[Written 17th Feb - upload delayed till 22nd Feb due to lack of WiFi whilst camping!]
We've been too busy to keep up thus here blog, kind reader, but for the best of reasons - we were doing cool stuff and getting drunk to boot!
We got into Udaipur (Venice of India, Rajasthani cultural hub and ground zero for the Indian wedding industry) on the 15th after a visit to what has to be the most gorgeous religious edifice in existence: Ranakpur, a temple built in the 1400s by a wealthy Jain politician as a locus for that pacifistic, austere and demanding branch of Hinduism. All white marble, its interiors melding into its exteriors, an interlocking medley of domes, statues and trees, it amazes in every capacity, even if certain members of our group *cough*Robert*cough* were unimpressed.
Udaipur, among its many charms and claims to fame, provided the background for one of the Bond series' less sober entries, Octopussy. A strong exemplar of the 'so bad it's good' school of film making, it tries to get all of India sandwiched into a few scenes: Bond flies to India in a helicopter past the Taj Mahal (in Agra, Uttar Pradesh) before landing literally hundreds of miles away in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Its like having Hercule Poirot sail past the Statue of Liberty before docking in Miami. The film features some of the local sites, such as the Monsoon Palace (up on a dominating hill above the city), the Lake Palace (built in the middle of Lake Pichola) and the City Palace, which while pretty had been ruined for us by Mehrangarh in Jodhpur as thoroughly as all future temples have been ruined by Ranakpur.
Restaurants and cafes throughout the city show it nightly, so we of course caught a showing during dinner, and I can honestly say my Palak Paneer had nothing on the film when it comes to cheesiness.
And if Patrick is going to make puns like that, I'm taking over! We made the most of our first full day in Udaipur, starting off early with a 2-hour horse ride in the surrounding area! Ida is an experienced rider, so I was worried she would be a bit bored plodding along with us novices (Sophie and Marina also joined), but we all had an enjoyable trip. The horses are a local breed called Marwari- easily recognisable by their inward turning ears. Back in town, we had an amble on our own two feet. Like Jaisalmer, it's a much calmer city than Delhi, which makes me a bit more amenable to shopping. We stopped into a little art shop run by a very friendly couple (who happened to have twin sons!) who did us each a little sketch on the spot, in addition to the prints we bought. The highlight of the afternoon was of course the City Palace.We must have spent hours exploring the sprawling complex. My favourite motifs were the mustachioed sun image and a variety of dazzling mosaic peacocks. We celebrated our driver Dutchie's birthday that evening on the hotel's rooftop- most of us dressed up as Dutchie in his ubiquitous shorts and tank look, with tattoos drawn on our arms. We caroused through the evening, loving the sunset vistas over Lake Pichola, Floating Palace, City Palace, and Monsoon Palace all in view. Copious amounts of Old Monk rum was consumed, songs were sung, selfies were snapped, Australian slang was learned, and the general merriment continued long after we were cut off, and we ended up like a pile of puppies on a divan in the restaurant.
Needless to say, the next day was much calmer. Patrick and I took a meandering walk through town, crossing the pedestrian footbridge near us, then walking through the part of Udaipur on the other side of the lake, before crossing back over the other bridge. Apart from some pretty damn fine milkshakes a group of us went out for to say farewell to Dominic, the best part of the day was following up on Annette and (Danish) Patrick's suggestion to visit the tailor across from the hotel. Rakesh was obviously skilled, a fact not lost on the several great British actors he had photos with around his shop- whilst filming Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Bill Nighy had 7 suits made by Rakesh, and Dame Judi and Dame Maggie also had custom pieces made. For a fortune less than what we'd pay on Savile Row, Patrick ordered two 3-piece suits and two shirts, and I got a suit (Parliament, here I come!). We returned that evening with our Danish friends and got to do a mini fashion show together - their coats are absolutely stunning. My only regret is not having a couple shirts made for me- I'll just have to be jealous every time I see Patrick in his wares. In between visits to Rakesh's shop, the four of us had dinner at his brother's restaurant, and we got the star treatment. After climbing a mountain of stairs, we emerged on a private rooftop, a level above where the rest of the restaurant ended, with just the one table, and stunning views. Udaipur is a very popular wedding destination, so our conversation was frequently interrupted by celebratory fireworks or the thumping beats of a groom's procession somewhere in the winding streets below.
Udaipur has been very good to us, but we have an early morning departure tomorrow- on to the next adventures...
We've been too busy to keep up thus here blog, kind reader, but for the best of reasons - we were doing cool stuff and getting drunk to boot!
We got into Udaipur (Venice of India, Rajasthani cultural hub and ground zero for the Indian wedding industry) on the 15th after a visit to what has to be the most gorgeous religious edifice in existence: Ranakpur, a temple built in the 1400s by a wealthy Jain politician as a locus for that pacifistic, austere and demanding branch of Hinduism. All white marble, its interiors melding into its exteriors, an interlocking medley of domes, statues and trees, it amazes in every capacity, even if certain members of our group *cough*Robert*cough* were unimpressed.
Udaipur, among its many charms and claims to fame, provided the background for one of the Bond series' less sober entries, Octopussy. A strong exemplar of the 'so bad it's good' school of film making, it tries to get all of India sandwiched into a few scenes: Bond flies to India in a helicopter past the Taj Mahal (in Agra, Uttar Pradesh) before landing literally hundreds of miles away in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Its like having Hercule Poirot sail past the Statue of Liberty before docking in Miami. The film features some of the local sites, such as the Monsoon Palace (up on a dominating hill above the city), the Lake Palace (built in the middle of Lake Pichola) and the City Palace, which while pretty had been ruined for us by Mehrangarh in Jodhpur as thoroughly as all future temples have been ruined by Ranakpur.
Restaurants and cafes throughout the city show it nightly, so we of course caught a showing during dinner, and I can honestly say my Palak Paneer had nothing on the film when it comes to cheesiness.
And if Patrick is going to make puns like that, I'm taking over! We made the most of our first full day in Udaipur, starting off early with a 2-hour horse ride in the surrounding area! Ida is an experienced rider, so I was worried she would be a bit bored plodding along with us novices (Sophie and Marina also joined), but we all had an enjoyable trip. The horses are a local breed called Marwari- easily recognisable by their inward turning ears. Back in town, we had an amble on our own two feet. Like Jaisalmer, it's a much calmer city than Delhi, which makes me a bit more amenable to shopping. We stopped into a little art shop run by a very friendly couple (who happened to have twin sons!) who did us each a little sketch on the spot, in addition to the prints we bought. The highlight of the afternoon was of course the City Palace.We must have spent hours exploring the sprawling complex. My favourite motifs were the mustachioed sun image and a variety of dazzling mosaic peacocks. We celebrated our driver Dutchie's birthday that evening on the hotel's rooftop- most of us dressed up as Dutchie in his ubiquitous shorts and tank look, with tattoos drawn on our arms. We caroused through the evening, loving the sunset vistas over Lake Pichola, Floating Palace, City Palace, and Monsoon Palace all in view. Copious amounts of Old Monk rum was consumed, songs were sung, selfies were snapped, Australian slang was learned, and the general merriment continued long after we were cut off, and we ended up like a pile of puppies on a divan in the restaurant.
Needless to say, the next day was much calmer. Patrick and I took a meandering walk through town, crossing the pedestrian footbridge near us, then walking through the part of Udaipur on the other side of the lake, before crossing back over the other bridge. Apart from some pretty damn fine milkshakes a group of us went out for to say farewell to Dominic, the best part of the day was following up on Annette and (Danish) Patrick's suggestion to visit the tailor across from the hotel. Rakesh was obviously skilled, a fact not lost on the several great British actors he had photos with around his shop- whilst filming Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Bill Nighy had 7 suits made by Rakesh, and Dame Judi and Dame Maggie also had custom pieces made. For a fortune less than what we'd pay on Savile Row, Patrick ordered two 3-piece suits and two shirts, and I got a suit (Parliament, here I come!). We returned that evening with our Danish friends and got to do a mini fashion show together - their coats are absolutely stunning. My only regret is not having a couple shirts made for me- I'll just have to be jealous every time I see Patrick in his wares. In between visits to Rakesh's shop, the four of us had dinner at his brother's restaurant, and we got the star treatment. After climbing a mountain of stairs, we emerged on a private rooftop, a level above where the rest of the restaurant ended, with just the one table, and stunning views. Udaipur is a very popular wedding destination, so our conversation was frequently interrupted by celebratory fireworks or the thumping beats of a groom's procession somewhere in the winding streets below.
Udaipur has been very good to us, but we have an early morning departure tomorrow- on to the next adventures...
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