July 29, 2012 Udaipur

Elephant on Street in Udaipur

There is a bird here that sounds like a cat meowing!  I finally saw one yesterday, but still don't know the name of it.  It is a large bird with a long bill; black with white & brown. 

I went to Hanuman Ghat yesterday, my old stomping ground, and was pleasantly surprised at the number of people who greeted me with a "so glad to see you back".  It gave me that warm & fuzzy feeling of coming home after being away a long time.  The hotel I stayed in when I first arrived is under new management and insisted on showing me a room.  It was large with a nice view, bath, AC, my very own tiny hot water heater, and they will put a flat screen on the wall - all for 100 rupees less than I am paying here.  There is everything you need in that area; good restaurants, small stores, local vegies & fruit, Himanshu's shop, and most importantly, friends!  The streets were unbelievably clean, no cow poop everywhere, clean swept, and it is much closer to town.  Walking back, an elephant strolled past me on the street...I love India!

Toulouse

Himanshu & Dinesh Cooking

his morning as I walked to my favorite chai stand with Toulouse, five, skinny Jain priests walked in front of me; three completely naked, one with a diaper-looking cloth on, and one with a shawl...all righty then!  They believe covering the body is unnecessary...to each his own.  Most of the population here is Hindu, with a sprinkling of Buddhists, and the temples are numerous.  These were the first Jain priests I have seen.  There is a day trip from here to Ranakpur, where there is a famous Jain temple.  It contains 1,444 columns, each exquisitely carved with different scenes and very elaborate.  I still need to go see it; perhaps when my friends visit this winter we can go.  I hear it is a "must see" for this area. 

July 25 Udaipur

Temple on Lake Palace Road

As I sit on the roof top of the Shambhu Vilas Hotel, the brilliant green parrots fly across the sky and alight on the cell tower close by.  My sweet dog, Toulouse is at my feet and a cup of chai sits before me.  I am quite a ways from my old neighborhood of Hanuman Ghat on the other side of the lake, but right next to a huge park that has not only a lovely rose garden, but a public library in an ornate, old building.  I haven't been in it yet, but will have to explore it at some point.  There is also a zoo, which was closed yesterday when I walked through with Alexandra, a young woman staying at the same hotel.  She trains and owns horses in her homeland of Germany.  As is usually the case with the travelers I meet, she is quite a bit younger than I, but we found we have a lot in common.

It is great to be with Himanshu again after 4 months of emails, calls, texts, and Skype...not quite like being able to have someone's arms around you.   Due to the tourist police here, we have not been able to go anywhere on the bike together.  Since he does not have a guide's license, he cannot be seen traveling with me as they are quite aggressive about stopping you for no other reason than to harass you and in fact, they would take him to jail claiming he was working as a guide without a license.  I feel so restricted by this new phenomenon of tourist "protection" that began this year.  They actually slap these guys when they stop them!  Unbelievable!  Consequently, he has been taking my list to the market to pick up the things I need.  He has helped me so much by finding me a hotel that will take my dog, to all the little things I would be hard pressed to do on my own.

Vidya & Alexandra

Although we are in monsoon season, the state of Rajasthan does not get the torrential downpour like other parts of the country - it has only rained once since I arrived on the 20th of this month.  However, the season is much cooler and the mornings are breezy with no need for air conditioning.

I am practicing my patience as the laws here are not what I was lead to believe - not by deception, but lack of knowledge.  I had hopes of putting in a guesthouse/hotel, but everything here is so convoluted in comparison to the states; not to mention the corruption.  It would simplify things if we got married, but the judge doesn't even like it if they marry someone who is not from India!  This has put my apartment hunting on hold as well, as I may have to leave the country in 6 months for a 2 month period before I can return...yes, another very different law.