Hi all,
Our next stop was absolutely breathtaking! Neither of us have ever been to such a beautiful and romantic city - not even when compared to Paris or Rome. Our hostel in Udaipur had stunning views of the lake and City Palace, which were extra special when enjoyed with a sunset chi. We loved it so much we added an extra night to our stay.
Our questions about sharing a dorm were soon answered. Would it be awkward? Who’s turn in the bathroom? Where do I put my things? Will my stuff be safe? All our room mates over the 4 nights were very friendly and gave us great local tips of places to visit and restaurants to eat at (our favourite in a fancy hotel on the lakeside with a palace view). We had lockers to secure valuables and the bathroom was very clean. The only catch being we were awoken with the comings and goings of other travellers - good job we both get back to sleep easily! The plug socket spontaneously combusting and firing out sparks was more than alarming, Ross was not impressed being dragged out mid shower!
Our love of the city was shared with many other tourists this time as well as locals enjoying the final days of the Ganesh festival. Incredible drumming groups with powder paint, fireworks (set off in the centre of crowds), local dancers and music from the back of trucks carrying many statues of Ganesh towards the water.
Ross hasn’t quite understood what it means to be a poor backpacker yet and purchased himself a tailor made black dress suit with a silk patterned lining. A suit, shirt, matching tie, bow tie and pocket square - they did well from us! But all for a steal of a price! Don’t worry we aren’t taking them round the world with us, they’ll be sent back home.
Monsoon palace certainly lived up to it’s name - views of the white city were visible through a cloudy haze. Our winding tuk tuk trip stoped at beautiful lakes, local artists (demonstrating hundreds of years of Rajasthani tradition) and an animal shelter (homing all the poorly holy cows as well as injured stray dogs). An evening cooking class at the family home of a lady we met in a restaurant was truly authentic. A paneer masala, Rajasthan chicken and many chapatis later we had a feast fit for a maharaja!
Having only ridden a motorbike in the UK on two occasions; once for 10 minutes in a muddy field and another on a private road, Ross decided it would be a good idea to rent a 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet. With a selection of paper work and two new helmets to match the shiny new bike, Ross had manged to mitigate my worries - at least for now. We headed north to Eklinji temple, a series of over 100 small shrines surrounding a life size golden cow. The 60 minute minute journey began in the crowded sheets of Udaipur, weaving between tuk tuks, scooters and unpredictable cows (which just roam the streets). The second part of our journey took us through green rolling mountains and almost empty, winding roads up to Ubeshwarji. Despite the terrain becoming more challenging as we rode higher, the views became more spectacular. When we stopped for our somosa picnic with incredible views, I was convinced it was a fantastic idea. Taking out a Royal Enfield tops Ross’ childhood dream of riding a Triumph through Scottish highlands to make this incredible day a highlight of our trip so far!
Love to all at home, keep us updated on what you are all doing too! Enter your email address and click subscribe (if you haven't already) to follow us on our adventure.
Love R and D xxx
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