Other than the magnificent city landscape, the main attraction in Udaipur is the City Palace. Construction of the Palace began in 1553 and the various Maharanas have added to it during each reign. The age of the Palace shows in the chipped and cracked walls, faded and flaking paint and well-worn stone floors and paving. But there are still glimpses of the flamboyant style and vibrant colour that would have graced the Palace back in the day.
It’s a popular tourist attraction, with mainly local tourists visiting during their winter holidays (26 Dec to 1 Jan). People ignored the ‘silence please’ signs and it was difficult at times to even hear the audio guide above the chatter. We shuffled, single file, through the tidy corridors, and waited for people to finish taking selfies so we could photograph the features. We were pleased someone had recommended visiting the Palace early in the morning before the crowds arrive.
They were setting up for a wedding in the largest of the Palace courtyards. Tables covered in red and gold clothes, groups of men sitting cross legged on the floor assembling foliage for centerpieces for the tables, lights strung across the courtyard and a central canopy with couches which we assume is where the ceremony will be held. It looked like it was going to be a flash affair.
So far we had all done pretty well with the food and hygiene. Lewis has had a bit of an upset stomach for a couple of days but not bad enough to stop him enjoying the trip. Jacob on the other hand felt a bit squirmy while we were having breakfast, threw up on the street outside the Palace and spent the rest of the day in bed! He’d eaten the same food as the rest of us so we suspect he might have picked something up from his hands. The streets are cleaner in Udaipur than in other places however there are still times when we’ve walked through what smells like raw sewage. Then, whenever we enter a Temple we have to take off our shoes, it’s a recipe for disaster. We’ve all been a bit more vigilant with the hand sanitizer today.
We stayed relatively close to the hotel in the afternoon to keep an eye on Jacob. That meant checking out the shopping. Lewis & Bryce both picked up leather satchels for less than NZD40.00 each, BJ bought a couple of Damascus knives and I found an elaborate sari (well actually not a full sari because I’ve found out they’re 6.5m long,, which seems like a lot of fabric so I settled on just a shawl).
We decided to give our stomachs a rest and found a pizza restaurant for dinner. We’ve had curry every night for the last 9 nights! We couldn’t resist trying the cashew nut curry though which was absolutely delicious – will have to find a recipe so we can try making it at home.
Some photos from the City Palace
