Udaipur
Romantic city of lakes
We arrived from Jodhpur on a road where every little town we passed through was a living postcard of exotic situations to our western gaze.
So, after visiting Ranakpur, the white marble Jain temple with carved columns, each one special and distinctive, we reached Udaipur.
Birmaram drove the wrong way off the highway and was stopped by the police. We never knew what the dialogue was about but the policeman, very grumpy at first, looked at us and then we carried on as if nothing had happened. India 100%.
Walking through the streets of the city felt like being in a frenetic tetris. The old town is so historic that cars are not allowed during certain hours, only tuk tuks and rickshaws are allowed.
Udaipur is known as one of the most romantic cities in Rajasthan, with its lakes and palaces. We knew that, but we had no idea of the extraordinary sunsets we would experience during those two nights there.
We had been offered a hotel on the other side of the lake. But in our dedicated effort prior to each trip, researching every possible detail, we had found a tempting new option, the Moustache Luxuria. So when the agency could not get a reservation quote for the room, we decided to book on our own the presidential suite offered by the luxury version of this Indian chain of hostels.
The decision could not have been better.
As it is very close to the City Palace, our accommodation was not accessible by car. Birmaram parked in the Chanpole car park and a rickshaw picked us up to take us to the hotel. The rickshaw ride in those narrow streets crowded with people, food stalls, clothes for sale, cows and everything else you can imagine felt like a roller coaster ride, speeding around obstacles just inches away from collision.
As soon as we arrived the concierge offered us two coconuts to drink their refreshing water.
He joyfully told us about all the benefits he had prepared for us for having booked directly with their network, such as the discount in the restaurant, the complimentary wine and the room specially arranged for a romantic stay. Would those promises, so kind to us, be real? As Argentinians we were suspicious - a big mistake!
The presidential suite had a wide view of Lake Pichola and the White Palace. Looking at the window, a modern-style bathtub was filled with rose petals inviting me to take a relaxing bath. Which I did not hesitate to do.
Then on the terrace, we enjoyed the sunset while enjoying high tea with spiced cookies.
In the evening we ate there as the view was extraordinary. A particular fact, in the Hindu temples, high-pitched music is played almost all the time, so the meal was set to music.
In the morning, after breakfast, Kushal, our guide was waiting for us in the lobby to start the planned tour. First we visited the Jagdish temple dedicated to Viṣṇu. After some fierce steep stairs, where beggars asked for charity and offered flowers, rice and grains to be given to the gods, we entered the temple, where lively music could be heard from devotees sitting cross-legged, singing and playing their drums, lending a festive tone to the religious scene.
As we descended, we were disturbed by the image of an elderly, misaligned gentleman squatting, lifting up fresh, foul-smelling cow waste with his hands. He was not a beggar, Kushal told us, but one of the many vendors on Nahogat Marg, a man who made his living by offering chapatis and naans. We looked at each other in disbelief. Kushal explained to us that the bakers collect it and let it dry, because it is a good fuel for the fire of their street delicacies. India never ceases to amaze.
Next, down an alleyway lined with shops selling cheap souvenirs for tourists, we arrived at the City Palace. It was there that several children asked me to take photos with them. This situation was to be repeated throughout our trip through India.
They were struck by my dress, my western appearance, and although at first it seemed that they would not be able to overcome their shyness to ask me for a selfie, once they did, they had me for a long time asking for one photo after another with them.
We had read in the specialised blogs about this eagerness to get a photo with a Westerner, but the experience was more than we had imagined, at first funny, then a little annoying.
Once in the palace, and after the explanation about the dynasty of the Maharaja of the area, we entered to discover its halls, highly decorated, with mirrors, stones and collections of antiques, weapons and objects belonging to the royal family.
A part of the palace, as in every city in Rajasthan, has been converted into a luxury hotel.
Then we went down to a small harbour from where boats were leaving for a ride on Lake Pichola and a stop on the island of Jag Mandir with magnificent views of the palace and the city.
Once the tour was over, we wandered alone through the narrow alleyways lined with shops until we reached Gangaur Ghat, with its steps leading down to the lake.
We had been recommended to go to the theatre at the Bagore Ki Haveli Museum for a show of traditional Rajasthani dances. But in the end we went to the Virasat - Rajasthani Folk Dance & Puppet Show which was very close to our hotel, and it was spectacular, as we met the owner and her family. They were all working hard to put on an authentic show for the local and foreign tourists.
On arrival we were treated to masala chai in the characteristic clay pots. Then began the very entertaining puppet show followed by the typical dances and skills of their dancers, who held a pile of pots, balancing and stepping on glass.
At the end we were invited to come on stage and share a final dance with them.
All very folkloric, local and joyful, very well organised by the family.
In the evening another dinner on the hotel terrace with its magnificent view of the Pichola and its exquisite food, for a well-deserved final rest because the next day Birmaram would take us to our new destination Pushkar.
