Udaipur, the Venice of Rajasthan, is perhaps the most romantic city in India. A city of palaces surrounding an artificial lake, Udaipur captures the imagination like few other places in the world. It's perhaps most famous for its Lake Palace, built as an island in Lake Pichola by Maharana Jagat Singh II in the mid 18th century. Today the palace is a luxury hotel, open only to guests or visitors coming for their evening buffet dinner.

	View of Udaipur from our hotel, the Udai Kothi.		Panoramic view from our hotel.
	Much of the lake is surrounded by ghats -- steps leading down into the water.		Reflections of the buildings in the water.
	A dhobi-wallah washes laundry along the ghats.		Closeup view.
	The Lake Palace, seen from the Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel.		The Shiv Niwas, as seen from the water.
	A lone boatmen rows across Lake Pichola.		Closeup of the boatman.
	The courtyard of the Jagmandir Palace, another island palace in Lake Pichola. If you've seen the Bond film Octopussy, you've seen this palace.		We visited the Lake Palace for dinner one night and were treated to a Rajasthani puppet show.
	The puppets in action - I wish I'd had a video camera with me.		A woman dances at the Lake Palace.
	This performer demonstrated her ability to balance bowls on her head while dancing; they were stacked one at a time between each dance.		Locals riding into the old city.
	Carrying sacks of grain during rush hour.		A picture of the Hindu god Ganesh at the Shiv Niwas hotel; we liked it because it reminded us of our orange tabby Winston.
	A young woman along one of the city gates.		A boy at his father's export shop.
	A group of children returning from school, not far from our hotel.		Once you stop to take pictures of kids, they all want to mug for the camera.
	The Udai Kothi Hotel, our home in Udaipur.		The checkered roof of our hotel. Every morning we would have breakfast (and sometimes dinner) here, preferably in the domed chattri, in the background.
	The son of our hotel owners with his friendly dog.		A man feeds two cows near our hotel.
	The cows of Udaipur were always decorated with bows and garlands of flowers.		View of the Jagdish Temple.
	A sadhu poses next to the Jagdish Temple.		Same sadhu, different angle.
	A boy carries lamps into the old city.		More children on their way home from school.
	Musicians perform during dinner on our hotel's rooftop restaurant.		The Lake Palace at night.

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