thoughtful shoe

Aboard the Mewar Express , I was already excited to leave the cold harsh winter of Delhi behind. As soon as we reached Udaipur I realized what a great decision it was! The tourist area was small with lanes entwined together lying amidst the lakes with hotels, restaurants, cafes, forts and markets towering on both sides. It was an explosion of bright colors. We had breakfast just across the road from our hotel (Devi Vilas Guest House) at Cafe Eldweiss. We sunk our teeth into the mouth-watering chicken burgers and pancakes after which we walked towards Lake Pichola. It was simply a splendid view of the water, the mountains and Hotel Leela Palace right in the middle of it. We then made our way towards Shilpgram (a made-up village where arts, crafts, music and dance forms from across the country were being showcased during the ten day Mela). Udaipur is an expensive city for a tourist but it is quite safe even for females traveling alone. After a quick trip to Saheliyon ki Bari with its various fountains, we had a delicious lunch at Brewmen Cafe. We did some shopping at Bada Bazaar (famous for its camel leather and bandhani prints), before going to Jagdish Temple (the largest one there, dedicated to Lord Laxmi Narayan) and catching the Light and Sound Show (on Rajputs’ history) at the City Palace (which was not worth the money they charged). Before turning in, we had dinner at Wonder View Rooftop Restaurant (the food was just average but the scenery was nice). The next morning, we ate at Udai Art Cafe and then went to Karni Mata Mandir via a rope-way. It was a breath-taking view of the entire City of Lakes, bordered by huge mountains, dotted with lakes and almost every house painted white. After the temple, we walked down the hill towards Dudhtalai (once filled with milk, now filled with garbage) where we took a bumpy camel ride. We had Rajasthani thalis for lunch at the Vintage Car Museum (housing magnificent chariots and cars, some as old as sixty years and still in running conditions). After a beautiful boat ride around Lake Pichola and a tour of City Palace and its museums, we put our legs to rest. In the evening, we saw Darohar (entertaining but not-so-accurate collection of Rajasthani dance forms and puppet shows) at Bagore ki Haveli. Then it was time for bed. The third day, we bid our farewell to the Venice of the East (a name truly justified). For someone who likes to visit new places so much, Udaipur was such a delight and I was very well rewarded.