India: An Experimental backpacking to the North & Goa

Part 3

03.09.05

(Song: Everyone by Van Morrison and followed by Wallflower girl by Better than Ezra )-at the time of writing this script

Lake Palace (City palace), when there was a water and shining sun

Lake Palace's view, in the evening

Udaipur is famous around the world as the City Of Lakes or Venice of East. Udaipur is located in the mountains of Aravali range. It is located in the southern part of Rajasthan near the Gujarat border. From Ahmedebad, we took a self proclaim deluxe bus and it took us about 6 hours ride. It was not a fancy ride. It was hot and humid, the road there almost hell and dusty. Though both of my legs were up on the seat in front of me and the window were widely open, I was sweating, my buttock were itching and my back bone were cracking. It all paid well when we arrived at Udaipur’s main town.

Jana, our friend from Germany was already in Udaipur and we took the three wheeler auto rickshaw to Udaipur new town where the city palace is. We checked in the same guest house with Jana, Nayee Haveli. The rooftop of our guest house were unbelievable. It was a brilliant view to the infamous big lake and some authentic building. The lake was dry for the past few years and we were lucky because it was raining heavily few days before our arrival.

So the lake was again re-appear, this time in its own magical way. Lot of local people were celebrating. Some were swimming and some were merely splashing water, regardless of old or young, man or women. The first thing I did was resting my ass on the chair, on the rooftop, setting my eyes on the lake- and also, was to smoke a weed. The feeling was simply marvelous. It is like stranded in an island without a water for 2 days and out of the blue you found a case of beer flowing towards your direction. At the guest house, I met Hannes from Austria, Lisa from Spain, Sunny, a seasonal traveler French lady and other Spanish guys. She later rolled a big fat joint and together she and I smoking the moment away. Immediately after that, I ordered a lassi to soothe my throat and my stomach.

(Song: Friday I‘m in love by The Cure)

In the evening, Carol, Gemma, Jana and I, the only guy, went to a rooftop restaurant for a so called reunion (with Jana) dinner. It was a great dinner. We had the rooftop all to our self. While waiting for the foods to be served, I laid my back flatly on the table, on the corner of the rooftop, just looking up the open sky and space. It was really beautiful and even more magical to see how the stars were dancing, while the wind were blowing, whispering its breath soundly onto my skin and at that particular moment- I knew one thing for sure, that the feeling inside me couldn’t be better.

Our table were set before the magnificent view towards the shiny and legendary lake and its gem, the city palace. It was awesome to see the city palace fully lighted up. It was an unforgetful night with the girls, not because I was with three girls but because I realized I was having dinner at the rooftop of one of the nicest restaurant in Udaipur, staring at the magically floating palace on the legendary Lake Piccola.

(Song: On a high by Duncan Sheik)

“Here’s another thought that kept roaming in my mind from the book Shantaram that night before I put myself to rest, eagerly to experience my maiden morning and sunset in Udaipur. “At first when we truly love someone, our greatest fear is that the loved one will stop loving us. What we should fear and dread, of course, is that we won’t stop loving them even after they’re dead and gone. For I still love you with the whole of my heart, my friend. I still love you, and sometime my friend the love that I have and can’t give it to you, crushes the breath from my chest. Sometime even until now my heart is drowning in sorrow that has no star without you, and no laughter and no sleep”.

I still remember when I reach this part where Lin express this piece of his heartache for his friend, who passed away in a accident, I almost cry. Though my eyes didn’t drop a tears, but my heart was melted away. I was crying inside as if the story was real and connected to me or my pass life. I felt like that at that time because my heart was very sentimental. Some unknown formation of chemicals in my body was developed a feeling that was so surreal that it seems I was a part of Shantaram.

(Song: Daniel by Elton John)

05.09.2005

(Song: Piece of my heart by Janis Joplin)

My first morning in Udaipur. I woke up at around 7am. The view of the city was already clear but it was still filled with natural sound and silences of nature. Jana was still sleeping and I didn‘t want to wake her up (and is the other girls). So I ordered plain omelets and cheese toast for breakfast, put on greatest hits of Janis Joplin and started to sit down to ponder about the journey thus far. Jana joined me soon after.

After breakfast, Carol, Gemma and I went to the infamous city palace in Lake Piccola. City Palace towers over the Pichola Lake. Maharana Uday Singh initiated in the construction of the palace but succeeding Maharanas added several palaces and structures to the complex retained a surprising uniformity to the design. The entry to the Palace is from the Hati Pol, the Elephant gate. The Bari Pol or the Big gate brings you to the Tripolia, the Triple gate. The highlight of City Palace is when we reached the Suraj Gokhada or the balcony of the sun is where the Maharana would grant public audiences mainly to boost the morale of the people in difficult times. The majestic view over the city and the entire lake were really something.

That day, we were suppose to meet up with Martin & Ina (both are from Germany), our fellow friend from Pune, who arrived at Udaipur the day before us. We met up with them at Lalghat guest house for lunch. The weather was extremely hot and burning. I ordered “Dum Aloo” and cheese chapati for lunch. Ina went for a drawing class with local art dealer and Martin, Jana and I went hanging around the beautiful place and village of Udaipur, separated by the lake.

While I was cruising the bazaar, I came across two girls. They were fascinated by a two elephants walking on the street and were snapping a few shots at them. They were good looking especially the one with the brunette hair. At one of the book store, I came across Nick Hornby’s book, one of Martin’ s favorite author and I told him about it. So, for the whole afternoon, Martin and I were just wandering around Udaipur while the girls were busy at their own stuff. Martin and I went to their guest house’s rooftop restaurant, Dream heaven rooftop restaurant. Below his guest house is a art and painting shop. The owner of this painting shop, Mr. Soni, was a very nice and friendly guy. He and his brother invited us for a cups of masala chai and we ended up with Hyena drawing on our skin.

Then, we went to Monu’s painting shop to meet with Ina. Monu is 21 years old and he work at the painting shop. We were seating at the shop, watching local people and other travelers walking pass us. With Monu, we were discussing and exchanging our different set of philosophical thinking. This Monu guy was unbelievably knowledgeable and he know what he was talking about. I felt guilty after that. I mean how could I undermine their knowledge just because they didn’t go to college? He was lamenting about a Dutch traveler he met once and this Dutch traveler were complaining about the pathetic state of our current world. Monu told him that it is time for him to do something, no matter how small they might be, to change the cause. That should has been done instead of lamenting about it. If you don’t ready to do or to offer anything- then we all deserve nothing to complain about anything. Until we are ready to commit, we don’t deserve to lament.

Martin, Ina and I were dining at Dream heaven. Prior to our dinner, we bade farewell to Jana, Gemma and Carol. They left us one day earlier to continue their chosen route. Martin and Ina brought me a gift, a Nick Hornby’s novel, entitle “High fidelity”. We always talking about time and again about the movie we both know and he really want me to read it because to him it was one of the most amazing book ever written.

It was good to ordered a few bottle of cold beers after a hot day and lot of walking and slacking. The restaurant at night had a very nice setting and decoration. They were playing some good music too- reggae music. All of us were ordering their special Thali. It was very special indeed. At the restaurant, while we were chatting about forgotten but interesting conversation, again, I saw the two beautiful girls I seen while cruising the bazaar that afternoon. They were with a guy, definitely an Asian. My brother and his friend, Kee, whom I suppose to travel with, arrived that day. We finally met up in Dream Heaven. Kee went back to the guest house and we went up to the rooftop’s rooftop to have a smoking session. We smoked about two joint and were enjoying yet again the beautiful lake palace. The night was silence but distance away, we could heard some festival were going on.