Udaipur - Holi Madness

Udaipur was one of my favorite places. With a large lake that splits the town, it is reminiscent of cities such as Venice or Budapest. The city was a relaxing place to hang out, even during Holi.

Breakfast at Udaikoti Hotel.

The man on the left flagged us down when we were paddle boating the lake. Despite warnings not to touch land, we couldn't say no to such a display of enthusiasm, so we stopped and enjoyed his lakeside property while sipping lassis.

The fun begins. There were huge bonfires at night filled with firecrackers. It was deafening. I was told that part of Holi is buring the dead from the winter, hence the bonfires. The colors used to be various minerals to help the dried out winter skin.

I was excited to get in the middle of the action, so I headed out into the streets with the goal of getting colored and picking up some art. It took me walking down the driveway of the hotel in a white shirt to be spotted and I was I was politely painted on my face by a few guys. My favorite sight on the walk was 2 boys up in the 2nd story with a bucket and squirt gun, looking to attack.

I made it to the art dealer without being totally covered, but she still thought I was nuts as she was staying inside for the day. Her neighbors weren't and they invited me upstairs for some more color and pics.

I returned to the hotel and found the owner's party in the backyard: buckets of water, plates of powdered color, a troupe of British actors, a band and food. Karen came down and joined us. She was instantly chased around the yard - fresh meat!

Such fun! This is a holiday I could repeat.