Udaipur

So far Udaipur has been my favorite city... beside a shimmering lake, it was cool and green....

This is the view from my room...

I took a boat ride on the lake...

Jaipur... some photos from today

Today I went for a walk in the city, I must admit that just being in India is exhausting, there is a hyper awareness to all the people, sounds, traffic moving around you at all times.

Overlooking the city...

Boys waiting for school....

Local vegetable market...

Monkeys everywhere, the little ones are cute and the big ones are scary.

Henna!

The henna was in a tube with a fine point, she drew the design on my hand...

Then you let it dry for about an hour or so...

Jaipur

Inside the palace

Jaipur, the Amber fort... I am still working out all the Maharajas and who did what...

Water palace built for summer time, they made the lake around the palace... it has since flooded

Jantar Mantar: one of the Maharaja's was interested in astronomy and built this observatory in the early 1700's

like no place ever

This morning we came upon a group of men, at first I thought they were angry, arguing about a car accident perhaps, they had a sullen look on their faces and were gathered in a tight group in the middle of the road.  Then the driver pointed out the body.  I turned my head to see the body, believing  the accident had been deadly. They had been carrying a body laid out on a wooden stretcher. The body was covered in a bright red cloth with gold embroidery around the edges, she trailed rose petals. The procession of men were delivering her to the spot where they would cremate her and then her family would take the ashes to the Ganges River.  As I sat in the backseat of the car pondering the passing of this unknown woman, watching the procession of men proceeding off down the road, the talk turned to elephants. 

Snake charmers

They assured me "no poison, no poison"
"ya right, like I want to test this theory!" I thought
The hissing and way they strike with their heads was a bit disconcerting, he wanted me to hold the head and I said No way.

Elephant Ride!

Elephant taxi stand...