Udaipur

Even with Octopussy being played in every guest house and tiny streets crammerd with vehicles, Udaipur manages to be quite captivating. I mentioned some of the gems in the last post of the museum, but Udaipur actually is about as close to Venice as India might ever get.

The city palace has been enlarged by every maharaja that has ruled, and is now an enormous sprawling complex, which comes somewhat close to keeping a uniform architectural style. It's heavily guarded, although the guards seem slightly less menacing when they're going around taking pictures of the palace on their cell phones.

View of the city from the top of the palace

Courtyard/overpriced dining area

Night view of the palace from across the lake

Almost all the buildings are tall and thin, each with a roof terrace giving amazing veiws of the city and the night sky. Here's some fun with a full moon and long exposure :)