It is early evening in Udaipur and I’m sitting in our hotel room. Most of the group gave gone off to see a dance troop performing traditional dancing. Ray, Jennifer and I went out for drinks instead. This hotel is on the waterfront and has beautiful views of Lake Pichola. It was sunset and just like the previous night, there is a brief golden glow in the water and the sky, an almost metallic sheen replaces the dusky blue green, converting a magical scene into one that is truly spectacular. We enjoyed kingfisher beers and chatted about home.

We woke up late this morning, and had breakfast on the roof of the hotel. The views of the lake, buildings ( including the Oberon Hotel ) and the ranges of mountains are terrific. On one of the hills is the Monsoon Palace where the Maharana would retreat during bad weather, and look over his raj. It is said to be in poor condition but the views are outstanding, so we hope to visit there tomorrow.
Jennifer went to her cooking class which went till after 2 o’clock, and she enjoyed it very much. She learned about making Indian breads, Chai, Khadai paneer ( cottage cheese cooked in an Indian wok or khadai), malai kofta ( potato balls), and biryani rice. Then they all ate the meals they had all cooked together.
I went for a walk around the nearer lakes of Udaipur, getting quite lost, but eventually I found my way back. Udaipur has some stunning spots where architecture and water combine beautifully such as most of the ghats or gates around the city. They lead to bridges of the lake itself. I saw people washing clothes in large steel bowls. Others walking down onto the water to wash themselves in the lake water, repeatedly splashing the water over their heads and upper bodies. There are also side by side with these areas, rundown, shabby buildings bloated with products for the tourist trade, drains open, broken concrete and narrow paths.

I returned for a rest at the hotel, then bumped my head on the blessed door frame. It’s shaped to resemble mogul arches, that would be spectacular at 3 meters but are plain dangerous at 1.5 meters. After two days of dodging them, I banged my head and had to stem the bleeding with a towel. All okay. Scalp wounds always bleed profusely but as I’m not on aspirin and I maintained the pressure for thirty minutes, there are no problems
After recovering, Jennifer and I went to City Palace, commenced in 1568 and was the capital of the province of Mewar. This is the the Palace of the maharana and his wife, when they are based in the city. There is another in the lake and another high up in the hills behind Udaipur. This Palace is in two joined parts, one for the maharajah and one for his wife. They are connected by a single corridor. There are low lintels, low doors everywhere so I had to be very careful! Both palaces are incredible, lavish architecture and internal decorations, a superb collection of ancient sculptures, and some very peaceful area and plazas to while away the hours. You enter via the eight marble sculpted arches of Tripolia Gate.There are paintings of tiger hunts, of battles, of personal conflict, suits of armour, weapons galore, and many vantage points on the tour to enjoy views of Udaipur. It is the largest Palace in Rajasthan and though it was built piecemeal, it has achieved a striking uniformity in its design. It looks as if there was one builder but this is not the case.

It is a splendid way to spend two and a half hours.