weekend in Rajasthan

My fellow interns and I make the executive decision that we deserved a long weekend! Ravi, our boss, concurred that Udaipur and Jaipur should be given at least 3 days time in order to take in the sights. Lovely!
Sarah, Katie, and I took off friday around 7pm and arrived in Udaipur around 8am. Sarah was going to stay the weekend and let Katie and I use her room for the one day that we had allotted for the city. Udaipur is south west of Delhi. It's Lake Palace is the #1 destination in my Lonely Planet. Madonna has rented it out, as has the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie crew. It lived up to the hype! The City Palace and the Lake Palace were both breathtaking and Udaipur is easily the best place we've traveled to (I mean, I loved McLeod and it's gorgeous view as well. The two can't be compared I guess). The Lake Palace sits in the middle of a man-made lake....when it's full. Since the monsoon has just now started, the Saturday that we spent there was the last dry day of the year. Of course there was still a slew to take people from the mainland to the Palace, damned on both sides by built up earth.
We had a rickshaw tourguide take us around Udaipur. Compared to everywhere else we've been, the city was deserted. It was quiet. The honking was minimal. It was a very peaceful place. Katie and I rode a camel!! For a fantastic view of the city, our driver took up to the Monsoon Palace which sat on this hill.

Late that night Katie and I left our brave little Sarah in Udaipur, and hopped another train to Jaipur. We were lazy getting our tickets and were stuck in a non-air conditioned section of the train. The conductor couldn't get us A/C beds so we went to the A/C chair car. Bad decision. I don't think I slept more than a few restless hours on those hard seats. The lights were a constant spotlight, and I swear that Indians have no concept of sleep! People were up talking all night. Good thing we had a really nice hotel to nap in :)
Around 2pm our rickshaw driver came to get us and take us on a tour of Jaipur! His name was Rahul and just like our Udaipur guy, he had a guest book with recommendations from people all over the world. There must have been over a dozen different languages jotted down in the little leather notebook. I had high expectations for this guy. He let me down.
We went to some astrology exhibit and visited the Kings' tombs. Then he took us to a textile factory where they printed their own material and everything! I had them make me a navy blue dress. The first attempt at my dress was a disaster, but the second dress (made in a few hours) is really pretty! I'm currently wearing it actually.
Then disaster struck. He took us to a jewelry place. While we were looking at rings, Rahul asked if I wanted to meet his teacher, an astrologist, and have him "read" me. I love this stuff so of course I was excited to meet this man! He ended up reading me like a book. He knew my age. He knew my birthday. He said I care too much about what others think and that's why I'm in law school. He told me that I wouldn't end up being a lawyer. He also said that I've had a turbulent time with love: that it never lines up. He said that I very recently met someone that I like, but that we come from different worlds - he didn't say it wouldn't work, but he did say that it was going to be hard. I think this guy and I have a different definition of "working out" when it comes to relationships. Heck, if I don't end up hurting him or vice versa, I call that a good relationship!
What really freaked me out and made me actually start to cry was that he said, "help your mother." He told me that she was a people-pleaser and wasn't actually happy...that she may be depressed. He talked me into an unstable emotional state...and then went for the kill. I ended up buying healing stones for mom and I. One of my favorite things about my mom's side of the family is that my great-grandma instilled in all of us women a respect for eastern culture and beliefs. Eleanor Irish believed in reincarnation, crystals, etc. She was an amazing woman whom I will never forget. I knew that these healing stones would have been something that she would have felt very connected with. Grandma Irish would not have approved of the price though! I can almost hear her laughter now - it was a light hearted chuckle that she had. "Oh hun... you got screwed!" And when she'd have said this to me, her right hand would have gone to her heart while her left went to her hip. God she was awesome.
The Astrologist told me that I don't sleep much and when I do sleep, it's not well. The stones kept me up all night! The next day I returned them. The minute they were gone from my hand I felt lighter.

In Jaipur Katie and I went to this theme park-ish place for dinner. We rode an elephant, watched dancers, and got our palms read (I really should stop doing this). The astrologist and the palm reader told me I will have at least 3 kids and marry at age 29 to someone not "American." hmm.......5 more singles years? I'm going to take this glass-half-full and say that this gives me 5 more years to go to dance clubs and exotic countries! heck yes! The palm reader also told me I'm a very lucky person! With that though, I must agree. I'm lucky to be here and I enjoy being here. I'm more lucky to have what I have at home and people there who love me.

All in all though it was a good weekend...definitely the most interesting weekend yet. I think from now on I'll let fate speak to me on it's own terms. I'm pretty sure my own fate is as independent and stubborn as I am. She wouldn't like being spoken for through random "astrologists."