Equestrian and Epicurean Experiences!!

We've had 3 stellar days in Udaipur. As noted, we finally found ourselves in a town that was navigable on foot, and with some element of (shock!) pleasure. I finally had the chance to sit down with some locals and hear about their lives. I had a great convo with a tailor in town, who I approached to fix my beloved MC Hammer pants (imagine, I paid 5$ for them and already they are showing some signs of disrepair!! I will model these on blog soon, now that they are repaired and fit for display. ). The tailor's grandfather had been a guard for the Maharaja living in the City Palace in the 1930s... cool! He had some great stories to tell, which made Udaipur all the more colorful in my mind, and my heart. His passable english allowed me to get answered many of my questions about social structure and caste system, Hinduism, the educational system, and what is UP with all the horoscope talk?? Fabulous. I also had opportunity to chat with a German woman who married Indian 7 years ago, and has been living here ever since - she provides a unique perspective on Indian culture, to be sure! She is actually in the process of completing a PhD thesis on Indo-European marriages, making it an even more enrapturing discussion.

One of the highlights of Udaipur was a horseback riding adventure through the countryside, which we took this morning. I've only ever ridden 4-5 times in my life, but once I got over myself ( who's in charge anyway, me or the horse??) and built some confidence, I was off cantering as much as the guide would let us! GREAT fun... cantering feels like flying. What an adrenaline rush!! I have the potential to become addicted. Of the backdrop and the horse ride itself, I'm not sure which is the icing and which is the cake... This ride gave us unique opportunity to absorb the countryside and its people. The area displays breathtaking topography and rural life; farms intermixed with rolling hills and small mountains in the background; schools, 'rich families' with houses built of cow shit with bricks, vs 'poor families' with houses built only of cow shit; all people happy and smiling, calling "Namaste!" (hello!) and shouting out any (few) english words they knew with pride. There was a lovely lake filled with lotus flowers, which the locals were harvesting in half sunk boats. Livestock abounded, particularly goats... minus one, which the stable dog ate en route, following which he was promptly sent home with tail between his legs.

This evening's highlight was a super cooking course, attended by ourselves, an Italian girl, and a lovely Danish couple! (We've met a number of Danes on this trip, as I always tend to do... this travel bug must be in my blood.) We learned how to make REAL masala chai, naan bread, and a number of other great veggie dishes, mmmm.... sated, educated, and very, very happy!