India - Day 12, Udaipur

I apologize for the delay in writing this post.  I'm back home and have been adjusting to my local time zone.  India is 9 1/2 hours ahead of us so it's been quite a challenge to get back in sinc.  They say it takes 2 hours a day to adjust your body clock.  If you have an 8 hour time difference it will take you 4 days to get back on track.

On our last full tour day we explored Udaipur - Venice of the East.  Our hotel is located on Lake Pichola, a man made lake on the edge of the old city.   This morning we enjoyed breakfast outdoors on the terrace overlooking the lake and enjoying the majestic views.  We've discovered that the lake is a common bath area for the locals.  There are bath houses located around the lake and each is designated for men or women.  Across from our hotel restaurant there happens to be a bath house for men.  It was quite interesting watching the men come and go, dipping into the lake to bath and washing their clothes at the same time.  Life in India is quite different from life in Canada.
 

We start out tour with a relaxing boat cruise on Lake Pichola.  On our way to the boat launch we pass by a group of monkeys.  They seem to be as curious about us as we are of them. 
The lake is peaceful and our guide is informative and entertaining. He tells us he's a movie star. His claim to fame is driving the tuk tuk in James Bond's Octupussy which was filmed here. 

The sprawling city is quite large but at the beginning of the 20th century (1950's) this area was surrounded by dense forest with lions and tigers. Our first stop is a small island in the middle of the lake to visit Jagmandir Ghat.  It is named  in honour of the last named Maharana Jagat Singh. The royal family used the palace as a summer resort and pleasure palace for holding parties. It is still used for parties and many wedding ceremonies are held here. The construction of the palace was started in 1551 by Maharana Amar Singh and finally completed by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1652. 

We continued our boat ride to view the Royals summer palace which is now the 5 star Taj Lake Palace Hotel. The other 5 star hotel over looking the lake is the Oberei Udaivillas.  Our hotel was once a Royal Palace and looks quite elegant from the lake.  

Our next stop is the City Palace. A palace complex built by the Maharana Udai Singh as the capital of the Sisodia Raiput clan in 1559.  Udaipur was the historic capital of the former kingdom of Mewar. The City Palace in Udaipur was built in a flamboyant style and is considered the largest of its type in Rajasthan, a fusion of the Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles, and was built on a hill top that gives a panoramic view of the city and its surrounding, The rooms, windows and walls are lavishly decorated with colored stones,silver,  stained glass windows and magnificent wall paintings.  In the childrens room an elegant swing hangs from the ceiling.  As I walked through the maze of rooms I could imagine the grand lifestyle of this era. Outside of the palace there was a pair of elaborately decorated horses. The is a popular wedding tradition  where the bride and groom are lead up to the reception area on these beautiful horses. 

The evening temperature is perfect for dining outdoors.  The lakeside terrace is the ideal setting for our last dinner together as a group. The buildings around the lake are dramatically lit which makes the city look mystical and elegantly royal. Dinner on the terrace under the starlit sky with great friends, a wonderful way to end the day.