Udaipur, Rajasthan, India: 10June07

The child beggar threw stones to me!

The weather at Udaiphur was nice. It was colder than any other places in India that i have been , so far, and yet drier. So we didn't perspiring like hell.
The town area or toursit area itself wasn't as large. We went to the palace, museum, hindu temple and put an end of the day by the very energetic Rajasthani dance and music.
The room we got was windy and facing to the lake. It was indeed really a nice good place for honeymoon.
The not so nice experience was probably that a young beggar snatched my mango drink empty tetra-pack, thinking that it was a full drink. When he found that it was just rubbish, he threw stones at me! i was shocked. He was just may be 3 or 4 years old and he already started to beg and snatch things. What would he do when he grows up?
For those kids from normal family, how do they feel and think to see young beggars around their age struggling for a living? How does the parents explain to their children?



Udaipur is said to be the "white" city.



Lake Pichola and the city centre.



The usual India scene, people washing openly. Not every house has their own water supply.

My Sore, India - 31May07

The Beauty and the "Ungly"

i got my first frightening experience here. A child beggar basically pulled me here and there to beg for money and she just didn't give up. When i finally got to the bus, i gave another child beggar some biscuit from the bus window. i did not expect that some other child beggar then boarded the bus to ask for my 'contribution' then. She also refused to give up until a local Indian girl took sympathy on me and 'chased' her away.

The second shock was the bus. i had saw this in Chennai but did not expect me to be in one of them. Those people pushed and pulled just to board the bus. i was trapped in the middle of them! i forced my way out and waited for another bus. But the experience of been in the middle of a group of people 'lost control' to just want to have a place in the bus was really frightening.

The third experience was a lady selling flower outside of the temple demanded Rs 2 for 'guarding' my selipar. i was kind of scared (the first two frigtening experiences were still fresh in my mind) but reluctant to pay her. i knew this is seriously just a few cents but this is also a kind of daylight robbery to me! It was on Chamundi Hill, one of the 8 most holy hills in South India and don't people supposed to act like holy in the ground of God? i told her firmly and with my stern face that, i would not pay you even 50 paise (i doubt she understands though) and walked away.

The reason that i got to My Sore was for the Maharaja Palace. This Aladdin-liked majestic structure was beautiful and astonishing. Photographing was not allowed inside but the outside looked equally fascinating.

Asking direction is a disaster anywhere in India. If you asked four persons, you will basically got all North , East, South and West directions. If you got only 3 directions, that was because there was no road at one of the direction. The Indian is so reluctant to say "i don't know" that they would just simply give you a direction. The roads were not well marked too. So it is basically not as easy to walk around.

Cost: 565 Rp



Sri Chamundeswari Temple at Chanmundi Hill. The temple is seven-storey or 40m high. i took a bus up there and descending by the 1000-plus steps.



View of My Sore town from the 1062m summit of Chamundi Hill.



The fantastic Maharaja's Palace of Mysore grces the city's skilyline. The interior of the palace is a kaleidoscope of stained glass, mirrors and gaudy color. Photography inside of the palace is not allowed but undoubtly, this is the most beautiful palace i have ever visited in India.