THE CITY OF LAKES
Back in Udaipur, we walked around the local market looking for some traditional
silver ornaments we could purchase. After that, it was dinner by Pichola Lake
& then, bed.
Read more about Udaipur at https://notepadandink.blogspot.com/2018/12/udaipur-city-of-lakes.html
After a 12 hour bus journey we
arrived at what was to be our final stop before heading back to Mumbai.
Udaipur – The City of Lakes
November 06 – 07, 2019.
Day 1.
We reacquaint ourselves with Udaipur.
Once again, we had reached our
destination in the wee hours of the morning. It was fortunate for us that
guesthouses across Rajasthan had been gracious enough to let us check-in well
before the appointed hour.
It was the same at Marigold Guest House, in the old
part of the city. Our room on the 1st floor was bright, fairly spacious &
very comfortable.
After a bath & change of clothes we stepped out again and
we were happy to be back in Udaipur. (I had visited not long ago, in December).
Post breakfast we spent our first
day at the Jagdish Temple & the City Palace.
Then, after an afternoon
siesta, we went to watch Dharohar, a cultural performance of
dance & music held every evening at Bagore ki Haveli. The day ended with a
fancy meal at Hari Ghar & some
time spent sitting at the Ghat.
On
my last visit, I had explored the majestic & historic citadel of Chittor.
This time we chose to visit yet another fort, that of Kumbhalgarh, located
around 82 kms to the northwest of Udaipur.
This
fort,in its current form, built in the 15C by Rana Kumbha, is the second
largest fort complex after Chittor. It is also the birthplace of the brave
warrior, Maharana Pratap. Also, its perimeter walls are said to be one of the
longest in the world.
Wanting
to avoid the large crowds of tourists that were sure to visit, we had ensured
we reach Kumbhalgarh just as it opened its gates for the day. Due to this, not
only were we able to explore the fort & its palaces, but also experience
the quiet beauty & the spectacular view of the Aravalli range surrounding the
fort.
As
we stood on the highest point of the palace, all we could say was, "We're so
glad we visited Kumbhalgarh." It was truly an amazing experience!
Soon,
the tourists began to pour in in a steady stream & we decided it was time
to leave. Outside the fort we were shocked to see that parking was full &
cars and busses were lined up at the side of the narrow road for quite a
distance.
It
took us two hours to get back to Udaipur, & another hour to reach
Sajjangad, the Summer palace of the kings. The place was overflowing with
tourists all hoping to watch the sunset. We didn't wait as it was quite a
smoggy day & we couldn't really see much of a view.
The
next morning, having noting more in our itinerary, we woke late & then
walked towards the Government Boating Point and enjoyed a pleasant boat ride. A
fitting finale to what had been a packed & eventful vacation. Sitting in
the boat, we took in the sight of the charming City of Lakes with the City
Palace dominating its landscape. Our trip had been a success and we had
experienced much more than what we had planned.
A special mention must be made of The Yatra Planner, a travel shop beside Hari Garh. From them we had booked a cab to the airport. Not only did they do my friends the kind favour of dropping their bags to the taxi stand, they also went out of their way to meet us at Chetak Circle to give to me a small bag of gifts I had carelesslyly left behind at the guesthouse.
A special mention must be made of The Yatra Planner, a travel shop beside Hari Garh. From them we had booked a cab to the airport. Not only did they do my friends the kind favour of dropping their bags to the taxi stand, they also went out of their way to meet us at Chetak Circle to give to me a small bag of gifts I had carelesslyly left behind at the guesthouse.
What
would we have done differently, you ask? Well, we'd probably have stayed a
while longer at Jaisalmer had we known it was so beautiful. Other than that,
I'd say all was good.
With
this trip we bid a fond farewell to Rajasthan and leave with memories that will
make us smile for years to come.
Read more about Udaipur at https://notepadandink.blogspot.com/2018/12/udaipur-city-of-lakes.html
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