Nov. 14, 2011 Udauipur

It was 8:45 am when I climbed on the back of a motorcycle along with Nicola, my friend from England, and the driver wisked us away through the countryside to the Animal Aid facility on the outskirts of town. 

The Animal Aid hospital was started by a couple from the UK to help with the local street dogs and other discarded animals that are no longer able to produce an income for their owners.  There are seperate areas for dogs with mange, paralyzed dogs, recent amputees, puppies, and the severly injured. Other areas house cattle, burros, pigs, 2 turtles who have cracked shells and are unable to live in the wild, and even a large monkey that was abused by its owners and now has no nose and is blind.  It was the first time I have ever seen large animals (cows, burros) with amputated limbs rather than being put down.

The day started with a service for a recently deceased dog.  People talked about the dog's rescue from the streets after being hit by a car, his recovery and life at the center, and his 3 years of life there.  I spent the rest of my day assisting the vet's assistant with his daily rounds, petting paralyzed dogs, and walking puppies.

I ate a supposedly "safe" salad today and picked up a bug, so I am off to the pharmacy for meds and electrolyte packets.  Hope I feel better tomorrow as I am booked on the night train to Jaipur, a nine hour trip, for the wedding there.

Nov 6, 2011 Udaipur

Maria from Spain and I decided to take the boat tour of Lake Pichola today from the City Palace.  It circles the Lake Palace Hotel made famous by the film, Octopussy, and docks on Jagmandir Island, which hosts its own hotel and spa.  Built in 1620, and flanked by a row of stone elephants, it has a fabulous view of the city and its golden palace.

 After lunch we went to the ghats.  Groups of women in saris performed pujas as the men bathed in the lake and young boys dove from the walls above.  I felt like I had strolled into someone's home; the rituals and baths were too personal to linger in the area and we quickly exited.

Nov. 1, 2011 Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Standing on my balcony, I watch as the bright green conures leave their perch in the tree and are making green streaks across the sky.  Several chipmonks / squirrels scavenge the rooftop across from me as pidgeons flex their irridescent purple and green necks balancing on the wires below.  It's early and time for baths and laundry at Ganguar Ghat on the other side of the lake.  I can hear the slapping of boards against concrete and stone as the dirt is literally knocked from the fabric.  The city looks so serene at this time of the morning.

City Palace

I went to see the City Palace and got lost on the way back for over an hour...I am exhausted!  The City Palace is huge and dominates the skyline from the east side of Lake Pichola.  I can't even imagine living in a place that large...the children must have had a blast running the halls and courtyards.  What a great place for hide & seek!  The main part of the palace hosts a museum, with lavish mosaics of peacocks, many glass and mirror works and ornamental tiles.  There is also a pleasant central garden in which to relax after winding through the many narrow passageways.  The rest of the palace fronts the lake and has been partly converted into two luxury hotels.  The grandiose Durbar Hall was added in 1909 and is one of India's most impressive.  It holds hundreds of people and can be hired for special occasions.

Oct. 31, 2011 New Delhi to Udaipur, Rajasthan, India

Spent the day trying to solve my computer problem - I lost the cord! Although I had no success getting another, the guys in the shop invited me to eat lunch with them. So, here we stood at the counter with everyone's food tins spread out and dipped flat bread into the various containers of dal (lentils), spicy potatoes, paleek paneer (spinach sauce with cheese, rice, and more. Delicious!

Dropped by the internet shop to check my email and found out they are requiring a copy of your passport and a photo of you to use the internet! It seems someone used Facebook to provoke violence in the country and they are keeping a close check on whomever logs in.

It's time for the night train and I arrived at the Nizamuddin station in plenty of time. You have to pick your way through crowds of people, not only standing, but some looked like they were camping in the station and on the platforms. A small child squatted on the edge of the platform to poop on the tracks below as her mother went to fill her bottle of water from the tap. The group next to me were having a picnic of sorts and we all waited for the Mewar Express to Rajasthan. I booked a 2nd class AC, which is a sleeper bunk with 4 people per compartment; not to be confused with the Sleeper class which is 6 people per compartment with no AC and open windows. It was rather nice with clean sheets, pillows, and a blanket. I shared the compartment with 3 other tourists; one from England, one from New Zealand, and the other two from Spain. It was a peaceful 12 hour journey and I slept!