Hotel Udaigarh Udaipur

... that it could also be charity or voluntary type work!

So, all in all not bad at all, staggeringly accurate enough to even raise my eyebrows and a decent enough future, so cheers fella, I’ll take that! His answer to Isobel’s question out of nowhere that wanted to know if I would marry again (don’t ask us!) was handled like a true pro by saying that the perfect family in front of him did not need a response.

Shopping in ...

... saw the name of the train on a rolling led panel above the platform:
"the 4825 ranthambore express to jodhpur is indefinitely late." what?
another hour of trying to keep calm and i got a time out of someone. be on the platform at 6 in the morning.
the train arrived at 7 o'clock, a total of fourteen hours behind schedule. silly.
we arrived at our hotel in jodhpur that afternoon, largely without consequence. after refusing the usual offers of drugs from the hoteliers, we ...

... offered a reasonable rate (only after we said no to the first few offers though because clearly exchange rates are open for bargaining!) Then we went to see the Temple, where people were celebrating a festival and all sitting on the floor of the Temple praying together.

Next stop was the City Palace Museum, where there are lovely views of the lake from the top and lots of tiny stairways that we had to follow to take us around ...

... making for a very colorful and picturesque scene. We notice that, despite the heat and the penetrating sun, no one wears a hat. The women are sometimes protected by the load that they carry on their head, or with a scarf. Some men wear turbans, which only protect the top of their head, but not the face. We don't know why hats are not popular. Today we pass more sites where there are groups of women doing roadwork. Colorfully dressed ...

... the waiters opened the curtains to the window in front of us so we could see the magnificent view of the island palace, flooding out table with light - making our surroundings even creepier. But the view was worth it. Across the lake was the Lake Palace, Udaipur's almost magical floating palace. It glowed white in the setting sun, framed by the mountains jutting up in the distance behind it. Kate and I have spent the day since almost exclusively ...

... and spices, but mostly it was large volumes of trinkets and household items we didn't need, so we didn't stay long. We couldn't do better for dinner than a return visit to Ambrai, and I was happy that the same Indian musicians were playing. Jae can't eat wheat (or any food that has a "wh" in it), but she LOVES poppadoms, which are a toasted or fried lentil cracker. Ambrai made a very good one. Then I left Jae and Miles and went to the ...

This was my fourth visit to India. This time, I made it a Rajasthan only trip; exploring places like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer (must go!). I have always had to struggle with my travel within India. Getting in and out of main cities is quite easy and one can pre plan those legs. However, intercity connectivity booking is tedious. Rajasthan - particularly is ...

... and its numerous courtyards. There is also a museum on site, exhibiting relics and wares from times past. the museum also takes you to the palaces highest point affording you expansive views of the city and Lake Pichola. At night, we sat on the banks of the lake and viewed to the sunset dropping behind the hillside and the other water palace, Jag Mandir (1622 AD). The next day, we hit a few local spots, such as the Princess ...

... scratch at my shins, just below my knee, grunting with the effort. My constant inner monologue may also have something to do with the fact that I am really not a New Age type of guy, and find it particularly difficult to fathom the sudden and comprehensive change that some westerners undergo when they arrive in India. All the Indians wear jeans and t-shirts, but they wear only traditional cotton pantaloons, shirts and headscarves, and are often covered in ...

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