American girl, made the mistake of going to watch a sunset at 'Sunset point,' complete with pony rides, popcorn, strange disk shaped bleachers and shoe shiners (didn't matter if you were wearing flip flops), explaining away between snaps that nope, not married but can I have some buy some tea?

Its also known for a stunning, detailed factor '1,000,000' white marble Jain temple. Strangely and sadly, no menstrating women or cameras are allowed inside. Smallish, on the order of 30 meters by 40, this temple featured several dozen columns carved so fine and with so much unique detail that the sun could go down before you know it. While I was visiting, a large Nepali art class were spread out, drawing in pencil, one of the thousands of characters carved into the columns.
Trekking was the main reason for my visit, smooth granite covers a large area around town reminding me a bit of Moab and missing my bike. Locals say beware, giant bears attack those without a guide.

On the way to Jodhpur I got caught in the front seat of the bus, with constant loading and up loading I departed smelling fine full of goat, my favorite. Jodhpur and its painted blue section, are winding, chaotic and fascinating. After arriving, I set out for the oldest, and bluest, section of the city for the sunset. Climbing for a better view I managed to get inside of the forts outerwall and then promptly get locked in. Inside the walls but before the fort, lies a large amount of natural land. Look over the wall and be amazed at the amount of humanity just beside it. I set around snapping photos and then scaled a wall back, trespassing? Don't know.

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Photos

Fun in a film case
I think that is the guard of the crib room that tried to sell me opium

City Palace
Udaipur, gorgeous and peaceful but just try to leave without watching Octopussy.

Timer malfunction
Camera problems at the monsoon palace, Collette, Will and Mindy were good for a few days laughs.

Good Luck
Mt Abu is a honeymoon destination, complete with swan paddle boats. Sticking a coin to this painted rock at a shrine brings good fortune.

Offering
Well I thought it was, some half crazed guy came up and drank half of them. Gods not happy

Leave her alone, she is reading!
This was in Mt. Abu at frog or turtle (cant remember) rock. She and her brother were fighting over a book.

Monkey locked out
Trying to be clever after being stupid I shoved my hand and camera through a cut in the screen to see where the damn key to my room was.

Meherangarh Fort
Towering above the blue city, this seemed to be the end all of India's forts.

30 Minute photo session
About 9 kids are in the foreground driving me crazy.

Paint it blue
Blue for the cool, blue for the fight against mosquitoes.

Meherangarh Door
Spikes for elephant charges