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| Rajasthani farmer gets off his bike and poses for a photo |
The drive from Jodhpur to Udaipur takes about five hours. The road is reasonably good for a while and
then it descends into an abyss of dried up riverbed, massive potholes and
non-existent shoulder.
The Toyota Innova lurched and shuddered as we negotiated a particularly bad stretch of non-existent road.
Our insides suitably rearranged, I couldn’t help but worry that we’d get
a flat tyre or the suspension would fail and we would be stuck in the middle of
nowhere.
We were headed for Udaipur and
a luxurious stay at the Taj Lake Palace hotel and I kept thinking how sad it
would be if we missed a single minute of it. Ratan our driver, our hero actually, persevered and eventually we
hobbled out on to a paved road. He
muttered “thanks god” in his deep Rajasthani voice. A sentiment we echoed.
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| Marble carving at Ranakpur's Jain temple |
Several hours from Udaipur we stopped at Ranakpur in the wooded Aravalli
Hills to visit one of India’s most prominent Jain temples.
The 15th century marble temple is a feast for the eyes. The carvings and decorations are absolutely beautiful and reminiscent of Angkor in many respects.
The 15th century marble temple is a feast for the eyes. The carvings and decorations are absolutely beautiful and reminiscent of Angkor in many respects.
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| A short boat ride to the hotel lobby |
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| A royal welcome |
There were more encounters with day to day life in remote villages. The red dust seemed enlivened by vibrant pink turbans and sparkling gauzy saris of lime green, turquoise, purple and orange.
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| The lily pond - an ideal spot alongside for breakfast al fresco |
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| Bhairo rooftop restaurant |
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| A welcome bouquet of red carnations delivered to our room |
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| One last ride to the shoreline - Goodbye Lake Palace Hotel |
Finally we reached Udaipur.
We stepped out of our vehicle at the Lake Palace Hotel's private dock.
A few minutes later we were whisked from the shore by motor launch to the 250 year old royal summer palace, now a hotel, which appears to be floating in the middle of Lake Pichola.
We were greeted on the shining marble by welcoming staff, cool drinks and showers of rose petals.
Today we enjoyed the luxurious elegance of this unique hotel. Its lush gardens, shaded walkways, restful seating areas, bougainvillea-shaded swimming pool and outdoor rooftop restaurant.
A welcome break from several long road trips and an opportunity to relax.
A frothy cappuccino in the open air library, fragrant lime in a perfectly made gin and tonic while Rajasthani dancers performed in the courtyard. A fabulous dinner in the open air restaurant, each course elegantly served as the sun went down.
The secrets of Udaipur's history temporarily on hold.
Tomorrow another day.
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