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Our last day in Udaipur is upon us, and so regular readers will be aware that means our last day with Jazz is here too. It's been awesome having her along, giving me someone to play with whilst Uncle Dan just grumbles in the corner about how childish we are. She was entertaining to say the least, and our late night debates on how to solve India's poverty problem will be sorely missed. (The suggestion Dan and I made of mass genocide was not met with a particularly welcome response from Jazz.)
But before we get over sentimental and maybe start to cry, a quick update on our time in Udaipur.
Yesterday Dan and I had to book our train tickets to move on from here. Up until now this had been easy at the tourist information centre in Delhi. For the first time we had to rely on our minimal experience to book them in a proper Indain booking office - a prospect we were none to keen on. We found out yesterday morning that as it is wedding season in India at the moment, things just close when the want to. This seemed to be the case at the station. There was one window open when Dan and I arrived there, and we joined the back as any polite Englisman would. Unfortunately, the waiting masses were not politer Englisman like us, and the queue soon turned into a mass bundle to the front. This, coupled with the fact that the man behind the window decided to close it after ten minutes and wander off with no explanantion, made what should have been a ten minute job spread to an hour - our waiting rickshaw driver was not pleased!
After this we returned home to Jazz and went on a boat ride on the lake. The scenery is beautiful, and you can't fail to imagine what it would be like after the monsoon season - three months of nothing but rain will make the place even more stunning, filling the lake to capacity and producing even more lush greenery. (Bad grammar I know)
The evening was filled with some tradiotional Indian dancing, complete with an old lady dancing with 9 pots on her head on shattered glass - interesting to say the least. Unfortunately there was no request for audience participation, so I left somewhat dissapointed! So we leave tonight, and our little group seperates. This place has been a welcom rest bite, and I have loved every second here, welcoming the calm and peace that you couldn't get in the city - but I must confess now I am looking forward to that atmosphere again.
The shouting in the streets, the smell, and the traffic make the days that bit more of a challenge, and add an excitement that I think has lacked here. Don't get me wrong, I am glad we came, and the change was nothing but refreshing, but I'm ready to leave now. I would come back: I love the view and the people are lovely; the lake is stunning at nightime, and you can't beat the sun setting behind the mountains, an image I will keep with me for a long time. (Not to mention continous showings of Octop**** )
But I like the bustle; I like the hassle; I like the smell of petrol fumes.
Bring me that horizon - on to Ahmedebad!
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