Day Three

Mmmm. Hot showers. Nice

Sarah is still struggling with the train movement.

Finished breakfast and off to the buses at 0830. We are in Udaipur, and we are getting into a different bus with a different guide. These buses are all fully air conditioned, and use local guides with a good knowledge of the area and history.

This area has many lakes, mostly man made, all joined by canals. It has been called the Venice of India. We see the first lake, and stop to see a couple of palaces and a handful of temples built around it. While we're there, a guy is giving people rides on a camel on the side of the road. I've never been this close to a camel, and its fascinating to watch as they kneel down to let someone onboard. This was the family model, it had a twin seat saddle.

Off we go to a garden full of fountains and pools.

Then for a boat ride. The largest lake has all sorts of palaces and ex-palaces now hotels.

There is a very famous floating palace in the middle of the lake, now run as a Taj hotel. There is also a Leela and an Oberoi on the shores. Apparently Katy Perry and Hugh Grants ex got married here. The floating palace was also used in the filming of Octopussy. Dwayne would love that too.

Then to a very large castle next to the lake. I think the guide said its the largest in India. It was designed to protect the inhabitants from attack. All rooms are small, the passages are very narrow, the stairs steep and the doorways low. Lots of zig zaggy passages, to lose your sense of direction. I imagine this is a little like the maze inside the pyramids.

Clearly these people were hobbits, so they could move about with ease. Their enemies were taller, and had to bend down in single file to move between rooms. One little trick was leaving enough space behind each door for a hobbit to stand with a sword. As the attacker came through, they had to bend down, effectively bowing their head through the door. Lop! Charming. I always followed the guide through doors after that.

As we left, we saw the current residence of the local royal family, and went into the attached hotel for lunch.
This seems to be a theme here. Live in part of the residence, lease some to a hotel chain, and convert the rest into museum.








As expected, the lunch was beautiful.

Clearly this is where our money is going. Rather than plastic trim and moulded panels to make the train pretty for snobby shits like me, the money has gone into quality tours, access to all areas, and full-noise lunches at absolutely top-of-the-line hotels every day.
Not to mention the excellent food onboard the train.

Alright then. I really am quite enjoying the trip. Better now that we have hot water.

Back at the train after lunch, and we head off to the next destination. Chittorgarh Fort.

Here's an odd thing.

They have clearly spent some money to build this rather detailed sculptured panel at the entrance to the railway station...













...and yet this is their idea of a wheelchair inside the station.



Innovative, yes. But...