All hail Rajasthan! In the Land of Kings (at least in their own minds), everyone is vastly proud of their state, a sentiment repeated to me about a thousand times today. Aishani isn’t in the cabin when I wake up, but her aunt and uncle help me make sure I get off at the right station. I’m sorry not to see her round, baby-ish face (she’s adorable), but I’m not sure how to communicate to her family that I’m sorry I missed her and will remember her for a long time, so the sentiment goes unsaid.
As I exit, it occurs to me that this is the quietest station I’ve ever seen. People aren’t pushing and shoving, they’re waiting their turn. There are men with signs trying to pick up guests of their hotel. The rickshaw tout who approaches me is so quiet I don’t even hear him the first time, and he quotes me the price my hotel said I should expect to pay. As we drive through the street, almost no one is “horning please” and whole streets are empty. I’m sorry, did we leave India somehow?
When I walk into Hotel Udai Niwas, I’m welcomed by the manager with a cup of chai (this drink will never get old, I swear) and he describes the range of rooms he has available, starting with 1000 and a great view and going down to 300 next to the reception desk. I choose the latter, but since they haven’t cleaned it yet I go upstairs to eat breakfast on the rooftop café and wait. The restaurant has 3 terraces, one above the other. The bottom two have benches, pillows and pretty lanterns while the top level is an open-air eating space with a killer view.
Ohhhhh, man. A girl could get used to this. The panorama of the lake and city is romantic and beautiful. The houses around are called havelis, and for a second the stippled contours they give the horizon remind me of Greece. The lake is only about half full, but what’s there gently washes up against the city banks and lake palaces and gently rocks the boats that glide along the surface. Directly in front of my seat is the enormous City Palace and far in the distance, on top of a mountain, the Monsoon Palace gives only hints of its grandeur through the haze.
Udaipur is the only city I’ve been to in this country where air quality and visibility improve as the day goes on. In the morning there was the same layer of hazy smog that blankets every other city, but by noon you can see for miles across the lake. The shine of the sun on the water is blinding, and every time I catch a glimpse of a view I can’t help but smile. In the middle of the Rajasthani desert this is a beautiful sight; I have always been happiest when living near water and Udaipur is like a shot in the arm.
Yes, I reallllly like Udaipur.
Not just for the scenery, though, but also for its architecture. The havelis are typically white-washed and decorated with paintings, colored glass and other bright touches like colorful shutters. The laundry hanging out the windows like banners add even more. But white isn’t the only paint they use; the buildings are a multitude of gentle hues of blue, purple, green and pink. Overall, they’re in much better shape than the buildings in other cities, and there’s very little construction going on; it’s kind of sad that this is one of things I notice as I walk around.
One thing you also pick up on as you wander the narrow lanes of Lalghat neighborhood is that there are a lot of artisan’s shops with handmade crafts like shoes, toys and marionettes, cards and paintings, journals, shawls and tapestries, home goods…it goes on block after block after block. There are also some amazing contemporary art galleries and impressive modern tailor shops, showing that this city caters to wealthier clientele than others. There are art and cooking classes, and I wander into one of the many European bakeries that line the street, Café Namaste. I order a piece of date and walnut pie, and try to stretch the pleasure for as looooong as I can. Oh, god, it’s warm and delicious and I think I will have to come back tomorrow. 
I am getting spoiled in Udaipur.
Udaipur continues to blow your mind as you walk through the City Palace, its museum, and the neighboring temple. Inside a stunning courtyard with several (working!) fountains, you can lie on the grass, look at more handicrafts, eat at the outdoor café, book a boat ride (can’t wait for that) or people watch. The museum is an endless maze of beautiful paintings, colorful glass mosaics, brightly-hued and richly decorated rooms, narrow staircases, balconies with views of the lake and slightly-creepy mannequins and fake horses. I haven’t had this much fun in a museum since I was a kid! Seriously, I’m practically running from room to room to see what craziness the Mewar family came up with next!
Oh, man! And there’s ANOTHER beautiful view of the lake! I don’t know if I can leave!!!!!!
BTW: Since I completely forgot about this until recently, let me take a moment to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! I love you and can’t wait to see you soon! XOXO
No comments:
Post a Comment