Rajasthan - Part Deux (Take two)

So where was I? Oh yeah, I had just finished this post when a powersurge wiped out all my work. Now you all have to suffer through the short, short version.

We departed Jodhpur and headed South to the Lake city of Udaipur. Enroute we came across the largest extravagant temple that we've seen so far, the Jain temple of Ranakpur. This place was frigging huge and full of goodies. Five infant bodies connected to a single head, serpent ladies, and seriously freaky buddha types - this is a diety schmorgusborgh.

We had loads of fun playing hide and seek amongst the pillars, though I'm pretty sure a few Gods smited us for childish behavior.

From the temple we pushed on to Udaipur and took in the lake city and it's glorious palaces (google "Udaipur lake palace" for details). It was only after we departed the city that I realized this was the only photo I "technically" took inside the palaces. Might have had something to do with the camera charges.

Now might be a good time to explain camera charges. The Indians have come up with a dynamic pricing system for tourists and it's brilliant!

Admission: Indian = 20Rs, Foreigner = 750Rs

Camera Fee: 100Rs (Foreigner)

Video Camera Fee: 250Rs (Foreigner)

Person to watch the shoes you'll inevitably have to take off: 20Rs (Foreigner)

Oxygen Usage Charge: 50Rs (Foreigner)

Okay, I made up the oxygen usage charge, but you get my drift. They get you coming and going, brilliant.

Beyond the palaces, Udaipur was where I witnessed my first Elejam. That's what occurs when more than one elephant converge on an intersection and they battle to determine who proceeds. And it's Awesome! Don't believe me? Check out the photo, that's a bonefide elephant sauntering down the street (and saunter they do).

Okay, so "Hey, grab the camera" probably should have gone through my mind two minutes earlier but you try to think straight when you come around a bend and find three elephants standing there! One I could have handled, maybe even two, but THREE! Come on.

From Udaipur we headed NorthEast and decended on Pushkar like Shiva (but without the blue skin and snakes). Pushkar is a religious center of Hindu, built around a lake created by the tears of the Gods.

Pushkar is also home to India's largest concentration of PotsmokingBellyshowingLonghairhavingWesternHippies. When people go to India to "find themselves", this is where they find themselves. Half the population is still on a bad acid trip that started during a Doors concert.

Even the incense has been made "blacklight friendly" to suit the market.

Leaving Pushkar in a cloud of dust, or something else, we made our way to Jaipur "the Pink City" (By now readers should realize that the Indians had the concept of Branding down centuries ago).

The ruler of Jaipur was so impressed with the Lake Palace in Udaipur that he constructed one of his own. He had fantastic palace engineers, shame the same can't be said about his lake engineers.

Jaipur is a textile hub of India and we spent days shopping. (Joy.) Here I am making my own textile prints. (Elation.)

And we witnessed carpet weaving. (Stop it, you're killing me!)

Jaipur is also known for its three massive forts with the cherry on top being the largest cannon in the world (Adam's wounds from shopping are begining to heal).

We rode an elephant up the mountain to view the forts and the cannon.

Cast in 1720, this cannon is 20ft long, weights 50 tonnes, and fires, now get this, 22 miles! Sweet! (The grafitti is aftermarket, circa 2006)

We left Jaipur and visited the Ranthambor Tiger reserve where we froze our tails off and proceeded to view no tigers. Poaching thinned the number of tigers here from 1000+ to 26. Bummer. No Pictures.

Today we arrived safe and sound in Agra and have officially ended our tour of Rajasthan. For the next week it will be busses and trains as we finish crossing India and head to Nepal. Should be good times and I look forward to sending out one more post before trekking into the Himalaya.