I’m not even sure I can express how much I love Udaipur, India. the first time i went in 1996, I was mesmerized – I mean, how many cities have lake palaces that you have to take a boat to and you can stay in (it’s a Taj Hotel) – also known as Octopussy’s harem home in the Bond flick. Theres the main City Palace (above) and the Monsoon Palace (Khan’s home in Octopussy) which is on top of a mountain and has the most incredible views out into the mountains and over the valley. The women walk around in brightly colored saris and there are even elephants wandering the streets.
i love an elephant out on the town
Your imagination goes wild here.
And bonus: it’s fun and funny as hell.
For example: Udaipur is in Rajasthan, India – and is a muslim area. The guys don’t get to see much lady skin. But every cafe is a “video cafe” where TVs play “Octopussy” on loop non stop. You’ll be in a restaurant, the waiter will be in the middle of serving tea and if the bikini scenes in the movie come on, all will stop. As in the waiter will freeze, mid serve, stop breathing, his eyes will glaze over as he stares at the screen and his hands will shake. The second the ladies leave the screen, all service resumes as normal.
And if there’s a funeral – sit back and watch the hordes of paid mourners screaming and tearing their hair out in the streets.
It’s like a movie. So whenever I get the chance to go back – I run.
Last time I went, it was for my friend Melanie and Nigel’s wedding which was SPECTACULAR. We stayed at the Devi Garh hotel – an 800 year old fort that was meticulously restored to faaaaaabulousness! Check it out:
the balcony outside my room at the Devi Gar
in front of the Devi Garh Hotel – the most gorgeous hotel evah!
So – the days preceding the wedding there were crazy carnivals nvolving camels, monkeys, horses, cows and really, really limber people… and some Ganja:
Peacock Man
The stilt walker
At the festival
Hash pipes at the pre wedding festival – clearly full service!
A guest partaking of said hash pipes
I think I rode one of these
And he didn’t fall once!
These poor monkeys…
and then the henna parties the night before…
HENNA!
and the actual wedding… so perfect!
My friend Mel on the way to get married
After the wedding we all went to the Monsoon palace and toured around…
outside the Monsoon Palace
a monkey chilling on the side of the Monsoon Palace
and then I got a UTI. Fun Fact. Another Fun Fact: in India it costs $5 to go to a doctor and knock that shizz out. now THAT is healthcare!
You’ll laugh cause In my city Lima Peru going to doctor consulta at well equipped municipal hospitals costs less than 3 US $. This is a net of hospitals. But specialities, like oftalmology costs a bit more like 5 $.
im soooo jealous!
Udaipur is one of my favorite cities and my first visit, it appears, was just after yours. I went in 1998 and fell in love with the place from the morning I arrived. I did not get an infection of any kind but had a lot of laughs, watched Octopussy twice, and ate chicken…a mistake I would repeat only one other time.
oh the chicken there is the WORST!