Currently we are traveling through Rajasthan in Western India. It is called the Land of Kings and with palaces and forts scattered across the dessert (think Arizona landscape and temperature) it is not hard to imagine yourself as a maharaja... that is until Jason refuses to fan me or a steaming cow pie engulfs my shoe... no personal servants or beautifully decorated elephants for me!
Rajasthan is made up of small ancient kingdoms each with their own king... which also means they each have their own palaces, summer palaces, forts, fortified cities, and charm. We started the region in Jaipur and then visited Pushkar and Chittorgarh on our way to Udaipur, where we have stopped briefly before we finish the region. Some say the middle of the summer right before the monsoon is a bad time to come to the dessert but if you can tolerate the 120 degree (that has been our hottest days 110 is more realistic) weather (which can only be done by visiting the sites early in the morning, drinking lots of water, and retreating for shade far before noon) it is quite pleasant to walk around the almost deserted streets and we are quite enjoying ourselves.
I got really sick for the second time in Jaipur and spent the rest of our time in the city and all of our time in Pushkar sick in bed with a high fever (101-104) and poor stomach... too weak to even sit-up so I will take my commentary straight to Chittorgarh where we visited a fort that was 13km (about 8 miles) in circumference and dates back to the 8th century. They say it is one of the greatest in Rajasthan and has a history that epitomises romanticism, chivalry and tragedy... maybe someday Hollywood will make a movie one it ;). Chittor was attacked three times by very powerful armies and each time the soldiers realized the city's ultimate fate and chose death before dishonour by committing jauhar - each time the men rode to fight an impossible fight and the women and children committed suicide. And there are other stories similar to this one but all along the same lines... an interesting history.
After Chittor we indulged ourselves in Udaipur at some of their most "romantic" restaurants sitting in cushion-lined (think low beds with tons of cushions) alcoves (think bay windows 5 stories up) overlooking a summer palace island on a beautiful lake with dusty low mountains in the background. Pretty amazing... so we blew our budget but no meal has been over $8 yet so we still aren't too bad ;).
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