Udaipur

Udaipur in Southern Rajahstan was a welcome change from the chaos of Delhi. Most famous for being the setting of the Bond film, Octopussy, the lakeside town is a romantic getaway, with one of the most beautiful hotels in the world, the Lake Palace Hotel, a floating castle in the middle of the lake. It was once the head of a great kingdom, the Lake Palace being one of at least four palaces in the city. Like most lake towns, it had a relaxing vibe, mixed with the incredible sight, it was a pleasant place that I was glad I chose for New Years Eve, especially since I met a group of friends with whom I'd travel for the next two weeks.

I met Mark, the dyed-blonde Australian on the street near the ghat. It was on New Year's Eve and he was carrying a box of beer. I'd yet to purchase the night's provisions; I couldn't find a bottle shop.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Right up the street, here, I'll take you mate."

"Where in Oz you from?" I love meeting Australians. Even nearly a year and a half after my departure, a distinct part of my soul still belongs down under.

"Adelaide."

The nearest city of any size to Broken Hill, I'd been to Adelaide numerous times. It was even the first place I saw the country. We had an instant topic of conversation and we ended up spending the day together, touring the main palace, right in town and agreed to meet at his guest house that night for drinks.

We joined a large group and started our New Year's Eve party right next to the water. It was a clear, beautiful night, shared with fantastic company including Mark, Nam, Daa, Maartje, John, and Matthias who I was all meeting in Jaisalmer two days later.

A neighboring hotel was having a cultural show which provided a great tabla, flute and drum soundtrack for much of the night. At midnight, every hotel blasted fireworks over the lake for nearly ten minutes, illuminating both the sky and the reflective water. It was a lovely end to a great year. Well liquored, we headed to a nearby bar and danced wildly until they closed.

The next day, we all headed to a far-off restaurant deep into town. We were quite lost for an hour, but the fantastic thali made up for it. Featuring and endless array of Rajahstani dishes with refills for only 70 rupees, it was a dining highlight of India that left us rolling out the door. Every single one of us got sick the next day.