"Prince" Raj, who to us was just Raj, is Kirit's brother in law, we were also staying with Kirit's sister Geeta, and their son, Shivraj.
It was a four hour car journey, a five hour bus journey and a fifteen minute drive in the Prince's jeep to get there but it was a good change of scenery, like Diu, it was a different side to India. So nice to see a bit more greenery, more trees, more flowers, that's something I really miss about home.
On the Thursday, we went out with Raj to the old part of town, we made a good friend when the Prince introduced us to an art shop owner guy named Vicky(!), who saw to it that we got free Sprite and water every fifteen minutes!
We went to visit the famous Crystal Palace, a huge Palace with corridors and stairways like you see in the Labyrinth! It was a really nice day out, we drank some of the best Iced Tea ever, and actually enjoyed the sunshine in the afternoon for once, sitting out in the gardens watching the world go by.
We went to market after this, wound up in little book stores, shops with dozens of little handpainted or handcarved figures, and saw for the first time the typical Alladin style shoes for sale - very tempting, but we resisted! And it was a nice little moment when a guy from behind us shouted "Excuse me!" and we turned around to see him sat on top of an elephant, which passed mere meters away from us! Surreal.
The next day we had to return to the Crystal Palace because, brilliantly, we had missed the main attraction - the Crystal gallery. Don't ask how, we still don't know.
But this time we managed it, there were crystal glasses, tables, sofas - even a crystal four poster bed!
After this Bry treated me to lunch in the restaurant as an early birthday treat and we both got our fix for home food with Penne and Tagliettelle!
The highlight, I think, was the performance we saw on our final night in Udaipur. Tickets had been arranged for us for a dance show and it was so good! The atmosphere was great, the audience all sitting on cushions on the floor or on benches surrounding the stage (at ground level).
We saw women balancing pots of fire on their head, traditional Indian dances using symbols attatched to all parts of the dancers bodies, a puppet dance(!) and the big finale... a women, not one you'd see and think - dancer - balanced not one, not two, but nine pots on her head whilst dancing, full speed, on broken glass and even lying down at one point. Magical!
