The trip from Jaisalmer to Udaipur provided us with yet
another different type of travel experience. A bus journey but this time we
were given the option of a sleeper seat or sitting. As it was a 12 hour journey
overnight, we took the sleeper option when we purchased the tickets, not really
sure what we would be getting. Basically, the bus has regular seats but above
those seats are sleeper beds. It was a little bit like being in a plastic box
on display for 12 hours as people standing can see in (this is India remember –
just because the seats are all full, this doesn’t mean they won’t let more
passengers on). On the plus side, the mattresses were very comfortable and you
could open the windows for fresh air so the trip was tolerable enough.
Having left Jaislamer at 3.30pm, we actually arrived in
Udaipur at 5.00am, jumped in a rickshaw and headed for a guesthouse. The great
thing about guesthouses and hotels in India is that they don’t care about check
in times at all. You can rock up when you like and they won’t charge you extra.
Arriving at 5.30am and going straight to bed, I kind of feel that we’ve had an extra
night here but they don’t charge for that.
Udaipur is a city set on the banks of Lake Pichola and
surrounded by hills. The lake is home to the legendary Lake Palace Hotel,
famous for being the setting of the James Bond movie, Octopussy. You can take boat
trips on the lake and cruise around the island the hotel is on, although only hotel
guests can go ashore. You can also visit Jagmandir Island on which sits a
palace, the entrance to which is flanked by huge stone elephants. Back on dry
land, Udaipur itself is home to Rajasthan’s largest city palace, as well as
temples, havelis and lots of narrow winding streets. Such streets are typical
of most places we’ve been in Rajasthan. They should be charming but the charm
starts to wear thin when cars, mopeds and rickshaws are trying to use streets
that were only ever designed for people, cows and donkeys. The noise of
constant beeping, the hassle from shop owners, having to dodge vehicles and cow
dung – India can be hard work at times. Yet when you are sat on the roof top of
your hotel in the evening, watching the sun go down over the shimmering lake,
the palaces lit up, it can also be incredibly serene and beautiful.
Tomorrow sees us saying goodbye to the state of Rajasthan
and heading south to Mumbai (Bombay).
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| Lake Palace Hotel |
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| Jagmandir Island, Lake Pichola |
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| City Palace |
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