Travel/Voyager/سافر/यात्रा करना: Nirvana is here in Udaipur...look no further...

After Delhi, we flew to Udaipur and checked into the opulent Oberoi Hotel Udaivilas that overlooks Lake Pichola. Let me say, I have stayed in every kind of West Texas Motel Hell to the Ritz in London, and I have never had an experience like the Oberoi Hotel Udaivilas. If every time I walk in the house Greg doesn't throw flowers on me, greet me with a warm towel, fresh squeezed juice, candles & incense burning, and bows of Namaste, there will be hell to pay! Really, is that too much to ask from my hubby? Well, it wasn't from this hotel. I can't brag enough on this hotel. The rooms were exquisite, quiet, beautiful, and comfortable. The grounds were an endless array of fountains, sculptures, gardens, peacocks, flowering trees, and pure bliss!

http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_udaivilas/index.asp

Enough of the hotel. Our guide met us for our Udaipaur tour, and he knew people from Midland. It's a small world! He was so excited we were from Texas. He's a big rodeo fan, former polo player and, we quickly found out from the local people's reaction to him, part of the local royal family.

First stop, the opulent City Palace. It was in a fury of activity because of an upcoming royal family wedding. In the morning we saw the Cyrstal Gallery at the Fateh Prakash Palace that houses the world's largest cyrstal collection, and then a stop at a miniature painting school and gallery. Then back to the hotel for afternoon tea and some relaxation. For dinner we sat outside under a full moon, had delicious Indian food, and watched a spectacular fireworks display from across the lake.

Udaipur was great, the people were great, the hotel was great, and the sites were great.

We left the next day with one last request. I wanted to participate in a local custom of purchasing some alfalfa and feeding the local cows for good luck and prosperity. Our driver took us off the beaten path to a local neighborhood. We caused quite a flurry of excitement. Apparently, it's not every day American tourists stop by to visit in this neighborhood. The seller was an elderly Indian woman who properly held court, made a dignified fuss, and searched for the right location to feed the cow. The other neighborhood ladies on their front stoops were squawkin', kids running around, and general confusion in the neighborhood. Well, the cow got fed, she let me take her picture & she got paid more than the going rate for alfalfa (I gave apparently a large amount - 100 rupees/$2), and now I have good luck. It was a win/win.