Settling into Udaipur

Many more adventures. We've become fairly close with Edu and Mireia, our Spanish friends from the train who are also staying in Udaipur for a bit. Edu especially is a well-heeled traveller and I'm learning a lot from wandering around town together, learning how to talk with people and relax. I'm definitely noticing the difference between the Euro-traveller and the shy American-kid. They're comfortable in dirty shirts and dreads whereas Laura and I like to stay clean and well-dressed, dressing like the locals as best we can. Laura and I did a big walk around the city yesterday evening, then Edu led us to an Indian wedding (!) where Laura and her camera were a big hit while I chatted with the men-folk, especially a nice artist I'm planning on visiting this afternoon.

I was thinking of the story of Prince Siddhartha before the wedding last night. The artist I met introduced me to his son who's name is -- you guessed it -- Siddhartha. Varanasi, the birthplace of Siddhartha and still the epicenter of world-wide Buddhism (like Jerusalem or Mecca; an alleged cutting from the original bodhi tree underneath which the prince attained enlightenment still grows there), is still far off on our itinerary. We won't go there until after Agra & the Taj Mahal, probably another two weeks or so from now. But I feel that it is already journeying to meet me, even as I journey towards it.

I'm having to block off large chuncks of time to write in my journal. Not that difficult as I wake up early (pre-dawn, even) and rise with the city. This morning we awoke with the call to prayer from a nearby mosque (I think, I need to verify that). Whatever it was it was gorgeous. I lay in our dark bedroom and listened as a single male voice sing an intricate melody line, soon joined by a harmony that danced around the first line. As the sun rose the Hindu temples began to ring with the clatter of bells -- like morning churchbells only smaller (1 - 2 feet tall) and high-pitched, rung by hand and accompanied by chants that you can only hear within the temple; farther away and the clanging of bells drowns them out.

Leaving Laura to sleep I stepped out onto the street as the sun rose and waited for a local chai merchant to open his doors. We have a busy day planned out already, and have been invited back to more of the wedding festivities tonight.

I really, really like it here.