Jodphur to Udaipur via Rankapur – 11 Dec 2012

Ready to hit the road again

The day started out as the normal desert road trip, mind you because it is winter here the desert has plenty of green bushes and it is cool in the mornings and night. Apparently in the summer Deepak says everything is brown so we are lucky to be here at this time of year.
We saw a man rolling along the road, a pilgrimage to his deity.  He was accompanied by a tuk tuk playing music and a few people walking along side, support crew?  Jim said I wonder if he rolls through all the cow poo or do the support people move it.  Interesting question.  Deepak says "village people think differently".

The first stop for the day was in Rankapur to visit the 15th century Chaumukha Mandir, the largest Jain temple in India.  It was spectacular.  I know I repeat that word a lot but it is hard to find another descriptive word as the forts truly are spectacular.  To think they were all hand made.  True devotion.

The Jain temple

Gravings at the Jain temple

Aravalli ranges

Rankapur is set at the base of the Aravalli ranges, it is a forested area and a winding mountainous road.  Both things we enjoy. We had lunch at the top of the range at Harmony Restaurant, an oasis with guava, mango and custard apple trees. The owner said he saw a leopard two weeks ago passing through his property.  It is believable because the area is a nature sanctuary.









After lunch we passed through villages that were truly third world, no electricity and bullock power water wheel.

Bullock power

Driving over the range we came out onto the Mumbai Delhi highway.  It was a two lane carriageway each way.  It still doesn't stop the Indians from driving down the wrong side of the road. It was a beautiful smooth road after all the other pot holed roads and non existent roads of the morning. 

Driving into Udaipur we were welcomed by a huge lake.  We are staying on the second lake "Pichola Lake" in the old city.  Leaving the car we drove in a tuk tuk to our hotel on the waterfront (ghat) as the alleyways are narrow and congested.  We were surprised and thankful for such a pleasant view. 

View from our room