Southwards to Udaipur
Trip Start
Jan 18, 2008
1
8
11
Trip End
Feb 02, 2008
Udaipur,
Rajasthan,
India
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Traveling to Udaipur
Janice was not well in the early hours of the morning (vomiting and diarrhoea), so we took it easy, and Janice rested, sleeping on and off in the back seat all the way to Udaipur, 270 kms southwards. We put it down to an 'off' egg in the 2nd omelette she had the night before as she said it had tasted different and not as nice as her first omelette. Sanjeev beeped the horn less as well and tried to avoid the pot holes!
The dry landscape soon changed to farming areas framed by mountains. Eucalyptus trees grow on either side of the road and more variety of trees and plants (including yellow flowering acacias) were seen.
We stopped for lunch at a road side cafe (Janice feeling slightly better) and then continued on winding around the hills to Ranakpur - a village where you can buy assorted designed, hand woven durries (rugs), and visit the stunning marble Jain temples (large complex surrounded by gardens and the forest) built in the 15th century.
The hand carved pillars, walls, ceilings and entrances are intricate and finely detailed, showing the stories, the beliefs and all that's associated with Jainism and Hinduism. I was in awe and saw 2 of the 5 temples (taking over an hour to view them and that was not taking my time either). As I was approaching a third temple, a large group of excited school children were also approaching the temple, and were waving to me, so I waved back and changed my direction, content with having visited 2 of the finest Jain temples I'd seen during my time in Rajasthan. Janice opted to rest more and would see these architectural wonders another day (she stayed in Udaipur for 2 weeks and simply loved it).
We continued on to Udaipur (56 kms away), around the hills and mountains, through forests, and passing grey, furry Langur monkeys with their little black faces staring back at us. A flock of lime green parrots flew by, and even a mongoose crossed the road in front of us!
As we left the forest behind, more farms, fields of mustard and sugar cane, and palms appeared. We passed a few villages, women balancing pots and large bunches sticks on their heads, before being diverted to a 'detour' side road, as road works for a new 4 lane highway (over 20 kms long) were in progress.
We arrived in Udaipur as the sun was setting over one of it's beautiful lakes.
Our accommodation was uncertain, as where Janice had thought she'd book (close view of Lake Pichola and nearby markets of Lal Ghat - Hotel Mewar Haveli, (which we both thought would be a good place to stay), wasn't anywhere near, and the name of the hotel was very similar to Mewar Haveli, and we couldn't even phone the hotel she had booked, prior to us arriving in Udaipur. She had booked and prepaid the accommodation on-line through an agency, (not been in contact with the hotel directly, as we had with our other accommodation) who accepted the booking and had confirmed it by email. Sanjeev (through India's yellow pages) couldn't find a current phone number either, but at least we had the address (found to be on the city's outskirts), and after taking everything into consideration, we decided to find accommodation elsewhere. Unfortunately, the Mewar Haveli was booked out.
Sanjeev had suggested a 'new' hotel with a view of the lake - the Hotel Hill Lake (we were dubious) as he had seen one of the rooms and was impressed, so we drove up a steep driveway (no room to park the car) and entered the reception lounge of the 4 story white building, and after having seen the room (3 flights of stairs) - basic and not a practical layout with a little view of the lake, we decided against staying there and was overpriced for what it was. Sanjeev was also disappointed with the room, but he was assured by the management that it was the only one available (in our price range). Janice and I had looked at (and marked) other accommodation suggested in The Lonely Planet 'bible', for allot less, and as she was still feeling queasy, I suggested to Sanjeev to phone the Jheel Guest House and see if they had a room vacant with a lake view. Luckily, there was 1 available and a couple to choose from, (larger with excellent views) the next day, and the Manager (Roopa) seemed helpful. So we drove to the old, refurbished Guest House (with parking close by), which was tucked away in a lane way beside the lake in Lal Ghat, and easy walking distance to the bazaar and 15 mins walk to the Palace. Perfect location! We inspected the room, shown to us by Ram (the owner) and it was simply and colourfully furnished, but full of character with sheer curtained windows showing good views of the lake, and with en-suite) and Sanjeev agreed that it was a better room. Janice felt comfortable and soon went to sleep.
Sanjeev hurried me to 'sign' us in at the Manager's office/come sleeping quarters, as there was a folk music and dancing show about to start just down the road at the Bagore Ki Haveli. I'd just ordered a tea too, but didn't want to miss the show!
We walked swiftly to a lit courtyard, and had just enough time to find a seat before the show (an hour long) started at 7 pm, and what an entertaining and professional show it was, featuring live traditional music and dances of Rajasthan, puppetry, and balance.
On the way back to the guest house, (and visiting the ATM) we went down to the lake's ghat and viewed the Lake Palace (now a luxurious hotel) beautifully lit up on it's own island in the lake.
After Sanjeev left, I checked in on Janice, and she was sleeping like a baby. I was feeling peckish and went upstairs to the guest houses' rooftop restaurant, which was adequately lit, had a good, relaxing vibe to it, lovely view of Pichola Lake and mountains, and I was the only one there! May be it was too cold for other guests, however I was warm and the waiter/come cook, after hearing me calling out a "hello", approached me with a smile and presented me with a menu, and suggested what he could cook for me, (which was about half the meals mentioned on the menu), as at the time he was the only kitchen staff person there. I had a large stuffed pepper/capsicum, dahl and rice, and it all was cooked well and tasted great, with good service! The kitchen hand had arrived and I was looked after like royalty, and the price was good too (all up incl. drinks and tea - $5)!
I went back to the room about 10 pm ish and soon slept like a baby too!
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Price Guide:
* Ranakpur Temples Complex camera entry - $1. AUD
* Udaipur Folk Music & Dancing Show - 60 INR (plus camera fee), or $2.50 all up
* Accommodaton at Jheel Guest House - from 750 INR a room, approx. $18 AUD
