A Top Day in Udaipur

My day begins with an aloo paratha and chai masala at the unfussy, lakefront Transmarine Restaurant. The order takes time, so I scan a paper as bathers, laundry scrubbers and the occasional canine go about their morning rituals. Afterwards, I walk over the bridge and through the ever narrow streets of the old town, eventually making my way to Bansi Ghat for a one-hour boat trip to Jagmandir. The ride is half the fun.

Having worked up an appetite, there's no choice but to grab a rickshaw and head for Natraj, a spot filled with locals and Gujarati tourists but few Westerners. For next to nothing, you get all the scrumptious Gujarati thali you can handle. I digest while ambling through the refreshingly non-tourist-oriented streets in this section of the city, then rickshaw over to Battiyanni Chotta to browse the chock-a-block shops. I manage some good deals, if I do say so myself, on a miniature painting, handbag and a pair of glittery Rajasthani shoes that might just do the trick back home with a pair of worn jeans.

Now it's time for a chill out and a break from the sun (an underused resource here, which a local group is aiming to change with future implementation of solar-powered rickshaws). I recline on the terrace of Lalghat Guesthouse, catching a slight lakeshore breeze and some casual conversation.

My evening holds a Rajasthani dance performance at Bagore-ki-Haveli; the dancers blow me away, and the puppeteer's clever antics are so amusing. Treating oneself to a fancy feast is a must upon occasion if one can do it on the road, and the Udai Kothi rooftop is hard to pass up. After a fantastic dinner by candlelight, I dip my toes in the rooftop pool, cocktail in hand. Life in Udaipur is splendid from the top...but I look forward to life back down on earth, too.

Author: Susan Derby

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