Udaipur, the most romantic city in India

[Second Edit, 12-Feb]

We're done with the trains, now on to the planes. On Feb. 4th we departed from Jaipur and took our first domestic plane trip to Udaipur, which is further south in Rajastan. This city of lakes is known as the most romantic city in India. We planned to stay 5 days there but we didn't have a driver to take us around because most sites can be accessed by foot. Our new hotel was a quaint haveli in the middle of the busy area in Old Udaipur, with lakeside views from the rooftop. It was nice to have 5 days to tour and rest as we saw fit. It was time to do less exploring of the outside world and let the relaxed atmosphere help us explore our inner world.

The Poonam Haveli people treated us very well. We made sure to get to know them since we were spending so much time. The head cook was named Deepak and would often come out and greet the guests on the rooftop restaurant. He always had a smile on his face and was eager to please in a casual and social way. The head waiter, Shankar, had a kind and gentle humor. Each night he knew our initial order, "beer number one?" After five days with the same people they start to feel like family. We all shared photos of our children from our phones and talked about our respective families.

We had booked the largest suite in advance of our arrival. Though the room was big, the furniture was sparse. When we discovered that we had no place to put our clothes we let them know. This sparked a bit of attention from them. They gave us some hangers for the three hooks in the bedroom to hang all our clothes. Later that night the owner came up to us at dinner and apologized for the lack of storage. He said there were a number of improvements they were working on, and that was one of them. He offered us a few shots of rum and all was better. He told us of his time in Paris as a chef and his transition back to his home city to take over his father's hotel, after his father and brother had passed. We received several other "extras" from him through our stay. All the places here covet positive reviews on TripAdvisor from foreigners, so they bent over backwards to help us out.

Since we were without a guide I studied the Google Map of the old city and figured out our destinations. I have to tell you we were both very worried when we learned we would be in the "old city" again. This brings back memories of Delhi, where we also had a hotel in the old city, but did not feel comfortable walking around. As my daughter would say, it was a "shit show," more literally than we felt comfortable. In contrast, Udaipur's old city was relatively clean and we didn't feel like prey on the streets. Sure, shop keepers would try to get you into their store but they were more respectful. But, watch where you walk. In any Indian city, you need to always look down when you walk. You know, animals are everywhere. Cows, camels, donkeys, dogs, monkeys, goats, and pigs - oh my.

On the first day we just walked around and got our bearings to understand where everything was. We visited the Hindu temple nearby. It had hand carvings all around the exterior. We went up the steps and entered into the inner sanctuary to have a peek. It wasn't the most pleasant place, IMHO. The temple we visited in Delhi was much more clean and it had some very inspirational quotes from their scriptures on the their walls - all universal wisdom I could relate to. In the Udaipur temple I took some pictures of the outside to appreciate the handiwork of the carvings, but I'm just not guy who gets into carved idols for obvious reasons (Abraham and all). They kind of creep me out.

We found a nice cafe called "Ozen" and had lunch there. On the first day there was an old lady on the street below who took to screaming and cursing at many people who walked by. She owned a silver jewelry business, but would curse and chase off anybody from a lower caste she didn't like. They guys at Ozen seem to get a kick out of her, but were embarrassed that she ran people off based on the outdated yet still pervasive caste system. There was a lot of verbal sparring back and forth with them. The Ozen host translated the altercation for us and gave us a run down of what was happening.

We did a brief tour of The City Palace on the south side of the old city and then came back to the hotel to load up on food and drinks and soak up the nighttime view of the lake.

The next day we planned to spend mostly at the The City Palace and Crystal gallery. There was an optional boat trip from the Palace shore, but it would have been about $50 for the two of us. We would try to find a cheaper option the next day. We went through the maze of the Palace, following the numbered signs for the audio tour (which we skipped). I can never take in all that historical stuff from tour guides, so we guided ourselves. The signs took us around the maze of the compound where the royal family still lives.  Our tour ended as we found the gardens at the southernmost part of the property and enjoyed the landscaping.

The next day after exploring the other side of the lake via footbridge we found a cheaper boat tour without all the tourist trappings. For only 600 rupees (just over $8 - what a deal), they took us on our own private covered boat around the lake. It was nice to see everything from the waterside in the mid-afternoon light.

Water is such a precious resource here in India. Though the lake was beautiful, it is polluted just like everything else. You can see people on the sides where there are staircases down to the water, washing themselves and their clothes. When you visit India you need to think carefully about water all the time. The tap water is not safe to drink. If the parasites don't put you on the toilet for a few days, the heavy metals will get you. You need to acquire and use bottled water wherever you go. This means you use it for drinking, tea, and brushing your teeth.

Back on land after the boat trip, my wife spotted a silk shirt that reminded her of a James May shirt (the guy from UK Top Gear). She has always had fantasies about me wearing the busy paisley patterns that he's known for. The one on the rack was for a woman but the shop keeper was eager to say they could custom make it to any size. He led us up to another shop around the corner where the garments were made. I got measured and looked at various patterns. Though the guy wanted to sell me many shirts, I finally convinced him I only wanted one. It cost just $27 for a custom tailored, hand made, silk shirt. The next day I picked it up and wore it back to the hotel. Guys on the street were giving me that, "do you think you are John Travolta?" kind of look as I walked by. "Exactly", I thought. Udaipur might be having some weird romantic effect on me after all.

As our pace  slowed down in this lakefront town, I came to an important realization about traveling as a couple. The two of us really looked forward to each evening on the rooftop.  We enjoyed food and drinks, lounging on the couches together. We experienced the joy of just being in each other's presence without external obligations or commitments. Just each other, resting and relaxing with time to spare. Time to watch the sun slowly dip below the mountains. Time to enjoy the bright purple flowers below the bright blue sky in the dead of winter. We soaked up all these moments and cherished them. Some couples don't travel well together. Travel demands constant adjustment, learning and adapting as each new situation presents itself.

After almost 22 years of marriage, I can say that we are quite a dynamic pair. As we have encountered each new place and people along the way, we have leaned on each other to join our minds and spirits into one traveler. We might return back home to our hectic work life, but I know that around the next corner when we journey together again we experience bliss as one.