UDAIPUR

Our journey to Udaipur started with an early morning train ride. 

The train ride was a great Indian experience, we struggled to get in with all our bags due to all the people wanting to get in at the same time. 

Craziness

Once inside people were seated in our designated seat so we couldn't seat down. When I asked somebody about their seat numbers he responded by saying "seat numbers are just a formality in India! Nobody really seats in their seat, you can seat here" so I sat next to him while I waited for Aura to kick everybody else from our assigned seats. It is in these situations that I'm grateful to have a guide with us, I think it would have been extremely challenging to get my seat if I didn't speak the language!

The journey was long but fun! I loved seeing people get in and out of the train and all the chaos that goes with it! I had fun looking at the people staring at us because they would totally pretend they weren't looking! 

The group also had fun bonding and playing games such as "Heads Up!"

Me and my new Indian friends

Cynthia's Indian friends seem very friendly! Haha

I guess Cynthia was telling a sad story! Haha

The train was so cool and old looking I couldn't resist not to take some fun shots:

Once we arrived in Udaipur Aura took us for a quick orientation walk.

The walls of Udaipur are covered in different paintings telling the story of the city and picturing different legends. Aura took some time to share some of them with us.

Udaipur is called "the Venice of the east" I guess because it's very pretty and romantic and it has the lake which resembles the canals. It was another touristy town with lots of charm!

Our first stop was at a local artists' studio where we were shown how they make miniature paintings, a very popular art in the Rajasthani region.

Sanju, the artist, showed us all the different kind of materials they use to paint on as well as how they make the paint (yellow is made out of cow pee). These miniature paintings are done with brushes that they make, one with camel eyelashes and the other with squirrel's tail hair!

Then, Sanju painted a miniature figure in one of our fingers.

How amazing is this Taj Mahal?!?

Once we were done with Sanju we checked out the Bathing Ghat before going to a Rajasthani dance show.

Martin and Nadine

The Dance show was incredible but the one that wowed all of us was the 62 year old woman who balanced pots in her head, picked up a handkerchief with her mouth while balancing two pots, and slowly increased the number of pots until she balanced a total of 11 pots! Wow

Udaipur at night: a blurry one

View from our restaurant. Here is the very fancy and exclusive lake palace hotel

The next two days I just pretty much relaxed and enjoyed being in Udaipur.

I went to the city palace

(Her shoes crack me up! She was a tourist who paid 300rupees to get dressed up and a photographer to take her pictures)

The girls being celebrities

This is one of my favorite shots! I saw this tailor working inside one of the doors of the palace

Before leaving the palace I asked the guard to take a picture of us and he thought I asked for a picture of him! Haha I didn't want to be rude so I took a picture of him with everybody!

I also had a painting class at sanju's studio.

My teacher would show me how to do it and then I would try to recreate what he did step by step.

To be honest, I didn't think I did a good job! Painting fine lines with squirrel tail hair is very very hard!

In addition, I took the opportunity of having a cooking class even though I already know how to cook Indian. We learned how to make samosas, palak paneer, mixed vegetables, as well as chai masala tea. The class was a little disappointing since it was more of a demonstration with little participation but I still had a good time.

Here's the "cooking team" on the rooftop with the palace behind us!

I loved walking the streets and finding beautiful old houses, doors, and old structures

Donkey traffic...

Ganesh and other gods are everywhere

Bathing Ghat... It was impressive seeing people washing themselves and their clothes on the lake! At first I went there because I thought they were only washing clothes and then saw it closer and they were washing themselves! I felt as if I was invading their privacy when I saw that women were topless scrubbing themselves! So I turned around to leave when I saw a woman in a saree go to a corner of the plaza, squat, pull her saree up and started peeing... Right there! I could see her whole behind... That whole experience was a little too much!

Some other pictures around Udaipur

Another one of my favorites

These guys were folding and stretching candy over and over again:

The dry cleaner

A very relaxed Tourist at "Millets of Mewar"...

Beautiful views and amazing food!

My favorite part of Udaipur was New Year's Eve!!!!

We attended the roof party at our hotel and it was full of Indians so we spent a fabulous night dancing to the beat of Indian music and many of them showing us some amazing moves!

.. We even got Sebastian dancing!!!

At midnight we hugged each other and fireworks started and just after two minutes it started pouring out of nowhere so the rooftop got closed! It was such a fun night that I know those memories will last forever!